Category: Baseball

Just like this entire season, the Mariners’ East Coast road trip was filled with great disappointment interspersed with moments of competence. Walking away from Boston with two straight wins against one of the better teams in the AL is an accomplishment but it’s overshadowed by the totally lifeless performance in Toronto against a much more significant opponent (to their playoff odds anyway). So without much progress made, the Mariners return home this weekend to begin the softest and most important stretch of their season.

If you want to point to a prime example of how bad the AL West has been this year, the last time the Mariners and Athletics played each other in late May, the A’s were leading the division and Seattle swapped places with them in the standings after sweeping them in Sacramento. Since that series, the A’s have been the worst team in baseball by a pretty wide margin, winning just 32% of their games with a -169 run differential. All the progress they had made towards the end of last year and earlier this year has been completely undermined and it doesn’t seem like they’re any closer to building a competitive roster 

The biggest reason why the Athletics have struggled so much since June is because their lineup has been absolutely gutted by injuries; Brent Rooker (knee), Shea Langeliers (knee), Nick Kurtz (thumb), Tyler Soderstrom (hip), and Jacob Wilson (shoulder) have all succumbed to season-ending injuries. Those five are the core the team was building around so to have all of them sidelined at once has been a huge blow. There have been some positives despite all the struggles. Zack Gelof has been the team’s best hitter when he’s been on the field — he’s missed a bunch of time with a handful of minor scrapes and bruises. The demise of Lawrence Butler has been greatly exaggerated as well; since June 10, he’s put up a 131 wRC+ with nine home runs.

Probable Pitchers 

Updated Stuff+ Explainer 

• Stuff+ scores for Mariners starters

For a while earlier this year, Jack Perkins was working in a flexible high leverage role for the Athletics, converting three saves in April. With all the injuries the A’s have faced, he was stretched out and moved to the starting rotation in June. His deep repertoire lends itself to starting anyway and that’s how he was developed through their farm system. Unfortunately, he hasn’t found much success in the more familiar role; his ERA is 6.82 since the beginning of June and his FIP is not much better at 5.81.

From a previous series preview:

J.T. Ginn has spent the last few seasons bouncing between the rotation and the bullpen for the A’s. He’s dealt with a number of injuries over the years, stunting his development, but the stuff models really love his sinker-slider combo. He gets a ton of groundballs with those two pitches and can turn to a pretty good changeup to get a whiff if he needs it. Considering the problems the A’s have had developing mid-rotation arms, and Ginn’s penchant for groundball contact, it’s surprising they haven’t given him a longer look in the rotation. 

Ginn has been one of the more consistent starters for the Athletics this year. He’s had his ups-and-downs but he’s been healthy and generally reliable. Back in April when he faced the Mariners last, he allowed three runs in 5.1 innings while striking out six.

From a previous series preview:

Jeffrey Springs has managed to survive pitching in Sutter Health Park by generating a ton of weak contact. His .255 BABIP was the ninth lowest among qualified pitchers last year and it’s even lower this season. He allows a ton of contact in the air and all that elevated contact hasn’t turned into damage like you might expect. It’s mostly just weak fly balls that are easily caught. He’s also throwing a little harder this season, though his strikeout-to-walk ratio is almost an exact mirror of what he posted last year. His best pitch is still his changeup and that’s what allows him to run a slightly reverse platoon split.

After a decent start to the season, Springs has been absolutely terrible over the last three months; since the beginning of June, his ERA is over nine! The last time he faced the Mariners, he allowed five runs in five innings while striking out seven.

The Athletics top pitching prospect entering the season, Gage Jump made his major league debut at the end of May — against the Mariners no less — and has pitched through an up-and-down rookie campaign. He’s shown flashes of brilliance at times, but he’s also been prone to big blowups that spiral out of control. He’s got three different breaking balls that make up the bulk of his pitch mix with a four-seamer as the foundation and a sinker and changeup to round out the repertoire. His low arm angle helps his fastball play up from an already impressive 96 mph from the left side, giving the pitch excellent movement across both planes. Right now, he’s much more of a thrower than a pitcher, filling the middle of the zone with his hard stuff and spraying his secondaries around the edges of the zone. That lack of command is the one thing holding him back from truly bringing the entire package together.

The Big Picture:

The Mariners couldn’t gain any ground in the AL West because both the Astros and Rangers matched their record with two wins to start the week. Houston wraps up its four-game set against the White Sox today and then plays the Diamondbacks this weekend. Meanwhile, Texas hosts the Rays for four games.

In the Wild Card race, the M’s gained a half game on the Guardians but still have four other teams to leap frog.

The Yankees can use all the relief pitching help they can get these days. Due to injuries, it seems like they are always improvising to fill the unit with reliable arms, signing or claiming guys such as Justin Topa (already DFA’d), Michael Fulmer, and John Schreiber in the last week or so.

They need some stability in the mid-to-late innings. Fortunately, one of their homegrown guys is getting ready and shaping up as an option at the right time: Clarke Schmidt. At the moment, Cam Schlittler, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Max Fried, Will Warren, and Elmer Rodríguez are ahead of the 2017 first-round pick in the rotation depth chart, with Ryan Weathers potentially rejoining the staff in a few weeks, too. That’s why the organization has already said Schmidt is ticketed for the bullpen when he returns.

