After a bit of a slow start with his new organization, Jefferson Rojas has quickly been showing why he’s the most highly-regarded prospect the Mets acquired at the MLB trade deadline.
Rojas has been swinging an extremely hot bat of late with Binghamton, and that continued again on Friday night.
The youngster struck out his first time up but was able to get the Rumble Ponies on the board in his next AB, clobbering a pitch almost at his shoulders for a monstrous two-run homer.
He did even more damage in the very next inning, driving in his third run of the night with an RBI single the other way in the bottom of the fourth.
Rojas was retired each of his next two times up, but he left rehabbing Mets slugger Mark Vientos impressed with his strong 2-for-5 showing at the plate.
“He’s for real,” Vientos said. “He’s a really good baseball player -- that home run and that single to the opposite-way, you could just see the talent in him, for sure.”
Vientos will be around Rojas and the Ponies for a few more days as he continues his rehab.
As for the 21-year-old infielder, he's now up to three homers, four doubles, 17 RBI, and a .872 OPS over his first 14 games since joining Binghamton.
If he’s able to keep this up, Rojas just might take that next step to Triple-A Syracuse, with his sights set on making his mark with Vientos and the big-league club at some point next season.
Jun 2, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; A view of Yankee Stadium before the match between between the New York Yankees and the Cleveland Guardians. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It is a busy day here at Casa Dakers, my wife’s birthday. We are having friends over and someone is expected to barbecue steaks. I don’t think I’ve ever barbecued 20ish steaks all at one time. They will be barbecued medium rare (likely closer to rare) and if anyone wants their steak well done:
It is really just a busy weekend, but we will get through and get back to regular programming very soon.
The best news coming out of yesterday was that Buck Martinez is cancer free. He’s been through a lot, so it is great to hear.
Yesterday there were a couple of roster moves, that you likely already know about:
Brendan Cellucci was optioned to Buffalo.
Josh Smith went on the IL with left hamstring inflammation (with all the players going down in Tampa, we are lucky Smith is the only one going on the IL
Spencer Arrighetti came off the IL, and pitched some yesterday.
Davis Schneider is back.
I’m running around until game time, or likely slightly after game time, so use this as an open thread until the game starts (our game threads are pretty much open threads most of the time.
Vlad is back on the roster and in the lineup. Davis Schneider goes back to Buffalo.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 21: Jake Rogers #28 of the Chicago White Sox is greeted at home after hitting a two run walk-off home run against the New York Mets during the ninth inning at Rate Field on August 21, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Daniel Bartel/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Meet the Mets
The Mets got out to a 4-0 lead in last night’s series opener against the White Sox in Chicago. Alas, they could not hold the lead, as Sean Manaea surrendered back-t0-back-to-back homers to tie the game in the sixth inning, and Jefry Yan subsequently gave up a two-run walk-off homer to Jake Rogers. The Mets thus fell to the White Sox 6-4.
Austin Warren spoke about his fear that his previous injury would require Tommy John surgery.
Carson Benge and Nolan McLean are both in the mix for NL Rookie of the Year, though both are likely behind JJ Wetherholt.
Around the National League East
The Braves, like many teams before them, had no answer for Jacob Misiorowski, and Atlanta fell to the Brewers 2-1.
The Phillies had themselves an extra-inning affair against the Cardinals and won on a two-run walk-off triple from Alec Bohm in the tenth inning.
The Marlins were held scoreless for the first seven innings against the Nationals, but they tied it up in the eighth and then got a walk-off single from Javier Sanoja in the ninth to defeat Washington 3-2.
Trade deadline acquisition Will Dion has been a revelation since joining the Nationals.
DUNEDIN, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 24: Marco Luciano #60 of the New York Yankees high fives teammates in the dugout in the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during the Grapefruit League spring training game at TD Ballpark on February 24, 2026 in Dunedin, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s been a long road for Marco Luciano.
The No. 2 overall prospect in the 2018 international class, Luciano was signed by the Giants out of the Dominican Republic for $2.6 million. San Francisco valued the 16-year-old for his 6-foot-3 frame, pop, and athleticism, projecting him as a middle-of-the-order bat with the potential to develop into a sturdy defender at a premium position. After Luciano slashed .302/.417/.564 across 47 games in his first action as a pro, the wider baseball world agreed. He entered Baseball America’s prospect rankings at number 19 in 2020, marking a player with both high upside and — ostensibly — a projectible floor.
Still just 18 in 2020, it would be a few years before the uber-talent made his way to the bigs. He lost some steam as he went but was still a consensus top-50 prospect by the time he debuted with sky-high expectations in 2023.
That’s when the narrative flipped. Luciano hit just .217 with no home runs in 126 plate appearance between 2023-24, failing to translate his power and plate discipline at the MLB level. And he was done no favors by his glove, grading out well below average on defense while splitting time between shortstop and second base.
And so it was that he ended up on waivers after the 2025 season. He was claimed by the Pirates, putting in motion a month-plus of indignity that would have been unthinkable for the former top prospect just a couple of years prior. Pittsburgh cut him after a month to clear up a roster spot. The Orioles picked Luciano up, only to DFA him again a couple of weeks later.
