Category: Baseball

For the second straight year, the Brewers will have one of baseball’s premier prospects on the Futures Game stage. This time, he’ll have company.

Baseball’s consensus top prospect, shortstop Jesús Made, will represent the Brewers for the second straight year at the annual prospect showcase. Made has backed up the hype this season, slashing .289/.359/.448 (.807 OPS) with seven home runs and 25 total extra-base hits while helping lead the Double-A Biloxi Shuckers to the first-half Southern League title. MLB Pipeline gives Made 60-grade hit, power, and arm tools, making him one of the most well-rounded prospects in baseball.

Joining Made in Philadelphia will be Luis Peña, the Brewers’ No. 2 prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 18 overall prospect. Peña has missed a lot of time this year — he was hospitalized after overheating in the dugout during a game with the High-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in April, then missed another two and a half weeks following a separate health scare.

When he’s played, Peña has been as electric as expected, slashing .318/.431/.432 (.863 OPS) through 88 at-bats. The 19-year-old infielder carries a 60 future value from MLB Pipeline, including an impressive 70-grade speed tool, and he posted an .844 OPS in Single-A before earning a promotion to High-A earlier this season. If Peña can stay healthy, he has just as much upside as Made.

Brewers fans hoping to catch Made and Peña on the national stage can tune into the All-Star Futures Game on Sunday, July 12. First pitch from Citizens Bank Park is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. CT, airing exclusively on NBC.

If you are heading down to the Phillies game this afternoon, you are braver than most.

The weather forecast is something akin to the surface of the sun, as the temperature is expected to reach into the triple digits with feels like temperatures surpassing 110 degrees. For all of you brave souls acknowledging that and still making the trek to watch an Alan Rangel start, please be careful and remember that you are allowed to bring a sealed bottle of water into Citizens Bank Park.

Anyway, extreme heat is something you just have to deal with sometimes as a baseball fan. A sport that is primarily played in summer is bound to have days where it is absolutely miserable to sit outside at a game. And yet, thousands of us still go take in a ballgame, even if the seats we’re sitting in are melting our skin.

Personally, I can think of two examples of when I went to a ballgame in ridiculous heat. The first is the 2008 ten-year reunion game that took place in 2018. The Phillies beat the Marlins 5-3 on the back of a two-run homer from Asdrubal Cabrera in the eighth inning. Tommy Hunter got the save in the ninth inning. It was the first time I ever experienced the concessions stands giving out free cups of water. My cousin and I also grabbed ice from the concession stands and stuck them under our hats in an attempt to stay cool. I got some real bad sunburn on my kneecaps, as I did not realize that sometimes when you sit down, your shorts don’t quite cover the same length that they did when you put sunscreen on as you were standing. We also pulled our own doubleheader that day, as we went to the Eagles open practice that night, being that it was the first time they took the field after Super Bowl 52. Cory Clement was the first player on the field to thunderous applause. There I remember standing in line for a bottle of water and realizing if the line didn’t move faster, I would probably pass out. Good times.

I can’t remember the other example as clearly, but I’m pretty sure it involved an extra-innings walk-off hit from Odubel Herrera where I was just happy that the game was over, as I’m sure many were in an era where a walk-off hit from Odubel Herrera was a highlight.

So, what’s the hottest baseball game you’re ever been too? Is there anyone heading to the game this afternoon?

A new month brings a new top prospects list, and with a handful of top prospects on the shelf, it wasn’t a particularly exciting month in the Twins system, but it also put more focus on some of the under-the-radar prospects who have begun to look like MLB-caliber talents. We saw a bunch of big promotions including SS Marek Houston heading to Double-A as well as Kyler Fedko and Marco Raya making their major league debuts! You can find my June rankings here if you’d like to compare. Once again, but hopefully not too many more times, we begin the list with the one and only…

1. OF Walker Jenkins (AAA)

Now back with the Saints after missing over a month with a shoulder sprain, Walker Jenkins’ long-awaited MLB debut seems to be approaching, which I recently wrote about here. He’s a franchise cornerstone who projects to be a star player for the Twins for years to come.

It’s pretty hard to find a weakness in his game. Offensively, he is an extremely mature hitter at just 21 years old. Excellent patience and spin recognition have led to high walk rates at every level. His hit tool is borderline plus, consistently running high contact rates while batting over .280 in every season of his pro career. His raw power is already above average and has potential for further growth. His line drive swing may never produce eye-popping home run numbers, but he can hit 15-20 while spraying doubles all over the field and getting on base at a high rate.

Defensively, he has a plus arm with solid range. Has a chance to stick in center, but projects very well in a corner. Not an aggressive base-stealer, but a good runner that can provide value with his legs. Just a complete player who I cannot wait to see in a Twins uniform.

2. OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (AAA)

There’s not much left to say about Emmanuel Rodriguez at this point. When he’s healthy, he’s a power-hitting phenom, possessing some of the best raw power in the world with a max EV of 118.3 mph. His contact skills leave some room for concern, but his excellent swing decisions have helped him walk over 20% of the time in his minor league career. He’s an above-average runner who plays a good center field, but may end up in a corner with the Twins.

He’s slashing .247/.417/.506 for a 138 wRC+ with 6 homers in 25 games with the Saints this season. The recovery timeline from his thumb surgery in May is unknown, but Rodriguez is ready for a new challenge and should be in the big leagues soon after returning from injury.

3. SS Kaelen Culpepper (AAA)

Kaelen Culpepper’s bat has been highly impressive ever since he was drafted in the first round in 2024. He has a beautiful swing that holds a good mix of borderline plus contact skills and solid functional power. The big development in 2026 has been a new approach. Culpepper has historically been a free swinger that runs high chase rates, but this season he has cut back his swing rates significantly. He now has a walk rate over 12% in Triple-A this season, up from his 9.7% clip last year.

He’s a good runner who tallied 25 stolen bags in 2025 and has remained aggressive and successful this season. Defensively, he doesn’t have the elite twitchy actions of a gold glove shortstop, but he’s a good athlete with a good arm who has been a reliable defender this year. Unless Ryan Kreidler can continue his breakout, Culpepper is likely the Twins best option at shortstop. Either way, he projects as a valuable defender anywhere in the infield.

4. C Eduardo Tait (A+)

It was a great month of June for the Twins’ top catching prospect as he continued to pile up homers but also started running into more contact. Tait batted .250 on the month with a 18.8% strikeout rate. His monstrous power combined with an average hit tool could make him one of the top offensive catchers in MLB in just a couple of years. His chase-heavy approach remains a major concern, but the bat is talented enough to overcome it.

Defensively, his plus arm is already a major asset behind the dish while the technical side of the position continues to develop. Tait has a good chance to develop into a solid catcher. At just 19 years old, the Twins have an exceptionally talented hitter with superstar potential.

5. RHP Charlee Soto (A+)

Soto returned briefly from injury before suffering a setback on his forearm injury, but the 20-year-old’s stuff remains incredibly exciting. He’s built like a linebacker and is a great athlete on the mound. The fastball is sitting upper 90s with sinking action, and he complements it with some excellent secondaries. He has a natural changeup feel and gets 17+ inches of run on the pitch in the 88-91 range. His slider sits in the upper 80s with sharp break. Both pitches grade out as plus big league pitches while the fastball has overwhelming velocity and generates strong ground ball rates.

Injuries remain a concern, but he has the build to support high velocity. Soto can fill up the strike zone while still racking up whiffs and ground contact, a profile that has frontline starter potential.

6. LHP Kendry Rojas (MLB)

At 23 years old, Kendry Rojas has lacked consistency this year, but his stuff and intriguing potential have been on full display. The 6’2” lefty has shown off a good blend of stuff and command this year after adding a tick to his fastball. 

His fastball is firm, sitting in the 95-97 range, playing up with good extension and some ride at the top of the zone. We have also seen encouraging development with the slider this year. Rojas is getting more two-plane movement on the pitch while throwing it harder in the upper 80s. It is a borderline plus pitch now, generating elite whiff rates and soft contact. His changeup also sits in the upper 80s and plays off the fastball extremely well.

Rojas has been nibbling at the zone in his first handful of innings at the major league level this season, but his pitches have generally been located in the right areas. Once he gains the confidence to fire the ball in the zone, Rojas has the makings of a mid-rotation starter or high leverage bullpen arm.

7. SS Marek Houston (AA)

Now about one year removed from his draft day, Marek Houston’s path through the minor leagues has looked almost identical to that of Kaelen Culpepper so far. Now in Double-A, Houston’s bat is getting a tougher test than he’s ever seen before.

He caught fire in late May, earning the promotion to Wichita on June 22nd. In his last 16 games with the Kernels, he batted .450 with a 22.2% walk rate and 9.9% strikeout rate. He is a very skilled hitter, possessing an extremely patient approach with above average contact skills. While the lack of power limits his offensive ceiling, I’m getting strong Austin Martin vibes from his bat.

On the defensive side, Houston will almost certainly stick at shortstop. He has spectacular range and fluidity for someone who is 6’3”. A sound, yet flashy defender with a good arm. Also a plus runner who is racking up stolen bags this year. He has a chance to transform a Twins infield that desperately needs some impactful defenders as early as next season.

8. RHP Riley Quick (A+)

In his first year as a pro, Riley Quick has displayed electric stuff with elite strikeout rates in the lower levels of the minor leagues. Walks have caused him to get into some trouble in High-A, but his zone and strike metrics suggest that more success is coming.

He leads with a mid 90s sinker that generates lots of ground contact. His slider is pushing 2800 RPMs and gets sharp two-plane movement in the mid 80s, while hit cutter in the low 90s complements the sinker well. Quick also has a changeup with elite depth in the upper 80s, projecting as an excellent putaway pitch against lefties.

Riley Quick has a diverse arsenal with four distinct shapes and velocities. The sinker and cutter will fill up the zone while the slider and changeup have the makings of plus putaway pitches. It’s an exciting starter profile if he can throw enough strikes.

9. RHP Andrew Morris (MLB)

Just a couple innings shy of the 40 mark, Andrew Morris cracks the top 10 in what will be his final month as a prospect. After 62 starts across 3+ years in the minors, he has shifted nicely into the Twins bullpen this year. With a 3.12 xERA and 2.89 FIP, the underlying numbers view Morris as a great back-end arm.

His fastball is firm in the 95-98 range, occasionally flashing some 99s with a bit of ride. The heater generates strikes and he has a pair of distinct breaking balls, a cutter and a sweeper, that have plus potential as putaway pitches. One of the biggest developments with Morris this year is him altering his sweeper, taking some velo off and letting it fly away from righties in the low 80s. He’s still gaining a feel for command with the pitch, but it grades out as an absolutely elite offering. The upper 80s changeup is his preferred secondary against lefties and is also a quality pitch, getting some nice fade with strong velo separation.