To be fair, that’s probably where he’s needed the most. The Yankees’ rotation is better than their bullpen, and they could certainly use an established starter with (successful) relief pitching experience to get through some of the toughest outs in the late innings.

Schmidt, who moved his rehab to Triple-A and pitched two solid innings in which he allowed one run and struck out three on Wednesday, already had a strong season as a bullpen piece back in 2022. That year, he pitched 29 games, starting just three, and posted a 3.12 ERA and a 3.60 FIP in 57.2 innings. He walked 23 and struck out 56.

While it’s true that Schmidt didn’t have a good postseason that year, allowing three runs (and two homers) in three games and 2.1 innings, he is much more mature at this point in his career. After that showing, he has logged three seasons as a starter with mixed but mostly positive results.

A role in relief would allow Schmidt to throw harder in short spurts and maybe focus on some specific pitches, such as the cutter, the knuckle curve, the slider, and the sweeper, with a few four-seamers sprinkled in.

After posting a 26.3 percent strikeout rate in 2024 and a 23.1 mark last year as a starter, Schmidt has some exciting strikeout potential as a reliever, throwing fewer innings at max effort, with the pitching know-how he has gotten over the years. God knows the Yankees need someone who can get some swings and misses in the back of the bullpen.

It’s unclear if manager Aaron Boone will use him as a traditional one-inning reliever or as a multi-inning weapon, but he can thrive in any role. For that to happen, however, he needs to get through his rehab without any setbacks.

Before the two solid frames he racked up on Wednesday for the RailRiders, he had only pitched one game in Double-A, surrendering two runs in 0.2 frames. He is still working his way back from a long layoff following elbow surgery last year, and it stands to reason that he could be rusty whenever he returns to the bigs.

Since Schmidt won’t be starting this year, or at least that’s not the plan at the moment, he is not expected to need too many additional rehab appearances before being ready for activation. In fact, depending on how he feels, there’s a tiny chance his next outing comes in the majors, even though it’s unlikely.

He’ll probably return to starting next year. For now, however, he will help a unit that has the best ERA in the league this season at 3.08, but was 11th with a 3.67 mark in August. As good as the relief corps has been as a whole, the group clearly could use support now, and Schmidt is solid bet to provide it.

Almost two months ago, Paul Toboni made local product Chris Hacopian his first draft pick. He took the Maryland and Texas A&M slugger 11th overall thanks to his intriguing blend of hitting ability, plate discipline and raw power. About a month into Hacopian’s professional career, he has been as advertised for better or worse.

Baseball America wrote an article where they checked in on the top 30 picks from the 2026 draft. Hacopian’s section had some very interesting details. They wrote that he had the highest 90th percentile exit velocity at 106 MPH and the lowest in zone swing and miss rate at 9.8%. That sort of power combined with elite contact skills and a good approach is a rare commodity.

Despite those highly impressive metrics, Hacopian’s actual production at High-A has been solid but not eye popping. He is hitting .275 with a .396 OBP and a .746 OPS. Hacopian is holding his own in a tough Wilmington hitting environment. However, he is also not dominating through his first 13 games.

There is one big reason for that and it is his batted ball profile. Hacopian hits a lot of ground balls and low line drives. He also very rarely pulls the baseball, especially not in the air. 87.6% of Hacopian’s batted balls are either going up the middle or the other way. His ground ball rate is also 48.4%. 

For Hacopian to turn his impressive exit velocities into actual power production, that will have to change. This is not a massive surprise though. Hacopian’s batted ball profile was always seen as the weak point of an otherwise very strong offensive profile. This offseason, I would imagine that this will be a big point of emphasis for him. The Nats new regime has also proven to be able to help hitters elevate and pull more often.

Luis Garcia Jr., Jacob Young and even Dylan Crews have all seen major drops in their ground ball rates. On the minor league side of things, Seaver King is an example of a player who is elevating the baseball a lot more. As we go into next season, I think we will see Hacopian take steps in that regard.

On the rare occasions that Hacopian does pull the ball in the air, he does a ton of damage. His first pro home run was a no doubt shot to left field. When Hacopian does turn on the ball, it is a beautiful thing to watch. He leaves little doubt when he gets all of a baseball.

If Hacopian can optimize his batted balls, there are really not a lot of holes in his game. As we have talked about, he hits the ball very hard and rarely whiffs. The 22 year old is also very disciplined, especially for a hitter that makes so much contact. In his first taste of pro ball, Hacopian is only chasing 22.7% of the time. 

While Hacopian was seen by many as a floor over ceiling pick, I actually disagree in some ways. If he reaches his offensive ceiling, Hacopian can flirt with being a .300 hitter while hitting 25 homers. That is All-Star level production. However, there is quite a bit of pressure on his bat due to his limited defense and lack of athleticism.

So far, Hacopian has been about what we expected coming out of college. He puts together great at bats, makes a ton of contact and hits the ball hard. All the pieces of a great hitter are here. However, he needs some more refinement is needed to reach his ceiling.

Hacopian is a player I cannot wait to see next season. If he makes strides with his batted ball profile, he could have the ability to move very quickly. An early 2028 or even late 2027 call up is not totally out of the picture. 

Chris Hacopian is a pure hitter, and he has shown that in the minors. Just like his entire career, Hacopian’s strikeout and walk numbers are pristine. In 40 AB’s he has 8 strikeouts and 8 walks. That is a staple of his game and it is a profile I cannot wait to see in the big leagues.

