Category: Baseball

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Tonight, my MLB strikeout props are looking to back steady, consistent arms while fading a few of the game’s more vulnerable starters.

Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi looks to get our weekend started, so here are my favorite MLB player props for Thursday, July 2. 

Best MLB strikeout props and starting pitcher picks today

Player	Pick	Odds
Nathan Eovaldi	Over 6.5 strikeouts	-121
Bryce Miller	Over 7.5 strikeouts	+121
Randy Vasquez	Over 3.5 earned runs	+115

Strikeout prop: Nathan Eovaldi Over 6.5 strikeouts (-121)

As I mentioned in my moneyline predictions piece today, I think this is a letdown spot for the Detroit Tigers after coming off a solid series against the walking corpse we refer to as the New York Yankees. They now draw a red-hot Texas Rangers team led by Nathan Eovaldi, who has been striking out hitters at a very high rate.

On the other side, the Tigers have not been striking out a ton, but this is still one of the most inconsistent offenses in baseball. Over their last 60 plate appearances against right handed pitching, six bats own at least a 23.3% strikeout rate. Three of those six bats are 30% or worse.

With Eovaldi owning a strikeout rate above 30% over his last three outings, I expect that success to continue tonight. Take this down to -130 if you must.

• Time: 8:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: RSN, DSN

Strikeout prop: Bryce Miller Over 7.5 strikeouts (+121)

Seattle Mariners right hander Bryce Miller has been on a tear lately, posting a near 40% strikeout rate over his last five outings. Tonight, he draws one of the most swing-happy, lowest contact teams in baseball in the Los Angeles Angels.

The Halos have been one of the worst strikeout teams in the league this season, sitting second-worst in strikeout rate and swinging strike rate, while also ranking third-worst in contact rate.

Those numbers have held steady on the road. Over their last 60 plate appearances against right handed pitching, six hitters carry at least a 23.3% strikeout rate, with three north of 25.4%.

Snagging this prop above +120 feels like a strong price.

• Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SEAM, ABTV

Earned runs prop: Randy Vasquez Over 3.5 earned runs (+115)

Sure, asking any team to go off for four runs in the first five is a lot, but most teams are not the Los Angeles Dodgers. Plus, most teams are not facing a right hander who owns a 10.03 ERA, 7.80 xERA, and 2.40 WHIP over Randy Vasquez's last three starts.

Even going back to his last five outings, the Padres starter has a 7.59 xERA and 2.13 WHIP, while allowing a 50% hard-hit rate and nearly a 15% barrel rate.

The Dodgers are scorching-hot at the moment, despite falling to the Athletics last night. Over their last 12 games, they have posted a 131 wRC+, .382 wOBA, .807 OPS, and .167 ISO.

I am already a massive fan of Shohei Ohtani and Max Muncy this evening, so why not give me the rest of that lineup?

• Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MLBN

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Pick a negative adjective and you can apply it to the 2026 Kansas City Royals. They’re awful. Terrible. Boring. Gutless. Embarrassing. They fail to do the big things, like scoring runs and preventing the other team from doing the same. They also fail to do the small things, like running the bases without making outs and avoiding crucial defensive errors when it matters most. 

If that sounds too harsh, well, I promise you that it’s just what the statistics and the eye test bear out. At 35-52, the Royals are on pace for just 65 wins. They have the worst record in the American League and the worst run differential in the American League; only the shambling corpse of the Colorado Rockies saves Kansas City from being the worst team with the worst run differential in the entirety of Major League Baseball.

Compounding these problems is the weight of expectations, as the Royals entered the season as contenders. The club itself had its sights set on making the playoffs one year after winning 82 games, two years after winning 86 and squeaking into the postseason. Pundits and fans expected good things, and so did the emotionless computers: PECOTA thought the Royals were an 84-win team, and ZiPS thought that the Royals would run it back as an 82-win team.

Kansas City’s response at each of the low points in the year has been to do nothing. A little over a month ago, I wrote that Royals leadership was asleep at the wheel. Despite a wide variety of potential moves available to them, they had chosen to do nothing–only eventually making the most cursory of changes to the lineup out of necessity. Since that point, the Royals have gone 13-18, further sliding down the slippery slope towards oblivion. 

Except for the Royals, oblivion has not come. There has been no reckoning even as teams in similarly dire straights made changes. Most recently, the New York Mets fired their manager, Carlos Mendoza, after a 34-48 start. On the same day, the Los Angeles Angels fired their general manager, Perry Minasian, after a 34-49 start. They’re not the only ones, of course; others have paid a price for failing to meet expectations this year. 

But not for the Royals. And on the first game of the homestand, we got another look into the reason why: they just don’t hold themselves to the standard that other teams hold themselves to. These few sentences of JJ Picollo’s interview provide some clear insight into that fact (emphasis mine):

“I know what this group is about,” Picollo said. “I know how they work. They’re very curious. They want answers. They want to try to find solutions to the questions we have. I know they’re prepared every day. And that’s all we can ask. At the end of the year, you take a look and say, ‘Is this really moving in the direction we want to go?’

“But right now, just keep having conversations with them, share what we’re seeing as a front office. Let them share concerns they have with us, so together we can be part of the answers with each other.”

A few caveats before digging in: Picollo here is talking about the coaching staff specifically, not the front office or the players. Additionally, there is a grain of salt you have to apply to these interviews: this is a PR play, and Picollo is not going to throw anybody under the bus publicly.

But with that out of the way…yikes!

Sports is simple: it’s entertainment. More winning, more entertainment. Less winning, less entertainment. And at the core is a social contract where if teams try hard to win games, fans will show up. If teams don’t try hard to win games, or if they’re really bad at it, fans stop showing up. Losing, therefore, is a very important part of the feedback loop because it ought to prompt teams to change things so they don’t lose fans.

For whatever reason, though, that part of the feedback loop is gone and is nowhere to be found. Losing just doesn’t stick. It isn’t a strong enough signal. It’s not even a signal that matters–to Picollo, what matters is effort. Are the Royals decision makers trying really hard? Are they curious? Are they prepared? He says it verbatim: “that’s all we can ask.” 

That’s all we can ask? Really? I don’t know about any of you, but I don’t decide what to do with my evenings based on how hard any group of people tries or not. I decide based on how much joy any given activity gives me. Right now, the Royals give me, a person who spends who knows how many hours every year writing and thinking about them, no joy. 

I don’t know what’s going on behind closed doors. But it doesn’t really matter what’s going on behind closed doors. Right now, it’s about the product on the field–which, objectively, sucks. Right now, it’s about what the Royals are doing about it–which, objectively, is nothing. Kansas City is trying to sell togetherness and solidarity when fans want competent baseball. The Royals should be asking more of themselves than trying really hard. They can ask more. They should ask more. The fans certainly are. 

Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees host the Twins at Yankee Stadium for a three-game series starting Friday...

5 things to watch

Snapping the losing streak

New York enters Friday's series on a seven-game losing streak and 3.5 games behind Tampa Bay for first place in the AL East. 

Luckily for them, they own the Twins. 

Over their last 10 meetings, the Yankees are 8-2 and have outscored the Twins, 63-39. If there was a time to snap the streak, this would be the weekend to do it.

Will Gerrit Cole get back on track?

Cole is still trying to round into form since returning from Tommy John surgery, but he has had some tough times recently.

In his last two starts, he's allowed nine earned runs across 9.2 innings pitched. His ERA has ballooned to 4.06 and perhaps a little home cooking will do Cole good. Those previous two starts were on the road and in his last home start -- against the White Sox on June 16 -- he allowed two runs in 6.0 innings pitched.

As the Yankees wait for Max Fried to return, and with the starters scuffling a bit, New York needs Cole. 

Is Ben Rice back?

Rice was in an 0-for-18 slump when he hit a home run off Tarik Skubal on Tuesday night. Although that was the only hit for him, he followed it up with a 1-for-3 day in the series finale against the Tigers on Wednesday. He also walked twice. 

Rice is still one of the best Yankees hitters this season, batting .269 with a .921 OPS to go with his 23 home runs. With Aaron Judge still on the mend, he'll need to carry the bulk of the offensive load. 

But he shouldn't do it alone...

Cody Bellinger, on the other hand....

Bellinger is in the midst of a 5-for-46 slump. 

The former MVP is still having a great season and is a big reason -- along with Rice -- that the Yankees got off to a hot start in June with Judge on the IL. Luckily for Bellinger, the Twins will trot out three right-handers (Mike Paredes, Zebby Matthews, Joe Ryan) this weekend, so it could be the get-right series the struggling lefty Yankees are looking for.

Reinforcements on the way

Trent Grisham and Ryan McMahon are expected to be activated from the IL on Friday. While Grisham's bat could help during this stretch, what both provide defensively is key. During this losing streak, the Yanks have committed nine errors and allowed 16 unearned runs. A big part of that is having players play out of position -- mostly at third base -- and McMahon's Gold Glove-caliber defense will help. The same goes with Grisham in center field, allowing Bellinger and Jasson Dominguez/Spencer Jones to man the corners.

That allows Jose Caballero and Amed Rosario to play in position and -- in the case of Rosario -- be used off the bench. We'll see if Grisham and McMahon fix those defensive lapses.

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Ben Rice

The young slugger is starting to look like himself. That continues.

Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?

Gerrit Cole

Cole will be rested and pitching at home will do him good.

Which Twins player will be a thorn in the Yankees' side?

Royce Lewis

I would say Byron Buxton, but the All-Star outfielder is dealing with a hip injury so his status for this series is uncertain. Since Lewis was recalled on June 6, he's batting .279 with five home runs. 

The latest news and updates on the Houston Astros:

Cristian Javier will return to the Astros in the bullpen:

Javier’s inability to maintain effective velocity has plagued him since he returned from Tommy John surgery. It continues to be an issue for him on his rehab assignment. The Astros appear to be banking that shorter outings can allow Javier to maximize his best velocity in shorter bursts. How well his arm holds up to pen life is yet to be uncovered. Whether he can go back to back days, 3 out of 4, etc, whether he is comfortable coming in mid-inning with men on base (or can be trusted in such a situation as he does walk his share of batters) are all things the Astros must find out between now and the deadline.

Also noted in Rome’s piece:

Kai-Wei Teng will return to the team in the bullpen.

The Teng as a start experiment is over for 2026 (pending further notice). Teng developed arm fatigue starting, as he has pitched more innings in a short period of time than he was previously accustomed to. He was originally optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land to get some down time, but the Astros then discovered the knee injury. As a result, they cancelled his minor league assignment and placed him on the major league 15-day IL.

Teams are interested in P A.J. Blubaugh:

Blubaugh leads all MLB relievers in innings pitched. He has often been called upon to bail the Astros pen out when a starter fails to get any depth into a game (something that once again happened yesterday). Blubaugh make s the minimum, throws up to 98 MPH, and has pitched as a starter in the minors, making him highly attractive to suitors.

Could the Javier experiment in the pen be a precursor to Blubaugh being dealt to acquire a bigger need elsewhere? His stuff, early success, minimum contract and team control should make his value very high.

The maddening Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde act of Tatsuya Imai continues:

That Imai has such terrific stuff yet somehow loses all command so completely and so quickly is one of the biggest mysteries of the sport this season. That the Astros famous ‘pitching lab’ hasn’t been able to get him figured out may be the 2nd biggest mystery.

After being the first Astros starter to post double digit strikeouts in back to back games, Imai laid another colossal egg yesterday being unable to get out of the 2nd inning, allowing 2 HR and 5 BB.

Houston’s ability to get Imai straightened out will be a top 3 factor in whether the team makes the postseason or not. The swings from ‘Good Imai” to “Bad Imai” are simply too drastic to survive the dog days of August, as his bad days put far too much pressure on a bullpen that has already been overtaxed this season.

Ray Delgado: He’s here, he’s gone, he’s back, now he’s gone again:

It has been a whirlwind for the rookie infielder, who got his first taste of the bigs 2 days after the Astros acquired him for cash considerations. He has held his own at the plate, and been a versatile defender.

He then got caught in the numbers game when Nick Allen was ready to be activated, only to be recalled a day later when Jeremy Pena landed back on the IL. Unfortunately for Delgado, a bad hop just stole some of his opportunity.

Delgado has gotten the start at SS yesterday, his second game since being recalled following Pena’s injury. A bad hop ball that struck second base right in front of him led him to try to adjust to the new higher trajectory of the ball with his bare hand. The ball banged off his right pinky, dislocating it.

While the Astros have not made any official move as yet, it seems likely an IL stint is coming up.

Perhaps Braden Shewmake, who equated himself well previously this season before he landed on the IL, could be a candidate to replace him when the team will need to make a decision before Friday’s game.

Christian Walker left yesterday’s game with lower back soreness:

Walker has struggled in the month of June but has also been the team’s second best power bat behind Yordan Alvarez. Walker is tied for the team lead in doubles (16), second in HR (19), RBI (56), Hits (77) and Runs (45). His defense at 1B and ability to pick throws cannot be understated.

While Walker played down the significance of the injury, it is certainly something to monitor as the team is very much feeling the loss of Jeremy Pena right now. With Carlos Correa already lost for the season and the OF providing little offense, losing Walker for an extended period would be a big blow to the lineup.

