Category: Baseball

The Athletic | Brendan Kuty ($): Those hoping to see Cam Schlittler pitch in the All-Star Game are likely to be disappointed. While maintaining that he will be “ready if they need me,” Schlittler intends to use the break for the Midsummer Classic to rest for an all important push in the second half. Interestingly, AL team manager John Schneider announced that he was planning to pick his own pitcher with the Blue Jays, Dylan Cease, to start the game for the AL despite Schlittler’s superior first half and Schlittler’s initial willingness to pitch on what would have been a between-starts bullpen day. Schlittler also admitted that he did not want to overextend himself by ramping up to game-level effort and potentially risk a sluggish recovery for his first start out of the break.

ESPN: The Yankees completed a three-game sweep of the Nationals to end the first half with the wind in their sails, and they did so in historic fashion. They overcame an eighth-inning or later deficit in all three wins for the first time in franchise history since May 19-21, 1910, playing as the Highlanders and sweeping the Cleveland Naps. They won their last four games before the break to cap off a 5-2 road trip, coming just in time after their worst stretch of the season, to sit three games behind the Rays for first.

MLB.com | Jared Greenspan: There’s a new Pettitte in pinstripes. In the eighth round of the 2026 Draft on Sunday, the Yankees selected Luke Pettitte with the 248th pick out of Dallas Baptist University. The son of Andy Pettitte, Luke began as a right-handed pitcher who posted a 3.19 ERA in 17 games before undergoing Tommy John surgery. Unable to pitch his junior season, Pettitte became a full-time DH and slashed .337/.403/.693 with 16 home runs and 48 RBI.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: The Yankees have finalized their 2026 MLB Draft class, with a potential 20 new faces joining the organization. They went with a pair of left-handed pitchers for their first two picks, and their first pick, Hunter Dietz, is considered by many evaluators to be the best left-handed pitcher in the Draft. They rounded out their first day of picks with a catcher and an outfielder, and on the whole went with a balanced approach, selecting eight pitchers and 12 position players and 16 college players versus four out of high school.

The Colorado Rockies are a team in the midst of a rebuild. With this in mind, the staff at Purple Row thought it would be useful to revisit the “State of the Position” series that we ran in March to see where things stand. We’ve asked authors of the spring articles to re-evaluate their earlier remarks with an eye toward the August 3 trade deadline. 

(All numbers are current as of July 11, 2026.)

What I said in March

Four months ago, here’s what I wrote:

Purple Row’s “State of the Position” series is largely evaluative: Where are the Rockies now compared to where they ended the previous season, and how are they positioned going forward?

Right now, the answer is that we don’t know.

The signs seem to be positive: Players are enthusiastic about what’s happening; we see more examples of technology, analytics, and communication in action; and some of the too-early stats are promising. Still, spring training numbers mean nothing.

We know more now, so let’s consider what we’ve learned since president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and general manager Josh Byrnes took the helm of the Colorado Rockies.

(I realize the front office rebuild was considerably more extensive than these two executives. However, the focus here will be on DePodesta and Byrnes.)

What the evaluative criteria are

One of the things that irritates me is a tendency among sportswriters to randomly assign grades — it’s something I’ve complained about extensively. Creating a fair assessment instrument first requires creating clear criteria, so here are mine for this evaluation:

• Infrastructure building
• Acquisitions
• Communication

The first one, we simply cannot evaluate. We don’t know what the Rockies are doing behind the scenes, both in terms of building an effective analytics system and ensuring clear communication throughout their MiLB system, Moreover, they are unlikely to tell us since this is information organizations do not share. But let’s assume the Rockies are making progress on that front. We certainly know they are trying a lot of new things this season. Hopefully in October, DePodesta will give fans a better sense of what they have learned.

With the other two criteria, however, we can do some systematic evaluation.

Where the Rockies are now

Acquisitions — The draft

Purple Row spent last weekend covering the Rockies MLB draft moves, and although it’s too soon to know how any of this will play out, here’s what we know so far.

Acquisitions — Free agent signings & trades

DePodesta said from the beginning that in 2026, one goal was to “raise the floor,” and part of that strategy involved signing more (and better) free agents. Here’s how those players have done so far.

MLB signings

• Willi Castro (2 years @ $12.8 million) — .260/.331/.378; 0.2 fWAR
• Michael Lorenzen (1 years @ $8 million) — 6.46 ERA in 92.0 IP; 0.9 fWAR
• Jose Quintana (1 year @ $6 million) — 5.27 ERA in 41.0 IP; 0.3 fWAR
• Tomoyuki Sugano (1 year @ $5.1 million) — 4.80 ERA in 84.1 IP; 0.4 fWAR

Clearly, fWAR doesn’t indicate everything these players have contributed. For example, Sugano’s role as a reliable pitcher and Castro’s versatility is something the numbers simply cannot reflect. But none of these signings has been a wash.

While the pitching numbers are dismal, the Rockies needed pitchers, and getting pitchers to sign in Colorado is no easy feat. Do the Rockies want better pitchers? Yes. But the group they have now has allowed the Rockies to be more competitive than they were in 2025.

Trades and acquisitions

• Brennan Bernadino (LHP Boston Red Sox) for Braiden Ward (OF) — 3.05 ERA in 38.1 IP; 0.6 fWAR
• Jake McCarthy (OF Arizona Diamondbacks) for Josh Grosz (RHP) — .301/.344/.507; 1.4 fWAR
• T.J. Rumfield (1B New York Yankees) for Angel Chivilli (RHP) — .298/.382/.479; 1.7 fWAR
• Edourard Julien (UTIL) and Pierson Ohl (RHP Minnesota Twins) for Jake Kaminska (RHP) and cash — .222/.332/.307; -0.9 fWAR

The first three trades have done very well for the Rockies in terms of on-field production. Bernardino and McCarthy are likely trade candidates (especially the former). TJ Rumfield looks to be a cornerstone of the franchise going forward, a fact underscored by his inclusion in Rookie of the Year conversations. The Rockies have desperately needed a true first baseman since CJ Cron, and Rumfield has delivered on that front.

Julien, however, has not been as productive as the Rockies would have liked. The numbers indicate one consistent quality: He gets on base. However, that has come at a cost given his defensive numbers (-4 DRS; -3 OAA).

