Category: Baseball

The MLB trade deadline is right around the corner. With a myriad of superstars available in trade talks, there's sure to be tons of phone calls made between managers looking at every angle at which they might be able to acquire someone capable of leading them on a World Series run.

However, trades go both ways. A great player will require an equally great payout of prospects. So, while your team may be in a position to make a move for a serious superstar like Tarik Skubal or Mason Miller or Byron Buxton, they are going to need a great farm system to make it work. And frankly, not every team has that.

The most well-run organizations in the league have both star players to either trade away or go on a run with, plus a fantastic farm to fill the big league lineup once the other stars have either left or retired. Teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers might be buying every superstar known to man at exorbitant prices, but they have also done a remarkable job at producing homegrown talent like Andy Pages, Dalton Rushing, and top prospect Josue De Paula. That's just one of the reasons why they're on top year in, year out.

Here are our rankings of the best farm systems in Major League Baseball.

The last several games have been incredibly disappointing. Not because they lost. Because they haven’t played well in any part of the game. 1-6 in the last seven games. They’ve scored 2.7 runs per game. They’ve allowed 6.7 runs per game. And they have been making errors far too often. It seems like they’ve shut off.

I don’t know what you do if you are ownership or management.

The knee jerk response is fire the coaching staff. They got rid of a few coaches before last year and they went from 74 wins to 94. Pretty amazing really. The same coaches are here now. I have a hard time making the case that they went from smart to stupid in an off-season. I’d imagine some changes will be made, likely after the season, but that sort of things happen most years. Like that say, it is easier to fire the coaches than the players.

I remember Earl Weaver, when the team was in a deep slump, would put names out of a hat to pick the batting order. Maybe that would be fun for one game.

Fire the front office? Well, again, they build the team that won last year. I didn’t think the changes they made in the off-season would cause the team to crater. I don’t really think Bo Bichette was the ‘straw that stirred the drink’, as much as he had a good season 2025 season.

I didn’t expect George Springer to have as good a season as last year, but then I didn’t expect him to go from 4.8 bWAR to a 0.1 bWAR. Nor did I expect a similar drop from Vlad (4.6 bWAR to 0.8). Or, for that matter, Varsho to drop from 2.7 to 1.0.

I didn’t expect Kevin Gausman to go from 4.0 bWAR to 1.1.

Last year the stsrting pitches had a 4.34 ERA, this year 4.52, so not all that much of a difference. Relievers had a 3.98 ERA last year, 3.92 this year. not all that much different.

Injuries haven’t helped, but if you have an older team, you have to expect some injuries.

The trade deadline should be interesting. We won’t be adding any rental players, but maybe they look for some creative deals like they made to get Shane Bieber.

I’m sure they will sell some guys off. They have Gausman, Springer, Scherzer, Bieber, and Varsho coming up to free agency. Straw has a team option ($8 million). Some of those guys might bring them some prospects. I don’t know that the team would be all that excited about bringing any of them back next year.

The Mariners look to avoid falling below .500 in the rubber match of a three-game set against the Reds Wednesday afternoon.

Emerson Hancock (3.66 FIP) gets the ball for the M’s with the hopes of keeping the Reds’ lackluster offense (90 wRC+, 29th in MLB) subdued. On the other side, Brady Singer (5.44 FIP) will lead the way for Cincinnati, having been on the losing end of three of his last four decisions. Jake Mailhot has more on today’s pitching matchup in his series preview.

Wednesday’s contest wraps up a six-game homestand to begin the second half. The Mariners will want to bank another win before heading out on the road for a crucial four-game wraparound series with the Rangers in Arlington that could have major implications on the AL West race.

Lineups

Julio Rodríguez is back in the lineup after being left out Tuesday in an abundance of caution — he left his mark on that game anyway, entering in the sixth inning as a pinch-hitter and coming away with a solo homer and the two hardest-hit balls of the evening.

News

J.P. Crawford remains out of the lineup Wednesday, still dealing with wrist soreness. However, manager Dan Wilson hopes another couple of days off can do the trick.

José Ferrer made his third relief appearance since the All-Star break on Tuesday, and though he was able to avoid any damage that came with a leadoff walk of Elly de la Cruz, and the throwing error on a pickoff that advanced him to third, it was the latest instance of control struggles with the sinker.

Game Information

First Pitch: 12:40 p.m. PDT

TV:Mariners.TV, with Aaron Goldsmith, Angie Mentink and field analyst Ryan Rowland-Smith

Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports, with Rick Rizzs and Gary Hill Jr.

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Let's dive into my favorite MLB player props and MLB picks to attack on July 22.

