PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 21: Emil Morales #96 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a one-run single to tie the game in the first inning during the game between the Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Camelback Ranch on Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
In the last 50 years, only four other Dodgers minor leaguers had at least 100 RBI in their age-19 season or younger — Mike Marshall (1979), Candy Maldonado (1980), Adrían Beltré (age 18 in 1997), and Cody Bellinger (2015).
Ontario first baseman and occasional third baseman Easton Shelton has 35 home runs this year, 15 more than any other player in the circuit. The 20-year-old Shelton has driven in 106 runs in 106 games this season. We’ll know by Sunday if Morales or Shelton can be the first Dodgers minor leaguers with at least 100 RBI and as many runs batted in as games played since Greg Brock knocked in 138 runs in 135 games for Triple-A Albuquerque in 1982.
In the last 50 years, the only other Dodgers minor leaguers with 100 RBI and at least as many RBI as games are Kelly Snider (139 RBI in 138 games for Class-A Lodi in 1977) and Mike Marshall (137 RBI in 128 games while inning Pacific Coast League MVP for Albuquerque in 1981).
Josue De Paula, the Dodgers top prospect, joined this group on Wednesday with Double-A Tulsa.
The last Tulsa Driller before De Paula to knock in 100 runs was Joe Koshansky in 2006 when Tulsa was a Colorado Rockies affiliate. De Paula had already scored 100 runs this season, and he’s just the second Tulsa Drillers player with triple digits in both runs and RBI, joining then-Rangers prospect Carlos Peña in 2000.
James Tibbs III, who was not called up to the Dodgers, is also sitting on 96 RBI for Oklahoma City with nearly three weeks to go in the Pacific Coast League season, so he could easily join this group, too.
EVERETT, WA - JUNE 07: Infielder Jhonny Level #23 of the Eugene Emeralds prepares to swing during a game between the Eugene Emeralds and Everett AquaSox on June 7, 2026 at Funko Field in Everett, Washington. (Photo by Henry Rodenburg/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Minor League Baseball season is winding down, but there’s still a lot happening. Here’s what went down for the San Francisco Giants affiliates on Tuesday.
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
Lots of movement in the Minors, partially due to lots of movement in the Majors, as the Giants celebrated September call-up day by promoting catcher Zach Morgan, LHP Cesar Perdomo, and RHP Wilkin Ramos from AAA Sacramento. The River Cats lost a lot of their roster, as LHP Hayden Wynja and RHP Ryan Slater were returned to High-A Eugene, RHP Samir Chires was returned to Low-A San Jose, and infielder Zander Darby (who had been in Eugene), was sent to AA Richmond.
They did recoup some talent, though, as San Jose catcher Fernando Gonzalez was sent to Sacramento for emergency depth duty, while the organization signed Dusty’s son, infielder/outfielder Darren Baker, and assigned him to AAA.
RHPs Marty Gair and Niko Mazza were promoted from Eugene to Richmond, while Richmond RHP Ben Peterson landed on the 7-Day IL. Meanwhile, LHP Jordan Gottesman was promoted from San Jose to Eugene.
Catcher Scott Gell, who was an undrafted free agent in July, was assigned to San Jose, which brings us to our big news of the day … RHP Jackson Flora is headed there as well. July’s 4th overall pick has been assigned to Low-A and, per the beat reporters, will start on Friday.
AAA Sacramento (74-56)
Sacramento River Cats lost to the Salt Lake Bees (Angels) 4-1 Box score
The only real bit of good news from this game? That the next 3 games on the list get better. This was a capital B Boring game for Sacramento.
There were a pair of good offensive performances, from right fielder Will Brennan and first baseman Charlie Szykowny. Brennan, who was designated for assignment and outrighted earlier in the year, and will almost certainly sign elsewhere this offseason, hit 1-4 but smashed a solo home run in the 9th inning, which kept the River Cats from being shut out.
It hasn’t been a great year for the 28-year old, but he’s been solid in Sacramento, where he has an .801 OPS and a 107 wRC+. He’ll certainly be in Spring Training with someone come February, should we be lucky enough to actually have a Spring Training.
As for Szykowny, he hit 2-4 with a double. The 26-year old lefty, who was taken in the 9th round of the 2023 draft out of Illinois-Chicago, was brought up from AA recently thanks to Sacramento being fairly shy on players. Despite having a mediocre year with Richmond, Szykowny has fit right in with the River Cats through 4 games, as he’s hit 4-12 with 2 doubles and just 2 strikeouts. My guess is he’s here to stay.
The same cannot be said for catcher Fernando Gonzalez, who was brought up straight from Low-A to fill the catcher void (the Giants called up Zach Morgan on Tuesday as part of the expanding September rosters, leaving Adrián Sugastey as the only catcher in AAA). Gonzalez, a 20th-round pick in 2024 who was having a modest offensive season in San Jose, did collect his first AAA hit, as he went 1-3 with 2 strikeouts. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Giants try to sign a veteran backstop for Sacramento, but then again, with the season so close to concluding, they may just ride it out with Gonzalez before returning him to an appropriate level in 2027.
Rough days for the trio of top prospects at the top of the order: center fielder Scott Bandura went 0-3 with a strikeout, though he reached base via a hit by pitch and stole a base. Left fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) and third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) both went 0-4 with 2 strikeouts. Harber has really been scuffling lately, as in his last 6 games he’s hit just 1-24 with 2 walks and 8 strikeouts, bringing his OPS down to .781 and his wRC+ to 106.
It was a bullpen game on the pitching side, and while holding a team to 4 runs in Sacramento isn’t bad, it wasn’t a particularly inspired performance. RHP Darien Smith led things off, and while he shined in his AAA debut a few days ago, his follow-up performance didn’t go as well, as he gave up 2 hits, 2 walks, and 2 runs in just an inning of work. It’s unclear if it was a scheduled bullpen game or if Smith — who worked as a starter for Richmond before hitting the IL in the summer — just had his day shortened by nature of having thrown 37 pitches in the 1st inning.
R.J. Dabovich was the bright spot in the bullpen, as he tossed a perfect 9th inning, while throwing 6 of 8 pitches for strikes. It’s so great seeing Dabovich healthy and on the mound again, and he’s making the most of it as he’s ending the year with a bang. Through 3 appearances with the River Cats, the 2020 4th-round pick has given up just 1 hit and 1 walk in 3 scoreless innings.
The Giants might have lost a dramatic game 13-12, but their AA affiliate won a dramatic game 13-12. Kind of funny!
And, just like the Giants, the Squirrels had to climb back into the game after a rough outing from their starter. And, just like the Giants, that rough outing resulted in allowing 9 runs in a single inning.