Claims

• Troy Johnson (1B/OF Miami Marlins) — .304/.377/.421; 0.6 fWAR
• RJ Petit (RHP & No. 23 PuRP via Rule 5 Draft) — 60-day IL
• TJ Shook (RHP via MiLB Rule 4 Draft) — 9.53 ERA in 5.2 IP; -0.1 fWAR
• Keegan Thompson (RHP Cincinnati Reds) — ABQ

Adding Johnston was a clear win for the Rockies. He has been a solid offensive presence and provides defensive versatility.

Given Petit’s Tommy John’s surgery, he remains an unknown while Thompson is working in Triple-A Albuquerque.

Notable MiLB signings

• Drew Avans — ABQ
• Valente Bellozo — ABQ
• John Brebbia — Free agent
• Eiberson Castellano — ABQ
• Adam Laskey — ABQ
• Nicky Lopez — Traded to Chicago Cubs
• Vimael Machín — ABQ
• Kyle McCann — ABQ
• Parker Mushinski — ABQ
• Chad Stevens — ABQ
• Brett Sullivan — .220/.260/.381; -0.4 fWAR
• Jordan Romano — 3.64 ERA in 3.2 IP; 0.1 fWAR

The most notable additions here, for now, are Sullivan and Romano. Sullivan is serving the traditional role of the backup catcher and provides leadership in the clubhouse. (He has the added benefit of an occasional appearance out of the Rockies bullpen.) Romano will be a player to watch. If the former All-Star can return to form in the Rockies bullpen, he will prove to be a shrewd pick up.

For me, the grade in this category remains “Incomplete.” We will need to see how these players finish the season and how DePodesta and Byrnes handle the trade deadline before a meaningful evaluation is possible.

Communication

Here it is possible to assign a grade: A.

In embarking on this rebuild, the Rockies understood that clear communication with other teams and fans was essential, and that has happened.

The media no longer writes about the “opaque” Rockies. Instead, they are operating as a typical MLB team. In recent comments to media, both DePodesta and Byrnes have stressed they are in constant communication with other teams about possible trade candidates in addition to considering what those organizations might have that would benefit the Rockies.

Case in point? Here’s video the Rockies dropped on Thursday:

This marks a clear change from previous front offices, and the trade deadline should be an exciting time for Rockies fans.

In terms of improving communication with fans, I am not sure what more this front office could do. DePodesta and Byrnes regularly answer questions from local media, and DePodesta, for example, recently had lunch with the Denver SABR chapter to answer questions. Are they giving away any secrets? No — and who would want them to? But there is a clear sense that DePodesta and Byrnes understand the importance of rebuilding relationships with their community.

The change from previous years borders on startling.

Final thoughts

The initial results from the new Rockies from office are promising. This is a team that is well into its rebuild and is making fundamental changes to improve.

Are the Rockies a good baseball team? No.

Are they an improved baseball team? Absolutely. And in addition to that, this is an entertaining baseball team that gives fans a reason to watch games until the end and to have hope about the future.

The front office’s grade at this point remains an Incomplete, but all indications are that they are making steady improvement.

Boyhood Phillies fans McGonigle, Trout give Midsummer Classic more local feel originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

DETROIT — The first time Mike Trout played at Citizens Bank Park, he was the best player in baseball.

It was May 13, 2014. Trout was 22, in his third full season with the Angels and finally stepping into the ballpark of the team he grew up following from Millville, New Jersey.

He got the loudest ovation when he dug into the box.

Kevin McGonigle was 9 years old then.

Now he is a month from 22 himself, an All-Star rookie with the Tigers and headed for his first game at the ballpark he grew up visiting as a Phillies fan from Aldan, Pennsylvania, in Delaware County.

McGonigle has taken batting practice at Citizens Bank Park before. That is what he remembers most when people ask if he has ever played there.

He has not.

“I think it’s all gonna hit me once I get to the stadium, and they call my name over the loudspeaker and the national anthem, for sure,” McGonigle said.

Trout and McGonigle grew up in different corners of the region, at different times, watching the same team. Both were boyhood Phillies fans. Both now return as American League All-Stars.

The Delco boy has said that the three-time MVP texted him after he made the All-Star team, the coolest message that he’s received.

Fitting.

Trout, born in Vineland and raised in Millville, is an All-Star again after injuries kept him out of the event for years. He has made three teams since 2019 but has not played in the game since then. This season, he has 18 homers, a .390 on-base percentage and an .863 OPS.

McGonigle, who attended Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast in Drexel Hill, has made his case quickly. He is batting .283 with an .812 OPS, 60 walks and 56 strikeouts, making him the favorite for American League Rookie of the Year.

He has reached base 162 times this season. Since the first All-Star Game in 1933, only two players age 21 or younger have reached base more before the break, according to Tigers PR: Trout with 170 in 2013 and Al Kaline with 169 in 1955.

On Friday night in Detroit, McGonigle added to that tally by taking the longest-tenured Phillie, Aaron Nola, deep with close to 10 family members in attendance during the Tigers-Phillies series.

“It was unbelievable,” McGonigle said. “I didn’t know if it was gonna go or not, so I sprinted out of the box. But also, it was a big homer in the game, which was nice to help this team. It was a cool moment to be able to share a field with all those guys I grew up watching and competing against.”

Their draft paths came close to the Phillies in different ways.

The Phillies did not have a first-round pick in 2009 after signing Raul Ibanez, a Type A free agent, following their 2008 World Series title. They would have picked 29th. Trout was already gone by then, selected 25th by the Angels.

Fourteen years later, the Phillies took Aidan Miller with the 27th pick in the 2023 draft. McGonigle lasted 10 more picks before Detroit selected him at No. 37, a competitive balance pick.

Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz, another first-timer, is part of the local group, too, even if an IL stint has changed what his All-Star break looks like.

Kurtz is from Lancaster and grew up a Phillies fan, too. Matt Kirchoff, who coached Kurtz as a freshman at Manheim Township before Kurtz transferred, still lives near the family.

Kirchoff watched Kurtz grow up around Lancaster baseball and still remembers the early signs.

“We knew what we had,” Kirchoff said. “We didn’t know what he was gonna turn out to be, obviously. But we knew we had a really good player.”

Even after transferring and later becoming one of baseball’s top young bats, Kurtz stayed connected. Kirchoff said Kurtz has come back to work out at the high school, take batting practice and support the program.