Best MLB player props today

Player	Pick	Odds
Ty France	Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBI	-120
Wyatt Langford	Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBI	-136
Munetaka Murakami	Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBI	-111

Ty France Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBI (-120)

We are backing the lone elite rated hitter in this matchup, and he comes from the current season dataset on Batters-Box. Ty France not only enters with a red hot bat, but also draws a red hot matchup against Atlanta Braves southpaw Martin Perez.

Through 14 elite ratings this season, France has surpassed this prop 57% of the time, while leaving the yard in nearly 30% of those games. He also covers over 63% of Perez’s pitch mix, and the expected data suggests that number should be even higher.

Across France’s last 60 plate appearances against left handed pitching, he owns a .365 BA, .433 OBP, .635 SLG, and 1.068 OPS, while posting a 56% hard hit rate and 7.7% barrel rate.

Perez, on the other hand, has struggled over his last three starts, posting a 7.43 ERA, 7.19 xERA, and 1.80 WHIP. While he has done a decent job limiting hard contact, he is still allowing an 8.33% barrel rate during that stretch.

For the price, and with the San Diego Padres lineup around him starting to heat up, I think France is in a great spot to clear his HRR prop. If you are not in the juice paying business, his bases are plus money.

• Time: 7:15 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SDPA, BravesVsn

Wyatt Langford Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBI (-136)

Texas Rangers young slugger Wyatt Langford finds himself in yet another boom spot as he draws Chicago White Sox southpaw Anthony Kay this evening.

Langford enters tonight with an elite rating on Batters-Box, where he surpasses this prop 60% of the time when he is elite, across a 25 game elite rating sample size. On top of that, he covers 86.4% of Kay’s pitch mix.

Kay has allowed right handed hitters to elevate the ball a ton this season, and despite his recent success, he is still allowing plenty of hard contact. Over his last 60 right handed hitters faced, the White Sox lefty is allowing a 47% hard hit rate and 14% barrel rate. On top of that, those hitters own a .403 xSLG and .358 xwOBA during that stretch.

Over his last 30 right handed hitters faced, those numbers climb even higher, with a 50% hard hit rate and 22% barrel rate. I think Kay is due for an off night.

I would not pay much more juice on this prop. If you cannot find Langford’s HRR around this price, I would pivot to his bases prop at plus money.

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

Munetaka Murakami Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBI (-111)

It is a beautiful day to fade Rangers right hander Cal Quantrill, and yes, there is an opener. Do not worry, Quantrill will be on the bump this evening.

I do not think there is another guy in baseball more due for a long ball than Chicago White Sox rookie Munetaka Murakami. Over his last 30 at bats versus right handed pitchers, he owns a .304 BA, .609 SLG, 1.076 OPS, .305 ISO, while posting a 58% hard hit rate and 16.7% barrel rate.

The young slugger enters Wednesday with an elite rating on Batters-Box, while also showing great arsenal coverage against Quantrill’s pitch mix.

Against left handed hitters at home this season, Quantrill is allowing a 73.8% elevation rate and over 32% hard hit rate. Those left handed hitters own a .280 BA, .460 SLG, and .352 wOBA.

I think this is a fantastic spot to back Murakami’s HRR prop. If you can find his hit price below -170, I would also be interested. Across 36 elite rated games, he records a hit 70% of the time.

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

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.

On the day he turned 46, and 360 days after earning induction to the Hall of Fame, CC Sabathia witnessed his son's baseball dream live on.

Carsten Sabathia, a first baseman who played collegiately at Georgia Tech and Houston, signed a contract wtih the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday, July 21.

The younger Sabathia, a 6-4, 240-pound right-handed hitter, was chosen in the 20th round with the third-to-last pick in the draft earlier this month. He joins a franchise that famously acquired CC Sabathia in 2008 and then rode his left arm to a surprise berth in the playoffs. Sabathia signed with the New York Yankees and won the World Series with them the following year.

Best Birthday ever. My son Carsten is officially a Brewer!!! pic.twitter.com/1bteEYYnur

— CC Sabathia (@CC_Sabathia) July 22, 2026

Yet Sabathia has retained a fondness for the Brewers organization and the club took a flier on his son, who batted .283 with six home runs and an .883 OPS for the Cougars last season. He also played 11 games with Trenton in the MLB Draft League before he was selected.

Sabathia combined with AJ Burnett and fellow lefty Andy Pettitte to start every game of the Yankees' 2009 World Series run. Pettitte's son, Luke, was also selected in this month's draft, the Yankees picking the two-way player in the eighth round.