That’s when the Yankees swooped in, adding him off waivers. They DFA’d him themselves a week later, but when none of the other 29 MLB teams had a 40-man spot for Luciano, he was sent down to Double-A Somerset to rebuild his swing. While there was a modicum of buzz around the move, largely due to his former prospect pedigree, Luciano’s signing was more of a move around the margins than a long-term play.
Then something surprising happened. In his first 28 games of the seasons, Luciano hit like a man reborn, batting .327 with 10 homers. It was the kind of dominance he hadn’t demonstrated since Rookie ball seven years earlier. He was quickly promoted to Triple-A where he’s slashed a still-excellent .280/.374/.470 the rest of the way. He’s also passed the eye test as a viable defender at second base after moving to the position full-time.
Marco Luciano looks a lot more fluid at second now. He’s made good progress since the start of the year. Turning double plays, throws, and footwork improvements. pic.twitter.com/FzAPu6JRbm
Is this a case of a Quadruple-A player having a couple of good months? Or is something more at play here? As Eli Ben-Porat over at Baseball America outlined in an excellent primer on Monday, there are some tangible changes that signal the latter. While Luciano never ceased to show prodigious power, he was being too passive at the plate, resulting in poor timing and a lot of swing and miss. By hunting fastballs and not being afraid to swing at borderline pitches, he’s making much more hard contact, leading to a more balanced offensive profile.
The results speak for themselves. Among the 119 second basemen who’ve come to the plate at least 350 times across all levels of the minors, Luciano’s 141 wRC+ leads the pack. In his article, Ben-Porat teases that Luciano could be the Yankees’ second baseman of the future. With Luciano still a couple of weeks from his 25th birthday and Jazz Chisholm Jr. a free agent after the season, it’s a distinct possibility he’ll get an opportunity next spring to earn a job.
But what about this year? Chisholm has been a massive disappointment at the plate but, barring an injury, it’s hard to see him getting displaced at this stage of the season. If the Yankees did need a next man up at the keystone, José Caballero, Max Schuemann, and Amed Rosario are already on the active roster while Anthony Volpe and Oswaldo Cabrera are on the 40-man down at Triple-A. The fact that the Yankees would need to free up a 40-man spot for Luciano makes his promotion unlikely. Still, his is a name to tuck away in the back of your mind. He’s been the best-hitting second baseman in the Yankees’ system this year. Whether this season or next, it behooves the Yankees to give him a look at the big-league level.
Aug 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages (44) walks with head athletic trainer Thomas Albert (left) and manager Dave Roberts (30) after being hit by a pitch in the third inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Dodgers lost their lone productive outfielder for nearly the rest of the regular season, as Andy Pages broke his left hand after getting hit by a pitch during Friday’s win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Pages remained in the game for one more inning on defense, but was replaced in center field by Kiké Hernández in the top of the fifth inning.
“Unfortunately it came back as a fracture, so he’ll be out for a while,” manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Friday night. “It’s not season-ending, because obviously things like that is four to five weeks I would expect him back, knowing him, on the earlier side. … There’s still time in the season for him to be back.”
Pages started the All-Star Game in his third major league season and has been one of the Dodgers’ best players this season, hitting .272/.338/.458 with 21 home runs and a 119 wRC+. Pages also has 18 defensive runs saved and nine outs above average in center field, and leads all major leaguers with 13 outfield assists.
Not that there’s any good time to suffer an injury, but Pages was basically the only Dodgers outfielder producing anything this season. Kyle Tucker and Teoscar Hernández have been barely above replacement level, combining below average offense with bad defense in the corners.
Roberts said Friday night the Dodgers will prioritize defense in replacing Pages, who has started 125 of 129 games in center field this season. Tommy Edman and Kiké Hernández have center field experience, but also Edman has been playing second base regularly. Among the options on the 40-man roster, Alek Thomas is the only other true center fielder.
“You’ve got to be mindful of the defense,” Roberts said. “The main thing is locking down center field.”
The Seattle Mariners are -120 favorites with top pitching prospect Kade Anderson slated to make his MLB debut.
Given the discrepancy between how the two teams have hit lefties, my Cubs vs. Mariners predictions and MLB picks believe the value lies with Chicago.
Who will win Cubs vs Mariners today: Cubs moneyline (+100)
David Peterson is quietly pitching well. He's worked 23 1/3 innings the past month, posting a 2.70 ERA with solid indicators (3.48 xFIP, 3.56 FIP). That is miles ahead of where he’s been.
He’s in a good spot to keep building vs. the Seattle Mariners, who've hit .214 with a .288 wOBA against lefties over the last month.
The Chicago Cubslead the majors in OPS, ISO, and slot second in wOBA over the same span. Slowing them down will be a tall order for Kade Anderson in his debut.
Cubs vs Mariners Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (-110)
Peterson’s ERA sits at 5.26 this season but drops to 4.00 in "pitcher-friendly" conditions, and that’ll be the case in Seattle tonight.
