Category: Baseball

There were some impressive performances from two of the Braves pitching prospects on Tuesday night, even if some of the results didn’t match up in the end. Drue Hackenberg looked as good as he has in a long time for the first five innings of his outing, showing a combination of command and stuff that has only come in flashes the last two seasons Cedric De Grandpre crossed the 100 strikeout mark with another strong performance for Columbus, and he has fully situated himself in the names to watch category for the second half as he continues to put up impressive whiff numbers.

(42-44) Gwinnett Stripers 6, (53-35) Memphis Redbirds 11

Box Score

Statcast

• DaShawn Kiersey Jr., CF: 2-5, 3B, 2 RBI, .259/.311/.372
• Drue Hackenberg, SP: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 7 K, 5.68 ERA
• Blake Burkhalter, RP: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 0.00 ERA

Drue Hackenberg delivered one of his best starts of the season, and though it fell apart late in the game there was still plenty to take away from the first five innings of this outing. Hackenberg’s command slipped severely in the sixth inning and it led to him allowing three walks and runs prior to being pulled from the game, but going into that frame he had limited the Redbirds to one run and walk while striking out seven batters. One of the major issues that Hackenberg has faced throughout his career is his inability to consistently locate his curveball — the pitch with the most strikeout potential in his arsenal. This game was an example of how effective that pitch can be when he can keep it around the strike zone, with 10 of the 14 whiffs he produced on the day coming form his curveball alone. He kept going back to the well and used the 42% of the time overall without allowing a hard hit ball. In addition to his command woes Hackenberg also lost some steam on his fastball late in that outing, but this is also the deepest Hackenberg has pitched into a game by innings this season and his second-highest pitch total. Working on his stamina will be critical for him, but given the injuries he’s faced it’s not hard to see how that’s hurting his ability to be effective late in starts. His cutter and curveball are his two best pitches and he located those both well, and this outing is an example of the potential he does flash as a pitcher to be effective. His injury troubles have taken a lot of steam out of the momentum from two seasons ago, but Hackenberg is clearly a capable prospect if he can stay on the field for the rest of the season.

To no one’s surprise the Stripers weren’t lighting up the ball in this game, but they found a lot of batted ball luck throughout the evening and managed to string those hits into early runs. The first four hitters of the second inning reached base with the best hit ball being a hard single from Brewer Hicklen, and the Stripers continued to capitalize and put up three runs. Adam Zebrowksi missed a home run but was able to get the second run home on a sacrifice fly and Cal Conley capped the scored in the inning off by shooting a ball through the right side of the infield for an RBI single. Another RBI single from Conley in the fourth inning extended the Stripers lead to 4-1, and the DaShawn Kiersey Jr. followed with the lone extra base hit to keep the rally moving and bring Conley home. Much of that lead was chiseled off by the three run home run Hackenberg allowed in the sixth inning, but going into the ninth inning the Stripers had Rolddy Munoz and a one-run lead to work with. Munoz was as nasty as always but wild out of the strike zone, allowing a leadoff walk and a wild pitch to put the tying run into scoring position with no outs yet recorded. Munoz then missed with a hanging slider that got smacked for a go-ahead home run. Munoz continued walking hitters but escaped further damage, and the Stripers had their chance in the ninth inning. Adam Zebrowski drew a walk to lead off and was lifted for Luke Williams, who advanced on a sac bunt and a balk before Keirsey sent the game into extra with a base hit. Unfortunately in the 10th inning it was shown to not be meant for a Stripers win. Hayden Harris got chipped to death, allowing four singles and hitting a batter before Gwinnett waved the white flag and inserted Conley to pitch with one out

Swing and Misses

Drue Hackenberg – 14

Hayden Harris – 4

Rolddy Munoz – 4

(36-41) Columbus Clingstones 4, (31-51) Birmingham Barons 3

Box Score

• Patrick Clohisy, CF: 1-4, HR, BB, .260/.341/.445
• Dalton McIntyre, RP: 2-3, HR, BB, RBI, .240/.424/.360
• Cedric De Grandpre, SP: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 K, 5.00 ERA
• Luis Vargas, RP: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 4.97 ERA

Cedric De Grandpre is on a great run since his promotion to Columbus. That first outing is putting a damper on his numbers, but in his last three outings De Grandpre has managed 22 strikeouts and only three runs allowed in 16 2/3 innings, with this marking his high at the level in strikeouts and whiffs in a game. De Grandpre allowed a home run to the second batter of the game to put the Clingstones in a small early hole, but that was all of the trouble he had in the game. He whiffed the next two guys and though his own command issues did work him into a jam in the third inning the Barons never found an answer for his terrific pair of breaking balls. The Barons just couldn’t lay off his curveball when it tumbled out of the strike zone, and the high chase rate on his pitches helped mitigate that this was not an outing where he was even throwing his fastball in particularly good locations. It’s great to see De Grandpre fully healthy and already at his high in innings since 2023, and it’s already worth considering this season a success for him even if he takes a dive at some point in the second half due to fatigue. De Grandpre has established himself as a guy with multiple MLB-quality pitches, and though his command is still holding him back there is progress being made on his ability to land those two breaking balls effectively. That’s really the key to his arsenal, with his sinker mostly serving to try to get him ground balls, and he’s asserting himself as one of the guys to watch on a weekly basis. With these eight strikeouts De Grandpre is the first Braves prospect to cross the 100 strikeout mark, and with Owen Murphy in Atlanta for the time being and the next highest guy nearly 30 strikeouts behind he has a high likelihood of finishing the season as the system’s K leader.

