Category: Baseball

We talk a lot about the supposed value of GMs being able to hire their own manager. Neither Chaim Bloom, nor Craig Breslow got that opportunity, as Alex Cora was seemingly foisted upon both by ownership. And even as he’s fired Cora, Breslow still hasn’t really gotten that opportunity, as Chad Tracy predates his Red Sox tenure. So, is that why the interim tag hasn’t yet been removed from Tracy? “I think he’s been good for the team and a great manager so far. He’s been there for us,” said Ceddanne Rafaela. “He’s a great person; that’s first. I think he gave everybody the freedom to play the game and do what they needed to do. He cares about us and not just what we do on the field.” (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)

Meanwhile, Alex Cora is still working through the emotions of his firing, recently saying on a podcast that he has three different competing emotions about how it went down. “I’ll say it again, it’s three different feelings: happy for my family, upset that they didn’t let me finish the job and honestly, relieved I don’t have to go through scouting reports and the matrix and talk to the media twice a day and live in the bubble of, ‘We have to do this.” (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)

Regardless of what you think of either Tracy or Cora, in baseball no manager is successful without production from the players on the field. The Sox have gotten plenty of that from Wilyer Abreu this season, and he was just honored with his second American League Player of the Week award. (Aiden Stepansky, MLB.com)

But last week was last week. This week, the Red Sox find themselves on a three-game losing streak during which they haven’t hit a single home run. And last night’s loss featuring strong pitching but a languid lineup looked early similar to the way they were losing games at the beginning of the year. (Rob Bradford, WEEI)

In that sense, Adley Rutschman is returning to action at the perfect time. “I miss playing,” Rutschman said. “I want to be out there, and to be able to go out and play baseball is such a blessing. And I think you realize that when you’re on the IL and you’re not able to play it. For me, it’s just excitement. This team’s rolling. This locker room, the guys are really tight, as you can tell. So I’m just excited to be a part of it.” (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)

And hopefully Rutschman will be soon followed by Roman Anthony, who recently started hitting off a pitching machine. “All things are positive,” said Chad Tracy. “Let him keep taking steps, temper expectations until he crosses and checks all these boxes, then we’ll see when we can get him here.” (Daniel Yanofsky, NESN)

The phone range in the middle of the offseason. Jake Brooks was a couple of weeks from leaving for Marlins camp in Florida, and the name on the screen was John Savage, his head coach at UCLA.

“He gave me a ring and was like, ‘Hey man, how you feeling?’” Brooks said. “I was like, ‘What do you mean?’ And he’s like, ‘Come on, man, how you feeling?’ And I was like, ‘Dude, what are you talking about?’ And he’s like, ‘I think you’re getting traded to the Rockies.’”

Brooks had never been traded before. He didn’t know how any of it was supposed to work — who calls, in what order, how long you sit with it before anyone official confirms anything.

“I was shocked, obviously,” he said. “And I was like, ‘Dude, I’ve got to start calling some people. I’ve got to figure this out.’”

He called his parents first. Then the calls started coming in the other direction — Miami, then Colorado. Somewhere in there, he texted Kyle Karros.

That trade, on January 20, sent Brooks to the Rockies from the Marlins for Bradley Blalock. Six months later, the 25-year-old right-hander is making starts at Triple-A Albuquerque, learning an environment that has humbled better-known arms, and discovering that the organization he landed in had things to tell him about himself that his old one never did.

The seven feet

Brooks throws from a low three-quarters arm slot — a Statcast arm angle of 24.4 degrees — and it’s the thing everything else about him is built on.

“I’ve always been, I guess, a lower three-quarters arm slot kind of guy, and that has helped me get the natural sink that I have,” he said

That much he knew. What he didn’t know was how far down the mound he gets before he lets go of the ball.

“My extension that I’ve honestly come to realize this year is pretty far,” Brooks said. “I think I have over seven feet of extension, so that creates a little bit more deception to the hitters as well. But that’s something I didn’t even realize when I was with the Marlins in that organization. I wasn’t really brought to that knowledge that I had that elite extension, so that’s something that I’ve kind of learned about this year and used it to my advantage.”

He’s right about it, and the number backs him up. Brooks releases the ball an average of 7.0 feet from the rubber this season, which grades in the 96th percentile among pitchers in his cohort.

It’s also a real change: In 2024, at Low-A Jupiter, he was releasing around 6.6 feet. He has found roughly five inches, and five inches at that arm slot is the difference between a 91-mph sinker that looks like 91 and one that doesn’t.

Brooks is careful about where credit goes. The pitches themselves were built in Miami.

“They had a higher emphasis on ‘stuff,’ and it was all on like a stuff metric scale,“ he said. ”And I developed stuff there; like my stuff did get better, and I did add a sweeper, which is one of my better pitches, as well as that kick change with them. So I attribute a lot of my stuff to the Marlins and what they gave me. But being in an org where I can use that stuff and use the strength that I do well is really cool.“

The strength he does well is throwing the ball over the plate, and Colorado made a point of telling him to do so.

“The comfort level with Alon [Leichman] was great during spring training,” Brooks said. “I had a couple of conversations with him and some of the other pitching coaches up in the big league staff, and it’s just good to be with an organization that values what you do at an elite level. I know that, ‘Hey, I’m going to pound the zone, I’m going to attack hitters, I’m going to compete.’”

He does. Brooks has thrown 54.1 percent of his Triple-A pitches inside the strike zone and 66.5 percent for strikes overall, both near the top of the level, with a 5.8 percent walk rate. He’s walked 10 hitters in 37 innings.

Learning to pitch backward

The version of Brooks who dominated the Florida State League in 2024 threw his sinker 52 percent of the time. He was a sinker with three pitches behind it. The version in Albuquerque is a different design. The sinker is down to 29 percent. The sweeper has gone from an eighth of his pitches to more than a fifth. He now throws five pitches, and none of them account for even 30 percent of his mix.

Some of that is deliberate, and some of it is Triple-A forcing the issue.

“There’s learning curves at every level, and one of the biggest for me in this Triple-A level is seeing how my stuff best plays off each other, facing better hitters and more veteran hitters,” Brooks said. “Using that four-seam fastball does set up that split change that I have a little bit better. Set that high fastball up to set up that low changeup, because you can’t just use stuff to overpower these guys. Especially with the stuff that I have, it isn’t necessarily overpowering, but I can pitch, and I can locate.”

He isn’t overselling the pitch. Asked what makes it work, Brooks went straight at its limitations.

“That high-four seam fastball, which isn’t metrically great, but still the differential off of the changeup that I throw definitely works and tricks batters,” he said.

The four-seam is a 91-mph pitch with about eight and a half inches of induced vertical break — a fastball that doesn’t ride, thrown from a slot that isn’t built to make it ride. On its own, it isn’t beating anybody at this level.

The differential is the point. Brooks’ changeup arrives ten miles per hour slower with roughly nine inches less carry, out of the same arm slot and the same seven feet of extension. Throw one at the top of the zone and the other under it, and a hitter has to decide early on two pitches that look identical leaving the hand and finish nearly a foot apart.

It’s working the way he says. The changeup has produced a 28.1 percent whiff rate this season, the highest of all his offerings. And the four-seam — the pitch he just told you isn’t metrically great — had held Triple-A hitters to a .288 expected wOBA, better than the sinker it’s spelling.

The pitch above them all is the sweeper. At 80.7 miles per hour with about a foot of glove-side break, it has held Triple-A hitters to a .198 expected wOBA with a 21.1 percent whiff rate. It’s the one offering in the mix that grades out as an unambiguous plus by pitch-model standards, and it’s the one he named unprompted as the thing Miami gave him.

He also got a week with someone who has pitched successfully in the hardest place there is: Gabriel Hughes (No. 12 PuRP).

“I obviously don’t cut it as much as him — his cut fastball is insane,” Brooks said of Rockies right-hander. “But I spoke with him a little bit, and he emphasized just the ability to pitch and be in zone with different speeds was the biggest contributor to his success. I was only with him for half a week, maybe a week, until he got called up.”

Starting lanes

Then there is the altitude, which Brooks describes better than most people who write about it.

“Pitching for me has always been locating first and then stuff second,” he said. “Coming up to Albuquerque and elevation, it’s more so just starting lanes, and knowing that your pitch isn’t going to move as much, but just feeling out throughout the game what your pitch is doing, and then starting them in locations where you want them. So maybe my sinker, I’m starting it more middle instead of outer third to get it in. My sweeper, I’m starting more middle to get it out instead of starting at the batter’s hips.”

He learned it the way everyone learns it.

“That’s been something I’ve learned through adversity, really,” Brooks said. “Because I’ll get guys to two strikes, I’ll get ahead of guys, and then I’ll spin a breaking ball, and it just won’t end up where I want it. And then they’ll hit it for an easy single. More veteran guys are going to take their knocks if they have them. I’m leaving elevated changeups maybe out of the zone, but lefties are flicking it the other way for a single instead of fouling it off or swinging and missing.”

That is, essentially, a scouting report on his own season. Brooks carries a 6.81 ERA in seven Albuquerque starts. He has allowed almost nothing hard: an average exit velocity of 87.0 mph, a hard-hit rate in the 90th percentile of the level, and one barrel across 136 batted balls. His wOBA against is .405. His expected wOBA, based on how the ball has actually left the bat, is .312.

The gap between those two numbers is a .389 batting average on balls in play, and Brooks just told you where it comes from. Singles. Flicked the other way, at 5,000 feet, by hitters who have seen a lot of pitching.

The recovery side of altitude has been easier than the pitching side.

“More hydration tablets, definitely more electrolytes, and a couple more minutes of stretching each day,” he said. “But the recovery has been honestly not too bad.”

The Karros crew

The best part of the trade, for Brooks, had nothing to do with pitch design.

He and Kyle Karros met as freshmen at UCLA, didn’t know each other beforehand, and became close almost immediately. He’s tight with Kyle’s older brother Jared, now in the Dodgers system. The three of them have lived together in the offseason, train together, surf, and play volleyball.

“It’s a childhood dream to be able to play with one of your best friends in the big leagues,” Brooks said. “It was honestly surreal when it happened, the trade, because it’s like, what are the odds that I get traded to the same team that he’s on?”

Karros was, by Brooks’ count, roughly his second phone call that day — ahead of the Marlins, who hadn’t reached him yet.

“I definitely shot him a text, and I was like, ‘Dude, I might be coming to the Rockies. I don’t know yet.’”

There is also a running fantasy football league with the Karros brothers, which Brooks entered once, finished last in, and walked away in embarrassment.

“It was so embarrassing that I had to step away for a few years and do my research, then come back,” he said. “So this is my first year back in, I think, two or three years with that crew. Hopefully I make a new name for myself.

One more Colorado thread runs back further than any of it. In the summer of 2020, Brooks pitched for the Fond Du Lac Dock Spiders of the Northwoods League, where he met a shortstop named Ryan Ritter.