The Astros top 2 prospects are going to the Futures Game:

Alvarez (18) and Neyens (19) are the jewels of the system. They will also be highly sought after at the deadline. In a season where top prospects should carry extra value with a looming long work stoppage expected, if the Astros decide to trade either of them, they must get absolute max value for them. They cannot be traded for marginal improvements, only for true impact players (should they be dealt at all).

Twenty-four years ago today, the Blue Jays traded Raul Mondesi, along with cash, to the Yankees for Scott Wiggins. The return wasn’t significant—Wiggins only pitched three games for Toronto—but the true benefit was shedding Mondesi’s salary and removing an unhappy presence from the clubhouse.

Toronto had acquired Mondesi from the Dodgers in November 1999 by trading away Shawn Green. The Jays hadn’t wanted to part with Green, but he demanded a trade after the team hired Cito Gaston as hitting coach. Green and Gaston had a rocky relationship dating back to Green’s early days with the team, when Gaston was manager. Gaston encouraged hitters to pull the ball, while Green favored hitting to all fields—leading to some disagreements, as detailed in Green’s autobiography.

The Jays hoped Mondesi’s statistics would improve with a move from the spacious Dodger Stadium to the more hitter-friendly SkyDome. That improvement never materialized, and Mondesi was openly unhappy in Toronto. Complicating matters, he had a hefty contract and Toronto boasted three superior outfielders in Shannon Stewart, Vernon Wells, and Jose Cruz.

Why did the Yankees want him?

It wasn’t the Yankees’ front office that wanted Mondesi, but team owner George Steinbrenner. He instructed team president Randy Levine to call Jays president Paul Godfrey to get the deal done, as reported by the Guelph Mercury Tribune:

As Godfrey tells it, the Yankees were struggling with injuries to their outfield at the time, and a play one day led a TV announcer to wonder why Steinbrenner was doing nothing with Mondesi on the market.

“Within minutes, Yankees president Randy Levine called me and said he wanted to make a deal for an outfielder,” Godfrey recalled. “I didn’t think he meant Mondesi, since we’d already tried shopping him around. So I asked, ‘Why isn’t GM Brian Cashman dealing with our GM, J.P. Ricciardi?’”

”And Randy yells, ‘George doesn’t want those two guys involved, they’ll never get a God damn deal done, I’m on instructions from George to get this God damn deal done now.’”

So Godfrey asked for five minutes, called Ricciardi and explained that he had to do the deal with Levine (to which Ricciardi replied, “I don’t care, get rid of Mondesi immediately”), got a list of prospects to ask for, and eventually settled with Levine on pitcher Scott Wiggins in return.

Toronto included $6 million with Mondesi in the trade. They’d been trying to move him for some time, but found no takers. Fortunately for the Jays, Steinbrenner was undeterred by his own front office’s reluctance. With Paul O’Neill retiring after the 2001 season, the Yankees were searching for a big bat in the lineup.

Mondesi played a season and a half for the Yankees, hitting .250/.323/.453 with 27 home runs over 169 games. At the 2004 trade deadline, he was sent to the Diamondbacks. Mondesi played for three more teams before retiring from baseball after the 2005 season.

While it might be considered one of J.P. Ricciardi’s better trades, he actually played a minimal role in making it happen.

After his baseball career, Mondesi became mayor of San Cristóbal, but was later sentenced to 8 years in prison for corruption and mismanagement of public funds during his term in office. That term ‘mismanagement is wrong. Embezzlement would be a better word.

Just as I was trying to figure out who to write up next, Baseball America popped out their 5th mock draft, this time with a new name as the Phillies pick. It doesn’t sound like there’s sourcing for this or actual rumors of Phillies interest so much as there is “It’s the 36th pick. Who the hell knows? But this seems to be the type of player the Phillies might roll the dice on.” So, what the heck. It’s pick 36, who the hell knows what’ll happen.

Caden is a 21 year old 6’3″ 200 lbs Center Fielder from Texas A&M. He’s a left handed hitter with a pretty enticing mix of tools. In a common theme of recent profiles none of those tools is hitting (spoiler, I guess). In High School Sorrell was a Shortstop and his first 2 years in College he split time between the corner OF positions. He has a cannon for an arm, so RF is a solid fall back option if the can’t stick in Center in the pros. He’s a plus runner and should work fine in Center early in his career, but he has that Mike Trout Linebacker-ish frame that will probably eventually grow him out of Center and off into a corner with more average speed, but for now, at least, Sorrell can really get on his horse.

As a hitter Sorrell has a swing geared to hit home runs. He probably has 70 grade raw power and is eventually going to be fun to watch in home run derbies (albeit perhaps minor league ones). Same as I wrote about for Lebron earlier this week, his game power is just grade 55 or 60 because of his contact issues. He’s recorded exit velocities of 114 mph and better, which would be elite among MLB hitters. The first video below is Sorrell just committing extreme violence on baseballs. It’s a surprisingly quiet, lightning fast swing. Almost entirely rotational with no real stride and a small toe tap for timing. He has a 24% K rate and known struggles against non-Fastballs, I think there may be an Adolis Garcia/Jo Adell type ceiling here. He may not have quite the arm of Garcia and not quite the range of Adell, but the hitting issues look similar and I could see a .230/.295/.435 line regularly getting put out here. It’s probably a 2-3 WAR player, who may occasionally be worth 4 or 5 WAR, but is also probably going to have sub 1 WAR seasons when fans will be frustrated with him.

Look at pick 36, I’ll be thrilled with any player that makes the show and puts up a positive WAR. Even if it’s barely positive, and at least massive homers are fun. While I’m not sure there’s a star ceiling, Sorrell has dealt with some injuries in College and 2026 was his first fully healthy season, so if you’re looking for a silver lining, maybe there’s still a little ceiling to come with health letting him play and see more breaking balls.

Every day, Pinstripe Alley offers updates on what the Yankees’ top American League opponents are up to through the Rivalry Roundup. The AL East is well-trodden ground there, but with the season at it’s mathematical halfway point, we’re going to take a peek around MLB as a whole and check in with each of the other five divisions. Who’s surprising? Who’s underwhelming? Who’s simply mediocre at the moment? Read on and find out.

(Note: Records and standings are up to date through games played on Tuesday, June 30th.)

First Place: Atlanta Braves (49-34)

Top Position Player: Matt Olson (2.7 fWAR)

Top Pitcher: Chris Sale (2.8 fWAR)

The first-place Braves were sitting pretty for the first two and a half months, but things took a turn for the worse in June. Sitting at 45-21 entering a series with the White Sox on the 9th, they blew a 4-0 lead that night and lost via walk-off in the 10th, sparking a miserable 4-13 slump to end the month that has shrunk their once gigantic 10.5-game lead to just 2.5 games over the surging Phillies.