Patrick Clohisy made sure the offense would answer back in support of De Grandpre. He led off in the bottom of the first inning with a home run out to center field, which extended his on base streak to seven games. Clohisy has been racking up walks in recent weeks despite not quite having the same success with getting hits as he was during his hot streak, with an even strikeout-to-walk ratio over his past 13 games. One of those walks came at a key time for the Clingstones. With two men on base in a one run game in the ninth inning the Barons were not playing around with Clohisy, giving him little to hit and allowing him to work a walk that loaded the bases with one out. Luke Waddell put a charge in a fly ball, and though it fell short it was plenty deep to score the speedy Dalton McIntyre from third base and tie the game. With two outs the Barons had a chance to send the game into extra innings, but Archer Brookman made sure to win the game in regulation. He hit a shot out to right center field that burned the gap, winning the series opener in walkoff fashion to ease the sting of two other games in this system that were lost late. McIntyre has been a real list to the Columbus lineup in his few games thus far, drawing a ton of walks and running a .424 OBP. He was the catalyst of that two run ninth inning with a leadoff walk, but also had a big hit in the fifth inning. McIntyre faced a left-on-left matchup but got a fastball he liked on the inner half of the plate and smoked a go-ahead home run.

Swing and Misses

Cedric De Grandpre – 17

LJ McDonough – 7

Luis Vargas – 6

Shay Schanaman – 5

(40-39) Rome Emperors 2, (38-42) Hudson Valley Renegades 3

Box Score

• Tate Southisene, SS: 2-4, BB, RBI, .209/.357/.352
• John Gil, 2B: 0-4, BB, .254/.351/.403
• Eric Hartman, CF: 0-5, .285/.360/.547
• Owen Carey, RF: 0-4, BB, .258/.331/.453
• Aiven Cabral, SP: 5 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 0.82 ERA

Aiven Cabral just keeps getting outs for the Emperors, and though a late comeback from Hudson Valley took away his chance for another win it was still another promising outing. Few pitchers at this level have command of multiple pitches good enough to consistently sequence up batters, but Cabral was relying on his deception and nipping corners to get his six strikeouts in this game. Cabral wasn’t even at his best early on and allowed a couple of walks, but the deeper the game went the more he locked in and the Renegades were off balance often throughout the late innings of his start. Thus far Cabral’s approach has translated well to his promotion to Rome, with hitters still falling behind him early and not having the approach to really key in on his fastball that could be a vulnerability at upper levels. Cabral executes better than most anyone High-A hitters are going to face and that’s taking him a long way so far, and though the Double-A jump could be a steep one for him he has done enough to prove himself at the lower levels that he shouldn’t be long before being ready for the challenge.

It was a bit of a stinker on the offensive end for Rome. The top of the lineup had a lot of 0-fers, with Tate Southisene being the only one of the top prospects to make a serious contribution at the plate. Southisene shot an opposite field single to lead off the game, and with John Gil drawing a walk behind him the Emperors had a chance to open up a good lead before Hudson Valley even got a swing in. Unfortunately they didn’t have the clutch hit at their disposal. Owen Carey drew a walk and Southisene was able to score on a balk, but the bats fell short and one run felt a little weak for such a big chance. In the next inning the Emperors had two men on base with one out and the top of the order, and Southisene did come through. He lined a single into left field for the lone Rome RBI in the game, though that was all Rome got in the game. John Gil struck out and though Hartman hit it hard the right fielder had him shaded well and was able to track the line drive down. After the fourth inning Rome’s lineup didn’t manage another hit. A leadoff home run in the bottom of the eighth inning tied the game and in extra innings and error at first base gifted Hudson Valley the win.

Swing and Misses 

Brody Fowler – 9

Aiven Cabral – 7

David Rodriguez – 4

(46-36) Augusta GreenJackets 6, (46-34) Hickory Crawdads 3

Box Score

• Luis Guanipa, CF: 0-3, BB, .304/.365/.460
• Alex Lodise, SS: 0-3, BB, .252/.338/.467
• Michael Martinez, LF: 1-3, HR, BB, 2 RBI, .240/.325/.452
• Kendy Richard, SP: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 6.33 ERA

It was a huge power day for the team, and the bottom of the order was the driving force with six RBI, six hits, three walks, and three extra base hits coming out of the six through nine spots in the order. Michael Martinez got it started with a home run in the second inning, crushing a long home run to give Augusta an early lead. Martinez’s contact and defensive home are significant questions to evaluation his profile, but there can be no doubt that the man can absolutely crush a baseball. Across two levels he now has 10 home runs in his first 40 games this season. Four of those have come in his last eight games, and over his last two seasons he has 32 extra base hits in 67 games. The next big hit was in the next inning when Junior Garcia smacked a two-run double into the right field corner to score Alex Lodise and Tanner Smith. Cooper McMurray capped off the scoring with a two-run bomb in the sixth inning, narrowly clearing the high wall in right field to ice the game in favor of Augusta. Despite an 0-3 performance from Luis Guanipa and a rough patch at the plate so far in July I have been impressed with some of the at-bats he is putting up. Guanipa has shown more patience on breaking balls in recent weeks and worked a great walk in this game, and though taking more pitches has led to an increase in strikeouts it’s a necessary adjustment in the long run. Guanipa is still too much of a free-swinger, but even if it’s slow this is progress that has to happen for him to catch up and get to Rome successfully. In the middle of that walk he had a great swing where he jumped on a pitch inside and hit it hard in the air, though he was just a bit ahead of it and yanked it foul. That’s the exact swing that was unlocking more success early in the season and one I’ve been longing to see more often, and if he can combine a bit more patience with that ability to jump on anything on the inner part of the plate he could unlock a new level in the later months of the year.

It was not a particularly impressive pitching day for anyone in the Augusta greens, and they should consider themselves lucky to have only allowed three runs as a team. The committee approach can be tough when the entire committee can’t throw strikes, though somehow Luis Arestigueta managed to get away with it for 3 2/3 innings. Despite only throwing a tick over half his pitches for strikes Arestigueta got the Crawdads to make bad swings in hitter-friendly counts and left with only one run allowed and one walk allowed. Styven Paez looked fine, and his walks were at least competitive deep count plate appearances, though he did make the game a lot tighter in the ninth inning than it needed to be. Paez’s velocity/low release combo along with his tight slider does make for an interesting combination in terms of getting whiffs, and that’s made him one of the most reliable relief arms the GreenJackets have, but the command needs to improve drastically for him to be an MLB arm. There is something to like there without a doubt, and he’s better than the strikeout numbers suggest, but a 16% walk rate for a 21 year old at this level isn’t the most promising thing.

