Category: Baseball

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Kansas City Royals fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Earlier this week, we asked who bore the most blame for the Royals becoming the “proud” owners of the American League’s worst record by the halfway point

As always, I find the results fascinating. To get this out of the way, the plurality blames the roster construction, but that is among the smallest pluralities I’ve ever seen at just 37%. Poor Management got 27% of the blame, poor coaching got 23%, and the players only took 13% of the blame.

I’m not surprised to see management so high, but when I gave you the choice to separate the coaching out from the managing, I wondered if everyone might decide, actually, the baserunning, hitting, and defense were a greater problem than the lineups and bullpen usage. It was close, but many of you still think this is somehow Matt Quatraro’s fault. I said this in 2023, and I’ll say it again now: You cannot blame a manager for bad bullpen decisions when there are no good ones to be made. But the lineup stuff was and continues to be frustrating. I get that they’re missing many of their projected starters, but Salvador Perez batting fifth or sixth every night despite a .568 OPS is just completely incomprehensible to me.

I agree with the plurality, though, that the biggest issue that has caused the downfall of the 2026 Royals is roster construction. Where I suspect I disagree with many of you, though, is that I believe the roster construction problems should be laid at the feet of John Sherman and the rest of the ownership team far more than General Manager J.J. Picollo.

The Royals made exactly two major league free agent signings before the season, adding Lane Thomas and Starling Marte to the roster. They also made trades to bring in Nick Mears, Isaac Collins, and Matt Strahm. Obviously, the trade additions haven’t worked out the way that anyone had hoped. I do feel obligated to point out that Collins has carried an OBP over .330 in every month this year. If the 2025 Royals had had an outfielder playing at that level last year, they might have made the postseason.

But, honestly, the free agent signings have been about as good as you could have hoped considering that they cost a combined $6 million. Thomas is slumping a bit right now while playing nearly every day since the injury to Kyle Isbel, but you paid for roughly half a Win Above Replacement, and he’s on pace to be worth that. Starling Marte has been almost as valuable at 1/5 the cost. The problem is that the Royals only had $7 million to spend on free agents.

Now, that absolutely begs the question of whether the Royals could have reallocated that Jonathan India arbitration money elsewhere. But that’s similar to what Rob Refsnyder and Cedric Mullins got. Would the Royals be better with either of those guys on the team? (The answer is no.) I also wonder if there are different rules in place for keeping guys versus adding them, because the Royals have forked out money to keep guys like India, Seth Lugo, and Michael Wacha.

I think Picollo’s front office and the pitching coaching staff have a lot of questions to ask themselves about why exactly nearly every reliever this team has added for the past three years has turned into a roiling inferno. But when Picollo was given significant money to spend in an offseason, he added Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha, who have been key parts of the Royals being good, and Hunter Renfroe, who was really good in 2024 outside of April. Even last season’s addition of Carlos Estévez ended up working out really well for the club until the second year of the deal kicked in.

I’m not saying everyone outside of Sherman is blameless, but we’ve seen good results from all other aspects of the club when larger amounts of money have been involved. Even the extensions to Wacha and Lugo have mostly worked out. I know Lugo isn’t living up to hopes this year, but he also had pitched quite well for the first two months, and we can hope he will rebound after a rough June.

Anyway, good voting, everyone. Let me know what you think of these results in the comments!

These survey results are sponsored by FanDuel.

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

Dylan Cease and his AL-leading strikeout stuff headline the series opener in Seattle, and I’m riding the Toronto Blue Jays ace.

The Blue Jays open a weekend series in Seattle riding high after a nine-run Canada Day romp, and they hand the ball to Dylan Cease against the Seattle Mariners and Luis Castillo.

Cease has been overpowering lately, and a Mariners lineup that hasn’t seen much of him sets up my favorite play of the night.

Read on for my Blue Jays vs. Mariners predictions and MLB picks for this Friday, July 3 matchup.

Blue Jays vs Mariners predictions

Blue Jays vs Mariners best bet: Dylan Cease Over 8.5 strikeouts (+120)

Dylan Cease is a push away from what feels like one of the best pitching seasons in Toronto Blue Jays history. The right-hander has some of the nastiest stuff in baseball, a triple-digit fastball, a wipeout breaking ball, and an AL-leading 128 strikeouts in 83.1 innings.

That 13.8 K/9 usually carries him over his strikeout number, and he’s punched out eight or more in seven of his last eight starts. The one thing that trips him up is command, like last time out against the Texas Rangers, when he walked five.

I’m confident the ace settles back in against a Seattle Mariners lineup that ranks 20th in the majors at 8.64 strikeouts per game and hasn’t seen much of him. 

Julio Rodriguez has just two career at-bats against Cease, and Josh Naylor owns a modest .640 OPS in 25 at-bats.

I’d play this until even money, so make sure you’re getting it at +100 or longer.

COVERS INTEL:  That strikeout surge is powered by a deadly slider (+11 run value, per Baseball Savant), against which opposing hitters own just a .159 average and .215 slugging.

Blue Jays vs Mariners same-game parlay (SGP)

The Blue Jays have won seven of their last 10 against the Mariners, including an epic seven-game ALCS last fall to reach the World Series, and they’re rolling off that Canada Day blowout. 