Andrew Morris has already established himself as a rock in the Twins bullpen for years to come. Still, if he can hone in the command on his sweeper and push his fastball velo closer to triple digits, we could be looking at a truly elite closer blossoming in Minnesota.

10. LHP Dasan Hill (A+)

It continues to be a frustrating season for 20-year-old Dasan Hill, who is showing off electric stuff with some of the best strikeout numbers in the system but continues to struggle with control. The big lefty has a 6.14 ERA in 36.2 innings, striking out a whopping 61 batters but also walking 33.

Hill’s fastball gets good armside run and has pushed into the upper 90s this year. His slider is a whiff machine, getting excellent two-plane movement in the low-to-mid 80s. He also has confidence in his mid 80s changeup that doesn’t get particularly impressive movement, but works off the fastball very well. Also mixes in a loopy curveball around 80. It is a really fun repertoire from the left side with high-end stuff, but his complete lack of command is a major area of concern. He looks destined for a high-leverage bullpen role, where the fastball has the potential to work into triple digits with a couple of intriguing secondaries.

11. RHP Adrian Bohorquez (A+)

A forearm strain cost Adrian Bohorquez most of the first half of the season, but he is back in Cedar Rapids now and his stuff is looking as good as ever. The fastball is sitting 96-99 with some carry, overwhelming hitters at the top of the zone. The upper 80s slider and curveball around 80 are plus offerings with sharp break and flashy spin rates, generating elite whiff rates in the lower levels. He also has a power changeup in the low 90s with developing shape, but at least adds another element to get hitters off the fastball. Freshly 21 years old with exciting stuff, Bohorquez is one of the highest upside pitchers in the system and has a chance to make some real noise in the second half of the season.

12. OF Hendry Mendez (AAA)

It appears that a nagging injury may have sapped his power in early June and eventually put him on the shelf for a couple weeks, but Hendry Mendez is back in action now and could realistically get the call-up at any moment now. His patient approach limits chase and stimulates high walk rates. His swing is flat and violent from the left side, limiting his game power but maximizing contact. He’s a below average athlete and has limited defensive value as a LF/DH. Still, he possesses an interesting offensive profile that could push the .300 AVG/.400 OBP marks.

13. OF Yasser Mercedes (A+)

Outside of a 4-hit game on June 13th, the month was one big slump for Yasser Mercedes after a hot start to the year. Patience and high walk rates in the spring have given way to extreme chase and more strikeouts in June. He becomes Rule 5 eligible in December and his production remains largely unconvincing. Still, I can’t stop believing in Mercedes, who holds elite raw power and plus speed while showing flashes of good swing decisions and a playable hit tool. He has all the physical tools at just 21 years old, just waiting for him to put it all together.

14. RHP Marco Raya (MLB)

Marco Raya surrendered a 2-run homer and a couple of walks in his long-awaited MLB debut, but he was one of Triple-A’s best pitchers from early May until the call-up and will hopefully gain some good major league experience over the next few months. His mid 90s fastball isn’t much of a whiff pitch due to poor shape, but Raya has found success with the pitch, using it to get ahead early in counts. His sweeper and curveball are plus whiff pitches with vastly differing shapes in the upper 80s, but have been barreled often in the zone. A power changeup in the low 90s has been an effective tertiary pitch against lefties. I don’t know what is in the cards for Marco Raya’s future, but he has the stuff to be an electric back-end reliever if he can execute his pitches as well as we saw from him with the Saints in May and June.

15. RHP Ryan Gallagher (AAA)

The transition to Triple-A continues to be tough on Ryan Gallagher, but I’m still intrigued by the profile as one of the few true starter-type arms in the upper levels of the Twins system. He pounded the strike zone in High-A and Double-A, but has elevated his walk rate to 13% in Triple-A. With a low 90s fastball, a slow changeup around 80, and a trio of solid breaking balls, it’s a diverse repertoire that has generated good whiff rates, but barrels and walks have been major problems. We’re banking on enhanced execution and fastball improvements to give Gallagher a real chance to stick in a major league rotation where he can eat innings as a quality back-end arm. In year two as a pro, he is firmly ahead of schedule, but it’s unclear how much room is left for him to grow.

16. 3B/OF Brandon Winokur (A+)

It has been a frustrating year for Brandon Winokur, who has plus raw power and runs well at 21 years old, but has struggled to make contact and hasn’t been able to convert his power into convincing production. He limits chase while being aggressive in the strike zone, but just hasn’t been able to connect with the ball consistently. I remain fairly high on Winokur because his impressive range and plus arm at 6’5” give him a good chance to be a valuable defender, and he has looked increasingly comfortable at 3B and CF. Even if he’s a low average hitter who produced 25 homers a season, his value on defense could make that profile flourish.

17. RHP John Klein (MLB)

All too often, Triple-A brings young pitchers to a brutal reality. For John Klein, his exciting 2025 breakout in Double-A has turned into a rough start to his tenure in St. Paul. The Twins haven’t made anything easy for him this year, as a hybrid long-relief role and two brief MLB call-ups haven’t allowed Klein to develop any consistency. Poor shape has limited the effectiveness of Klein’s mid 90s fastball. His changeup sits mid 80s with excellent depth, working as his second pitch. He mixes in a cutter, curveball, and sweeper, all grading out average. If the fastball can play up in short relief, Klein projects nicely as a strike-throwing flamethrower with a diverse group of secondaries.

18. OF/1B Gabriel Gonzalez (MLB)

The month of June gave us the version of Gabby Gonzalez that we saw last year. He slashed .333/.400/.533 while playing a mix of 1B, DH, and corner outfield. His contact skills looked elite, posting a zone contact rate north of 95%, but the extreme aggressiveness continues to lead to lots of chase and an average strikeout rate. His raw power is average but has limited function due to high ground ball rates. It’s a spray and pray offensive profile, much like Brooks Lee and Jose Miranda. He’s a below-average athlete who is a fringy defense in the corner outfield and first base. He is crushing lefties this year, and of nothing else, he could fit into a short-side platoon role and provide some offense off the bench.

19. RHP James Ellwanger (A)

June was a brutal month for the Twins’ 3rd round pick, who didn’t pitch at all, but was diagnosed with a torn UCL and underwent Tommy John surgery with an internal brace. Now out for the rest of the season and likely a portion of the 2027 season, Ellwanger will return to action as a 23-year-old with just 11 innings of Single-A action under his belt. He was already a likely bullpen candidate and will now almost surely be pushed into that role. Still, the upside is immense for Ellwanger. Leads with a mid 90s fastball and has a pair of impressive offspeed pitches in a low 80s curveball and a newly added low 90s power changeup.

20. C/1B Enrique Jimenez (A+)

Recently called up to High-A at age 20, Enrique Jimenez has a well-rounded skillset at the catcher position and has been highly productive at the plate since the Twins acquired him at last year’s deadline. He’s a short and stocky catcher with average raw power and a lofty swing that has some whiff, but has produced some impressive power production. Also a very patient hitter who racks up walks, Jimenez doesn’t have an elite ceiling but is a well-rounded hitter currently trending up. Defensively, he has promising receiving and an average arm. Projects nicely as a backup with potential to produce on both sides of the ball.

21. C/OF Khadim Diaw (AA)

After a scorching hot first half of June, Khadim Diaw got the call to Double-A, where his intriguing utility profile will get its toughest challenge yet. He has limited power, but with borderline plus contact skills and a mature approach, there is plenty of reason to believe Diaw can be a major league hitter. Defensively, he has split time between catcher and center field. He is a good athlete with a solid arm, possessing the potential to be a valuable defender behind the dish and across the outfield. While he lacks an elite ceiling on either side of the ball, Diaw covering multiple defensive spots in a bench role while providing some production with his bat would certainly make him worthy of a roster spot.

22. OF Jhomnardo Reyes (FCL)

Jhomnardo Reyes possesses easy plus power potential, running exit velocities over 110 mph at just 18 years old. Meanwhile his hit tool and plate discipline have looked much improved in his second year as a pro. He is a good athlete with a strong arm. Should fit nicely as a corner outfielder when his body fully matures. In terms of physical ability, this is one of the most impressive players in the Twins system, and the staggering improvements that we have already seen as a baseball player make him an incredibly exciting projection.

23. SS/3B Quentin Young (A)

Quentin Young continues to post monstrous strikeout and whiff numbers, and the swing decisions have deteriorated in June. Still, Young is barreling up baseballs more often than any other player in the Florida State League at just 19 years old and has elite power potential. He’s a raw defender splitting time between shortstop and third base, but has the physical tools to develop nicely as a third baseman. Who knows where his career will go, but for now I’m just going to enjoy the homeruns and flashy exit velocities.

24. OF Kala’i Rosario (AAA)

After an even 250 games in Double-A, Kala’i Rosario finally got the callup to Triple-A towards the end of June. While he runs high whiff and strikeout rates, a patient approach and plus power have allowed him to overcome the lack of a hit tool so far. Triple-A will be a big challenge, but with some of the best raw power in the system and a feel for pulling fly balls, there is plenty of hope for Rosario. He is a fringy corner outfielder with a good arm, but he has worked to improve his speed, stealing 32 bags last year and continuing to produce on the bases in 2026. There is always potential for value in a slugging corner outfielder.

25. OF Eduardo Beltre (A)

It is a lost season for Eduardo Beltre, who suffered a season-ending knee injury after just 16 games at Single-A. Still, there is a lot to be excited about as the 19-year-old has posted a max EV just shy of 110 while contact and swing decisions have been good enough to let the power play. Beltre is a solid athlete with a good arm and projects well as a corner outfielder.

26. RHP Alejandro Hidalgo (AAA)

Alejandro Hidalgo has had a major breakout in his first year working as a true reliever. At 23 years old, the righty has posted huge strikeout numbers albeit struggling with walks and homers. His mid 90s fastball has good specs, but has been crushed in Triple-A this summer. His changeup and cutter are both quality big league pitches and have been largely untouchable this year. Hidalgo is Rule 5 eligible this offseason, so it may be beneficial to give him a chance down the stretch given the current state of this bullpen. He is still so young with exciting bullpen potential if he can find success with the fastball.

27. SS/2B Kyle DeBarge (AA)

Kyle DeBarge has struggled to adjust to Double-A, but remains an intriguing utility infielder. DeBarge has plus speed and great defensive actions, playing excellent middle-infield defense and providing value on the bases. He has limited raw power and has struggled to make contact this year, but is a mature hitter that limits chase. With significant defensive value, the bat just needs to be playable for DeBarge to find himself on a major league roster.