Swing and Missesa

Luis Arestigueta – 6

Kendy Richard – 4

Styven Paez – 4

The Loons and Drillers won close matchups, while the Comets and Tower Buzzers were both defeated at home, with none of these teams playing in a game decided by more than three runs.

Player of the day

When the most impressive and most impactful performances of the day line up to be the same, the choice is rather obvious; in this case, it was Zach Root making an absolute mockery out of the Dayton lineup to lead the Loons to a close win at home.

Root needed just 81 pitches to reach double-digit strikeouts, 11 to be precise, which represents a season-high, letting absolutely nothing across and lowering his season ERA to 2.37, earning a third win in 13 starts.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

For the third consecutive start, Charlie Barnes allowed exactly seven runs, ending this one shortly after it began as the Comets couldn’t contain the Chihuahuas, losing 8-5 at home. OKC even put up a fight towards the end with a four-run eighth inning, but when you only secure three hits in the whole game, any chance of a win virtually goes out the window.

Responsible for two-thirds of the Comets’ hits was the second baseman Hyeseong Kim, while Zach Ehrhard scored two runs in the leadoff spot, walking a couple of times. For Kim individually, this was a much-needed boost, hitting .158 in his last 15 games. Other than Kim, though, the only hitter to record a base hit was Alek Thomas.

Double-A Tulsa

In a similar fashion to the Comets game, but with a better outcome, the Drillers owe a ridiculous percentage of their 4-3 win to Kendall George, and not just because the leadoff batter secured the walk-off hit in the ninth inning. George was responsible for four of his team’s six hits.

This game could’ve been over earlier had Jake Gelof capitalized on a bases-loaded opportunity in the seventh with the score tied at three all, but he struck out, one of his three on the game. In fact, all hitters between the second and fifth spots in the lineup didn’t record a single knock, leaving the heroics to George and the bottom of the order.

Christian Zazueta and Wyatt Crowell provided quite the deadly combo on the mound, combining for 14 strikeouts to properly handle the Cardinals, who landed a few blows, including two solo shots. Covering the last four innings, Crowell earned his seventh win of the season.

High-A Great Lakes

Minor league and major league outings seldom get much better than what Zach Root delivered to lead the way on a 4-2 win for the Loons, striking out 11 over six scoreless innings, allowing just one hit. It’s the second time in a row that Root begins the month with a one-hit start—he hadn’t yet pitched in July.

Unlike the Drillers, the Loons scored all of their four runs first and survived a small bullpen scare once Root left the mound. Leadoff batter Charles Davalan was responsible for the team’s only home run. Despite striking out three times, switch-hitter Logan Wagner managed an RBI as well in his sole hit.

Single-A Ontario

Trailing from the top of the first until the very last pitch of the game, the Tower Buzzers fell victim to their own subpar defensive work, allowing three unearned runs in a 5-2 loss to the 66ers. Those errors were committed by reliever Luis Carias and shortstop Joendry Vargas, the latter of whom had a great game at the plate, going three for three with one RBI.

Starter Brady Smith doesn’t have the most appealing of ERAs at 4.08, but that number also doesn’t deserve an 0-6 record that’s been handed to him, suffering yet another loss this season. Three of the game’s five runs were scored when reliever Carias was on the mound.

Transactions

The Dodgers sent catcher Chuckie Robinson to Triple-A. Shortstop Jose Izarra moved from the Drillers to the Loons, and Tulsa shortstop Sean McLain was placed on the IL.

Tuesday’s scores

• Oklahoma City 5, El Paso 8
• Tulsa 4, Springfield 3
• Great Lakes 4, Dayton 2
• Ontario 2, Inland Empire 5

Wednesday’s schedule

• 4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Aidan Foeller) vs. Dayton (Reynardo Cruz)
• 5:00 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Adam Serwinowski) vs. Springfield (Brandt Thompson)
• 5:05 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (TBD) vs. El Paso (Jackson Wolf)
• 6:35 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) vs. Inland Empire (Aiden Butler)

Some players are so talented at both hitting and pitching, they are good enough to be drafted either way. Some scouts flirted with the idea of Bret Saberhagen or Zack Greinke playing shortstop (Greinke may have wanted to be a two-way player at one point) but ultimately decided that staying on the mound was best for their respective careers. In recent years, there was some question on where Royals picks like Khalil Lee, Trevor Werner, and Jac Caglianone might end up on the diamond, but all three ended up in the batter’s box.

California prep player Jared Grindlinger is the best two-way player in this draft, with scouts mixed on where he will end up playing. He is the rare player that offers enticing potential both ways, as a legitimate first-round talent both as a left-handed pitcher and as a hitter.

Jared Grindlinger, LHP/OF, Huntington Beach High School (CA)

Bats: Left

Throws: Left

Draft rankings:

• The Athletic: #12
• Baseball America: #18
• ESPN: #11
• MLB Pipeline: #18
• Perfect Game: #16

Grindlinger is one of the youngest players available after reclassifying from the 2027 class earlier this year. He won’t turn 18 until well after the draft, making him younger than nearly every other prospect in the class. That youth gives him a lot of projectability. At 6’3”, 185 lbs., Grindlinger is still growing into his frame. Most evaluators believe there is significantly more strength and power to come, which explains why teams are willing to bet on his long-term upside despite an already accelerated timeline.

Keith Law ultimately believes the bat is where his future lies. As a hitter, Law praises his “outstanding bat-to-ball skills” while noting that his bat speed still has room to improve. Even so, the ball already carries well off his bat, and as he adds strength, many scouts expect considerably more power to emerge.

Baseball America echoes that assessment, highlighting Grindlinger’s elite contact ability. Despite possessing long levers and a naturally large strike zone, he “almost never swung and missed” during last summer’s showcase circuit. Because he projects as either a first baseman or corner outfielder, developing more over-the-fence power will be critical. He is a below-average runner and will likely not be a defensive asset in the outfield.