Just a short intro today, what with it being a day game and all. Though as last night proved, it’s not as if anyone reads these things… [Sobs gently into keyboard] We could very much use a long outing from Merrill Kelly today. The bullpen is definitely wheezing, and the originally scheduled off-day tomorrow is now a make-up game in St. Louis. I definitely think we will see Gerardo Carrillo make his major-league debut today. Beyond that? Jonathan Loaisiga and Brandyn Garcia should be available, but I imagine Torey Lovullo would like to try and stay away from just about everyone else, as far as possible. Hopefully, by the end of the day that third wild-card spot will be purely ours…

Brady Singer has operated almost inverse of the Cincinnati Reds so far in this 2026 season. As the club jumped out to a ridiculously lucky 20-11 start to campaign, it was Singer who was struggling – he picked up a blister problem late in spring camp and it seemed to impact both his pitch mix and ability to fully execute what he could throw through the first month or so of the year.

Through April he’d pitched to a 4.97 ERA. By the end of May, he was up to a brutal 6.18 ERA.

As the Reds began to completely crash and burn, though, Singer somehow managed to remember how to be an effective big league starting pitcher once again. Since his first start in the month of June, he’s pitched to a 2.76 ERA/3.83 FIP with 46 strikeouts across 45.2 IP (8 starts), and has manifested himself once again as a top trade chip on a Reds roster that is destined for overhaul any day now.

A free agent at season’s end, Singer has consistently shown again this year that he’s durable enough to take the ball each and every fifth day, and that paired with his return to form means just about any club out there trying to make the extended push deep into the playoffs will be in the market for his services before the August 3rd deadline. So, as he gets the start for Cincinnati on Wednesday against the Seattle Mariners in the series finale, we once again get to steel ourselves to the fact that we may well be watching him on the mound in a Reds uniform for the final time.

The Reds will look to take the series win after besting old friend Luis Castillo in last night’s 4-2 victory, and they’ll attempt to do so by going through righty Emerson Hancock. First pitch is set for 3:40 PM ET.

Lineups for both clubs are listed below!

The A’s will make a second stab at a series win this afternoon at Chase Field in Phoenix against the Arizona Diamondbacks. After taking the first game of the series 5-2 and then dropping last night’s matchup 6-5 in ten innings, the A’s will go for the win before heading to Minnesota to finish the road trip against the Twins.

Starting today for the Kelly-Green and Gold will be Gage Jump. Jump, the 23-year-old lefty is currently 3-5 with a 3.78 ERA over ten starts in 2026. He’ll go up against 37-year-old righty Merrill Kelly for the D-backs. Kelly is 8-7 with a 5.20 ERA over t17 starts this season. He’s struck out sixty-two opponents in 98.2 innings.

Kelly will match up with this lineup for Mark Kotsay’s A’s today:

Jump will face off against this batting order for the NL West opponent Diamondbacks:

Follow the Game:
Watch:
Athletics – NBCSCA

Listen:
Athletics – Talk 650 KSTE, A’s Cast

The series is up for grabs in Denver after Hunter Goodman’s home run broke the Nats hearts. This is a massive game for the Nats, who need to stay in the mix as the trade deadline looms. Staying above .500 and winning a series is pivotal for this team’s playoff  chances.

Curtis Mead will be taken out of the lineup today, with Jorbit Vivas taking his place at third. Dylan Crews will also take Jacob Young’s spot in center field. Those are the only two changes that Blake Butera is making ahead of this must win game. Cade Cavalli will be on the mound, looking to build on a good first start out of the break.

With a righty on the mound, the Rockies are making some lineup tweaks. We will see Eduard Julien and Brett Sullivan for the first time. Mickey Moniak will also be moved up to the 2 spot. The versatile Willi Castro will play short, replacing the struggling Tovar. Rookie Gabriel Hughes will be making the start for the Rockies. 

Game Info:

Stadium: Coors Field

Time: 3:10 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

These next four games will reveal a lot about what direction the Nats will go. They play the Rockies today and then start a massive three game series against the D-Backs, who are also in the middle of the wild card hunt. There will be a lot more clarity after that stretch. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats.

Just five games for the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates on Tuesday, as AA Richmond had their game postponed due to weather, while the Dominican Summer League squads faced off against each other. We’ll throw in Monday’s rookie ball games into this recap as well, especially since those seasons are wrapping up.

Now, onto the action!

Link to the 2026 McCovey Chronicles Community Prospect List (CPL)

All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.

News

A few moves. Most notably and excitingly, there was a rise up the catcher ranks, as Adrián Sugastey was promoted from AA Richmond to AAA Sacramento, while Jancel Villarroel (No. 42 CPL) was promoted from High-A Eugene to Richmond. It’s very exciting for both players, as Sugastey had spent a very long time in Richmond before getting this call, while Villarroel has had a blissful debut season in the Giants organization following a trade right before spring training. Tying up that domino effect is Daniel Rogers, who was promoted from Low-A San Jose to Eugene. Meanwhile, San Jose outfielder Cam Maldonado (No. 34 CPL) was activated off the Injured List.

