Category: Baseball

The Mets have made another set of roster moves, as the team has called up right-handed pitchers Xzavion Curry and Tobias Myers, placed fellow right-handed pitcher Austin Warren on the 15-day injured list with a right forearm strain, and designated right-handed pitcher Matt Seelinger for assignment. And Dedniel Núñez, yet another right-handed pitcher, is having his rehab assignment transferred from Double-A Binghamton to Triple-A Syracuse.

Seelinger was the 61st pitcher the Mets have used since the beginning of the 2025 season, the highest total in all of baseball, and his addition to and removal from the active roster might’ve been the cruelest of the team’s never-ending churn. A 31-year-old journeyman, Seelinger was put into a 9-9 game and proceeded to give up seven earned runs in two innings of work in his major league debut.

Curry, who is 27 years old, signed a minor league deal with the Mets earlier this season, and he’s made ten appearances in Syracuse, where he’s thrown 49.1 innings with a 4.74 ERA and a 5.68 FIP working as a starting pitcher.

Myers was thought to be a great addition when he came to the team alongside Freddy Peralta in the trade that sent Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat to Milwaukee during the offseason. He’s been bouncing back and forth between Syracuse, though, since the Mets got him, and he has a 6.21 ERA and a 4.93 FIP in 42.0 innings at the major league level this year.

Warren had been looking very good this season, but a disastrous outing last night against the Royals left him with a 4.63 ERA and a 4.66 FIP in 35.0 innings. His second-to-last outing before hitting the IL went poorly, too, and before that, he had a 2.45 ERA and a 4.06 FIP.

Núñez is working his way back from Tommy John surgery, prior to which he had been one of the Mets’ best relief pitching breakouts of the past several years. He will presumably get a look at the major league level at some point this year, but he has an option remaining and could end up pitching in Syracuse beyond his rehab assignment, at least until the Mets start trading away other relievers from their active roster.

We knew this day was eventually coming, but man, it still hurts.

We wanted him to pitch forever.

We wanted him to join that illustrious 300-victory club, selfishly knowing we will never see it again.

The news stung Wednesday that Justin Verlander was calling it career at the conclusion of the Detroit Tigers’ season.

"This season has challenged me in ways I haven't experienced before, both physically and mentally," Verlander said in his social media post. "I've always believed that as long as I could compete at the level I expect of myself, I'd keep playing. I never wanted to retire because of a milestone, a number, or a date on the calendar. I wanted the game to tell me when it was time.

"Over the last several months, I've realized that time has come."

But before he puts on the uniform for the last time, he still plans to step on the mound again, no matter what it takes.

"I'm fully committed to giving my team everything I have," he said, "for the rest of this season."

I saw his first start of the season in Arizona in March, and like everyone else, was eagerly looking forward to him stepping back on the mound in Detroit, and hearing the thunderous ovation from Tigers’ fans witnessing his return home.

Now, four months later, we’re still waiting, hoping he can pitch again before the season ends.

If we dare dream, we’d love to see him pitching one more time in the World Series.

Verlander, 43, will be remembered as one the greatest pitchers of his generation. He will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and who knows, perhaps a unanimous Hall of Famer.

This is a man who won three Cy Young awards and an MVP award. He won 266 games, ranking 37th all-time. He has 3,554 strikeouts, ranking eighth in history. He joins Dodgers great Don Newcombe as the only players in MLB history to win the rookie of the year, Cy Young and MVP awards in his career. He’s also one of just six pitchers in history to throw three no-hitters.

What I’ll remember is that he was an ultimate gamer, a workhorse, who wasn’t worrying about pitch counts. He couldn’t care less about fatigue. He never wanted to come out of games. He pitched more than 200 innings 12 times in his 21-year career, including eight seasons in a row, leading the league in innings four times.

It’s a marvelous gesture by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred to select Verlander as a "legend pick" to be at the 2026 All-Star Game. He’s on the 60-day IL with hip and hamstring injuries, but man, wouldn’t it be something for Verlander to get that thunderous ovation to throw out one of the ceremonial first pitches?

This will be Verlander’s 10th All-Star appearance, and his first with the Tigers since 2013, resurrecting memories when he was on that star-studded Tigers’ staff with Max Scherzer, Anibal Sanchez, Rick Porcello and Doug Fister. Verlander later won two World Series championships with the Houston Astros, but it still bothers him to this day that he and the Tigers didn’t win in 2013, knocked off by the Boston Red Sox.

Verlander loved showing young pitchers what it takes to be an ace of a staff, and as much as folks want to say that wins are an overrated stat for starting pitchers, it meant everything to Verlander.

Winning games means that you’re pitching deep into games.

Winning games means that you’re out-pitching the other pitcher.

Winning games means that you are doing absolutely everything in your power to win games.

That was Verlander, who badly wanted to be last 300-game winner, no matter how old he got, but damn it if Father Time didn’t get him too.

"It’s a different conversation now than it was last year when I seemed to be really healthy," Verlander told reporters two weeks ago, "a lot of thoughts that I’m going to have to take into consideration. My family is up here with me now. My son is turning 1, my daughter is 7. There’s a lot of things that are also going on in my life that are a draw away from the game.