I like Over 7 total runs, too, backing Toronto to break through against Luis Castillo. 

And Cease Over 8.5 strikeouts anchors it, especially with the extra off day helping him work deeper and rein in his command.

Blue Jays vs Mariners SGP

• Over 7 
• Blue Jays moneyline
• Dylan Cease Over 8.5 strikeouts

Blue Jays vs Mariners home run pick: Sean Keys (+790)

Bet on Sean Keys and turn the ignition. The Blue Jays rookie announced his arrival with a massive three-run homer on Canada Day, giving the fan base a well-deserved jolt of energy.

We don’t have much of a sample through 12 MLB at-bats, but the 23-year-old went deep 21 times in 67 minor-league games before his call-up, so the pop is very real.

Keys draws a nice matchup against Mariners starter Castillo. His first big-league homer came on a hard, outside fastball from Freddy Peralta, and Castillo is another fastball-heavy arm. 

Play this one north of +700, and keep it to a quarter unit.

Blue Jays vs Mariners odds

• Moneyline: Blue Jays -130 | Mariners +110
• Run line: Blue Jays -1.5 (+135) | Mariners +1.5 (-155)
• Over/Under: Over 7 (-115) | Under 7 (-105)

Blue Jays vs Mariners trend

The Toronto Blue Jays have won seven of their last eight games at T-Mobile Park, a friendly backdrop for another road win in Seattle. Find more MLB betting trends for Blue Jays vs. Mariners.

How to watch Blue Jays vs Mariners and game info

Blue Jays vs Mariners latest injuries

Blue Jays vs Mariners weather

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.

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

The Tampa Bay Rays have won eight consecutive games yet are not favored against a sub .500 Houston team.

My Rays vs. Astros predictions and MLB picks believe that is for good reason, and see value in backing the home side.

Who will win Rays vs Astros today: Houston Astros (-110)

Nick Martinezowns an unfathomably low 18.9% ground ball rateover the last 30 days. He can’t keep the ball on the ground, and he’s leaking oil as a result.

Martinez conceded at least three earned runs in four of five starts during that stretch.

The Houston Astros are equipped to exploit his struggles, ranking seventh in FB% and tied for 11th in ISO against right-handed pitching since June 1.

If Spencer Arrighetti stabilizes as he should (he owns a 9 ERA the past month despite a 3.8 xFIP), the Astros should win.

Back Houston to -120.

COVERS INTEL:Nick Martinez ranks in the 32nd percentile in xERA, indicating he has not pitched nearly as well as his 2.66 ERA suggests.

Rays vs Astros Over/Under pick: Under 9.0 (-120)

The Tampa Bay Rays have a potent offense but it lacks power, particularly on the road. No team has posted a lower ISO, or hit fewer home runs, in away games when facing right-handed pitching.

Arrighetti has struggled with the long ball, allowing three homers in back-to-back games. This is a spot where he should be able to limit power, as he’s done effectively for the majority of the season.

Martinez has allowed only 0.87 homers per nine innings in away games while walking just 4.2% of batters. Those outputs put a ceiling on opposing offenses.

Bet to -130.

Rays vs Astros weather

The Houston Astros play in a rarely opened dome so hot temperatures should have little to no impact on this game.

Rays vs Astros odds

• Moneyline: Rays -110 | Astros -110
• Run line: Rays -1.5 (+150) | Astros +1.5 (-175)
• Over/Under: Over 9.0 (+100) | Under 9.0 (-120)

Rays vs Astros trend

Houston has hit the moneyline in 24 of the last 40 games (+7.90 units, 18% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Rays vs. Astros.

How to watch Rays vs Astros and game info

Rays vs Astros latest injuries

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

Major League Baseball announced today that Colorado Rockies first baseman TJ Rumfield has been selected as the National League’s Rookie of the Month for June.

The award is especially notable given that Rumfield also earned the accolade in May. He is the first player to win National League Rookie of the Month in consecutive months since Atlanta’s Michael Harris II in August and September 2022.

The rookie has had a remarkable season. He appeared in 26 games for the Rockies in June. During that time, he slashed .316/.400/.589, including 14 runs scored, nine doubles, one triple, five home runs, and 17 RBI. In addition, he led all qualified National League rookies in average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, doubles (9), extra-base hits (15) and total bases (56). Rumfield ranked among National League rookies in hits (30, T-1st), home runs (T-1st), walks (12, 2nd) and runs scored (14, T-3rd).

His 2026 slashline is .293/.373/.487.

Rumfield’s defensive work has been equally stellar. In 594.0 innings at first base, he has committed only two errors. He currently has 6 DRS and 2 OAA. His DRS total is the best in MLB among first basemen.

In May, Rumfield became the ninth Rockies player to receive the Rookie of the Month Award. In doing this, he joins Nolan Jones (September/October 2023), Antonio Senzatela (April 2017), Trevor Story (April 2016), Ian Stewart (July 2008), Troy Tulowitzki (August 2007), Garrett Atkins (June 2005), Clint Barmes (April 2005), and Jason Jennings (August 2002).

Rumfield came to the Rockies in January in a trade with the New York Yankees that sent RHP Angel Chivilli to the Bronx.