“That’s a fun league,” Brooks said. “That’s the best depiction of pro ball that you can get in summer ball. It’s a grind up there.”

So is this. Brooks spent the first half of the season in Hartford, on a Yard Goats club that won its division’s first half, and he lit up talking about it — “just being on a pitching staff and on a team that wants to win helps you perform to a higher level.”

Then he came to Albuquerque, where the sweeper doesn’t sweep as far, and veteran hitters take what you give them.

He’s still throwing strikes. He’s still finding the lanes. And for the first time, he’s doing it with an organization that told him exactly what he had.

Weekly Pebble Report: August 4th-10th

Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes (4-2, 59-55 Overall)

Albuquerque took four of six from the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Houston Astros) at Isotopes Park, extending a run in which they have won 10 of their last 12. The series had everything: a 10-1 rout, a pair of one-run games, and an 18-10 loss in which Sugar Land scored 11 in the tenth inning and three Isotopes — Zac Veen, Blas Castaño, and manager Pedro Lopez were ejected. The bullpen was otherwise outstanding, with eight different arms finishing the series without allowing an earned run. Albuquerque sits at 20-19 in the second half, still seven games back of first place.

⬆️ Stock Up: Veen’s Three-Homer Night

Zac Veen (PuRP No. 9) went 5-for-5 with three home runs, a triple, and a double on Saturday, driving in seven of Albuquerque’s 10 runs and finishing a single shy of the cycle with 17 total bases. It was the centerpiece of a series in which he hit .478 (11-for-23) with four homers, 10 RBIS, and nine runs scored across all six games. Veen is now at 24 home runs and 87 RBIS — the second straight series in which he has been the best hitter on the field, and the kind of stretch that makes the next roster decision in Denver an interesting one.

⬆️ Stock Up: Ritter Can’t Stop Hitting

Ryan Ritter quietly outhit even Veen, collecting 11 hits in 17 at-bats for a .657 average over five games. He added three doubles, a triple, and three stolen bases, going 4-for-4 with two steals in Friday’s slugfest and 3-for-4 in Sunday’s series-clinching win. Ritter did damage from multiple spots in the order, giving Albuquerque a second bat that opposing pitchers couldn’t navigate.

Upcoming

The Isotopes will visit Oklahoma City for a six-game series with the Comets (Los Angeles Dodgers)

Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats (0-6, 54-53 Overall)

Hartford was swept in six games at Binghamton (New York Mets) — the last-place club in their own division, which entered the week 26 games under .500. The Yard Goats scored 14 runs across the series, and three of those runs came in a 23-3 loss, meaning 11 runs total in the other five games. They hit .18- as a team and struck out 76 times, and they now sit at 15-24 in the second half.

⬆️ Stock Up: Flesland Deserved Better

Stu Flesland III threw seven innings of one-hit baseball Friday, walking one and striking out seven, and left with the game scoreless. Hartford lost it 1-0 an inning later. It continued a strong run of starts following a five-inning no-hit stint at Chesapeake and a win at Richmond, and it dropped his ERA to 2.09 with a 3-0 record. In a week when almost nothing went right for the Yard Goats, Flesland gave them the one game they should have won.

⬇️ Stock Down: Antico Can’t Make Contact

Mike Antico struck out 10 times in 19 at-bats, finishing the series 2-for-19. One of those hits was a home run in the blowout loss, and it accounted for his only RBI of the week. He was the most frequent out in a lineup that made a great many of them.

Upcoming

Hartford returns home for six games with the Erie Seawolves (Detroit Tigers)

High-A: Spokane Indians (1-4, 50-57 Overall)

Spokane drew the toughest opponent on the schedule and paid for it, losing four of five to the Eugene Emeralds (San Francisco Giants). Sunday’s finale was cancelled because of poor air quality in Spokane, ending the series a game early. The Indians were outscored 43-21 and lost three of the four by lopsided margins, though they salvaged the last one on a walk-off — a 7-6 win in which they trailed by three in the sixth. Kelvin Hidaglo’s three-run homer sparked that comeback. The Indians sit in third place in the Northwest League second-half standings, just two games back of first place.

⬆️ Stock Up: Brito Finds His Footing

Roldy Brito (PuRP No. 11) was the Spokane hitter Eugene couldn’t solve, going 11-for-24 (.458) with two home runs, four doubles, and two stolen bases while playing all five games. His homer in the opener accounted for the Indians’ only run in a 13-1 loss, and he closed the series 4-for-5 with a homer, a double, and two RBIs in the walk-off win. Promoted from Fresno in July, Brito has needed a few weeks to settle in at High-A; this was the week he did.

⬇️ Stock Down: Hopfe’s Bat Goes Silent

Tommy Hopfe went 0-for-18 across all five games. The at-bats weren’t ugly — he struck out only once and drew a pair of walks — but nothing found grass, and the one run he drove in came on an out. Two series ago Hopfe hit 542 against Tri-City and appeared in this space for it; this was the mirror image, and it came in a week when Spokane needed anyone in the lineup to get hot.

Upcoming

The Indians head on the road to face the Everett Aqua-Sox (Seattle Mariners) in a six-game set.

Low-A: Fresno Grizzlies (2-4, 59-49 Overall)

Fresno dropped four of six at home to Visalia (Arizona Diamondbacks), a club sitting 18 games under .500 and fell to fourth place in the California League second-half standings. The losses came in different flavors: a 10-9 defeat in 11 innings after leading by three in the eighth, a seven-run fourth inning on Friday, and a finale played in 109-degree heat. Wilder Dalis (PuRP No. 24) kept producing with six RBIs and two triples, and Ronny Ugarte hit .400 with his first Low-A home run.

⬆️ Stock Up: Arguelles Hasn’t Missed a Beat

Two weeks after finishing an Arizona Complex League title run, Cristian Arguelles (HM PuRP) is hitting .333 at Low-A. He collected 1o hits in 23 at-bats across all six games with a home run, two doubles, and two stolen bases, and his biggest swing came Thursday — a go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning, one half-inning after Visalia had taken the lead, in a game Fresno won by a run. Arguelles hit .402 in the ACL regular season before the promotion. The level changed; the production hasn’t.

⬇️ Stock Down: Vidourek’s Slide Deepens

Landyn Vidourek went 1-for-18 with 10 strikeouts, the second series in which he has appeared in this space since his acquisition. Two weeks ago it was 1-for-17 with nine strikeouts, and the two stretches combine for 2-for-25 with 19 punch outs. The one silver lining last time — seven walks that kept him on base despite the empty batting line — didn’t carry over either; he drew a single walk this week. Derek Bernard is scuffling alongside him at 1-for-15, leaving Fresno with two regulars simultaneously unable to find a hit.

Upcoming

The Grizzlies head to northern California for a six-game series with the San Jose Giants (San Francisco Giants)

DSL: DSL Colorado (3-1-1) & DSL Rockies (1-5)

The gap between the two Dominican Summer League affiliates widened. DSL Colorado won three, lost one, and tied one — a 4-4 game called with nobody out in the ninth — and moved to 32-16 atop the DSL Southeast, closing the week with a 14-5 rout built on a 10-run fourth and an 8-0 combined shutout in which six pitches held the Rangers Blue hitless with runners in scoring position. Nine different Colorado arms threw scoreless outings across the week. DSL Rockies lost five of six and fell to 19-29, though they did snap a seven-game skid on Friday behind Carlos Mota’s five-RBI afternoon — a win that also featured a triple play.

⬆️ Stock Up: Ferrufino Does the Most Damage

William Ferrufino turned 12 at-bats into four extra-base hits, going 5-for-12 (.417) with a home run, two triples, a stolen base, and a share of the team lead with six RBIs. His three-run homer was the biggest swing of the 10-run fourth inning that buried the Blue Jays Blue on Thursday, and he tripled and drove in another run during Saturday’s shutout. For a lineup with several hitters above .400 for the week, Ferrufino was the one doing damage in bulk.

⬆️ Stock Up: Ramirez Keeps Reaching

On a club that lost five of six and was shut out once, Ramirez reached base 14 times in six games. He hit .500 (7-for-14) with a home run, two doubles, and seven walks, scoring five runs and driving in four. Nobody else in the Rockies’ lineup hit better than .333 for the week, and only two others reached base more than five times.

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

With over 40 games remaining in the MLB season, 2026 is shaping up to be one of the best years for Japanese-born hitters — and it’s being led by a pair of rookies.

USA TODAY analyzed home run data for Japanese-born players to uncover the single seasons with the most homers hit by such players.

Munetaka Murakami of the Chicago White Sox has hit 26 home runs in his first MLB season so far. That is tied for the ninth-best home run season by a Japanese-born player.

DIG DEEPER: Munetaka Murakami shines with 2 HR, career-high 6 RBI on bobblehead day

Fellow rookie Kazuma Okamoto of Toronto is two home runs back with 24. Both players have hit more homers than any other Japanese-born rookie, eclipsing the 22-homer season Shohei Ohtani had in 2018.

It’s also worth noting that Ohtani is at 26 homers, too, although he is well past being a rookie in his ninth MLB season.

Murakami is on pace to hit 40 home runs if he maintains his current pace and plays in all 45 of the White Sox’s remaining games. A 40-home run year would rank as the fifth-highest single-season total by a Japanese-born MLB player, behind four Ohtani seasons.

Okamoto, meanwhile, is on pace for 33, which would be near Ohtani’s 34-homer season in 2022.

Ohtani is between Murakami and Okamoto with a projected home run total of 36.

Should Murakami, Okamoto and Ohtani all hit 30-plus home runs, it’ll be the first season that three Japanese-born players have hit 30 or more home runs in a single MLB season.

Ohtani and Seiya Suzuki became the first pair to do so in the same season in 2025. Suzuki has 19 homers for the Chicago Cubs this season and is projected to finish with 27.

Aside from Ohtani and Suzuki, only one other Japanese player has hit more than 30 homers in a single season: Hideki Matsui, who hit 31 for the New York Yankees in 2004.

Methodology: Home run data from Stathead and Baseball-Reference. Ages are calculated as of June 30 for the given season. 2026 totals are through August 10. Projections use each player’s current home-run rate per game and assume he appears in every remaining team game.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Murakami, Ohtani, Okamoto could make Japanese MLB home run history

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Reds fans and fans across the country.

The most recent start from Cincinnati Reds ace Chase Burns was a uniquely poor one. He yielded 5 ER and 6 H with a trio of walks in just 5.1 IP, exiting earlier than anyone would have liked in an eventual 8-2 loss to the Washington Nationals that may just have been the final nail in the coffin for the 2026 Reds club.

As you can see from the fine folks at FanGraphs, the average fastball velocities in his starts has also begun to decline over the course of the season, something that’s not at all uncommon for a young pitcher who’s being tasked with throwing more innings this year than he ever has before.

To date, Burns has fired 124.0 IP for the Reds, already topping the 109.1 IP he threw across all levels of professional ball last year. That in itself eclipsed the 100.0 IP mark he logged in his 2024 season with Wake Forest at the collegiate level, as Burns – who was oft-used as a reliever at Tennessee prior to transferring to Wake for his senior year – simply hasn’t ever had a huge workload put on his prized right arm.

