LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 12: Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages (44) scores a run during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 12, 2026 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. (Photo by David Dennis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The silver lining for the Dodgers on Sunday is that they did not lose in lopsided fashion. But they did fall to the Diamondbacks for a third consecutive day, this time a more conventional 5-3 win for Arizona that capped off a series sweep and a deflating final week before the All-Star break.
Fielding miscues plagued the Dodgers this week, as nine errors in the last five games is no way to make a living. Two errors cropped up Sunday. Andy Pages dropped a fly ball during the two-run fifth inning, then Max Muncy’s throw home hit a smartly-positioned Geraldo Perdomo, facilitating the two-run sixth inning that gave the Diamondbacks the lead for good.
That spoiled a promising start by Emmet Sheehan, who struck out seven against only one walk in 5 1/3 innings. He allowed three runs but only one of them were earned.
Shohei Ohtani hit the first pitch of the game for a solo home run, his fourth in six games, and also doubled. Ohtani had two home runs in the series against Arizona, which matched Diamondbacks first baseman Tim Tawa for the weekend.
Tawa drove in seven runs in the series, one fewer than the Dodgers scored as a team. It was that kind of a weekend for Los Angeles.
The All-Star break is here. But first, several Dodgers will be in Philadelphia for the All-Star Game on Tuesday (5 p.m. PT, Fox). Next real game is Friday in The Bronx against the New York Yankees (4:05 p.m. PT; SportsNet LA, MLB Network).
KNOXVILLE, TN - MAY 31: Wake Forest Demon Deacons infielder Dalton Wentz (1) throws to first base during the NCAA Division I Regional Tournament baseball game between the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and the Miami (OH) RedHawks on May 31, 2025, at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, TN. (Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
After two days, 20 rounds, and more than 600 names announced (some even with correct pronunciations!), the 2026 MLB Draft has come to a close. It was a very fun one for the Giants … after a few years of losing picks due to the Qualifying Offer, the Giants had their full slate this time around … and then added an extra pick in the top 30 when they traded Patrick Bailey, all while getting lucky in the lottery and landing the No. 4 overall pick.
What follows is a breakdown of the final 10 selections that the Giants made on draft day.
If you want to read about the earlier picks, here are the links:
The Giants kicked off the second half of the draft with a player who posted comical numbers this year: first baseman Charlie Bussey III, a right-handed hitter out of Francis Marion, taken with the No. 328 pick. Obviously players are drafted first and foremost based on scouting their live mechanics, which is good because it’s hard to know how much stock to put into smaller school stats. Bussey is Example A: in the Division II Conference Carolinas, playing against competition such as Ferrum College and Shorter University, Bussey hit a truly laughable .489/.604/.866 with 21 home runs and 40 stolen bases in 60 games, while walking well over twice as frequently as he struck out.
I think I speak for everyone when I say that he’ll be a good Major Leaguer if he can keep those numbers up at the next level.
Perhaps more importantly, Bussey, who turns 23 in December and is listed at 6’2, 205, played in the Cape Cod League this summer, where he hit 6-27 with one double, nine walks, seven strikeouts, and three stolen bases. He was the D2 National Player of the Year this season, which is a great honor … remember that not all great players and prospects come from big name schools, as Bo Davidson frequently reminds us.
In the 12th round, with the No. 358 pick, the Giants took their fourth player who has some serious MLB bloodlines: prep outfielder Josiah Kemp, from Choctaw High School in Oklahoma. Kemp, a right-handed hitter, is the nephew of three-time All-Star Matt Kemp, whom the Giants were all too familiar with given his excellent run with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Kemp, who has a commitment to Oklahoma that the Giants will have to buy him out of, is an exceptionally athletic and twitchy outfielder. He’s fairly lean, but projects to fill out as he grows. If he can maintain his speed and agility as he adds strength, he could become a very intriguing two-way player. He has good speed with both his bat and legs. The Giants need more athletes, and they just got one. Kemp was the No. 311 prospect on Baseball America’s big board.
With their 13th-round selection, No. 388 overall, San Francisco turned to Arkansas left-handed pitcher Colin Fisher. The soon-to-turn 22-year old saw his stock drop a little bit in his third year with the Razorbacks, and he finished the season with a 5.59 ERA and a 4.80 FIP while getting moved to the bullpen after 10 starts. That rough start probably cost him a few rounds in the draft, but there’s still a lot to like, as evidenced by the fact that Fisher still was listed as the No. 268 draft prospect on Baseball America’s big board.
Fisher has a good frame, with a listed height of 6’3 and 225 pounds. His curveball is his best pitch, but to this point he has struggled to put together a competitive fastball. Needless to say, that will be something he needs to address in the Minor Leagues if he wants to have success at the next level. He did have good command though, as he only walked 17 batters in 56.1 innings this year. With three years at Arkansas on his ledger, he’s someone that Tony Vitello will have had some experience watching and playing against. Like so many prospects, Fisher also pitched in the Cape Cod League this year, where he had a 4.70 ERA in 15.1 innings, with nine strikeouts and six walks.
San Francisco continued the pitching theme in the 14th round, taking Houston right-hander Alex Solis with the No. 418 pick. Solis, who is listed at 6’1, 190, and turns 22 in December, doesn’t have very good college stats, but that’s not unusual at this part of the draft. This past year, which was his junior season, was his best year, as he posted a 5.50 ERA and a 4.05 FIP while working almost entirely in relief. Solis cut his walk rate nearly in half this year, issuing just 11 bases on balls in 37.2 innings, with 37 strikeouts.
While his numbers aren’t great, he certainly has experience playing against decent competition, as he spent all three of his collegiate years at Houston in the Big 12. Given his role in college, it seems likely that the Giants will jump straight to using Solis as a reliever in the Minor Leagues.
In the 15th round, with the 448 selection, the Giants chose third baseman Drew Smith from Oregon. Smith had a spectacular year in the Big 10, hitting .342/.425/.622 for a 1.047 OPS and a 139 wRC+. He showed off some serious power gains, with 16 home runs in 272 plate appearances … after just 12 homers in 496 prior plate appearances.
So why was he available in the 15th round, when he finished 15th in a quality conference in OPS, just a few percentage points behind No. 1 overall pick Roch Cholowsky? A few reasons. For starters, Smith was a four-year college player, so he’s on the older side. Having turned 23 last month, Smith is only nine months younger than the other Oregon third baseman in the Giants system, Sabin Ceballos … who has already logged more than 700 plate appearances in AA. The other primary reason is that, despite his .342 batting average, Smith had a 25.0% strikeout rate in his senior year at Oregon, which is incredibly high for a college player, especially a four-year player.
Still and all, late in the draft the Giants got a guy with good power, who hits the ball incredibly hard, and has a track record of success at a good baseball school, while playing a defensively important position (he also has some defensive versatility, as he’s played second base and the outfield). That’s always a win in my book! And when he makes it to High-A, he’ll have plenty of experience at the ballpark, as the Eugene Emeralds share a field with the Oregon Ducks, where Smith played all four of his collegiate seasons.
After a pause, the draft resumed for the 16th round, where the Giants got a very exciting player: Wake Forest third baseman Dalton Wentz. A powerful switch-hitter, Wentz was projected to be drafted at the start of the day, if not at the end of Saturday … he was ranked as the No. 165 prospect by MLB Pipeline, No. 170 by Baseball America, and No. 188 by ESPN. As such, the Giants will surely have to use some of their savings from earlier underslot signings to facilitate a Wentz signing, as he’ll likely command something like a sixth-round bonus … perhaps higher given that he was a draft-eligible sophomore, so he can head back to school.