Factor in that he’s in the best form of the season, and taking on a weak offense, and it’s a good spot for him to limit runs.
It’ll be tough to fully neutralize a strong Cubs offense, but Anderson should be able to prevent a ceiling performance. Their Achilles heel the last 30 days is a 25.3 K%, and Anderson possesses high-end strikeout upside.
I envision a 4-2 type of game, and see value in the Under to -120.
Cubs vs Mariners home run prediction: Seiya Suzuki (+365)
Seiya Suzuki possesses real pop against southpaws. He ranks in the 89th percentile in xSLG, the 91st percentile in ISO, and the 93rd in xwOBA.
He is consistently making powerful contact, and his ability to draw walks at a high rate — and play with real discipline — allows him to hang in at-bats and wait for the right opportunity to strike.
His OPS vs. lefties sits at 1.100 since July 1, putting him in the same range as NL MVP favorite Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Play to +350.
Todd Cordell's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 86-78, -10.20 units
Over/Under bets: 85-73-6, +1.22 units
Cubs vs Mariners weather
Temperatures in the mid 70s are expected with slight winds blowing out. Neutral impact on the offenses.
Cubs vs Mariners odds
Moneyline: Cubs +100 | Mariners -120
Run line: Cubs +1.5 (-200) | Mariners -1.5 (+165)
Over/Under: Over 8 (+100) | Under 8 (-120)
Cubs vs Mariners trend
Chicago has hit the moneyline in 21 of the last 30 away games (+11.55 units, 32% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Mariners.
How to watch Cubs vs Mariners and game info
Location
T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA
Date
Saturday, August 22, 2026
First pitch
10:10 p.m. ET
TV
FOX
Cubs starting pitcher
David Peterson (7-7, 5.29 ERA)
Mariners starting pitcher
Kade Anderson (MLB Debut)
Cubs vs Mariners latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Gage Wood of the Reading Fightin' Phils is present before a Minor League Baseball game at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, United States, on July 10, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
‘Twas a good night to make sure that their top prospect was on the mound and dominating as the rest of the system didn’t do a whole lot to put wins on the board.
Buffalo 8, Lehigh Valley 0
Yeah, this one had about zero action in it. The IronPigs managed to accumulate only three hits on the day while the Bisons pitching staff shut them down almost completely. Brian Keys hit two home runs for the opposition, both of them off of Brian Keller. Keller only went 4 1/3 innings, giving up five runs in the process. Truly, a blah kind of night.
Reading 5, Portland 2
Another Gage Wood night for Reading, the team’s top prospect showed out once again, throwing five innings in which he allowed a single unearned run. He struck out five and walked two, getting to 86 pitches in the process. Might the leash be getting a little longer in anticipation for something larger in September? At the plate, Bryan Rincon hit his 19th home run of the year to lead off the game for the Fightin’ Phils. Raider Tello went two for four with a double and an RBI to help lead the bats.
Hudson Valley 5, Jersey Shore 1 Hudson Valley 2, Jersey Shore 0
A doubleheader defeat does damage during Friday’s night. The BlueClaws offense simply could not get going at all. In Game 1, they did get two triples on the night from Juan Villavicencio and Brady Day, but only one of those could push themselves across the plate. In Game 2, the team itself only had two hits, seemingly gassed from having to play a game already on the day. A shame, since the pitching was actually pretty good. Ryan Dromboski gave up only two unearned runs (five overall) in the first game while Tanner Gresham gave up only two runs total over four innings in the nightcap.
Dunedin 10, Clearwater 2
Yikes. Sean Youngerman and Manuel Colon allowed all ten runs within six innings of work on the night, putting the game out of reach for the Threshers and their offense on the night. Tyler Spangler, the team’s first round pick this year, got another start for them, this time at DH, and went 0 for 2 with two walks and a run scored. Cade Bogenpohl had a double and struck out twice as well.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 21: Ezequiel Duran #20 of the Texas Rangers celebrates with teammates after hitting a game winning single to defeat the Los Angeles Angels during the tenth inning at Globe Life Field on August 21, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, LSB.
The Rangers won a wild one last night, 2-1 over the Angels in extra innings.
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 21: Matt Festa #52 of the Cleveland Guardians and Patrick Bailey #16 celebrate after the Guardians defeated the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Friday, August 21, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Ray Bahner/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Today we’re here to take a look at the Guardians’ bullpen options, break down how everyone has looked, and see what future roles might be available to these pitchers out of the Guardians’ bullpen. We’re going to start by taking a look at some general numbers for most of the pitchers who have thrown from the bullpen for the Guards in 2026 and are still with the team. For Logan Allen, Connor Brogdon, and Daniel Espino, the numbers are their minor league and major league stats combined, and for every other pitcher it’s just the 2026 MLB numbers. I chose to include MiLB numbers because those three pitchers did not have a substantial amount of MLB innings to look at.