28. RHP C.J. Culpepper (AAA)

C.J. Culpepper has been the most reliable bullpen arm for the Saints this year and has a good chance to join the Twins bullpen at some point this summer. His cutterish fastball and sinker combo in the mid 90s generates tons of soft ground contact while his slider and sweeper grade out as solid putaway pitches. With his lower arm slot, Culpepper misses barrels and keeps the ball out of the air with east-west movement. He reminds me of Kody Funderburk in this way, and maybe there is more whiff in the tank if he can add a tick or two of velocity.

29. 1B/3B Billy Amick (AA)

Billy Amick has fully leaned into the true outcome approach this year, posting extreme fly ball rates and leading all Twins minor-leaguers in homers while running a strikeout rate over 30%. He has plus power potential and has shown off excellent swing decisions throughout his time as a pro, but the hit tool will always be a major concern. Amick is developing nicely as a corner infielder and while he likely fits better at first base, he can be passable at the hot corner.

30. UTIL Ben Ross (AAA)

Much of Ben Ross’ value comes on defense, where he is a true utility player that has the athleticism and actions to play across the infield and outfield at a high level. He is also hitting the ball well in Triple-A, where his excellent swing decisions and feel for pulling fly balls has led to excellent power production despite well below-average raw power. The hit tool is fringy, but if he can be a playable hitter, Ross is an excellent profile to have on the bench.

31. RHP Jose Olivares (AA)

June might have been the worst month yet in a rough year for Jose Olivares, who begins July with a 7.41 ERA with more walks than strikeouts. Still, he has shown plenty of promise as a 23-year-old with a live arm. He has elite fastball characteristics in the mid 90s with a sharp cutter in the upper 80s and a changeup that gets nice two-plane fade. Much of the struggles have been due to completely erratic command. Olivares moved to the Wichita bullpen in mid June, and if he can tighten up his command in this new role, his fastball gives him lights-out potential in the bullpen.

32. 2B/OF Bruin Agbayani (A)

Since being drafted out of high school in the 6th round last year Bruin Agbayani has only played 15 games in the Twins’ system due to a couple of injuries, but he has already shown off intriguing tools at 19 years old. His contact skills are looking impressive, posting zone contact rates over 90%. He has an extremely patient approach, and has an incredible 16 walks to 6 strikeouts so far in Single-A. He has shown very little pop, but at 6’2”, there is reason to believe he could grow into some playable power. He’s an above-average runner with solid actions defensively, but likely ends up at second base or left field due to his below average arm. There is still a lot to learn about Agbayani, but phase one is to finally get him on the field for an extended period of time.

33. RHP Matt Barr (FCL)

Matt Barr spent the month of June starting games in the FCL, where he’s been slow to hit his stride as he recovers from a broken arm. At just 20 years old, the Twins 5th round pick out of JuCo gets elite spin on his two breaking balls and runs a developing fastball up to 97 mph. He’s 6’6” with a thin frame. Very much a development project at this point, but one with exciting potential.

34. OF Teilon Serrano (FCL)

Teilon Serrano just turned 18 in May and is combining enticing physical tools with excellent production in rookie ball. He has plus power potential, running a max exit velocity over 109 mph. There are some hit tool concerns, but he has a very mature and patient approach, drawing a ridiculous walk rate near 30% with more walks than strikeouts. He is a good runner who has split time between all three outfield positions. There is a long way to go, but the potential is through the roof and Serrano is already producing at a very young age.

35. INF/OF Luis Fragoza (A)

June was another excellent month for 19-year-old Luis Fragoza, who continues to show off plus power potential with a 110 mph max EV and 6 homers in June. His big swing comes with questionable swing decisions and fringy contact skills, but there is plenty of potential with the bat. He is a solid athlete who is playing a mix of corner infield and outfield, showing potential to at least be a passable defender at multiple positions. Lots of potential, a few concerns, and lots of production from Fragoza in his first taste of Single-A.

36. RHP Ruddy Gomez (AA)

It has been a wild ride to Wichita for right-hander Ruddy Gomez (pronounced like Rudy). He began his collegiate career at DII Saint Leo, where he spent two years before transferring to Hillsborough Community College in 2021. He broke out at HCC, posting a 3.67 ERA with 77 strikeouts in 61.1 innings and earning an offer from Central Florida. He spent his last two years at UCF where after a nice 2022 season out of the bullpen, he earned a spot in the Knights rotation for his 5th and final college season. Gomez finished with a 5.25 ERA in 15 starts, posting good strikeout numbers and leading a solid UCF team in innings.

When the MLB didn’t call in the summer of 2023, he turned to indy ball. He spent 2024 in the Frontier League, posting a 4.24 ERA in 70 innings of work. Finally in April 2025, the Minnesota Twins were looking for some pitching depth in the lower levels and decided to give Ruddy a chance. Well… something clicked. Gomez started the season in rookie ball and finished it in High-A. He ended with a 1.58 ERA with 57 strikeouts in 45.1 innings, a monumental season that turned an indy baller into a legitimate MLB prospect.

At age 26, he began this season in Double-A. While an injury cost him two months, Gomez is back in action in Wichita and looking better than ever. His fastball sits in the 92-95 range with poor characteristics, but he morphs it into a sinker and locates it well to steal strikes and generate some ground contact. The bulk of his success comes from the mid 80s slider that has devastating two-plane break. Excellent shape paired with good command have led to elite whiff and chase rates on the slider.

Gomez is looking like a solid major league bullpen arm, and fastball improvements could push the ceiling even higher. The fact that Ruddy Gomez has made it this far is an incredible story, but the story is truly just beginning.

37. RHP Reed Moring (A)

Reed Moring was on the shelf for most of June, but has worked his way back and looks good going into July. Of all the 2025 draftees pitching in Fort Myers right now, Reed Moring is the one that intrigues me the most. Moring never really pitched in length at UC-Santa Barbara, but is working 3-5 inning stints at Single-A now and is showing off a deep arsenal of quality pitches. He leads with a low 90s fastball with good carry. His mid 80s slider is sharp and has posted solid whiff rates despite being thrown in the zone a lot. Mid 80s changeup gets excellent depth and plays off the fastball very well. Mixes in a curveball and a cutter. Moring is struggling to find the balance between too many strikes and not enough strikes right now, but he’s 21 with promising stuff. If the fastball can sneak up into the mid 90s, then we’re really looking at a mid-rotation arsenal.

38. OF Kyler Fedko (MLB)

After mashing for the first couple months of the season in Triple-A, Kyler Fedko got the call to the majors and has been filling a bench role for the Twins. The story with Fedko is playable power. He doesn’t put up flashy exit velocities, but is an aggressive swinger with a great feel for pulling fly balls, allowing him to maximize his power output. The hit tool is fringy and he’s an average athlete who can play solid defense across the outfield. If the power plays at the major league level, Fedko can be a nice platoon outfielder, hitting lefties while providing some outfield versatility.

39. RHP Santiago Castellanos (FCL)

Santiago Castellanos is a young rookie-baller who is out for the season after just a couple appearances in the FCL in June. He carved up the DSL at just 16 years old last year, posting a 2.79 ERA and 29.8% strikeout rate in 29.0 innings. He leads with a low 90s fastball with good carry and some armside run. He has the makings of some good breaking balls, featuring a sweeper in the upper 70s and a harder slider in the mid 80s. Also already has a good feel for his mid 80s changeup. Albeit undersized at 5’10”, a good feel for command and a strong four-pitch mix are making 17-year-old Castellanos an intriguing starting pitching prospect.

40. C Miguel Caraballo (FCL)

For the last spot on the list, I was debating between the young and unproven Miguel Caraballo vs a couple of older relief pitching prospects, but settled on the upside pick. Coming over from San Francisco in a trade this offseason, Caraballo is yet to turn 18 but is a switch-hitter producing in the FCL with impressive power. He’s an athletic catcher, possessing intriguing potential behind the dish, although he could likely fit into the outfield if he doesn’t work out at catcher. There are hit tool concerns, but the raw power mixed with potential for defensive value is exciting, and he is already producing at a very young age.

Almost no matter how you slice it, the Detroit Tigers have been pretty bad this year. Their overall record of 37-49 has them 12th in the American League, ahead of only the Kansas City Royals and LA Angels, facing down a likely selling role at the Trade Deadline. But they’re only 6 games behind the Seattle Mariners for the final AL Wild Card slot, which gives a faint glimmer of hope.

In a typical year, that third Wild Card team would post about an 86- to 88-win season. The lowest it has been is the 83-win Cincinnati Reds from 2025. Given the overall weakness in the AL field this year, that lower end seems a reasonable target, which means chasing down something like an 85-win season should keep the Tigers thoroughly in the mix. That would be a .631 win rate for the final 76 games of the season, which is high but hardly impossible.

The big question: how do they get there?

Instead of answering this seriously – trade for a new bullpen, call up every Max in AAA, and reduce playing time for Matt Vierling, Jahmai Jones, and most of their relievers as much as possible, for a start – I decided to have a little fun with the extreme nature of Detroit’s season. Meaning I looked at all their ridiculous splits throughout a ridiculous season and found what situations favor Detroit the most. If they’re going to chase down the Mariners, or even more improbably the Guardians, they’ll have to play to their win conditions.

All stats are taken prior to the victory over the Yankees on July 1, 2026.

Environmental Factors

What time the Tigers play is, unfortunately, out of their control. However, if it were in their power, the Tigers should only play day games. The earlier the start time, the better. With the sun at their backs, the Tigers are a competitive 17-16. At night, they’ve sleepwalked their way to a 20-33 record. That won’t do the trick.

Where Detroit plays is also predetermined, and so is the result, seemingly. In the friendly confines of Comerica Park – not the Friendly Confines themselves, where Detroit has yet to visit – the Tigers are a respectable 23-21. When they pack their bags and travel, though, they’re a woeful 14-28. Ouch.

Opponent’s Factors

When it comes to opponents, the Tigers have a few clear preferences. Whether it’s a bugaboo about the Believeland Guardians or an overall talent issue, the Tigers are a brutal 9-16 against the rest of the AL Central. If you’re looking for a reason the team is at the back of the Central pack, that’s as good a place to start. They’re a slightly better team when you look at the AL as a whole (26-36) or versus their National League foes (11-13). None of those light the world on fire, but they’re at least an improvement.

A weird one for you: the Tigers have been significantly better against good teams than bad ones. No, seriously, this doesn’t make any sense. How are the Tigers 23-21 when they play teams above .500, but 14-28 against everyone else? Do they just imitate whoever they face on any given day, rising to the occasion against the Yankees but floundering against the Twins and Angels? Utterly bizarre. Common sense says a playoff contender needs to take care of business against bad teams. Low-hanging fruit and all that.