For Richmond, it was RHP Shane Rademacher, who had a 2nd inning to forget. The 25-year old UDFA, who has been having a difficult season, made it through the 1st inning with relative ease, giving up just a single. But here’s how his 2nd inning went:
Double Single Hit by pitch Single Hit by pitch Walk Single Grand slam
And that was it for him. 8 batters, 0 outs, and 8 runs scored.
The pitching obviously got better from there, but it still stumbled for a while, as RHPs Logan Martin and Dale Stanavich didn’t have very good outings, either. Finally things got buckled down late, thanks to RHPs Mitch White and Ryan Vanderhei. White gave up a single and a walk in 2.1 scoreless innings, with 2 strikeouts, while Vanderhei handled 2 no-hit, no-run frames, allowing just 1 walk while striking out 3. White, a 26-year old signed out of an indy league who is in his debut season, has struggled this year, with a 5.73 ERA, a 6.69 FIP, and as many walks as strikeouts. Vanderhei, a 25-year old taken in the 10th round in 2023, has had a strong season, with a 2.61 ERA and a 3.70 FIP following a midseason promotion, which came after tremendous High-A results.
The offense was where things really shined, though, and the Flying Squirrels did it in small ball fashion. Richmond scored their 13 runs despite having 0 home runs, and just 2 of their 18 hits went for extra bases. But 16 singles goes a long way, especially when paired with 7 walks and 4 stolen bases.
Second baseman Dayson Croes let the hit brigade, as he went 4-6 with a strikeout. It hasn’t been a very good 2nd season for the 26-year old lefty from Aruba, as he had modest numbers in AAA and was returned to AA, where he has a .704 OPS and a 91 wRC+. Croes has awesome contact skills, but unfortunately, there’s just not a lot else in his game.
Right fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL), playing in his 3rd game since returning from an IL stint that lasted over a month, hit 2-5 with a double, a walk, a stolen base, and a strikeout. Not surprisingly, strikeouts remain an issue for the exceptionally exciting 23-year old, as he has a 24.5% K rate in Richmond, with a sky-high 17.9% swinging strike rate. But he has so, so, so much talent, and through 12 games at the level has an .845 OPS and a 123 wRC+. Unfortunately, the injury took out enough of his season that he probably lost the opportunity to play his way into a AAA assignment to open 2027, but if he keeps hitting like this, he won’t have that long of a stint in the Eastern League. He also, excitingly, has 6 stolen bases in those 12 games, without yet getting caught.
Also lovely games for left fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL), shortstop Maui Ahuna (No. 33 CPL), catcher Jancel Villarroel (No. 42 CPL), and third baseman Sabin Ceballos (No. 43 CPL). Diaz, who is starting to find his footing following a recent promotion, hit 3-5 with a sacrifice fly and a strikeout, raising his OPS to .622 and his wRC+ to 59 through 12 games; Ahuna went 2-5 with a walk and a whopping 4 runs batted in, while also swiping a bag, striking out, and committing 2 errors, which brought his OPS to .674 and his wRC+ to 87, with 30 stolen bases in 33 attempts; Villarroel who, like Diaz, had a slow start following his promotion, went 2-4 with 2 walks, a stolen base, and the go-ahead RBI single as part of a 3-run 9th, boosting his OPS to .589 and his wRC+ to 59 through 23 games, with 3 stolen bases in as many attempts; and Ceballos hit 3-4 with a walk and a sacrifice fly, bringing him up to a .739 OPS and a 104 wRC+.
Unfortunately the offensive explosion did not find its way to first baseman Zander Darby, who made his AA debut but went 0-6 with 4 strikeouts.
High-A Eugene (76-50)
Eugene Emeralds beat the Hillsboro Hops (D-Backs) 7-5 Box score
A pair of excellent performances in this game, one on each side of the ball. And, while we all love when less-heralded prospects break out and show things, there’s nothing quite like the star performances coming from the star prospects … which is exactly what happened in this game.
On the mound, it was LHP Henry Lalane, the exceptionally intriguing 6’7 southpaw whom the Giants acquired in the Heliot Ramos trade. Lalane was brilliant in Low-A for the Yankees’ affiliate this year, where the 22-year old posted a 2.74 ERA and a 2.64 FIP in 13 games, with 11.7 strikeouts per 9 innings. Things have been a little more difficult for him in High-A, but you wouldn’t know it if you watched Tuesday’s game, as he dealt 5 brilliant shutout frames, allowing just 3 hits (all singles) and 1 walk, while striking out 4 batters.
Lalane looked overpowering to the helpless Hops batters, and he did an excellent job pounding the strike zone, with 54 of his 79 pitches going for strikes. Even with the great game, Lalane’s numbers are quite poor since the trade: in 5 starts, he has a 4.57 ERA and a 4.82 FIP, with just 16 strikeouts in 21.2 innings. He’s really going to be a fascinating choice for the Giants when Rule 5 protection decisions need to be made in November … he’s far too talented to lose, but do the Giants really think he’ll get poached given how low in the system he is? And can they find space, given that their 40-man roster currently has 54 players on it?
In the batter’s box, it was shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) who shined, with his best game in quite some time. Level’s performance since moving to High-A earlier in the year has been absolutely fantastic, but he had been fairly quiet recently. He was not quiet in this game, though, as the 19-year old switch-hitter went 2-5 with a double and a 2-run home run in the 8th inning that provided what proved to be some critical insurance.
HERE’S JHONNY!
Jhonny Level hits a 2-run HR for his 18th HR of the season and his first since August 8th.
I should note that Level, who also struck out once, hadn’t been quiet in a bad way. It was more that he had been consistently decent (which is a tremendous skill for a young player), and hadn’t had his usual superstar games. Before going 0-5 on Sunday, Level had an 11-game hitting streak going, which is mighty impressive. But this was his 1st home run since August 8, and that’s something we certainly love to see.
Since getting promoted, Level has an .852 OPS and a 123 wRC+ in 65 games. He’s hitting for average (.305) and power (.183 ISO), while striking out just 17.4% of the time. There’s not much more we can ask of him, and there’s no doubt now that he’ll begin 2027 in AA.
While Lalane’s fellow pitchers didn’t do anything of note, Level’s fellow hitters had a few nice performances, namely from right fielder Cam Maldonado (No. 34 CPL) and designated hitter Walker Martin. Maldonado hit just 1-3 with a strikeout, but was hit by 2 pitches and stole a base, while Martin went 2-4 with a swiped bag and a strikeout. Maldonado has been absolutely other-worldly since a recent promotion, posting a 1.175 OPS and a 189 wRC+ through 18 games with the Emeralds, and stealing 4 bases. Martin has had his fair share of struggles throughout the year, and has a .736 OPS and a 93 wRC+, with 20 stolen bases in 23 attempts.