Infielder Zane Zielinski was sent down from Richmond to Eugene, while first baseman Robert Hipwell was demoted from Eugene to San Jose. Richmond RHP Dylan Hecht was released.

Down in the DSL, the Giants had three players selected to the All-Star Game: RHP Omar Calcurian, and infielders Keiberg Camacaro and Albert Jimenez. Manager Ian MacDonald was also selected to the team.

AAA Sacramento (52-42)

Sacramento River Cats beat the Oklahoma City Comets (Dodgers) 7-3
Box score

All the attention in Sacramento right now is on a pair of newcomers, outfielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) and third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL). But it was a different newcomer who stole the spotlight on Tuesday, as the star of the game was catcher Adrián Sugastey, who was making his AAA debut.

It’s been a long journey to the highest rung on the Minor League ladder for Sugastey. It’s been over 7 years since the Giants first signed the righty out of Panama, and he’d spent 3 years in AA trying to earn a promotion to Sacramento. At times, he was one of the top catching prospects in the organization, though that label has dissipated a bit over the years.

Sugastey finally got the call to AAA this week. And while it was largely logistical — San Francisco currently has 3 rookie catchers on their roster, and DFA’d both Eric Haase and Logan Porter, leaving only Zach Morgan and utility player Thomas Gavello to serve as AAA backstops — it’s also deserved. Sugastey has made some gains in AA this year, with a .275 batting average that towers over the last 2 years (.231 and .210). That led to a .715 OPS and a 91 wRC+, and while those aren’t stellar numbers for a 23-year old in AA, it’s worth remembering that Sugastey is a tremendous catcher whose calling card is his defense and leadership. You only need to be able to fake it to have a career as a backup when you can throw out runners the way Sugastey does.

He didn’t throw out any runners in his AAA debut (though he didn’t allow any stolen bases either), but he did catch a fantastic pitching performance, holding a potent Comets offense to 3 runs, all of which came in one rough inning (the 8th) off of one struggling pitcher (LHP Nick Zwack).

And in the batter’s box? Sugastey made his Sacramento introduction by hitting 2-4 with a solo home run. He’s not a big power guy, but that had to feel good! Welcome to AAA!

Also homering was designated hitter Will Brennan, who had an otherwise poor day, hitting 1-5 with 2 strikeouts. Brennan has been on quite a tear since getting designated for assignment, hitting 29-97 with 2 home runs and 9 doubles during that time. Still and all, hard to see him getting another chance in the Majors for the Giants, given how many outfielders they have.

Speaking of which, right fielder Turner Hill and center fielder Scott Bandura both had lovely games in which they hit 2-4 and stole a base. Hill’s game was particularly delightful, as both of his hits went for extra-bases: a triple and a double. The 27-year old lefty has been utterly unfazed by AAA, posting an .890 OPS and a 135 wRC+, while striking out just 8.4% of the time, and swiping 20 bags in 23 attempts. Say what you will about the Giants season, but they’ve had some tremendous developmental successes with relatively unheralded outfield prospects this year!

Hill and Bandura (who now has a .780 OPS, a 108 wRC+, and 10 stolen bases in 11 attempts) are names to watch through the trade deadline … not because they’re likely to be traded, but because they’re possibly next up should the Giants decide to trade some of the many outfielders on the 40-man roster.

As for the aforementioned newcomers, Harber hit 2-4 with a walk and a strikeout, while Davidson had a tough day, going 0-5 with 2 Ks. Oddly, Davidson was in left field again … he’s played the corners in all 4 of his AAA games, despite coming up through the Minors strictly as a center fielder (and earning some pretty good reviews there). San Francisco’s current weakness is in center, so it doesn’t really make sense to think he’s getting prepped for a debut, but maybe this is to make sure he’s comfortable at all 3 outfield positions, so that Tony Vitello can deploy him wherever should that call come? Who knows.

Speaking of things I don’t fully understand, we had a pitcher switcheroo! RHP Trent Harris (No. 29 CPL), who entered the year as one of the organization’s top relief prospects, and LHP Joe Whitman (No. 26 CPL) who entered as one of the top starting prospects, pitched in reverse roles this year. Harris got the start, and while it wasn’t an earnest starting pitching performance, he was given enough of a workload to make you wonder if the Giants are actually moving him in that direction … in all, Harris threw 37 pitches en route to 3 stellar scoreless innings, giving up just 1 baserunner (a single) while striking out 4. Fantastic!