There’s one final split here that might actually be meaningful. The starting pitcher the Tigers face seems to greatly impact their odds of winning a game. Shocking, I know. Against a lefty starter, the Tigers are a mere 10-17; versus a righty, they’re a way-less-bad 27-32. Can anyone here figure out why they struggle against left-handed starters? Anyone? I hate to pin it all on one guy, but we’re all thinking about the same guy, right?

Tiger’s Factors

OK, finally, the series of things Detroit can actually control. If Detroit’s going to take their season by the horns and claw their way back, this is a place to start.

For starters: keep Jake Rogers out of as many games as possible. The lineup is not deep enough to hide him at the bottom routinely, because hiding him at the bottom routinely means Outman, McKinstry, and Vierling can’t all hide at the bottom. They’ve got to keep Dillon Dingler healthy, but a 9-18 record with Rogers and a 28-31 record without him speaks volumes. Upgrade the backup catcher role next year if possible, and then Dingler can DH more and stay fresh throughout the season.

Another big one: get Gleyber Torres back in the lineup! He might not be their best hitter, but he sure seems to stabilize their lineup. A grind-it-out, depth-heavy lineup sure looks better when there’s another guy with a .400 OBP in it. Case in point: 23-20 with him, and 14-29 without him. Get healthy, Gleyber. We need you. Although Hao-Yu Lee is doing a really nice job in this second go-around on both sides of the ball. Pretty impressive step in development going on there seemingly.

This last one comes down largely to “play better, win more”, but the sheer volume of games is what I’d like to call attention to. In games in which the Tigers hit multiple home runs, they’re 15-7, a whopping .682 pace that clears the .631 win rate I threw out earlier. In all other games, they’re 22-42. What stands out here is not the conclusion drawn – hitting home runs and winning have a large correlation for a reason – but the fact they’ve only hit multiple home runs 22 times seems problematic to me. Good teams tend to hit home runs in bunches, and the Tigers really haven’t done that. They should probably work on that.

There you have it, folks. If the Tigers want to make the playoffs, they should be sure to face National League playoff contenders, at Comerica, during the day, against right-handed pitchers, and get Gleyber Torres into (and Jake Rogers out of) the lineup as much as possible. Oh, and hit a ton of home runs. And get a new high-leverage relief corps…Keider Montero may be the start of that process, at least for this season.

They’re also 8-5 on Sunday, so maybe shift as many games as possible to Sunday.

Simple enough, right?

If baseball fans plan on watching any of the 15 Major League Baseball games on July 5, they will have to find their way to one of NBCUniversal's television properties.

All 30 MLB teams that day will be in action, and their games will be broadcast on either NBC, Peacock, or NBCSN, the first time a media company has presented all 15 MLB games nationally in a single day.

Two of the games on "Star-Spangled Sunday" (New York Mets at Atlanta Braves, 12:30 pm ET, and San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Dodgers, 7 pm ET) will be broadcast on NBC, with the other games on the schedule all streamed on Peacock, with three simulcast on NBCSN. Peacock will also have a multiview four-box presentation.

"There's no better way to enjoy some free time on Fourth of July weekend than with one of the great rivalries in MLB, the Padres and Dodgers. In 2024, the Padres were this close to knocking the Dodgers out in the Division Series," NBC lead play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti told USA TODAY Sports. 

Benetti will call that game with former pitchers and Cy Young winners Orel Hershiser, Jake Peavy and C.C. Sabathia.

More: Happy Bobby Bonilla Day! 'It’s bigger than my birthday' former Met says

In the closing innings of Sunday’s exhilarating and chaotic finale against the Yankees, a surreal series of events events unfolded that one way or another should come to define the rest of the Red Sox season.

It started in the top of the ninth inning when Wilyer Abreu launched this hideous throw to nowhere, directly leading to a blown save:

Then it continued in the top of the tenth with another Abreu mistake, leading to an additional pair of Yankee runs:

I can count on one hand the number of times I felt as bad for a player on a Major League Baseball player within a game as I did for Wilyer Abreu in that moment. Normally a wonderful defender, he made two back to back blunders that looked likely to cost his team the highlight sweep of the season. And of course, this all came against the far more important, and far more devastating backdrop of the back to back earthquakes that rocked his home country, leaving behind a disaster with thousands dead, and tens of thousands more still missing.

As he stood there in the outfield with his “All together for Venezuela” message written on his hat, no player ever needed a hug on a baseball field more than Abreu in that moment:

But then something remarkable happened. The Red Sox offense – This Red Sox offense! – rallied out of nowhere in the bottom of the tenth to to take the game and pick up their despondent teammate. In that moment, it was probably better than any solace a hug could have provided.

Here’s the whole rally because it’s also probably the best half inning of baseball Red Sox fans are going to see all season:

The bottom line is this: One way or another, that tenth inning should become emblematic of the rest of the Red Sox season. Ideally that would involve the Red Sox making a remarkable comeback in the second half to go further than the Yankees by the time the end of fall rolls around, but at the very least, it should be the start of the Red Sox as an organization and fanbase rallying around Venezuela for the rest of the year.

This Red Sox roster is loaded with Venezuelan players (Willson Contreras, Wilyer Abreu, Ranger Suarez, Andruw Monasterio, Carlos Narvaez), and most of them are key contributors to the few positive things going on with the club. With everything that’s happened, they are now the main characters in our 2026 Red Sox story. Regardless of what happens on the field, the long, arduous process of Venezuela’s recovery should be tied to this baseball team.

And even though it’s just a game and a team thousands of miles away from the disaster, baseball can have that power. One of the biggest threats to Venezuela going forward is to have this tragedy fall out of the news cycle in places that can help. The Red Sox shouldn’t let that happen, and I know the players from Venezuela won’t let that happen. That’s why it’s so encouraging to see not just guys like Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu out on Jersey Street before the games collecting disaster donations, but also folks like John Henry and Sonny Gray.

Recently, the Red Sox started a new celebration when they do something good with their bats, reaching their hands together above their head to emulate the missing Citgo Sign over left field. Appropriately, here’s highlights of Wilyer Abreu and Willson Contreras doing it last week:

This may sound crazy, but I actually think this is the perfect celebration and symbol for the 2026 Red Sox and Venezuela going forward. Not only is the Citgo Sign a legendary landmark in the heart of Boston itself, but the company has deep ties to Venezuela. Without going into details there (because at the end of the day they’re an oil company that’s obviously up to no good) there’s probably nothing else that so clearly unites Boston and Venezuela as this oddly comforting red triangle, and the deep love for baseball it represents.

After all, the roots of Venezuela’s remarkable baseball history tie back to U.S. oil interests entering the country more than a century ago, and teaching locals the game. Now, all these years later, Venezuela’s returned the favor in a love letter back to us, reminding everyone of the joy and passion you can still bring to this wonderful game. As a group, they do it on a daily basis across all of Major League Baseball as well as anyone, and as an individual, Willson Contreras might do it the best.

So for the rest of the season, every time I see that Citgo sign, I’m now going to think of Venezuela. While it’s gone from the Boston skyline, I’m going to think of the buildings that are gone from the Venezuelan skyline. As it builds back up, I’m going to think of the resiliency of the Venezuelan people, who will also rebuild their country stronger and more beautiful than ever with time. And each time any Red Sox player does something good and celebrates with that Citgo Sign display, I’m going to smile at the ability baseball has to bring us all together, because that might just be the greatest power of this magnificent game.

Here’s where you can make donations to Venezuela via the Red Sox site. Hopefully, it will keep getting visits all year long. And hey, if we’re really lucky, maybe the comeback that’s coming for Venezuela will end up emblematic of both that tenth inning on Sunday, and the rest of the Red Sox season.

As Wilyer wrote: “All together for Venezuela!”

When you keep hearing about how the Yankees need to shop in the relief aisle come the trade deadline, that probably tells you something about the state of their bullpen.

Despite nice numbers in some departments, the pinstriped ‘pen has provided too many agita moments for a team with big-time October aspirations and needs, at the very least, more depth. 

Your move, Brian Cashman. 

Their closer has been nails lately, but had a 5.14 ERA as recently as May 18. Their hoped-for primary setup man has issues with left-handed hitters. Their lefty killer had a 4.02 ERA entering Wednesday (all numbers in this piece are entering Wednesday), nearly a run worse than his final mark last season. They’ve blown 13 save opportunities. 

But the Yankees also have seen some pitchers emerge – Brent Headrick, for one – and have hope that one of their top prospects, Carlos LaGrange, can transition from the rotation to the bullpen to become a hard-throwing intimidator late in games. Fernando Cruz’s splitter is fearsome. 

And the pen as a whole grades out well by several stats – entering Wednesday, the Yanks were sixth-best among bullpens in fWAR. They own the fourth-highest ground-ball rate of any bullpen in the majors and the third-best homers-per-nine-innings rate. 

They are second in pen ERA (3.19) and have the fifth-lowest opponent average. They’ve also thrown the sixth-fewest bullpen innings. In their last 10 games entering Wednesday, Yankee relievers had a 1.13 ERA. In their last 22, it’s 2.12. 

We’ll have to take it all into consideration as we formulate a grade for the relievers for the first half of this season. 

David Bednar, the closer, has had some late adventures, but he’s bloomed recently. He went on the paternity list on Monday carrying a streak of 12 straight scoreless appearances that trimmed his ERA more than two runs, down to 3.09. He’s saved 16 games in 18 chances. And some of his expected numbers suggest his numbers could be even better.

He gets a lot of chase (his chase percentage is in the 100th percentile, according to Statcast) and his ground ball rate is in the 96th percentile. 

Camilo Doval looks the part of a high-leverage reliever with a 98.5-mile-per-hour fastball and an expected ERA of 2.81. But overall this season he owns a 4.55 ERA, allows 8.5 hits per nine innings, and gives up massive hard contact.

Lefties, in particular, are mashing against him with a .350 average and a .941 OPS. To give you an idea of the OPS, there are only four batters in MLB who have an OPS that high this season and it’s a glittering group – Yordan Alvarez, Juan Soto, Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Schwarber.

But Doval has been better lately, recording a 0.96 ERA in 10 games since June 5. But, perhaps indicative of his season, the one earned run he’s allowed in that span came when he inherited a jam and surrendered a grand slam to Andrew Benintendi of the White Sox on June 18.

“Slumps are part of the game as baseball players,” he told MLB.com through an interpreter afterward. “We all go through them. I’m not exactly getting the results that I expect of myself right this moment, but I know they’re coming. I know a good streak is coming.”