His offensive profile is why many clubs prefer him as a position player, but his value is boosted by the fact that he also offers legitimate upside on the mound. As a left-hander, Grindlinger has already touched 96 mph with his fastball, though he generally sits between 90-94 mph. His arsenal also includes a pair of promising offspeed pitches: a slider around 80 mph that he can manipulate into different shapes and a low-80s changeup with excellent arm speed. MLB Pipeline notes that some scouts believe his loose arm action and physical projection could eventually produce a plus fastball as he matures.

There is still plenty of refinement needed. Law points out that Grindlinger’s delivery gets him off the rubber too quickly and causes him to spin off his front side, while Baseball America notes that none of his current pitches grade as true plus offerings. Still, the combination of youth, athleticism, arm strength, and feel for pitching gives him significant long-term upside.

Grindlinger is committed to Tennessee, where he would join his older brother Trent, a former highly regarded prep prospect himself. That commitment provides plenty of leverage, but most evaluators expect a team to select him in the first round rather than allow him to reach campus.

Jim Callis at MLB Pipeline reports that while most teams like Grindlinger as a hitter, the Royals prefer him as a pitcher. The Nationals and Red Sox have been the most-linked teams to him, although Callis thinks the Royals could be “bold” and draft him to let him play both ways.

For a club like the Royals, Grindlinger represents the ultimate upside gamble. There is risk in betting on one of the youngest players in the draft, especially one whose body and tools are still developing. But they seem to love young, athletic players who can go both ways.

San Diego Padres fans would be forgiven if they saw the top of the first inning between the Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night and thought, “Here we go again.” Starter German Marquez was in a bases loaded jam after a leadoff double, a fielding error and a walk allowed the first three batters to reach safely. Marquez induced a ground ball to third baseman Manny Machado who threw to Luis Campusano at home plate to get the force out and keep the Diamondbacks off the scoreboard. That success was followed by a one-out walk to Max Kepler which gave Arizona a 1-0 lead over San Diego. Marquez escaped the jam without any additional damage when he got Nolan Arenado to lineout to Sung-Mun Song at second base who raced to the bag to double off the runner for the unassisted double play to end the inning.

Once again, the Padres found themselves trailing before they even sent their first batter to the plate, but unlike the series opener on Monday, the San Diego offense jumped all over Arizona starter Zac Gallen. Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a leadoff double and scored one batter later when Jackson Merrill hit a liner into right field for an RBI-single to tie the game, 1-1. The Padres weren’t done there. Gavin Sheets drew a two-out walk after Merrill stole second base, to put runners at first and second. Jake Cronenworth then hit a 1-2 fastball into the right field bleachers to put San Diego ahead 4-1. If you missed that inning, you basically missed the game because Mason Miller came in for the top of the ninth and locked down the 4-1 win and earned his 23rd save of the season.

Marquez was the story of the night for the Padres outside of the Cronenworth home run. The right-hander, who recently returned from the injured list, completed five innings after a shaky start and allowed one run on three hits with three walks and four strikeouts. The bullpen took down the remaining four innings with Yuki Matsui pitching 0.1 of an inning. Jhony Brito completed 1.2 innings and Bradgley Rodriguez pitched a scoreless eighth before Miller came on for the ninth.

San Diego will try to win their second consecutive game today at 7:10 p.m.

Padres News:

• It been a rough week for the Padres and from ugly losses to injuries, Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball tells you all about it.

• Alek Jacob pitched multiple relief innings on Monday and was sent back down to Triple-A on Tuesday to make room for Jhony Brito on the roster.

Baseball News:

• Shohei Ohtani hit a leadoff home run, but the Los Angeles Dodgers lost to the Colorado Rockies.

• Ryan O’Hearn hit three home runs to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a dominant win over the Atlanta Braves.

• Tarik Skubal delivered another solid start to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 6-2 win.

• Zack Wheeler struck out 14 Cincinnati Reds hitters to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a win.

• The Toronto Blue Jays beat the San Francisco Giants, 9-3.

Aneudis Mejia started for Hickory, allowing two runs in two innings, walking one and striking out two. Geury Rodriguez allowed two runs in 2.1 IP, striking out one and walking one.

Marco Argudin was 3 for 3 with two walks. Yolfran Castillo was 1 for 4 with a double, a walk and a stolen base. Marcos Torres had a had a hit, two walks and a stolen base. Daniel Flames had a pair of hits. Dewar Tovar doubled. Angel Arredondo had a hit.

Hickory box score

Hub City starter Enrique Segura allowed one run in five innings, walking one and striking out seven. J’Briell Easley struck out two and walked one in a scoreless inning. Case Matter struck out four in two shutout innings.

Yeison Morrobel homered. Maxton Martin was 2 for 4 with a double. Hector Osorio had a hit.

Hub City box score

Frisco starter Aidan Curry struck out 12 in six innings, walking two and allowing a two run homer. Josh Trentadue struck out six in three scoreless innings.

Rafe Perich’s terrorizing of Texas League pitchers continued, as he went 3 for 4 with a double and a homer. In 31 games since being promoted to Frisco, he’s slashing .316/.420/.624.

Frisco box score

Jordan Montgomery made another rehab start for Round Rock, needing just 40 pitches to throw three shutout innings, allowing five hits and striking out three. Winston Santos made his AAA debut and got hit hard, allowing six runs in three innings, including a pair of homers, while striking out four and walking three. Luis Curvelo allowed three runs in 0.1 IP, walking one. Wilian Bormie struck out one in 1.2 scoreless innings. Emiliano Teodo walked one in a shutout inning, throwing 11 of his 20 pitches for strikes.

Jarred Kelenic was 3 for 4. Aaron Zavala had a hit.

Round Rock box score

ACL Rangers box score

DSL Rangers Red box score

DSL Rangers Blue box score

For as frustrating as the Sox’s season has been, the Mets have been worse. While it’s not exactly stealing our thunder, it’s arguably more impressive (absolute value), given that they have active legitimate superstars, one of whom, Francisco Lindor, is allegedly on the block. And if Sports Illustrated is going to suggest Boston as a destination, who am I to argue? Not that I’m saying it’s a good fit, but with that sweet, sweet SEO already in the ether, it’s time for us to pick up a slipstream.