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

2026 MLB Draft Preview: Andrew Williamson scouting report.

The 2026 is less than two weeks away — the first round kicks off on July 11, 2026 — so its time to start offering capsule looks at players the Texas Rangers could select with their top picks. The Rangers’ first round pick is at #16, their second round pick is at #54, and their third round pick is at #89.

Leading up to draft day, we will be doing writeups of some of the players who could end up getting selected by the Rangers with one of their first three picks. Today we are looking at Central Florida outfielder Andrew Williamson.

Andrew Williamson is a 6’, 195 lb. lefthanded hitting outfielder for Central Florida. Williamson was undrafted in 2023 coming out of St. Petersburg, Florida. He turns 21 later this month.

Williamson is a well-rounded player who has a good but not great hit tool. There are some concerns about him having a hitch at the plate that could lead to timing issues in the pros, though its not seemed to have affected him so far as an amateur. BA says he makes good swing decisions but has some pitch recognition issues that will need to be improved upon. Despite not being especially big, Williamson has good power, particularly to the pull side. He’s described by MLB Pipeline as having a quick swing with quality bat speed.

Williamson played center field as a freshman, but has been in right field primarily since then. He probably ends in right field long-term, though one would think he’ll get a chance to play center as a professional until he shows that he can’t handle the position. He’s got good speed and has had a lot of success as a baserunner in college.

As a freshman, he slashed .258/.333/.411 in 176 plate appearances over 50 games for Central Florida. He was the MVP of the wood bat Cal Ripken League that summer, when he slashed .462/.546/.906 with 9 homers in 29 games. He carried that momentum into his sophomore year, when he slashed .352/.448/.662 in 261 plate appearances over 55 games, with 13 homers and 13 stolen bases, striking out 36 times against 34 walks. After a solid 15 game stint in the Cape Cod League last summer, Williamson slashed .322/.422/.645 for Central Florida this season, wirh 41 walks against 47 Ks and 16 home runs.

Baseball America has Williamson at #47 on their board. MLB Pipeline has Williamson at #52 on their board. Kiley McDaniel puts Williamson at #43 on his top 150 list. Keith Law does not have Williamson on his board. Fangraphs does not have Williamson on their board. Baseball Prospectus does not have Williamson on their top 30 draft board.

Williamson, the nephew of former major leaguer Sean Rodriguez, doesn’t have a real weakness in his game, but also doesn’t have a loud carrying tool, with his tools all grading out at around 50 or 55 (though BA gives his hit tool a 45). If the concerns about his swing and pitch recognition get addressed, he’s a potentially solid major league corner outfielder. If they don’t, is other tools likely aren’t good enough to make him major league regular material.

With a track record of performance in the Big 12, as well as success in wood bat leagues, he seems a fairly safe pick in the second or third rounds, and he’s someone you could see the Rangers taking in that range.

Previously:

Liam Peterson

Tyler Bell

Aiden Robbins

Jared Grindlinger

Logan Reddemann

Cooper Harris

Justin Lebron

Cameron Flukey

Derek Curiel

Hunter Dietz

Logan Hughes

Carson Wiggins

Peyton Bonds

Ace Reese

Sawyer Strosnider

Gio Rojas

Chris Rembert

Jack Natili

For many Cincinnati Reds fans, the breakout we saw during Matt McLain’s half-season of excellence in 2023 still resonates quite loudly. It’s hard not to, really – he was a 1st round pick of the club and during his first shot at the big leagues looked like he was an immediate success story, posting a 127 OPS+ with both power and speed while manning a premium defensive position.

In many ways, he was emblematic of a time when it looked – if you squinted a bit – like the Reds knew exactly what they were doing, and it was beginning to pay off in spades.

Things went south quickly, however. That 2023 season was cut short due to injury. The 2024 season was lost altogether due to injury(s). In the two seasons since coming back from major shoulder surgery (and oblique problems likely due to his aggressive swing), McLain has posted just a 75 OPS+ in nearly 900 PA.

He’s also going to turn 27 years old in just a month, and this week the Reds began trying to shoehorn him into playing CF for the first real time since his days at UCLA.

That’s hardly a ringing endorsement of the guy you were supposed to consider the everyday 2B, the player who has been given chance after chance to cement both that role and a role atop the batting order by manager Terry Francona since he arrived on the scene last year. And what we’ve seen lately suggests that the time of McLain as the regular 2B may already be on the outs with prospect Edwin Arroyo gradually settling in there himself.

We asked you this week which of McLain or Arroyo should be given the job as the team’s primary 2B for the rest of the season, and you responded in overwhelming fashion. 82% of you think it should be Arroyo who gets to show what he can do there to build upon the 82 PA of 67 OPS+ work he’s put in so far while getting his feet wet at the big league level.

I don’t think it’s time to write off McLain altogether, at least not yet. He’s been passable against LHP so far this season (.749 OPS) and we know he’s a good defender at both 2B and SS. Heck, if he shows he can figure out how to play a little CF again, too, he’s a wonderful depth piece to have as Francona mixes and matches his lineups and mid-game changes.

However, if the Reds are going to once again stay mired in last place in the division and out of the Wild Card race, it likely behooves the team’s front office to find out what they’ve got in Arroyo as soon as they can, and so far there’s been glimpses that the 22 year old has some chops that may make him a pretty good player for awhile in Cincinnati. If the team’s going to hit a reset button of any size, seeing whether he can cut it as a cornerstone piece now makes a lot more sense than continuing to give an older player another dozen chances to rediscover form.