Cruz had a nifty 2025 and he’s even better now with a 2.57 ERA in 39 games. He throws his diving splitter half the time and batters are only hitting .130 against the pitch. He’s also finished 41 strikeouts with it, the fourth-most strikeouts on splitters in the majors. The three pitchers with more – Nathan Eovaldi, Shota Imanaga, and Kevin Gausman – are all starters.

Lefty Tim Hill has seen an uptick in ERA, thanks in part to a 7.45 mark in May. But he still gets ground balls as well as anyone, limits walks, and keeps the ball off the barrel while primarily relying on a sinker. If he keeps getting ground balls at his usual rate (63.6 percent), his ERA likely will plunge.

Headrick, in his first extended run in the majors, has proved invaluable as another lefty in the pen. The 28-year-old has a 1.58 ERA in 41 outings and only one pitcher who has pitched in at least that many games has a lower ERA – Toronto’s Louis Varland (0.98).

“He’s been huge down there,” Aaron Boone said recently of Headrick. “He just continues to solidify himself at this level. He’s pitching with a lot of confidence.”

The Yankees have gotten some good innings from Paul Blackburn, who has a 1.17 ERA in June and a 2.50 mark overall. Ryan Yarbrough can offer multi-inning stints, too.

The Yanks haven’t fixed Jake Bird, though. Bird, who came over at the trade deadline last year, has a 4.88 ERA and has been up and down from Triple-A.

GRADE: B-

There’s high-level talent and it’s hard to ignore the numbers. It just feels like the path to Bednar should be smoother. The Yankees have always shown a willingness and an ability to upgrade their bullpen, to say nothing of how they’ve unearthed relief gems others might’ve missed. Here’s betting they do that again. The final grade could be much higher.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies wrap up a series this afternoon, as Philly eyes a sweep.

The P's come into this one as a short -122 home favorite, and it's not difficult for me to understand why. I'll be backing them as they hold a clear pitching advantage in this matchup.

Here are my Pirates vs. Phillies predictions and MLB picks for July 2.

Who will win Pirates vs Phillies today: Phillies moneyline (-126)

COVERS INTEL: Jared Jones' average exit velocity is one of the highest allowed in the league, sitting in the Bottom 19 percent of the sport.

Pirates vs Phillies Over/Under pick: Under 10.5 (-107)

I like the Under with a projection of 9.4. Jones can give up damage, but he still misses enough bats to avoid a complete unraveling, and the Phillies’ offense has been closer to average than elite at 4.52 runs per game. 

Rangel is the bigger reason I’m comfortable below this number. His chase-heavy profile attacks a Pirates lineup with MLB’s highest whiff rate, giving him a path to soft counts and strikeout leverage. This total is priced as if both starters get hit (and hard), and I don’t agree.

I'd play this to -120.

Pirates vs Phillies weather

Pirates vs Phillies odds

• Moneyline: Pirates +114 | Phillies -124
• Run line: Pirates +1.5 | Phillies -1.5
• Over/Under: Over 10.5 | Under 10.5

Pirates vs Phillies trend

The Phillies have cashed the moneyline in 29 of their last 45 games for +10.60 units and a 17% ROI.

How to watch Pirates vs Phillies and game info

Pirates vs Phillies latest injuries

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

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Yet again, the Los Angeles Angels boast one of the greatest baseball talents of the generation, Mike Trout. Once again, that same Mike Trout finds himself limited due to injuries, even as he puts together his best season since 2022. Once again, the Angels failed to put together a team capable of winning significant games around Trout, and without him, they are downright terrible. And once again, despite finding themselves far out of playoff contention, their owner Arte Moreno seems disinclined to permit his front office to be true sellers, declaring Reid Detmers, José Soriano, and Jo Adell off-limits.

The only one thing different this year? The team fired general manager Perry Minasian last week, hiring John Mozeliak as the interim for the remainder of the season.

Should the Angels decide to do the smart thing and begin tearing everything down, they do have some pieces that may be of interest to teams throughout the league, including the Yankees. The pitching staff in particular is filled with quality names. A pair of young starters in Detmers and Soriano should be able to bring back sizeable prospect hauls if the front office was able to convince ownership to shop them around, as they are under team control for another two seasons. While Soriano gathered attention with his otherworldly start to the season, posting a 0.84 ERA through his first seven starts, it is Detmers who would be the more highly sought pitcher. His 2.9 fWAR ranks fourth among starters this season, and his metrics suggest that he is underperforming his 3.88 ERA. Soriano, meanwhile, has come down to earth after his meteoric rise, with a 5.34 ERA across his last 11 starts.

With the Angels’ interim general manager inexplicably believing that the team doesn’t need a rebuild, merely a small retool (perhaps influenced by ownership?), it’s much more likely that the team will be more inclined to trade from their bullpen depth. They may not exactly have an elite bullpen — they began the year with Jordan Romano as their closer, after all — there are some arms that may interest the Yankees. Veteran reliever Kirby Yates has rebounded nicely from a disastrous 2025 with the Dodgers, even if he hasn’t recaptured the magic of his 2024 season as the Rangers’ closer. With a 34.2 strikeout percentage that ranks 11th among relievers with at least 10 innings of work (he has pitched 17 innings this season), he would provide some swing-and-miss that the Yankees’ bullpen desperately needs.

On the offensive side, Los Angeles does not really match up with the Yankees. Zach Neto would give the team an offensive boost at the shortstop position, as he has a 114 wRC+ this season; defensively, though, he has taken a step back — instead of Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average disagreeing on his performance (he had 13 DRS and -8 OAA last year), both stats are very low on him this year (-2 DRS, -8 OAA). Jo Adell gives the Yankees something they don’t need more of — an outfielder who can function in center field but is below average there.

It’s unlikely, but a new front office in LA may finally cause Trout to force his way off the Angels. Now in his age-34 season and with an average salary of $37 million per year through 2030, he would still be a help to any team in the league…so long as he would be able to stay healthy. At this stage, he needs considerable DH time, and with Giancarlo Stanton still under contract through next season (with a team option for 2028), the fit is a bit awkward — even if a middle-of-the-order of Rice/Judge/Trout/Bellinger/Stanton would be a dream lineup.

Still, given the Angels’ refusal to trade Shohei Ohtani a few years back despite knowing that they would not even attempt to re-sign him…if you want to see that lineup, turn on MLB The Show. In fact, you might need to do that if you want to see any Angels players donning the pinstripes this season. Blame Moreno.

Meet the Mets

The Mets were blown out in the finale against the Blue Jays to drop the series. Starter Freddy Peralta was awful again putting the Mets behind early. The offense didn’t score until the game was well out of hand and all told it was just another sloppy loss in a season full of them.

Choose your recap:Amazin’ Avenue, Athletic, Daily News, Faith and Fear in Flushing, MLB.com, NY Post

One of the only positives coming out of the lopsided loss was Carson Benge’s home run off of a lefty.

Owner Steve Cohen went on a podcast and discussed a variety of topics including the alleged feud between Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor, David Stearns’s job, the firing of Carlos Mendoza, the ejection of a fan at Citi Field holding a sign against Stearns, his unhappiness with the season, and the future of the team.

Luke Weaver has been one of the most dominant relievers in all of baseball, but should the Mets trade him at the deadline since he still has another year on his contract?

Jonah Tong’s family helped hand out his bobblehead giveaway to fans in Binghamton.

Around the National League East

The Braves started off July with a 5-1 win over the Cardinals.

The Marlins fell 6-3 to the Rockies in Colorado.

The Phillies defeated Paul Skenes and the Pirates 10-6.

Washington starter Cade Cavalli apologized for yelling a racially charged phrase at Wilson Contreras that caused a benches clearing incident.

The Nationals blew out the Red Sox 10-2.

Around Major League Baseball

The Yankees dropped their seventh in a row with a 6-2 loss against the Tigers.

The MLBPA’s latest CBA proposal included expanded rosters at the start of the season and placement on the 60-day IL in November.

Evidence is mounting that Major League Baseball may have changed the ball again, and that has led to more offense in the game.

Many teams could be interested in acquiring Tarik Skubal at the deadline, but it is still unclear what team will have a good enough package to acquire the Cy Young winner.

MLB has gutted the minor leagues in recent years for various reasons, and the strain is starting to show at the developmental level.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Grace Carbone took a look back at David Peterson’s tenure with the Mets.

This Date in Mets History

Happy birthday, Ángel Pagán!

The David Stearns scorecard isn’t pretty. You knew that already, but if you’ve been following along as I’ve graded different areas of the Mets’ first half this week, you’ve been reminded of how so many of his decisions have turned out badly.

Well, the good news for Stearns and the Mets is that he didn’t go 0-for-2026. The bad news is the one area where he excelled, putting together a dominant bullpen, is the area that matters least on a ballclub that is infrequently leading in the late innings.

Figures, right?

In truth, it’s fair to wonder if this Mets bullpen would have stood quite as tall had it been asked to do more in high-leverage spots.

For example, Devin Williams hasn’t blown a save since April 19, shaking off his early-season struggles to be a lock-down closer, yet he has only 12 saves for the season, miles from the MLB-high total of 26 by Cleveland Guardians’ Cade Smith.

On the other hand, Mets relievers are third in MLB in innings pitched, with 377, but some of that is because of the way they used the now-departed David Peterson, as well as others, as bulk-inning guys who followed openers.

The larger point is that the Mets have been able to keep their high-leverage relievers well-rested -- more so than they’d like, in truth.

That said, as far as grading their first half, it’s not fair to ding the pen for a lack of high-stress opportunities, for what they’ve done has been impressive. Indeed, their current 3.45 bullpen ERA ranks fourth in MLB, and their total of 379 strikeouts is first in the majors.

As such, it’s also only fair to give Stearns his due. 

Most notably, he signed Williams, despite the right-hander’s up-and-down 2025 season with the Yankees, moving quickly in the offseason to guarantee him $51 million over three years.

Whether he wanted Williams ideally to be Edwin Diaz’s set-up man may never be clear, as the Mets proceeded to lose Diaz to the Los Angeles Dodgers in what remains a murky scenario. Mets people were quick to put the word out that they wanted him back and expected to get last licks in the negotiations, while others familiar with the situation insisted Stearns was OK letting Diaz leave.

In any case, it was a wildly unpopular decision with Mets fans, but as it turned out, this one came up roses for Stearns, at least so far. While Williams has flourished, Diaz went down after only seven appearances with an elbow injury that required surgery to remove loose bodies, and he isn’t expected back until August.

As for Williams, he was shaky early but then seemingly found the form that made him one of the best relievers in baseball during his years in Milwaukee with the Brewers.