Wentz, who was a Freshman All-American, had a spectacular 2026 in his second season of college ball. He slashed .306/.414/.629 on the year, with 18 home runs in 60 games, which was tied for fifth in the ACC. He’s a serious power hitter, for better and for worse — his .323 isolated slugging was an outrageously good number, while his 22.7% strikeout rate surely gave scouts pause. He’s a very aggressive hitter, also for better or for worse, with strikeouts driven more by swing decisions than contact ability (although, despite that, he had a 15.1% walk rate).
Despite his size (he’s listed at 6’2, 215), Wentz also plays second base, though his future is almost certainly at a corner, be it in the infield or the outfield. His biggest strength on defense is, fittingly, his arm strength. Ultimately, the Giants got an extremely-powerful switch-hitter who will turn 21 later this month, about 10 rounds later than he was projected to go. That’s extremely exciting, though whether or not they can sign him now becomes one of the biggest questions of their 2026 draft class.
In the 17th round, with the No. 508 pick, the Giants got an extremely Giantsy player: Western Michigan outfielder Tanner Mally. A right-handed hitter who is about to turn 22, Mally has a whole lot of Wade Meckler in his game. His contact ability is truly absurd: this year he posted an almost unbelievable .446 batting average, with a .554 on-base percentage (and while the Mid-American Conference isn’t the best baseball in the world, it is D1). And he did all of that while striking out just 13 times in 243 plate appearances.
The downside? He ends his college career without having recorded a single home run, in nearly 500 plate appearances. So not a lot of power in that bat. But my goodness can he hit, and he’s got some speed as well, and used it to steal 19 bases this season. That speed has allowed him to become a quality defensive player in the outfield, and I would expect the Giants to develop him in the center of the grass.
Mally also played summer ball last year in the Coastal Plain League, where he hit .316/.446/.393, with only eight strikeouts in 148 plate appearances (funnily enough, despite the donut in college, he hit two homers in summer ball). He’ll be a fun player to follow, and we know the Giants will be enamored with his skillset.
The Giants returned to pitchers in the 18th round, selecting UC Irvine southpaw Ryder Brooks with the No. 538 pick. After having subpar results as a starter in 2025, Brooks returned to the bullpen this past year for his junior season. The overall results were mixed — he posted a 4.86 ERA and a 3.59 FIP — but the move to the pen helped Brooks decrease his walk rate, while his strikeouts took off. In all, he struck out 41 batters in 33.1 innings, while only walking 11 (though he did hit seven batters).
A three-year Anteater, Brooks pitched in the Cape Cod League last summer and struck out 12 batters in nine innings, though he walked seven. Brooks has an incredibly smooth and repeatable motion, with a highish release that induces a lot of ground balls. He lives in the low-90s currently, so his fastball has a lot of room for improvement, but his sweeper is a very nice pitch.
With their penultimate pick of the draft, No. 568 overall, the Giants picked another third baseman, Mikey Bell from Gonzaga. A right-handed hitter who grew up in Fresno, Bell has a lot of power, and in 2026 hit .379/.456/.607 with nine home runs in 54 games, en route to West Coast Conference Player of the Year honors (he won the award in both of his seasons with Gonzaga, after transferring from a community college). He also showed off some considerable contact improvements, lowering his strikeout rate from 20.4% in 2025 to 14.2% this past season.
Despite lowering that strikeout rate, Bell, who is 22, has a good amount of chase in his game, and will likely strike out a lot in the Minors unless he makes some adjustments. But his power plays to all parts of the field, and that led to him sneaking into the Baseball America top 500 draft prospects list, at No. 444. There’s also a lot left to untap there: Bell posted better exit velocities than his power numbers would suggest. He’s spent some time in the outfield, and could end up at a corner there, or at first base.
While Bell won’t be as hard to sign as Wentz, he’ll likely command a decent bonus, as he was scheduled to transfer from Gonzaga to Georgia. An SEC school offers a lot more NIL money and a better chance to showcase himself against top talent before potentially entering the draft as a fifth-year senior, so the Giants will have to compete with that.
And finally we arrive at the team’s 20th-round pick … their 21st and final selection of the draft. With the No. 598 pick in the draft, the Giants returned to the defining position of their draft by selecting right-handed pitcher JP Robertson from Mississippi.
Robertson spent just one year at Mississippi after transferring from a community college, and ended the season with a 4.34 ERA and a 4.25 FIP. He worked almost exclusively as a reliever, and had some serious punchout stuff, as he recorded 49 strikeouts in 37.1 innings, which is very impressive in the SEC. He has some notable command issues to work through, though, as he also issued 21 walks.
But there’s a lot to work with there, as Robertson has some serious power. He lives in the mid-upper 90s, and has tickled triple digits on the radar gun. His cutter has a lot of movement, and he also has an intriguing slider. Despite his command issues, he has a compact delivery that should be fairly repeatable. Robertson will likely be used as a pure power reliever, and that’s something the system has been awfully short on this year.
And that’s the 2026 draft for the Giants! For stats and videos on all 21 picks, go check out our draft tracker.
A huge thanks to all the great publications and prospectors who help provide so much information pertaining to the draft. A special thanks to Bluesky users EB and Giant Futures, whose posts helped me fill out my understanding of these 10 players. Give them a follow.
Jul 12, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies (1) third baseman Austin Riley (27) and first baseman Matt Olson (28) walk off the field after the Braves defeated the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Remember when I asked in the headline of the Pirates series recap if the Atlanta Braves had finally found that spark at the plate that they’d been looking for? As it turned out, they probably haven’t found that spark because we ended up watching them fall into yet another extended period of struggling as the first 18 innings of this series saw the Braves get completely clamped at the plate by the Cardinals.
Also, a trend that has been killing Atlanta’s pitching staff lately was on full display throughout this series. It’s honestly fitting that the Cardinals were the ones who exposed it since it’s the type of situation that historically makes sense for the Cardinals to do damage in but it’s also something that the Braves have been dealing with for far too long so far this season. Let’s see if you pick up on it throughout this piece, yourself. Time to take a look back at the weekend that was for Atlanta.
We got our requisite rain delay for a matchup between these two clubs and unfortunately for the Braves, that meant that what was shaping up to be yet another solid start from Chris Sale got wiped out. With that being said, the bullpen did a decent enough job of keeping the Cardinals mostly quiet at the plate and the trio of Sale, Victor Mederos and Didier Fuentes went six innings with four hits, two walks, nine strikeouts and just one run allowed so it was effectively another full Sale start.
We unfortunately got another hallmark of a 2026 Chris Sale start, which is that the run support was non-existent. Once the nearly three-hour rain delay came to a close, the Braves scratched across a run thanks to Austin Riley shooting one up the middle to plate Mike Yastrzemski (who took a trip to the IL on Saturday) and that was all that Atlanta would get on the night.
St. Louis, meanwhile, picked up a game-tying run in the sixth after Didier Fuentes saw three-straight Cardinals reach base safely with one out (with Jordan Walker’s RBI single tying the game) and then Jimmy Crooks got a two-strike hanger from Danny Young in the eighth inning in order to hit his third-career homer that ended up being the game-winner. Another long night at the ballpark ended in defeat for Atlanta.
For the second night in a row, the Braves just could not get anything going at the plate and their success in Pittsburgh seemed like a distant memory once this game was over. Reynaldo López got to two strikes and two outs with two men on against Lars Nootbaar in the first inning but ended up paying the price for leaving a curveball in the zone as Nootbaar crushed it for a three-run dinger to make it 3-0 Cardinals. He once again got to two strikes and two outs in the fourth inning and this time, Blaze Jordan sent one up the middle to make it 4-0 Cardinals.