The Reds, obviously, hope that changes over the course of the long-term contract Burns signed earlier this season. But in a year where they’re mired in last place and effectively out of a playoff spot, just how far should the Reds let him go in 2026?

Obviously, they don’t want to push him too far in a lost year. On the other hand, they want him to build up enough IP this year so that he can build on that mark next year, and cutting his 2026 season too short could end up with a ripple effect in 2027, too.

There’s also the issue with the Reds simply needing someone, anyone to soak up IP between now and the end of the year. Hunter Greene is hurt, again, and Nick Lodolo is only just now getting back (with a completely different grip on his breaking pitches).

What say you? At what innings threshold should the Reds look to limit their burgeoning ace this year?

Let us know in the poll below!

The Mets emerged from the Aug. 3 trade deadline having dealt roughly one-third of their active roster. Since then, they have looked and played like a new team, which is not a surprise since they basically are a new team.

In the week-plus since trading four key members of their bullpen, two starting pitchers, and a valuable outfielder, the Mets have gone 6-1. Along the way, they have swept a road series from one playoff contender (the Guardians), took a road series from a fringe contender (the Pirates) and then snagged the opening game at Truist Park from a Braves team that is leading the NL East -- clinching the season series over Atlanta in the process. 

While scoring 50 runs during this seven-game stretch, the Mets have looked looser on the field and tighter with each other, which could simply be the result of all the pressure now being off -- as if some kind of dam broke and all the bad vibes floated away. 

For many, the obvious question at this point would be "where was this from the Mets in June and July when their season slipped away?"

That's fair.

But there is literally nothing that can be done about that now. New York's season was derailed by a 12-game losing streak in April, and they couldn't revive it in the ensuing months. 

The result is that the Mets enter play on Tuesday with a record of 53-67, needing a miracle to get back to anything even resembling a playoff race. However, that doesn't mean how they're playing now is unimportant, given the impact it could have on how next season's roster looks.

And there might not be a bigger story to watch than Kodai Senga's rapid acclimation to a late-inning relief role, which resulted in him being on the mound to close Monday's win over the Braves after Devin Williams landed on the IL due to a shoulder injury.

Senga, again primarily featuring his four-seam fastball (which topped out at 100 mph) and forkball, easily shut the door on Atlanta.

In the three-game sample size since becoming a high-leverage reliever, Senga has yet to allow a hit, firing three scoreless innings while walking two and striking out four.

While it was clear he had the stuff that could translate in this setting, it has still been pretty wild to watch it work seamlessly so far.

If Senga continues to adapt well to the rigors of this role, the Mets might have taken a potential DFA candidate and turned him into a legitimate late-inning weapon for 2027 -- which would in turn make the recent trades of Luke Weaver and Huascar Brazoban look less harmful to New York's hopes next season. A 2027 bullpen with Senga and Williams as setup options in front of a lockdown closer (such as pending free agent Adrian Morejon) would be formidable.

About that potential bullpen ... the Mets also have some other possible answers auditioning for a role in it, including rookie left-hander Nate Lavender (who has been tremendous in a small sample and whose ability to miss bats has translated), the hard-throwing Dedniel Núñez (rounding back into form after Tommy John surgery), and jumping Jefry Yan (who may need to limit his penchant for walks in order to stick).

There have been other nice stories, too, including the emergence of 30-year-old Jared Young as a serious option going forward.

Young, who signed with New York after the 2024 season after playing 22 combined games for the Cubs in 2022 and 2023, played just 22 games last year due in part to a torn meniscus.

In 72 games this season, Young has been a steady lineup presence, slashing .262/.338/.436 (.773 OPS, 115 OPS+) while playing primarily first base and also getting time at DH and both corner outfield spots. Young's hard hit rate this season is among the best in baseball, as is his ability to make contact (he has struck out just 43 times).

At the very least, it seems that Young has earned a place on next year's team. Springboarding off that, the question of who will play first base regularly for the Mets next season brings us to the fact that they're actually in pretty strong shape elsewhere on the diamond. Paradoxically, they're also in a bit of a tough spot, since the construction of their roster and relatively unappealing free agent crop this offseason could make finding impact bats at first base and/or DH a challenge.

In a world where Bo Bichette doesn't opt out of his contract after the season, the Mets appear to be set at seven of their nine lineup spots for 2027.

Francisco Alvarez at catcher, Francisco Lindor at shortstop, Bichette at third base, Juan Soto in left field, A.J. Ewing in center field, Carson Benge in right field, and Marcus Semien at second base.

Of those seven players, all of them profile as above average regulars except Semien. But Semien has been better since returning from the IL (an .814 OPS and smoother defense in 19 games since), played through a hip injury before that IL stint, and has two years and $46 million left on his contract. So it's difficult to envision a scenario where he isn't the starting second baseman when next season starts.

Jorge Polanco is another story entirely, and someone whose presence the Mets will need to work around while looking to add some kind of impact at first base and/or DH this offseason.

When it comes to the starting rotation for next season, New York has a good foundation to build from.

In a loose way, perhaps it's fair to view Nolan McLean as a No.2, Christian Scott as a No. 4, and the rejuvenated Sean Manaea as a No. 5.

Rookie Zac Thornton has also thrown his name in the mix with his composure and performance over his first seven big league starts.

If McLean can harness his arsenal a bit better, he has the stuff to be an ace. Scott, who has struck out 11.3 batters per nine as he shakes off the rust following Tommy John surgery, is missing bats at a prodigious rate. Manaea, who was relegated to the bullpen earlier this season, has regained his velocity and effectiveness, posting a 3.50 ERA in 61.2 innings over 11 starts since returning to the rotation on June 13. So again, the foundation is there.

If the Mets want to get a perfect No. 1 and No. 3, they can turn to the free agent market for Tarik Skubal and the recently-traded Clay Holmes. Skubal is one of the best pitchers in the sport, and the Holmes is a proven New York performer with less mileage on his arm than pretty much any other starting pitcher his age. And neither of them will be attached to a qualifying offer.

In order to land Skubal, the Mets would have to outbid the competition (which they can obviously do), and Stearns will have to adjust his philosophy when it comes to long-term deals for pitchers over 30 (which he should do). Skubal returning to the Dodgers seems logical, but Los Angeles is absolutely loaded when it comes to starting pitching. So it's fair to wonder whether they'll pony up what it takes to keep him.

As the Mets were going through the worst of it this season, there were some who predicted a downturn for them that lasted multiple seasons, though that never made much sense -- not with the amount of injury and underperformance that was mixed in when the season slipped away. Even when things were going completely haywire, this felt like an isolated nightmare.

Beyond that, there's too much randomness and variance from year-to-year to write off pretty much any MLB team following a down season -- especially one with the resources the Mets have.

For recent examples of quick turnarounds, look at the 2013 World Series champion Red Sox (finished 69-93 in 2012), the 2023 World Series champion Rangers (finished 68-94 in 2022, and the 2026 White Sox (currently leading the AL Central with a 61-56 record after finishing 60-102 in 2025).

With an eye on retooling and contending right away in 2027, the remainder of this season has become an important evaluation period for New York. There are core members of the team whose status going forward is obviously not in doubt, but there are others whose performance could be a determining factor when it comes to their role for next season -- and help color how David Stearns and the front office approach the offseason.

I don’t want to spill too much ink on the sorry state of the Yankees offense at the risk of sounding like a broken record. Instead, let’s focus on the positives they have provided us in recent days, namely an improbable series win over the Braves. As much as the pitching largely carried the day, a certain young shortstop provided a handful of bright sparks on either side of the ball, and so George Lombard Jr. earns his first appearance on At-bat of the Week.

We join Lombard leading off the bottom of the seventh of the middle game against the Braves on Saturday. The Yankees are clinging to a 3-2 lead courtesy of a Spencer Jones RBI single in the second and RBI triple in the fifth, Austin Wells then driving him home with a double. Lombard enters this AB having struck out and drawn a walk against Chris Sale, the latter result requiring a pair of impressive, successful ABS challenges. However, Lombard now faces the hard-throwing righty reliever Victor Mederos, a very different look from the sidearming southpaw Sale.

Mederos starts Lombard with a first pitch sinker at 96 looking to tie the hitter up on the inner half.

This is a really good take from Lombard. The sinker looks like a strike on the upper ledge of the strike zone for much of its path toward home. It exits Mederos’ hand aimed pretty centrally, yet Lombard is able to diagnose it immediately as a fastball and understands that the foot-and-a-half of arm side run will carry it all the way off the plate and out of the zone inside for a ball.

That was a pretty good pitch that Mederos just threw, so it makes sense that he sticks with the inside sinker as it’s a pitch that can really eat up a hitter when buried in on the hands.

This is exactly why we don’t bunt unless it is absolutely necessary. When you’ve got a reliever coming in and throwing upper-90s, a middle-middle sinker in a 1-0 count might be the best pitch you’re gonna get to hit. Not only did Lombard miss a golden pitch to hit, but he lost his count leverage without making the pitcher work for it. Yes, I understand the third baseman was playing back and the Yankees are struggling for base runners at the moment, but Lombard was brought up to swing the bat (and for his glove) and bunting in this spot amounted to giving away a pitch.

Now that Mederos has shown Lombard a pair of fastballs that break toward him, he switches to a cutter breaking away from the batter, hoping he can get him to chase something off the plate outside should he mistakenly assume it is another sinker breaking in.

Mederos yanks this pitch way out of the zone, the pitch passing through the lefty batter’s box and off the catcher’s mitt to the backstop. It’s one of the easier takes Lombard will get, though it was still informative for him to see a fastball that breaks in the opposite direction from the first two he saw.

After missing so wildly with that cutter, Mederos breaks out his third different fastball of the encounter, the four-seamer. His four-seamer breaks a little less down and a little less arm-side than his sinker, but the two pitch types otherwise aren’t all that distinguishable from each other.

Mederos nails the outside edge with this 97 mph heater. He’s partially able to catch Lombard looking by sequencing this pitch directly following a fastball that breaks glove-side, this pitch starting well off the plate away before tailing back into the zone, but mostly it’s just a well-executed fastball that Lombard is more than justified to watch for a called strike.

Mederos now tries to leverage that called strike on the outside edge by sequencing a cutter that, as we mentioned, moves in the opposite lateral direction as his sinker and four-seamer. Lombard just watched a pitch that looked like a ball away end up as a called strike on the outside edge, so he effectively has to protect against anything that starts aimed away. This should make him susceptible to chasing a pitch that breaks glove-side.

Instead, Mederos grooves this cutter up and out over the plate. It doesn’t have any of the cut of the first one he threw and flies straight as an arrow toward home. Lombard fires a beautiful swing lining this pitch into the seats in right for a leadoff home run to give the Yankees an invaluable late insurance run that they would need by the time the final out was recorded. I’ll be honest, I did not realize Lombard had opposite field home run power, short porch or not. However, I love his approach, staying behind the baseball and allowing the velocity on the pitch to supply the power off the bat, knowing that with solid contact in the air, there’s always a chance to leave the yard in right.