MLB Reacts is brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook.

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

The San Diego Padres hope to snap a six-game losing streak and gain some ground in the NL West race as they face the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers tonight.

Oddsmakers aren’t giving San Diego (+223) much of a chance against L.A. (-233) with superstar Shohei Ohtani on the bump, but my Padres vs. Dodgers predictions believe the Ohtani tax is too high. 

Read on for my full MLB picks for Friday, July 3.

Who will win Padres vs Dodgers tonight: Padres (+215)

These odds are inflated since the San Diego Padres have surrendered a whopping 35 runs in their last two games alone, bringing their losing streak to six, and they now have to face Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani (1.58 ERA).

However, that doesn't account for the fact that San Diego has been red-hot at the plate, posting a 130 wRC+ against right-handed pitching over the last 14 days.

Ohtani's great, but this is a premium price for someone whose underlying profile (3.33 xFIP, 3.42 botERA) points toward some regression.

I'd play the underdog down to +210.

COVERS INTEL: Shohei Ohtani has shown signs of mortality in his last three starts, surrendering nine earned runs. In that time frame, the Padres have eight different position players with a wRC+ above 130. 

Padres vs Dodgers Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-121)

Michael King induces soft contact and keeps the ball on the ground, ranking in the 73rd percentile or better in ground ball rate, hard-hit rate, and average exit velocity. That’ll help him avoid a fireworks show, and the Padres have hit the Under in 13 of his 17 starts.

Despite Ohtani showing some signs of weakness lately, he has the second-lowest ERA in the Big Leagues. Naturally, L.A. has played in low-scoring games with him on the bump, going 3-10 O/U. 

With two effective starting pitchers on the bump, that’s enough to counteract two in-form lineups. 

Padres vs Dodgers weather

Temperatures will be in the upper 70s at Chavez Ravine, cooling into the 60s as the game progresses. Light winds shouldn't play much of a factor for either offense. 

Padres vs Dodgers odds

• Moneyline: Padres +215 | Dodgers -240
• Run line: Padres +1.5 (-105) | Dodgers -1.5 (-115)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+109) | Under 8.5 (-121)

Padres vs Dodgers trend

San Diego is 4-13 O/U in Michael King’s starts this season. Find more MLB betting trends for Padres vs. Dodgers.

How to watch Padres vs Dodgers and game info

Padres vs Dodgers latest injuries

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

The 2026 MLB Draft is a week away and MLB.com writer Jonathan Mayo has released his latest mock draft as draft day nears. The Pittsburgh Pirates are sitting near the top with the fifth overall pick, and Mayo projects that they’ll take one of the top high school players with that selection.

The Pirates are currently projected to draft outfielder Eric Booth Jr. from Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Booth is ranked as the sixth best prospect in this year’s class and is the top prep school outfielder. Perhaps the Pirates find lightning twice by drafting a top high schooler out of the state of Mississippi like Konnor Griffin.

Booth is a standout in this class for several reasons, one of which is his athleticism. His speed was on full display a year ago when he ran the fastest 60-yard dash at East Coast Pro showcase (6.33 seconds). Despite having a more compact frame (6’0” 207 lbs) he has some decent power at the plate. He’s projected to be a 20-25 home run hitter by the time he makes the major leagues, plus he’s got good bat speed and already impressive natural strength for a 17-year-old. Booth’s power has already been on display as he won the Home Run Derby at the Perfect Game All-American Classic last summer.

After a successful summer Booth has shot up prospect rankings and is being viewed now as possibly the best outfield prospect in the class. His raw athleticism has jumped off the pages as he was given a 70 run grade to go along with a 50 arm grade. The Vanderbilt commit is being looked at as an exciting hitting prospect too, garnering plenty of attention for his low strikeout rates and reliability at the plate. Booth was given a 55 hit grade with 50 power. As a defender there’s certainly some fine tuning that needs to take place within his development but he was still given a 50 arm grade and a 55 field grade.

The Pirates are once again picking in the top five picks of the draft, and they have not been afraid to take top prep talent in recent years. Just a year ago they took the best high school pitcher in Seth Hernandez with the sixth overall pick, and the aforementioned Griffin was taken ninth overall in the 2024 MLB draft. To this point both of those draft picks are paying off as Hernandez is dominating the minor leagues right now, while Griffin has been one of the top contributors in Pittsburgh since making his debut in April. A player like Booth could be another success story for the Buccos.

The MLB Draft will begin on July 11, at the Philadelphia Convention Center starting 1 p.m. ET.

The MLB Draft is only 8 days away, which means we are firmly in mock draft season. For a while, the Nats were being heavily connected to high school two-way player Jared Grindlinger. However, as we get closer to the draft, the winds seem to be shifting towards a college hitter. Both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America mocked Mississippi State infielder Ace Reese to the Nats, with Pipeline saying that the Nats “like” Reese.

When you look at Reese’s profile, there is a lot to like. There is a strong argument to be made that Reese has been the most productive hitter in the SEC the last two seasons. After transferring from Houston to Mississippi State following his freshman year, the infielder hit the ground running. Reese hit .352 with 21 homers and a 1.140 OPS. This year he had a strong follow up campaign, hitting .336 with 24 homers and a 1.152 OPS. 