The team’s most likely All-Stars on the hitting side are perennial stud Matt Olson at first base and the resurgent Michael Harris II. The latter has been a completely different player since facing the Yankees last July, entering that series as one of the worst regulars in the sport, but has now posted a 127 wRC+ across a full season’s worth of plate appearances since.

We’re not getting an MVP-caliber season from Ronald Acuña Jr., but he’s remained a force at the top of the lineup. You look at all the names on this offense and wonder how they’re statistically below average on the year, but the simple answer for that is just how putrid they were in June. The bottom has completely fallen out on Austin Riley’s bat at third base and even the regulars were going into huge slumps.

On the pitching end, it’s all about Chris Sale. The reigning NL Cy Young winner won’t go back-to-back, but it won’t be for lack of trying. His 2.10 ERA across 90 innings with a 23.6 K-BB% would be good enough to potentially start the All-Star Game in the American League, but goes under the radar with the sheer volume of talented arms in the Senior Circuit. Behind him, Bryce Elder and Grant Holmes have given them average production, Martin Perez has been steady as ever, and Spencer Strider continues to struggle with both health and productivity.

The one saving grace of the team in June was that they continued to have the best back-end relief trio in the sport. Robert Suarez, Dylan Lee, and Raisel Iglesias have combined for a 1.05 ERA across 96 innings. When these guys lead after six, the game is all but over. Having Didier Fuentes, Tyler Kinley, and Reynaldo Lopez as middle relief guys is an unreal strength for the best bullpen in baseball (2.76 ERA, 3.44 FIP, 3.8 fWAR)

Second Place: Philadelphia Phillies (48-38)

Top Position Player: Kyle Schwarber (2.6 fWAR)

Top Pitcher: Cristopher Sanchez (4.2 fWAR)

If I had a nickel for every time the Phillies woke up from an early-season stupor with a midseason managerial change, in which they fired one former Yankee for another former Yankee, to be one of the best teams in baseball, I’d have two nickels.

Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it’s happened twice.

Four years after canning former Yankees’ manager Joe Girardi for his bench coach, who also had that role in New York, they did it again. Rob Thomson faced the same fate that Girardi faced, losing his job to his bench coach, Yankees legend Don Mattingly. Since then, they’ve gone 38-19 and have gained eight games in the standings in five weeks with an 18-9 month.

It’s awfully rare for a team to be successful with its most valuable player via WAR being a primary DH, but when that player is on pace to hit 60 home runs, it sounds a lot more reasonable. Kyle Schwarber is worth every penny of his new contract, and he’s finally been joined by some of his teammates with Bryce Harper (143 OPS+) and Brandon Marsh (131 OPS+). Did you know Marsh has one of the highest BABIP in MLB history? If it works, it works.

They’re still not without major flaws offensively, though. Age might finally be catching up to Trea Turner’s bat (for real this time), while Bryson Stott, Alec Bohm, and JT Realmuto have been black holes offensively. Adolis García is done for the year, Justin Crawford can’t hit a beach ball, and they’re gonna need some reinforcements at the deadline to have a chance to compete in October.

Their pitching, on the other hand, can compete with anyone. Cristopher Sánchez’s unreal scoreless innings streak has defined a potential Cy Young campaign, while usual ace Zack Wheeler has looked great since a scary thoracic outlet syndrome injury. The concern is that, beyond Sanchez, Wheeler, and Jesús Luzardo, who else can step up? Aaron Nola’s now in Year 2 of being one of the worst starters in the majors, and Andrew Painter’s rookie year has been a nightmare.

Jhoan Duran leads the National League with 21 saves, and you’ll never guess who’s setting him up. It’s not the struggling José Alvarado; it’s former Yankee Tim Mayza! Orion Kerkering is having a great year after his miscue in the NLDS last year, but the rest of the bullpen is lagging behind. They’ll be looking for upgrades at the deadline.

Third Place: Miami Marlins (46-40)

Top Position Player: Otto Lopez (3.6 fWAR)

Top Pitcher: Max Meyer (2.3 fWAR)

Whoa, where did this come from? For the second straight year, the Marlins have awoken from an early-season slump to go ballistic in the summer. Once sitting 26-34 at the end of May, they’ve secured just their second 20-win month in franchise history (May 2012, 21) and suddenly find themselves in the thick of the wild card race. However you feel about Peter Bendix and his analytical approach, he’s put a destitute franchise on the path to success with no financial backing.

They’ve done it without 2025 breakout star Kyle Stowers as the focal point, as he’s been limited to decent production across 62 games. Xavier Edwards has been over .300 all season and is emerging as a top shortstop in the game, while Otto Lopez has been a WAR machine, leading MLB in hits with stupendous defense and baserunning. Recent call-up Joe Mack is starting to find his stroke behind the plate, while Liam Hicks has been an All-Star caliber DH for them.

It’s been a real breakout campaign for Max Meyer, who’s having an extremely quiet All-Star campaign with a 9-0 record and a 2.60 ERA. The 27-year-old has taken the mantle of ace from Sandy Alcantara, who’s been better than last year but remains a traditional workhorse with average numbers. Eury Perez has been up and down to complete their Big 3, but they’re looking for someone else to step up with an injury to Janson Junk and the failed Chris Paddack experiment.

The one thing holding them back, though, might be the fact that their closer’s ERA is nearly seven. Pete Fairbanks has been a disaster since coming over from Tampa, and even with four extremely productive set-up options in Michael Petersen, John King, Calvin Faucher, and Lake Bachar, they’ve refused to take him out of the closer’s role. You have to think the leash is being shortened with the team’s sudden playoff aspirations.

Fourth Place: Washington Nationals (44-43)

Top Position Player: James Wood (3.0 fWAR)

Top Pitcher: Cade Cavalli (2.1 fWAR)

Another pleasant surprise, the Nationals are above .500 entering July for the first time in almost a decade. We’ve heard about the baby steps for the last few years of developing a core that can figure things out, but the new regime really seems to be making strides in player development to put this franchise on the right path.

James Wood’s strikeouts continue to be a major issue, but he’s shaken off an early rut to once again be among the NL’s best outfielders. Keibert Ruiz has suddenly found the ability to hit after entering the year with a career 87 OPS+, Curtis Mead is finally living up to his prospect billing in his third stop, and Luis García Jr. had a surprising amount of pop in June. But no player has been more impressive than CJ Abrams, who despite defensive limitations, has been one of the best hitting middle infielders in the game this year.

The rotation starts strong, but drops off fast. Foster Griffin has come out of nowhere to lead the Nats, and Cade Cavalli is undergoing a major breakout of his own, but they’re followed up by the badly struggling Zack Littell, Jake Irvin, and Miles Mikolas. Cavalli, a former first-round pick in 2020, made news for the wrong reasons to close the month due to a spat with Boston’s Willson Contreras.