Low-A San Jose (76-51)
San Jose Giants beat the Fresno Grizzlies (Rockies) 8-6 Box score
It was all about the offense in this game for the Baby Giants, and there was a quartet of stars who came about success in very different ways. Half of that quartet opted for the all-or-nothing approach, while the other half went for a more balanced attack.
The all-or-nothing pair was third baseman Lorenzo Meola (No. 23 CPL) and designated hitter Angel Guzman. Meola and Guzman only had 1 hit apiece, but that hit left the yard in both instances. For Meola, who finished 1-4 with a walk and a strikeout, the home run represented just another tally on a summer of extra-base hits. Last year’s 4th-round pick has really found both the hits and the juice since the summer sun came out. The splits are fairly stark for the 22-year old righty:
That’s pretty dramatic improvement! The cold water is that his heater pretty perfectly coincides with when pitchers started to get promoted from the Cal League to High-A, but still … those are mighty impressive numbers either way, and have brought his season line above the league average (.830 OPS, 105 wRC+). It’ll definitely be fun to see if he can continue building on this success in Eugene next year.
As for Guzman, he went 1-3 with a hit by pitch and a strikeout, as he has really started to figure out the level. After a slow introduction to Low-A (he was promoted in early July), Guzman has found his footing, and posted a .947 OPS in August. After opening September with a home run, the 20-year old lefty is up to an .849 OPS and a 120 wRC+ in 31 games with the Baby Giants. Very impressive stuff!
The other pair of hitters was shortstop Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) and right fielder Tanner Mally. González, as I’ve almost grown tired of typing, was particularly inspiring: he had 4 official at-bats and roped 4 singles, while also knocking a sacrifice fly and stealing a base (the lone bad part of his day was that he was caught stealing).
MLB's No. 17 prospect Josuar Gonzalez posts the second 4-hit outing of his career 🔥
You can talk about any number of elements of González’s game: his power is mesmerizing, his baserunning is must-see TV, he’s drawing walks like it’s going out of style, and his defense is truly magical. But I want to just stop for a moment and admire how impressive it is that he’s just getting hits. The top prospect in the organization is still just 18 years old, a full 3 years younger than the average hitter in the Cal League. And after this game (which gave the switch-hitter a 5-game hitting streak), he’s hitting a staggering 42-112 through 27 games.
There are 128 prospects who have logged 100 plate appearances in the Cal League this year, and González’s .375 batting average ranks 2nd among those 128 … behind only Kayson Cunningham, a 1st-round pick last year who is 20. It’s just absurd what González is doing.
As for Mally, he went 1-1 and drew 3 walks though, like González, he was caught stealing. Mally only has 5 extra-base hits through 21 games, but July’s 17th-round pick has a .400 batting average. That is damn impressive!
The pitching wasn’t good, but unfortunately, it was notable, as RHP Trey Seeley left the game in the 1st inning with the trainers, after only throwing 17 pitches. You never want to speculate on an injury, but Seeley was visibly distraught coming off the mound, with tears that appeared to be due to emotional rather than physical pain. His velocity was also down so … you can unfortunately put two and two together with a fairly high chance of being correct.
The one good pitching performance belonged to RHP Dylan Carter, an undrafted free agent from last year’s class. Carter gave up a hit in a scoreless inning, while striking out a pair, lowering his ERA to 4.91 and his FIP to 4.50. Not a very good season for the Arkansas alum, but he’s ending it on a high note: in his last 7 games, he’s pitched 13.1 innings and allowed just 10 hits, 2 walks, and 1 earned run, while striking out 18. Love to see players end the year strong!
RHP Ian Korn, July’s 10th-round pick, made his 2nd pro appearance. He struggled, allowing 2 hits, 1 walk, and 2 runs in 1.2 innings, with 1 strikeout, but he did pick up his 1st professional win!
Home run tracker
18 — Jhonny Level — [8 in High-A; 10 in Low-A] 14 — Lorenzo Meola — [Low-A] 7 — Will Brennan — [AAA] 6 — Angel Guzman — [4 in Low-A; 2 in ACL]
Wednesday schedule
Sacramento: 6:45 p.m. PT vs. Salt Lake (SP: Joe Whitman) Richmond: 3:35 p.m. PT at Akron (SP: Miguel Mendez) Eugene: 6:35 p.m. PT vs. Hillsboro (SP: Ubert Mejias) San Jose: 6:50 p.m. PT at Fresno (SP: TBD)
Reminder that almost all MiLB games can be watched on MLB TV
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 28: Tomoyuki Sugano #11 of the Colorado Rockies pitches during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on August 28, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a much-needed victory on Tuesday night to snap a 10-game losing streak at Coors Field, the Colorado Rockies will aim for a series victory today. Unfortunately, they face a pair of obstacles that will make that task difficult: a left-hander on the mound for the Orioles and a bad record in rubber matches.
Tomoyuki Sugano (12-8, 5.23 ERA) starts for the Rockies against his former team. Sugano made 30 starts for the Orioles last season, posting a 4.64 ERA in 157 innings. August was a tough month for Sugano, particularly over his last three starts. In 12 innings, he has allowed 18 runs on 26 hits, including six runs on 10 hits against the Atlanta Braves last weekend. The main issue has been efficiency for the veteran righty, as he has been working behind in counts and relying too heavily on his fastball. His secondary pitches haven’t been working, and opposing teams have punished his mistakes and made him labor. The Rockies need Sugano to flip the script and get ahead in counts and go back to doing what he’s done well all season.
Trevor Rogers (9-9, 4.38 ERA) takes the hill for the O’s. After a slower start to the season, Rogers has mostly been excellent since the start of June. He came back down to earth in August, but still had three quality starts. His last outing was in St. Louis, where he allowed six runs on seven hits over five innings of work. Rogers gave up a home run in each of his five starts last month, but that was about all the damage he surrendered. He has excellent strikeout capabilities and doesn’t generally walk many batters. Keep an eye on his changeup, as that pitch has proven to be a tough one for the Rockies lineup when thrown properly.
First Pitch: 1:10 p.m. MDT
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM KOA Rockies Radio Network; KNRV 1150 AM (Spanish)
The Yankees (79-60) and the Angels (53-86) conclude their three-game series tonight in Southern California with the series tied at one game apiece following New York’s 7-3 win last night.
Spencer Jones and Jazz Chisholm Jr. went yard back-to-back in the first inning and the Yankees never looked back. Jones has homered in back-to-back games and Chisholm is 6-11 over his last three games with six runs scored. Zach Neto (2-4) and Wade Meckler (3-4) were the lone bright spots at the plate for the Angels in the game. The win was the Yankees’ fifth in their last six games. The Halos have now lost eight of their last nine games.