Despite a brutal start to the year, Harris has brought his ERA down to 3.78 (albeit with a 4.89 FIP), as he’s been quite good lately. The 4.6 walks per 9 innings are still quite high, but the 10.5 strikeouts are a delight to look at.

As for Whitman, it was another relief outing following a surprising, unexplained move to the bullpen 2 weeks ago. He struck out 2 batters in 1.1 scoreless innings, though he did allow 3 singles along the way. I would still assume that the Giants view his future as a starter, given the year he had, but … given the year they’ve had, I won’t pretend to have any idea what the Giants are ever doing.

Nice outings for a pair of veterans, as LHP Reiver Sanmartin gave up just 1 hit and 0 runs in 2.2 innings, with a strikeout, while RHP Michael Fulmer tossed a perfect frame with 2 Ks. Sanmartin has a 3.97 ERA and a 4.45 FIP, while Fulmer is rocking a 3.29 ERA and a 3.26 FIP.

High-A Eugene (55-36)

Eugene Emeralds beat the Everett AquaSox (Mariners) 13-8
Box score

Baseball is definitely a funny sport. Eugene had an offensive explosion, getting 15 hits on the day, with everyone in the lineup getting a hit except, naturally, the best hitting prospect on the team by a mile, shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL), who went 0-5 with a walk. So it goes. Funny sport.

There were a lot of great days, and that was highlighted by a continued hot streak from third baseman Walker Martin, who hit 1-2 with a solo home run, 3 walks, and 1 strikeout.

On the whole, it’s been a very disappointing year for Walker, the team’s 2nd-round pick in 2022, as he has just a .734 OPS, a 93 wRC+, a 33.1% strikeout rate, and 20 errors (his defense looks a little better than that mark would suggest, but not great). But he’s been a bit better lately, and in his last 4 games is hitting 6-12 with 2 homers, a double, 3 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Here’s hoping he can end the year on a very high note.

And on the note of players who are on heaters, great days for both designated hitter Carlos Gutierrez (No. 18 CPL) and right fielder Jakob Christian (No. 40 CPL). Gutierrez, a lefty, went 2-4 with a double, 2 walks, and a stolen base, bringing him up to an .827 OPS and a 124 wRC+ on the year, with 21 stolen bases in 23 attempts. The soon-to-turn 22-year old’s season has really flown under the radar following his breakout last year, in part because his outstanding contact has come down a little (though his strikeout rate remains under 20%). He’s slowly building the average back up, though (it’s at .268 now) and, excitedly, that’s not coming at the expense of his new-found power or his walks (he’s raised his walk rate year-over-year from 12.6% to 14.6%, while his isolated slugging mark of .180 towers over last year’s Low-A mark of .101). Gutierrez is on quite a hot streak, as he’s hit safely in 11 of the last 12 games, and has gone 17-42 in that span, with 6 doubles, 12 walks, and just 9 strikeouts.

As for Christian, a righty, he went 2-4 with a triple, a walk, a hit by pitch, and a strikeout. The soon-to-turn 24-year old, who was taken in the 5th round of the 2024 draft, is having a bit of a funny season, in line with past ones: he’s drawing a ton of walks (12.5% rate), and showing off absurd power (.239 isolated slugging), which is leading to a very nice line (.865 OPS, 129 wRC+). But he’s also currently repping a 32.9% strikeout rate and … well … yeah. That’s pretty ugly for an A-ball hitter who is older than his peers at the level. Still, a lot of tools are in that shed, and Christian is hitting a blistering .298/.389/.660 so far in July.

A pair of recently-promoted players shined, as second baseman Isaiah Barkett hit 3-6 with a 2-run home run and a strikeout, while left fielder Jose Astudillo went 2-3 with a walk and 2 stolen bases. There weren’t high expectations for either player coming into the year — Barkett was a 10th-round pick in last year’s draft, while Astudillo was a soft-contact outfielder coming off a good, if not emphatic stateside debut. But the 22-year olds have absolutely run with the year, as both have displayed brilliant contact ability, more power than expected, and outstanding speed and defense. They very much earned their promotions, and each has made the most of it so far.

Rounding out the dinger party was first baseman Zander Darby, who hit 2-5 with a 2-run home run, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. Like Christian, Darby, a 12th-round pick in 2024, has shown off some good power but with far too many strikeouts … the overall numbers aren’t quite as compelling for the lefty, though, as he has a .767 OPS and a 104 wRC+ on the year.

That was a lot of words about the hitters, which works out to everyone’s benefit because no one wants to hear about the pitchers in this game. RHPs Cade Vernon and Cole Hillier were not sharp at all, while RHP Liam Simon’s walk woes continued after a very brief hiatus. The best outing belonged to LHP Esmerlin Vinicio, who struck out 3 batters in 3 innings with 0 walks, but did give up 4 hits and a run. Vinicio, a 23-year old, has a 3.11 ERA and a 3.69 FIP on the season.