With Ace Reese, you are buying the bat. He is a third baseman right now, but his speed and defense are fringy. The 6’4 slugger has a chance to stick at third, but there is also a real possibility he will have to move to first base. With that sort of profile, you have to be very sure about the bat.

There is certainly a strong case that Reese has an elite bat. He has plus in game power and makes more contact than your average slugger. Reese has a real chance to be a .260ish bat with 30 home run power. Even at first base, that bat would play in a real way. 

However, his offensive profile is not perfect. The biggest flaw in Reese’s offensive profile is his tendency to chase. In each of the last two seasons, he has chased more than the average hitter. His contact numbers also took a slight step back this year, though he does not have a bad hit tool by any means.

Between the chase rates and the slight hit tool concerns, there are more yellow flags in the offensive profile than you would like to see from a bat first guy. You have to worry a little bit about whether his chase issues could be exploited more as he gets into the upper minors and the big leagues. Reese has the power as his calling card, but with his lack of patience, he will also have to hit for a reasonably high average to be a high end bat.

Reese is in a big clump of college hitters who all had good years but left some questions. Our guy Paul made a very cool graphic comparing some of their underlying data. As you can see, Reese has elite power and is a barrel machine. However, the chase and whiff does create some risk in the profile.

Honestly, Reese’s profile is not too different from Ethan Petry, who the Nats took in the second round last year. Petry had some chase in his game, which has actually gotten better in pro ball. Reese chases more than Petry did, but he also has a better hit tool.

I am a bit higher on Reese than Paul is because I have more faith in the hit and power combination. However, if they were to pick Reese at 11, I would like it to be on an underslot deal. In the MLB Pipeline mock, the Nats take Reese over Chris Hacopian and Tyler Bell, which would be interesting to say the least. Bell is a more well rounded profile than Reese, and Hacopian might be the best pure hitter in the draft.

The appeal with Ace Reese is real though. This is a player who can hit absolute tape measure shots and has a gorgeous swing. He has good bat speed, barrels balls up with ease and has a real chance to be at least a 30 homer bat. True middle of the order bats are not easy to find, and Reese has that potential.

It feels crazy, but the draft is just over a week away. Paul Toboni and the scouting team are entering crunch time when it comes to who they pick. For a while, it seemed like they wanted to make a big swing on Grindlinger, and that is still possible. However, as draft day gets closer, it seems like they are falling back on the safety of taking a college hitter.

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

The Chicago Cubs are scorching hot, having won nine of the past 10 games.

They are -130 favorites to take the series opener Friday, but my Cardinals vs. Cubs predictions and MLB picks see value in backing the underdog.

Who will win Cardinals vs Cubs today: St. Louis Cardinals (+110)

Andre Pallante has found his groove after a rocky start to the season. He has posted an xERA of 3.5 or lower in six of his last eight games, allowing two runs or fewer six times.

He has also limited power very effectively, which should force a Chicago Cubs lineup that ranks 19th in average vs. righties over the past 30 days to string together hits.

The St. Louis Cardinals are a competent offense against lefties and primed to make noise against David Peterson, who ranks in the sixth percentile in Pitcher Run Value.

Back St. Louis to +100.

COVERS INTEL:Andre Pallante ranks in the 93rd percentile in GB%, which should help him zap power out of Chicago's offense.

Cardinals vs Cubs Over/Under pick: Over 10.5 (-115)

Peterson has allowed 2.76 homers per nine innings over the last 30 days, which is the highest total among all of today’s projected starters.

He is allowing a ton of power and striking out very few batters. That’s a recipe for disaster on a hot day with favorable hitting conditions.

While Pallante has mostly pitched well of late, it’s worth noting one of the hiccups came against the Cubs – he allowed four runs in three innings May 29.

With struggling bullpens behind these starters, the sky is the limit.

Play the Over to -120.

Cardinals vs Cubs weather

Temperatures are expected to reach the mid 80s with winds of more than 10 miles per hour blowing out. Boost to the bats.

Cardinals vs Cubs odds

• Moneyline: Cardinals +110 | Cubs -130
• Run line: Cardinals +1.5 (-170) | Cubs -1.5 (+145)
• Over/Under: Over 10.5 (-115) | Under 10.5 (-105)

Cardinals vs Cubs trend

St. Louis has hit the Team Total Over in 14 of their last 21 away games (+5.95 units, 24% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Cardinals vs. Cubs.

How to watch Cardinals vs Cubs and game info

Cardinals vs Cubs latest injuries

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

The Atlanta Braves, who are leading the NL East for now, have made a few moves before Grant Holmes takes the hill tonight versus the Mets.

Turns out that a seven-run inning will get someone’s attention. The Braves underwent a partial bullpen-ectomy last night. The Braves have recalled RHP Anthony Molina to Atlanta after optioning RHP James Karinchak to Triple-A Gwinnett following last night’s game. The club also returned LHP Danny Young from his rehabilitation assignment and reinstated him from the injured list, and designated RHP Ian Hamilton for assignment.