"But I’ve always said I want to play until the wheels fall off. I don’t know, maybe they are falling off. I hope not."

Well, it looks like they have, but no matter how many starts Verlander has left in him, or if he can’t return, memories will never be forgotten.

He has been a living legend, wearing the Old English D with pride, and his jersey, No. 35, will one day be officially retired by the Tigers.

The man gave everything he had to the organization, and really, to all of baseball. He was an ultimate role model on and off the field.

When he leaves, and takes off his uniform for the final time, we may never see another one like him, and perhaps never another 250-game winner again.

"I hope it happens," Verlander told USA TODAY Sports, in March, "but the way the game is now, I kind of doubt it."

Agree.

Say farewell to the end of an era, and one of the greatest pitchers we’ll ever see.

Follow Bob Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Justin Verlander's retirement marks the end of an era we'll never see again | Opinion

Justin Verlander’s right arm was a gift to the game. And most notably to the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros.

The former drafted him and threw him into Major League Baseball’s deep end shortly thereafter, while the latter became his second home after a late-career trade that saw him refine his craft, ratchet up his dominance and become a World Series champion.

The 266 wins, 3,554 strikeouts and three Cy Young Awards are more than enough evidence his Cooperstown case is airtight. Yet Verlander, who announced Wednesday, July 8 that he will retire after this season, was so much more than just the numbers.

Sure, he had his share of big-game failings — 556 career starts and 10 trips to the postseason will bring its share of rainfall — but Verlander also stood tall when it mattered most countless times.

Here’s five moments that defined Verlander’s nearly peerless career:

More: Justin Verlander's season debut was ugly but Tigers believe in return at 43

Justin Verlander: Yankee killer

Verlander made his major league debut July 4, 2005 and had just a two-start cameo before winning 17 games in claiming the 2006 Rookie of the Year award.

Yet before that plaque would be officially awarded, Verlander stood in old Yankee Stadium, Game 2 of the AL Division Series, with the Tigers — a curiosity that hadn’t reached the playoffs in 19 years — already trailing 1-0. A “New York Times live blog” of the event seemed to portend baseball’s future.

“Verlander,” it noted in the second inning, “is now hitting 100 mph with his fastball.”

The kid would strike out five in 5 1/3 innings as the Tigers gained a split at the Stadium and stunned the heavily favored Yankees in the ALDS.

And so began a couple patterns: The Tigers were legit. And Verlander was Kryptonite for the Yankees.

Five years later, he’d strike out 11 in eight innings of 2011 ALDS Game 3, and the Tigers would vanquish the Yankees in a decisive fifth game. In 2012, it was eight shutout innings, stretching his postseason scoreless streak to 23, before a ninth-inning homer in an ALCS Game 3 win as the Tigers eliminated the Yankees in five.

And then there was Houston.

Verlander’s 11^th-hour approval of a deal from Detroit to the Astros on Aug. 31, 2017 had a massive impact on the sport. Verlander was the ace the budding dynasty Astros needed, and he proved it in that year’s ALCS against the Yankees: A five-hitter with 13 strikeouts in a 2-1 Game 2 win, and seven shutout innings in a Game 6 victory. Houston would clinch the pennant a night later.

The Yankees finally got him 2019, scratching out four runs in seven innings of ALCS Game 5. Three years later, though, a 39-year-old Verlander would strike out 11 in six shutout innings of ALCS Game 1. The Astros would sweep the Yankees and go on to win another World Series.

The Yankees can only wonder how many Fall Classics the kid from Old Dominion locked them out of.

Justin Verlander: MVP

There is a certain “know it when you see it” element to pitchers winning Most Valuable Player awards. After all, they’ve got their own little Cy Young Award, which is often more than sufficient to honor the most dominant arm in the game.

Yet in 2011, you knew it when you saw it with Verlander.

Nobody wins 20 games anymore, and hardly anyone pitches 200 innings. Well, in that blessed season, Verlander won 24 games, pitched 251 innings, struck out 250 batters, posted a 2.40 ERA and 0.92 WHIP and led either the majors or the AL in all those categories.

He completed seven innings in 26 of his 34 starts. In 11 of those, he pitched eight or nine innings and allowed two or fewer runs. He struck out 250 and walked 57.

Wanna know what a pitcher’s MVP season looks like? It's that.

Justin Verlander: No-hit knack

Verlander joined an exclusive club on Sept. 1, 2019, by tossing his third no-hitter: Only Nolan Ryan, Larry Corcoran, Cy Young, Bob Feller and Sandy Koufax have thrown that many.

Want a more exclusive club? Verlander went more than eight years between no-hitters, pulling the feat off against the Toronto Blue Jays both times. Only Randy Johnson — who went 11 years — had a longer time in between.

How long has this freaking guy been pitching? Well, his three no-hitters landed in the presidential terms of George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump.

Justin Verlander: Winner-take-all hero

Only twice has Verlander started a winner-take-all game. They came in consecutive years, against the same opponent, in the same stadium. And both performances were equally dominant.

Verlander’s lone postseason shutout came Oct. 11, 2012, in ALDS Game 5 at the Oakland Coliseum. A spirited five-game set ended quietly, as Verlander punched out 11 A’s, walked one and gave up four hits.