Two of the hottest pitchers in baseball take the mound tonight in this one as Cam Schlittler (12-6, 2.09 ERA) takes the ball for the Yankees opposed by Reid Detmers (4-8, 3.54 ERA) of the Angels. Schlittler was outstanding last Friday against the Red Sox silencing them over 5.2 innings. His previous three starts saw him allow just one run per game with Schlittler pitching at least into the sixth inning of each. Detmers has been at least as good over the same stretch of time. Last Friday, the southpaw pitched six innings and allowed one run. He blanked the Rangers and Royals in his previous two starts (14 innings).
While these teams live in alternate universes, the season series is tied at three games apiece.
Lets dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch: Yankees vs. Angels
Date: Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Time: 9:38PM EST
Site: Angel Stadium
City: Anaheim, CA
Network/Streaming: MLB.TV, YES, Angels.TV
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The Latest Odds: Yankees vs. Angels – September 2
The latest odds as of Wednesday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: New York Yankees (-163), LA Angels (+135)
Reid Detmers has struck out 5+ hitters in 10 of his last 11GP and 6+ in 6 of his last 9
Amed Rosario is 7-16 in his career against Reid Detmers
Cam Schlittler has struck out 6+ hitters in 9 of his last 10GP
Zach Neto has hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games (21-50)
Ben Rice is 3-18 over his last 4GP
Trent Grisham went 1-5 last night snapping an 0-19 stretch
Cody Bellinger has hit safely in 5 straight games (9-20)
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Top Betting Trends & Insights: Yankees vs. Angels
The Angels are 69-70 on the Run Line this season
The Yankees are 68-71 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed an MLB-low 57 times in games involving the Angels this season (57-80-2)
The OVER has cashed 60 times in games involving the Yankees this season (60-75-4)
Expert picks & predictions: Yankees vs. Angels for September 2
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Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s game between the Angels and the Yankees:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 28: Pitcher Patrick Sandoval #43 of the Boston Red Sox throws the ball while playing the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on August 28, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Benjamin B. Braun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
TV: NESN
First Pitch: 4:10 p.m. ET
The Red Sox have not exactly dominated this series but still find themselves with a chance to take two of three from the Mariners. Boston needs better production on the mound after surrendering 17 runs in the first two games. Patrick Sandoval is in line to do that after a terrific yet run-support-less start last time out against the Yankees when he allowed just one earned run over 5 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts.
Here’s who the Red Sox will send to the plate behind him Wednesday afternoon at Fenway Park.
The Mariners will counter with Bryce Miller, who could keep the Red Sox offense in rhythm as he’s allowed 16 runs (15 earned) over his previous three starts for Seattle.
PHOENIX – Andrew Painter turned in the best start of his young career and got nothing to show for it Wednesday afternoon.
The rookie right-hander pitched seven shutout innings and gave up just two hits in a 1-0 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Painter left a scoreless game after seven innings and 93 pitches. Reliever Jonathan Bowlan allowed a home run to James McCann on the first pitch he threw in the bottom of the eighth inning for the game’s only run.
The Phillies mustered only three hits on the day against seven Arizona relievers. Arizona only had three hits, as well. One of them just landed over the wall.
All in all, it was a solid trip for the Phillies. They won six of nine games and took over the lead in the NL wild-card race. They return home Friday night for a first-place showdown with the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves.
Since returning from his Triple A makeover, Painter has a 3.12 ERA in seven starts.
Painter relied mostly on his fastball, changeup and sweeper. The fastball reached 98.7 mph and averaged 96.3 mph. The changeup produced six swing and misses and four strikeouts. Painter was economical. He threw 93 pitches and recorded a first-pitch strike against 18 of 24 hitters. He did not walk a batter.
PHOENIX – Andrew Painter turned in the best start of his young career and got nothing to show for it Wednesday afternoon.
The rookie right-hander pitched seven shutout innings and gave up just two hits in a 1-0 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Painter left a scoreless game after seven innings and 93 pitches. Reliever Jonathan Bowlan allowed a home run to James McCann on the first pitch he threw in the bottom of the eighth inning for the game’s only run.
The Phillies mustered only three hits on the day against seven Arizona relievers. Arizona only had three hits, as well. One of them just landed over the wall.
All in all, it was a solid trip for the Phillies. They won six of nine games and took over the lead in the NL wild-card race. They return home Friday night for a first-place showdown with the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves.
Since returning from his Triple A makeover, Painter has a 3.12 ERA in seven starts.
Painter relied mostly on his fastball, changeup and sweeper. The fastball reached 98.7 mph and averaged 96.3 mph. The changeup produced six swing and misses and four strikeouts. Painter was economical. He threw 93 pitches and recorded a first-pitch strike against 18 of 24 hitters. He did not walk a batter.
Sep 1, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) celebrates after he singles during the fifth inning against the New York Mets at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
August and September are two of the most important months of the regular season for contenders. Rosters are galvanized in August following the trade deadline, and teams jockey for a higher postseason seed in September. There aren’t too many “punt” games this time of the year now that magic numbers are counting down and managers can be aggressive with expanded rosters.
The Rays find themselves comfortable in control of their destiny and in the lead to win the AL East – securing a first-round bye. There are four key metrics I’ll be following as they look to maintain their performance into October.
Outs per batted ball
This Rays team is built on run prevention before anything else. Pitching and defense will determine how deep they play into October. So far this year, the Rays have been one of the top run prevention teams in the league. Only the Dodgers (69.1%) convert more batted balls into outs than the Rays (68.6%) this season. However, the Rays have been roughly average in this area since the beginning of August. Some of that is skewed by their west coast trip in which their flyball-to-out conversion rate dipped significantly playing in Denver and Sacramento and should rebound as they’ve been one of the best defensive outfields in the league this year. The infield has steadily improved throughout the year, and they’ve had the 9th best groundball-to-out rate since 8/1.
I’d like to see the team converting close to 69-70% of batted balls into outs by the end of the month. They’re currently at 67.4% from August 1st through September 1st. This can be accomplished by playing better defense of course, but the pitching staff will need to continue to do their part and manage hard contact.
Save plus hold success rate
The back of the bullpen has been solid all year, and the addition of Tyler Wells at the deadline along with Manny Rodriguez return from injury only makes it better. The Rays bullpen has been the best in the league at holding leads since the beginning of August. Their 97.1% success rate for saves and holds is 3% better than the next closest team and about 10% better than league average. It may fluctuate a bit the rest of the season because baseball can be random, but the back of the bullpen is hitting their stride at the right time and will shorten games in October. I expect this to remain in the 90-95% range for the rest of the year and stay comfortably above average.