Here’s the full sequence:

Without getting ahead of ourselves from a five-game sample, it is all the same assuring that Lombard has not looked overmatched facing big league pitching according to the eye test. We were always told that the defense was MLB-ready and indeed Lombard already looks way more rangy and self-assured at short than Anthony Volpe. However, I was not expecting him to have such an immediate impact with the bat. The power is certainly a welcome surprise, but it’s his advanced pitch recognition and plate discipline that have really caught the eye and could be the keys to maintaining this form down the stretch.

Hello, any new Battery Power readers retained from the Great Trade Deadline Site Surge of 2026! We hope you enjoy(ed) your time with this great community as we wind down on a memorable regular reason and that you stick around. Our regulars are some of the best baseball fans in the league.

The week following the trade deadline had some highs (back-to-back sweeps, an eight game winning streak) and lows (stumbling against both teams from New York) that have prompted some interesting discussion in our Feed. Here’s a sampling of what y’all have been cooking:

October surprise(s)?

Barring any waiver wire moves, the Braves are basically set with who they’re rolling with to hopefully make a deep postseason run. So it’s time for predictions: which guy will be the one to be the most impactful? Who will we hail as a legend for their contributions for years to come?

AJ Smith-Shawver is a candidate once he’s back up from Triple-A, where he’s polishing off the rust and working on that later-inning stamina.

On that note, a potential Game 3 starter might just be sub-40 miles away…

Other candidates: a spiteful Grant Holmes? Or maybe some current underperformers…

Rotation revamp

Of course, the biggest topic of conversation remains our starting pitching. Crumbs from sports writers have indicated the Braves made the pushes and called the phones for [insert your preferred SP here], but nothing worked out. So now what do we do, at least for the rest of the month or regular season?

A defense-based drafting

The prompt by the ever-insightful clmj1:

But of course on the flip side… why defend when hit dingers?

Record with Ronald

Superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. has largely been in the two-hole since his return from the IL and still steadily contributing despite a continued wOBA underperformance. It might feel like he hasn’t made much of a difference, but someone looked into the numbers, and…

While it may feel like the odds (read: the umpires) are against the Braves, we can always count on you all sharing your insights, articles, prospect questions, and so much more with us in our comments and in the Feed. You are the straw that stirs the Battery Power cocktail, and we appreciate you. Here’s to more hot takes!

The Nationals were the Cubs’ first regular season opponent this year, way back in March. The Nats took two of three at Wrigley Field.

Much has changed for both teams since then. The Cubs have solidified their claim on a postseason spot and could still win a division title. After playing over .500 for quite some time, the Nats had a selloff at the Trade Deadline.

For more on the Nationals, here’s Sam Sallick, manager of our SB Nation Nationals site Federal Baseball.

The Nats are a very different team to the one that played the Cubs on Opening Day. Only two members of the bullpen remain and many fixtures of the lineup are now gone. Joey Wiemer, who dominated the Cubs to start the season, has now gone, with his rise and fall taking place over the course of six weeks.

However, the Nats remain on the outskirts of the playoff race. These last couple weeks have been a rollercoaster though. After beating the Diamondbacks in a series, they got within one game of a playoff spot and were over .500. Shortly after that, they hit a snag, losing seven in a row and selling at the deadline.

This past weekend though, the Nats got back into the fight by sweeping the Reds. The Nats lost the likes of Luis Garcia Jr., Curtis Mead and Foster Griffin at the deadline. However, a lot of the returns they received were made with the idea of helping the team in the near future.

The Nats bullpen has been a well publicized disaster, but with some new faces, they looked great against the Reds. Yovanny Cruz, Will Dion and Jake Bird all came over in deadline trades and have looked good in a Nats uniform. Nats POBO Paul Toboni has been searching for bullpen answers all season, but this is the best they have looked all year.

Usually, losing the NL leader in slugging would be a huge blow to the offense. However, rookie Abimelec Ortiz has looked very good stepping into Luis Garcia’s shoes. Andres Chaparro has also stepped up making the first base platoon very dangerous.

There is one dangerous name the Cubs will avoid this week. James Wood is on the IL with a mild oblique strain. He is the most fearsome piece in this elite Nats offense. However, this offense is more than just Wood. CJ Abrams has also been tremendous and there are other hot bats such as Daylen Lile and the resurgent Keibert Ruiz.

On the pitching side, you are likely to see the debut of Jackson Kent, the Nats top left handed pitching prospect. He is a funky lefty with an average heater, a great changeup, solid breaking balls and good command. Kent is someone the Nats are very high on.

Right after the deadline, it looked like the Nats might have gone in a tailspin. However, they just got their first sweep since April and are riding high. It will be interesting to see how the surprising Nats matchup with a veteran laden Cubs team.

Fun facts

This is the first time the Cubs will play at Washington immediately after having played at Kansas City. Earlier this season, they went from Cleveland to Tampa and from Baltimore to Cincinnati for the first times. Next month, they will make their first trip from Miami to Milwaukee.

The Cubs have won two more games than they have lost at Washington, 35-33, since the former Montreal Expos relocated to the nation’s capital in 2005. The Cubs also were 49-33 against two 19th Century NL teams in Washington, for a total record of 84-66.

Last year, the Cubs won two of three at Washington. They swept three in 2024. They last were swept at Nationals Park in 2019. They split four games in 2021, won two of three in 2022 and went 1-3 in 2023. 

(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)

Probable pitching matchups

Tuesday: Shōta Imanaga, LHP (8-9, 3.60 ERA, 1.093 WHIP, 4.38 FIP) vs. Jake Irvin, RHP (2-5, 5.37 ERA, 1.290 WHIP, 4.73 FIP)

Wednesday: David Peterson, LHP (3-1, 4.03 ERA, 1.237 WHIP, 4.51 FIP in seven starts with Cubs; 6-7, 5.35 ERA, 1.500 WHIP, 4.08 FIP in 23 games overall) vs. Miles Mikolas, RHP (3-9, 5.89 ERA, 1.407 WHIP, 5.72 FIP)

Thursday: Kevin Gausman, RHP (1-0, 2.57 ERA, 0.714 WHIP, 4.23 FIP in one start with Cubs; 6-10, 4.29 ERA, 1.258 WHIP, 3.53 FIP in 24 starts overall) vs. Cade Cavalli, RHP (9-5, 3.57 ERA, 1.298 WHIP, 3.60 FIP)

Times & TV channels

Tuesday: 5:45 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Wednesday: 5:45 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Thursday: 3:05 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Prediction

The Nats lead MLB in runs — but as noted by Sam Sallick above, two of the guys who helped lead them to that (Luis Garcia Jr. and Curtis Mead) have been traded and another (James Wood) is on the IL. The Nats have also allowed the third-most runs in MLB and the Cubs are second to them in runs scored.

All that adds up, I think, to a Cubs series win, two of three, and an outside chance of a sweep.

Up next

The Cubs return to Wrigley Field to host the St. Louis Cardinals in a three-game series beginning Friday afternoon.

Will this be the parting point for the Guardians and Tigers in 2026’s MLB standings?

The Guardians are 58-61 with a -27 run differential, 23rd in wRC+ at 94, sixth in baserunning runs above average at +5.4, tenth in Defense at -7, seventh in starting pitcher ERA at 3.73 (3.93 FIP) and 16th in bullpen ERA at 4.01 (3.91 FIP).

The Tigers are 58-60 with a +87 run differential (the best run differential in the AL!), seventh in wRC+ at 105, 26th in baserunning runs above average at -5, 25th in Defense at -31.8, first in starting pitcher ERA (numbers reflecting the now absent Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize, however) at 3.31 ERA (3.57 FIP) and ninth in bullpen ERA at 3.75 (4.06 FIP).

Put the ball in play, get to the starters and pitch better in relief and the Guardians can win this series.

Matchups:
Tuesday, 6:40PM ET: Bibee, RHP 3.85 ERA (4.58 FIP) vs. Anderson, RHP 0.82 ERA (2.09 FIP) – Anderson averages under 4 innings an outing.
Wednesday, 6:40PM ET: Griffin, LHP 3.31 ERA (4.21 FIP) vs. Valdez, LHP 4.17 ERA (4.04 FIP)
Thursday, 1:10PM ET: Messick, LHP 2.87 ERA (3.19 FIP) vs. Montero, RHP 3.50 ERA (4.14 FIP)

The Tigers are led by Max Clark 145 wRC+, Dillon Dingler 139 wRC+, Kevin McGonigle 135 wRC+, Riley Green 129 wRC+, Gleyber Torres 119 wRC+, Spencer Torkelson 107 wRC+ and Colt Keith 107 wRC+.

The Guardians are led by Angel Genao 175 wRC+, Nathaniel Lowe 135 wRC+, Chase DeLauter 124 wRC+, Travis Bazzana 107 wRC+, Austin Hedges 106 wRC+, Steven Kwan 104 wRC+ and Jose Ramirez 103 wRC+.

This is now the biggest series of the year. It would be great to see the Guardians play their best baseball.

Today marks Colby Rasmus’s 40th birthday.

Rasmus was selected as the 28th overall pick in the first round of the 2005 draft. The Blue Jays chose Ricky Romero with the 6th pick that year.

He appeared on Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects list for three consecutive years: ranked #29 in 2007, #5 in 2008, and #3 in 2009.

In 2009, Colby made it to the majors, hitting .251/.307/.407 with 16 home runs, picking up a few Rookie of the Year votes along the way. Then, Colby had an excellent 2010 season, hitting. 276/.361/.498 with 23 home runs and posting a 4.3 bWAR. It seemed that he was becoming the player the prospect list had suggested he would become.

2011 proved more challenging. Rasmus hit .246/.332/.420 and struggled to get along with manager Tony La Russa. La Russa, known for his fast-talking ‘genius’ persona, didn’t mesh well with Colby, who often seemed like a square peg in baseball’s round-hole world.

On July 27th, the Blue Jays executed two multi-player trades. The first, with the White Sox, brought Edwin Jackson and Mark Teahen to Toronto.

The second, more significant, trade was with the Cardinals, sending Jackson, Octavio Dotel, Corey Patterson, and Marc Rzepczynski to St. Louis in exchange for Rasmus, Trever Miller, Brian Tallet, and P.J. Walters. The Cardinals were looking to strengthen their bullpen and rotation (they went on to win the World Series that year), while La Russa was eager to move Rasmus. The Jays sought a young player with considerable upside.

I reached out to DanUpBaby from Viva El Birdos for a scouting report. He described Colby as follows:

Your COLBY RASMUS comes equipped with HOME RUN ACTION, INTERMITTENTLY IMPRESSIVE DEFENSE ACTION, and DEBATABLY USEFUL SPEED ACTION. Please do not expose your COLBY RASMUS to direct sunlight, fans of MAKING THINGS HAPPEN on offense or TONY LA RUSSA.