We’re going to look at four primary stats: Whiff%, K%, BB%, and xwOBA. The stats are color coded in such a way that they move closer to white when they’re near league average, and closer to red/green depending on if they’re better or worse than league average. I’m also putting a column at the end to label the potential bullpen roles each pitcher might be most suited to fill. The categories listed are high leverage (HL), fireman (FM), middle relief (MR), long relief (LR), right-handed specialist (RS), left-handed specialist (LS), and closer (C).
A typical 13 man pitching staff is going to have five starters, leaving eight bullpen spots to work with. There’s not one universal formula for a bullpen build, but ideally you want a mix of high leverage arms, matchup options, middle relief, and at least one pitcher capable of covering a few innings in case of an emergency.
First, I think we want to establish the obvious keepers. Cade Smith, Erik Sabrowski, Daniel Espino, and Franco Aleman – from a long term standpoint – shouldn’t be going anywhere. Cade Smith has proven to be a dominant closer, and Sabrowski has been a very valuable high leverage arm vs. LHP. Espino and Aleman have limited numbers to go off of, but they both have high upside and have shown potential as future high leverage arms as well.
The next tier are guys that look keepable, but maybe should be used in lower leverage roles. This group contains Herrin, Gaddis, Holderman, and Yoho. Herrin has very solid numbers vs. lefties, so I would consider him for very matchup specific moments. The other three are significantly better vs. righties than lefties. I think ideally you’d keep one or two as a righty matchup option for earlier in games, and then aim to keep someone with a bit more balanced splits for the last spot. In our list, Armstrong fits that bill. If my counting is correct, Armstrong technically would be eligible to return from the IL in the last week of the regular season in 2026, but given his age and contract, looking beyond that becomes hazy for considering him. You could look for similar/better options in FA as well to fill that spot for future seasons.
If we’re taking 2 of Gaddis/Holderman/Yoho, that leaves us with 1 more spot to consider. There’s a couple ways to go about this. A safe option is having someone like Allen or Cecconi, who can provide multiple innings in a pinch and possibly even give you a spot start here or there. Another option is going for a more balanced/complete middle relief option or going for another left handed matchup option. This bullpen does not have very many LHPs, and adding another one of those would be a solid way to round it out.
There’s a lot of potential with this bullpen, especially as Aleman and Espino can get more work in. I think if you include them, you have 4 clear keepers and 4 more that have legitimate reasons they can be in an MLB bullpen as long as they’re used appropriately. Some of the others have potential as organizational depth that could be brought up in a pinch. I think for the MLB level, you’d ideally want one more pitcher that can handle lefties, given the splits for Gaddis/Holderman/Yoho are very tilted towards usefulness against righties, but apart from that improvement, there’s a lot of good pieces here for the near future.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JULY 17: Manager Matt Quatraro of the Kansas City Royals (R) stands during the national anthem before a game against the San Diego Padres at Kauffman Stadium on July 17, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Reed Hoffmann/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Royals placed Garcia on the 10-day IL ahead of Friday’s series opener against the Tigers after the third baseman strained his left hamstring while running the bases Thursday against the A’s. An MRI revealed a Grade 1-plus strain, so Garcia could be out anywhere from three to six weeks. From a timing standpoint – given that there is just over a month left of the regular season – it could mean Garcia’s season is over, although the Royals don’t want to quite rule that out yet.
“Kind of too early to tell,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “We’ll see how he bounces back here in the first few days, first week, and then we’ll have a better idea. If I was handicapping it, probably not super likely. But definitely don’t want to rule it out. We’ll see how his first handful of days to a week go, see how quickly he bounces back.”
City officials are determined to bypass a vote. That isn’t justification to bypass the same requirement the residents already demanded.
This stadium deal appears to be a sweetheart deal. They all are. The economic studies have been clear on that.
The presentation of the agreement could acknowledge that, or at the very least stop stumbling to dispute it, and then include a fuller transparency. Which is this: Kansas City officials have not offered convincing evidence this is money well spent. They’ve instead determined it is money worth spending.
They should articulate that difference. It’s at the root of this entire conversation, yet publicly absent from it. As more than a bonus, it might even be exactly what resonates with the large group of people who have been eager to support the project but are frustrated by the lack of transparency in its presentation.
And while he expects as usual to have candid talks with Quatraro after the season about their thoughts on his staff and where the team can get better, Picollo also said he didn’t expect any “wholesale changes” in that group.
The same can be said for Kansas City’s core of hitters, and his observations make sense.
While the Royals are going to need more starting pitching and Picollo called the bullpen “a major project for us this offseason,” he said, “I think with our position players, there’s less uncertainty.”
Now, even more unusual is how he is doing it. Usually, this type of adjustment should be linked to better plate discipline, a higher contact rate both inside and outside the strike zone, and perhaps fewer strikeouts. What if I told you that Massey has done the exact opposite? It seems crazy, but he has broken all of those standards: his Contact% has fallen from 81.7% to 73.7%, his O-Contact% from 71.9% to 49.1%, he has increased his strikeout rate (K% from 18.4% to 25.6%) and has reduced his swings inside the strike zone by 9.1 percentage points (70.9% vs. 61.8%) compared with last year.