On the one hand, Lindor’s a 32-year-old shortstop under contract until 2032 at $32 million each year and having the worst season of his professional career by far, batting .210/.297/.355. On that same hand, the Red Sox are cheap and reticent to reach for older players and don’t seem to be in a position to win now or in the short-term future during which Lindor could theoretically turn it around.

On the other hand, Lindor has been good-t0-great every other year of his career and the Sox cannot find a shortstop to save their lives. Franky led MLB with 732 PA’s last year, which is the stability the team has been sorely lacking at the position since… Nomar, maybe? And maybe he’d be relatively cheap, which would invert the Sox’s way of doing things. He also is cool as hell, which is nice.

I don’t think it makes sense for the Sox because of how they operate, but I don’t care about the money, either. I’m team “add good players.” Though if the money issue wipes out next year, that’s one less sub-35-yr-old year you’re getting from him anyway. But enough blabber: What say you?

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The Toronto Blue Jays go for the rubber match on getaway day with their best arm on the mound, as Dylan Cease faces the San Francisco Giants and their ace, Logan Webb.

Cease has been a must-watch for strikeout bettors, and a soft number this afternoon makes him the headliner of my card.

Read on for my Blue Jays vs. Giants predictions and MLB picks for this Wednesday, July 8, matchup.

Blue Jays vs Giants predictions

Blue Jays vs Giants best bet: Dylan Cease Over 6.5 strikeouts (-160)

Talk about easy money. No bet is a true lock, but Wednesday’s line on Dylan Cease’s strikeouts is lower than usual. The Over 6.5 Ks comes with a shorter -160 price, and I still see it as a very solid play.

Cease has been automatic for strikeout Overs, averaging 8.6 strikeouts per game, andthe last time he finished Under 6.5 was all the way back on April 27.

Toronto fans saw the best version of Cease last time out against the Mariners, when he tossed seven shutout innings with nine strikeouts and just one walk. He’s red-hot right now, and I’d play this bet until -170.

COVERS INTEL: Dylan Cease leads the AL with 137 strikeouts, and he’s cashed the Over on 6.5 strikeouts in 11 straight games.

Blue Jays vs Giants same-game parlay (SGP)

I’m building a +300 ticket around Cease and Toronto’s steadiest bats. I’ll start with the Toronto Blue Jays moneyline, trusting Dylan Cease to out-pitch Logan Webb in the rubber match. 

Ernie Clement Over 0.5 hits rides his hot streak after a three-hit night, and stacking Cease Over 6.5 strikeouts doubles down on my best bet. 

I’ll finish with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. over 0.5 hits. Vladdy picked up a hit last night and is 2-for-9 lifetime off Webb with a double.

Blue Jays vs Giants SGP

• Blue Jays moneyline
• Ernie Clement Over 0.5 hits
• Dylan Cease Over 6.5 strikeouts
• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 0.5 hits

Blue Jays vs Giants home run pick: Ernie Clement (+1350)

This bet is part playing the hot hand, part capitalizing on some misplaced odds. Sure, the San Francisco Giants have ace Logan Webb on the mound, but he isn’t untouchable, especially against Ernie Clement. The Blue Jays infielder is 2-for-4 lifetime off Webb with a three-run homer and four RBI in that tiny sample.

On Tuesday night, Clement racked up three hits, including a double, so he’s swinging it well. The books clearly see him as a long shot to go deep at pitcher-friendly Oracle Park, but I think there’s value. I’d play this at +1000 or longer and keep it to a quarter unit.

Blue Jays vs Giants odds

• Moneyline: Toronto -120 | San Francisco +100
• Run line: Toronto -1.5 (+155) | San Francisco +1.5 (-180)
• Over/Under: Over 7 (+100) | Under 7 (-120)

Blue Jays vs Giants trend

The Blue Jays are 9-5 this season in games Dylan Cease starts as the moneyline favorite, which boosts their chances for the rubber match. Find more MLB betting trends for Blue Jays vs. Giants.

How to watch Blue Jays vs Giants and game info

Blue Jays vs Giants latest injuries

Blue Jays vs Giants weather

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The Braves are not having a good time, so let’s do a question that’s essentially a link dump. Or, well, a dump of one very specific link. The emphasis is on the word “effectively,” as we know MLB can and has attempted to tamper with the baseball based on its own information.

A couple of days ago, Bradford William Davis over at Eyeblack pulled together some information he was able to collect from league honcho Morgan Sword (great name, maybe not great… actions).

(The article linked above is free and not gated, you just have to enter an email, and there’s no email confirmation to click to gain access.)

Basically, though, the gist of the entirety of the article can be summarized in one partial sentence from Davis:

On October 17, 2019, current executive vice president Morgan Sword, instructed Rawlings executives to build and maintain a baseball capable of supporting what he called a “target leaguewide home run rate” …

There, that’s it. If you remember, 2019 was the year where ball go very far and there were lots of homers, and after that… less so. The ball has also entered kind of a weird pattern — 2022 was higher-drag, 2023 lower-drag, 2024-higher drag, 2025 had higher drag but the ball was bouncier, and 2026 is its own issue where first it looked more like 2024, then more like 2025, and the summer has seen a bunch of reporting about production issues and discolored baseballs that are being removed from consideration before they roll into play, all while drag readings have plummeted.

(There’s a dark story here. It’s really depressing. The Braves arguably changed their offensive approach in 2025 due to higher drag in 2024. This didn’t work, in part because of the increased bounciness of the 2025 ball(s). Then, in 2026, the Braves went back to pre-2025 stuff, until June, which is right when the returns to hitting a vaguely deep fly ball took off again.)

So, anyway, go read the article and opine about MLB’s effectiveness in attempting to shape the game towards some sort of aesthetic end here.

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It was donuts yesterday for the first time in nine articles, but with a handful of fade-able pitchers on the mound, Wednesday's slate is ripe for dingers and MLB player props.

Dansby Swanson has launched seven homers over the last two weeks, and I'm betting on No. 8 today against Dean Kremer. Juan Soto's home run price has also drifted nearly 100 points from yesterday despite drawing an even better matchup against a parade of right-handed pitching.

These are my favorite home run props for July 8.