Low-A San Jose (54-37)

San Jose Giants lost to the Ontario Tower Buzzers (Dodgers) 6-2
Box score

A very uninteristing game. We can breeze through this one quite quickly. The offense only provided 5 hits on the day. The best day belonged to first baseman Robert Hipwell, who was perhaps angry about being sent down to Low-A, and took his aggression out on the baseball, as he went 2-3 with a walk and a strikeout.

There’s no fun way to say this, but things aren’t looking good for the Santa Clara alum, and you have to wonder if his time with the organization is nearing an end. He had some good hype when the Giants drafted him in the 6th round in 2024, and paid him accordingly, and he played well after being drafted, posting a .762 OPS and a 109 wRC+ with San Jose. He began his first full season back in San Jose, and, unfortunately, ended up spending the entire year there. The overall numbers were good (.824 OPS, 126 wRC+), but they came with a concerning strikeout rate (31.2%).

Still, the move for 2026 was obvious: give the lefty a challenge in High-A and see what happens. What happened was, unfortunately, an even more damning strikeout rate (40.9%) that led to an average well below the Mendoza Line (.161), and a very poor overall line (.619 OPS, 79 wRC+). Add in the fact that he’s pretty much exclusively a first baseman these days, after being a third baseman out of college, and it’s hard to see a path forward barring some extreme developmental steps.

Shortstop Lorenzo Meola (No. 23 CPL) continued his hot streak, going 1-4 with a double. He’s up to a stunning 14 extra-base hits in July, with a .417/.493/.833 slash line. A stunning month! And just like that, his full season debut features an .817 OPS and a 101 wRC+ … not great numbers for last year’s 4th-round pick, but far better than they were early in the year, and they’re accompanied by awesome defense.

RHP Trey Seeley had a nice showing while getting the start, as he struck out 5 batters in 4 innings with 0 walks, while giving up just 2 hits and 1 run. It’s been a tough debut season for last year’s 14th-round pick, as he has just an 8.17 ERA and a 7.90 FIP, but this was not only one of his better outings, but his longest outing too (he hadn’t even pitched 3 innings before this start). Seeley really lives in the strike zone, for better and for worse: he has 12.1 strikeouts and just 3.6 walks per 9 innings … but in 25.1 frames has allowed 29 hits and 9 home runs.

Arizona Complex League (34-25)

Monday: ACL Giants lost to the ACL Rockies 12-7 (6 innings) [box score]
Tuesday: ACL Giants beat the ACL Cubs 6-0 (7 innings) [box score]

The ACL season is in its final week, and soon we’ll find out if top prospects Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) and Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL) will be headed to Low-A to test their mettle against better pitchers. I think the answer both should be, and will be “yes,” but just in case, that pair put together another audition these last few days.

It was a particularly notable performance for González, as he had been “slumping” (by his standards) lately … so this was a welcome sight, as he hit 2-7 with a home run, a walk, a stolen base, and a strikeout. Quite a performance! González, who is widely considered a top-25 prospect now, is sitting on a .975 OPS and a 140 wRC+ in his stateside debut. The 18-year old switch-hitter is doing it all: he’s hitting for average (.344), he’s drawing walks (16.8%), he’s limiting strikeouts (21.0%), he’s showing off power (.177 ISO), and he’s stealing bases (8 in 10 attempts over 29 games). And that’s without mentioning his elite shortstop defense, though he played second base in both of these games.

It was Hernández who handled shortstop, and he hit 3-7 with a double, a walk, a stolen base, and a strikeout. Hernández’s numbers are, understandably, a touch below González’s, as he has a .921 OPS and a 117 wRC+. But if you’re not impressed by a 17-year old shortstop in their debut season, after skipping the DSL, putting up a .297 average with just a 16.7% strikeout rate, then I don’t know what to tell you!!!

Anyway, as much as I’m loving watching Meola put it all together and show off the web in San Jose, I sure hope this duo is headed up there to steal some reps soon.

A great performance from catcher Yohendry Sanchez, who hit 2-3 with 2 doubles and a walk on Monday, but didn’t play on Tuesday. Sanchez, who was a big signing in 2024 but was mediocre in 2 years in the DSL, is hitting way better in the ACL this year than in the DSL a year ago … it’s a season that’s flown under the radar due to Hernández and González, but Sanchez has an .880 OPS and a 134 wRC+ with just a 9.2% strikeout rate in 20 games on the complex, and the 19-year old plays some damn good defense behind the dish, too. Very exciting stuff!