“To have somebody like Nick that still comes around, that still follows our program, still comes to an occasional workout when he’s at home, that means a lot,” Kirchoff said.

For McGonigle, the area shaped more than his fandom. It shaped how he viewed the game.

“It was all about winning,” McGonigle said. “It wasn’t really about our personal stats or what you did that day. It just all mattered about if we won or not. I think that’s what really helped me get better and get me to where I’m at today.”

His favorite Phillies memory as a fan fits the era.

Chase Utley returned to Citizens Bank Park with the Dodgers in 2016, and McGonigle was there for the ovation.

“That’s my guy,” McGonigle, who carries similar grit, said of his longtime idol.

McGonigle had a harder time picking a cheesesteak spot.

“Dude, there’s a lot of good ones,” McGonigle said, before naming Delco Steaks, Phillips Steaks and Dalessandro’s.

“For me, just convenient that I live in Delco,” he said of Delco Steaks. “They’re a really good cheesesteak.”

For Trout, the connection runs deeper than fandom. Millville is still home. Roy Hallenbeck, Trout’s high school coach at Millville, made that clear.

“He’s never left,” Hallenbeck said. “And I say that as the most complimentary thing.”

Trout’s roots are still visible there. His golf course is being built nearby. Hallenbeck drives past it on his way to work.

“He’s still a hometown kid,” Hallenbeck said. “This is where he’s decided to put down roots, and that means something.”

Hallenbeck knew Trout before he was Trout. He was an assistant under Trout’s father, Jeff, who had coached at Millville. Back then, Mike was “little Mikey” running around the program.

Then little Mikey grew up.

Hallenbeck still remembers how Trout carried himself late in his high school career, when scouts packed games and the draft started to feel real.

“If you didn’t already know who he was, and you just came into our locker room or came to our practice, other than the physical characteristics, you wouldn’t be able to pick out the future first-rounder,” Hallenbeck said. “He didn’t act that way.”

That was the compliment.

Trout had every reason to act differently. He never did.

“He was a killer,” Hallenbeck said. “He knew how good he was, but it was never portrayed in an arrogant way.”

The moment that still gets retold came when Billy Godwin, then East Carolina’s coach, visited to recruit him. Trout had committed to ECU, but the draft was starting to make that path unlikely.

That day, Trout hit what Hallenbeck called a moonshot to center field. The ball got caught in the wind, the center fielder could not make the play and Trout never stopped running.

Inside-the-park homer.

“Once they saw what that number was, they’re all calling their supervisors,” Hallenbeck said of the scouts timing him around the bases.

Godwin watched it and understood.

“That’s the best bleeping high school player I’ve ever seen,” Hallenbeck remembered him saying. “He ain’t coming to East Carolina.”

The program later created an honor around his old No. 1, awarding it to a player each year. Before spring training, Trout would stop in, sign items for charity events, take pictures with that year’s No. 1 and make the kid a temporary celebrity with a retweet.

“He really went out of his way to take care of us,” Hallenbeck said, “and make sure that we had what we needed.”

For Hallenbeck, Trout’s return is not about needing another All-Star appearance to validate anything. But after years of injuries and missed Midsummer Classics, he gets another chance to play in front of a crowd filled with people who know exactly where he came from.

“To be able to play at the Bank, in front of essentially a hometown crowd, I just think would be a full-circle moment,” Hallenbeck said.

McGonigle is at a different point. He is still a rookie, still processing how quickly this has arrived.

“Growing up, I always had the dream of playing major-league baseball,” McGonigle said. “It’s just cool to see all my dreams kind of coming true right now, and I still have a lot of work to do.”

It brings him back to the ballpark he knew first as a fan.

“It’s just really cool that I get to have my first All-Star Game in my hometown,” McGonigle said.

There will be plenty of Phillies in uniform Tuesday night. Cristopher Sánchez will start for the National League. Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber will be part of the Home Run Derby.

And the two boyhood Phillies fans will be back in South Philadelphia and will take the field on the opposite side.

The second 80% of the 2026 MLB amateur draft occurred yesterday afternoon. The Blue Jays made 16 additional picks following the three they had yesterday.

The theme today was cutting deals. The Jays will likely need to come up with extra money to pay Cole Carlon and Will Brick, both of whom were generally expected to be taken higher than they were and might be able to command over slot bonuses. Brick in particular has the leverage of honouring his commitment to Mississippi State and potentially going in the first round three years from now.

As a consequence, Toronto spent rounds 5-10 picking up college players, mostly seniors who lack the leverage of going back to school. They’ll sign for less than their slot values, freeing up the money the Jays need. It’s worth noting that while these players are lesser known, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t talented. You only need to look at Danny Thompson jr., who signed as a fifth year super senior for just $5,000 last year and has already forced is way up to AA with excellent results in his first full pro season, to see how some of these guys might pop.

The other theme is contact. They selected several elite contact hitters. Of course, being later in the draft, getting elite contact came with questions about defensive homes and typically little to no power, but the Blue Jays clearly value pure hitting ability very highly and have for years. When shopping the scratch and dent section of the draft, it makes sense that they’d be willing to accept some other limitations to get their favourite tool.

Here are the selections, in order:

• 5th Round: Nolan Higgins, RHP, Michigan State The big (6’4”, 215lbs) right hander struggled through his first three seasons in East Lansing, but a move to the bullpen produced a hump in results this season. His 5.20 ERA isn’t shiny, but he struck out 62 batters in 45 innings against just 13 walks. His fastball is 93-95, occasionally reaching as high as 98. He pairs it with a quality low-80s curve that he can land in the zone for called strikes, and a two-plane slider with plus spin rates. Lack of a change-up and a history of command issues in the rotation suggest he’s a pure reliever, but he has the stuff to work in that role.
• 6th Round: Gable Mitchell, SS, Iowa Mitchell has been a three year starter at Iowa. He’s walked more than he struck out in his college career, and did the same with wood bats during two summers in the Northwoods League. He doesn’t have a ton of over the fence power (just 5 home runs this past season), but he did hit 15 doubles and 5 triples this last season. Gable is an above average runner and solid defender who profiles as an OBP-based utility infielder.
• 7th Round: Dean West, OF, UCLA Baseball America’s #302 prospect in the draft, West is a plus contact switch hitter who struck out just over 10% of the time in college and in the Cape Cod League, the top wood bat college summer league. At 5’9” and 185lbs, he’s not a power hitter, although he did manage seven home runs this past season, but he’s an above average runner who might work in centre field, can steal a base (27 for 32 in college), and could be an OBP-first table setter type.
• 8th Round: Jake Bennett, C, Dallas Baptist Played two years at the powerhouse San Jacinto Junior College before transferring to Dallas Baptist. Hit 31 home runs in 309 PA after transferring, and has the easy plus raw power to back that up. Bennett’s approach is patient, sometimes crossing over into passive, which lead to a 15% walk rate but a high-ish for a lower conference 20% strikeout rate. He’s notionally a catcher but spent more time at DH in college, and probably plays there and at first as a pro.
• 9th Round: Joey Urban, OF, U Southern Mississippi Urban had something of a breakout senior year at Souther Miss this season, cutting his strikeout rate from 20% to under 14% while increasing his walks and launching 15 home runs and 29 total extra base hits. He played all over the diamond as well.
• 10th Round: Bryce Chance, OF, Mississippi State A three year starter at State, Chance almost never misses pitches inside the zone (95% zone contact this past season). That’s very impressive given the quality of SEC pitching. He also has an approach, having walked more than he struck out in college. That approach comes with almost no over the fence power (14 home runs in nearly 900 college PAs), but he produces his share of doubles. Chance plays all three outfield positions and profiles as a contact oriented utility guy.
• 11th Round: Brayden Martin, 3B, Maryland The most extreme in a draft full of contact profiles. Martin almost never swings (30% this past season) and never misses when he does (a nearly unheard of 96% overall contact rate, 98% inside the zone). On the plus side, that means that with both metal and wood bats he strikes out less than 10% of the time and walks nearly twice that often. On the minus, he’s got just 5 home runs and 30 total extra base hits in 806 college PA and has never hit a homer with a wood bat in almost 400 PA. He’s a 70-grade runner who’s an effective base stealer, but a weak arm might push him to left field as a pro.
• 12th Round: Santi Garcia, LHP, LSU Garcia began in community college before transferring up to Oregon, and then across to LSU as a junior. In his NCAA seasons, he struck out nearly a third of the batters he faced but also walked almost 20%.
• 13th Round: Mathis Nayral, RHP, Kansas Nayral hails from Toulouse, France, and spent a couple of seasons at Cochise College in Douglas, AZ, before transferring to Kansas this season. He struck out 71 against 28 walks in 18 appearances (17 starts) and 69.0 innings.
• 14th Round: Connor Kelley, RHP, UT San Antonio Split his time between the rotation and bullpen this season, striking out 73 against 22 walks in 66.1 innings.
• 15th Round: Oliver de la Torre, RHP, Cal Berkeley Transitioned from a swing man role to the rotation this season, posting a 3.76 ERA while striking out 72 against 23 walks in 81.1 innings.
• 16th Round: Carson Cormier, RHP Illinois State Played at TCU last season but failed to get much playing time, so he transferred down to Illinois State. Worked mostly in the rotation, striking out 74 against just 12 walks in 69.0 innings.
• 17th Round: Landon Waters, RHP, Ole Miss working as a one inning reliever, struck out 25 against 12 walks over 24.0 innings in 2026. Also had a strong showing in the 2026 Northwoods League, with 25 punch outs on just 70 batters faced and only six walks.
• 18th Round: Jake McCoy, LHP, South Carolina McCoy struggled to the tune of a 7.11 ERA during two seasons at USC, but had a huge breakout in the Cape Cod League last summer. He struck out 25 of 54 batters faced, allowing just three walks and 13 hits over 12.1 innings. Scouts viewed him as the best pitcher in the league that summer. McCoy is a little undersized at 6’1” and 185lbs. His fastball sits 93-94 and touches 98, with plus ride up in the zone that’s complemented by a low release point He pairs the fastball with a plus sweeper and a rarely used but potentially average change up. He blew out his elbow before the 2026 season, but at least per Baseball America was viewed as a potential top 5 round pick anyway. That he’s still on the board in the 18th round suggests he’ll be expensive to sign, and he likely represents an insurance plan in case the Jays are able to sign a higher pick for significantly less than expected due to medical or other issues.
• 19th Round: Cole Travers, SS, St. Jon Neumann HS, Florida Perfect Game’s number 32 high school third base prospect, committed to Stetson University. Per PG’s grading system, a potential top 10 round draft pick. As with McCoy, unlikely to sign unless the Jays wind up with an unexpected amount of extra bonus money.
• 20th Round: Eddie Rosado, OF, Holy Ghost Prep School, Pennsylvania Perfect Game’s number 75 high school outfield prospect, committed to St. Joseph’s University. Per PG’s grading system, was regarded as a high end college prospect with some potential to be drafted. Again, I would guess unlikely to sign.

PHILADELPHIA — Drew Gilbert (acquired from the Astros for Justin Verlander) is now with the Giants. Luisangel Acuña (Max Scherzer) is with the White Sox. Justin Jarvis (Mark Canha) is pitching in independent ball. Jeremiah Jackson (Dominic Leone) is with the Orioles. Marco Vargas is struggling with Double-A Binghamton and Ronald Hernandez is with High-A Brooklyn (David Robertson). Jeremy Rodriguez (Tommy Pham) has not yet made it past Low-A St. Lucie.

There is a chance that the Mets’ best hope at salvaging big league value from their 2023 sell-off rests in Ryan Clifford’s powerful, if flawed, stroke.

The first baseman and outfielder arrived with Gilbert as the return for Verlander and was one of the many newcomers who brought hope for an organization that had given up on the season, just as the Mets are expected to soon give up on this year.

But the haul — while somewhat useful, Acuña and Gilbert included in additional trade packages — has not yet panned out as planned, Clifford included.

The slugger represented the Mets at Sunday’s All-Star Futures Game because a) he has real pop, with 16 home runs in 86 games and b) the Mets farm system has lacked breakouts this season, prompting New York to send a loud bat who owns just a .679 OPS. Clifford himself said he was surprised at the honor.

His presence served as a reminder of what could be and what has not been: The ability is alluring, but the strikeouts are abundant.

With Triple-A Syracuse this year, the 22-year-old has struck out 129 times in 86 games, a 36.4 percent strikeout rate that is higher than every qualified major league hitter. The dearth of contact has contributed to a .196 batting average.