Reliever runs per batter faced
The overall performance of the bullpen has been negatively skewed by the performance of some middle relief options over the last month. Rather than just looking at just team reliever ERA, it can be beneficial to account for workload by factoring in total batters faced. ERA and FIP miss the workload aspect as they are calculated on a 9-inning basis.
Since 8/1, the Rays bullpen ranks 21st in the league in runs allowed per batter faced. Some of that is brought down by mop-up outings in blow outs, but that can’t really happen as we head into October. Despite ranking in the bottom 10 in this metric, the Rays bullpen is only slightly below average. Additionally, there are plenty of internal candidates that could improve the bullpen.
They’ll need at least one of Cleavinger, Booser, Sulser, Matz, or Legumina to step up and be the bridge to the back of the bullpen. I’m not concerned about this area; there’s currently a surplus in the rotation with multiple players who will need their workloads managed as we approach the end of the season. A postseason pitching staff really only needs three true starters, so whoever isn’t starting could transition to a relief role. Jax, McClanahan, and Seymour all make sense to move to multi or single inning relief roles to support the bullpen when fewer rotation spots are needed.
The Rays bullpen is currently at 0.126 runs per batter while the best bullpens are below 0.100. I’d like to see them closer to that number, so it’ll be something to watch as the middle relief roles get sorted out over the next few weeks.
Runs per base
While the Rays might not have the roster to out-slug some of the other contenders, they can make up for it by maintaining an efficient offense. One way to measure efficiency is by looking at how many runs a team scores for each base they earn.
The Rays have the 4th best offensive efficiency since 8/1 in terms of runs per base at 0.277 and the league average is 0.255. They move runners well by bunting, stealing, and having productive outs more than most other teams. This has helped them maintain an above average offense for the season as a whole with a 105 wRC+. I’ll be looking for them to maintain above-average offensive efficiency through October.
Overall, this team is in a good position with room to improve. I’d like to see the Rays get their outfield defense back to where it was earlier this season. The return of Mesa should help with that. I’d also like them to continue to hold leads and close games at the back of the bullpen while keeping games closer in middle relief. Rodriguez should help in that area, and I’m interested to see which of the current members of the rotation could transition to a relief role in October. I’ll also be watching the group of Cleavinger, Booser, Sulser, Matz, and Legumina for those roles. And lastly, I want the Rays to stick to their identity and continue to manufacture runs with productive outs and taking an extra base as much as possible. We already know what we have in this team – they’re legit World Series contenders, but performance in these four key areas is what will make or break their postseason run.
On Tuesday, MLB rosters expanded for the final month of the regular season, which meant that every single organization was able to add two players to their active roster. While pretty much every team added a reliever to help their bullpens, and many of the other additions were bench players who can add depth at a variety of positions, there were some potential difference-making players who were added to the rosters.
Let's see who they are and what we can expect from them over the final month of the season.
Lazaro Montes - OF, Mariners
Montes made quite the impression in his MLB debut on Tuesday, with a solo homer, an RBI single, and a walk as the Mariners beat the Red Sox. That was Montes' first career MLB home run, but his 39th home run of the season. The 21-year-old has been swinging a hot bat over the summer, but has some contact concerns that I went over in more detail in a video this week.
Salas will make his MLB debut on Tuesday and will be the youngest player to enter an MLB game at catcher since Pudge Rodriguez did in October of 1990. This season, Salas hit .296/.374/.448 with 10 homers and 17 steals between Double- and Triple-A this year. That came with an impressive 5.4 percent swinging strike rate, and, in 24 games at Triple-A, he posted a 95 percent zone contact rate and 42 percent hard-hit rate. It’s incredibly impressive for a hitter at his age to control the strike zone and have the feel for contact that he does. MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell reports that, while there is no set role for Salas right now, he is “expected to catch, DH and serve as a bench bat.” That makes it sound like the left-handed-hitting Salas could start a few games a week with the chance to earn more playing time if he produces.
Leo Bernal - C, Cardinals
The 22-year-old is the seventh-ranked prospect in the Cardinals organization and hit .278/.363/.468 with 16 home runs, 77 RBI, and nine steals in 101 games at Triple-A this season. With Jimmy Crooks being sent down on Monday, Bernal could split time with Pedro Pages behind Ivan Herrera in St. Louis, but he started on Tuesday and hit sixth in the order. That was also against a left-handed starter, and Bernal is a switch-hitter while Pages bats right-handed, so that could be a signal that Bernal will be the true second option behind Herrera. Bernal had a 9.6% barrel rate and 40% hard-hit rate in Triple-A but posted a sub-average 75% zone contact rate, so we could have a few games like we did on Tuesday, where he went 1-for-5 with two RBI but also struck out twice.
Yohandy Morales - 1B/3B, Nationals
Morales is a player we have blurbed throughout the season because the 24-year-old former 40th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft had a tremendous year at Triple-A, hitting .286 with 25 HR and 76 RBI. If not for a mysterious injury that put him on the MiLB injured list in July, Morales could have been up earlier this season. This year, Morales pulled the ball more than he did in 2025 and got the ball off the ground more often. He still swings and misses a decent amount, but had a 13.2% barrel rate and 51% hard-hit rate at Triple-A this season. In his first two MLB games, he has played first base and designated hitter against two right-handed pitchers, which suggests that the Nationals are going to give him a chance to be a regular starter. Considering he went 3-for-5 with two runs scored, a double, and a solo home run against the Braves on Tuesday, that makes some sense, and he has enough power to be fantasy relevant down the stretch.
Yohandy Morales' first Major League hit is a home run!
Amador made his MLB debut at 21 years old back in 2024, but his first two chances at the big leagues did not go so well. He doesn't chase outside of the zone, and he makes a lot of contact, but he didn't hit the ball overly hard and struggled to adapt to the level. In 2026, he has been a similar player in Triple-A, but has hit the ball on the ground a bit less. Despite being primarily a shortstop, Amador has a solid glove and a strong arm, which means he can play all over the middle infield. The new Rockies regime might be more invested in Amador's ability to make consistent contact and work a count. They had seemed to sour on Ezequiel Tovar a bit, so there's a chance that Amador could push him for at-bats down the stretch.
Ricky Tiedemann - SP/RP, Blue Jays
You probably know who Tiedemann is because the 24-year-old was a top 100 prospect for a few years. The left-hander missed most of 2024 and all of 2025 while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, and then experienced some elbow soreness again ramping up for camp in 2026, which has caused him to miss most of this season. His fastball is still sitting around 96-98 mph, and he’s throwing a new, harder, tighter slider, which should put less strain on his elbow after bone chips were also removed during surgery. He also has a strong changeup, and while Tiedemann will just be a reliever this season, finishing this year strong could give him the inside track to compete for a rotation spot in 2027.