In his pro career, Chris Hacopian has looked the part. His numbers do not jump off the page, but when you look into the underlying data, you see why the Nats drafted him. The Maryland kid has a rare combination of skills that will make him a joy to watch in the batters box.

Introduction

While I agree with the general consensus that the Diamondbacks biggest weakness is a failure to develop pitching prospects, and it’s not a strength for the organization, I find most of the criticisms of the current Arizona farm system laughable, when the vast majority of critics can’t name anyone in the farm system. That usually says to me that they have no idea what they are talking about, because there are actually quite a few interesting pitching prospects in the system, some with significant upside. So I thought I’d change that, with a series of articles doing a deep dive into the teams pitching prospects. This was originally one long article but I decided to make it a little more digestible by breaking it into multiple articles. Today I’ll be discussing the lack of LHP prospects and then discussing four RHP prospects with very high upside

Where all the lefties?

Take a quick look at the handedness of the prospects below, and I’m sure you’ll ask yourself, ‘where are all the left handed pitchers?‘ To give you the shortest possible answer, you’ve already seen them. Mitch Bratt and Kohl Drake are basically the only LHP prospects of note in the upper levels of the Diamondbacks farm system. The long answer is the pickings are slim when trying to find a LHP worth talking about in the upper levels. There ARE some LHP, but only a couple really worth mentioning at the moment.

Yu-Min Lin is a 23 year old left handed starter who has struggled as a finesse pitcher in the very hitter friendly PCL, but was at one point one of the higher ranked prospects a few years ago. It’s worth mentioning that he had a horrific baseball related injury, getting struck in the face by a line drive foul ball. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has had some lingering effects from the injury, as I’d be shocked if he didn’t also have a concussion. He’s still young, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get an emergency spot start eventually with the Dbacks. In my opinion, if Lin ever makes it the majors and finds success, it’ll be with some other MLB organization, better equipped to develop him as a pitcher, which doesn’t have a AAA affiliate akin to pitching on the moon. Lin is barely a prospect at this point, if not for his age; giving him the benefit of the doubt, mostly as a result of that injury; and the fact that he’s honestly just a very bad fit for pitching in Reno. Lin relies mostly on off-speed and breaking pitches, while Reno is a place where pitches just don’t break as a result of the altitude.

Rio Britton is a guy who was drafted in 2023, pitched 68 innings with a 3.97 era and 4.10 FIP in A level Visalia in 2024, then did not pitch at all again until this year, thanks to being put on the full season injured list for 2025. In 2026 Britton has pitched in 22 games for A+ level Hillsboro, 15 of which have been starts. He’s tossed 91.1 inning with a 4.53 ERA, a 4.68 FIP, and a 4.47 xFIP. While that may not seem particularly good or noteworthy, it’s actually slightly above average, as shown by 92 ERA- and 96 FIP- (both adjusted stats where anything below 100 is above average). He looks solid enough this season that I think he’s a name worth keeping an eye on now that he’s healthy. That said, he’s essentially a non-prospect until he can prove he’s healthy and advances a little further into the system.

Lin and Britton are basically the Ur-Examples for LHP in the Dbacks system. You have guys who have been injured and struggled in the upper levels of the system like Lin, and then you have guys like Britton, who aside from being injured, just haven’t pitched enough to be really talked about.

Four Flamethrowing RHPs

For each player I’ve written about below, I’ve linked their Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference player pages, as well as a direct link to their blurbs on MLB pipeline that have a more detailed scouting report than I can offer. Scouting grades are the traditional 20-80 scale.

Dean Livingston (FG | B-Ref | Pipeline)

Bats/Throws: R/R Height/Weight: 6’4″ / 205lbs Born: 9/7/2006

Scouting grades:Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 50 Control: 50

Background: The Diamondbacks generally haven’t drafted high school arms early in the draft, at least not very often. Livingston was the rare exception in last years draft, the Dbacks giving him $1 million to keep him off campus at Georgia. Livingston didn’t get into professional game until this season, and he’s honestly been a revelation in 2026.

Livingston’s season started out with the ACL D-backs, where he pitched in 14 innings across three games, but dominated, giving up just a pair of earned runs on eight hits, four walks, and a wild pitch, but struck out 17 batters. That adds up to a 1.29 ERA with a 3.33 FIP and a 3.97 xFIP. His 22 ERA- and 54 FIP- show just how dominant he was relative to the league. He was less impressive while he was in Visalia, but still above average based on his 77 ERA-. He was recently promoted to Hillsboro and had a promising debut with the Hops, pitching five innings and allowing a run on three hits and two walks, while striking out six batters.

I couldn’t find much video of Livingston pitching, but I did manage to find a couple videos of him back in May, which I’ve embedded below.

My Scouting Report: Livingston has the ideal height, weight and build that you look for when scouting a pitcher. He throws a four seam and two seam fastball that sit in the mid to upper 90s, but he’s touched triple digits on occasion in 2026. His slider and changeup are much more advanced than you would expect, but still need to be developed further. He doesn’t turn 20 until September 7th, so he has the advantage of youth on his side. He is one of the top pitchers to watch next season.