The struggles culminated in a horrid June, hitting .099 with a .355 OPS and 39 strikeouts in 93 plate appearances.

“June was not a good month for me,” acknowledged Clifford, who attributed his down season to swing changes made last season that “just don’t work for me anymore.”

Last season — a good one, Clifford swinging his way out of Binghamton and getting his first taste of Syracuse — he adjusted his posture and tried to stay back more. All his life he had dived his front shoulder in, and he tweaked his approach so he was less aggressive with the lunge. It worked.

“I want to say [Marcus] Semien was the guy who said it,” Clifford said. “He’s like, ‘All feels have an expiration date.’ ”

That approach expired in June, and Clifford is now working on finding a balance between staying back and diving in. Through the tiny sample size of eight July games in which he has posted an .816 OPS with a pair of home runs, he believes he is closer to finding “that middle ground,” he said.

Perhaps a late-season hot streak can translate to a promotion — for a prospect who is eligible for the Rule 5 draft this winter, anyway — that he has been craving. Regardless, though, Clifford looms as another instance of poorly timed regression within the Mets system.

Only the Mariners and Diamondbacks have received less value from their first basemen this season, according to Baseball Reference WAR. The Mets’ first basemen entered Sunday with a .648 OPS, which was the second-worst in the game. A hobbled Jorge Polanco, Jared Young, Mark Vientos, Brett Baty and Eric Wagaman have not been the answer in a post-Pete Alonso world.

Clifford could not separate himself and be the answer at first either, just like Jonah Tong and Jack Wenninger were not ready in time to save this Mets season.

There is still time to save some value from the trade-deadline haul.

On Sunday at Citizens Bank Park, Clifford saw six pitches from fellow lefty Jamie Arnold and walked without taking a cut, showing discipline in a showcase spot in which “I was ready to swing,” he said.

He feels better at the plate. It is worth reiterating he is 22.

“Trying to find new things that work [at the plate] took a little bit longer, obviously, than I would have liked,” Clifford said. “But looking to build and continue to have a good July.”

The Mets were three outs away on Sunday from salvaging the finale of their three-game series with the Boston Red Sox and entering the All-Star break on a rare high note.

A win wouldn’t have done much in the standings as New York is well out of contention in what has been a lost season, but the feeling in the clubhouse would’ve been positive after Zach Thornton pitched brilliantly in just his third major league start and in line for his first career win.

But even small wins are hard to come by for the Mets this season as Francisco Lindor and Devin Williams were unable to finish the job in the ninth. 

Lindor, who was responsible for driving in both New York runs with a first inning double and a solo shot in the sixth, couldn’t field a ground ball hit directly at him that could’ve easily been turned for a game-ending double play which allowed the inning to continue.

“The ball ate me up,” Lindor said after the game. “I went after it, it just took a hard hop and hit me on the palm of my hand – the palm and wrist area. I just didn’t make the play. It’s unacceptable.”

Williams went on to walk the next batter to load the bases and then walked another to bring home a run. Jarren Duran singled on a shallow fly ball that tied the game before a lineout double play bailed the Mets out. As it turned out, though, it only delayed what was coming.

New York couldn’t score in the bottom half of the inning which sent the game to extra innings where Boston scored in the 10th to take the lead. When it was their turn to bat, the Mets couldn’t even advance the free runner at second base and were swept in gut-punching fashion which culminated a first half that saw them go 40-57.

“Yeah that’s tough. Everybody in that clubhouse will tell you that right now,” said interim manager Andy Green. “Everybody’s out there wanting to win a baseball game putting everything out there.“

The blown save, while not completely his fault, was Williams’ third of the season and with one of the two runs he allowed being earned, he now has a 4.83 ERA. And after a magnificent month of June where he pitched to a 0.96 ERA across nine appearances, the right-hander has struggled again lately, owning a 10.80 ERA in four games in July.

Despite this, Green has no plans “at this point in time” of removing Williams from the closer role once the Mets resume play in the second half and pointed to the right-hander’s experience as to why.

“Devin’s done it for so long and he’s done it really, really well,” Green said. “We can look at this game scenario and say we got a double play ball, we didn’t defend behind him on that particular play. Got a blooper that fell in.

“This game is usually in our side of the ledger and it’s not and like I said it’s painful and frustrating for everybody in that clubhouse, but he did some positive things on the mound to get a double play ground ball in that situation.”

Even with the vote of confidence from his manager, Williams looked dejected after the game in what has been his second rough season in New York (the first one coming for the Yankees) after flourishing for years in Milwaukee.

“It hasn’t been fun. Not a lot of celebrating going on in this clubhouse right now, but we get to take a couple days off and show up and try to do it again,” he said.

As for Lindor, what could’ve been a great game for him and reason to believe he can turn his injury-riddled season around in the second half was completely erased following his error.

Not only is the shortstop slashing just .216/.298/.373 in 40 games this year, his defense and concentration has been suspect this season even before his injury – certainly odd for a two-time Gold Glove winner still in the prime of his career.

“Comes down to I gotta be better, I gotta execute,” Lindor said. “Pitchers are executing and I just gotta finish the play for them. I gotta be better, that’s what it comes down to.”

He continued: “I wasn’t able to capitalize on the good pitch that Devin made to finish the game. Ultimately that’s what it comes down to and I didn’t finish the play and it’s unacceptable. [I’m] not playing to the standard that I have, not playing to the organization’s standards. It’s just, I gotta get better.”

The Mets now have the difficult task of trying to flip the script of what was a terrible first half in the season’s final 65 games when they return to action on Thursday against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Had they won Sunday’s game that task would’ve been slightly less daunting, but now it’s going to take an entire team effort and even that might not be enough.

“It encourages us to fight, at the end of the day that’s the only thing we can do and we’re gonna try to be better,” Lindor said. “We’re gonna play as hard as we can in the second half and hopefully we put ourselves in a much better position because right now it’s not where we want to be.”

Zach Thornton hasn’t found a way to stick in the Mets rotation this season.

That may change after his performance Sunday, perhaps the lone bit of optimism after another disappointing defeat.

The rookie left-hander, who lacks a dominant repertoire, has impressed the organization with his ability to make the most of his arsenal.