The Braves had another shot against the struggling Matthew Liberatore and for the second time, they made him look like a Cy Young candidate. Liberatore ended up tossing six scoreless innings where he only gave up four hits and a walk with six strikeouts, to boot. Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II were the only two batters to make it into scoring position against Liberatore in this one and it came in the first and sixth inning. Outside of that, the Braves continued to be befuddled by a guy who the rest of baseball seems to have figured out.
Mauricio Dubón continued to be the most consistent hitter at the plate for the Braves since their current month-and-a-half-long downturn in form as he cracked a dinger that ensured that the Braves wouldn’t get shut out. Eli White doubled later on in the frame with one out but the Braves got nothing else going from that point forward and Atlanta had no choice but to accept yet another series loss. Michael Harris II had a crazy day in the field, though, so there’s that.
With two strikes and two outs and a man on second base in the first inning, Alec Burleson somehow got solid contact on a hanging sinker from Danny Young that was out of the zone. Once the ball landed, Mauricio Dubón was chasing after it and the Cardinals were up by a run to start things off. Fortunately, Atlanta responded pretty quickly and scored in the second inning after Dustin May uncorked a wild pitch with the bases loaded. They could’ve had more in that frame but at that point, beggars couldn’t be choosers as far as the Braves were concerned and they just needed to take the run and try for more later on.
More ended up arriving in the fourth inning in dramatic fashion, as Austin Riley made it home on an aggressive send from third base coach Tommy Watkins on a single from Drake Baldwin to give the Braves the lead and their first game with multiple runs scored in this series. In fact, they even added on and made it a two-run lead in the sixth after Jim Jarvis and Brewer Hicklen went back-to-back with doubles (just like we all predicted back in February, right?) to make it 3-1.
Things got serious again once the Cardinals came to the plate in their half of the sixth inning. Didier Fuentes very nearly got out of a JR Ritchie-manufactured jam but (and I hope you’re sitting down for this) with two strikes and two outs in the inning, José Fermín got a hold of a fastball and looped it into center for a game-tying RBI single. It’d be unbelievable if it hadn’t happened all weekend and for the past few weeks to the Atlanta Braves.
Eventually the ninth inning rolled around and it was still a 3-3 game. Ozzie Albies got something going with a one-out double and then Michael Harris II kept the inning alive after he just about got hit by a pitch that was upheld on replay. The ruling infuriated Cardinals manager Oli Marmol, who got ejected for arguing the ruling and then I’d imagine that he was just as irate as the crowd was once he saw what happened in the next at-bat. With two strikes and two outs on the board, something finally went Atlanta’s way. Mauricio Dubón seemingly grounded into what should’ve been an inning-ending out but Masyn Winn uncorked a shambolic throw to first that extended the inning and, more importantly, allowed Ozzie Albies to score from third and give the Braves the lead.
Raisel Iglesias made his first appearance since Wednesday and sat down the Cardinals in order so that the Braves could salvage the series and at least ensure that Atlanta would be on top of the NL East heading into the All-Star break.
The Cardinals scored nine runs in this series. Six of those runs came in situations where the Braves were pitching with two strikes in the count and two outs on the board and seven of them came in situations with two strikes in the count. This series likely looks a lot different if the Braves had finished off those situations and while it would be easy to simply chalk it up to Cardinal Devil Magic, it actually sums up how the Braves have fared in that particular situation for the past month or so.
From June 1 heading into Sunday’s action, opposing hitters have slashed .188/.295/.325 with a .283 wOBA in two-strike two-out situations against the Atlanta Braves. That batting average is the eighth-worst number in all of baseball, the OBP is the worst in the National League, the slugging percentage is the fifth-worst in all of baseball and the wOBA mark is also the worst in the National League during that span. That is ghastly.
Sure, the offense has had its fair share of problems (and they certainly deserve much of the blame for how this series went) but it’s tough for the Braves to play their way out of a rough patch when they’re constantly tripping up in a situation that is seemingly the most advantageous moment in any given inning for a pitching staff. It’s frustrating and explains a lot for how some of these games have gotten away from Atlanta in recent times.
If any team in baseball needs the break, though, it’s the Braves. While they may not have the most players on the IL, there are enough big names and impact players on there that they badly need this time to recover. The bullpen has been sketchy in recent times so Walt Weiss should benefit from having a full-rested bullpen for the first time in what feels like ages. The games themselves have just felt like a slog lately, so this just feels like a solid time for Atlanta to regroup.
They’re still in first place but now they’ve got two teams breathing down their neck at the top of the NL East and the Wild Card race figures to be incredibly fierce should the Braves fall from the top of the divisional standings. Atlanta’s got to get things going again and hopefully they’ll hit the ground running once they’re back in action for Friday. For now, it’s time for the squad to take this time to retreat and figure something out for the second half of the season. We’ll see what happens.
PHOENIX, AZ - JUNE 23: Owen Kramkowski #48 poses for a photo during the 2026 Draft Combine at Arizona Grand Resort Phoenix on Tuesday, June 23, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Aryanna Frank/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
In most cases, the number of players drafted is a strong indication of how good a college baseball team was the previous season. Arizona had nine draftees last year after reaching the College World Series, but following a disastrous 2026 campaign only two Wildcats heard their names called in the 2026 MLB Draft.
Right-handed pitcher Owen Kramkowski was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 5th round, while fellow righty Collin McKinney went in the 9th round to the Baltimore Orioles.
Kramkowski was taken with the No. 145 picks, which has a bonus slot value of $506,100. McKinney’s bonus slot at No. 260 is $213,300. Players chosen in the 11th round or later can sign for up to $150,000 without it impacting a team’s bonus pool.
The two draft picks for Arizona is its fewest since 2022, when catcher Daniel Susac went in the 1st round and outfielder Tanner O’Tremba went in the 15th round. It was also the first time since 2014 the UA did not have a player taken in the first four rounds.
While the loss of existing UA players to the MLB Draft was minimal, the same can’t be said for future Wildcats. Two members of Arizona’s 2026 recruiting class as well as three transfers signed this summer were drafted Sunday.
Incoming freshman catcher Francisco Rivero, from Canyon del Oro High School in Oro Valley, went in the 15th round to the Washington Nationals while righty Garrett Ahern—a transfer from GCU—went in the 16th round to the New York Yankees. The 17th round then saw righties McCartyEnglish (Southern Miss) and Collin Cobb (Williston State JC) and New Mexico prep righty Jack Byers all get picked.
Each has until July 27 to sign a pro contract or they’ll join the Wildcats this fall for the 2027 season.
The 6-foot-3 Kramkowski, who grew up in Sahuarita, is the fifth player recruited to the UA out of high school by Chip Hale and his staff to get drafted. He spent three seasons with the Wildcats and was part of the weekend rotation the last two years, starting the opening game of the College World Series. In 2025 he wen 9-6 with a 5.48 ERA, striking out 90 batters in 92 innings, but struggled as a junior with a 1-8 record and 6.13 ERA.
In 35 career appearances, Kramkowski walked only 38 batters in 165.1 innings against 165 strikeouts.
The 6-foot-5 McKinney spent the last two seasons at the UA after beginning his career at Baylor. He was the Wildcats’ Friday night starter for most of 2025 before getting moved to the bullpen, and this past spring spent time in the rotation and as a reliever. He struck out 109 in 91.2 innings with Arizona.