Best MLB home run props today

Player to hit a HR	Odds
Dansby Swanson	+493
Juan Soto	+350

Home run pick: Dansby Swanson (+493)

I'm a little late to the Dansby Swanson power surge, but for a guy with seven home runs over the last two weeks and the fifth-best SLG in baseball during that stretch, today might be the best spot yet to ride the hot bat.

Dean Kremer gets the ball for the Orioles, and that pushes a lot of the Cubs' home run props into +EV territory.

Kremer is making just his second start after a lengthy IL stint and is one of the best home run targets on the board. He has allowed a homer in each of his four starts this season, ranks among the Bottom 30 starters in HR/9 over the last three seasons, and gives up plenty of fly balls.

There is also some dugout history, as three Cubs hitters have already taken him deep, albeit in small samples.

I've been hesitant to play Swanson's home run prop because he still hits in the lower third of the order, but he's getting his four plate appearances and has been hitting the ball harder than 99% of the league of late.

The fair price is closer to +400.

• Time: 6:35 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MASN, Marquee Sports Network

Home run pick: Juan Soto (+350)

How about a square pick at a good price with an elite matchup?

The Royals are using an opener today before turning things over to Triple-A call-up Mitch Spence for the bulk innings. It's already a bullpen missing three arms after yesterday's "baseball game" that produced 28 runs, 32 hits, and three errors.

Juan Soto went deep against right-hander Seth Lugo last night in the fourth inning, yet his home-run price is nearly 100 points longer today in an even better matchup.

Spence has allowed 11 home runs in 59+ innings this season at Triple-A and has struggled to keep the ball in the park. This has the makings of another loose baseball game with plenty of home run upside for the Mets.

Soto ranks among the Top 25 hitters in both slugging and ISO over the last two weeks, and I make this home run prop closer to +270.

• Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SNY, Royals.TV

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The Cubs have been desperately seeking solid starting pitching and Tuesday night in Baltimore, they got it from Matthew Boyd.

Boyd threw six shutout innings against the Orioles, allowing just three hits and striking out seven, as the Cubs defeated the Orioles 5-2 in the first game of a six-game road trip.

The game went scoreless into the top of the third. With two out in that inning, Miguel Amaya drew a walk and went to second on a single by Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Alex Bregman’s single scored Amaya to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead [VIDEO].

The game remained 1-0 Cubs until the top of the fifth. Dansby Swanson led off with a single. Amaya, having himself a nice game, doubled to center. PCA then singled, scoring Swanson [VIDEO].

Amaya took third on the play, and then scored on this fielder’s choice by Bregman[VIDEO].

As you can see, Bregman was called out at first on the field, but it was quiekly overturned by the replay review crew. The Cubs had a chance for more in the inning when Michael Busch walked, but Seiya Suzuki then hit into an inning-ending double play.

Boyd was outstanding in his six innings of work. He threw 93 pitches (64 strikes). Here are his seven K’s [VIDEO].

Here’s more on Boyd’s outing [VIDEO].

That’s definitely Boyd’s best outing of the year, and now he’s thrown 15.2 innings since his return from the weird knee injury, allowed three runs in that span (1.72 ERA) and struck out 13. If he can keep this up, that is a huge boost to the rotation. More on Boyd from BCB’s JohnW53:

Matthew Boyd is the fourth different Cub this season to pitch at least six shutout innings.

Shota Imanaga had starts of 7.0 and 6.0; Javier Asasad, of 6.1 and 6.0; and Edward Cabrerea, 6.0. Cabrera’s and both of Imanaga’s came in the Cubs’ first 33 games, through May 2.

The next, Assad’s first, came in their 66th game, on June 7. His second came five days later, in their 70th, so this was the Cubs’ first in 21 games.

The Cubs extended the lead to 4-0 in the top of the seventh. Amaya led off with a single and one out later, advanced to third on a double by Bregman, who had himself a nice game.

Michael Busch’s sacrifice fly scored Amaya [VIDEO].

Ryan Rolison relieved Boyd and got himself in trouble with a pair of singles, followed by two strikeouts and a walk, loading the bases. It might have been worse if Amaya hadn’t correctly challenged a possible ball four call [VIDEO].

Rolison, who threw 27 pitches, was relieved by Jacob Webb. Webb got Adley Rutschman to hit a ground ball, but it went just out of Nico Hoerner’s reach into right field for a two-run single to cut the lead in half. Webb then struck out Gunnar Henderson to end the inning.

The Cubs got one of those runs back in the eighth. With one out, Nico singled and stole second. A ground out advanced Nico to third, where he scored on this single by Swanson [VIDEO].

Tyler Ferguson, who’s rapidly getting into Craig Counsell’s Circle of Trust, threw a 1-2-3 eighth on only eight pitches.

Trent Thornton was given the save opportunity. He retired the Orioles 1-2-3 on two ground outs and a strikeout to post his second save. Here’s the final out [VIDEO].

Here are Craig Counsell’s postgame comments [VIDEO].

Overall the Cubs went 3-for-8 with RISP, cashed in on several situations and in general, got good relief pitching (save the two-run single given up by Webb), a really nice way to start the road trip.

The Cubs will go for two in a row over the Orioles Wednesday evening in Baltimore. Colin Rea will start for the Cubs and Dean Kremer goes for the O’s. Game time is 5:35 p.m. CT (that is, if they don’t have another “rain delay” without rain) and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.

One way or another, the Orioles are going to decide whether they are buyers or sellers by the end of this month. Perhaps they will come to the conclusion that many of you have already reached, or maybe Mike Elias will double down on this team’s diminishing playoff odds. Either way, the decision will not happen overnight.

The organization should be constantly taking stock of the team and each position group. The front office knows that the bullpen needs help. It’s aware that the rotation is trending upward and that the infield misses Jordan Westburg. But what about the outfield? I’d love to ask Mike Elias to evaluate the group’s performance this season and his expectations moving forward.

The unit can be broken up into players born in the 20th and 21st century. Taylor Ward has been an everyday player this year after coming over from the Angels. The 32-year-old has experienced a power outage but is less than 10 walks away from his career high. Ward has emerged as a decent table setter, and the free-agent-to-be has contributed more in Baltimore than Grayson Rodriguez has provided in LA.