The pitching on Monday was awful, particularly for RHP Luke Mensik, the team’s 17th-round pick a year ago … he only recorded 2 outs, while allowing 3 hits, 2 walks, and 2 hit batters, committing 2 errors, and ceding 7 runs. Shake it off, Luke.

It was much better on Tuesday, with RHPs Kendry Castro and Marlon Franco absolutely dealing. Castro, a 19-year old who recently received the very rare international in-season promotion, pitched 2.2 no-hit innings with 2 walks and 1 strikeout in his 2nd appearance in the ACL following 5 games in the DSL this year. Franco, a 23-year old, pitched 3.1 no-hit innings with just 1 walk and 5 strikeouts. Dominance! Hopefully there’s more of that in the tank, because this is Franco’s 6th professional season and he has just a 7.15 ERA and a 4.92 FIP on the year.

A pair of rehab appearances: on the mound, AA RHP Ben Peterson kicked off a rehab assignment by striking out 1 in a perfect inning; in the box, Low-A first baseman Hayden Jatczak began a rehab stint by hitting 1-2.

Dominican Summer League Black (21-14)

Monday: DSL Giants Black beat DSL Arizona Red 8-7 [box score]
Tuesday: DSL Giants Black beat DSL Giants Orange 7-2 (7 innings) [box score]

These games were all about the offense for the DSL Giants Black team. And really, they were all about a trio of hitters, who were the stars in both games: shortstop Keiberg Camacaro, center fielder Djean Macares, and left fielder Franco Willias.

Camacaro had the most explosive pair of games, hitting 3-7 with home runs in each contest, while also drawing a walk, getting hit by a pitch, stealing 2 bases, and striking out once. What a performance! The 19-year old is already in his 4th DSL season, but things are finally clicking: his .321 average is nearly .100 points better than his career high, while his .229 isolated slugging is nearly triple what it was last year. He’s cut his strikeout rate year-over-year by nearly 10 percentage points, and he’s stolen 19 bases … after just 22 total in his 3 prior seasons. The result is a 1.011 OPS, a 148 wRC+, and perhaps a plane ticket to Arizona when February rolls around.

Macares went 3-5 with 2 doubles, 3 walks, a hit by pitch, a stolen base, and an outfield assist. A little bit of everything! The 18-year old has made huge strides in his 2nd year, with large statistical improvements in quite literally every category. He was a decent-sized signing last year, so when you add that to his up-the-middle position and, most importantly, his performance (.800 OPS, 117 wRC+, 17 stolen bases), it seems all but guaranteed that he’ll make a stateside debut in 2027.

As for Willias, he didn’t supply the extra-base thunder that Camacaro and Macares did, but he went 3-7 with a walk, a hit by pitch, and 4 stolen bases. The 21-year old was solid in his 1st 2 DSL campaigns, but this year has really taken off, with a .996 OPS, a 144 wRC+, and 21 stolen bases.

One pitcher to highlight: RHP Brayan Cabello, who continued his brilliant run suppression, giving up just 1 hit, 0 walks, and 0 runs in 2.2 innings, with 3 strikeouts. Cabello has only allowed 12 hits in 26.1 innings, which has given him a 1.37 ERA (albeit with a 4.03 FIP, as he’s not striking out too many batters). That said, he’s a 22-year old in his 5th DSL season.

Dominican Summer League Orange (21-15)

Monday: DSL Giants Orange beat DSL Arizona Black 9-4 (7 innings) [box score]
Tuesday: DSL Giants Orange lost to DSL Giants Black 7-2 (7 innings) [box score]

It was mostly the pitching that stood out for the Giants Orange team, especially on Monday when there were a pair of good performances from RHPs Jose Trevizo and Jhon Leon. Trevizo struck out 5 batters in 4 innings, while giving up 2 hits, 1 walk, and 3 unearned runs. The 18-year old, who is in his 2nd season, has a delightful 30 strikeouts against 8 walks this season, en route to a 3.58 ERA and a 3.61 FIP. Leon, a 22-year old pitching in his 3rd season, allowed 2 hits and an unearned run in 2 innings, while striking out 3 batters. He has 26 strikeouts in just 17.2 innings, which is great, but has also walked 14 batters. He has a 5.60 ERA and a 4.09 FIP on the year.

Not too much to talk about with the hitters. Shortstop/third baseman Yeison Oviedo hit quite nicely, going 3-6 with a double, 2 walks, and a stolen base, bringing him up to an .861 OPS and a 125 wRC+, with just a 13.1% strikeout rate. Huge strides for the 18-year old, who really struggled in his debut season a year ago.

Designated hitter Jesus Hernandez played sparingly, but hit 1-2 with a triple, a walk, and a strikeout. The Giants have brought along the debuting catcher, who is just 17, very slowly this year.