Almost exactly a year later — Oct. 10, 2013 — it was as close to a carbon copy as you could get: Eight shutout innings, 10 strikeouts, one walk, two hits, and Joaquin Benoit on to save it in the ninth. A Miguel Cabrera fourth-inning moonshot off Sonny Gray quieted the 46,959 on hand at the Coliseum.

Yet it was Verlander who snuffed out the opponent’s hopes, as he so often did.

Justin Verlander: Finally, a World Series win

By 2022, the game had changed so much, and when the Astros reached the World Series, we saw that up close: They pitched a World Series no-hitter but needed four pitchers to do so.

A night later, the tension of the game’s past and present collided in the bottom of the fifth inning at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park.

Verlander was nursing a 2-1 lead when he struck out Rhys Hoskins and J.T. Realmuto to begin the inning. But then Bryce Harper rocketed a double — 115.3 mph off the bat — to right field.

Verlander’s tank was nearly empty, a 39-year-old who’d struck out six and was sitting on 84 pitches. The dangerous Nick Castellanos was at the plate.

Dusty Baker, as old school a manager as you can find, wanted Verlander to notch his first World Series victory in nine tries. He needed just one more out.

Yet the Series was tied, 2-2. A base hit from Castellanos, and the game would be similarly knotted.

Baker let him face Castellanos. And a couple hours later, Baker was searching for Verlander in the visiting clubhouse, wanting to give him the lineup card from his first World Series win. It took him 10 pitches, including five foul balls, but Verlander got a harmless fly ball to left field from Castellanos. Another battle won. Another start, maximized.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Justin Verlander: Five moments that defined a Hall of Fame career

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There are a lot of fun opportunities to fade and back a handful of arms this evening. Here are my three favorite MLB player props and MLB picks from Wednesday’s slate.

Let’s dig in!

Best MLB strikeout props and starting pitcher picks today

Strikeout prop: Slade Cecconi Under 4.5 strikeouts (-170)

My grandparents would be furious that I am fading a fellow Italian, but it has to be done.

Cleveland Guardians starter Slade Cecconi owns the worst matchup strikeout rate on Batters-Box current season dataset this evening as he takes on a red hot Minnesota Twins offense. The Cleveland right-hander has faced a poorly-rated strikeout matchup 22 times over the last three seasons, and during that span, he has gone under this number 54.55% of the time.

Over Cecconi’s last five outings, his strikeout rate has stayed below 16%. Meanwhile, the Twins have been absolutely humming offensively, posting an 18% strikeout rate over their last 21 games. During that stretch, Minnesota owns a 137 wRC+, .366 wOBA, and .842 OPS.

Batters-Box also has the Twins without a single hitter above league average in strikeout rate against Cecconi this evening.

I would alt this down to Under 3.5 for plus money. Do not take this any higher than it is.

• Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MNNT, CLEG

Strikeout prop: MacKenzie Gore Over 6.5 strikeouts (-133)

A team that has been nothing short of puke-worthy over its last 12 games is the Los Angeles Angels. Sure, they are a team we all love to take a few punches at from time to time, but during that stretch, their offense is posting just a 69 wRC+, 26.4% strikeout rate, and a brutal 4.6% barrel rate.

I think Texas Rangers southpaw MacKenzie Gore is in an all-time shove spot against this struggling Angels lineup. Six Angels hitters in their last 30 plate appearances own a strikeout rate of at least 23%. Over their last 60 plate appearances against lefties, five hitters are above 25%, with four sitting above 28%.

Gore owns an elite strikeout rating on Batters-Box. In a small sample size of seven elite-rated matchups, he has surpassed this prop in six of them, including two games with 10+ strikeouts. Home is where Gore has really shined, posting a 29.2% strikeout rate while generating a 29.9% chase rate out of the zone.

Over their last 12 games against left-handed pitching, the Angels rank dead-last in chase rate out of the zone at 40.3%. They also own the third-worst strikeout rate and contact rate against lefties during that stretch.

I might have to dabble on Gore to hit 10+ strikeouts this evening. I would not pay much extra juice for this number, so if the price climbs, I would rather look at 8+ strikeouts at plus money.

• Time: 8:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: RSN, ABTV

Earned runs prop: Roki Sasaki Over 2.5 earned runs (+114)

I think the Rockies are in a boom spot against Dodgers struggling right hander, Roki Sasaki. According to Batters-Box’s current season dataset, the Rockies own the highest-rated offense on the slate, featuring five strongly rated bats and four with elite ratings. Yes, the entire lineup is in a great spot against the Dodgers right-hander.

On top of that, Colorado has been absolutely humming over the last week, posting a 155 wRC+ over its last six games.

Sakaki in his last three outings he has an 8.53 ERA, 5.61 xERA and 1.74 WHIP. He is allowing hitters to produce nearly 54% hard hit and over 20.5% barrel rate during that stretch as well. 

• Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SNLA, COLR

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

The San Francisco Giants made a roster move on Wednesday, ahead of their series finale matinee against the Toronto Blue Jays. Shortly before first pitch, the team announced that center fielder Jonah Cox had been placed on the 10-Day Injured List, retroactive to July 6, with a left oblique strain. Taking his place on the roster is utility player Jesús Rodríguez.