Most significantly, the right-hander has rediscovered the magic in his signature changeup, the so-called airbender that is a devastating weapon when he’s setting it up by throwing his fastball for strikes.

“You can see the confidence is back,” was the way one MLB scout put it this week. “It’s all about the confidence to throw the fastball with command and conviction and keep hitters from sitting on the changeup. He’s also trusting the changeup and not trying to steer it, as he did at times last year. When he’s just letting it go, it looks like his fastball delivery and then it disappears on hitters.”

Because of a few rough outings, Williams still has an unimpressive 4.13 ERA. But since April 23 he’s been dominant, giving up one earned run in 20 of his 22 appearances, to go with a couple of clunkers in non-save situations.

“I still need to see him close games in high-pressure spots again,” said the scout, “but it doesn’t look like that’s going to be an issue this year the way the Mets are playing.”

In the meantime, Williams is far from the only success story.

Luke Weaver, after some early-season problems as well, is on an all-time heater, having pitched 24 straight scoreless innings. In fact, he went all of May and June without giving up a run, while racking up 31 strikeouts compared to five walks.

Weaver has been so dominant that, even with another year on his contract, the Mets might be tempted to trade him at the deadline, as he’s likely to be highly sought after by contenders.

In addition, left-handers Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter have both been reliable. Minter hasn’t given up an earned run in 14 innings since returning from last year’s elbow surgery.

And then there’s Huascar Brazoban and his 1.93 ERA. The right-hander has been an all-purpose weapon, used as an opener as well as a multi-inning reliever. His 42.1 innings are the most of any of the “A” relievers, if you will, and he’s given up only 22 hits in those innings.

In short, Brazoban has proven to be a steal for Stearns, acquired from the Miami Marlins at the 2024 trade deadline for minor leaguer Wilfredo Lara.

Finally, Austin Warren has emerged as an important bullpen arm as well. A 30-year old journeyman, Warren was picked up on waivers from the Giants in January of 2025, and after appearing in only five games last season, he has made 24 appearances this season, pitching to a 2.45 ERA over 33 innings.

With all of that in mind, the only knock on the Mets’ pen is that Williams and Weaver, in particular, did struggle early, when the Mets were digging themselves the deep hole from which they’ve yet to recover.

But again, to be fair, every bullpen has at least a few ups and downs. For the Mets, it’s pretty much been all pointing up since April.

So Stearns did get something right this year, constructing what has been one of the better bullpens in baseball. Unfortunately for the Mets, poor performance in other areas has minimized its impact.

GRADE: A -

Most baseball fans know that July 1 is colloquially known as Bobby Bonilla Day. In 2000, the New York Mets decided to defer the remaining $5.9 million left on Bonilla’s contract after they released him for batting .160.

Bonilla’s agent used that dismal batting average to his client’s advantage, knowing the team just wanted him gone. He got the team to defer the remaining money for 10 years, but then got 8% interest and those payment spread out over the next 25 years.

As such, the Mets now pay Bonilla $1,193,248.20 every July 1.

Before he was on the Mets, however, Bonilla was on the Dodgers, a part of one of the most shocking trades in Dodgers history. Bonilla and Gary Sheffield and three other players were traded to the Dodgers from the Florida Marlins for Mike Piazza and Todd Zeile.

The Dodgers traded Bonilla to the Mets, and that deferred payment idea ended up coming around to benefit the Dodgers 24 years later. In addition to Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers have eight players with deferred payments.

The Mets used that deferred $5.9 million to get Mike Hampton, a starting pitcher who helped them win the 2000 World Series. All of the players on the Dodgers payroll have helped them win World Series, aside from Edwin Diaz who remains to be seen. A running joke that has turned into a viable way to field a championship winning team.

Steve Henson of the L.A. Times has more details and quotes here.

In case you missed it, a fan at the Dodgers game against the A’s on Tuesday night got super excited about Team Mexico scoring a goal in their World Cup game against Ecuador. Justin Wrobleski’s pitch went into the dirt right after the fan yelled, but he then struck out the batter on the next pitch. Mexico went on to win and will play their next game on Sunday.

Chuck Schilkin has all the fun details here.

Today’s Reflections

Something is starting to feel familiar. Familiar, but different.

The Cubs’ bats are starting to come into form once again. That was proven in the games from Monday and Tuesday. Six batters in the Cubs’ starting lineup Monday had hits, with Dansby Swanson, Seiya Suzuki, Alex Bregman and Pete Crow-Armstrong with a pair each, in the 3-2 walk-off win. Suzuki had the game-winning hit.

Then on Tuesday, every hitter in the starting lineup (even Kevin Alcantara!) had at least one hit. Suzuki and Carson Kelly each had a pair. Two of Swanson’s three hits were home runs, two of the five homers on the team.

But Shota Imanaga, who picked up the win Monday with 6.1 strong innings, is the only starter from the Opening Day roster that has not been injured. Matthew Boyd recently returned from the IL and had a bend-but-not-break outing Tuesday. And five of the OD bullpen members are on the IL, plus Colin Rea was an emergency move into the rotation.

While having a patchwork pitching staff, the Cubs have won 10 of their last 12 games. Yes, it’s another streak for the Cubs. But instead of the shocking runs from early in the season, where the feeling was, “Is this real?!!! Who cares — Let’s keep going, whoo!!”, the feeling is, “Is this ….. real?? When is it going to fall apart? When will the pitching injuries take a permanent toll on the team? Well, let’s keep going and see.” Not to be a downer here, but I feel there is definitely a stronger feeling of caution than there was in April and early May. Rightfully so.

*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.

Tuesday’s game stories:

• Scott Held (Chicago Tribune {$}): Dansby Swanson hits 2 of Chicago Cubs’ 5 HRs in 9-7 win over the San Diego Padres. “Alex Bregman, Michael Busch and Pete Crow-Armstrong added home runs to help the Cubs win for the 10th time in 12 games.”

• Jordan Bastian (MLB.con): Swanson homers twice as Cubs win slugfest over Padres. “There are nights when Wrigley Field transforms into a hitter’s haven and teams understand that piling up runs is not only the goal, but required to find the win column.”

• Mike McGraw (Daily Herald): Change of strategy: Cubs belt 5 home runs, hang on to beat Padres. “The Cubs were ready to begin a new chapter Tuesday.”

• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune {$}): Chicago Cubs’ Alex Bregman downplays thumbs-down gestures after homering at Wrigley for 1st time since March. “Chicago Cubs’ Alex Bregman didn’t have any interest in providing insight into his post-home run thumbs-down gestures.”

Monday’s game stories:

• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Another Wrigley walk-off: Injuries aren’t keeping Cubs from winning while attempting to weather storm. “Seiya Suzuki delivered the latest game-winning thrill at Wrigley Field, the Cubs’ 10th walk-off win of the season, keeping the victories coming while the team deals with an ever-increasing mountain of injuries.”

• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune {$}): Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki power the Chicago Cubs to an MLB-leading 10th walk-off victory. “Imanaga held the Padres to two runs on nine hits and four strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings without walking a batter or allowing a home run on a humid, hot night at Wrigley Field.”

Assorted stories:

• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Walk of life: Cubs’ patience at plate paying off as offense heats back up after monthlong slump. “The Cubs are baseball’s walk kings, leading the majors in that category, getting improved on-base numbers all over the lineup and taking to shouting out free passes with as much gusto as complimenting home runs.”
• Evan Sullivan (Cubs Insider): Pete Crow-Armstrong’s Explosive June Puts Him Alongside Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig. “Pete Crow-Armstrong nearly lapped the field in June, posting a 3.1 fWAR mark that left Detroit’s Dillon Dingler (1.8) in the dust. The numbers Crow-Armstrong generated are so outlandish that they’ve only been replicated in four other months by two players.”
• Michael Canter (Cubs Insider): The Rundown: Power Surge Propels Cubs Toward Potential Sweep, Nothing Imminent on Trade Front, Mets Expect to Make Sweeping Changes. “Chicago’s North Side Baseballers have an opportunity to complete the sweep while simultaneously treating us to day baseball on what should be a beautiful summer afternoon.”
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Cubs News: Ethan Conrad debuts, Vince Velasquez elects free agency, Pete Crow-Armstrong home run derby. “With the 2026 MLB Draft a little over a week away, the Chicago Cubs’ 2025 first-round draft pick has finally made his professional debut.”
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune {$}): Column: Craig Counsell downplays the Chicago Cubs’ many challenges, but he was hired to solve problems. “This might be Counsell’s most challenging season as manager, though he won’t consider the possibility and isn’t interested in comparisons.”
• Jon Greenberg (The Athletic {$}): Cubs are hurting, but they’re also showing their mettle during a challenging time. “The Cubs picked up their 10th walk-off win of the season when Seiya Suzuki drove in Pete Crow-Armstrong with a hit off the ivy.”
• Tyler Courtney (LastWordOnSports.com): Are the Chicago Cubs’ Injuries Becoming Their Greatest Concern in 2026? “At this point, it seems like there is someone new is added every day, as the pitching staff has been destroyed. Now, they must find a way to overcome the injuries if they wish to stay competitive.”

Trade Talk:

• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Jameson Taillon could make injury return before All-Star break, good news for Cubs’ battered pitching staff. “The Cubs are aiming to have Taillon, who’s been out since early June with a hamstring strain, make a rehab start this weekend, potentially setting him up for a return from the IL during the team’s final series of the first half.”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): What we’re hearing about Cubs’ pitching plans: Trade expectations, comebacks and more. “Even as they juggle various pitching injuries, the Cubs are trying to focus on internal solutions until the draft and trade deadline.”
• Eddie Lennon (LastWordOnSports.com): 3 Strong Luis Arraez Trade Destinations. “He doesn’t hit for power. He doesn’t rack up elite exit velocity numbers. He doesn’t overwhelm with highlight-reel tools.”
• Tyler Edmunds (OnTapSportsNet): The Cubs Need to Stop Waiting and Go Get Sonny Gray. “The Chicago Cubs adding Sonny Gray from the Boston Red Sox would make a lot of sense for a team desperately needing pitching help.”
• Eddie Lennon (LastWordOnSports.com): 3 Great Landing Spots for Freddy Peralta. “Peralta still brings exactly what contenders want in October: strikeouts, swing-and-miss stuff, and the ability to shorten games when every inning carries postseason weight.”

Food For Thought:

John Lee Hooker (1917–2001) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist famous for his hypnotic, driving “boogie” rhythm and deep, gravelly voice. Born into a Mississippi sharecropping family, he pioneered an electric-style adaptation of Delta blues in Detroit. Over a career spanning five decades, he recorded over 100 albums, releasing classics like “Boogie Chillen” and “Boom Boom”.