David Hagaman (FG | B-Ref | Pipeline )

Bats/Throws: R/R Height/Weight 6’4″ / 215lbsBorn: 4/16/2003

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50

Background: Hagaman is a name you should honestly know already, as the team’s current top pitching prospect (according to Baseball America). Acquired by the Diamondbacks a little over a year ago in the Merrill Kelly trade (along with Mitch Bratt and Kohl Drake) I think most people considered him to be the third piece in the deal. But his potential was obvious to me, as he adds much more significant velocity and louder stuff in general, especially compared to either of the two lefties. In 2026, I think it’s fair to say he’s broken out as a pitcher.

Hagaman did a few interviews during the fall league last year that I thought were a good insight, which have been compiled in the videos below.

My Scouting Report: Hagaman is much better than advertised. All four of his pitches look above average to me. His slider is the weakest and least developed of the four pitches, but I’d still grade it as average even if i was little more pessimistic in my writeup. His high 90s fastball is the weakest of the four players mentioned, but it’s still a plus fastball. If Hagaman continues to dominate down the stretch, he could potentially land on a few top 100 prospect lists this winter.

Brian Curley (FG | B-Ref | Pipeline )

Bats/Throws: R/R Height/Weight 5’10” / 212lbs Born: 6/1/2003

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 40 | Slider: 55 | Control: 45

Background: I actually don’t have too much to say about Curley’s time with the Georgia Bulldogs, as they have produced some excellent videos covering that time in his career that are embedded below.

Curley’s 2026 has been a bit of a mixed bag. In 69.2 innings in A+ Level Hillsboro, he put up a 4.52 ERA, 3.54 FIP, and a 3.35 xFIP. Those numbers translate to a slightly above average 92 ERA- and a decidedly above average 72 FIP-. His promotion to AA Amarillo, however, has gone how you’d expect. In 35.1 IP his ERA is 7.13, his FIP 6.89, and his xFIP 5.43. I don’t think you need to see his 122 ERA- and 124 FIP- to understand that those aren’t very good numbers.

My Scouting Report: Curley sits 95-96 mph and touches triple digits with his fastball. He gets above-average carry and it plays up further due to a low release height and unusual approach angle. His upper-80s slider has both depth and power. His curveball is more of a top-to-bottom offering, and he also threw a third breaking ball, a sweeper, though the three could blend together. He also has a fringe-average changeup. Curley has excellent makeup and has the personality to succeed at the highest level. As an undersized pitcher throwing that hard, he might be better off being shifted to relief, but I’d imagine the Diamondbacks will give him every chance to stick as a starter. Depending on how he pitches down the stretch in Amarillo, I could see the Dbacks starting him back in AA next season, or being even more aggressive with his promotion and having him start in Reno. Obviously if he pitches like he has so far, expect him back in Amarillo to start his next season.

Patrick Forbes (FG | B-Ref | Pipeline )

Bats/Throws: R/R Height/Weight: 6’3/220lbs Born: 7/11/2004

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Cutter: 40+| Changeup: 40+ | Control: 50

Kentucky’s 2022 Mr. Baseball, Forbes was a star shortstop at Bowling Green High, but went undrafted in part because of his strong commitment to Louisville. A two-way player as a college freshman, he only decided to pitch full-time during his sophomore year. A year later, in 2025, his draft stock skyrocketed early on as he dominated for the first month of the season, but a flexor injury and less control lead to him falling in the draft to the Diamondbacks at #31. The Diamondbacks shut him down after the draft, and he’s only gotten into pro games this year. I could find limited video of Forbes pitching in the Diamondback system, but I did manage to find a couple, which I’ve embedded below to give you a better idea visually of the kind of pitcher he is.

Forbes started the year on the IL and wasn’t activated with Hillsboro until June, but he has looked solid this season as the Dbacks build up his workload. Including the two innings he pitched in the ACL in his rehab start, Forbes has pitched 29⅔IP with a 2.73 ERA with a 3.56 FIP and a 3.34 FIP. He’s struck out 35.3% of the batters he faced, while walking only 6% of batters. His 55 ERA- and 73 FIP- further hammers home his dominance.

My Scouting Report: Forbes has an explosive fastball with a lowish release point, that tops out in the low triple digits, but he generally works in the mid to high 90s. He has an above average slider with good horizontal movement that compliments his fastball extremely well. His other pitches need work, but they grade to at least average at the moment. I’ve been even more impressed with Forbes’ control this season, as it’s been better than advertised.

Conclusion

The Diamondbacks have done well in the last couple seasons to add pitching over the last few seasons with actual upside. Hagaman is the closest to actually making it to the MLB level, but I would expect the other three to move through the system fairly quickly if they stay healthy and pitch well. Next time we’ll look at four more pitchers and go over some teenage prospects that could be worth keeping an eye on.

We have a very early game today. Living in the west, I hate these games cause they get in the way of what I’d normally be doing. But then, today I don’t feel like doing anything. I have been going to gym a fair bit lately, as I’m playing squash this winter, and I’ve reached the age where it is pretty tough on the body and I have to be in as good of cardio shape as I can get and get my strength up, because, at my age, knees and stuff tend to hurt if I’m not strong. Or I could give up on squash.

Anyway, there is a game today, an important one. The Jays are 1.5 games back of the Guardians for the final Wild Card spot (the Rangers and Orioles are tied with the Jays). Being half a game out would be better than being 2.5 games out, not that they couldn’t come back from 2.5 back. We aren’t at the ‘they have to win every game to make the playoffs’ point of the season yet. Which is good, because they won’t.