It’s a tough break for Cox, who wasn’t on many people’s radar to be injured given that he’s hardly playing. The Giants made the shocking move to call him up straight from AA Richmond on May 31, but he’s received just 29 plate appearances in that time, though he’s gotten into 24 games to provide defensive value in center field (and even at second base a touch).

Given that the Giants called him up from AA, there’s a chance that Cox will make his AAA debut while on a rehab assignment, which is a little bit funny.

While Cox’s injury gives the Giants fewer star defensive options, it does improve versatility, as Rodríguez has spent ample time this year at catcher, second base, and left field, and was initially developed as a third baseman. He can play all over, though it’s clear the Giants are currently not high on his ability to catch, as evidenced by the recent promotion of Drew Cavanaugh.

Rodríguez made his MLB debut earlier this year and hit 9-39 with two home runs, three walks, and just five strikeouts, though he’s been scuffling quite a bit in AAA since getting optioned on June 1. There will likely be more moves incoming, as the beat reporters have reported that left-hander Carson Whisenhunt has a locker at Oracle Park, and is likely to start on Thursday.

Well, let’s see if the magic of the toy dragon will work two days in a row. Please Jays score some runs.

Feeling bad for Braydon Fisher and family losing his father. 65 is too young to die.

Braydon Fisher's father, Normand (corrected spelling), was the #BlueJays' biggest fan since his son debuted in the big leagues:

"I don’t think that for the last two years, you’d see him not wearing Blue Jays gear. Not ever. No matter the occasion.” https://t.co/sa4Z9CRYQc

— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) July 8, 2026

Go Jays Go

The Mets are making a flurry of bullpen moves ahead of Wednesday night's game. 

Austin Warren has officially been placed on the 15-day IL with a right forearm strain.

SNY MLB Insider Chelsea Janes confirmed reports earlier in the day that indicated this would be the case, as Warren underwent testing following back-to-back rough outings. 

Warren allowed a combined nine runs on eight hits in his last 2.0 innings of work. 

"Haven't felt great the past couple," he said. "That's part of the game these days, I had outings earlier in the year that I hadn't felt great but went better, I just threw a pitch last night and it didn't feel great so I told them right away."

Warren and the Mets are still awaiting results from the MRI. 

In a corresponding move, righty Tobias Myers has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse. 

Myers was an extremely valuable piece for New York's staff over the first few months of the season, but like Warren, he was roughed up over his last few big-league appearances. 

He's put together just two clean outings since May 14th, racking up a 10.38 ERA over that span. 

When at his best, though, the 27-year-old has proven to be a versatile weapon in long relief or the late innings. 

Additionally, the Mets DFA'd Matt Seelinger after his rough debut and recalled Xzavion Curry from Triple-A.  

Much as been made by fans following popular baseball prospect site, baseballamerica.com, posting their organizational rankings among all MLB teams. The hometown Phillies ranked as the 29th worst farm system in the league based on prospect talent. This seems bad, huh? For a team with aging stars and up against the luxury tax threshold, an injection of young talent could be the only way to prolong this current run of regular seasons success for the Phillies. You are now thinking, how could they have fallen from 20th (in the preseason ranking) to near dead-last? What might have caused this? Well, two things. The graduation of prospects and the lack of development elsewhere. In regards to the former, it always seems to go over the casual fan’s head that could be a driving factor in these nonsensical rankings (nothing against rankings, I love them…but they are really arbitrary and objective). The Phillies graduated two Top100 MLB prospects in Andrew Painter and Justin Crawford. That is a legit major factor! This doesn’t even factor in struggles by Jean Cabrera, Aroon Escobar, Dante Nori, and Carson DeMartini. Not to mention their best prospect has yet to take the field (a consensus Top20 prospect in the game) in shortstop Aidan Miller.

I’m NOT saying this isn’t time to hit the panic button. Development has stagnated among prospects, especially on the hitting side. It feels any promising prospect hits that AA/AAA wall and nothing ever materializes. Its frustrating! The Phillies need to do a lot better in both drafting and international scouting. It is largely why the last few years the Phillies have needed to sign and trade for talent rather than find it within the organization. It isn’t a sustainable model if you aren’t blowing past the luxury tax.

You may ask, has it always been like this? Haven’t the Phillies had touted prospects and a system not that long ago? Lets look back at 2016, using a similar list from baseballamerica.com (its their preseason ranking, they didn’t do a full 30 for midseason). In 2016, the Phillies ranking 8th in the league. Led by promising names like JP Crawford, Nick Williams, Jake Thompson, and Jorge Alfaro.

Now these are some great names. The Phillies most impactful player wound up being 23rd ranked 1B-only prospect Rhys Hoskins. Who if memory serves me correctly, wasn’t nearly as fawned over as the monstrous OF Dylan Cozens. A lot of the names on here were also acquired via trade including: Nick Williams, Jake Thompson, Jorge Alfaro, Zach Eflin, Nick Pivetta, Darnell Sweeney, Ben Lively, Jimmy Cordero, and Tom Windle. 10 years later, only Hoskins, Crawford, Eflin, and Nick Pivetta remain major leaguers or had significant impacts.