McKinney had entered the NCAA transfer portal last month and committed to Houston but is expected to sign.
Arizona’s lack of draft picks from its roster was indicative of a team that went 19-34, its worst record since 1994, and finished 9-21 in the Big 12 after winning the conference tournament title the previous year. The same can’t be said for ASU, which failed to advance beyond the NCAA regionals despite having 10 draft picks on the roster.
PHOENIX, AZ - JUNE 23: Trey Ebel bats during the 2026 Draft Combine at Chase Field on Tuesday, June 23, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Jill Weisleder/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Brewers drafted 20 players over the course of 20 rounds in the 2026 MLB Draft, including first-round shortstop Trey Ebel, second-round outfielder Sawyer Strosnider, Wilmot Union HS (Wisconsin) shortstop Chance Ruby, and CC Sabathia’s son, first baseman Carsten Sabathia III. The team now has until 4 p.m. CT on July 27 to sign each draft pick. We’ll keep track of the signees below.
Milwaukee’s total signing bonus pool is $8,042,900, which can be allocated as the team chooses (i.e., slot bonuses are not the guaranteed signing value). Rounds 11-20 automatically have $150,000 allocated to the slot — money given to these picks only counts toward the bonus pool if they exceed $150,000. Teams that exceed their bonus pool face financial penalties, with higher thresholds resulting in the loss of future picks.
PHOENIX, AZ - JUNE 23: Andruw Giles #29 and Martin Shelar #25 look on during the 2026 Draft Combine at Chase Field on Tuesday, June 23, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Jill Weisleder/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Those hoping hoping to see the Sox splash the cash on some hard-to-sign candidates on day 2 of the MLB Draft were immediately disappointed, as the Red Sox spent their fifth round pick on Lucas Davenport, a pitcher out of Baylor University who was unranked by both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline heading into the draft.
Davenport is a beastly 6-6, 230 lbs. and his pick launched a mini-run on those big college pitchers Craig Breslow likes so much: sixth rounder Brett Lanman, a 6-5, 23o lbs. lefty out of Abilene Christian, eighth rounder Josh Volmerding, a 6-4, 210 lbs. lefty out of California Polytech, thirteenth rounder Mason Lei, a 6-4, 215 lbs. righty out of the University of Illinois-Chicago, and fifteenth rounder Chase Frey, a 6-6 225 lbs. lefty out of Grand Canyon University.
The highlights of Day 2 are the two higher-ranked high schoolers the Sox nabbed back-to-back in the ninth and tenth rounds. Ninth rounder Martin Shelar, an outfielder, comes out of the baseball powerhouse that is the Marist School in Georgia. He has massive power potential, is committed to Mississippi State, and was ranked as the 65th-best prospect overall by FanGraphs, 125th by Baseball America, and 175th by MLB Pipeline.
Tenth rounder Kaleb LaFavor out of Bishop Heelan Catholic High School in Sioux City, Iowa is a towering 6-7 righty with a ton of extension who can already hit 95 MPH on the gun. He was ranked the 171st-best prospect by ESPN evaluator Kiley McDaniel, 465th by Baseball America, and is committed to the University of Iowa. Craig Breslow’s got bonus pool money burning a hole in his pocket, and it’s going to go to these guys in hopes of enticing them away from college (speaking as someone who spent a fair bit of time partying in Iowa City as a 22-year-old, good luck in LeFavor’s case).
Here’s the full slate of day 2 picks:
Round 5:: Lucas Davenport, RHP, Baylor
Round 6: Brett Lanman, LHP, Abilene Christian
Round 7: Kide Adetuyi, LHP, Florida Atlantic
Round 8: Josh Volmerding, LHP, California Polytechnic
Round 9: Martin Shelar, OF, Marist School (GA)
Round 10: Kaleb LaFavor, RHP, Bishop Heelan High (IA)
Round 11: Wills Maginnis, SS, Georgia State
Round 12: Jacob Webster, SS, Oak Hills High (CA)
Round 13: Mason Lei, RHP, University of Illinois-Chicago
Round 14: Jase Evangelista, RHP, UNLV
Round 15: Chase Frey, LHP, Grand Canyon
Round 16: Colton Coates, SS, Louisiana Tech
Round 17: Alex Kranzler, RHP, Vanderbilt
Round18: Ethan Offing, OF Dutch Fork HS (SC)
Round19: Luis Calderon, RHP, El Shaddai Christian HS (PR)
The Arkansas right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2025, but pitched 14 innings in 14 games out of the Razorbacks' bullpen before going under the knife. In that span, he allowed five earned runs on seven hits and nine walks while striking out 20 batters.
Robbins, 21, had a very strong season with the Longhorns. He slashed .333/.426/.696 with an OPS of 1.122 to go along with his 24 home runs and 64 RBI across 60 games during his third collegiate year.
Sdao, 22, has played three seasons with Texas A&M, amassing a 13-6 record to go along with his 5.22 ERA across 59 games (20 starts). This past season, he has pitched to a 7.03 ERA, but that's after having Tommy John surgery that knocked him out for the 2025 season.
The season prior to surgery, Sdao pitched to a 2.96 ERA across 20 games (five starts) in 2024.
DAY 2
Fifth round, pick No. 152: RHP Luke McNeillie
Over the course of three seasons at the University of Florida, McNeillie has been used almost exclusively as a relief pitcher. He has registered a 5.24 ERA and 1.467 WHIP across 122.0 collegiate innings. With a fastball that can touch 99 mph and a heavy dose of sliders sporting significant movement, the 21-year-old could be converted into a starting pitcher in the long-term. Tallied 163 strikeouts to 62 walks during his time with the Gators.
Sixth round, pick No. 181: RHP Alex Petrovic
A big right-hander – 6-foot-5, 235 pounds – Petrovic made 31 appearances (22 starts) across three seasons with the Auburn Tigers. During that time, he pitched a 3.60 ERA and 1.054 WHIP over 122.1 innings, surrendering 43 runs (49 earned) on 98 hits and 31 walks to 134 strikeouts. The bulk of that came during the 22-year-old's final season (92.2 innings over 17 starts) as he posted a 3.21 ERA with 8.9 strikeouts per nine.
Seventh round, pick No. 210: RHP Aidan Keenan
Keenan is a 21-year-old reliever who stayed in-state to attend Stanford University in California, where he has appeared in 36 games (eight starts) and recorded six saves through three seasons with a 5.79 ERA and 1.592 WHIP. The right-hander has had some control issues, but he has flashed big strikeout stuff with 75 in 65.1 collegiate innings.
Eighth round, pick No. 240: RHP Landon Koenig
Koenig, 21, pitched last season with Ole Miss after transferring in from North Dakota State. During his lone season in the SEC, the 6-foot-6 righty had a 6.35 ERA and 1.853 WHIP in 22.2 innings over 17 games, but flashed with 33 strikeouts to seven walks. During his two seasons with the Bison, he struck out 87 in 106.1 innings of work.
Ninth round, pick No. 270: C Ryan Tayman
Tayman is a 20-year-old catcher who has clubbed 29 home runs in 123 games for two schools - California (Berkeley) in 2024 and 2025 and Cal Poly (San Luis Obispo) in 2026 - across three collegiate seasons. He boasts an NCAA career OPS of .995, and both bats and throws righty.
10th round, pick No 300: RHP Nate Isler
Isler, 21, is another big pitcher at 6-foot-6. In three seasons with Dartmouth, he pitched to a 6.89 ERA and 1.716 WHIP in 141 innings over 33 games (26 starts) with 140 strikeouts to 53 walks. He had his best collegiate season this past year, striking out 80 in 65 innings over 11 starts with a 4.98 ERA.