Jedixson Paez - SP, Red Sox
The 22-year-old had allowed just four runs on seven hits in 12 1/3 innings while posting an 18/2 K/BB ratio in three starts for Triple-A Worcester before being called up on Tuesday. His first MLB start did not go so well. He allowed eight runs in 3 2/3 innings against the Mariners. He did throw 63 percent of his pitches for strikes, including 86 percent on his curve, and his changeup posted a 17 percent swinging strike rate against lefties, but his fastball locations were not good, and he simply doesn’t throw hard enough to get by without solid location. There’s a chance he gets another spot start this season to keep Boston’s regular starters fresh for the playoffs, and he could be solid rotation depth in 2027, but his impact this year remains unlikely.
The 29-year-old admitted there were some weird emotions about having to switch teams midseason, but he understands why the Mets opted to place him on waivers this past weekend.
“It’s part of the business,” he said Tuesday through an interpreter. “They sat me down and explained the reason behind it, so at the end of the day I understand that it’s a business.”
With Robert being claimed by the Orioles, this Mets are now completely off the hook for the roughly $3 million remaining on his contract for this season.
The slugger has a $20 million club option for next year as well, but Baltimore could also buy him out for $2 million over the offseason and send him to the open market instead.
Before having to make that decision, though, the contending O's will look him to help them in the midst of a tight and crowded American League Wild Card race.
They enter play on Wednesday one game under .500, and 1.5 games back of the Guardians for the final spot.
“It feels good, that’s what you play for from the moment you arrive at spring training,” Robert said. “Unfortunately it didn’t happen with the Mets, but I’m excited to have this opportunity here and to try to do it with this team.”
Baltimore appears to be getting Robert at the right time too, as he just finished off easily his best month to this point in the season, with six of his 10 homers coming in August.
The oft-injured outfielder has finally been able to find some consistency.
“Health is the biggest thing,” he said. “Unfortunately that’s been the thing that’s kept me off the field at different points in my career, but I’m definitely feeling good right now, and I think that’s what has led to this success.”
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 27: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves tips his cap after the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Truist Park on August 27, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The National League East has been a two-team race for most of the season, and with August now behind us, the same largely rings true. The last time the Braves were not first in odds to win the division, according to FanGraphs, was April 8th. There was minimal movement during the month of August, and with the season’s final month kicking off, the East is the Braves’ to lose, though the Phillies maintain as high a ceiling as anyone around the league.
First Place: Atlanta Braves (82-56)
Top Position Player: Michael Harris II (4.0 fWAR) Top Pitcher: Chris Sale (5.3 fWAR)
It was a solid month of August for Atlanta, who started with five consecutive wins, and closed the month by winning seven of eight. Matt Olson’s 37 homers, good for third-most in the NL, along with Michael Harris II’s continued rock-solid play on both sides has led the way to this point, with August changing nothing in that narrative. Drake Baldwin has been the other primary force for the season, outdoing his impressive rookie season in ‘25 despite a middling August.
While the lineup is strong, particularly at the top, the pitching staff is still led by 37-year-old Chris Sale, who is putting up some of the best numbers of his career in 144 innings so far. The dominant lefty capped off another good month with a true gem, a complete-game shutout with 11 strikeouts against the Dodgers. With FanGraphs giving Atlanta an 84.7 percent chance of winning the division, the Braves are not a team anyone would want to see come October.
Top Position Player: Bryson Stott (3.5 fWAR) Top Pitcher: Cristopher Sánchez (5.7 fWAR)
In that aforementioned race, the Phillies have been the second horse for much of the season. In August, however, the Fightin’ Phils paced the league with a scorching 21-7 record, a run that keeps them only four games out of first place in the East. Kyle Schwarber’s seven homers on the month make him the only player in baseball with 40, while Bryce Harper’s 194 wRC+ in August has helped make 2027 a full return to form for the two-time MVP.
The rotation headed by Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo, and Zack Wheeler continues to be among the best units in baseball. Sánchez and his 175.1 innings will be firmly in the middle of the Cy Young discussion, not to mention that Luzardo joins him as one of the top five pitchers in baseball by fWAR. While they still have a hill to climb in the final month if they want a division crown, they have as good a top end as any team in baseball.
Third Place: Miami Marlins (69-69)
Top Position Player: Otto Lopez (4.8 fWAR) Top Pitcher: Sandy Alcantara (3.5 fWAR)
The Marlins, in a division with two big-time clubs, continue to play solid ball in 2026. It was another month hovering around .500, but given their overall record, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. August did unfortunately feature a sweep at the hands of both the Braves and the Phillies, but the Fish still did enough to remain at .500, and most importantly, stay within reach in the Wild Card race.
Sandy Alcantara’s 189.2 innings after August leads baseball by a wide margin, as the righty has finished at least six innings in 11 consecutive outings, including a pair of scoreless starts that kicked off his month. On offense, a balanced squad with eight different players managing a wRC+ over 100 has helped to keep this club afloat for much of the season. They ended the month by losing three of four to Washington, but they’ll need everything they can get if they want to contend over this final month of the regular season.
Fourth Place: Washington Nationals (66-74)
Top Position Player: James Wood (4.1 fWAR) Top Pitcher: Cade Cavalli (3.3 fWAR)
The Nationals essentially lost any shred of contention they had in the month of August, fueled by a 3-12 stretch that saw them fall rapidly in a competitive race. James Wood is quite good, and hasn’t played in a game since August 3rd thanks to an oblique problem, which certainly doesn’t help.
The 23-year-old Daylen Lile has been a bright spot, though, as he’s reached the 20 homer mark and posted a 140 wRC+ in August. On the pitching side, Cade Cavalli has continued to lead the way, a status maintained by his 1.75 ERA in six August starts. Unfortunately for the Nats, a rough go on the whole has essentially put them out of play as the season heads toward its end.
Last Place: New York Mets (62-76)
Top Position Player: Carson Benge (3.0 fWAR) Top Pitcher: Nolan McLean (3.0 fWAR)
Ah, the Mets. One of the bigger disappointments of the 2026 season actually enjoyed a solid month of August. Sweeps of the Nationals and the Guardians were high points in the month, though the return of Juan Soto was the best news of all, after he spent more than a month on the shelf. Luis Torrens, Bo Bichette, and Carson Benge were all forces with the bat in August — excitement that was a welcome sight for the people of Queens.