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.

Surprise! I know it’s not Friday. But big thanks to Trenton! I’m going to be out tomorrow, so he graciously switched with me, and you get him tomorrow. I have even more good news for those who dislike my Friday Rumblings: I’ll be out of town the next two weeks. I believe Cullen and Max will be grabbing those, but I could be mistaken. Also, big thanks to them!

At The Star, Jaylon Thompson writes about Kris Bubic’s status:

The Kansas City Royals have scratched left-handed starter Kris Bubic from his scheduled rehab outing on Wednesday. Bubic was set to pitch around three innings with Triple-A Omaha. It would’ve been his third rehab appearance with the Storm Chasers.

However, Royals assistant general manager Scott Sharp joined Sports Radio 810 WHB and said Bubic will return to Kansas City. He will undergo further evaluation as he deals with left-shoulder soreness.

“I wish I had a little bit better news,” Sharp said. “Kris was supposed to pitch tonight. I don’t think he’s going to. He’s going to come back to Kansas City. And we just can’t get the final little bit of soreness out there. We’ll continue to be hopeful with continued treatment and rest that we can get him back sooner than later.”

Anne Rogers writes about it as well:

Bubic was transferred to the 60-day IL on Wednesday, which was more of a procedural move rather than directly related to this new setback; the Royals needed a 40-man roster spot to add reliever Jose Cuas and call him up to the big leagues. The 60-day IL dates back to Bubic’s initial IL date on May 15, so he’ll be eligible to return July 14. With this setback, Bubic wasn’t going to be back in the next two weeks, anyway.

Some better injury news from Rogers?

ICYMI: Max wrote about some of the roster moves yesterday: Cuas and Dobnak up, Cerantola down, Seabold to IL, and Bubic to 60-day.

Max also wrote about Chourio and Mitchell going to the MLB Futures Game.

Going back to Thompson, he also wrote about Cole Ragans. He had surgery and is… you know what? He put it all in a couple of sentences. Better to read it from him:

Kansas City Royals ace Cole Ragans underwent left-elbow surgery Wednesday. Ragans, 28, is expected to miss the remainder of the 2026 season. It’s his third major elbow procedure as he previously underwent two Tommy John surgeries earlier in his career.

Fortunately, the game on the field is going better than off, right?!?

Listicles?

At The Athletic ($), Tim Britton and Chad Jennings list their trade deadline tiers:

Tier 6: Typical sellers
New York Mets
Colorado Rockies
Kansas City Royals – SP, RP

The Rockies expected to be here, the Mets and Royals less so. While Mickey Moniak and Freddy Peralta and Kris Bubic are useful pieces to move, these squads don’t really have the rosters to shake up the deadline by embracing a more aggressive sale. Maybe the Mets make some guys with team control available (like Brett Baty or Mark Vientos), but that would be because they’re enduring disappointing seasons that have depressed their value.

At CBS Sports, their baseball writers hand out halfway grades:

Kansas City Royals: F

Two years ago, the Royals made the playoffs. Last season, they had a winning record. This season, they are among the worst teams in baseball. The good signs (breakouts from Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone) are overshadowed, quite greatly, by the bad. Injury concerns with Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic linger and the bullpen is a complete mess. Injuries to Vinnie Pasquantino and Maikel Garcia haven’t helped matters, but the offense was lackluster even with them in the lineup. It’s just been all kinds of bad in K.C. this season. — Snyder

Finally, at ESPN, Anthony Gharib names the “Red, white, and bobby” bobblehead the best 4th of July giveaway.

And, just a quick little “around baseball” blurb, Happy Bobby Bonilla Day to all who celebrate!

Blogs?

Let’s lead off with Kevin O’Brien at Royals Keep “Three Ex-Royals Players Who Are Thriving With Their New Teams”:

While Clarke’s profile is flawed, which explains why the Royals were okay with letting him go, he’s been dependable for the Diamondbacks, even in medium- to high-leverage. He has 11 holds this year, his highest mark in that category since 2023 when he had 12 holds in 58 plate appearances. Clarke will likely surpass that number barring an epic collapse or injury.

Considering the Royals bullpen ranks 29th in reliever ERA and 30th in WHIP, Clarke would be a worthwhile arm to have right now, especially in the late innings. Lucas Erceg and Matt Strahm have struggled, and Carlos Estevez has only pitched in one game due to injury. The Royals closer likely won’t be back anytime soon after another setback, according to Anne Rogers.

Gotta be honest: kindof surprised Taylor Clarke is having a cromulent year.

At Into the Fountains, Craig wrote about Tuesday’s ugly loss (as opposed to last night’s, which I’m sure he’s writing about now*).

*I don’t know how last night’s ended up, honestly – the Royals were only down 2-0 when I finished writing this.

Blog Roundup?

• Also, Kevin O’Brien at Royals Keep: Chourio and Mitchell Name to All-Star Futures Game Rosters
• Philip Ruo at Royals Keep: Kansas City Royals Pitcher of the Month: June 2026
• Darin Watson at U.L.’s Toothpick: This Date In Royals History–1976 Edition: July 1 – Oakland scores three in the ninth to beat the Royals
• Jacob Milham at KOK: Royals Blake Mitchell’s prospect pedigree takes brutal hit after MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 update
• Nick Halden at KC Kingdom: Bobby Witt Jr. deserves more MVP buzz despite shortcomings of Royals roster

Since it’s not Friday, I figure a couple of movie reviews of movies I watched a month or two ago feels about right. Also, I went back and counted – this entry pushes us past 200 Friday Rumblings movie reviews. It’s almost a lock that I will eventually collect all of them in a low-effort link post one of these days.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026)

I didn’t care much for the first one, due to its scattered plot and characters.  This one is more focused.  It still has a few different plots, but they aren’t nearly as disparate – they all mostly come together in the end. Because of this focus, there aren’t as many laugh-out-loud moments as the first due to this focus on plot. It expands the, ahem, galaxy reasonably well, but I’m not sure how much further they can go with this.  As I said about the first, they tried too much kitchen sink with an origin story, lots about Bowser, Donkey Kong, Mario Kart, and more.  It’s left less ground to cover for the future.  Star Fox was a fine addition, and maybe we’re going towards Super Smash Bros.  In short, it’s pretty and works reasonably well, better than the first.  But it’s still mostly forgettable and, sadly, I think Nintendo’s movies will burn out sooner rather than later.

Zootopia 2 (2025)

The first was wonderful – one of the better animated movies of the last decade.  It’s a movie that didn’t assume kids are just dumb consumers and tried to teach lessons in genuinely creative and entertaining ways.  It took almost a decade, but Zootopia 2 mostly delivers, even if it suffers some sequelitis.  If you look too literally at this one, the main quest in this kids’ movie involves tracking down a 100-year old patent to disprove fraud.  Of course, it’s really about learning to be yourself and learning to live with and finding value in others. That lesson is, once again, taught within a colorful, lived-in world with multi-faceted characters, full of modernized lessons that don’t assume kids are dumb. It’s not as fresh or original as the first. And maybe it will age better on subsequent watchings (Spiderverse 2 did for me).  But it is a worthy sequel, and I’m ok waiting another decade if the Disney team wants to keep putting out

Elio (2025)

The next couple of movies are original IPs, which makes it even more unfortunate that both miss the mark.  This one starts with a colorful and interesting premise. However, it leans heavily on two common Pixar tropes: a tragic introduction to our protagonist that eventually melts into the “two unlikely companions” buddy pic. There are times when the movie dreams big: like the Carl Sagan’s bits and universe-building.  But, most of the time, it lacks the smartness or sharpness that Pixar used to traffic in. It feels paint-by-number: alien families are just like human families, communication misunderstandings between races that ham-handedly mirror those between our main characters, our protagonist and his new friend were always going to save the day, and he was always going to go back to his adopted family on Earth.

Some pieces of a much better movie might be in there, but the finished product is not it.  I wonder about the production difficulties. Adrian Molina co-directed Coco, which was easily one of the Pixar’s best movies of the last decade.  He was the original director of this film, which drew on his personal life story.  However, he left for (or was pushed to) Coco 2 – it’s a little unclear.  Some combination of the new directors, Pete Docter, and the 2025 political climate removed Elio (per wiki) as a “queer-coded character”. Allegedly, this made it “much more generic” and about “totally nothing”. That could have been the heart that the final cut lacked. I’ve always said that kids are almost always smarter than we give them credit for, and Pixar reliably made bank on that for 15 years. They can still surprise you, but those hits are mixed in with lots of shiny, brainless shlock or sequels of movies from when they were better.

Wish (2023)

Wish, perhaps unfairly, had the weight of Disney’s 100^th birthday on its shoulders. They tried to do an old-fashioned fairy tale, right down to the legacy Disney book introduction.  It employs an interesting style of animation and the more I watched it, the more gorgeous it looked.  I like the basic idea of the movie, but –  here come the buts – it takes a long time to get anywhere.  There’s not enough plot and too much filler (like Alan Tudyk) yet still gives short shrift to major plots like Simon’s betrayal and “redemption”.  Some of the morality is vague and questionable, particularly for an old-school fairy tale; the idea of stealing wishes and who those wishes really belong to is greyer than it needs to be. And, critically: the movie never quite feels earnest enough to live up to its message. I really wanted to like the “You’re a Star” scene and the animation is fun. But it’s also a reminder that metafiction is hard to do and this movie misses the mark more often than not.  Considering how much musicals rise and fall with their tunes, the music for this one is just… fine.  I appreciate that they really tried to make a new animated classic. They just weren’t up to the task this time out; Better luck next time. Unfortunately, because these failed, we’ll probably be treated to more safe, unoriginal sequels instead.

Song of the day? How about we use one from one of the movies above?

Whenever I give updates on minor league stats, I’m always conflicted about how many players to include. Some of it is time management-related. Obviously, if I cover every conceivable player, it will take me time I sometimes don’t have. But I also am not particularly interested in writing 5,000 words for one of these either. So I inevitably have to exclude some players. So a couple weeks before the All-Star break and thus when I’m going to start squeezing in the first half updates, I thought I’d get a head start and tackle the rookie leagues, a league I haven’t actually done yet.

These are players you probably won’t need to know for many years and frequently never, but sometimes there’s a Raniel Rodriguez in the mix. Just two short years ago, Rodriguez was on a rookie league update and next year, he might see the major leagues. But most of the time, it’ll be like Ivan Herrera – he would have appeared in the 2017 update (if I was doing them then), he didn’t make his first MLB appearance until 2022, and he wasn’t a regular until 2024. Doesn’t make it not fun when a player makes it and you remember them from the first time you saw their name though.