If anything can hold this Nationals team back from making a return to the postseason, it’s their depressing bullpen. They’re 26th in bullpen ERA at 4.99 and can’t seem to find anyone to effectively pitch in high-leverage situations. They had some impossible chokes this month against San Francisco and Philadelphia, as it seems like everyone but PJ Poulin and Brad Lord just can’t seem to get three outs.

Fifth Place: New York Mets (36-50)

Top Position Player: Juan Soto (2.6 fWAR)

Top Pitcher: Nolan McLean (1.8 fWAR)

What a mess. Injuries have certainly taken a toll on how awful this Mets season has been, but when you’re finding a way to bum out a city that enjoyed an NBA championship this month, that’s bleak. Carlos Mendoza paid for their sloppy, uninspired play with his job late in the month after Dansby Swanson and the Cubs swept them into the Stone Age.

The offense has been horrendous. Francisco Lindor just now returned from his second major injury of 2026, and his supporting cast has been abysmal. The progress Brett Baty showed in 2025 has been erased. Mark Vientos looks so lost compared to his 2024 form. The regressing bat of Marcus Semien didn’t improve at all. Luis Robert Jr. and Jorge Polanco are still on the shelf. Rookies AJ Ewing and Carson Benge can only do so much, as can Bo Bichette’s improved June after his disastrous first two months. The one guy who’s not slumping? The inevitable Juan Soto.

The rotation was never going to be the team’s strength, but they certainly expected a lot more from Nolan McLean (3.78 ERA, 3.58 FIP) and Freddy Peralta (4.53 ERA, 4.17 FIP), who were both expected to be ace-caliber arms this year. Clay Holmes will be out for a while with his broken leg, so while Christian Scott has done admirably since his promotion, Kodai Senga and David Peterson’s struggles are further accentuated. Well, I guess just Senga now, as Peterson got sent off to the Cubbies.

In the bullpen, a lot of Yankees fans have kept one eye on Devin Williams and Luke Weaver after they jumped ship in the offseason. While Williams has experienced the same ups and downs on a much less competitive team, Weaver has fully shaken off the struggles he had last year with 24 consecutive scoreless innings. He’ll be a high-leverage arm sold off at the deadline. Huascar Brazoban and Brooks Raley will also be enticing pieces for contenders who need bullpen help.

The Red Sox have player 85 games. They have 77 games remaining until the end of the season. But the real end of the season might just be the trade deadline.

In that respect, they have just 33 days remaining. That’s only 26 games. Sitting at 37-48, the Red Sox have some work to do to decide how they want to handle things. Is Sonny Gray available? Or Aroldis Chapman? Both? Are they in the market for a right-handed bat? Probably yes regardless of their playoff hopes.

In their favor for the season, the Yankees are in the midst of a 7-game losing streak. The Blue Jays just lost 5 straight – tied with the Sox’ (and Orioles’) longest losing streak of the year. The Rays longest losing streak is 4.

There are 8 series between now and the last day to make a move. There’s a short west coast trip to see the Angels and the White Sox and Mets on the way back east. Each of those is a 3-game series.

After the All-Star Break the Sox host the Rays (4 games), Orioles (3 games), and Blue Jays (3 games).

Then it’s back to the West Coast for 7 more games: 4 against the Athletics and 3 against the Dodgers.

Right now the Rays are leading the AL East with the Yankees 3.0 games back, the Jays 10.5, Orioles 12.0, and Red Sox 13.5 behind.

Caleb Durbin has 7 home runs while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has just 4. Durbin’s 6 June homers is the highest 1-month total for any month in his 2-year career. Vlad’s total is, of course, more of an aberration and as he will not reach free agency until 2040, the Jays have to hope he can uncover some Durbin-esque pop. He averages 29 home runs per 162 games. That’s 25 home runs in the remaining 3 months of the season. He’s currently on pace for just 8. With 75 games to go, Vlad needs a home run every 3 games instead of every 5.5. That’s a big power surge even for him, just to hit his average. To hit last year’s total of 23 that’s still a home run every 4 games. To reach his high of 11 home runs form 2025, Caleb Durbin needs 4 home runs in 3 months.

Jarren Duran has had a miserable season. But power-wise he has 12 homers and needs 4 to match his 2025 total. And just 9 – 3 per month – to reach his career high of 21 again. There was some worry about 20-homer power on the team and Willson Contreras is already at 18 dingers at around the halfway point. If only he had a little more help…

Remember the Jays being on a losing streak? Well, they took 2-out-3 against the Mets.

Even as the Red Sox look bad, the Mets are a notch worse. And they invested almost a billion dollars in their team with Juan Soto alone. The Mets have lost 51 games forming a club with the Angels, Giants, and Rockies as first to 50 losses this year. Of note, the Mets and Angels are 2 teams on the upcoming road trip. If there are any games to win, these 6 are top among them. And the Rockies won 2 games only through bullpen collapses that aren’t guaranteed. There was also a personal change at shortstop after some misplays by Marcelo Mayer.

Because the Red Sox are off on Monday, August 3 – along with many but not all teams, for example the Rays and Rockies will be playing – there won’t be any dramatics mid-game. If Aroldis Chapman is still on the team, the hugwatch will not be literally at the deadline. It might happen on August 2 if he’s still in the ‘pen at that point, assuming there was not a tremendous winning streak by the Sox to be solidly holding a playoff spot at the time. After all, he might as well get in the goodbye hugs.

That’s it.

That’s the entire road to the deadline.

Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Braves play a four-game series in Atlanta starting on Friday night at 7:15...

5 things to watch

Is Christian Scott becoming a mainstay?

Scott showed flashes with the Mets in 2024 during his rookie season, but his big league ascendance was short-lived due to an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery and kept him out for the entire 2025 season.

Now back at full strength, the 27-year-old has impressed since returning to the rotation.

In 45.0 innings over 10 starts, Scott has a 3.20 ERA (3.93 FIP) and 1.33 WHIP with 53 strikeouts in 45.0 innings -- a rate of 10.6 K's per nine.

Using mainly a four-seamer, sweeper, and cutter, Scott's arsenal has been remade a bit from his rookie season, when he was not yet using the cutter.

Scott's four-seamer has ticked up (averaging 95.5 mph this season after it averaged 94.2 mph in 2024), and his cutter has been especially effective -- with hitters slugging just .194 against it.  

Nolan McLean has turned a corner

Following a somewhat alarming two-start blip in May where he allowed 16 runs (13 earned) in 9.0 innings, McLean has snapped back in.

In 34.0 innings over his last six starts, the young right-hander has a 2.65 ERA.