Royals: Lucas Braun, RHP (No. 16) The 24-year-old righty was the main prospect return from the Braves in this month’s deal for Lane Thomas and Bailey Falter, and he’s been solid with two quality starts, each of which were six-inning efforts, in his first pair of outings with Triple-A Omaha. He works with the triforce of fastballs (cutter, sinker, four-seamer) and can generate whiffs off that with an 83-85 mph slider. There are six pitch types in total, none of which have been thrown more than one-quarter of a time, and with Kansas City in roster evaluation mode the rest of the way, it could be worth seeing how Braun’s mix works in The Show.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 13: Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals looks on during the 2026 All-Star Workout Day presented by Gatorade at Citizens Bank Park on Monday, July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
What a season it has been for Jordan Walker. Regardless of how he finishes the 2026 campaign, it will go down as an unqualified success. I will admit, every time Walker has gone through a slump I have found myself wondering if the party is over. That is more of a me problem though. As we sit here on August 22nd, Walker has put together one of the best twenty or so offensive seasons in baseball. Like every player, there have been ups and downs to his season. Today, I am going to look at some of those distinct up and down stretches to paint a clearer picture of how we got here.
Walker’s unbelievable April and May propelled him to the All-Star Game and his unforgettable Home Run Derby performance. His longest prolonged slump in June was legitimately concerning as his line looked remarkably similar to the player we had seen struggle the last two years. Walker has rebounded since the calendar flipped to July and has put his breakout season back on the right track.
To kick things off, here are the statistics that propelled Walker to the majors’ 12th-highest WAR through about two months of play.
March 26 to May 23 – 215 PA
wRC+: 165
AVG/OBP/SLG: .302/.372/.594
BB%: 9.3%
K%: 25.6%
ISO: .292
Contact and Plate Discipline
Walker’s contact rate of 71% was up 4.5% year-over-year. To go along with the increased contact, he was also doing a much better job of attacking pitches in the zone, increasing his swing rate from 67% to 73% on strikes. Interestingly, his overall chase rate was actually up slightly from prior year. This really didn’t match the eye test as Walker looked much more in control of his at-bats, particularly when it came to laying off breaking pitches away. Looking a bit deeper at his discipline data showed that he was swinging at almost a third fewer pitches in the waste zone, so when he did expand the zone, it was less often on unhittable pitches.
Damage on Contact
Of course, the big story was Walker finally unlocking the ability to put the ball in the air with consistency.
His Launch-Angle Sweet Spot, measuring the percentage of balls hit at the optimal angles between 8 and 32 degrees, increased from one of the worst marks in baseball (30%) to a closer-to-average 35%. This same improvement was mirrored in Walker’s rate of balls pulled in the air. His 2025 mark of 12% was near the bottom of the league. Through May 23, his rate of 17.2% was essentially league-average.
One of the reasons Walker was having more success lifting the ball was that he had increased his attack angle from 6 degrees to 9 degrees. Attack angle measures the direction the bat is traveling vertically as it impacts the ball. Generally speaking, the higher the attack angle, the more of an uppercut swing the batter has. While attack angle is certainly partially dictated by swing mechanics, there is also an element of timing. All else equal, if a hitter is behind on a pitch and hitting it too deep in the zone, the attack angle will be lower. This is because even the flattest swingers in baseball still have a slight uppercut, so the further out front the ball is hit, the higher the attack angle. This is probably easier to visualize by looking at this Baseball Savant page.
An ideal attack angle is considered to be between 5 and 20 degrees. Walker had increased his percentage of swings in this ideal range from 47.7% in 2025 to 56.3% through May 23. To give a sense of how important getting to these angles can be, Walker has had a .469 wOBA over the last two seasons combined when he makes contact between 5 and 20 degrees. On all non-ideal angles, his wOBA drops to .356.
There are, of course, good hitters with flatter swings, but Walker’s sudden power binge seemed to be directly tied to his loftier swing path.
After the torrid start, Walker had his first extended adversity starting in late May.
May 24 to July 1 – 130 PA
wRC+: 83
AVG/OBP/SLG: .266/.292/.379
BB%: 3.8%
K%: 26.9%
ISO: .113
Even the best hitters go through poor stretches, but this month-and-change stretch for Walker was quite concerning. His surface-level stats would have looked even worse had he not managed a .345 BABIP.
Contact and Plate Discipline
During this stretch, Walker’s chase rate crept up a point to 36%. He was also much more passive with his zone swing rate dropping to 2025 levels at 67%. Despite the slightly degraded swing decision-making, Walker was still holding onto his improved contact rates at 71%.
He was also back to swinging at over 10% of waste pitches. While not a huge sample size, all of these metrics point to a less disciplined approach than his first two months.
Damage on Contact
The real issues were showing up in his batted-ball metrics. His average exit velocity was down from a scorching 94.5 mph to 92.3 mph and his ground-ball rate was back up above his career average at 47%. He was still managing to find the sweet spot at about the same clip, but his ideal attack angle rate fell four points to 51.9%.