The Braves returned Ian Hamilton to the DFA cycle/Cookie Carrasco Caravan as most would expect after last night. Hamilton mopped up last night after Tyler Kinley and Dylan Lee each gave up three runs and blew up the game. Ian got five outs last night. So he spent eight days with the team after his last stint was six days. James Karinchak is returning to Gwinnett. He’s been a somewhat acceptable reliever after a long time out of baseball. But giving up runs is both of his outings versus the Cardinals got him sent down. Anthony Molina has returned to Atlanta. Molina has collected a pretty forgettable 5.40/5.51/4.12 line over 5 innings. He does have a 96.7 MPH four-seam that is good but hasn’t netted a lot of time in Atlanta.

Danny Young is back from Tommy John surgery. Young was briefly a part of the 2023 Atlanta Braves team. Then was a part of the Mets bullpen before his injury. It’s interesting that he will be activated just as his old team is coming to town. Welcome back, Danny! Bring 2023 with you please.

After a very, very slow start to his 2026 season, Pete Crow-Armstrong turned on the jets in June. (Actually, a bit before that, as I will show you.)

In 26 games in June, PCA batted .381/.468/.781 (40-for-105) with five doubles, two triples, 11 home runs, 20 RBI, 21 runs scored, 17 walks and eight stolen bases (no caught stealing).

For that fantastic performance, PCA was named National League Player of the Month for June, adding another honor to the two Player of the Week awards he won during the month.

As I mentioned, he actually began his climb out of his slump in late May, per this cubs.com article by Jordan Bastian:

Crow-Armstrong has also thrived since being installed as the Cubs’ primary leadoff man in late May. In 22 games as Chicago’s tablesetter, the center fielder has hit .396/.462/.813 with nine homers, seven doubles, two triples, six steals, 10 walks and 16 RBIs. He has said he has embraced the “responsibility” that comes with the role.

One thing Crow-Armstrong has cited has been an improved understanding of looking for a specific pitch and being stubborn about sticking to that plan. The byproduct of that mindset has been a walk rate nearly doubled (8.5%) over last season (4.5%), even as his swing rate has reduced since the start of the season (56.6% through April and 48.2% in May-June).

“He’s in swing mode. It’s kind of his thing,” Counsell said. “And I think now it’s a little bit like he’s learned that he can be in swing mode and still not swing. And I think that’s how he should be. It’s still an aggressive mode. It doesn’t take anything away from his aggressiveness.”

It seems so simple, but indeed, PCA has taken to that leadoff role. The walks are a great sign of this. Here’s one reason he’s been able to do that (Bluesky link):

Here’s more from the Bastian article on just how special PCA’s June was:

Crow-Armstrong was the first Cubs batter with at least 11 homers, 20 RBIs and 40 hits in a month since Nick Castellanos in August of ‘19. Add the 17 walks into the equation and you have to go back to Hall of Famer Hack Wilson, who did it in July 1929 and August 1930. Throw in Crow-Armstrong’s eight stolen bases and he stands alone for any month by a Cubs batter.

In fact, Crow-Armstrong is only the second player since at least 1920 (when RBIs became an official stat) to have at least eight steals, 11 homers, 17 walks and 40 hits in one month. The only other player to do it was Barry Bonds in 1992, but that was in a September-October period featuring 31 games. Crow-Armstrong did it in 26 games in June.

In addition to all the hitting, he continued his stellar defense. Here’s a five-star catch he made against the Rockies June 11 [VIDEO].

Perhaps not coincidentally (PCA also went 2-for-5 with a steal in that game), that was the game that began the Cubs’ current 15-4 run.

PCA also currently leads all MLB players with 5.2 bWAR — that’s a possible 10 WAR season if he keeps this up. He’s a lock to be a reserve on the NL All-Star team and these numbers vault him into the MVP conversation.

Congratulations to Pete on this honor and here’s hoping for many more.

The St. Louis Cardinals ended up winning this series not just in the most important column but also on the aggregate as well. 17-13 ended up being the final aggregate score during this series and of those 17 runs, 11 of those St. Louis runs were scored in just two of the 27 innings that were played.

I’m not going to say that the Braves were the better team across these three games (if they were, we’d be about to talk about some good results instead of the bummer that we’re about to discuss) but it is a sign of just how quickly things can get away from you in this sport. It’s also a sign of just how rough of a go the Braves are having right now where it feels like nothing can go right on a consistent basis for this squad. If you dare to continue, I’ve got the details on this series ready for you. Let’s get into it.

Tuesday, June 30

Cardinals 5, Braves 3

With both Matthew Liberatore coming into this game struggling on the mound and the Braves as a whole entering this game on a bit of a collective nightmare run at the plate, it seemed like something had to give and someone was going to break out of their funk in this one. Unfortunately, it ended up being Liberatore who came out of this one looking golden as he ended up frustrating the Braves for the five innings he spent on the mound. Atlanta coaxed four walks out of him but it took a monstrous effort from the squad just to get a sacrifice fly pushed across home plate in the third inning.

That sac fly actually gave the Braves the lead but it didn’t last long as the bottom fell out for Martín Pérez in the fourth inning. Nelson Velásquez cracked one out for a solo shot that tied things up and then just when Pérez was a strike and an out away from getting out of a jam with the game still tied, he was unable to fool Nathan Church with a changeup and he pulled it into the Chop House to make it a four-run inning for St. Louis.