He did it again in a 3-2, 10-inning loss to Boston, when he tossed seven shutout innings against a solid lineup.

Interim manager Andy Green said the 24-year-old would make his next start in the majors, which is hardly a surprise considering the state of the rotation.

“He attacked, was aggressive and had tempo,” Green said. “He missed barrels. … For us, that is what we want to see out of him.”

It’s more than they have seen from most of their rotation, which consists of Nolan McLean, Christian Scott and Sean Manaea, as well as Freddy Peralta — who figures to be moved prior to the Aug. 3 trade deadline.

Thornton said he relied on throwing all five of his pitches for strikes, which is how he can get by with a four-seamer that typically sits in the low 90s.

“It’s the way I grew up watching the game,’’ Thornton said, noting Jacob deGrom as an example.

“DeGrom would go seven or eight innings every time, through the lineup three or four times,’’ Thornton said.

Thornton’s stuff won’t often be confused with deGrom’s, but his results Sunday were more than the Mets could have asked for.

His previous two outings came with Triple-A Syracuse, but Thornton had already pitched well against the Phillies in his second start in the majors this season.

He allowed just two hits and a pair of walks over his seven innings and needed just 82 pitches to do so.

Thornton hardly broke a sweat through the first four innings. He retired 13 of the first 14 batters he faced, allowing only a leadoff walk in the second to Romy González before Andruw Monasterio doubled with one out in the fifth.

Thornton then struck out Jarren Duran and induced a groundout from Nate Eaton to keep the Mets ahead by a run.

Kodai Senga is out of the rotation, Clay Holmes is still sidelined by a fractured fibula and Tobias Myers was optioned to Syracuse again Sunday, leaving plenty of room for Thornton.

“I’m super excited to be here to contribute to wins,’’ Thornton said.

Asked if he thought he belonged in the majors, Thornton said, “I think I belong anywhere.”

“He’s unafraid,’’ Green said. “We’re seeing who he is. He attacks everybody at every level.”

For a team going nowhere, finding out if Thornton can keep this up might be worth watching in the second half.

On Saturday, Virginia Tech pitcher Brett Renfrow heard his name called in the 2026 MLB Draft, selected No. 74 overall by the Minnesota Twins.

Major League Baseball wrapped up the draft on Sunday, and three more Hokies heard their names called. Here are those Hokies:

• P Luke Craytor: Selected 255th overall (9th round) by the Chicago White Sox
• P Griffin Stieg: Selected 378th overall (13th) round by the Pittsburgh Pirates
• P Madden Clement: Selected 449th overall (15th round) by the Kansas City Royals

The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Craytor is a native of Charlottesville (Western Albemarle), and he spent his first two collegiate seasons at Lafayette. He played the last two seasons for the Hokies. In 2026, Craytor appeared in 21 games, going 4-0 with a 3.16 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 25.2 innings pitched. He allowed 22 hits and 13 walks.

Stieg, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound right-hander from McLean, Virginia (McLean High School), spent four seasons at Virginia Tech, finishing his collegiate career with a 6-7 record and a 6.32 ERA, with 124 strikeouts in 136.2 innings pitched.

The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Clement is a native of Butler, Pa., and spent three years at Virginia Tech. Clement finishing his career by pitching in 21 games, making 11 starts, finishing with a 2-1 record, a 4.74 ERA, with 41 strikeouts in 38 innings pitched.

Congratulations to all four Hokies who are beginning the next step of their baseball careers.

Devin Williams’ blown save Sunday wasn’t as much on the closer as it was on Francisco Lindor’s ninth-inning error, but Williams was hardly blameless.

After struggling for most of his time with the Yankees last season, Williams has been inconsistent — at best — with the Mets and has allowed runs in three of his past four outings heading into the All-Star break.

Despite that — and that another former Yankee, Luke Weaver, has been excellent — interim manager Andy Green said Williams isn’t going anywhere and will still be the closer in the second half of the season.

Asked if he was considering a change following a 3-2, 10-inning loss to Boston, their third straight defeat, Green said, “Not at this point.”

He struggled early with the Mets and then had a solid 10-appearance stretch, but has fallen on hard times again.

Williams said of his outing Sunday, “I didn’t have my best command by any means. That’s the way it goes sometimes.”

Weaver, meanwhile, has been outstanding after coming over from The Bronx.

But Green pointed to Williams’ experience as his reason for keeping him in his role.

“Devin has done it so long and done it really well,’’ Green said.

He also noted that Williams — at least Sunday — was the victim of some misfortune.

In addition to Lindor’s error, there was also a bloop single by Jarren Duran that scored a run.

Still, Williams ended up allowing a pair of hits and two walks in the fateful inning.

“He did positive things on the mound,’’ Green said.

Bo Bichette was out of the lineup for a third straight game to close out the first half as he continues to deal with right ankle soreness.

Bichette pinch hit in the bottom of the 10th and hit a soft liner to first to end the game.

Green said before the game Bichette would be limited to pinch hitting as the team looked to use the upcoming break to give him more time off. However, Bichette said after the loss he would be ready to play Thursday in Philadelphia.

Marcus Semien (left hip flexor strain) homered and had a pair of hits in a minor league rehab game with Double-A Binghamton on Sunday. Green said Semien and Luis Robert Jr. (lumbar spine disc herniation) would get some at-bats against Clay Holmes over the All-Star break as all three prepare to return at some point in the second half.

Robert also had two hits with Binghamton on Sunday, with Green saying both he and Semien would likely get more rehab games following the break before they could rejoin the lineup.

Right-hander Tobias Myers was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday to open a spot for Zach Thornton.

We are currently in search of a new polling application to use with our updates, so please bear with our more naked feature today.

Charlotte Knights 12, Nashville Sounds 4
Completely redeeming themselves from Saturday, the Knights (49-44) popped off for 15 hits and blew out the Sounds (53-40), 12-4, splitting the series with three wins each. Two homers and five RBIs in the game from Nolan Jones and a grand slam from Michael Turner in the fourth accounted for nine of the 12 runs, and Edgar Quero blasted three hits and an RBI. Five of the nine Charlotte batters posted multi-hit days, as both Ryan Galanie and Caden Connor went 2-for-5, with the final RBI attributed to Mario Camilletti. The Knights also walked four times, with Rikuu Nishida accounting for three of them, scoring all three times he reached base, stealing one along the way.