11th round, pick No 330: OF Kuhio Aloy
Born and raised in Hawaii, Aloy transferred from BYU to Arkansas after his freshman year. Both throwing and batting right-handed, Aloy has totaled 30 home runs across 162 NCAA games, recording an .859 OPS at that level in the process.
12th round, pick No 360: RHP AJ Krodel
Yet another Californian, Krodel is a right-handed reliever who stands 6'4". The 21-year-old has generated strikeouts at a good clip during his three seasons at UC Santa Barbara with a career 11.3 SO/9 in the NCAA.
13th round, pick No 390: C Jacob Madrid
New York went into the high school ranks to grab the 6-foot-5 backstop out of Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California. The 18-year-old had committed to play college ball at Oregon.
14th round, pick No 420: LHP Zach Crotchfelt
Crotchfelt, who turns 23 in October, pitched for three schools in college, starting his career with two years at Auburn before spending a year each with Texas Tech and Troy. The righty got it right last year, pitching to a 3.49 ERA and 1.328 WHIP in 67.0 innings over 29 games (one start) for the Trojans, striking out 81 with just 23 walks.
15th round, pick No 450: RHP Dustin Hagens Jr.
Hagens, 21, pitched three seasons with Missouri-St. Louis in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. After being a starter for most of his first two years (22 starts out of 29 games), he worked almost exclusively out of the bullpen in 2026 (19 of 20 games in relief) and pitched to a 3.89 ERA and 1.271 WHIP over 39.1 innings with 57 strikeouts to 18 walks.
16th round, pick No 480: RHP Gavin Guidry
In three years at LSU, Guidry has featured as a relief pitcher, starting pitcher, and middle infielder (albeit sparingly). As a 22-year-old in 2026, he has spent his time exclusively on the mound, and through 20 appearances (including three starts), he struck out 59 batters in 43.2 innings. He missed the entirety of his school's 2025 season after requiring surgery for a herniated disc in his back.
17th round, pick No 510: RHP Cooper Dossett
The 22-year-old righty reliever stayed in-state to attend the University of Arkansas. Through three seasons with the Razorbacks, he has recorded 41 strikeouts in 34.1 innings, and has notched one save as well.
18th round, pick No 540: OF Marcus Ward
Ward is an 18-year-old outfielder who both bats and throws left-handed. He is listed at 5'11" tall and is committed to Western Carolina University.
19th round, pick No 570: OF John Smith III
Outfielder John Smith III, drafted as a 22-year-old, recorded a .919 OPS across two seasons of college baseball, one at UCF and one at South Alabama. He both bats and throws right-handed.
20th round, pick No 600: SS Kooper Schulte
The 22-year-old shortstop has taken the road less traveled in becoming an MLB draft pick. He spent time at Central Arizona College and Southeastern Iowa Community College before moving to the University of Iowa in 2026, where he broke out with an .840 OPS and 11 stolen bases in 56 games.
Baseball's biggest stars from the American and National Leagues are set to clash in the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, with the 96th edition of the Midsummer Classic taking place in Philadelphia on Tuesday, July 14.
Phillies fans have plenty to cheer for in this year's All-Star Game, as stars Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Cristopher Sánchez lead several home favorites selected to represent the host city alongside familiar foe and Mets superstar Juan Soto, Braves standout 2B Ozzie Albies and more. That's not to mention the likes of speedy outfielders Pete Crow-Armstrong and Corbin Carroll, who make their ways east to shine under the lights.
They'll be matched up against a loaded American League roster featuring the likes of veteran star Mike Trout, Royals face of the franchise Bobby Witt Jr. and the imposing Yordan Alvarez, with a pair of standout rookies (Tigers’ Kevin McGonigle, Guardians' Travis Bazzana) among 26 of this year's first-time All-Stars.
Below is everything you need to know about the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, including the schedule, how to watch information, and this year’s rosters.
How to watch 2026 MLB All Star Game
Fans can watch the 2026 MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 14, on FOX at 8pm ET. Pregame coverage will start at 7pm ET.
When and where is the 2026 MLB All Star Game?
This year's MLB All-Star Game will be held at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Tuesday, July 14.
What time is the 2026 MLB All Star Game?
First pitch is scheduled for 8pm ET.
2026 MLB All Star Game starters and full rosters
* = Replacement
American League
Starters:
C: Shea Langeliers (ATH)
1B: Nick Kurtz (ATH) — Out due to injury, with Tristan Peters (CWS) taking Kurtz's roster spot
2B: Ernie Clement (TOR)
3B: Junior Caminero (TB)
SS: Bobby Witt Jr. (KC)
OF: Mike Trout (LAA)
OF: Riley Greene (DET)
OF: Cody Bellinger (NYY)
DH: Yordan Alvarez (HOU)
Original starting players 1B Vladimir Guerrero, OF Aaron Judge,and OF Byron Buxtonwill miss the All-Star Game.
Starting pitchers:
RHP: Dylan Cease (TOR)
LHP: Parker Messick (CLE)
RHP: Nick Martinez (TB)*
RHP: Drew Rasmussen (TB)
RHP: Joe Ryan (MIN)
RHP: Cam Schlittler (NYY) - Announced Sunday he will not pitch in All-Star Game
LHP: Ranger Suarez (BOS)
RHP: Michael Wacha (KC)
Commissioner's Legend Pick, SP Justin Verlander, will not play in All-Star Game.
Relief pitchers:
RHP: Bryan Baker (TB)
LHP: Aroldis Chapman (BOS)
LHP: Jacob Latz (TEX)
RHP: Cade Smith (CLE)
RHP: Louis Varland (TOR)
National League
Starters
C: Drake Baldwin (ATL)
1B: Freddie Freeman (LAD)
2B: Ozzie Albies (ATL)
3B: Max Muncy (LAD)
SS: CJ Abrams (WSH)
OF: Brandon Marsh (PHI)
OF: Juan Soto (NYM)
OF: Andy Pages (LAD)
DH: Shohei Ohtani (LAD) — Will not play in game
Reserves
C: William Contreras (MIL)
C: Hunter Goodman (COL)
INF: Luis Arraez (SF)
INF: Bryce Harper (PHI)
INF: Otto Lopez (MIA)
INF: Matt Olson (ATL)
INF: Sal Stewart (CIN)
OF: Corbin Carroll (AZ)
OF: Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC)
OF: Jordan Walker (STL)
OF: James Wood (WSH)
DH: Kyle Schwarber (PHI)
DH: Ivan Herrera (STL)*
Starting pitchers
RHP: Braxton Ashcraft (PIT)* - Justin Wrobleski (LAD) to take Ashcraft's spot
RHP: Chase Burns (CIN) - Out due to injury, with Foster Griffin (WSH) taking Burn's roster spot
LHP: Jesús Luzardo (PHI)*
RHP: Max Meyer (MIA)
RHP: Jacob Misiorowski (MIL)
LHP: Eduardo Rodriguez (AZ)
LHP: Chris Sale (ATL)
LHP: Cristopher Sánchez (PHI)
RHP: Paul Skenes (PIT)
RHP: Logan Webb (SF)
RHP: Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD)
LHP: Foster Griffin (WSH)*
Relief pitchers
RHP: Jhoan Duran (PHI)
RHP: Raisel Iglesias (ATL)
RHP: Mason Miller (SD)
RHP: Riley O'Brien (STL)*
Is Aaron Judge playing in the 2026 MLB All Star Game?