He never fully met our expectations. While 2013 was a strong year—he hit .276/.338/.501 with 22 home runs in 118 games—overall, he was inconsistent, struggled with nagging injuries, and struck out too often.

His 2014 season was disappointing, and he was clearly unhappy. He reflected:

I’ve lost a little bit of that drive just because so many people are always just poking and prodding at me. And I felt, at times, like an animal at the zoo. You know, you keep poking at it until one day, they bite back at you.

He appeared to be struggling emotionally, perhaps dealing with issues related to his parents, especially his father. While I don’t like to blame parents, most of us hear their voices in our heads when we do things. For example, I play tennis with a younger woman whose dad often watches and coaches; she performs better when he’s absent, but she still hears his voice in her mind when she makes a mistake.

After Colby left the team, I reflected:

We all have those voices in our heads telling us we aren’t good enough. Most of us learn to get past, ignore, and get on with life. Some use it to drive them to do better, “I’ll show them.” Colby doesn’t seem to be able to do that. He remembers all the little insults and carries them with him. He still talks about his troubles with Tony LaRussa. It is easy to say he should get past it, but it is harder to do.

He played a couple of seasons with the Astros, started the 2017 season with the Rays before leaving to go home, and did the same with the Orioles in 2018. That time, the decision to step away from baseball became permanent.

I liked Colby. Occasionally, he revealed glimpses of his personality—on the winter tour, for example, he genuinely seemed to enjoy himself. I appreciated those rare moments when he smiled. There was a profile showing his condo and a stop for a chicken hot dog. I wasn’t a fan of his various hairdos, though.

Happy Birthday, Colby. Wishing you a great day.

Today is Melky Cabrera’s 42nd birthday.

Melky spent two of his 15 MLB seasons with the Blue Jays, hitting .293/.340/.421 over 227 games in Toronto.

His play with the Jays was a bit disappointing—he was slow, and his outfield defense left something to be desired. Later, it was revealed that a tumor wrapped around his spine significantly hindered his performance. He also dealt with several injuries during his time in Toronto.

Over his career, Melky hit .285/.334/.417 with 144 home runs across 15 seasons, playing for the Yankees, White Sox, Royals, Jays, Pirates, Giants, Braves, and Cleveland.

Happy Birthday, Melky.

Today, Mike Huff turns 63.

Huff spent the final three seasons of his seven-year MLB career (1994–1996) with the Blue Jays.

He enjoyed one strong season (.304/.382/.449, 3 home runs in 80 games) but struggled in the other two (.232/.337/.333 and .172/.200/.241).

I remember his good year and think of him fondly.

Happy Birthday, Mike.

Drew Storen celebrates his 39th birthday today.

The Blue Jays traded Ben Revere to the Nationals for Storen before the 2016 season, but the move didn’t work out. Storen posted a 6.21 ERA before being dealt to the Mariners for Joaquin Benoit (who didn’t fare much better).

Outside of his brief stint with the Jays, Storen was a quality reliever, earning 99 saves over his eight-year career.

Happy Birthday, Drew.

Brendon Little celebrates his 30th birthday today.

Brendon has spent the past three seasons with the Blue Jays. In 144 games, he has posted a 4.30 ERA, tallying 148 strikeouts and 80 walks over 129.1 innings. He’s having a tough 2026.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

Full-slate Tuesday has arrived, and I have A LOT of thoughts on every game going down this evening. 

Here are my MLB moneyline predictions for tonight's slate, and make sure to check out all of our MLB picks for Aug. 11!

MLB moneyline picks for Aug. 11

Matchup	Pick
Guardians vs Tigers	-120
Pirates vs Marlins	+106
Cubs vs Nationals	-160
Mariners vs Yankees	-122
Red Sox vs Blue Jays	+127
Mets vs Braves	-122
Reds vs White Sox	-147
Orioles vs Twins	+106
Phillies vs Cardinals	+153
Rangers vs Angels	-133
Rockies vs Diamondbacks	-167
Brewers vs Padres	-130
Rays vs Athletics	-163
Astros vs Giants	-183
Royals vs Dodgers	+245

Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of 8-11.

Expert MLB moneyline picks for Aug. 11

Guardians vs Tigers: Tigers (-120)

Tigers win probability: 55%

Sure, Tanner Bibee and Drew Anderson have been solid over their last few outings, but the Tigers’ offense has been on an absolute tear over their last 21 games, posting a 131 wRC+, .355 wOBA and .810 OPS.

Meanwhile, the inconsistent Guardians own a 101 wRC+, .314 wOBA and .125 ISO during that same stretch.

Take the red-hot team against the one that can never seem to get it together.

Pirates vs Marlins: Marlins (+106)

Marlins win probability: 48%

I’m shocked the Marlins aren’t bigger dogs here with Paul Skenes on the mound. However, Skenes has been pretty bad over his last five starts, sporting a 5.40 ERA and 1.43 WHIP. On top of that, he has allowed a 45.76% hard-hit rate and 12% barrel rate to opposing hitters.

With Eury Perez being lights out over his last five starts, the Marlins are a great look this evening.

Until Skenes turns it around, it’s Fade City, USA.

Cubs vs Nationals: Cubs (-160)

Cubs win probability: 62%

I don’t think I have it in me to back the Nationals with Jake Irvin on the mound this evening. The Nationals right-hander has posted some solid underlying metrics, but you and I both know it’s not going to last.

Meanwhile, Shota Imanaga has been lights out on the road this season, where he owns a 2.95 xERA and 0.98 WHIP.

The Cubs’ offense is still white hot, and I have no interest in stepping in front of that train.

Mariners vs Yankees: Yankees (-122)

Yankees win probability: 55%

Bryan Woo cannot pitch on the road. The Mariners right-hander owns a 6.71 road ERA away from T-Mobile Field in 2026.

Not to mention, Seattle has posted a 60 wRC+, .253 wOBA and .556 OPS over its last six games.

Yankees or nothing.

Red Sox vs Blue Jays: Red Sox (+127)

Red Sox win probability: 44%

Getting one of the hottest teams in baseball as an underdog feels like a gift right now.

I know it’s because of AL Cy Young frontrunner Dylan Cease, but those Blue Jays bats are still frozen solid. Meanwhile, the Red Sox have posted a 147 wRC+, .388 wOBA and .897 OPS over their last six games.

Give me the dog!

Mets vs Braves: Braves (-122)

Braves win probability: 55%

Nolan McLean has been pretty serviceable over his last five outings, but he is starting to regress, owning a 4.81 xERA and 1.61 WHIP over his last three starts.

On the other side, Martin Perez has recorded a 2.76 xERA and 0.87 WHIP over his last three starts. At home, the Braves left-hander has been nails.

Expect Atlanta to bounce back after last night’s loss.

Reds vs White Sox: White Sox (-147)

White Sox win probability: 60%

The Cincinnati Reds are walking into a hostile environment this evening.

Rate Field is going to be sold out, and the White Sox are giving out Pope hats in honor of Pope Leo. This could be one of the biggest games of the season based on turnout alone. That stadium is going to be rocking, and the White Sox will have the power of Leo on their side.

Oh, they also have Sean Burke on the mound, owning a 2.87 xERA and 33% strikeout rate over his last five starts.

White Sox or nothing.

Orioles vs Twins: Orioles (+106)

Orioles win probability: 48%

The battle of mid-starting pitchers will be going down at Target Field this evening, as both Brandon Young and Bailey Ober sport ERAs above 4.00 over their last three starts. 

I want to back the hotter offense in this matchup, which happens to be the underdog.

The Orioles have a 115 wRC+, .763 OPS, and .222 ISO over their last six games, while the Twins have an 82 wRC+, .626 OPS, and .124 ISO over the same span.

Phillies vs Cardinals: Cardinals (+153)

Cardinals win probability: 40%

I do not endorse paying the Cristopher Sanchez tax this evening, especially when Andre Pallante has been outstanding over his last five starts, posting a 3.45 xERA and 1.21 WHIP.

Both offenses have been on fire, but the Cardinals are clearly seeing the ball much better right now. I’ll happily take them at +153.

Rangers vs Angels: Rangers (-133)

Rangers win probability: 57%

According to Batters-Box's current season database, Angels right-hander Ryan Johnson finds himself taking on the highest-rated offense on the day, featuring six elite-rated hitters and another with a strong rating.

Johnson has a 7.11 ERA, 5.06 xERA, and 1.60 WHIP on the year, and he has yet to put together a truly dominant start this season.

Trust the data and give me the Rangers.

Rockies vs Diamondbacks: Diamondbacks (-167)

Diamondbacks win probability: 63%

Just pay the juice. It’s Tomoyuki Sugano day for the Rockies, and there is no chance I’ll be backing him on the road in Arizona.

The seasoned sophomore owns a 5.47 ERA, 6.40 xERA and 1.35 WHIP, while allowing a 15.56% barrel rate on the road this season.

The Diamondbacks boast a 119 wRC+, .346 wOBA and .788 OPS over the last week. Meanwhile, the Rockies have an 89 wRC+, a .146 ISO, and are generating only a 34% hard-hit rate during that stretch.

Arizona should roll tonight.

Brewers vs Padres: Brewers (-130)

Brewers win probability: 55%

Kyle Harrison has been too dominant over his last five starts for me to even think about backing Walker Buehler and the Padres.

Harrison is sporting a 1.86 xERA and 0.87 WHIP across those five starts, while Buehler comes in with a 5.06 ERA and 1.73 WHIP.

Both offenses have been very solid over the last week and are seeing the ball well, so I have to lean toward the more efficient arm.

Rays vs Athletics: Rays (-163)

Rays win probability: 62%

After the Rays’ explosive eighth inning on Monday, scoring eight runs to beat the Athletics 10-6, Oakland won't have the juice to turn things around tonight.

Mason Barnett takes the mound for the Athletics this evening, owning a sub-8.00 ERA and 1.64 WHIP over his last five starts.

The Rays are also on fire, posting a 123 wRC+, .780 OPS and .343 wOBA over their last six games. No one's stopping Tampa Bay right now. 

Astros vs Giants: Astros (-183)

Astros win probability: 64%

Despite the heavy juice, backing the Astros is the right side here.

The Astros have not been great against left-handed pitching, but with Hunter Brown sporting a 2.45 xERA and 0.80 WHIP over his last three starts, they should find a way to sneak past an unmotivated Giants team.

Royals vs Dodgers: Royals (+245)

Royals win probability: 29%

I’m not going to back a guy who hasn’t pitched in months, especially with Blake Snell making his return this evening.

I don’t think the Dodgers should be a $2.51 favorite, especially with Michael Wacha pitching well on the road and over his last five starts.

Both offenses have been a bit cold over the last week, so why not take a chance on the big dog?!

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.

Why did the Diamondbacks acquire him?