Their playoff odds have been in the basement since the middle of June, as the Met’s dug themselves too deep a hole to make any sort of real run.
I was planning to write this article even before Tuesday night’s bullpen meltdown against the Brewers.
It seems even more important now, so here are some numbers that might astonish you. These are fWAR figures — and they don’t include Tuesday’s game, so the pitching number is likely even worse:
By fWAR the Cubs are the best offense in MLB — and it’s not close. Next up are the Dodgers, with only about two-thirds as much fWAR as Cubs hitters have. This is borne out in the raw data, too. Including Tuesday’s game, the Cubs lead MLB in runs, home runs, walks, OBP, SLG, OPS and OPS+.
The Cubs offense also leads the majors via bWAR, though the gap is not quite as large. Baseball-reference.com has Cubs hitters with 32.8 WAR, with the Red Sox second at 26.9.
Now look at that chart again. The Cubs pitchers are the worst in MLB by fWAR, slightly below the Nationals, and far worse than the four teams above them in total fWAR.
Baseball-reference.com doesn’t frown quite as much at Cubs pitching as Fangraphs. Through Tuesday’s game they have the Cubs with 5.6 bWAR, with four teams below them: Nationals, Giants, A’s and Royals.
The Cubs leading pitcher in bWAR is Ben Brown at 2.2… and he hasn’t pitched in two months. Clay Holmes has 1.3 bWAR in just five starts, and he’s likely to pass Brown in another start or two. Shōta Imanaga is also at 1.3 bWAR, but… that number is probably not going up.
Eighteen Cubs pitchers have a bWAR of 0.0 or lower, and that doesn’t include Carson Kelly, also at 0.0 after three pitching appearances covering three innings with an ERA of 6.00. (And 11 Cubs pitchers have an ERA this year worse than that.)
Is there help available? Not really, not much, anyway. Many of us have clamored for Javier Assad to have remained in the Cubs bullpen, where he’s been excellent, but he languishes at Triple-A Iowa and isn’t eligible for a recall until Saturday:
Assad can't come up until Sept. 5 because he has to be down in the minors for 15 days minimum (and was only sent down due to a roster crunch).
Wiggins has a 7.53 ERA and walks a batter an inning in Triple-A.
Tony Andracki’s post mentions Jaxon Wiggins, who the Cubs almost certainly don’t want to put on the 40-man roster this year due to the impending lockout, and Shelby Miller, who is just beginning a rehab assignment at Triple-A Iowa.
Also potentially available to return are Justin Steele, who also recently began a rehab assignment, and Edward Cabrera, whose 97 mile per hour fastball might work well out of the bullpen. Cabrera is also on rehab at Iowa.
What would I do right now? Well, I’m sure Imanaga has some sort of arm fatigue; put him on the injured list and then Assad could be recalled to make Imanaga’s next scheduled start, which would come up Friday in Miami.
Could the team actually do that? Sure. Will they? Who knows? They could also make Friday a bullpen game, but… the way the bullpen has been recently, that’s not really a good idea.
One thing is for sure. This Cubs team is exceptionally talented offensively. They could score 850 or more runs, which would be among the top figures for any Cubs team in the last 95 years. But unless they can find some relief pitchers who can be Craig Counsell’s “out-getters,” this team isn’t likely going past the wild card round of the postseason.
The desert double dip fell through last night, but getaway Wednesday always offers some great pitcher and MLB player prop edges and angles.
Griffin Jax is coming off the IL with an elbow issue and only threw 42 pitches in his one rehab start. His leash is very questionable. Davis Martin is also coming off the shelf, but his Over strikeouts is projecting well on a conservative pitch count. Finally, Bryce Miller is not in the trust tree, and getting deep vs. the Red Sox is unlikely.
These are my favorite MLB strikeout and pitcher props for Wednesday, Sept. 2.
Best MLB strikeout props and starting pitcher picks today
Player
Pick
Odds
Griffin Jax
Under 4.5 strikeouts
+104
Davis Martin
Over 3.5 strikeouts
+105
Bryce Miller
Under 15.5 outs
-116
Strikeout prop: Griffin Jax Under 4.5 strikeouts (+104)
Let's keep it simple off the top. Griffin Jax is coming off the IL after throwing just 42 pitches in his only rehab start. He has been dealing with right elbow discomfort, a major red flag, and pushing him far beyond 60 pitches seems unlikely. There is also a chance he is innings-capped, as Tampa should be cautious with Jax with a long playoff run on the horizon.
He's better than a K-per-inning pitcher, but getting to 15 outs is doubtful. That was his leash on a full workload, and now it could be cut in half. The Rays have all of their middle relievers and long arms available today, giving them little reason to push Jax deep into this game.
The market is already moving, and THE BAT is projecting 60 pitches, with a fair price of -150 on this total at that pitch count. Todd Cordell still likes the Rays on the ML in his Mets vs. Rays predictions.
Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Rays.TV, SNY
Strikeout prop: Davis Martin Over 3.5 strikeouts (+105)
Houston has not been a good offense since the beginning of August, ranking 23rd in wOBA. Davis Martin is returning from the IL, but unlike Jax, this total is a little short, and the projections agree.
THE BAT is calling for 3.8 Ks on 74 pitches. Martin went 15 outs in his lone rehab start, allowing just one hit while striking out five over 59 pitches. That makes the additional 15 pitches in the projection feel about right.
A blister issue slowed Martin down, but now that he's past it, he could get back to his 8.24 K/9 rate from the first half of the season instead of his 6.63 mark after the All-Star break.
There is some leash concern, but that rehab start looked sharp, and the play-money price makes this an easy decision. I'd play this to -105/-110, with a fair price of -120.
Time: 8:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Space City Network, Chicago Sports Network
Pitcher out prop: Bryce Miller Under 15.5 outs (-116)
Bryce Miller was just demoted to the bullpen before an injury to the Seattle rotation sent him back to a starting role. The demotion was warranted, as he has been one of the worst second-half pitchers in baseball, with the fifth-worst ERA and 10th-worst FIP.
He threw 104 pitches in his last start, a season-high, and still recorded just 13 outs. He has failed to get beyond 15 outs in three of his last four outings.
The command is lacking, and the ball is leaving the park, as Miller has allowed a home run in eight straight starts. There isn't much trust in Miller right now, and the middle of the Seattle bullpen is fresh.
For a pitcher who has reached 91+ pitches in just 29% of his starts, expecting him to get back to that range after a demotion is a tough ask. The market is already as low as -140 at some books.
Miller is the reason I'm backing Mickey Gasper today to go deep in today's MLB home run props.
Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NESN, Mariners.TV
Josh Inglis' 2026 Transparency Record
Prop picks: 28-25, +5.48 units
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
SURPRISE, AZ - MARCH 20: Gavin Cross #17 of the Kansas City Royals hits a solo home run in the third inning of during the game between the Kansas City Royals and the Rangers at Surprise Stadium on Friday, March 20, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
“With the position that our team’s in right now, it’s a time for us to take advantage of opportunities to evaluate for 2027.”
That’s what JJ Picollo, Royals general manager and overall head honcho of baseball operations, said in the dugout before Tuesday’s game when asked why Kansas City let John Schreiber go a few days earlier. Schreiber was in his third season for the Royals, a downright rarity for a middle reliever who didn’t come up through an organization’s own farm system. To be fair, there were some other reasons: Kansas City saves $600,000 on his contract by not employing him, and by letting Schreiber go he could sign on with a team that’s gunning for a playoff spot instead of just hoping not to lose 90 games. He did just that, and is now a Yankee.
Picollo is right that the Royals are in a period of evaluation. As I’ve even written recently, that can actually be a pretty nice place to be, where a team can take risks and generally not care if those risks pay off. The Royals know who Schreiber is, and Schreiber doesn’t help them at all next year.
But Picollo’s statement is a little curious, especially because of who they used for Schreiber’s open roster spot and the other two additions that the Royals got as part of expanded September rosters: 28-year-old Euston McGee, 29-year-old Nolan Hoffman, and 27-year-old Drew Waters.
Indeed, less than a minute after talking about how the team needs to take advantage of 2027 opportunities, he hedged those words.
“We have some other guys that are on the roster that are eligible to be recalled coming up here in the next couple days,” Picollo said. “There might be a guy or two that aren’t on the roster that we’ll consider as well. It’s 24 games, so how many looks can we actually get? That’s another part of it, but we’ll probably just play it by ear and make decisions day to day.”
Picollo’s reasoning seems squishy here, but there is also a unique twist to this situation. Competitive Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations have loomed over this season. The current CBA between the owners and the Major League Baseball Players Association ends in December, and pretty much everyone in the industry thinks that the owners are going to lock out the MLBPA. That wording is key, because the owners wouldn’t lock out every single baseball player; they’d just lock out members of the union. Not a member of the MLBPA? You can still come to work, you can still use team doctors, you can rehab at team facilities.
If you’re added to the 40-man roster, you become a member of the MLBPA. And so anyone added to the 40-man roster, regardless of whether they ever made it into an MLB game, means that they will be locked out of team facilities, unable to use team doctors and cut off from team communication – all for a maximum 24 games of big league experience.
I wondered if the Royals’ milquetoast call-ups were impacted by such a decision. And being in the dugout with the rest of the media, I took an opportunity to ask: Does the possibility of a lockout impact who you’re able to call up in September, or are you able to look at whoever?
Picollo’s response was definitive. “No, you can look at whoever,” he said. “All you’re doing is add them to the roster. I mean, if they’re added to the roster, obviously they’re part of the lockout, but we can call up whoever we like to call up. We want to still do what’s best for the team.”
But whatever is ‘best for the team’ is up for debate; are they looking at 2027, or are they looking at trying to put themselves in a position to win the rest of the games for the year? Well…the latter, I guess?
“We have some guys right now that are not on the roster that are outfielders that we have interest in the future,” Picollo continued. “But the reality is if you look at our outfield, we’re extremely left-handed. So when you come down to the now 14 guys that you’re going to have available on any given night, you want that balance. And if we brought up another left-handed hitter, you lose some of that balance. You don’t have as many weapons and somebody for the other team to be thinking about ‘who’s on the bench over there for them’.”
It is true that the Royals’ outfield is very left-handed heavy. John Rave, Kyle Isbel, and Jac Caglianone are left-handed bats. Isaac Collins is a switch-hitter, but he is a significantly better left-handed hitter than a right-handed hitter. Tyler Tolbert is the only right-handed-hitting outfielder, and he’s not even a full-time outfielder let alone full-time player, and besides he’s hit righties better in his big league career.
But it is also true that this approach just doesn’t resonate with me. If the Royals are looking at 2027, prioritizing whether or not they win or lose a game this September because they don’t have a righty to pinch hit for in the late innings seems like an odd choice.
This is especially true because of the guys that they didn’t call up: center fielder Carson Roccaforte and corner outfielder Gavin Cross, both left-handed hitters. The former ninth-overall pick in the 2022 draft, Cross has actually been on quite an extended heater: a .309/.357/.568 slash with 15 home runs in 281 plate appearances since mid-May. And Roccaforte, the back-to-back winner of the Royals’ organization’s minor league defensive player of the year award, is also swatting dingers left and right. He, of course, hit one just a few hours after Picollo’s press conference—his 33rd on the season.
And Roc’s 33rd on the season, the 8th-most in all of minor league baseball.
While 24 games may just be 24 games, a successful September can help pave the way for a successful full year. Last season, Carter Jensen played in 20 games, hitting well and showing maturity and athleticism in spades. This year, his 2.2 Wins Above Replacement per Fangraphs rank third on the team among position players.
We know who Isbel, Rave, and Collins are at this point. They are good enough to secure a role on a big league team, but they’re not going to provide the upside the Royals need to get back into the playoffs. Roccaforte or Cross could be regulars for years to come. They might not be. But they could be, and a lost September provides a solid way to get either or both some experience and give the Royals a risk-free period of evaluation. To not elect to do so because of a lack of platoon ability doesn’t sit right.
Of course, there’s another possibility: that Picollo and the Royals are not being fully transparent here. With so much uncertainty regarding the CBA – other than the near certainty that a lockout would include Roccaforte or Cross if they did make September debuts – it makes sense that Kansas City would want to play it safe here. Is Picollo really going to come out and publicly say that the CBA negotiations are impacting baseball operations? Maybe, but you can obviously see why an MLB general manager would not want to touch labor negotiations PR with a 10-foot pole.
In any case, it’ll probably be next year before we see Cross or Roccaforte in a Royals uniform. Hopefully, it will be for a winning team that has figured out how to have effective right-handed and left-handed outfielders—and with a functioning CBA.
The Atlanta Braves are looking to stop a two game skid and secure a win against the Washington Nationals behind Grant Holmes who could surpass 130.0 innings on the season with his start today. Brad Lord will be pitching for the Nationals and all four of his starts have been in the opening capacity.
The goal for the Braves will hopefully be to get to Lord as fast as possible to get the the subpar Nationals bullpen that has the third worst ERA in MLB this season. The Braves need to win games they are supposed to win to stay in first in the NLE, and this is one of those games.
Griffin Jax
Davis Martin
Bryce Miller