With the way Atlanta’s offense had been running in recent times in the lead up to this series, it would’ve been perfectly reasonable to think that that was basically the ballgame for Atlanta. The next three innings at the plate did nothing to dispel that thinking for Atlanta but they did eventually come back to life in the seventh and eighth innings. Ozzie Albies delivered an RBI single in the seventh inning and then Ryan Fernandez’s second wild pitch of the eighth inning brought in another run to cut it to 5-3.

Matt Olson got into scoring position with a ninth-inning double so the Braves had the tying run at the plate but sadly, Ryan O’Brien kept it steady for St. Louis and the nasty run of form continued for Atlanta.

Wednesday, July 1

Braves 5, Cardinals 1

Earlier on Wednesday, the English national football team advanced to the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup with a clutch 2-1 victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo. That match took place in downtown Atlanta and some of the lads decided to take their victory celebration over to Cobb County for a night at the baseball.

They ended up getting treated to the Braves offense continuing to show some signs of life, as Atlanta actually looked to be in control of this one for the most part. Reynaldo López gave up one run in the first inning and that was as good as it got for St. Louis as he and the rest of the bullpen clamped down from that point forward. The strong pitching performance provided the Braves an opportunity to establish themselves at the plate and continue to attempt to revive themselves.

Fortunately, Atlanta took the opportunity and was able to produce enough at the plate to where this was a rare win that wasn’t a nailbiter. Ozzie Albies homered in the third inning to give the Braves the lead and then new English football cult hero Michael Harris II delivered an RBI single in the eighth inning that gave the Braves a much-needed insurance run. They weren’t even done there either, as Mauricio Dubón found yet another way to get it done at the plate as he laid down a bunt that ended up plating Ozzie (who ended up having a pretty nice night, himself) and then Austin Riley made it three runs in the inning and five for the day for the Braves with his capper of an RBI single.

Raisel Iglesias got some work for once in the ninth inning and that ended up being the perfect end to a great day on the mound for Atlanta and a lovely night at the ballpark for the Knights of Money Mike’s Roundtable.

Thursday, July 2

Cardinals 11, Braves 5

For maybe an hour or so, the Braves were feeling good and a series win was within grasp. Despite the Cardinals going three-for-three for first-inning runs in this series by adding three more in this one, Hurston Waldrep calmed down after that while the Braves immediately responded with five runs of their own in the bottom of the first. Things were fine after the offense had a big inning for once and the Braves were carrying a 5-3 lead heading into the seventh inning. Considering how the bullpen has performed all season, it was reasonable to expect that they could make those two runs stand up

Then the seventh inning happened and it felt less like July 2, 2026 and more like October 9, 2019. The Cardinals didn’t make it to 10 runs in one inning this time but they got pretty close as Atlanta’s bullpen had an uncharacteristically nightmarish inning. St. Louis went single-homer-walk (pitching change)-single-single-single-fielder’s choice out (pitching change)-single-double-fielder’s choice RBI (where Jordan Walker executed a bewildering swim move on the slide home in order to evade Drake Baldwin’s tag) before a double play mercifully ended the inning for Atlanta.

Once the smoke cleared, the two-run lead was now a five-run deficit and all the energy at an oppressively Truist Park had been well and truly drained from the building. The Cardinals ended up making it a six-run victory in the end and the Braves were left a bit bamboozled as the most reliable part of the team finally had an off-night at such an inopportune time.

I suppose that the one positive to take away from this series is that the offense didn’t look completely moribund. Considering how the offense looked for the entire month of June, this lineup looked downright potent against the Cardinals over the course of the three games. While their plate performance was absolutely mortifying last month, it was still reasonable to believe that the players in this lineup (particularly the core players like Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, Drake Baldwin and Michael Harris II) could eventually turn it on and get things going at the plate. The jury is still out on whether or not they’re ‘back’ (and the power certainly hasn’t returned yet) but the offense didn’t make me depressed like it did over long stretches during June.

Instead, this just felt like one of those series that’s indicative of where things are at right now as far as this team’s fortunes go. Martín Pérez has usually been reliable but he ended up having one bad inning and it doomed the Braves. Right after they got a feel-good win to even up the series and looked to be on their way to taking the series win, the bullpen has their worst inning of the season and the Braves ended up dropping the series, instead. When seemingly nothing is going right, you have stuff like that happening in the two losses that the Braves had in this series. One problem gets solved only for more problems to pop up in the process.

Somehow, the Braves remain in first place despite their woeful form at the moment and now they’ll be gearing up to face off against a Mets squad that has been running just as cold for the past month or so. I would say that this could be a bit of a get-right series for the Braves but first off, this Mets team actually toppled the Braves in a three-game series last month and then when you consider the form that the Cardinals were in heading into this series, this should’ve been the get-right series for the Braves. It did end up being a get-right series — for Nathan Church and the Cardinals, that is.

Now, we’re likely going to see an intense fight between a Mets team looking to have something or anything go right for them and a Braves team that is looking more and more desperate to get back going on the right track before they end up in second place before long. It was nearly unthinkable with the way April and May went for this Braves team but baseball is a funny ol’ sport and right now, the joke is on our Braves.