Jose Soriano has a 4.13 ERA in his five starts with the Jays. Teams are hitting .271/.345/.364 against him, which is better than they were hitting off him as an Angel. But then, small sample size and all.

Tanner Bibee has a 3.88 ERA but a 5-14 record in 28 starts. The Guardians are only scoring 3.07 runs per game in his starts. Since they are averaging 4.05 runs per game on the season, Tanner’s being hard done by.

Lineups:

Go Jays Go.

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The I-94 Rivalry wraps up tonight at Wrigley Field (7:15 p.m. ET), with the Milwaukee Brewers laid as short road favorites over the Chicago Cubs. 

Expect another high-scoring battle in the Friendly Confines as my top Brewers vs. Cubs prediction and MLB picks are backing Milwaukee to lock up the series win.

Who will win Brewers vs Cubs today: Brewers moneyline (50.7%)

For help understanding probabilities, see our odds calculator.

The Milwaukee Brewers have a sizable pitching edge in this series finale.

Twenty-four-year-old Logan Henderson has allowed just three runs across his past three starts while posting an elite 2.82 xERA that’s right in line with his 2.73 year-long mark, ranking fifth among starters with at least 70 innings pitched.

Chicago Cubs veteran Kevin Gausman hasn’t been nearly as consistent, and he’s allowed three runs or more in three of his five starts with the club for a solid but unspectacular 3.69 xERA and 3.60 xFIP.

Both offenses are raking, and 47 runs have scored through the first three games of the series, so I’m siding with the superior starter tonight and would back the Brewers to 54.5%.

COVERS INTEL: Henderson ranks eighth in xOBP and 19th in xwOBA among pitchers with 50 innings pitched this season.

Brewers vs Cubs Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (49.8%)

Even with both starters showing excellent underlying numbers, I still expect both teams to put runs on the board.

Chicago ranks second in xwOBA over the past 30 days, and Milwaukee checks in at seventh.

Additionally, the teams have emptied their bullpens through the first three games of the series, with the Cubs relying on relievers for 12 innings and Milwaukee's pitching 14.

As a result, late-innings runs are also in the cards tonight.

Brewers vs Cubs home run prediction: Brice Turang (11.1%)

Brewers second baseman Brice Turang has hit 16 of his 17 homers against righties this season with a high-end .216 ISO, and he’s eyeing statistical correction at the dish with just a single home run across his past 26 games. With Gausman allowing a .204 ISO to left-handed hitters since joining the Cubs, the matchup checks out, too.

MLB betting analyst Josh Inglis also highlighted Cubs star Alex Bregman (15%) to go deep tonight in his Home Run Props & Predictions article.

Brewers vs Cubs market trends

The smart money at Polymarket is fully aligned on the Brewers in tonight's matchup against the Cubs, according to the latest market trends:

Brewers vs Cubs weather

The weather forecast calls for a first-pitch temperature around 71 degrees and gentle 6-mph crosswinds blowing out to left field as the game progresses at Wrigley Field tonight. Overall, these are neutral conditions for hitters.

Brewers vs Cubs odds

• Moneyline: Brewers 53.5% | Cubs 51.2%
• Run line: Brewers -1.5 (40.8%) | Cubs +1.5 (63%)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (54.5%) | Under 8.5 (50%)

Brewers vs Cubs trend

The Milwaukee Brewers have won 13 of their last 19 games (+6.25 Units / 23% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Brewers vs. Cubs.

How to watch Brewers vs Cubs and game info

Brewers vs Cubs latest injuries

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There isn’t much for Jays news this morning.

The starters against the Royals:

• Friday: Likely Jameson Taillon (just off the IL, 3.38 ERA in two starts for the Jays) vs Daniel Lynch (3.06 ERA, 4-4, 51 games,5 starts, all in August with a 6.32 ERA in 15.2 innings).
• Saturday: Max Scherzer (2-7, 6.16, coming off his best start of the season, 7 innings, 1 hit, 10 k) vs. Seth Lugo (6-8, 5.03).
• Sunday: TBD vs Randy Dobnak (2-3, 2.65, 11 games, 9 starts). People on Twitter are suggesting that Johnny King would be on rotation for Sunday. He’s pitching in New Hampshire and isn’t on the 40-man roster. It would be a big step to start his clock and all, but, you know, they need wins and should use whoever they think will give them their best chance to win.

And, our weekly Anthony Santander rumour:

Today’s lineups:

For the first time this season, the Brewers have won one of MLB’s monthly awards, as closer Trevor Megill was named NL Reliever of the Month.

Megill, who got off to a truly dismal start this season, hasn’t allowed an earned run since July 22, a stretch spanning 14 outings (14 1/3 innings), with just one unearned run scoring in Milwaukee’s loss to the Mets last week. Over that stretch, Megill has allowed four hits and three walks (two of which came intentionally), striking out 11.

Megill has converted each of his last 17 save opportunities, bringing him to 25-for-27 in save chances this season. After allowing eight earned runs in his first six appearances (five innings) this season, Megill has allowed just five earned runs over his last 35 appearances (34 1/3 innings) for a 1.31 ERA and 1.14 FIP, picking up 44 strikeouts. The Brewers are also 30-5 in those appearances. A great turnaround for the 32-year-old veteran, who looks like he’ll finish with the best season of his career.