Despite being elected as an American League starter, the eight-time All-Star and Yankees captain will miss the game as he recovers from injury.
Is Shohei Ohtani playing in the 2026 MLB All Star Game?
Ohtani, a six-time All-Star, will not play in this year's Midsummer Classic after the Dodgers announced their two-way superstar would receive "medical interventions" regarding his left knee. Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera was named as Ohtani's replacement.
Who won the 2025 MLB All Star Game?
The 2025 All-Star Game ended in historic fashion with the first-ever swing-off to break the 6-6 tie between the NL and AL teams. With three homers in the Derby-esque contest, Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber helped the NL take home the win, while securing Ted Williams All-Star Game MVP honors in the process.
MLB Sunday Leadoff is a weekly Major League Baseball showcase featuring live Sunday daytime games. It highlights marquee matchups throughout the regular season and streams primarily on Peacock, with some games also airing across NBC Sports and NBC.
MLB Sunday Night Baseball is a weekly primetime Major League Baseball showcase, featuring marquee matchups each Sunday night during the regular season. The games air on NBC and Peacock and anchor NBC Sports’ Sunday night programming lineup.
NBC Sports will also stream one out-of-market game each day of the 2026 MLB season nationally on Peacock. Telemundo Deportes will present all NBCUniversal-produced MLB games in Spanish, with Universo televising all games broadcast on NBC.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JULY 12: Eugenio Suárez #28 of the Cincinnati Reds gestures as he rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs at Great American Ball Park on July 12, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jeff Dean/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There was a poignant moment for the Cincinnati Reds during their 8-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs in Great American Ball Park on Sunday afternoon. The Reds, last place residents of the NL Central and now 9 games under .500, actually looked like they might have figured things out for once.
Andrew Abbott had labored through a 30 pitch Top of the 1st and the Reds had fallen behind immediately 2-0. However, they finally found a way to battle back against Cubs lefty Matthew Boyd, the culmination of which was a 433 foot blast into the upper deck in LF by Eugenio Suarez to give them a 4-2 lead.
They’d flipped the scoreboard. Geno’s homer was his 200th as a member of the Reds, which was awesome. VIbes heading into the All Star break suddenly felt like they were on the right track again.
Then came an otherwise routine grounder up the middle in the bottom half of the frame. The Cubs had loaded the bags against Abbott with 2-out, and Kevin Alcantara poked a comebacker right past the Cincinnati southpaw towards the bag at 2B, where Edwin Arroyo was perfectly positioned to field it, step on the bag, and end the threat. The ball, however, had other plans, and doinked off the bag and over into RF for a shit-luck single that scored a pair of runners to tie the game.
Just as soon as the vibes around the team felt good, for once, they immediately turned sour again.
By the time the Top of the 7th rolled around, things just felt inevitable. With Sam Moll on the mound, another slow grounder to almost the exact same spot went to Arroyo, who fielded it and momentarily hesitated between trying to tag the runner or throw to 1B – and by the time he threw, it was too late. That chased Moll, Pierce Johnson was summoned, and Pierce immediately served up the back-breaking 3-run bomb to Alex Bregman.
That poignant moment? Initially I thought it was Geno’s homer, a feel-good blast that, at 111.3 mph off the bat, was his hardest-hit ball of the year and gave him homers in back to back games. He’s getting hot, I said out loud. He’s going to help carry the Reds for a bit!
Of course, that was only to realize there’s no game tomorrow. There’s not a game for days. The Reds lost anyway despite Geno’s big swat, and the actual poignant moment was that we’re almost certainly heading into the final three weeks of his Cincinnati career.
The Reds have just 16 games between now and the August 3rd trade deadline, and Geno getting hot would be a blessing for Nick Krall, assuming he’s still in charge of the team by then. However, the first 9 games out of the break are all on the road (including out here in Colorado where I plan to go see them), and by the time the Reds return home on July 27th Geno could well already be in a different uniform. That’s just how all of this works when the losses stack up way faster than the wins.
So, the 200th dinger of his Reds career could very well be his final swat in GABP in a Reds uniform. Hell, today might well have been the last time we ever get to see him in GABP in a Reds uniform altogether.
Someone’s going to trade for him. The Reds might have to eat a little cash, but his ability to get fiery-hot in streaks and track record mean that the back of his baseball card this year – which was interrupted for the first time in his career by an oblique issue that he’s had to fight back from – aren’t going to simply make teams avoid him altogether. That swing today, that 111 mph missile, is exactly what the circling sharks want to see from him, and they’ll pay more attention to that one day after he went the other way for a different homer than they will to his overall struggles since Opening Day.
We got to see Geno hit a high note again on Sunday in an another otherwise lost season in Cincinnati, a throwback to when he used to do that in these kinds of seasons all the time when we were younger. At least we all managed to get that once more.
AUSTIN, TEXAS - JANUARY 7: Leffew Haiden #12 of the Texas Longhorns poses for a portrait on Texas baseball media day on January 7, 2026 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by The University of Texas Athletics/University Images via Getty Images)
With the MLB Draft wrapping up early Sunday evening, news broke that Texas Longhorns left-hander Haiden Leffew will return to the Forty Acres for the 2027 season after going unselected through the first 19 rounds, according to a report from Horns247.
Haiden Leffew, who went through the MLB Draft combine and has not yet been selected, will return to Texas for 2027, I'm told.
The 6’1, 235-pounder has exhausted three seasons of eligibility. Perfect Game ranked Leffew as the No. 367 prospect in this year’s draft.
As a high school recruit, Leffew was slotted just outside the top-150 prospects nationally by Perfect Game when he signed with Wake Forest out of Kannapolis, N.C. as a member of the 2023 recruiting class.
As a freshman, Leffew was difficult to hit, striking out 38 batters over 35.1 innings and limiting opponents to a .221 batting average, but he also had some command issues, ultimately posting a 6.11 ERA because he walked 27 batters, hit six batters, and threw eight wild pitches. Of the 20 appearances by Leffew in 2024, he started five games.
Working exclusively out of the bullpen in 2025, Leffew cut his hit by pitches and wild pitches in half, so although the batting average against him increased to .263, he was able to go 4-1 with a 4.46 ERA while increasing his strikeout rate with improved command, striking out 59 batters in 34.1 innings over 27 appearances, which led the team. Leffew also recorded four of the team’s 13 saves.
After entering the NCAA transfer portal, Leffew committed to Texas last June as the No. 14 overall player in the portal by 64Analytics thanks to a fastball that reached into the mid-90s and a plus-plus changeup that induced a 72.1-percent whiff rate.
For the Longhorns, Leffew served in a high-leverage role out of the bullpen, appearing in 17 games while notching a 4-1 record with a 4.05 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 20 innings. Opponents only hit .176 against Leffew, who also dealt with some command issues, walking 15 batters, throwing three wild pitches, and hitting two other batters.
Due to an undisclosed late-season injury, Leffew only made one appearance in the postseason, failing to record an out against UC Santa Barbara in the Austin Regional, ultimately giving up two runs, one earned, while walking two batters.
Leffew’s command issues remain concerning, but his combination of experience and pure stuff will ensure that he once again occupies a high-leverage role in Max Weiner’s bullpen in 2027 with remaining upside to unlock if he can work more consistently in the strike zone — when he was on, he was essentially unhittable this season.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 11: Commissioner of Major League Baseball Robert D. Manfred announces Hunter Dietz as the 35th overall pick by the New York Yankees during the 2026 MLB Draft presented by Nippon Express at Pennsylvania Convention Center on Saturday, July 11, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
After a long couple of days, we’re nearing the end of the 2026 MLB Draft. The league’s 30 teams have combed through the amateur ranks and called out hundreds of names, with five rounds left of picks to make. The Yankees are hoping they’ve found themselves an exciting new generation of Baby Bombers with their selections; they started things off with a couple of young bats and college arms on Day 1, and have pulled from the ranks of prep bats, college hitters, and college arms so faron Day 2.