Home run tracker

13 — Walker Martin — [High-A]
9 — Zander Darby — [High-A]
6 — Isaiah Barkett — [1 in High-A; 5 in Low-A]
5 — Keiberg Camacaro x2 — [DSL]
4 — Adrián Sugastey — [1 in AAA; 2 in AA; 1 in ACL]
3 — Will Brennan — [AAA]
2 — Josuar González — [ACL]

Wednesday schedule

Sacramento: 12:05 p.m. PT vs. Oklahoma City (SP: TBD)
Richmond: 2:35 p.m. PT doubleheader vs. Hartford (SPs: Greg Farone and Trystan Vrieling)
Eugene: 7:05 p.m. PT at Everett (SP: Luis De La Torre)
San Jose: 1:00 p.m. PT vs. Ontario (SP: TBD)

Reminder that almost all MiLB games can be watched on MLB TV

There’s been plenty of offense during this homestand at Coors Field, sometimes from one team, sometimes from both teams. Now, the Colorado Rockies and Washington Nationals face off in the rubber match with a series victory on the line.

Gabriel Hughes (0-1, 3.14 ERA) will make his third start for the Rockies and second of the homestand. Hughes has looked good in his 14.1 innings of work, especially as a starting pitcher. After a quality start on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Hughes looked just as good against the Cincinnati Reds last Friday. In that start, he allowed just two runs on five hits with six strikeouts against two walks in 5.1 innings of work. The cut fastball has proven to be a bread-and-butter pitch for Hughes, but the secondary offspeed pitches have proven a bit more difficult to master. Still, Hughes has worked quickly and effectively through his first two starts, and if he can continue to take a step forward in efficiency, he is lining up to be a reliable big league starter.

The Nationals will send out one of their best starters in Cade Cavalli (6-4, 3.78 ERA). Cavalli has been effective throughout the season, particularly since May 10. Since then, he has a 3.60 ERA in 70 innings over 13 games while registering 79 strikeouts against 15 walks. His last start came on the road against the Athletics, in which he allowed two runs on four hits over six innings with nine strikeouts. This will be the first time Cavalli has faced the Rockies, but his ability to get strikeouts and not give up big hits will be a challenge for the Colorado offense.

First Pitch: 1:10 pm MDT

TV: Rockies TV

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish)

SB Nation site: Federal Baseball

Lineups:

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Athletics rookie infielder Joshua Kuroda-Grauer is seemingly in good spirits after taking a brutal hit to the private area after a foul ball.

Kuroda-Grauer suffered a ruptured testicle in the Athletics' 5-2 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix on Monday, July 20. He underwent emergency surgery and was placed on the A's 10-day injured list.

The club said the 23-year-old is resting comfortably.

Athletics manager Mark Kotsay visited Kuroda-Grauer in the hospital and told MLB.com's Martín Gallegos, who covers the A's, that the rookie is in "great spirits."

"He was joking. His personality is amazing," Kotsay said. "I think he might be the only player in history to (rupture) a testicle, stay in the game, get a hit and play another half inning of defense."

Kuroda-Grauer finished the game 2-for-3, including his first-career home run. His performance increased his average to .417.

Yesterday’s shutout loss to the Mets marked the Brewers’ first defeat since before the All-Star break. While they weren’t able to extend their winning streak to five games, they still have a chance to win the series with a victory in today’s rubber match.

On the mound for Milwaukee is right-hander Logan Henderson. Henderson has made just seven starts this season after missing more than a month with a back issue, but he’s been excellent when healthy. The right-hander has made two starts since returning from the injured list, holding opposing teams to three hits over at least five innings in each outing, though he’s also allowed four total runs. For the season, Henderson owns a 2.97 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP.

Pitching for New York is 27-year-old Christian Scott. Scott debuted in 2024 and posted a 4.56 ERA in nine starts before blowing out his elbow and undergoing Tommy John surgery. He returned this year and has been one of the few bright spots for a struggling Mets club, putting up a 2.87 ERA, 10.86 K/9, and 1.22 WHIP through 13 starts.

There aren’t many surprises in today’s lineup against the right-handed Scott. Veteran star Christian Yelich, whose .330 OBP is currently the lowest mark of his career, leads off once again. He’s followed by Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, and William Contreras. Garrett Mitchell, who has hit better at home and against right-handed pitching this season, bats fifth. Andrew Vaughn starts at first base and hits sixth, while Jake Bauers is in right field batting seventh. Rounding out the lineup are shortstop Cooper Pratt and third baseman Joey Ortiz.

Today’s rubber match will be broadcast on Brewers.TV, WTMJ 620, and the Brewers Radio Network. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m.