While many (including yours truly) believe Jacob Misiorowski should have won NL Pitcher of the Month back in May after going 5-0 with a sterling 0.23 ERA, allowing one run over 38 1/3 innings on just 14 hits and six walks while striking out 57, it instead went to the Phillies’ Cristopher Sánchez (4-0 with no earned runs over 39 innings on 25 hits and three walks, striking out 45).

And while Misiorowski won a pair of NL Player of the Week honors (and Jackson Chourio also picked one up in early June), Megill’s NL Reliever of the Month honor for August is the first monthly award for a Brewer since 2025, when Freddy Peralta was named NL Pitcher of the Month and Brice Turang was named NL Player of the Month for August (Jacob Misiorowski and Isaac Collins were also named NL Rookie of the Month in June & July, respectively).

Megill is also the first Brewer winner of the NL Reliever of the Month honor since Devin Williams won it in July 2023.

Connor Norby finally had an opportunity to square off against someone who will be forever linked to him.

Back in July 2024, when Norby was with Baltimore—the team that drafted him in the second round that year—the native of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, was traded to the Miami Marlins for Orioles pitcher Trevor Rogers. 

While still with the Marlins a year ago, Norby had a chance to possibly face the talented left-hander for the first time since the trade. But an injury to Norby the night before Rogers was scheduled to start the next day scrapped any such meeting. 

Fast forward the clock to August 2026 when Colorado acquired Norby from the Marlins in exchange for relief pitcher Victor Vodnik.

Finally, as destiny would have it, the paths for the two crossed on September 2 when both started for their respective teams as Baltimore and Colorado completed a three-game series at Coors Field. 

Rogers might have won the individual battle between the two but, in the end, Colorado won the battle of the game as Brett Sullivan’s two-out, two-run walkoff single capped a three-run 11th inning in the Rockies’ wild 6-5 come-from-behind win in the rubber game of the series.

Norby went hitless in three at bats against Rogers, who gave up just six hits and fanned a career-high 11 while issuing no walks in 6.2 innings. He left the game clinging to a 3-2 lead.

But the Orioles bullpen, just one out away from closing out the contest and a series win for the O’s, surrendered back-to-back doubles to Cole Carrigg and Zac Veen to knot the game and send it to extra innings.

For his part, Norby made a key defensive play in the top of the 11th inning. With one out, he recorded an unassisted out at third base with runners on first and second bases after Baltimore had scored twice in the inning to take a 5-3 advantage.

In the bottom of the 11th, the Rockies third baseman was the placed runner at second base and scored on T.J. Rumfield’s single to bring Colorado within a run. Two outs later, Sullivan tallied his walkoff hit.

The day before his matchup with Rogers, Norby recalled that the two would see each other on the field for the first time after last year’s near miss while the ex-Oriole was still with the Marlins.

“I would have (faced him) but I broke my hand the night before so I missed that one,” the East Carolina product recalled. 

“He is really good and you can’t make it more than it is. I’m sure he probably looks at it that way, too. You can’t make the game bigger than what it is. It’s pitcher vs. hitter. My job is to put up a good at bat and that (Rogers) is a good arm.”

Rogers certainly left an impression on the Rockies on Wednesday, striking out six in a row at one point, including Colorado’s top 3 hitters in lineup in the sixth inning. He threw 71 of 94 pitches for strikes in his outing.

Norby fondly recalls his short stint with Baltimore—he played in just nine games in 2024 before being traded to the Marlins.

“This is now my third time playing them so I have seen them a couple of times,” he said. “It’s always good to see all those guys I came up with. There were a lot of them. We still stay in touch. You’re close with them so it’s always good to see them.”

Norby admits there might be a little added incentive when he matches up against the team that drafted him 41st overall in 2021.

“Does it mean a little more? Do I want to beat them a little bit more? Maybe,” he said.

The third-year MLB player has been pleased with his first month at 20th and Blake.

“I feel like it’s probably been my best month, collectively,” he said.

“I’m still young,” he added. “I’m still trying to make a name for myself and solidify myself. I feel like I am doing a lot of good things and I am giving them reasons to play me. So that’s always good.”

In his first 21 game with Colorado, Norby is slashing .223/.326/.681. He has scored 10 runs, has a pair of homers, 10 RBI and nine walks drawn.

Norby has reached base in 19 of those 21 games while hitting safely in 15 contests. He has compiled 12-game hitting and 15-game on-base streaks—both career highs—since joining the Rockies.

“I am keeping my strengths my strengths, and when I get into the game, taking those strengths—and what I do best—and playing my game,” he said. “I try not to play someone else’s game or be someone else.

“Just be me.”

After being acquired on August 3, Norby has already seen extensive action for the Rockies in his first month with the club. Do you see Norby as being a long-term answer in the infield for Colorado for 2027?

Let us know in the comments.

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

San Francisco Giants vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, September 3, 2026, 12:35 p.m. ET

Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA

Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh / MLB.TV

Pitching Matchup: Blade Tidwell (0-1, 4.54 ERA) vs. Luke Bachar (0-1, 3.74 ERA)

The Bucs are back in action today to wrap up their series against the San Francisco Giants. The Bucs currently sit at 68-72 and are 5.5 games out of a Wild Card spot with 22 games left in the season. Their chances are fast dwindling. Is it impossible? No. But there’s only a couple little grains of sands left in the hourglass. The Bucs need to get hot and they need to do it now.

Let’s hopefully raise it.