He's still battling his command at times -- as evidenced by the 17 walks he's issued during that span -- but he looks a lot more like he did during his rookie season and earlier this year.

McLean was especially impressive during his last start, firing six shutout innings against the Blue Jays while allowing five hits, walking two, and striking out seven. 

Francisco Lindor is shaking off the rust

Lindor is still searching a bit at the plate since coming off the IL, but it's starting to come.

Over his last five games, Lindor has a two homers, a triple, and a .967 OPS.

Lindor has been batting cleanup recently, with Carson Benge still entrenched in the leadoff spot.

The Braves are sinking

Because of a 5-13 record over their last 18 games, the Braves' lead over the Phillies in the NL East is down to just 2.5 games.

Atlanta is dealing with a rash of injuries, which hasn't helped matters.

In addition to being without Ronald Acuña Jr. and Sean Murphy, Atlanta's starting rotation is decimated -- with Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, AJ Smith-Shawver, and Joey Wentz all on the 60-day IL.

The Braves also recently lost high-leverage reliever Robert Suarez, who landed on the 15-day IL due to a forearm injury. 

Matt Olson remains fearsome

With Acuña and Murphy out, and Austin Riley having a down season (he's hitting .207/.285/.332 with an OPS+ of 74), Olson is the most dangerous bat in Atlanta's lineup.

In his fifth season with the Braves, Olson is slashing .272/.342/.523 with 20 homers and 22 doubles in 84 games.

Michael Harris II is also having a standout year, with 14 homers, 13 doubles, and an .817 OPS -- the best mark he's had since his breakout rookie season in 2022. 

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Juan Soto

Despite a quiet series in Toronto, Soto still leads the NL with a .956 OPS. 

Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?

Nolan McLean

McLean is locked in again. 

Which Braves player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?

Ozzie Albies

Albies is having a bounce back year at the plate after struggling in both 2024 and 2025.

We asked. You answered.

The answers seem to indicate a common thread: Astros fans have more faith in Hunter Brown to have a dominant 2nd half than they do in Mike Burrows, Tatsuya Imai or Spencer Arrighetti to be even decent the rest of the season.

The poll was fashioned in such a way to flesh this out. Arrighetti leads the team currently with 7 wins, but he has struggled badly for a month. Imai has 5 wins, but it seems every time fans feel they are ready to trust his electric stuff that he suddenly has a complete loss of command and lays an egg. Lambert has 6 wins, has clearly been the most consistent of the pitchers not named Brown, but also has never had his current level of success at the major league level and it seems many fans are simply waiting for the bottom to fall out.

Meanwhile, Brown only has 1 win this season in the 25.1 innings that he has pitched this season.

Yet it was Brown most fans believed will finish the season with the most wins. That is a big indictment on fan sentiment towards an overwhelming majority of the rotation, and underscores the idea that despite the outfield’s offensive meekness, adding an impact starting pitcher at the deadline should be the team’s first order of business.

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Thursday's MLB card is loaded with star power, and a few of baseball's biggest bats find themselves in favorable matchups.

Before locking in your MLB player props, here are the hitters my MLB picks are targeting to leave their mark tonight.

Best MLB player props today

Player	Pick	Odds
Yandy Diaz	Over 1.5 total bases	-140
Shohei Ohtani	Over 2.5 hits + runs + RBI	+101
Max Muncy	Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI	-106

Yandy Diaz Over 1.5 total bases (-140)

A lot of people will be rushing to bet Junior Caminero tonight, given the six-game home run streak, but I think the veteran is the better option. Yandy Diaz checks more boxes than Caminero in my opinion.

First off, Diaz covers over 80% of Royals right-hander Stephen Kolek’s pitch mix. His arsenal grades out more than 50% below league average, per FanGraphs.

The only two above-average pitches in the mix are the fastball and sinker. Diaz against sinkers this season is hitting .414 with a 1.066 OPS and a .479 wOBA. Against fastballs, his expected batting average is still north of .300.

The Tampa Bay Rays veteran has also been generating an alarming amount of hard contact. Over his last 30 plate appearances against right-handed pitching, he owns a 71.4% hard-hit rate while hitting .320 with an .840 OPS and a .369 wOBA. Kolek at home against right-handed hitters is allowing a 40.5% hard-hit rate and nearly a 62% fly-ball rate.

I know this prop is super-juiced, but I would look for a boost, play his home run and double combo, or take him to record two hits.

• Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ROYL, RAYS

Shohei Ohtani Over 2.5 hits + runs + RBI (+101)

Finally, some value!

The great one enters today with an elite rating covering 82.7% of Randy Vásquez’s entire pitch mix on Batters-Box. Tonight will mark Shohei Ohtani’s 314th elite rating over the last three seasons. In the previous 313, these are his records:

• 1+ hits: 74.44%
• 2+ hits: 33.87%
• Home run: 29.71%
• 2+ total bases: 55.87%
• 2+ HRR: 66.13%
• 3+ HRR: 50.48%

Ohtani has surpassed this prop in six of his last ten elite-rated home games. 

On top of that, the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger in his last 30 plate appearances against right-handed pitching, he owns a .346 AVG, .462 SLG, and .862 OPS. He's also generating a 50% hard-hit rate and a 9.1% barrel rate during that stretch.

For Vásquez, the last 30 lefties he has faced have produced a 57.7% hard-hit rate, 19.2% barrel rate, and 65.4% elevation rate. Those lefties own a .764 xSLG and .596 xwOBA in that span.

People forget, this can cash with one swing of the bat, and I already like him to go yard tonight. Do not pay juice for this... plus money only!

• Time: 9:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MLBN

Max Muncy Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI (-106)

Snagging this price for Max Muncy Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI in a spot that covers 88.9% of Randy Vásquez's pitch mix and grades out elite on Batters-Box is a gift.

Sure, in his last 30 at-bats against right-handed pitching, he has just a .214 average and .553 OPS, but across his last 90, he owns a .440 SLG, .777 OPS, and .343 wOBA.

In addition, in 95 elite ratings over the last three seasons, Muncy has cleared this prop 53.68% of the time, hitting it in five of his last 10 elite-rated spots.

With how poorly Vásquez has been against lefties, I think this is a strong price to back Muncy. I would not play it past -115.

• Time: 9:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MLBN

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The Los Angeles Dodgers look to stay hot when they open a four-game series against the San Diego Padres tonight.

The Dodgers (-178) come into the contest as the clear favorites over the Padres (+170), and I’ll break down why the hosts will run up the score against some shoddy pitching.

Read my full Padres vs. Dodgers predictions and free MLB picks below.

Who will win Padres vs Dodgers today: Dodgers -1.5 (+114)

The Los Angeles Dodgers are 11-4 over their last 15 games and firing on all cylinders offensively. The hosts are hitting .283 as a team over that span while averaging 5.5 runs per game.