If you were to tell me that there will be less than four impactful players from this year’s midseason Top30 Phillies list, I wouldn’t argue with you. I’m not sure the same amount of pedigree is there as there was in 2016. However, there is still some optimism. Gage Wood looks at a MINIMUM a major league reliever, Aidan Miller will be a major league player once healthy, Francisco Renteria, Alirio Ferrebus and Ramon Marquez are three of the best international signings/prospects the Phillies have ever had in the system. The Phillies should get another good player at 36 in the draft this weekend.

I think its important to put into perspective that 29th in a vacuum doesn’t mean a whole lot and while you can be down on the system overall, to not put much stock in lists and rankings. Read up on these players, watch these players, or at the very least follow people that do and LISTEN.

2026 has been the Year of the Injured List for Cubs starting pitching. If you’ve spent any part of this season refreshing social media for injury updates more than checking the box score, you’re not alone. But somehow, the Cubs will enter tonight’s game against the Orioles with a 51-40 record. While that puts them seven games back of the Brewers in the division, it does give them a pretty good shot of making the playoffs through the Wild Card. You can see FanGraph’s odds of the Cubs making the playoffs below:

Trust me, you’d much rather look at that chart than their odds of winning the division.

There was a lot to be hopeful for in Matthew Boyd’s outing on Tuesday. Boyd threw six scoreless innings giving up three hits and walking two while striking out seven Orioles. If he can continue to throw like that and avoid the injured list, it could be huge for the Cubs as they try to make the Postseason for the second year in a row.

The problem is that it isn’t too hard to squint and see a scenario where it all falls apart a little. Below are all of the starting pitchers who have thrown at least 5innings for the Cubs this season, including pitchers currently on the injured list who may return this season:

Name	W	L	GS	IP	K/9	BB/9	HR/9	BABIP	LOB%	GB%	HR/FB	ERA	xERA	FIP	xFIP	WAR
Ben Brown	3	1	8	42.1	8.72	2.34	0.213	.239	82.90%	40.74%	2.50%	1.70	3.40	2.41	3.54	1.4
Matthew Boyd	4	1	8	39.2	9.98	2.72	0.908	.340	70.25%	40.91%	10.00%	4.31	4.56	3.27	3.49	1.0
Shota Imanaga	5	7	18	103	8.74	2.27	1.835	.249	76.21%	37.81%	16.54%	4.28	3.67	4.67	3.90	1.0
Colin Rea	5	4	14	72.1	6.59	3.73	1.244	.296	75.51%	43.72%	10.99%	4.60	5.69	4.94	5.06	0.3
Edward Cabrera	5	4	14	72.1	8.09	3.61	1.742	.290	67.96%	42.86%	19.18%	5.10	4.84	5.08	4.10	0.2
Javier Assad	4	1	7	37	5.35	2.19	1.703	.213	82.19%	44.74%	15.56%	3.65	4.33	5.12	4.51	0.1
Jordan Wicks	0	2	2	6.1	8.53	1.42	1.421	.480	29.41%	46.15%	12.50%	15.63	4.73	4.22	4.09	0.1
David Peterson	1	1	2	9.1	4.82	2.89	1.929	.364	35.21%	25.71%	13.33%	11.57	7.12	5.80	5.45	-0.1
Jameson Taillon	2	5	13	67.2	7.85	3.06	2.660	.246	80.65%	34.65%	19.80%	5.19	5.49	6.33	4.75	-0.7

Edward Cabrera and Jameson Taillon are both on the injured list and throwing. They seem like they could return sometime after the All Star Break. Cabrera has been hit or miss for the Cubs this season. When he’s been on and good, he’s been excellent. When he’s been dealing with blisters, other injuries, or missing the plate he’s been pretty shaky. He’s pretty obviously a step up from Jordan Wicks and David Peterson, however.

Taillon’s return comes with a few more question marks. The 34-year-old has struggled a lot with the long ball so far this season. His HR/9 of 2.66 leads all of baseball among starters with at least 50 innings pitched. The next closest pitcher is Jeffrey Springs of the Athletics who has a 2.31 HR/9 and plays in one of the most hitter-friendly parks in baseball in Sacramento.

The problem for Taillon, and really all of the Cubs pitchers who are experiencing elevated home run rates, might be that home runs are really up across the board. Below are two graphics, the first showing the three-year park factors across the league and the second showing 2026 park factors:

To be clear, part of the reason we use multi-year park factors is to smooth out some of the noise from year to year. We also already know from reporting from The Athletic’s Eno Sarris that the ball is flying much more this season:

That could be a problem across the board for the Cubs pitchers who generally pitch more to contact due to the elite defense playing behind them. However, if the baseball is designed such that it flies further, home run balls aren’t exactly defensible. That would mean the elevated home run rates some Cubs pitchers are seeing could just get worse as the season gets hotter.

The bottom line is that the Cubs starters are walking a fine line between being a competitive playoff team and not. The pitchers who could return from the injured list are some of the pitchers who might be most impacted by the changing baseball and home run environment. With few in-house options for additional starters, here’s hoping Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins have more trades in mind than the small move they already made for David Peterson.

The San Francisco Giants wrap up this series against the Toronto Blue Jays this afternoon at Oracle Park.

Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Logan Webb, who enters today’s game with a 3.66 ERA, 3.32 FIP, with 78 strikeouts to 24 walks in 93.1 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 15-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Friday, in which he allowed seven runs on 11 hits with two strikeouts and two walks in three innings.

He’ll be facing off against Blue Jays right-hander Dylan Cease, who enters today’s game with a 2.79 ERA, 2.27 FIP, with 137 strikeouts to 41 walks in 90.1 innings pitched. His last start was in the Blue Jays’ 2-0 win over the Seattle Mariners on Friday, in which he allowed just three hits and a walk with nine strikeouts in seven innings.

Game #92

Who: San Francisco Giants (38-53) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (43-49)

Where: Oracle Park, San Francisco, California

When: 12:45 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area

National broadcast: n/a

Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM

The lineups are out for tonight’s middle game between the Atlanta Braves and the Pittsburgh Pirates and there aren’t too many shocks or surprises going on as far as the Braves are concerned. Michael Harris II is still leading off, Austin Riley is near the bottom, the top of the order seems a bit imposing while you’re hoping for the best from the middle and the bottom portion of the lineup.

Here’s how things are looking for the Braves tonight:

Holmes on the mound!#BravesCountrypic.twitter.com/IOuO5JJaRt

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 8, 2026

The catcher decision is an interesting one since this’ll actually be the first time that Grant Holmes has formed a battery with Joey Bart, as his past three starts (since Bart joined the club) have all been with Drake Baldwin serving as the backstop. We’ll see how that goes in terms of a pitching combination and we’ll also see how it goes for Bart at the plate as he’s currently hitting .136/.269/.318 with a .273 wOBA and a 68 wRC+ since joining the Braves. That’s not great but to be completely honest, it’s better than the production they had been getting from previous catchers.

Drake Baldwin, on the other hand, has looked more like his usual self since the calendar went from “June” to “July” so hopefully he’ll continue to keep things going in the right direction. The same goes for the rest of the lineup as well, as they’re showing serious signs of getting things back rolling again at the plate after spending a month wandering in the wilderness as a unit.

We will update this post with the Pirates lineup once they release it. For now, make sure to join us late on as first pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. ET tonight at PNC Park.

Even after Tuesday night’s loss to the Colorado Rockies, a game that rolled away on an errant throw to an empty base ended up in the dugout, the Dodgers still have performed quite well against National League West opponents this season.

The Dodgers have beaten the Rockies six out of nine games, they’ve beaten the San Diego Padres seven out of 10, and taken five of seven games against the Arizona Diamondbacks, who will be at Dodger Stadium this weekend. Even with the 3-4 record against the ho-hum San Francisco Giants, the Dodgers are still 21-12 (.636) against the NL West this season. That’s the fourth-best record by any MLB team against their own division in 2026:

1. Milwaukee Brewers, 18-6 (.750) vs. NL Central
2. Tampa Bay Rays, 18-7 (.720) vs. AL East
3. Seattle Mariners, 17-9 (.654) vs. AL West
4. Los Angeles Dodgers, 21-12 (.636) vs. NL West

Shohei Ohtani this season is hitting .318/.424/.706 within the division, and Dalton Rushing is hitting .320/.397/.700.

Roki Sasaki gets the ball on Wednesday for his final start before the All-Star break, coming off a grisly four-start stretch in which he allowed 19 runs in 17 innings. Sasaki on the season ranks 106th in ERA (5.40) and 88th in xERA (4.78) among the 116 pitchers with at least 70 innings this season.

Ryan Feltner goes for the Rockies on Wednesday, with a 4.27 ERA and 4.90 xERA on the season, and has lasted six innings in each of his last three starts. The right-hander allowed three runs (two earned) in 5 2/3 innings to the Dodgers at Coors Field on April 18.

The Dodgers, who are the only team in the NL West at .500 or better, are 12-4 against divisional opponents at home this season. Their final four games before the break — Wednesday night against Colorado, this weekend against the D-backs — are all against NL West foes.

Wednesday game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Rockies
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Start time: 7:10 p.m.
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

This wasn’t exactly how Cole Gabrielson expected his Triple-A debut to go.

In his first game with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on June 19th, the outfielder was called to the mound with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning in the second game of a doubleheader at Columbus. The last time Gabrielson had pitched was before he’d even gone pro, five years prior with the Niagara Power, a college summer league team. Nonetheless, he got ahead 0-2 on the first batter he faced, Milan Tolentino, before throwing four consecutive balls to walk him. He again got ahead 0-2 on the next Clippers batter, Dom Nuñez. After throwing two balls, he got Nuñez to pop out to shortstop to end the game and earn the save in a RailRiders’ 8-6 victory.

“Right before the inning started, they were like, ‘Hey, he’s (Bradley Hanner) got 10 more pitches. If he burns ‘em, you’re in,’” Gabrielson said. “That was all the heads up I got. It all worked out perfect. I was able to get the save, which was pretty funny.

“I was just happy I was able to help the team get a win that day. Obviously, you never expect to come in and pitch, but I’m always ready if they need me to throw strikes. It was fun, I had a good time doing it and I’m glad we got the win.”