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It was back to the winning ways yesterday and one strikeout short of the sweep, but that doesn't matter as it's time for Thursday's profits in the pitcher and MLB player prop market, and I have all-day action.

Kade Anderson hasn't even shown his strikeout potential, but his third start might be a market low. Shane McClanahan has to be on a tight leash for a playoff run, and his strikeout market is falling, while Brandon Young's luck should run out in a pivotal series vs. Boston. 

These are my favorite pitcher props for Thursday, Sept. 3.

Best MLB strikeout props and starting pitcher picks today

Player	Pick	Odds
Kade Anderson	Over 5.5 strikeouts	-105
Shane McClanahan	Under 4.5 strikeouts	+105
Brandon Young	Under 17.5 outs	-125

Strikeout prop: Kade Anderson Over 5.5 strikeouts (-105)

This projects as the best strikeout Over on the board today, with 6.56 Ks projected on 84 pitches, which could be a short pitch count.

The Mariners brought up their 2025 third-overall pick after he struck out 135 Double-A batters across 93 innings this year. This will be Kade Anderson's third start, and he has gone 81 and 85 pitches with eight Ks in each, while getting his best K-rate (K%) matchup today against the Athletics.

The lefty has faced the Cubs and Blue Jays, who are both among the 10 worst K-rate matchups for a pitcher. The A's own the seventh-worst K% against left-handed pitching at 24.6% and the seventh-worst K% on the road at 23.8%.

Anderson could see more than 85 pitches, but he can still get to six punchouts in just 15 outs in this matchup.

The market is respecting the projections and moving toward the Over, with some books as short as -140, closer to the -150 fair price. Anderson is a big reason why this Under 7.5 went on the free MLB picks page this morning.

• Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Mariners.TV, NBCSCA

Strikeout prop: Shane McClanahan Under 4.5 strikeouts (+105)

This market is falling for good reason, as Shane McClanahan's leash, recent output, and projections point toward the Under.

The Tampa starter is being handled with baby gloves, as he has gone 80, 74, 57, 49, 71, and 87 pitches since the break while going 1-5 O/U on this strikeout total. The Rays are being careful with the oft-injured lefty and need him healthy for a playoff run.

McClanahan missed all of 2024 and 2025 due to Tommy John surgery and a nerve injury. He last threw 115 innings in 2023 and is already up to 113 innings this year, so it's easy to see why the organization is being cautious with him — especially with the Rays owning the best record in the AL.

THE BAT is projecting 79 pitches and 4.55 Ks today, making this a fair price around -120/-115.

• Time: 8:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Rangers Sports Network, Rays.TV

Pitcher out prop: Brandon Young Under 17.5 outs (-125)

Brandon Young has been one of the luckier pitchers in the second half of baseball, with an xERA more than a full point higher than his 3.33 ERA. He is giving up homers and has the worst HR/FB rate in the second half among any starter on today's slate.

Young is also a big part of why Neil Parker is backing the Red Sox on the ML in his Red Sox vs. Orioles predictions.

With Baltimore in a tight playoff race and all but two arms likely unavailable in the bullpen today, any issues could be enough to get the hook for a pitcher who is 50% to the Over since the break and has been on the good side of some luck.

The projection for the right-hander against the No. 2 scoring offense in the second half is 86 pitches and 15.68 outs, which would give bettors value on the Under if/when this number flips to 16.5.

If this gets any shorter on 17.5, I'd suggest waiting for the move to 16.5 and playing that to -110.

• Time: 7:15 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: FOX

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Trivia nights are a fun activity at local bars, breweries, and restaurants. The best part of trivia is confidently knowing the answer once it is asked. If you ever find yourself faced with the question, “Who is the only Major League Baseball player to be traded for the same Hall of Famer twice in their career?” the answer is former Yankee Eric Plunk. Another trivia tidbit: Plunk is not the reason behind the phrase or term “plunk,” meaning to hit a batter. No, that is simply a fun coincidence, as the term was coined well before Plunk was born or started throwing baseballs.

Eric Vaughn Plunk

Born: September 3, 1963 (Wilmington, CA)

Yankees Tenure: 1989-1991

Plunk grew up in California and attended Bellflower High School. He was drafted by the Yankees in the 4th round of the 1981 MLB June Amateur Draft. The 6-foot-5 right-handed pitcher had a plus fastball to go along with a good curveball, but scouting reports noted that Plunk would occasionally lose command of his offerings.

The Yankees had Plunk report to the Gulf Coast League after being drafted. Plunk went on to make 11 starts that season, most of them before his 18th birthday. In 1982, Plunk stayed in rookie ball, this time playing in the Appalachian League. After getting his feet wet playing professional ball, Plunk played the 1983 and 1984 seasons for the Yankees farm team in Fort Lauderdale. Over those two seasons at Single-A, Plunk posted a 20-22 record over 48 starts with a 2.81 ERA in 301.1 innings and had established himself as one of the Yankees’ top prospects.

Everything changed for Plunk on December 5, 1984. On that day, he was traded by the New York Yankees with Tim Birtsas, Jay Howell, Stan Javier, and José Rijo to the Oakland Athletics for star leadoff man Rickey Henderson, Bert Bradley, and cash.