One of the culprits (or symptoms) of Walker’s struggles was that he was getting beat more consistently with velocity. His wOBA was down 50 points to .329 against fastballs. Normally, you would chalk this up to random variance over a small sample size, but there were additional concerning aspects in his underlying data. His average attack direction, which measures the horizontal direction the bat is moving at contact, dropped from 6 degrees pull side to 2 degrees pull side. The change was even more pronounced on fastballs as his attack direction was 8 degrees opposite field on heaters. During his hot start to the season, his average contact point was 32.4 inches in front of his center of mass, which was just over two inches more out front than he had averaged in 2025. During his cold stretch, he was letting the ball get deeper at 29.6 inches out front on average. Not surprisingly, his percentage of balls in the air and pull rate dropped about seven percentage points each.
At this point, I can convince myself of a pretty clear picture. Walker was back to chasing too frequently and had lost the improved timing from earlier in the season that was allowing him to drive the ball in the air more frequently. So, what has changed since the calendar flipped to July?
July 2 to August 21 – 195 PA
wRC+: 145
AVG/OBP/SLG: .297/.364/.520
BB%: 8.7%
K%: 20.5%
ISO: .223
Contact and Plate Discipline
During Walker’s recent stretch of excellent play, his discipline metrics have bounced back closer to his early-season numbers. He is back to swinging at 73% of pitches in the zone. His contact rate has continued to inch up to 72%. This combination of slightly better contact and more aggression in the zone can explain some of his improved strikeout rate, but I do not think it supports the near-20% rate that he has been running.
Damage on Contact
This is where I would like to tell you that Walker’s underlying metrics had returned to his early-season numbers and at least give a nice cohesive narrative. Unfortunately, that is not exactly what has happened.
Even with a month-long home run drought included in this time frame, Walker has still popped his ISO back over .200 for this stretch. His average exit velocity has continued to slip, down to 91 mph. This does not appear to be because he is tiring out as his average bat speed has actually gone up from 78.8 mph to 79.7 mph (both in the 100th percentile). Both his average and ideal attack angles have continued to fall to four degrees and 40.6%, respectively.
How is it possible that with these seemingly degrading attack angles and exit velocity numbers, Walker is seeing a power resurgence?
One potential answer I can find is that he seems to be getting to his very best swings more frequently. His Barrel% during this recent stretch is back up to 14.7% after dipping to below 8% during his cold June. He also seems to be getting his A swing off to the pull side more frequently. On his ideal attack angle swings, his attack direction is 8 degrees more to the pull side on average than at any point this season. Overall, he is hitting the ball out front and to the pull side at a similar rate to his early-season numbers, which has helped him run a season-high rate of balls pulled in the air at 22%.
Conclusion
My conclusion after this exercise is perhaps a bit obvious. Walker is still evolving and developing. I do think that the early-season version of Walker, with a few more strikeouts but more loft in his swing, is probably closer to what he and the Cardinals’ development staff would like to see. Still, his recent stretch looking more like Vlad Guerrero Jr. than Aaron Judge has provided plenty of production as well. Both the consistent attack angle version of Walker and the recent pull-side power monster we have seen can produce at star levels. Still just 24 years old, Walker has plenty of development runway ahead. Could he combine the best versions of himself and take yet another step forward? One thing I know for sure is that I won’t bet against this guy again.
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 19: Andy Pages #44 of the Los Angeles Dodgers walks in the dugout in the second inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on August 19, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning friends and welcome to the weekend!
The M’s got off to a great start to Players Weekend with a 6-5 walk-off win over the Cubs thanks to some late-game heroics from Leo Rivas.
Crucially, today is Kade Anderson Day, with first pitch slated for 4:15pm PT. Are you ready?
In Mariners news…
John Trupin and Nathan Grimm at Baseball Prospectus gave a quick primer on Anderson in advance of his debut.
Congratulations Luis!
Around the league…
The Yankees placed infielder Ryan McMahon on the injured list with a sprained left thumb.
The Angels’ firing of Mike Maddux may have worked, with the team’s pitching staff is thriving since his departure. Jeff Fletcher at the Orange County Register has more.
Aug 6, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Martin Perez (33) pitches against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Saturday’s second game of the Atlanta Braves’ series at the Milwaukee Brewers doesn’t have the star power of the series opener.
But it does see two pitchers having quite successful seasons in an under-the-radar manner face off.
Atlanta will throw Martín Pérez (8-7, 3.15 ERA) against Milwaukee’s Logan Henderson (7-2, 2.70) in a 2:10 p.m. ET game the Braves could really stand to win after losing six of their last eight games to see their NL East lead reduced to four games.
Pérez is coming off one of his worst starts of the season. He allowed all of his season-high-tying four earned runs in the first inning of Monday’s 4-2 loss at the Minnesota Twins. After that, he salvaged the outing, relatively speaking, by tossing four scoreless innings to give the offense a chance to wake up which it didn’t take.
Regardless of that start, it has still been an incredibly successful August for Pérez, with those four runs standing as the first he allowed in four August starts. He previously had combined for 16 shutout innings on five hits, striking out 11 and walking six, and has a 1.71 ERA this month — his best in a single month this season.