The San Diego Padres are sending Randy Vasquez to the hill tonight, which will only make things easier for Los Angeles. Vasquez sits in the fourth percentile in pitching run value, as well as the bottom percentile in xERA (7.05).

Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki hasn’t been great, but he owns a solid 3.50 ERA at home, holding opposing batters to just a .228 average at Dodger Stadium.

Playable to +100.

COVERS INTEL: Vasquez is 0-3 with a 5.57 ERA in five career appearances vs. the Dodgers.

Padres vs Dodgers Over/Under pick: Over 9.5 (+119)

L.A. has loved facing right-handed pitching this season, leading the majors in runs scored (348), batting average (.272), and wRAA (68.5). Vasquez has a massive 7.84 ERA over his last five starts, so expect the Dodgers to put up plenty of offense.

Sasaki last faced San Diego on Friday, giving up three runs in just four innings, so the Padres will be capable of scoring some runs as well.

The Over is 3-0 in each of the last three starts for both pitchers.

Playable to +110.

Padres vs Dodgers weather

It'll be a fairly cool night in Los Angeles (67F), but hitters will get a slight bump with winds blowing out to right-center at 8 mph.

Padres vs Dodgers odds

• Moneyline: San Diego +170 | Los Angeles -178
• Run line: San Diego +1.5 (-117) | Los Angeles -1.5 (+113)
• Over/Under: Over 9.5 (+122) | Under 9.5 (-127)

Padres vs Dodgers trend

The Dodgers have covered the first five innings (F5) run line in 27 of their last 45 games (+5.80 Units / 10% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Padres vs. Dodgers.

How to watch Padres vs Dodgers and game info

Padres vs Dodgers latest injuries

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Another month down, and June was a bit of a letdown for the Athletics. The club only managed to go 12-15 against what looked like an easier portion of the schedule. They escaped getting swept by anyone but only won three series. They avoided getting swept, but they’re now lower in the standings than they were at the beginning of the month, and with more teams ahead of them too. We’re almost halfway through the regular season schedule and the A’s are hovering around playoff contention. What can we expect to see from the Green & Gold in the upcoming month, one that’ll determine the direction of this team for the final few months of the year?

1. Will we see any limitations on the young arms?

The club currently has three young starters that for all intents and purposes are rookies (though technically only in Gage Jump’s case). Righties J.T. Ginn, Jack Perkins and the lefty Jump have all made multiple starts during these past few weeks and if the A’s are going to make a push for the playoffs they’ll need each of them to pitch to their maximum potential. But more importantly, to pitch at all.

The problem for manager Mark Kotsay is that all three pitchers might be, need to be, or should be on some sort innings limit this season. Ginn is at 94 1/3 innings already while his career-high including minor league innings is 102 in 2024. Jump hit 112 frames last year in his first professional season split between Single and Double-A; he’s currently at 78 between Triple-A and the majors. Perkins might be in the best shape vis-à-vis innings as he’s only tossed 58 2/3 with a career-high of 107 2/3… back in 2023. The right maxed out at 78 and 86 innings pitched the last two years, respectively, so it’s not like he’s ready to fire off 150+ innings.

It’s not an easy position for Mark Kotsay to be in. Now in his fifth seal at the helm, he’s made progress in the win department every year but this year expectations were raised. With a bullpen as shaky as the A’s have, it can’t be easy for the manager to balance between removing his young starters early but saving their health, versus riding them another inning to ensure an extra win here and there with the playoffs on the line. He’s signed through ‘28 but his long-term position isn’t fully secure. If the club under him doesn’t show major progress before the move to Las Vegas, the front office may decide to start the Vegas years with a brand new voice leading the club.

It hasn’t helped matters that Luis Severino is currently on the IL with no set timetable for a return. If the A’s are still in contention come trading season adding a veteran starter could be a two-fold addition: allow the A’s to continue to be competitive this season, while preserving the arms and making sure we don’t blow out an elbow over the final few months. These three guys will all be critical to the Athletics over the coming seasons and how Kotsay handles them in these early days could lay the groundwork for their career arches. Is he going to be cautious, or ride them until the wheels fall off?

2. Can any of the young stopgaps step up in place of an injured regular?

The Athletics are going through a bit of a rough patch regarding injuries right now. The club is currently missing four of the lineup regulars: left fielder Tyler Soderstrom, shortstop Jacob Wilson, DH Brent Rooker and super-utilityman Zack Gelof are all on the shelf for various reasons and timelines (along with Opening Day center fielder Denzel Clarke). Before yesterday one could have argued the most serious of that group was Wilson and his shoulder injury. He’s reaggravated the shoulder dislocation he suffered earlier this year and we’re all hoping he hasn’t done anything serious to it. Baseball fans have seen every type of timeline from this injury in the past: from weeks, to months, to a full season or offseason worth of time on the shelf (most recently Gelof, who had season-ending shoulder surgery last September). Any sort of shoulder surgery would almost certainly end his season and deprive the Athletics of one of their best hitters and a real glue guy for the lineup.

Now the A’s are certainly going to miss Brent Rooker after the news yesterday that he’d be undergoing the knife on that bulky left knee of his. Even though he wasn’t off to the best start this season, he was still already at double-digit home runs and a real threat in the lineup that opposing pitchers had to consider and deal with. Losing him for the final three-plus months of the season is going to hamstring the Athletics’ lineup, and now the team has a decision to make: stick with the guys we have, or go after a trade?

Turning our attention to our starting left fielder, all indications are that Soderstrom is facing a relatively minor absence due to the hip impingement he suffered last weekend. Still, that means it’ll likely be weeks until we see him back on the field for the big league squad, and we still don’t have confirmation that we’re looking at that shorter end of the timeline for his return. It could end up being a situation where we don’t know he needed surgery until a few weeks have passed. Luckily for the A’s, they have someone ready to step into his spot in Colby Thomas.

It’s easy to forget, after two seasons of a small amount of unsuccessful big league action, that Thomas was considered the club’s #3 prospect as recently as last year. The 25-year-old proved everything he has to in the minors. He has plenty of power in his bat, is an adequate fielder in a corner, and has cut down on his swing-and-miss tendencies here in his second year in the big leagues. But the strikeouts are still around to a degree and he’s still allergic to walks, which has made everything much harder on himself when facing big league pitching. Perhaps this is the chance that he’s been waiting for. It’s not easy to ride the bench as a rookie and succeed when called upon when you’re not getting those everyday at bats. If there’s one positive to Soderstrom’s injury, it’s that Thomas will get those everyday chances. It’s up to him to make the most of those, and hopefully help the A’s while Sodey is on the shelf. We should be getting an answer one way or another on Thomas soon enough.