Oakland assigned Plunk to their Double-A affiliate to start the 1985 season. Plunk made 13 starts in Double-A, going 8-2 with a 3.52 ERA. That was good enough to get the call-up to Triple-A Tacoma. Plunk would struggle and have to grind out the rest of the season, going 0-5 with a 5.77 ERA.

To start the 1986 season, Plunk was back in Tacoma. After making six starts, Plunk received his first call-up to the major leagues. Plunk made his debut against Toronto on May 12. Plunk stuck on the roster and finished the season with the Athletics, logging 120.1 innings, making 15 starts and appearing in 11 more games as a reliever.

After the season, the Athletics decided they wanted to see what Plunk could be as a reliever. He started the 1987 season back in Tacoma, but was called back up after tossing 34.2 innings with a 1.56 ERA out of the pen, picking up 9 saves in less than a month. Over the rest of the 1987 season in the show, Plunk appeared in 32 games, 11 of which were starts. His final line was 4-6 with a 4.47 ERA and two saves in 95 innings.

Heading into the 1988 season, the Athletics decided to use Plunk as one of the primary set-up men for Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley. In 1988, Plunk threw 78 innings, all out of the pen, and posted a 3.00 ERA to go along with a 7-2 record. The Athletics made the playoffs after winning the AL West, eventually losing to the Dodgers in the World Series. Plunk worked 2.0 clean innings in the 1988 playoffs.

In 1989, Plunk would make history. After a solid start to the season, on June 21, he was traded from Oakland along with Greg Cadaret and Luis Polonia to the New York Yankees for Rickey Henderson. This was the first and only time to date that a player was traded for the same Hall of Famer twice. The Athletics, with Henderson, would go on to win the World Series in the Battle of the Bay. Plunk, coming full circle back to the team that drafted him, went 7-5 with a 3.69 ERA in pinstripes in 20 relief appearances and 7 starts. The Yankees would finish the season in 5th place in the division.

The Bombers would move Plunk back into his full-time relief role for the 1990 season. Plunk tossed 72.2 innings in 47 games. His ERA was 2.72. The team, however, was not good at all. Posting a record of 67–95, it was the Yankees’ first last-place finish since 1966 and the first last-place in the division era. 95 losses is the most ever by the Yankees, as the 103 losses in 1908 were by the Highlanders.

Plunk was with the Yankees for all of the 1991 season. The team was better, but still not very good. Despite being such a strong reliever, the Yankees decided to use Plunk for spot starts in addition to relieving. Plunk’s ERA went up more than 2 full runs, and he was released by the Yankees following the season.

Prior to the 1992 season, Plunk signed with the Blue Jays but was cut after spring training. He then landed in Cleveland. The Land is where Plunk would spend the next seven seasons. Just like when he arrived in Oakland, Plunk found himself on another team that was on the verge of making a few World Series runs. In another fun piece of trivia Plunk was the first pitcher to win a game at Jacobs Field. Across those seven years in Cleveland, Plunk pitched 462.0 innings, all in relief. His record was 36-33 with a 3.25 ERA, and he picked up 26 saves.

In July of 1998, Plunk was traded by Cleveland to the Milwaukee Brewers for Doug Jones. Plunk pitched the rest of 1998 and the 1999 seasons for the Brewers. In 107 innings, he posted a 4.63 ERA and went 5-6. Plunk tried to play the 2000 season but appeared in 7 games for the Cubs’ Double-A affiliate before hanging up his spikes.

Over a 14-year career, Plunk went 72-58 with a 3.82 ERA. In total, at the major league level, he threw 1,151.0 innings and pitched in two World Series. He was hurt for Cleveland’s 1995 loss, but his teams could not pull off the win in either.

After his playing days ended, Plunk remained attached to baseball. Back in California, he started coaching and working privately with players looking to further their development at The Institute of Sports & Education in Corona, CA.

Happy birthday, Eric!

The only thing hotter than the August weather in Kansas City has been the performance of Jac Caglianone and Noah Cameron. Today, the pair was recognized with Caglianone named American League Player of the Month for August, and Cameron named American League Pitcher of the Month. It is just the fourth time in Royals history they have had a player and pitcher win league honors in the same month

• July 1980 – George Brett and Larry Gura
• September 1981 – Willie Wilson and Larry Gura
• July 1985 – George Brett and Bret Saberhagen

Caglianone led all MLB hitters in wRC+ in the month of August at 208. He was scorching hot, hitting .411/.429/.684 with six home runs in 24 games. He is just the 16th Royals hitter to hit .400 for an entire month with at least 80 plate appearances. He hit safely in 21 of his 24 games in August and registered a career-high 13-game hit streak. He is the first Royals hitter to win AL monthly honors since Bobby Witt Jr. in July of 2024.

Highest batting avearge for a Royals hitter in a month (min. 80 PA)

Cameron was 4-0 with a 1.87 ERA in five starts for the Royals, and had a 19-inning scoreless streak in August. He is the first Royals pitcher to win AL monthly honors since Kris Bubic in May of 2025.

It has been quite a comeback for both players this season. By the end of May, Jac Caglianone was struggling with an OPS below .700 while Noah Cameron had a 4.61 ERA. But Caglianone has seemingly figured out MLB pitching, hitting .310/.350/.564 with 18 home runs in 74 games since that point. Cameron began calling is own pitches, transforming his season. In his last eight starts he has a 7 percent walk rate, .143 opponent’s batting average, and 1.84 ERA.

Royals named American League Player and Pitcher of the Month