The left-hander doesn’t have the best track record against Milwaukee, though, entering with a 1-3 record and 7.24 ERA in six outings (five starts) against the Brewers. That lone win, however, came earlier this season with Atlanta when he tossed six innings of six-hit, one-run ball and outdueled Jacob Misiorowski in a 3-2 win on June 19.
Henderson has hit the ground running in his first full season with Milwaukee. The right-handed rookie missed six weeks with a low back strain — including the Brewers’ trip to Atlanta — but has always been impressively solid, bolstering a starting rotation which has the third-best ERA in baseball (3.50).
There’s nothing particularly fraudulent about his numbers either, as he has a 2.69 xERA, 3.38 FIP and 3.03 xFIP to go with his sterling ERA.
On probably the biggest stage of his career so far, he delivered probably his best career start last Sunday. He threw a career-high seven innings and gave up one run on three hits with six strikeouts and one walk in a 6-2 rubber-match defeat of the Dodgers.
Henderson is largely a three-pitch mix guy, throwing his fastball which averages 93.0 mph 45.6% of the time, his changeup 32.6% of the time and his cutter 18.5% of the time, occasionally mixing in a slider which he’s used for just 3.4% of his total pitches this season.
The one potential hole in his game is that he’s been susceptible to the long ball of late. Of the 10 homers he’s allowed this season, five of them have come in his three August starts.
Maybe that’s what the Braves’ lineup needs to awaken from its slumber which has once more led to them being locked into in a race to win the NL East.
Oklahoma City's James Tibbs III is introduced before a minor league baseball game between the Oklahoma City Comets and the Albuquerque Isotopes at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Friday, March 27, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
A pair of Dodgers pitchers rehabbed in Oklahoma City, and James Tibbs continued his great week at the plate in Texas.
Player of the day
James Tibbs III had three hits, including a solo home run, and two walks for Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Tibbs has been the Comets’ best hitter this season but went through a home run drought of 29 games — he was still productive during the stretch, hitting .307/.427/.406 — from June 28 to August 8. But since then he has six home runs in his last 11 games.
Seth Halvorsen allowed two-out single off the glove of Hyeseong Kim to bring home the free runners in the 10th inning of a Comets loss to the the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Astros).
Alek Thomas, the only other center fielder on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster — if you’re thinking of who might join Los Angeles after Andy Pages’ broken hand — reached base twice with a hit and walk.
Rehabbers
Blake Treinen pitched a perfect sixth inning with two strikeouts. Out for two-plus months with elbow inflammation, Treinen has pitched three times on his rehab assignment, once every three days so far.
Bobby Miller struck out four in his two innings, but also walked a pair and allowed a two-run home run. Miller, also on the 60-day injured list like Treinen but with shoulder soreness, is 17 days into his rehab assignment and has allowed six runs in nine innings in his four games, with 11 strikeouts and four walks.
Double-A Tulsa
The Drillers had only three hits in a shutout loss to the Amarillo Sod Poodles (Diamondbacks). Josue De Paula had one of the hits, a single.
Christian Zazueta struck out nine in five innings, but it was no way to make a living as he also allowed five runs, including a two-run home run.
High-A Great Lakes
Nico Perez drove in four and Eduardo Quintero plated three in the Loons win over the Fort Wayne TinCaps (Padres). Both reached base three times.
Brooks Auger struck out four in three scoreless innings.
Class-A Ontario
Ching-Hsien Ko homered in the Tower Buzzers’ win over the Inland Empire 66ers (Mariners). Ko had two hits
Ontario pitched combined for 12 strikeouts in the win.
Double-A: Pitcher Zach Root and catcher Nelson Quiroz landed on the injured list. Tulsa added three players from Arizona to fill a depleted roster — pitchers Josehp Marte, Nick Putnam, and Alex Walsh.
ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 21: Ezequiel Duran #20 of the Texas Rangers is doused with Powerade by Evan Carter #32 after defeating the Los Angeles Angels at Globe Life Field on Friday, August 21, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Courtney Kramer/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Rangers 2, Angels 1
I wrote this in the pre-game lineup post:
“Hopefully the Rangers will break the trend of scoring just one run in regulation in games Detmers and Gore go up against each other.”
This was the third time this season that Reid Detmers and MacKenzie Gore had faced each other.
In each of the first two games, Gore and Detmers each allowed one run in their starts, and the Rangers scored just one run in nine innings.
In one of those games, the Rangers won in extra innings. In the other, the Rangers lost the game on a walk-off with two outs when Justin Foscue made a bad throw.
Somehow, the Rangers managed combine the outcomes of the previous two Detmers/Gore starts into one package by winning in extra innings in a walkoff due to an Angels infielder making a bad throw.
We had good MacKenzie Gore on the mound for this one.
I mean, I guess you could probably guess that, given that the Angels only scored one run, and that one in extra innings.