Due to injuries, the Diamondbacks need pitchers.  At the trade deadline, the Diamondbacks intended acquisition of Clay Holmes did not happen.  Therefore, after the deadline, they were in the market for free agent pitchers. They signed Dennis Santana to a minor league contract.

Baseball Reference shows Clay Holmes on the list of ten pitchers most similar to Dennis Santana at age 29 (when Clay Holmes was a relief pitcher).  Perhaps Clay Holmes and Dennis Santana have qualities that the Diamondbacks look for when they acquire pitchers.  

Despite being released, the Diamondbacks saw Dennis Santana as a pitcher whose stuff had NOT declined from the level of excellence shown last season.

This season, his Whiff Percentage improved for his slider, 4-seam fastball, and his sinker. This season, batters whiffed at 37.6% of his sliders.

This season, his Got-The-Job-Done (zero earned runs and zero inherited runners scored) was 70%, which was above my demarcation line of 67%.  In other words, he performed excellently in 70% of his appearances.

Dennis Santana had experience with Jeremy Bleich (assistant GM focusing on pitching) that likely indicated that Santana was capable of change (improvement) and would be comfortable changing (improving).

Why might he improve?

Relief Pitcher Volatility.  Relief pitcher performance is volatile.  This season, half the Pirates relievers are better than last season (ERA+) and half are worse per Baseball Reference. 

Reversability.  His expected ERA (xERA) went from 3.22 (84th percentile) in 2024, to 3.51 (72nd percentile) in 2025, to 5.29 (10th percentile) in 2026 per Baseball Savant.  In the absence of injury, such a large change is very likely reversable.  Mike Hazen seems to think it is reversable.

“And we’re looking to make a few tweaks and see if we can’t get him back righted. He was a leverage reliever last year, and he’s still young, and his stuff didn’t decline. So we felt like it was a worthwhile shot.” — Mike Hazen

Improving from 10th percentile to 50th percentile would only be reversing about half way, but 50th percentile performance could be enough to improve the team enough to reach the playoffs.

Pitch Mix.This season he increased his percentage of 4-seam fastballs from 28.6% to 30.3%, and he increased his percentage of changeups from 6.1% to 15.0% per Baseball Savant.  This season, 6 of his 8 HRs allowed were on those two pitch types (which was disproportionately large).  The expected SLG was very high (.535 and .555) for those two pitches.  Perhaps changing his pitch mix would increase his performance.

Why might he be called up?

Three possible reasons:

Improved To Average.  If he has improved his pitching performance to at least the 50th percentile, and can improve the Diamondbacks chances to reach the playoffs.

Improved But Not Yet Average.  When he reaches his opt-out date, the Diamondbacks may call-him up based on optimism that his performance will continue to improve (even if he has not yet reached the 50 th percentile performance.

“Santana has an opt-out in his deal if he’s not in the Major Leagues by a certain point. That is standard for a player of his stature because they don’t want to be caught not being on a roster when Aug. 31 rolls around and eligibility for the postseason becomes a factor.” — Steve Gilbert

Injury Replacement.  If an injury happens, he may the best replacement option.

Why might he remain in the minors?

Two possible reasons:

Another Pitcher Was Signed. After they signed Dennis Santana, the Diamondbacks signed Zack Littell. In July, Zack Littell showed significant improvement, albeit one bad performance in five games. Ignoring his one bad performance, comparing July to June, his ERA improved from 4.26 to 1.37, and his home runs per 9 innings improved from 3.0 to 0.5.

With that type of performance, there is a good chance that Zack Littell will remain on the active roster for the rest of the season.

Worth noting is that although this season he averaged 4.9 innings per game, in 35% of his games he entered the game as a reliever. Perhaps he will be exclusively a long reliever, leaving room for Santana to possibly join the bullpen in a different role.

Improvement Not Seen. If the Diamondbacks do not see improvement in Dennis Santana, it is likely he will remain in the minors, even if he changes teams.

Summary.

The Diamondbacks had several good reasons to acquire Dennis Santana.  He might improve as a Diamondback because relief pitcher volatility, the reversability of this season’s decline in performance, and he could change his pitch mix.

Three reasons he could be called up by 31 August are improvement to average, optimism that his performance will continue to improve at the opt-out date, and injury replacement. 

This week, I go 1-on-1 with the Host of Brewers Daily, David Gasper, to get the Milwaukee perspective on the most impactful deal the Cardinals made at the deadline in 2026, sending away Dustin May and JoJo Romero for Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale.

We talk about the Tarik Skubal impact on the move, the seemingly steep price paid for a pair of rental pitchers, and what the Cardinals are getting in their two new young outfielders with loud tools and promising upside. This abbreviated edition of the podcast will bring you a great alternative perspective and perhaps validate a lot of what has been said on this forum already: the Cardinals did well on deadline day.

Spotify:

YouTube:

Transcript:

Jake Wood (00:23)
Welcome into the Viva El Birdos Podcast. My name is Jake Wood, and I write for VivaElBirdos.com. I am the host of the show, and I am typically joined by fellow co-hosts Gabe Simonds and Scott Plaza. Unfortunately, they were unable to join us tonight. If you enjoy this episode, please be sure to like and subscribe to our channel. We are available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all of your favorite audio streaming platforms.

The Cardinals made three deals at this year’s trade deadline. The most significant of the trio was sending starting pitcher Dustin May and relief pitcher JoJo Romero to the Milwaukee Brewers for double-A outfielder Josiah Ragsdale and low-A outfielder Alexander Frias. Here to help us break this deal down from the Milwaukee perspective. He is the host of the Brewers Daily Podcast and a credentialed member of the Milwaukee media. We’re wading into enemy waters with today’s guest. Welcome, David. Gasper.

Dave Gasper (01:30)
Thanks, Jake. Appreciate you having me. And you know, we get to kind of cross behind enemy lines here as we talk about this very surprising intra-division trade.

Jake Wood (01:42)
You know, they say it’s important to keep your friends close and your enemies closer, so I’m more than happy to have you here.

Dave Gasper (01:49)
Man, I’m more than happy to be here, for sure.

Jake Wood (01:51)
Before we jump into the deal, how long have you been covering Brewers baseball, and kinda give us a just a little bit of your backstory before we jump into the good stuff?

Dave Gasper (02:00)
Yeah, so I mean I’ve been writing about the team for about nine years now. Starting as a writer at Reviewing the Brew, eventually being the editor there for several years. And then, you know, working in local Milwaukee Sports Radio as well. And currently writing for Brew Crew Ball as part of SBnation. And then, of course, the Brewers Daily podcast through FanArch, which is also on YouTube and Spotify and Apple Podcasts and all those various audio platforms.

Jake Wood (02:34)
So let’s get right into it then, Dustin May and Jojo Romero for Alexander Freus and Josiah Ragsdale. How are your fellow Wisconsinites feeling about the deal executed between the NL Central rivals?

Dave Gasper (02:48)
They’re all feeling initially that the Brewers overpaid in this deal because, you know, being a, you know, small market team and you know having the success that this team has had through the farm system, I mean we are prospect huggers over here. Matt Arnold himself is generally a prospect hugger. So when two of our favorite essentially breakout prospects this year, Josiah Ragsdale and Alexander Frias, are both included in the same deal and going to a division rival. That one stings quite a bit because a lot of us over here had our sights set on Tarik Skubal, and you know, that was where the Brewers could go. Everyone’s coming up with packages for Skubal. And then ultimately, of course, he goes to the Dodgers. Where else would he go? And the Brewers have to pivot from there. And it’s like, okay, Dustin May kind of makes sense. You look at his profile, it’s like, okay, that seems like something the Brewers could work with and could enjoy. But the price that they paid to give up, I mean, that was very steep. You think there’s got to be some sort of inter-division tax on it. But the Brewers seem to want May. And you know, Ragsdale and Frias, I mean, those are certainly hurting us over here. I mean, the Cardinals did a great job to get those two pried away from the Brewers’ hands.

Jake Wood (04:07)
You know, you mentioned Tarik Skubal, and you know, from like a St. Louis perspective, this is gonna sound completely ass backwards, but like I wanted you guys to be the ones to land Tarik Skubal. I don’t think there’s anyone across baseball outside of Los Angeles that wanted to see Tarik Skubal, you know, in a Dodgers uniform and, you know, when you’re thinking about like the broader scope of baseball, right? And the potential of a lockout looming. And you think about, well, okay, so what other teams across the league can kind of build up to potentially, you know, lessen the blow leading into these labor negotiations that are seemingly centered around mostly, you know, the LA Dodgers and what they’re doing and their ruining of baseball and such, like if you could imagine a starting rotation with Tarik Skubal and MIZ and Kyle Harrison, like that I know it it gives you that that what if what what could have been Yeah, man, I

Dave Gasper (05:06)
Yeah. Gives you the goosebumps. Yeah.

Jake Wood (05:10)
Like, even from a Cardinals perspective, like I was rooting ’cause I wanted to see just how good that could be, as much as we’re all really sick of getting our asses kicked by the Brewers.

Dave Gasper (05:26)
Yeah, I mean, I think that’s one where, as much as you guys are sick of the Brewers beating you, I think everyone’s also sick of the Dodgers just running through everybody and everything and getting every single player that they want. And it’s just like, we’re just going to, you know, win the World Series, and now we’re gonna sign Kyle Tucker too and you know, give him sixty million dollars a year because why not? And it’s just it it’s insane what they’re doing over there and how they’re saying, like, we’re just smarter than everyone else, because it’s so smart to want to target Tarik Skubal. They are just absolute geniuses over there. No one else thought of that idea. But yeah, and then like you see all these national reporters come out blasting the Brewers for not trying enough, and it’s like, anyone can do this kind of deal. Why didn’t the Brewers try? Well, and then my friend Adam McCalvey of MLB.com puts out there basically what the Brewers’ offer was. And it’s like they’re putting in Luis Peña, another top 100 prospect, and then another fringe top 100 prospect. I mean, like that was a very, very strong offer that the Brewers gave.

Jake Wood (06:34)
Certainly.

Dave Gasper (06:35)
Now they were all hitters; that was the deal. The Tigers, if they wanted an MLB-ready pitcher that they could

Jake Wood (06:43)
Right.

Dave Gasper (06:43)
put in. Basically, they were targeting Logan Henderson. And the Brewers were like, we are not going to put Logan Henderson into this deal. I kind of wish they would have maybe thrown in, like, maybe a Robert Gasser, a Coleman Crowe, a Brandon Sprout, you know, one of those other guys that’s not Henderson. And maybe then you could have maybe been a bit closer, but the Brewers still put, I think, the stronger overall prospect package together. I mean, River Ryan’s 28 years old. Like Brady Smith is in like High-A with like a five-something ERA. Like the Brewers put together the better overall prospect package. You know, even though there wasn’t a pitcher in there, like that’s also where you can negotiate versus just calling

Jake Wood (07:25)
Right.

Dave Gasper (07:26)
The Dodgers and saying, Hey, let’s just get this done right away.