The player most likely to make his return soonest is also the one who is the most versatile in Gelof. And honestly, the A’s can probably play him just about anywhere on the diamond or in the grass save for perhaps shortstop and catcher. The club has used Alika Williams at shortstop and also have former first-rounder Max Muncy, but now the A’s have added a new young guy to the infield mix in Joshua Kuroda-Grauer. Gelof is still on the shelf for a bit and might need a couple games to get back in the swing of things, but if Kuroda-Grauer or Muncy or Williams can prove they’re capable at their respective positions, that’d allow Kotsay to get Gelof’s bat into the lineup at some other spot of need. We’ve gotten middling production out of Muncy so far, and now it’s time to see what we have in the 23-year-old Kuroda-Grauer, who burst onto the scene with a three-hit debut.

3. Buy, sell, or standing pat?

The A’s looked like surefire buyers earlier this year when they were atop the AL West standings. They never ran away with the division but also seemed to have finally grown into a team that could make a legitimate push for a playoff spot, even if it came a year or two before many expected. The A’s had a 2 1/2 game lead in the division in late May. The starting pitching had work to do but Ginn was pitching well and Jump was set to join the rotation. And for the most part, the A’s position player group was healthy. Everything was going well for the most part.

June has put a damper on the buying prospects of this organization. The club wasn’t awful but a 12-15 record in June was enough to drop the Athletics to where they are now, 3 1/3 games out of first in the AL West with three other teams to jump. It’s not much better in the Wild Card race as the club is in the same position, but with four teams ahead of them for the final Wild Card spot.

The next few weeks will be critical to determining how the A’s proceed around the August 3rd trade deadline. Should the A’s rattle off a few wins before and after the All-Star break, that might be enough to convince the front office to pony up some minor prospect capital to bolster this young and upcoming group. Starting pitching would be atop the list, as well as obviously relief help. In a perfect world, maybe the club swings a trade for someone like Luis Arraez to be the DH for the rest of the season. There’s a lot of paths the A’s could go if they wanted to give the roster a boost for the final playoff push.

Now, if the opposite happens and the A’s drop farther and farther in the standings, the team will have some tough decisions to make. Some of those decisions could hinge on health updates regarding Wilson, Soderstrom and Gelof. If the A’s find out that one or more of those guys will join Brent Rooker on the season-ending IL, that could push them more in a sell direction. Should the A’s go that route, guys like Jeffrey Springs, Aaron Civale, Jeff McNeil, and pretty much any reliever in the bullpen that any other team has interest in would be available. The jury is still out on if the front office would consider a deal involving Langeliers but one would think they’d need more than a king’s ransom to pry him from our grasp.

Or the team could just say, “Let it ride” with this group and hope for the best. Not the boldest strategy in the world, but for a young team like the A’s they just don’t have many attractive trade pieces that are close to free agency. One doesn’t have to make a deal simply to make a deal. If the A’s are fringe contenders and other clubs are trying to give them a bad deal on a player, then walking away and keeping our chips should absolutely be an option on the table.

Bonus: Will any other Athletics join Shea in Philadelphia?

The club will almost certainly send the starting catcher for the American League to this year’s Midsummer Classic. Backstop Shea Langeliers is having a borderline MVP-caliber season, hitting .265/.330/.497 with 20 homers while catching five out of every six games. That production alone has kept the A’s from being a bottom-dweller this year, making him perhaps the most logical MVP candidate in the league. Seriously, he’s been that important to the team.

A’s fans will be treated to seeing Langeliers catching whoever starts for the AL in the upcoming All-Star Game. Now A’s fans will begin to wonder if any of his teammates will join him fighting for the Junior Circuit.

The most obvious candidate to join the catcher is first baseman Nick Kurtz. The reigning Rookie of the Year has had a great first-half in his sophomore season. After a semi-slow start he’s batting .279/.422/.516 with 19 home runs. He’s second in the entire sport in OBP behind only first-half MVP Yordan Alvarez. He leads baseball in both RBI’s and walks. Oh and let’s not forget about that epic 48-game on-base streak he had earlier this year. In a just and fair baseball world Kurtz would be the starting first baseman for the American League but thanks to fan voting giving Vladimir Guerrero Jr. the nod (he of four total home runs), Kurtz will have to rely on another way to make his first All-Star Game.

Among A’s pitchers there’s really only one candidate on the roster: J.T. Ginn. It’s pretty remarkable considering how he began the year: initially on the outside looking in on an Opening Day roster spot, struggling through a tough camp, being a surprising selection for Opening Day, starting the year in relief, and then getting a shot to start in mid-May. Since then he’s been a revelation for the Green & Gold with a 2.87 ERA in 16 starts. He likely doesn’t have the name recognition, and with Langeliers already on the team there’s no “need” for another Athletic to satisfy the “one player per team” stipulation in the All-Star festivities. A’s fans know what Ginn has meant to this club though and no one would be surprised if Ginn ends up being selected to what would be his first All-Star Game in his second season.

The Brewers will go for a rare four-game sweep this afternoon as they wrap up their series with the Reds, but that’s not the headline. This game will feature one of the most exciting pitching matchups of the season, when Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski faces off against Cincinnati’s Chase Burns.

Misiorowski and Burns are two of the most exciting young players in the game. They’re both flamethrowers; Misiorowski’s fastball is untouchable at an average of 100.3 mph, but Burns is in the 93rd percentile at 97.9. Miz, at 24 years old, is a year older than Burns. Both have some of the nastiest stuff in the league; in FanGraphs’ Stuff+ metric, Misiorowski and Burns rank first and fourth, respectively. They’re first and sixth in ERA. They’re both in the top eight in pitching WAR via Baseball Reference and the top six via FanGraphs. Simply, they are two of the most thrilling young pitchers the game has seen in some time, and given that they’re division rivals, this will likely be the first matchup in what could become a real rivalry.

The teams, though, are going in opposite directions. The Brewers, at 53-31 on the season, have won eight of their last 10 — a stretch that includes a 6-0 record against the Reds. Cincinnati, on the other hand, is floundering: they’ve won just two of their last nine games and are just 9-18 since June 1.

After a day off yesterday, Christian Yelich is back in the leadoff spot for the Brewers. Garrett Mitchell is also back in the lineup after his big day yesterday. Sal Frelick and Jackson Chourio join Mitchell in the outfield, while David Hamilton, Cooper Pratt, Brice Turang, and Jake Bauers make up the infield. William Contreras is doing the catching.

First pitch is at 1:10 p.m. on Brewers TV and the Brewers Radio Network. The Brewers then jump on a plane to Phoenix, where they’ll start a series with the Diamondbacks tomorrow night.