The Orioles signed Leody Taveras to a one-year, $2-million deal early in the offseason. Despite his major league deal, it was never a guarantee that Taveras would break camp with the team. The 27-year-old made the team as a backup outfielder but proceeded to slash .288/.397/.455 over the first month of the season. Taveras temporarily became an everyday player when Colton Cowser got off to a hot start, and he remains a serviceable fourth or fifth outfielder.

The same cannot be said for Tyler O’Neill. O’Neill has managed to stay relatively healthy this season while reaching a new level of disappointment. The man signed to hit lefties holds a .184 batting average and a .141 average against southpaws.

O’Neill has become a symbol of Elias’s recent failures. The Orioles waited and waited to sign a player to a multi-year deal before settling on this guy. At the end of the day, O’Neill only has his contract and some general stubbornness from the general manager to thank for his spot on this team.

Cowser slashed .186/.269/.220 over his first 26 games while struggling to make contact with offspeed pitches. The Milk Man eventually snapped out of his funk with four homers in May and four more in June. The former first round pick has yet to reach the offensive potential that he displayed during his rookie season, but his quality outfield defense has marked one of the only bright spots on that side of the ball.

Cowser clearly has the chops to play center field. He may never hit for a high average, but his .317 on-base percentage is only four points below the number he posted in 2024. The former Player’s Choice for the AL’s Most Outstanding Rookie has played his way back into an everyday role and could be poised for a strong second half.

The Orioles waited to promote Dylan Beavers last season because they believed he had at least a slim chance to compete for a rookie award this season. Beavers fell out of the running early when he suffered a strained oblique back in mid May. Now healthy, Beavers is looking to build on his reputation of getting on base.

Beavers, the 33rd-overall pick in the 2022 draft, entered last night’s game slashing .222/.313/.342. He posted a 119 OPS+ over 35 games last fall, but his numbers are only good for an 86 OPS+ so far this year. Baseball development is non-linear, and Beavers is still settling back in after rejoining the Orioles at the end of June.

The Orioles could deal Ward if they decide to sell. There’s a chance the team holds on to the future free agent and extends him a qualifying offer at the end of the year, but his Baltimore tenure could end early if a team is willing to part with some value.

The same cannot be said for O’Neill. The former Cardinal still has a year remaining on his albatros of a contract, and it’s unlikely that any team would be willing to take on that deal. Even if Baltimore expressed a willingness to eat the money, O’Neill’s presence would represent a regression for almost every roster in the league.

The Orioles will have a hole to address in the outfield this offseason, but how they feel about the position group could hinge on Cowser and Beavers taking a step in the right direction.

Beavers can play center field in a pinch, but he’s a far cry from Cowser in the outfield. His value will likely depend on his ability to get on base while continuing to add some power.

The Orioles could eventually make room for a pair of outfielders currently at Triple-A. The hype has simmered for Heston Kjerstad and Enrique Bradfield Jr., but both players are healthy and suiting up for the Tides. Kjerstad entered last night’s game slashing .288/.316/.442 over 41 games at Norfolk, and Bradfield Jr. is slashing .258/.323/.342 with 15 stolen bases in 34 appearances.

Either player developing into a quality major leaguer would represent a massive win at this stage. Both players are flawed but possess valuable skills that can translate at the next level.

Ward—and even Taveras under the right circumstance—could call another city home by the end of the month. Even if the team refuses to sell, the Orioles will still look to Cowser and Beavers for production in the second half. A few young outfielders taking another step in the right direction could represent a high point of an otherwise disappointing season.

Buoyed by the success of last year’s MLB Tokyo Series merch collaboration with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, the Dodgers are venturing further into partnerships with cutting-edge artists.

Fans whose eyes are solely focused on the diamond might be unfamiliar with KAWS, aka Brian Donnelly, a Brooklyn-based artist and designer whose signature creation is Companion, an art toy and sculpture that resembles an eerie Mickey Mouse with a skull head and “X” marks for eyes.

How that sensibility meshes with Major League Baseball will be evident when the KAWS x MLB collection is released ahead of the Dodgers visiting the New York Yankees for a three-game series July 17-19. The release was announced by Fanatics and Complex, which will market and distribute the collection.

KAWS’ interpretation of official team gear will reside on Nike-produced jerseys, T-shirts, hoodies and caps. Count on the ubiquitous “XX” that typically stand in for eyeballs on the Companion character and the artist’s other dark cartoonish creations.

The collection also will include baseballs, bats and a limited run of Topps trading cards that promise to feature KAWS’ interpretation of Dodgers and Yankees iconography.

“Timed to one of baseball’s most storied rivalries, the collection brings KAWS’ distinctive visual language to the diamond,” said Aaron Levant, chief executive of Complex. “The result is a crossover moment at the intersection of sport, art, and pop culture, where legacy franchises are reframed through one of the most influential artists of this generation.”

Read more:Dodgers collaborate with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami on merchandise again. Here’s how to get it

KAWS’ body of work spans more than 25 years and includes painting, sculpture and design that straddle fine art and global culture. He is known for larger-than-life sculptures and hard-edge paintings that feature his hybrid cartoon characters.

While studying at New York’s School of Visual Arts, he moonlighted as a graffiti artist, defacing billboards, freight trains and water towers. That changed in 1996 when he was given a skeleton key that opened glass advertising boxes on the sides of phone booths and bus kiosks.

KAWS stopped writing his name on walls and began altering ads. He would steal ad posters, paint over them with rudimentary cartoon skulls with X’ed-out eyes in pastel colors, then carefully replace them.

Now his creations range in value from under $20 to millions. His 2005 remake of the the Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album cover using characters from “The Simpsons” sold for $14.8 million at Sotheby’s in 2019. His 9-foot-tall painting of Simpsons characters on a couch sold for $7.4 million. His piece showing a screaming “Kawsbob” (SpongeBob) fetched $6 million.