Jake Wood (07:29)
Right.

Dave Gasper (07:29)
And just ruin all of your leverage. So that whole thing just stinks to me. You know, how it went about. And like I wonder too, if maybe Alexander Frias was that third piece in that deal because Frias has been starting to populate on some of those top 100 lists.

Jake Wood (07:46)
Yeah.

Dave Gasper (07:47)
And you know, for him being kind of that fringe 100 guy and the fact that the Brewers ultimately did include him in a trade for a rental starting pitcher, that makes me wonder if he was potentially that third piece in that deal. And the Brewers were willing to move on from him, so you know that that’s where the Cardinals can kind of swoop in, being that pivot, as the Brewers had to pivot

Jake Wood (08:09)
Yeah.

Dave Gasper (08:10)
to Dustin May, and they end up getting one of those pieces that the Brewers were maybe thinking again- this is just pure speculation on my part that it’s him. But maybe one of those pieces that they were willing to include for Skubal, they end up sending to the Cardinals for May.

Jake Wood (08:26)
Yeah, and that’s there. There have been certain talking points as, you know, local St. Louis media has kind of talked about, you know, that’s kind of their read of the situation too, was that the Brewers were eyes set on Tarik Skubal, and whenever that didn’t happen, they were like, crap, you know, what’s what’s next? What’s plan B? And the Cardinals were just kind of sitting there like, Hey, you know, we’ve got Dustin May, you want you want a little piece of Dustin

Dave Gasper (08:52)
Yeah.

Jake Wood (08:52)
May? And Matt Arnold, like, you know, that doesn’t sound too bad. And so, like, jumped in that direction instead. And, you know, I can tell you that there were a lot, a lot of apprehensive Cardinals fans here in St. Louis, because it wasn’t until about like two o’clock Monday afternoon before this deal was consummated, and up until that point the Cardinals had done absolutely nothing, and so all of the fans were sitting here crying out, you know, Chaim, make a move, make a move, do something and our knight in shining armor, Matt Arnold, to the rescue.

Dave Gasper (09:26)
Yeah. Dude, it was the same kind of thing over here. I mean, like we like Brewers lose out on Tark Skubal. All they had done was get Bo Naylor from the Guardians and Cody Huer, who they ended up, you know, trading away. You know, like

Jake Wood (09:39)
Flipping. Yeah.

Dave Gasper (09:40)
They didn’t even want to keep Cody Huer. So all they ended up getting was Bo Naylor. And it’s like, Matt Arnold, are you gonna wake up? Are you gonna do something? You just let Skubal go. Like, like, come on. And so then it’s like, okay, yeah, you know, you get Dustin May and

It’s like, alright, hey, you know, there you go. I like him. He’s got a sinker. The Brewers love pitchers with sinkers. And then it’s like, you know, and then there was that time, ’cause there was still like an hour or so where we knew it was May and Romero. We did not know what the return was. And then when it comes

Jake Wood (10:09)
Yeah.

Dave Gasper (10:10)
out that it’s Ragsdale and Frias, everyone’s just like, no, what are we doing? Like

Jake Wood (10:14)
Ha ha ha ha.

Dave Gasper (10:16)
That is way too much. So yeah, that cost him a bit, and of course, like everyone begs him to do something and then he does something, and they’re like, Not that. Don’t do that. Trade prospects

Jake Wood (10:27)
Yeah.

Dave Gasper (10:28)
to get someone. Not THOSE prospects. Like it’s fun to see that play out.

Jake Wood (10:31)
Yeah. We want you to fleece somebody. Don’t give away the farm. Yeah. Well

Dave Gasper (10:36)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Trade prospects. The prospects we hate. You know, like, don’t trade the good ones. Well Yeah. Yeah.

Jake Wood (10:41)
Yeah. Well, that’s that’s every fan base, so I mean what do you what do you expect?

But you know, I do, I wanna kinda turn our attention to Dustin May just a little bit because I do think that even though he’s not Tarik Skubal, the Brewers are still getting a guy who can be a number three in that rotation, assuming health. Because I don’t know what the Brewers can take from how the Cardinals handled him, but the Cardinals were able to get, you know, the most healthy, most effective version of Dustin May so far. And you know, i we this season we saw a return of the top-end stuff that he’s able to generate. And even I know this is not the most pleasant memory for us in different circumstances, but Dustin May no-hit the Brewers through the first seven innings in a start back at the end of May. And I have to think that that memory kind of stuck in the back of the mind of Brewer’s front office members whenever thinking, okay, maybe Dustin May might be, you know, he may not be the top of the rotation arm we were looking to pair with Miz, but he’s still gonna give us you know, really good quality you know, in the middle of our rotation instead. And then I also think it’s really interesting that JoJo Romero was included in this package as well. Because whenever I look at the Brewers’ bullpen, now you can tell me I haven’t been paying as close attention to the Brewers’ roster. I know they have Aaron Ashby at the back end of games, but I also thought they had D L Hall back there, which was another lefty. Is he still injured, or is he active and returned?

Dave Gasper (12:15)
He’s back now. He just came back. Yeah, he had like a peck issue like a month or so ago, like tightened up on him. But yeah, he just came back the other day, and you know didn’t go super well. Came in for the seventh inning and ended up giving up a two-run homer to Endy Rodriguez, I believe,

Jake Wood (12:33)
Mm.

Dave Gasper (12:33)
and then ended up getting yanked for Antonio Sanzatella, the other Brewers trade deadline edition. So yeah, but yeah, you got DL Hall there, you got Aaron Ashby, and then you have Uribe, Abner Uribe, and Trevor McGill kinda locking down the eighth and ninth innings. So yeah, it’s a good bullpen, but one that could use some reinforcements. They have ridden their horses pretty hard. Aaron Ashby’s been used a ton. You know, Grant Anderson’s kind of been used a ton. Eurebay’s been used a ton. So they could use kind of some fresh arms back there.

Jake Wood (13:09)
And the good news is that, you know, Jojo’s not on the IL because of an arm issue. His appendix literally burst. And that was

Dave Gasper (13:17)
Yep. Yeah.

Jake Wood (13:18)
Actually, the surprising thing here in St. Louis for most of us was the fact that JoJo’s appendix bursting was the single giant death nail to the Cardinals’ wildcard hopes, and the Cardinals really had nobody to fill that leverage lefty role

Dave Gasper (13:35)
Mm-hmm.

Jake Wood (13:35)
out of their pen, which right out of the break, they were blowing games left and right. And, you know, I do wanna say that surface level numbers, JoJo Romero is not all that like impressive, but whenever he comes into games, into high leverage situations, you can count on that dude as nails to get you important like high leverage, high stress outs ninety-five percent of the time. And and I think that Brewer fans are gonna come to really like seeing JoJo Romero come out of that bullpen down the stretch, and especially as you guys get into October and you’re facing Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Schwarber and Matt Olson potentially and all of those those big lefties that perhaps you know Pat Murphy is gonna wanna go to earlier in a high leverage situation early if a if a starter just doesn’t have it that night in the playoffs, I think that JoJo Romero could be a a a very unheralded piece, a part of this. But, you know, you referenced it before, but what are the Cardinals and their organization getting in an Alexander Frias and a Josiah Ragsdale? Obviously, you know, they aren’t the very tippy top of the Brewers farm, but, you know, they both still come very highly regarded from a very deep Brewers system.

Dave Gasper (14:53)
Yeah, I mean, Frias, I mean, he’s got as much upside as anyone really. I mean, he’s got the potential to put it all together to maybe be like, you know, a top ten, top twenty prospect in all of baseball. If he continues on the trajectory that he’s been on. I mean, he lit up the complex league. Hasn’t been maybe quite as dominant in Low A Wilson, but still incredible tools, incredible talent there with him, power, you know. Contact ability, good speed. So lots of great stuff there with Frias. A little bit further away, but I mean, a teenager with some incredible, you know, raw talent, raw upside. Josiah Ragsdale, I mean, really a breakout prospect. He was a seventh-round pick out of Boston College. And has just, you know, lit up the minor leagues this year. I mean, him and Andrew Fisher and Josh Adamshewski and all those guys down in Appleton and then Biloxi on Double-A. I mean, they have just been raking all season, putting up monster numbers. Ragsdale, I mean, he was not expected to be this good. I mean, he’s expected to be solid.

Jake Wood (15:58)
Yeah.

Dave Gasper (16:00)
The power wasn’t necessarily expected to be there that much. But I mean, he’s got like a 20-20-30 season now, like 20 doubles, 20 homers, 30 steals, something like that. So, like the power has really kind of shown up quite a bit. The steals are there. But also you gotta watch out for that strikeout rate. I mean, even with his home runs and his success there in Double-A. The strikeout rate of near thirty percent with Double-A Biloxi. So, you know, there might be some question as to whether or not he’s gonna be able to make enough contact as he goes up the chain. But still a very talented player. You know, I think at the very least a pretty high floor of a fourth outfielder.

Jake Wood (16:38)
Yeah, that seems to be what the Cardinals’ new brain trust is targeting, especially, you know, specifically in like a Josiah Ragsdale, you know, their Double-A hitting coach, had talked to one of the St. Louis reporters and talked about how, you know, this this new front office, this new regime is looking for hitters who who pull the ball in the air, who can lift and separate to their pull side. And, you know, by all accounts, that’s something that Josiah Ragsdale and the Brewers development team kind of unlocked for him in that set that next level of his development. And I think that’s kind of what made him so appealing to the Cardinals as they’re kind of shifting their mindset and their approach to more of what the Brewers tend to feature, not so much from the offensive side, but from the pitching side. Guys with big stuff, guys that play, you know, at the top of the zone and can just overpower their opponents essentially, and then, you know, from an offensive sp perspective, big exit velocity, big tools, lots of moldable clay, if you will.

David, real quickly, where can fans find you on your socials? And can you give a quick plug to your show?

Dave Gasper (17:46)
Yeah, you can find me on X or Twitter, however you want to call it still, at @DGasper24. Got lots of content like you know from the clubhouse, covering the team out there. And then the show is Brewers Daily. It is on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, all those places. Just search Brewers Daily, and you’ll find it. So yeah, it’s plenty of places. And then you know, where I do all my writing is at brewcrewball.com.

Jake Wood (18:16)
And for Cardinals fans, David’s show is very similar to what we have here in St. Louis, and B-Schaeff Daily, Brendan Schaefer, who’s the writer for MLB.com locally. So it’s very similar to what his he’s is, and if you want to keep up to date on, you know, some of the Cardinals’ near-division foes, David does excellent work. You can stay as informed as you possibly could want to be following the Brewers. It’s been a wonderful follow for me ever since David and I kind of connected a few years ago before Viva El Birdos, back whenever it was still Rambling Redbirds and that whole spiel kind of

Dave Gasper (18:52)
yeah.

Jake Wood (18:53)
was my own mind creation. But I’m so glad to finally have been able to get you on the show and be able to talk to you. David, thank you so much for your time today. We sincerely appreciate it. Hopefully we can catch up after the season and a deep Milwaukee postseason run and do kind of a post-mortem on the NL Central.