On a mid-September day in 1787, the residents of Philadelphia stood outside Independence Hall (or rather, what would someday be called Independence Hall), with bated breath. Inside, an assembly of the nation’s finest statesmen were hard at work crafting an institution that would shape not only the future of their young nation, but the world. The door opened. Men whose names would reverberate through the generations stepped out. One observer, by the name of Elizabeth Willing Powel, spotted Benjamin Franklin and asked him what sort of institution he and his colleagues had made. “A baseball team, if you can keep it,” came the famous and not at all fabricated reply.

But Philadelphia could not keep its baseball team, and the Athletics would later decamp for Kansas City.

Fortunately, the Phillies stepped in and stood the test of time, just like how our Constitution replaced the short-lived Articles of Confederation (well, not quite, since the Phillies existed at the same time as their citymates, but close enough).

Our founding fathers did not live long enough to see the Phillies. But the examples they set live on in all American institutions, including baseball, and the teams which comprise it. Here, today, we could name the Phillies who best exemplify the principles, the wisdom, the learnedness of the founding fathers.

But it’s way easier to just name the Phillies whose names kinda sounds like theirs, so let’s do that instead.

George Washington: George Washington Harper (1924-1926)

George Washington may have been a Virginian, but he faced and overcame some of the pivotal challenges of his life in Philadelphia. It is therefore fitting that George Washington Harper, an outfielder from Arlington, Kentucky, would make his own way there. After three years in Detroit and two and a half in Cincinnati, Harper was traded to Philadelphia, where he would finish out the season, as well as the next two. Though he never rose to the prominence in baseball that his namesake achieved in politics, he played well, slashing .349/.391/.558 in a 1925 season that saw him get some downballot MVP votes. Just like the nation’s first president, he would then make his way to New York, though by trade rather than election (New York was the president’s home in the days before D.C.).

Thomas Jefferson: Thomas “Tommy” Jefferson Dowd (1897)

What nickname do you give to a guy named Thomas Jefferson? “Mr. President” would seem to be the natural choice. But no, Tommy Dowd’s nickname was Buttermilk Tommy. Better than Butterfingers, one supposes. An outfielder hailing from Holyoke, Massachusetts, Dowd played for the Phillies in those far-off days of 1897. In doing so, he took his namesake’s journey in reverse: whereas Jefferson had gone from the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., Dowd played for the Washington Statesmen in 1891 (and the Senators in 1892), then joined the Phillies in ’97 (in between there was a long stop in St. Louis, which joined the United States thanks to a purchase made by, you guessed it…). Jefferson played in 91 games for the Phillies that year, having a rather limited impact.

Benjamin Franklin: Benjamin Franklin Oviedo (2005-2007, Venezuelan Summer League)

Philadelphia has more Benjamin Franklins (Benjamins Franklin?) than any other city on earth, as anyone who has walked through Old City will attest to, but no Ben Franklin has ever played for the Phillies. But one did play for the organization: Benjamin Franklin Oviedo, an infielder and left fielder, played three seasons for the Phillies’ Venezuelan Summer League Team.

John Hancock: Josh Hancock (2003-2004)

John Hancock started out in Massachusetts, then made his way to Philadelphia. So did Josh Hancock, a righty pitcher, who debuted with the Red Sox, and was then traded to the Phillies in exchange for Jeremy Giambi. Hancock played sparingly for the Phillies, tossing 3 innings across 2 games in 2003, then 9 across 4 in 2004. He was traded to Cincinnati midway through the 2004 campaign. If he didn’t sign his autographs in an unreasonably large size, it was a huge missed opportunity.

John Adams: John Bertram “Bert” Adams (1915-1919)

A backstop from Wharton, Texas, he preferred to go by “Bert”. He debuted with Cleveland (the Naps, at the time) at 19 in 1910, but played in only two games. He only played in 27 games total for the Naps across three seasons before the New York Giants took him in the Rule 5 draft in 1914 (yes, it is that old). A trade sent him to the Phillies, for whom he would play for the next five seasons. He was a backup in 1915 and 1916, played in about a quarter of the team’s games in 1917, then graduated to a proper timeshare in 1918 and 1919, playing roughly half the time.

James Madison: James “Jim” Madison Holloway (1929)

Jim Holloway, a pitcher from Baton Rouge, didn’t have much of an impact in Phillies history. He appeared in three games in the 1929 season, allowing 2 homers and 7 runs in 4.2 innings pitched, then never threw a major league pitch again. But he’s useful for this article.

John Jay: Jay Johnstone (1974-1978)

Outfielder Jay Johnstone played four seasons and part of a fifth for the Phillies, part of a career that lasted nearly twenty years. He was a good hitter with the Phillies, with an OPS of over .800 in each of his four full seasons with them. He was traded to the Yankees midseason in 1979.

Robert Morris: Robert “Bobby” Moris Morgan (1954-1957)

An infielder from Oklahoma City, Morgan started out with the Brooklyn Dodgers before being traded to the Phillies. He hit lightly, but still held down a starting job. The Phillies traded him to the Cardinals midseason in 1956, but the Cardinals sent him back in the offseason in a trade that saw Philadelphia stalwart Del Ennis shipped out to St. Louis. The Cardinals also sent along Rip Repulski, winner of the “this is definitely a name from a comic book” award.