But Gore was masterful, allowing just four baserunners in six innings, with two singles, a walk and a hit by pitch. Gore struck out seven and got a 21 whiffs on 100 pitches. He was missing bats with a bunch of different pitches, too, generating at least four swings-and-misses with the fastball, the slider, the changeup and the curveball.
Gore has a 2.10 ERA in his last five starts, with 34 Ks against just 8 walks in 30 innings over that stretch, and one would like to think that he’s turned a corner, though given Gore’s history, it is just as likely he’s about to turn another corner that will send him back to where he started.
We got a scoreless Cole Winn outing, which I know excites everyone, and Chase Silseth and Jacob Latz each keeping the Angels off the board for an inning apiece.
For those of you out there who aren’t math whizzes, that totals up to nine shutout innings, and that should have been good enough to keep the game from going into extra innings.
I will take the blame for that, due to my inadvertent monkey paw wish about this not being a game that the Rangers score one run in regulation in. I apparently hexed the Rangers bats in the first nine innings, as they managed to get baserunners on, get some hits even, but still not score.
The Rangers had one hit in the first nine innings with a runner in scoring position. It was a fifth inning one out bunt single by Evan Carter that loaded the bases for Justin Foscue and Corey Seager, neither of whom could drive a runner home.
They even had Ezequiel Duran on third base with one out in the ninth, after a double and a wild pitch, but offensive catalyst Nicky Lopez struck out, and after pinch hitter Joc Pederson was walked intentionally, Evan Carter also struck out.
Carter challenged the third strike call, for what it is worth. It was unsuccessful. To rub salt in the wound, that was right after a successful ABS challenge by the Angels on a pitch that was called a ball initially, and would have made the count 3-1 to Carter, rather than 2-2.
Carter, I will note, was 2 for 4 in the game, with a double to go with his bunt single. He and Corey Seager were the two hitters with exactly two hits apiece, of the 11 Rangers hits.
Tyler Alexander allowed a double in the tenth — just the third Angels hit of the game — that gave the Angels the 1-0 lead that the Rangers had to surmount in the bottom of the inning against Ben Joyce.
Ben Joyce throws really hard. He threw 11 pitches Friday night. The fastest of those pitches was 103.0 mph, which is pretty fast.
A Justin Foscue fly out sent Zombie Runner Evan Carter to third base. Corey Seager struck out, no doubt prompting knowing nods from the “Seager is toast and the Rangers should’ve dumped him when they had the chance” crowd, and Wyatt Langford quickly went down 0-2, challenging the second strike unsuccessfuly and thus burning the Rangers’ final ABS challenge.
Down 0-2, our intrepid squad seemed doomed. Ben Joyce hadn’t allowed a hitter to reach all year after being down 0-2. True, this was just the fourth 0-2 count Joyce had had all season, what with it being just his 7th appearance on the year, but still…
Yet, somehow, Langford managed to get wood on a 102.4 mph Joyce heater, managed to flare it the other way, with the ball finding grass, Carter scampering home, and Langford ending up at second.
I would say it is better to be lucky than good, but you have to be kind of good to make contact on an 0-2 102+ mph fastball.
An intentional walk to Brandon Nimmo brought up Ezequiel Duran, who already had three hits on the day. And then this happened:
Duran smokes a ball that Denver Guzman makes a diving play on to prevent a game winning single, or double, depending on your point of view. In retrospect, he should have put it in his pocket and let Joyce go after Jake Burger with the bases loaded. But no, he tried to get the out at second, threw the ball away (and wouldn’t have gotten Nimmo even if he had made an accurate throw, I don’t think), and that was ballgame.
So something kind of weird…Joyce’s fastball to Duran was 95.8 mph, the slowest pitch he threw by 2.5 mph in the outing. It also had less spin and more downward movement than any of his other fastballs in the game.
Was he trying to take something off the pitch? Did he just not have a good grip? Was it supposed to be a sinker (his sinker averages 95.8 mph) and he just got too much spin on it?
Like the number of licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll pop, the world may never know.
Somehow, the Rangers are back in sole possession of Wild Card 3 right now, a game up on Cleveland and Minnesota, and are just a game back of Houston.
Amazing.
MacKenzie Gore touched 96.5 mph with his fastball, averaging 95.0 mph. Cole Winn’s fastball topped out at 96.9 mph. Chase Sileth hit 97.4 mph with his fastball. Jacob Latz’s fastball maxed out at 96.3 mph. Tyler Alexander hit 92.9 mph with his fastball.
Wyatt Langford had a 108.9 mph GIDP. Elias Diaz had a 106.6 mph single and a 106.2 mph groundout. Ezequiel Duran had a 105.0 mph single, a 102.2 mph single, a 101.9 mph groundout and a 100.9 mph single. Corey Seager had a 102.4 mph fly out. Justin Foscue had a 101.9 mph fly out. Evan Carter had a 101.4 mph double. Brandon Nimmo had a 100.1 mph groundout.
This is a two game winning streak. I think they should make it a three game winning streak on Saturday.
COVERS INTEL: The Cubs lead the league in OBP and OPS against left-handed pitching, 