Dave Gasper (19:12)
Yeah, absolutely appreciate it, man. Appreciate you having me on, and yeah, glad we were finally able to get something on the schedule and get something done here. So this was a lot of fun, happy to do it.

Jake Wood (19:22)
Absolutely. Thank you so much. And thank YOU so much for joining us for this episode of the Viva El Birdos Podcast. Don’t forget to rate, review, and hit that subscribe button so that you’re notified every Monday morning. For my fellow writers, Gabe Simonds and Scott Plaza, who were not with us physically tonight, but in spirit, my name is Jake Wood, and we’ll talk to you all next week and bring you more great Cardinals content. Have a great day, St. Louis, and let’s go Cards!

The Atlanta Braves lost an incredibly frustrating game one against the Mets yesterday and look to rebound tonight behind Martín Pérez.

Fifteen years into his career and Pérez is quietly putting together the second-best season of his career. He has already accumulated the second most WAR in a season of his career and with his ERA of 3.14, it is also his second best.

Now, he has had some luck on his side. He has an expected ERA (xERA) of 4.32 and that is largely due to a BABIP of .232 which is well below his career .303, and a strand rate of 79.7 percent which is well above his career 71.4 percent. That being said, Pérez has been arguably the best pickup for the Braves this offseason.

Pérez faced the Mets in the first week of July and struggled. In 4.1 innings he only gave up six hits, but they resulted in four earned runs, while only picking up one strikeout to two walks.

In that game A.J. Ewing hit a solo shot off him and the team went five for seven with RISP. There is a chance that Pérez will have better results based on the chances of stranding more runners.

Francisco Lindor is a player to keep an eye out for. He has had twenty-five ABs against Pérez in his career and has maintained an OPS of 1.213. Bo Bichette has also had success with an OPS of 1.100 in fifteen at-bats. Marcus Semien has had an astounding forty-one ABs against Pérez in his career and holds a batting average of .268.

In a twist of fate, Nolan McLean will be facing off against Martín Pérez for a second time in as many outings. In the game mentioned earlier, it was a high scoring affair where the Mets ultimately won 10-9. This was not due to Mclean though who pitched 6.0 innings where he surrendered two earned runs and struck out five to only one walk.

Since the All-Star break, both offenses have been performing close to the same. The Braves scored the seventh most runs, and the Mets scored the tenth most. In terms of team ERA, the teams are fairly close there as well since the break. The Braves have had the twelfth best in MLB with 3.77 and the Mets have been eighth best with 3.55.

Based on team stats alone this game could come down to which team scores early, much like last night. The Braves have the third best SP ERA since the break, but the Mets have the ninth worst. No pressure to Pérez, but this game really could come down to if he can bounce back against the Mets and have a better start than last time.

First pitch is at 7:15 EDT

Game Info

Game Time: Tuesday, August 11th, 7:15 pm EDT

Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA

Watch: BravesVision, Gray TV

Radio/Audio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan

The San Diego Padres promoted their top prospect, catcher Ethan Salas, to Triple-A El Paso on July 29. He has had 43 plate appearances over nine games since joining the Chihuahuas. The Pacific Coast League is notorious for inflated offense and is a challenge for pitchers trying to maintain a reasonable ERA. The air is dry and hot, and there is frequently elevation to deal with.

Salas had been on a plateau in Double-A, especially with extra-base hits over his past several weeks with San Antonio.

The move to El Paso could be viewed as an opportunity to boost his confidence while providing him an opportunity to hone his swing for more power.

It seems to have worked with Salas hitting .333/.419/.667 in his first two series with his new team. He has four doubles, a triple, two home runs, and 12 RBI. 

His catching skills have always been viewed as advanced for his years, and he has only 53 innings of catching El Paso’s pitchers to this point. He has two passed balls, one throwing error, and has a 20% caught stealing rate for his early return.

It can be debated whether it would be a wise move to bring Salas up in September when MLB teams can expand their rosters to 28 players. It might be better to add pitching for the Friars and leave Salas at Triple-A to finish the season. With a pending labor dispute at the MLB level, promoting Salas to the major league roster would put his further development at risk should a lockout occur later this year. He would be unable to work with the minor league players if unrest should linger into the 2027 season.

The Padres have a decision to make, but the promotion of their prized prospect is something that many fans are hoping they will move on.

Multiple roster moves

The Padres brass had decisions to make and made minor-league accommodations to add some of their most recent signings. The players signed after the draft have been in Arizona being evaluated, and a few were added to Single-A Lake Elsinore’s roster this past week.

Many more remain in Arizona playing in the games going on in the bridge league. Bridge league games are played on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday (info per Jerry Espinoza on X). The league allows rehabbing and players in development to work on skills and be evaluated after the ACL concludes.

Padres utility player Samad Taylor is rehabbing with the bridge league before a formal rehab assignment.

To work the new Padres into the system, the organization made multiple cuts and adjustments to their minor league rosters.

With only 165 players allowed in the minor league system, many roster moves are needed to fold the new talent into competition. 

El Paso Chihuahuas (47-66 record, last in PCL East)

The Chihuahuas played in Reno this past week. The 4,500 feet of elevation helps the batted ball to fly but also decreases movement on thrown pitches. Padres rehabbing starter Joe Musgrove moved his rehab to the Chihuahuas on Sunday, throwing 3.1 innings of one-run ball on 6 hits and 2 strikeouts with no walks. His fastball hung between 94-96 mph, and he threw all his pitches. Musgrove relied heavily on his sinker and his fastball but also mixed in a curve, a sweeper, a cutter, and a slider. He had 42 strikes in his 53 pitches and left the game after hitting his pitch count.

Padres reliever, David Morgan, continued his rehab with El Paso this past week. Throwing twice during the week for 3.1 innings with three walks and an earned run. His velocity is back to 96-98 mph on his sinker, but he has no strikeouts with the walks.

The Padres signed minor league free agent pitchers JP France and Hans Crouse, adding them to the El Paso roster.

First baseman Romeo Sanabria, who was promoted in July, appeared in 21 games and was hitting .200 with a .575 OPS. Sanabria was sent back to San Antonio on Aug. 7.

With catcher Rudolfo Durán rejoining El Paso, catcher Anthony Vilar was sent to San Antonio. Outfielder Dustin Harris and RHP Michael Flynn were released, but Harris was resigned three days later. Infielder Nate Mondou was released.

RHSP Andrew Thurman was promoted from San Antonio to El Paso. RHP Andrew Moore was traded, and RHP Hunter Stratton was acquired.

LHP Jackson Wolf left the system via trade. 

RHP Eli Villalobos, RHP Ryan Och and outfielder Kavares Tears transferred to the 60-day injured list.

San Antonio Missions (49-59 record, last in Texas League South)

Undrafted free agent outfielder Jake Cunningham, who signed with the Padres on a minor league deal this past offseason, has thrived with the Padres after being released by the Orioles. He leads the team with a .294 average and .819 OPS. Over his 95 games between Fort Wayne and San Antonio, Cunningham has 19 home runs and 60 RBI, the most HR’s in the Padres minor league system.

Corner IF/OF Jack Costello and catcher Oswaldo Linares were promoted to San Antonio from Fort Wayne.

Outfielder Kai Murphy (son of MLB manager Pat Murphy) was moved to the development list.

Catchers Chris Sargent, Colton Vincent and RHP Andrew Dalquist were released.

LHSP Luis Gutierrez, who currently sits as the No. 14 prospect in the system, continues his rehab with San Antonio.

Fort Wayne TinCaps (46-60 record, last in Midwest League East)

LHP Kash Mayfield and RHP Miguel Mendez were traded off the roster. RHP Isaiah Lowe, RHP Sean Barnett and RHP Jeferson Villabona were promoted from Lake Elsinore.

RHP Clark Candiotti, RHP Luis German and infielder Zach Evans were released.

Infielder Bradley Frye, C/1B Yoiber Ocopio and outfielder Connor Westenberg were promoted from Lake Elsinore.

The Fort Wayne offense is still struggling, losing 5 of 6 games this past week. Outfielder Ryan Wideman leads the team with a .284 average but still has a .304 slugging percentage. 

The best overall player is first baseman Luke Cantwell with a .271 average and .906 OPS.

RHP Carson Montgomery is the leading starter after all the changes but has a 4.46 ERA in 74.2 innings pitched. RHP Abraham Parra has the most strikeouts with 73 in 77.1 innings with a 6.17 ERA.

Reliever Tucker Musgrove, who has 40 strikeouts in 19 innings pitched, has taken advantage of a new opportunity and has two saves with a 3.79 ERA.

Lake Elsinore Storm (58-50 record, first in Cal League South)

With a 4-2 record in the series against the former first-place Ontario Tower Buzzers, the Storm resumed the lead in their division. After winning the first half championship, Lake Elsinore is trying to wrap up second half honors as well. Their regular season ends on Sept. 6.

RHP Michael Salina, who had Tommy John surgery before being drafted by the Padres in the 4th round of the 2025 draft, finally began his rehab and was removed after one inning due to injury. He allowed a hit and had a strikeout before leaving the game.

LHP Ryan Reed, another 2025 draftee coming off injury, and LHP Joseph Herrera both arrived from the Arizona development list. Catchers Jake Bold and Augie Lopez (10th round draft pick) were added to the Lake Elsinore roster.

Outfielder Alex Conover (supplemental round four, 2026 draft) and third baseman Nu’u Contrades (6th round, 2026 draft) were both added to the Lake Elsinore roster.

Outfielder Jesmaylin Arias, who played 47 games in the ACL this year, was added to the Storm roster.

Infielder Dawson Willis was reinstated off the injured list.

Outfielder George Bilecki (12th round, 2025 draft), relievers Vicarte Domingo, Cal Riehl, and Carson Swilling were released.

LHP Kruz Schoolcraft was skipped over for his start this past week and the Storm used a bullpen game instead with LHP Adler Cecil making the start and LHP Ryan Reed making his debut.

DSL Padres Brown (9-38 record, last in West Division)

IF/OF Gabriel Teran has played in 21 games with a .377 average and 1.109 OPS. He leads the team with three home runs.  Third baseman and DH Osmy Osorio has 21 RBI while hitting .206, while C/IF/OF Sebastian Maldonado has 22 RBI while hitting .196.

DSL Padres Gold (35-14 record, first in Northwest Division)
Infielder Sebastian Nadales is hitting .442  with a 1.281 OPS in 13 games. OF/IF Endy Rios is hitting .404 with a 1.075 OPS in 15 games. C/IF/OF Dayquer Alfonzo it hitting .338 with a 1.025 OPS with four home runs and 47 RBI, tops on the team.

LHSP Carlos Alvarez has 10 starts and 39.1 innings pitched with a 3.66 ERA while LHSP Yunny Tovar has eight games started and 35 innings pitched with a 3.34 ERA.