Gabrielson’s third game with the RailRiders on June 24th at Indianapolis also was an adventure. With Oswaldo Cabrera temporarily called up to the Yankees due to Ryan McMahon’s illness, the RailRiders were short infielders. So Gabrielson was forced to play second base and third base. He committed two errors in an 8-6 loss.

“It’s a different game in there. Not having any infield time, none in professional ball. We needed somebody to go in there and of course I’m ready to go wherever (manager) Shelley (Duncan) needs me. They tried to move me around where the ball wouldn’t get hit to me as much, but sure enough, it’s how baseball is, the ball will find you. I made one play up the middle and unfortunately had a couple get away from me there.

“I’m an athlete, I’m an outfielder. My first time playing the infield didn’t go how I wanted it to, but at the end of the day just to show they can throw me anywhere and I’ll do anything the help the team win any way I can.”

Gabrielson has appeared in five games with the RailRiders since being promoted from Double-A Somerset on June 17th. He is batting .250 (5-for-20) with one RBI.

Signed by the Yankees as a nondrafted free agent in 2023 out of the University of Southern California, Gabrielson spent all of last season at Double-A Somerset and batted .188 (43-for-229) in 77 games with nine doubles, one triple, six home runs, and 30 RBIs.

This season, he started at High-A Hudson Valley and batted .256 (20-for-78) in 33 games with one home run and five RBIs. He returned to Somerset on June 3rd and batted .289 (11-for-38) in 11 games with two home runs and three RBIs. Then he was promoted to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

“I’ve learned in my career to never expect or assume,” Gabrielson said. “I don’t really care where I’m at, I just want to play ball. I had a good little stint in Somerset, was just settling in there and they sent me up here. All is well. I’m happy to be here. No matter where I’m at, I’m excited to be playing baseball. I want to make it to the show, obviously that’s the ultimate goal. I’m one step closer here, I’m going to continue to be myself and anyway I can help the team win.”

Cole Gabrielson lays out to make the diving catch!!😱😱 pic.twitter.com/nNU3ZLDAZV

— Hudson Valley Renegades (@HVRenegades) May 15, 2026

Baseball is in Gabrielson’s blood. His father Randy played at USC from 1983-85 and was teammates with Randy Johnson and Mark McGwire. His grandfather Len also played at USC in 1959 and then went on to enjoy a nine-year career in the major leagues (1960, 1963-70) with five teams. In 708 games, he batted .253 (446 for 1764) with 37 home runs and 176 RBIs. His first major-league hit came with the Milwaukee Braves on April 13, 1963 — a three-run home run off Galen Cisco of the New York Mets at Milwaukee’s County Stadium to cap a four-run bottom of the first in a 5-2 win.

The list of teammates Len Gabrielson played with reads like a baseball who’s who: Hank Aaron, Joe Torre, Eddie Mathews, and Warren Spahn with the Milwaukee Braves. Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, and Ron Santo with the Chicago Cubs. Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal, and Gaylord Perry with the San Francisco Giants. Maury Willis, Don Drysdale, and Don Sutton with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He also briefly played with the California Angels alongside six-time All-Star Jim Fregosi, key to the now-infamous Nolan Ryan trade.

“The era he played in was such an amazing time for the sport,” Gabrielson said. “It’s so cool I get to go home every offseason and see him and we just talk ball. He’s got a ton of stories. He came up with Joe Torre and they were roommates and buddies. That’s been cool to connect with Mr. Torre when I see him in spring training.”

Despite his family lineage, Gabrielson said he doesn’t feel any pressure.

“Growing up, people always asked me about it or it was always fun to tell my friends when I was young that my grandpa played in the MLB,” Gabrielson said. “As I’ve gone along in my professional career, it’s only guided me. He’s still alive and well and gives me advice every single day as does my father. I’m so blessed to have those guys in my life, teach me throughout this journey and be able to be there by my side every step of the way. It’s fun to go to some random parks and places I’ve never been and hear some random fan yell, ‘Hey Cole, I saw your grandpa play.’ That’s obviously special for me, to play in front of people that also saw my grandpa play. That’s super cool. But no pressure. I think my grandpa had an amazing experience with the game of baseball and he wants the same for me.”

The best piece of advice Gabrielson received from his grandfather was to have fun.

“He went through his career enjoying the game that he loved to play. That’s what allowed him to have success,” Gabrielson said. “He’s always told me that the day you’re not having fun, then call it quits. That day has not come for me and I don’t see it coming any time soon. He wants me to have fun and the success will follow if you have a love for the game.”

Being one step closer to following his grandfather and realizing his dream of reaching the major leagues, Gabrielson is working on his consistency.

“I’ve shown power, I’ve shown the ability to hit for average, I’ve also shown the ability to not hit for average,” Gabrielson said. “Just tap into the things I know I’m good at, dominate those things and understand the more volatile parts of the game need to be a little more consistent. If you can be a more polished and complete player, like I know I can be, I’ll get my shot. I just hope they know I can help them win. That’s the biggest thing. Just win games. I hate to lose. I want to win ball games no matter where I’m at. That’s what matters most.”

---

RailRiders right-hander Brendan Beck, the Yankees’ No. 21 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, was named International League Pitcher of the Month for June.