The MLB collection will debut at Fanatics Fest in New York from July 16 to 19 and in the Yankees team store July 16. The full collection — including the Topps trading cards — will launch globally July 20 on Complex.com, Fanatics.com, MLBShop.com and Nike.com.

Items will be available at select Dodgers team stores July 20 and in the Dodger Stadium team store July 31.

“KAWS is one of the defining artists of our generation, and bringing his artwork together with Major League Baseball and two of the most iconic franchises in sports creates something that speaks to fans far beyond baseball,” Levant said. “This collection is designed to live at the intersection of sport, art, fashion and collecting in a way that only this group of partners could bring together.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Rangers 8, Angels 3

• The Rangers are back above .500.
• Holla.
• This was an instance where it wasn’t feeling real “winny” for much of the game, and seemed to be heading towards another home defeat to a bad team.
• Until it didn’t.
• Jacob deGrom wasn’t all that deGrommy on Tuesday, getting “just” 13 swings and misses and getting lifted after five innings and 80 pitches.
• It turns out he had a hip issue that was bothering him, which prompted the early removal, and likely contributed to his not quite having his A game. He is saying he expects to make his next start on Sunday — the final game before the All Star Game — and hopefully that’s the case.
• The Rangers as a whole are dealing with Dane Dunning Syndrome this year, but deGrom is being hit especially hard. He allowed two runs in his start, both of which came in the first inning.
• Almost half the runs deGrom has allowed this season — 19 of 39 — have come in the first inning. Half of the extra base hits he’s given up — 14 of 28 — have been in the first inning. Opponents are hitting .308/.365/.692 against deGrom in the first inning.
• I can’t tell you what opponents are hitting off of deGrom from the second inning on because that would require way more math than I feel like doing this morning.
• After the first, deGrom was quite alright, only allowing one Angel as far as second base, in the second, when a leadoff Zach Neto walk and an infield single by Denzer Guzman on a ball Ezequiel Duran, playing third, should have had an out on, but looked to second prior to throwing (late) to first, putting two on with one out, though deGrom had no issues retiring the next two batters.
• deGrom had 7 strikeouts in the game, moving him past Kenny Rogers, Bob Welch and Aaron Nola for 101st on the all time strikeout list, with 1973, though Nola, who has 1970 Ks currently, will likely pass deGrom when Nola makes his next start later this week.
• deGrom should, hopefully, move up to 97th place in his next start, which would involve him passing Nola (if Nola gets ahead of him), Al Leiter (1974), Livan Hernandez (1976), and John Clarkson and Ervin Santana (1978).
• Cole Winn, Chris Martin, Peyton Gray and Tyler Alexander each pitched an inning to finish things out. Alexander was able to pitch the ninth due to an offensive eruption in the eighth, which turned a tie game into a blowout.
• I saw some criticism of Skip Schumaker using Martin in a tie game in the seventh, but you know, its really just a byproduct of the current state of the bullpen. Assuming Peyton Gray and Jacob Latz were going to pitch the eighth and ninth, your options were asking Winn (who lowered his ERA on the year to 6.39 with a scoreless inning) to pitch a second inning, or else turn to Gavin Collyer, Robby Ahlstrom, Ben Peoples, Alexander, or Martin.
• There’s not a really great option in that situation. And that’s not even getting into the fact that the Rangers’ current eighth inning guy is Peyton Gray.
• Martin allowed an Oswald Peraza single to start the seventh, with Peraza then stealing second base and scoring on Wade Meckler’s single, which appeared to set the stage for Martin to don the goat horns, even after a Logan O’Hoppe GIDP and a Zach Neto pop out ended the inning with no more runs scoring.
• Jose Soriano, who started the year by allowing one run, total, in his first six starts and then crashed back down to earth, having a 5.34 in his 12 starts prior to Tuesday, had one bad inning, issuing a pair of walks to Evan Carter and Alejandro Osuna before giving up a two run single to offensive catalyst Nicky Lopez. Soriano allowed just two baserunners otherwise, and it was with much relief that we saw a reliever come into the game for the Angels to start the seventh.
• Justin Foscue, pinch hitting for Evan Carter against Tayler Saucedo to lead off the inning, worked the count full, and on the eighth pitch of the at bat sent a missile into the left field seats to tie the game.
• Things were broken wide open in the eighth. Josh Smith and Jake Burger started the inning off with singles, and advanced on a Brandon Nimmo groundout. Ezequiel Duran gave the Rangers the lead with a single, putting runners on the corners, with Justin Foscue following up with a run scoring single. Alejandro Osuna then ruined Jacob Latz’s opportunity to add on to his save total by yanking a ball down the line in right field and into the seats for a three run homer.
• There was just one out, not two, but I’ll take it.
• With the Mariners losing, the Rangers are now a half-game back in the American League West. They hold the WC3 spot, a game and a half up on the Astros and Twins and 3.5 games up on the Jays. They are also just a half game back of the Guardians for WC2, for what it is worth.
• Jacob deGrom hit 99.3 mph with his fastball, averaging 97.7 mph. Cole Winn hit 95.9 mph with his fastball. Chris Martin touched 95.0 mph with his fastball. Peyton Gray’s fastball maxed out at 94.2 mph. Tyler Alexander touched 92.3 mph with his fastball.
• Justin Foscue had a 111.0 mph home run. Elias Diaz had a 108.0 mph single and a 106.3 mph single. Ezequiel Duran had a 104.6 mph single and a 103.4 mph groundout. Alejandro Osuna had a 102.0 mph home run. Joc Pederson had a 100.5 mph fly out.
• Five games to go before the All Star Break.

Any list of MLB All-Star snubs has to include right-hander Zack Wheeler of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Just ask him.

The veteran, who came back from thoracic outlet surgery this past offseason to be one of the game's best pitchers, took his frustrations out on the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night − then had enough left in the tank to slam MLB's selection process afterwards.

Wheeler tied his career high with 14 strikeouts in a 4-1 Phillies win, and then made his case for being part of the NL All-Star team.

However, MLB rules prevent any pitcher who starts on the Sunday before the All-Star Game from being named to the team.

"I think it's kind of a B.S. rule that just because I pitch on a certain day, I get punished for it," Wheeler told reporters.