After a pair of rehab starts with the Winston-Salem Dash, Shane Smith was officially reinstated to the Knights roster and tossed four solid frames with one run scoring on three hits and a walk, striking out five in the process.

Righthander Tanner McDougal made his third appearance since being activated from a longer IL stint, and he has yet to surrender a hit in his three innings, adding another scoreless frame today with two walks and two strikeouts. Lucas Sims ended up with his second win of the season after a hitless frame, though Sims hasn’t been consistent at all this season, holding an 8.10 ERA in 14 games and 13 1/3 innings.

Columbus Clingstones 7, Birmingham Barons 4
Neither side of the ball was positive for the Barons (32-55), as they struck out 12 times at the plate, went 2-for-9 (.222) with runners in scoring position, and the pitching allowed six in the first 4 2/3 innings to drop five of six to the Clingstones. Lefthander Lucas Gordon has struggled in 2026 with the Barons, reaching a 5.15 ERA in 18 starts (87 1/3 frames), and he wound up with his fifth loss of the season in Sunday’s series finale. The main issue with Gordon is a high (11.5%) walk rate, and he gives up a home run or two nearly every outing. Only five of his 18 starts have gone without a home run allowed, and his 1.73 HR/9 is nearly double last season’s (0.84 HR/9). Until he makes an adjustment to prevent the long ball, he could have a tough time working his way up to the majors.

Only two players were able to drive runs in, and Alec Briley started the scoring for the Barons with an RBI base hit in the top of the third that had cut the lead in half for Birmingham, 2-1, Columbus. The other three belonged to Brenden Dixon, who smashed a three-run shot in the seventh for his third home run of the year, but the offense left four on base and couldn’t close the gap.

Winston-Salem Dash 10, Asheville Tourists 4
Scoring in every inning except for the sixth, the Dash (50-37) outhit the Tourists (20-56), 11-7, to even out the series at three, 10-4. It also helped that Asheville committed an error that provided an unearned run to Winston-Salem, and thanks to five homers for the Dash, it didn’t matter that they went 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position with 10 left on base. Jeral Perez was a triple short of the cycle with three hits on the day, and Arxy Hernández led the team with three RBIs on two hits, including a three-run bomb in the fourth. Both he and James Taussig have homered in back-to-back games, with the other two stemming from Ryan Burrowes and George Wolkow.

Appearing in his sixth rehab appearance with the Dash, lefthander Tommy Vail made his first start since returning from the IL, tossing for 2 1/3 with two runs allowed (just one earned) on three hits and three strikeouts, but he struggled with free base runners with four walks on the day. In his 7 2/3 frames with Winston-Salem, Vail holds an 11.74 ERA with a frightening 2.87 WHIP, on top of walking three more batters (10) than he’s struck out (seven). Working as Sunday’s bulk reliever, righthander Jake Curtis took over for four scoreless, earning his third win of the season.

Delmarva Shorebirds 6, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 5
The pitching couldn’t hold the Cannon Ballers (44-43) lead, as Marco Barrios blew the save in the sixth that allowed the Shorebirds (31-56) to take the lead and win the game, 6-5. The Ballers still won the series, but they ultimately lost a four-run lead, and Truman Pauley did not set Kanny up for success with four runs allowed in his 3 2/3-inning start. Barrios was the only rough part of the bullpen, however, as Ryan Schiefer, Jesus Mendez and Jordan Morales all finished with a scoreless outing.

All five runs came from two innings, though the Cannon Ballers couldn’t buy a run after the fourth. A squeeze bunt from Efren Teran and a two-run double from Jaden Fauske scored three for Kannapolis early in the top of the second, while Matthew Boughton recorded the other two RBIs with a two-run single just a couple innings later. Adrian Gil also walked twice, scoring both times, but none of the Ballers put up multi-hit days.

PHILADELPHIA — There is nothing unique about the Yankees developing a hard-throwing and effective reliever, the type the club regularly churns out (and regularly deals at the trade deadline).

There is nothing unique about the Yankees finding a gem later in the draft, a recent organizational strength that is on display this week with first-time All-Stars Ben Rice and Cam Schlittler.

So maybe Ben Grable, an 11th-round pick out of Indiana University last year who has sawed through competition at High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset, making him a late addition to Sunday’s All-Star Futures Game, is not unique.

On the mound, though, there really is no major leaguer like him.

Grable said he is averaging 96.1 mph with his four-seamer and about 20.5 to 21 inches of induced vertical break — essentially the movement generated from how the ball spins. The more vertical break, the more the ball seems to rise (and the more hitters tend to swing under the pitch).

There are three qualified major leaguers (Alex Vesia, Tobias Myers and Dylan Lee) whose four-seamers average 20 inches of vertical break. None has a fastball that buzzes at even 94 mph.

There are plenty of pitchers whose fastball are as fast as Grable’s, but none fight gravity like his four-seamer. The closest comparison might be the Padres’ Jeremiah Estrada, whose heater has averaged 95.8 mph with 19.8 inches of vertical break this year. In the past three years in San Diego, Estrada has often been untouchable with a 3.26 ERA and 225 strikeouts in 154 ²/₃ innings.

That is as close to company as exists for Grable, whose fastball’s combination of velocity and spin makes it like no one else’s.

“When I got to Indiana, they sort of taught us the metrics and all that,” Grable said before throwing two pitches and recording one out in a brief appearance at the Futures Game. “I didn’t really know how good it was until I got into New York.”

The 6-foot-4 right-hander was not the first choice to represent the organization at Citizens Bank Park — George Lombard Jr. and Carlos Lagrange were scratched with injuries — but he was a worthy choice in what has been a quietly incredible season.

His 2.61 ERA is good. His peripheral numbers are better. Among the 1,602 affiliated minor leaguers who have thrown at least 30 innings (Grable has thrown 31 innings in 28 relief appearances), Grable ranks fourth in WHIP (0.77), 16th in strikeout percentage (40.2 percent) and eighth in opponents’ batting average (.127) while walking 2.90 per nine innings.

A Southern California native who pitched two years at Northwestern and one at Indiana, Grable underwent Tommy John surgery in 2024. He returned to start and relieve for the Hoosiers, posting a 4.31 ERA in his final collegiate season before becoming one of 10 pitchers the Yankees drafted last year (and the first to shoot through the system).