Stay with us as we come down the home stretch and the Yankees make their 16th- through 20th-round picks!
We’re back underway, and the Yankees have gone with pitcher Garrett Ahern out of Grand Canyon. A lean right-hander, Ahern has struggled to keep runs off the board in college but did record his fair of strikeouts. He has a rough-looking 6.02 ERA in 145 innings as a collegiate pitcher, striking 145 against 58 walks in that time. College baseball writer Daniel Allen posted on Twitter/X that Ahern sits 91-93 mph from a sidearm delivery that deceives opposing hitters. Ahern apparently has transferred to Arizona from Grand Canyon, but he could be an interesting project should the Yankees be able to convince him to sign.
Another round, another tall, right-handed college arm head to the Yankees. Krieger struggled in his first season with the University of Maine, running a 5.26 ERA in 65 innings in 2024 before missing the 2025 season with Tommy John surgery. He got off to a tough start to his 2026 campaign, posting a 7.24 ERA over his first 32 innings, but closed things out strong, including an eight-start stretch where he managed a 2.52 ERA. He’s followed that up with a great run in the Cape Cod League, allowing one earned run over four appearances and 15.1 innings.
You can read more on Krieger’s road to this point in a touching and sad story from the York Daily Record. Krieger lost his father to pancreatic cancer in 2018 and has stated that his goal is to make the big leagues for his dad.
The Yankees take their fourth outfielder of this draft, this time Blake Cyr out of Florida. Cyr played his high school ball at Windermere High School in Florida, started college at Miami, then transferred to Florida for his last two collegiate seasons. Cyr’s senior campaign was his best, hitting .316/.398/.591 with 14 dingers in 56 games. We don’t have much scouting info on Cyr, though you can see what looks like a somewhat long but powerful right swing here:
With their 19th pick, the Yankees make a rare foray into the lands of non-premium defensive positions, popping Texas kid Tyce Armstrong. The 23-year-old attended high school in Magnolia, TX, went to UT Arlington for his first three college seasons, then transferred to Baylor for 2026. Armstrong raked in the Big 12 this year, posting a .338/.453/.757 slash line with 24 homers in 56 games. He shares an NCAA record as one of just two players to ever hit three grand slams in one game:
After 20 rounds and over 600 picks, the 2026 MLB Draft is in the books! The Yankees closed out their draft with their fifth outfielder, Dean Toigo out of Arizona State. Toigo has followed a winding route in college, starting out with the Hope International Royals of the NAIA, transferring to UNLV for the 2025 season, before ending up with Arizona State in 2026. The 23-year-old has hit at every stop, posting a 1.032 OPS with Hope International, an 1.127 OPS with UNLV, and a 1.072 OPS with 20 homers in 60 games with ASU this year.
The New York Yankees select Dean Toigo of Arizona State University with their final pick of the 2026 MLB Draft!! (Rd 20, Pick 608)
Toigo posted a .321 average and a 1.072 OPS with 15 doubles and 20 homers across 60 games last year
Baseball America has praise for Toigo’s left-handed power:
The power is loud, especially to the pull side, where Toigo’s swing produced towering damage. His underlying metrics back it up… but there is chase in the approach. He expanded the zone more than 30% of the time, particularly against breaking stuff, and will need refinement to make the most of his offensive potential
With that, our live coverage of the 2026 MLB Draft comes to a close. Thanks for following along with us as we learned about the latest generation of Baby Bombers.
Jul 12, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Seattle Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford (3) hits a base hit against the Tampa Bay Rays in the fourth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The Mariners have had a tough run of games on this road trip. In particular, it seems the Florida heat may have gotten to the boys a bit, as the Mariners come into the final game of the first half of the season on a five-game losing streak.
Things got off to an inauspicious start when Hancock took a line drive from Jonathan Aranda on the first pitch of the game off his throwing hand. Hancock would go on to finish the inning, all smiles and thumbs up, but to say the training staff and Wilson felt confident in that would be a lie. In the bottom of the second, Hancock walked Victor Mesa Jr. with two outs, and was promptly pulled from the game for José Ferrer, who ended the inning.
Alright, so an unintentional bullpen day is incoming… when the Mariners have been struggling to score runs… and got blown out 6-1 the day before… no one would blame you if you started reaching for the remote. However, despite everything looking like the Mariners were cruising for a bruising, things didn’t shake out that way.
Top of the second, Josh Naylor got things started with a single. Garver followed with a walk, and Cole Young hit a single of his own, loading the bases for Victor Robles. Typically, when the Mariners get into this type of situation, many fans would get to witness a NOBLETIGER, a common phenomenon for the Mariners, but today things were different. Robles slapped a ball that sunk fast into the outfield, caught by a diving Mullins, allowing Naylor to score from third.
Ok, maybe the Mariners aren’t as dead in the water as we might have thought. I guess I’ll settle back into the couch for a couple more innings. I mean, they may blow it, but at least they scored with runners on.
Cole Young stole second as Weston Wilson struck out. Buddy Kennedy followed that up with a walk, bringing J.P. Crawford to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded again. J.P. proceeded to inside-out a pitch into left field for a double, scoring two more and putting the Mariners up 3-0 in the second.
But the Mariners were far from done; this team was determined to go into the All-Star break on a high note. Hearing all the slander we have been putting on his name, Weston Wilson hit his second home run of the season to left field, extending the Mariners’ lead to four.
Buddy Kennedy reached on an error and was advanced to second by a single from J.P. Crawford, putting two men on for Randy Arozarena. Of course, sensing the attention shifting off of him for a moment, Randy hit a three-run homer to right field.
The Mariners took a 7-0 lead, and didn’t relinquish it from there. Jonathan Aranda did get a good swing in the 8th against Bazardo, though, and ended the shutout with a home run of his own.
The double from Crawford was the final nail in the coffin for the Rays; if the Aranda home run had given them any momentum at all, it had quietly been snuffed out by the back-to-back doubles from Kennedy and Crawford in the bottom of the inning. Munoz entered in the bottom of the 9th to shut the door and end the Mariners chapter on the first half of the season.
The Mariners finish the first half in second place in the AL West with a record of 48-49. This team has struggled a lot on the road this year, and that has been compounded by a lot of guys missing time with injury and just some plain old slumps from some of the more important batters in the lineup. But the first half is over now, we can only hope that this game is a sign of more to come in the second half of the season.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - JULY 12: Brayan Rocchio #4 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run against the Miami Marlins in the fifth inning of the game at loanDepot park on July 12, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Guardians swept the Miami Marlins heading into the All-Star break. Joey Cantillo had a great start and improved to 8-4 on the season with today’s win. Cantillo threw 85 pitches in 5.0 innings of work. He allowed only one run on six hits and two walks. Joey struck out nine batters.
In the bottom of the second Cantillo pitched into a bases loaded, no outs situation. Back-to-back singles started off the inning and a walk loaded the bases. Cantillo locked in and got a pop out and two strikeouts to escape without allowing a run.
Franco Aleman came on in the sixth, Hunter Gaddis pitched the seventh, and Shawn Armstrong pitched the eighth. All three went scoreless, hitless outings. Cade closed the game in a non-save situation. He gave up two hits and a solo home run, but retired the side to “book it.”