Dominican Summer League

Hendrick Caña, RHP – 18

Stats: 4 GS, 15 IP, 29.9 K%, 4.5 BB%, 42.1 GB%, .415 BABIP, 3.00 ERA/3.03 FIP/3.74 xFIP

Caña has improved his K rate from 23% last year and his walk rate is a third of what it was last year while his GB rate has remained. While he has pitched fairly well, he has hit three batters – hence the weirdly high xFIP despite a phenomenal K/BB ratio. If you add the walks and HBP, it’s a 9 BB%, which is obviously not quite as impressive. But he has improved a lot nonetheless.

Daniel Gomez, RHP – 18

Stats: 5 GS, 17 IP, 24.6 K%, 5.8 BB%, 42.6 GB%, .319 BABIP, 2.65 ERA/3.96 FIP/4.17 xFIP

Gomez is pitching fairly similar to last year, although he has produced more swing and miss – his swinging strike rate last year was 11.9%, and this year it’s 15.4%. His K% has only marginally rose making me wonder if perhaps if we can expect more strikeouts by the end of the year. Gomez represents the last DSL pitching prospect I will post. Not a prospecty group here. The two 17-year-olds who’ve actually pitched any innings have been not good and I guess it’s different with pitchers, but I generally kind of ignore any 18-year-old in the DSL for prospect purposes.

Sebastian Rojas, C – 17

Stats: 79 PAs, .385/.456/.677, 10.1 BB%, 12.7 K%, .292 ISO, .400 BABIP, 157 wRC+

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: there’s a catcher in the Cardinals system destroying the ball. Is this guy going to get some prospect love over the offseason? I don’t think anybody is writing about the DSL guys yet, but I am just amazed that I blink and there’s another catching prospect.

Luis Estrella, OF – 17

Stats: 83 PAs, .333/.434/.580, 12 BB%, 27.7 K%, .246 ISO, .429 BABIP, 136 wRC+

Oh okay so this league is like that. Got it. That should be much better than a 136 wRC+, or at least it would be at just about any other pro league, but I see that the DSL is on some Coors Field shit. Not to diminish Estrella, but he seems like a probably bad defensive outfielder, because he’s played 11 games in RF, 3 games at 1B, and 3 games at DH. I feel like if you’re getting zero centerfield play at this level, it’s not a good sign. Throw in the strikeouts and proceed with caution.

Yeferson Portolatin, SS – 18

Stats: 79 PAs, .228/.443/.439, 25.3 BB%, 20.3 K%, .211 ISO, .282 BABIP, 123 wRC+

I normally wouldn’t make a point to post an 18-year-old’s stats from the DSL, but Portolatin was actually a better hitter last year. I’m not entirely sure why they didn’t take him to the stats – he had a 145 wRC+. Throw in that he’s a clear shortstop and I thought he was worth mentioning. I don’t know if it’s a difference in run environment or why he stayed in the DSL – but his ISO has improved from .148 to .211. His better line last year was almost entirely BB-related as he had a 29% BB rate, giving him a .483 OBP. But power genuinely seems to be up in this league.

Lucas Takahashi, OF – 17

Stats: 63 PAs, .261/.460/.261, 25.4 BB%, 27 K%, .000 ISO, .414 BABIP, 109 wRC+

Takahashi played last season as a 16-year-old and walked his way to a nearly average line. This time he’s actually got a decent average. That said, he’s yet to hit an extra base hit in 108 PAs at the DSL level. That’s not great. His most played position is CF so that’s the good news.

Michael Cordero, 3B – 17

Stats: 78 PAs, .246/.397/.410, 17.9 BB%, 28.2 K%, .164 ISO, .342 BABIP, 101 wRC+

Cordero also played a significant amount as a 16-year-old last season and I kind of wish he had made more progress from last season. He’s been better, but not by much, and most of his stats are very similar to last year. You hope a 16-year-old with a 95 wRC+ improves more than a 101 wRC+ the next season.

Roberth Castillo, 2B – 17

Stats: 69 PAs, .271/.362/.441, 11.6 BB%, 20.3 K%, .169 ISO, .333 BABIP, 91 wRC+

Yeah the run environment is crazy if that’s a below average hitting line. Castillo has played some games at SS too. I don’t know if he’s limited to 2B right now because of Portolatin, or if he’s more of a 2B who’s just getting reps at SS so he can be a fill-in. But you’d think he’d play more SS if the Cardinals thought he was one. Looking at these other lines makes it crazier that Takahashi can’t hit an extra base hit right now.

Florida Complex League

Xavier Cruz, RHP – 20

Stats (CPX): 5 G (2 GS), 15.1 IP, 43.5 K%, 12.9 BB%, 47.4 GB%, .190 BABIP, 3.52 ERA/5.98 FIP/3.12 xFIP

Low A: 2 G, 5.2 IP, 40.7 K%, 22.2 BB%, 50 GB%, .250 BABIP, 4.76 ERA/5.85 FIP/4.11 xFIP

This is a very strange season for a pitcher who seems to not actually know where the ball is going. It’s either going to be a strikeout, a walk, or a home run. He has struck out 38 guys in 21 innings, and he didn’t really slow down when he arrived in Palm Beach. He hasn’t allowed many flyballs either… it’s just it’s probably a homer if he does allow a flyball.

Gabriel Chinchilla, RHP – 19

Stats: 9 G (4 GS), 33.1 IP, 29.5 K%, 11 BB%, 44.7 GB%, .373 BABIP, 6.48 ERA/4.58 FIP/3.91 xFIP

Gabe, buddy, you’re almost there. We Gabes have to stick together. You have a fan for life. Looks like things just need to bounce his way more often – great K rate, decent amount of groundballs, too many walks, but not too bad. It’s just a very low LOB%, a very high HR/FB%, and a very high BABIP. I choose to believe you’ve been very unlucky.

Jan Cabrera, RHP – 21

Stats: 8 G (6 GS), 30.2 IP, 23.1 K%, 9 BB%, 57.3 GB%, .375 BABIP, 2.93 ERA/4.26 FIP/4.38 xFIP

As a counterpoint to the idea that only 17-year-olds are prospects in the DSL, Jan Cabrera exists. He was good, not great pitcher in the DSL as a 20-year-old. This year, he’s turned into a groundball machine (just 31 GB% last year). Granted, Cabrera still isn’t really a prospect, but he’s at least interesting.

Sebastian Dos Santos, SS – 18

Stats (CPX): 27 G, 112 PAs, .264/.429/.586, 19.6 BB%, 24.1 K%, .322 ISO, .315 BABIP, 143 wRC+

Low A: 11 G, 54 PAs, .200/.407/.300, 20.4 BB%, 27.8 K%, .100 ISO, .292 BABIP, 115 wRC+

Last year, the Cardinals had a few guys in the DSL who hit like the league was way too easy for them. Dos Santos was one of those players, and he made it looked like the complex league was too easy as well. That’s why he’s now in Palm Beach. So far, so good. Probably can’t walk 20% of the time forever, but I appreciate a patient hitter.

Miguel Hernandez, SS – 19

Stats: 36 G, 141 PAs, .259/.390/.500, 15.6 BB%, 24.1 K%, .241 ISO, .316 BABIP, 117 wRC+

I would not necessarily describe Hernandez as someone who made the DSL look too easy, but he had a very good season and he’s picked up exactly where he left off. For what it’s worth, because both he and Dos Santos are sort of shortstops, Hernandez has played a fair number of games at 2B. I’m assuming he became the full-time SS as soon as Dos Santos was promoted. It probably answers why Portolatin was left in the DSL actually.

Cristofer Lebron, 3B – 19

Stats: 37 G, 144 PAs, .280/.371/.488, 11.8 BB%, 24.3 K%, .208 ISO, .353 BABIP, 108 wRC+

Feels absurd to just say Lebron’s last name for obvious reasons, but that’s why he needs to make it. Lebron is having a solid season that if it continues, should put him line to spend next season at Palm Beach.

Kenly Hunter, OF – 18

Stats: 28 G, 109 PAs, .261/.398/.352, 15.6 BB%, 16.5 K%, .091 ISO, .319 BABIP, 99 wRC+

It just feels like the name Kenly Hunter should be a power hitter, so to it’s kind of surprising that he’s the opposite of that. He has played all three outfield positions nearly equally, though CF does top the games played. He also also stolen 11 bases to 1 caught stealing in these 28 games. Feels like he’s a centerfielder!

Juan Pablo Cabrera, C – 19

Stats: 26 G, 96 PAs, .273/.350/.416, 10.4 BB%, 17.4 K%, .143 ISO, .328 BABIP, 96 wRC+

Oh hey a relatively normal catching prospect! They do exist! Even so, this is pretty solid. Good amount of walks, not a lot of strikeouts, some power. He’s not going to be on a top 20 list, but he’s just really continuing to add to the catching depth.

Royelny Strop, OF – 18

Stats: 37 G, 137 PAs, .207/.350/.324, 16.1 BB%, 24.8 K%, .117 ISO, .276 BABIP, 76 wRC+

Pedro’s son struggled for most of his DSL tenure, but surged at the end, leading the Cardinals to bring him to Florida. So it should probably not be a shock to see him struggling to begin his rookie ball tenure in America. He’s not so overmatched though that I think it was the wrong decision. Hopefully, he finishes strong again this season.

Juan Rujano, C – 18

Stats: 21 G, 74 PAs, .227/.311/.348, 6.8 BB%, 29.7 K%, .121 ISO, .310 BABIP, 64 wRC+

Rujano actually had the better season than Cabrera in the DSL, but he’s gotten off to a rougher start. In fact, Rujano was actually ranked 29th on the Cardinals’ team list by Fangraphs entering this season. With that said, he’s also a year younger and it’s no cause for an alarm if an 18-year-old is struggling at this level.

Yaxson Lucena, OF – 18

Stats: 23 G, 88 PAs, .114/.295/.157, 19.3 BB%, 15.9 K%, .043 ISO, .143 BABIP, 33 wRC+

What an interesting line. Given the power and the BABIP, it’s probably safe to say that Lucena has been hitting the ball pretty weakly. But I do find him walking more than he’s struck out encouraging. For what it’s worth, Lucena is one of the hitters who laid waste to the DSL – he had a 141 wRC+. The approach is there, just not the punch.

Definitely covered more names than I would have if I tried to squeeze the rookie leagues into my normal update. And a couple names might end up on the normal update since they are now in Palm Beach. Not as exciting of a year in the DSL as last season (though maybe another Raniel!), but plenty of names to follow in the complex league.