He is a different pitcher than he was at college, where he said his fastball averaged 92 mph at Indiana and where he threw a different slider.

He said he “cleaned up my mechanics,” now pitches exclusively from the stretch, worked on a fastball the Yankees believed “can be a whole lot better” and watched his velocity spike.

“It’s a unique profile and shape in comparison to a lot of other fastballs out there,” said Somerset manager James Cooper, who was the AL’s third base coach. “Just when teams were starting to figure that out, that’s when he started landing the secondary stuff, and I think that’s what’s been making him special.”

His tight slider is not unique, but that is kind of the point: Seeking a different grip about a month and a half ago, Grable wound up watching a Pitching Ninja online interview with Reds All-Star Chase Burns. He scrolled through the video feed, found the grip and tried it because, “I figured he’s got a pretty good slider, similar heater shape.”

The next day Grable threw it during a touch-and-feel bullpen session. He then took the mound that night and “punched [out] three,” he said, with what would become his new slider.

“He’s been able to dominate the game with those two pitches,” Cooper said.

The domination brought him to a showcase and a seventh-inning face-off with star Brewers prospect Luis Peña, who flied out on the second pitch and first slider he saw.

Grable’s takeaway?

“It’s pretty fun to pitch in a big league stadium.”

LSU Baseball’s emotional leader since 2023, Gavin Guidry, was taken at #480 over by the New York Mets in the 16th round.

Guidry’s LSU career was full of success, but there were also some speedbumps along the way that tested his resolve.

After getting to Baton Rouge as one of the top-ranked shortstops in 2023, the Barbe product played sparingly behind Jordan Thompson in the infield. Halfway through the season, the Tigers pitching staff suffered two season-ending injuries to Chase Shores and Garrett Edwards, putting them in a tough spot. Guidry transitioned to the mound and hit the ground running. He became one of the most important pieces of that bullpen, even recording the final out of the 2023 National Championship.

He followed that up with a solid sophomore campaign in 2024, but the troubles began in 2025. After being scratched from an early season midweek start, he was said to be week-to-week with a back injury. He attempted to work his way back, but he continued to hit roadblocks and was eventually shut down for the year. The veteran then became an extra coach, often seen mentoring younger players on the team. Even from the dugout, Guidry was instrumental in Jay Johnson’s team winning their second title in three years.

His return on Opening Day of the 2026 was electric. He jogged out from the bullpen to a massive ovation from the Alex Box crowd and picked up right where he left off, striking out hitter after hitter with his “hammer” of a breaking ball. As the season went on, Guidry seemed to wear down and his performance slipped. He still has eligibility, but he said following the season that he was hoping to begin his professional career. He considered 2026 a “bonus year”, as he had hoped to move on after 2025 before he got hurt.

Guidry will go down as one of the most important players of the Jay Johnson era. At least the beginning of it. He stepped up time-and-time again and will almost surely head to the MLB with a lot to be proud of.

In three seasons for the Tigers, Guidry finished with a 10-3 record. He pitched 96.2 innings and had a 4.66 ERA. That number is only inflated by his late season struggles this past year. In his first two seasons, his ERAs were 3.77 and 2.59, respectively. He struck out 137 hitters in three years.

The New York Mets are getting a bulldog, who’s as competitive as they come.

Blaze Alexander suffered a fractured left hand after he was hit by a pitch in the Orioles’ 8-2 win over the Royals, setting off a benches-clearing incident. 

No punches were thrown, but the third baseman ended up with a non-displaced fracture in his left hand, Orioles manager Craig Albernaz told reporters after the game. The Orioles skipper called the injury a “gut punch.” 

Royals reliever Lucas Erceg missed way outside the strike zone with a 1-2 pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning, which resulted in Alexander being hit. 

Alexander was visibly upset and turned to jaw at Erceg, and the Orioles staff quickly came out to restrain him from escalating the situation further. 

The Royals and Orioles benches did empty out, but tensions cooled down shortly after as both teams retreated to their dugouts. 

After the game, Erceg told reporters that he did not hit Alexander intentionally. 

“There’s no ill intent. That’s baseball,” Erceg said. “I mean, guys are going to get hit, and you have to, I guess, kind of understand the situation. I understand why he’s mad. Obviously, you don’t ever want to get hit, especially in the hand. So sorry about that.”

The injury is a tough break for the Orioles with Alexander batting .312 at the moment and Baltimore riding a four-game winning streak into the MLB All-Star break. 

Neither club has been doing particularly well this season, with both the Orioles and Royals sitting near the bottom of the standings in their respective divisions. 

The Orioles are fourth in the AL East and 11.5 games back of the first-place Rays. 

The Royals find themselves in the basement of the AL Central and 13 games back of the first-place White Sox. 

Kansas City is also 21 games under .500 heading into the All-Star break.

After a season that left much to be desired for Kentucky Baseball, and primarily the pitching staff, all eyes were focused on the 2026 MLB Draft to see what would happen with Grayson Willoughby.

The star recruit has now decided to withdraw from the MLB Draft and head to Lexington for his collegiate career, UK has announced.

Now that the news of the coveted right-handed pitcher heading to Kentucky for his college baseball career is official, he will have to spend two seasons in school before being eligible for the 2028 MLB Draft.

By way of Trinity High School (Louisville, Ky), the 6-foot-2, 195-pound Willoughby has been committed to Kentucky since August of 2024. Since then, Willoughby has had quite a high school career: Back-to-back state championships with his Trinity Shamrocks, being named Mr. Baseball, and being named the 2026 MaxPreps National Player of the Year.

His advanced mid-80s changeup is considered his best secondary pitch, while his slider continues to develop into another quality offering.

What separates Willoughby is his command. He repeats a clean three-quarters delivery, consistently throws strikes, and already shows the ability to locate all three pitches. Scouts also believe there is additional velocity to come as he continues to add strength.

Although Willoughby starred as a two-way player at Trinity, his future is on the mound. He capped his senior season by throwing a one-hit shutout in the Kentucky state championship game, helping Trinity secure another state title.

Willoughby is also ranked No. 31 in his class in Perfect Game rankings. On their site, they described him as “Polished starter package with three quality pitches including a 92-96 mph fastball, slider and changeup, dominated at PG national.”

This is a massive pickup for the Bat Cats, especially since they were in dire need of more pitching.