In the top of the first Travis Bazzana lead off the game with a four pitch walk and a stolen base. Brayan Rocchio drove Bazzana in on a single to right field.
Kyle Manzardo, with one out, singled on a liner to left, scoring Rocchio.
In the top of the fifth, Rocchio lead off the inning with a homer to right field.
In the top of the seventh, the Guards extended their lead. Travis Bazzana was hit by pitch to start the inning. With two outs, Kyle Manzardo reached on a fielding error and advanced Bazzana to third. Kahlil Watson hit a single to short that deflected off the pitcher, scoring Bazz.
After being the only player to get on base, in the top of the ninth, Chase DeLauter demolished a fast ball. DeLauter hit a 435 foot home run to the upper deck, putting the Guardians up 5-1.
This was a refreshing series to go into the All-Star Break with. A sweep, a four win streak, and multiple home runs. José and Angel are due back after the All-Star Break, just in time for a big push before the trade deadline on August 3rd.
DETROIT, MI - JULY 12: Zack Wheeler #45 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches against the Detroit Tigers during the second inning at Comerica Park on July 12, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I will admit: I didn’t watch much of this game. I was at my son’s baseball tournament all day and have to go off of vibes and highlights. But there was something at the tournament that struck me as similar to what happened with Zack Wheeler.
The opposing coach was doing a little smack talk about my son’s team, talking about how bad they were. There was some disrespect exuding from that dugout all day, talking about everything from the pitcher to the kids at bat to the umpire’s friendly only one way strike zone. It’s a bit of a stretch, but it reminded me of the disrespect that Wheeler was feeling from not being selected to the All-Star Game. He was reportedly asked to participate, but declined, not wanting to be a fifth choice for anyone. Since that slight last week, Wheeler has taken it out on the competition. Today’s six innings of scoreless ball meant his two games he pitched this week were both scoreless and dominant. Ten more strikeouts today raised that total, zero runs allowed meant his ERA went in the opposite direction.
I’m completely here for his not wanting to go back to Philadelphia for the game Tuesday. MLB screwed up with not letting him represent his team in his city, no matter how much they want to try and make it right. They should have done it the first time rather than waiting around to try and fix things on the fly. They need to get their act together with this All-Star Game.
Oh, my son’s team? They won that game and eventually the tournament.
The first half is officially in the books, and the Chicago White Sox are in first place.
Sam Antonacci and Braden Montgomery homered, Miguel Vargas and Kyle Teel had multi-hit performances, and Noah Schultz threw five mostly stress-free innings as the Good Guys picked up their 50th win of the season, 9-1 over the Sacramento Athletics. The win lets them keep pace with the Cleveland Guardians at the top of the AL Central with fewer than 70 games left to play.
A six-run explosion in the first inning against A’s starter J.T. Ginn led the charge, sparked by Antonacci’s third leadoff blast in the last 22 days and punctuated by Braden’s drifting three-run shot six hitters later. By the time they tacked on three more in the fifth inning to bring the score to its final resting place of 9-1, the afternoon felt like a celebration of one of recent memory’s more remarkable first halves.
A sweep of the Athletics to ride high to the break feels like a fitting bookend to a half that began in earnest with the Sox three-game trip to Sacramento in mid-April. We didn’t know it at the time, of course, but it was a series with Athletics that lit a fire which has now grown into the club’s first legitimate contender in a half-decade. On April 17, they flew into Sacramento on the heels of getting dusted for three games at home by the Tampa Bay Rays, dropping them to 6-13 with a -40 run differential on the season. A thumping 9-2 win to kick things off at Sutter Home Park set the pace for a series win, and the rest is history.
Since that 19-game thumping to start the season, Chicago has built a 44-32 record (a 93-win pace), with a +75 run differential that’s comfortably in the Top 10 in the big leagues. It’s not an elite, world-beating pace, but it feels sustainable. And fully playoff-worthy.
The Sox put this one away early, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t a moment of tension. Though the July heat had the ball flying out of the yard, Noah Schultz’s velocity coming out of the gate was middling, and two of the first three batted balls he allowed checked in north of 100 mph, including a 105 mph blast from Shea Langeliers that gave the A’s a brief 1-0 lead. Schulta had allowed at least three earned runs in six consecutive starts, and another shaky outing would not be the positive note the Sox pitching staff wanted to go into the break on.
Whether the offense’s outburst helped take some pressure off, or if it was always meant to be, Schultz settled in for one of his best outings as a big-leaguer. He needed just 74 pitches to get through five innings, scattering just two other hits and (perhaps most critically) successfully avoiding a walk for just the second time in his 11 outings. In today’s game thread, I questioned Schultz’s heavy usage of a sinker that to this point had failed to generate positive results. The answer was a season-low 10% sinkers and an aggressively changeup-heavy approach to right-handed hitters while continuing to get good results with his nasty sweeper against hitters of both hands.
Lots of broadcast time in both booths was deservedly dedicated to the Sox All-Star trio of Vargas, Munetaka Murakami, and Tristan Peters. This week will be the first time since 2006 that the South Siders have sent three hitters to the All-Star Game, when Paul Konerko, Jermaine Dye, Jim Thome and A.J. Pierzynski all made the trip to Pittsburgh on their behalf. Vargas did notch his 20th double of the season, but Murakami and Peters were held to a 1-for-7 showing otherwise.
Vargas’ double made him the sixth Sox player to reach 20 homers and 20 doubles before the break, joining Frank Thomas (1993, 1994, 2003), José Abreu (2014, 2019), Luis Robert Jr. (2023), Jermaine Dye (2008), and Magglio Ordoñez (2000). Colson Montgomery, perhaps the other major star presence in the lineup at the moment, had a muted 1-for-4 afternoon.
Today was a day for the All-Stars, but also for the Garrett Crochet trade. Six of the nine Chicago runs were generated by Teel and Braden, while Chase Meidroth made some nice plays at the keystone despite an 0-for-4 day at the plate. Teel’s two-run single in the first inning was the scoring bridge between homers from Antonacci and Braden, with Braden also breaking the scoring open in the fifth inning with an RBI single. Peters was responsible for one other run batted in on a fielder’s choice, and the final Sox run was charged to a wild pitch.
Perhaps sensing a vacation on the horizon, the Sox bullpen was uncharacteristically efficient this afternoon. Jordan Hicks continues to look like a completely new reliever since his latest IL activation, striking out the side in order in immediate relief of Schultz. He’s faced 27 hitters over his last seven appearances, and he’s struck out 15 of them against just two hits and one walk. His fastball velocity continues to be up roughly 2 mph from its pre-injury levels. If this is the Hicks we can expect in the second half, it’ll be some badly needed relief for a bullpen that’s already crawling to the finish line.
They didn’t need to crawl today. When Seranthony Domínguez delivered an all-too-rare 1-2-3 inning in relief of Hicks, things felt strangely right in the world. Tyler Schweitzer had the audacity to allow a hit in each of his two innings of work. I don’t think anybody in that ballpark or watching at home thought it mattered.
I’m just going to leave this here instead. Not updated to include today’s result.
That does it for the first half! We’ll be seeing you tomorrow evening to watch Munetaka Murakami compete in the Home Run Derby at 7 p.m. CT on Netflix, joined by Vargas and Peters at the same time on Tuesday for the All-Star Game itself on Fox.
Apologies, our latest free poll embed software has gone under. That’s two such programs going defunct under our feet. We’ll regather and figure out what to use going forward, and will likely still stick polls here for this game at some point over the break. So check back!