The Best is Beck. 🌟 After a jaw-dropping June, @Yankees #21 prospect Brendan Beck earns @MiLB's Pitcher of the Month honor.

🔗: https://t.co/oqICfQRTFJpic.twitter.com/uSqp8XyyhO

— SWB RailRiders (@swbrailriders) July 6, 2026

In five starts during the month, Beck was 3-0 with a 1.24 earned-run average and 31 strikeouts in 29 innings. He walked only 10, allowed 14 hits and gave up four runs, all earned. The highlight came June 5th when he combined with Carson Coleman on a nine-inning no-hitter against the Syracuse Mets at NBT Bank Stadium in New York.

Twice this season, Beck was called up by the Yankees and made starts for them. He made his MLB debut on May 7th at Yankee Stadium against the Texas Rangers and also started on July 4th against the Minnesota Twins. Beck is the first RailRiders pitcher to receive the award since Will Warren in September 2023.

Overall, Beck is 7-2 with a 3.07 ERA in 16 starts. He has allowed 35 runs (30 earned) and 62 hits in 88 innings with 28 walks and 91 strikeouts, which leads the International League. He also is tops in the league in ERA, innings, WHIP (1.02), and is second in wins and opponent’s batting average (.197).

The squad continues to get healthier. Just hours before their second game against the Detroit Tigers the Athletics announced the activation of left fielder Tyler Soderstrom from the 10-day IL, while optioning infielder Max Muncy to make room on the active roster:

We have made the following roster moves. pic.twitter.com/SlG11v6P2v

— Athletics (@Athletics) July 8, 2026

It turns out to be a best-case scenario for Soderstrom and the club as hip issues can sometimes snowball into more serious problems. The lefty swinging Soderstrom will return to the club after missing just over a week with the left hip impingement and the 24-year-old will be a welcomed return to the lineup. Soderstrom has been one of the better hitters in the lineup this season, slashing .242/.343/.460 with 13 long balls along with his solid play in left field, and was having a quality June before heading to the shelf. The club could have been extra cautious with the All-Star break just days away so the activation could be a great sign that he’s completely recovered and ready to roll.

As for Muncy, the club’s Opening Day third baseman has just not found his stroke at the big league level quite yet. The former first round pick has hit just .227/.303/.369 with five home runs this season, which comes out to 11% worse than league average. He missed some time with a hand fracture but he’s been off the IL for exactly a month and continued to struggle both in the batter’s box and in the field. He’ll now head to Triple-A and work on his mechanics and hopefully straighten things out in a lower-pressure environment. In the meantime the hot corner will likely be occupied by some combination of Zack Gelof and Joshua Kuroda-Grauer. That duo should definitely provide more offense than Muncy.

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A couple of fun Silly Goose Parlays to kick off this fully loaded Wednesday night slate. A few bats I'm looking to back, along with a handful of struggling arms I'm fading to continue their recent woes.

Check out my favorite MLB picks below.

Today's best MLB SGP picks

Phillies vs Reds SGP: Philly's stars shine!

I am very high on the Philadelphia Phillies this evening, especially their two slugging left-handed bats, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper. 

In Schwarber's last 60 plate appearances against right-handed pitching, he is batting .320 with a .560 SLG, .977 OPS, and a hard-hit rate north of 74%. On the other side, Harper during that stretch is batting .320 as well, with a .607 SLG and .957 OPS. He also owns a 95% arsenal coverage against all of Chase Burns' pitches. 

Burns has struggled against left-handed hitters in his recent outings. Over his last 60 left-handed batters faced, he is allowing a 70.4% elevation rate, a 10.8% barrel rate, and an expected slugging percentage of .501.

I am expecting a lot of production from the Phillies offense this evening, starting with their two stars. 

• Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ESPN

See full analysis of this game in our Phillies vs. Reds predictions.

Rockies vs Dodgers SGP: Struggles for Sasaki!

I am very high on the Colorado Rockies this evening, as they bring an elite-rated offense to the table, according to Batters-Box. They have nine hitters in prime spots against Roki Sasaki. The Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander has struggled all season, and his recent form has been even worse. Over his last three outings, he owns an 8.53 ERA, 5.61 xERA, and 1.74 WHIP.

On the other side, adding Shohei Ohtani for some reverse correlation feels right, especially with how well he has been swinging the bat and seeing the baseball lately. At +470, this should be one of the more exciting sweats of the day.

• Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SportsNet Los Angeles, COLR

See full analysis of this game in our Rockies vs. Dodgers predictions.

Athletics vs Tigers SGP: Ding, ding, dingler!

Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler has been seeing the ball extremely well over the last few weeks, posting a .510 SLG and .827 OPS while generating a 54% hard-hit rate and 71.8% elevation rate against the last 60 left-handed pitchers he has faced.

Athletics starter Jeffrey Springs has struggled in recent outings, especially against right-handed bats. Over the last 60 right-handed hitters he has faced, opponents are elevating the baseball at nearly an 80% clip, setting up well for Detroit's right-handed power.

With the Athletics offense ice cold over the last few weeks, the Tigers feel like the right side to back, especially with how much Springs has been struggling.

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: DSN, NBCS-California

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