Category: Baseball

I wrote this same piece last year and some of these names have already been making noise. Miguel Sime is a part of the Futures Game, Samuel Cozart is a potential first rounder next year after going to college instead of signing, and one of the honorable mentions (Cardell Thibodeaux) recently signed with the Braves after being released. It was also the first look many had at some of this year’s top prospects in Robert Omidi and Elliot Lascelles, who were a part of the Canadian Junior National Team.

In last year’s piece I wrote this about the Braves and how they view the MLB Draft League:

“As a reminder the MLB Draft League started play in 2021. The Braves selected Andrew Hoffmann and Samuel Strickland from there in 2021, Cedric De Grandpre, EJ Exposito, and Keshawn Ogans from there in 2022, Isaiah Drake and Riley Gowens in 2023, and in 2024 selected Jacob Kroeger. In addition Top 30 prospect Hayden Harris is an undrafted free agent who played there, and 2023 pick Sabin Ceballos played there the year prior to being drafted by the Braves. That’s 10 Braves draftees over the four year period the league has existed.”

Since then they have drafted Kade Woods in the 10th round and Nico Wagner in the 16th round. They have also added Cardell Thibodeaux as a minor league free agent. That takes the number up to 13 guys the Braves have added in the MLBDL’s five year history.

Aberdeen – Jui-Chieh Lin, RHP, Taiwan

Unheard of to many before he came over from Taiwan to join the MLB Draft League as a soon to be 24-year-old, Jui-Chieh Lin has the stuff to be a significant pick in the draft. His sinker up to 98.1 MPH got up to 2847 RPM and gets significant inverted vertical and horizontal movement. It’s no surprise that he picks up tons of whiffs with it. He also has a slider that had touched 2775 RPM which also gets plenty of whiffs. This is a player who despite the age has the stuff to move quickly into a big league bullpen role.

Honorable Mention – Owen Clyne, SS, George Mason; Bishop Quarles, OF, Florida JUCO; Chase Williams, OF, Florida State; Jordan Garza, RHP, Texas HS; Lyndon Glidewell, RHP, Miami; Frank Menendez, LHP, Miami; Daniel Nienaber, RHP, Virginia HS

Mahoning Valley – Jarren Purify, 2B, Clemson

While Clemson had a disappointing season this spring, Purify did not. He set new high marks for each part of his triple slash and had his fewest strikeouts in a season. That has only continued to the MLBDL, where he has slashed .316/.459/.579 with three doubles, four homers, 5-9 steals, 15 walks, and 18 strikeouts over his 74 plate appearances. Purify has worked almost all at second base, with a few games at short. He is showing the improved hit tool with a bit more power and fewer strikeouts. Add in that he’s still just 20, and there is something to like about him.

Honorable Mention – Tommy Harrison, OF, Miami(OH); Ryan Nelson, 3B, Mississippi JUCO; Carlos Sanchez, C, LSU Shreveport; Nick Williams, OF, Michigan State; Chris Billingsley, RHP, Mississippi State; David Lally, RHP, Michigan; Colton Semmelmann, LHP, Wisconsin HS; Ethan Stade, LHP, Bowling Green; Tommy Szczepanski, RHP, Michigan State; Hunter Watson, RHP, Oklahoma HS

State College – Dominic Pellegrin, SS, Louisiana HS

Dominic Pellegrin has been the best high school performer this year in the MLBDL. The 19-year-old shortstop has shown off his solid all around game while posting a .375/.569/.525 slash with four doubles, a triple, 11-13 in steals, and 13 walks to 13 strikeouts over 58 plate appearances against pitching a couple of years older than him. His contact and on base ability have really made him stand out here despite being among the younger players in the league. He’s going to get a chance to stick at short defensively, but he has split time here between short and second – showcasing his versatility. The Tulane commit may not have the loudest tools, but he also doesn’t have many holes either. JUCO arm Parker Burgess made this a tight competition for this spot.

Honorable Mention – Tyree Reed, OF, Jackson State; Parker Burgess, RHP, Florida JUCO; Max Hamilton, RHP, Kansas HS; Chase Meyer, RHP, formerly West Virginia; Garrett Shearer, RHP, Northwestern

Trenton – Brett Patten, OF, Florida Atlantic

An outfielder with a nice frame, Patten had a decent first season in D1 this year after coming from JUCO. Then after the season he came to the Draft League and has taken it to another level. So far he is slashing .281/.471/.500 with six doubles, four triples, 18-19 in steals, 18 walks, and 18 strikeouts over his 87 plate appearances. He’s played all three outfield spots and first base, with his most action coming in left – nearly half of his innings are there. He got this spot over ASU star Dominic Longo (1.119 OPS, more walks than strikeouts) because he’s got considerably more playing time and has an on base of nearly .500.

Honorable Mention – Cade Climie, INF, Houston; Dominic Longo, INF/OF, Arizona State; Augie Lopez, C/1B, USC; Joek Rivera, INF, New Mexico JUCO; Teagan Scott, C, Oregon HS; Andrew Berg, RHP, Army; Cole Fehrman, LHP, Saint Joe’s; David Hinojosa, RHP, New York HS; Alex Kranzler, RHP, Vanderbilt; Luc Rising, RHP, Northeastern

West Virginia – Grayson Fitzwater, 1B, VMI

Fitzwater didn’t spend long in the MLBDL, but he made his impact. In three games he hit 5-10 with a double, three home runs, a steal, and three walks to one strikeout. Beyond the stat line he has a 95.1 MPH average exit velocity, 33.3% barrel rate, and hard hit % of 66.7. It’s a tiny sample size, but it still means something because scouts wondered how he would translate against better competition than he faced in the SoCon, where he is a career .305/.432/.636 hitter with 10+ HR and a 1.010+ OPS in each of his last three seasons. He might be a senior, but he’s got enough bat that he isn’t likely looking at true senior sign money. If not for Fitzwater’s loud three game stretch, this spot probably would have gone to JUCO arm Trenton Lape, a former LSU player.

Honorable Mention – Owen Henne, SS, Seton Hill; Kahanu Martinez, 2B, Hawaii HS; Derrick Tarpley, OF, Pitt; Gabe Barrett, RHP, San Francisco; Taz Butler, RHP, Kansas State; Trenton Lape, RHP, Florida JUCO; Collin McKinney, RHP, Arizona

Williamsport – MaddixDalena, 1B, UConn

Through his first 87 plate appearances Dalena is hitting .233/.448/.417 with two doubles, three homers, 4-4 in steals, and 23 walks to 19 strikeouts. Dalena’s batting average might be a bit low, but the lefty has been a standout in terms of hard contact and not swinging and missing often. He has also been splitting his time between first and third base – though his future is likely to be at first. Dalena isn’t likely to be a very high selection, but he is showing something to work with for a 22-year-old prospect with some success at UConn.

Honorable Mention – Kyle Schuppman, 3B, Illinois; Chris Stanfield, OF, LSU; Ben Tryon, 1B, Dallas Baptist; Owen Price, OF, VMI; Chris Guillory, RHP, Georgia HS; David Horn, RHP, Middle Tennessee State; Myles Meyer, RHP, McNeese State; Dallis Moran, RHP, Stetson; Jackson Nash, RHP, Longwood; Enger Paulino, RHP, Saint Bonaventure; Brendan Sweeney, RHP, Mississippi State; Joe Webb, RHP, East Carolina

Team Canada – Elliot Lascelles, SS

It can’t be anyone else, as for the second straight year Lascelles stood out here against older competition. Lascelles slashed .394/.523/.545 with a double, two triples, 10 walks to just three strikeouts, and a perfect 8-8 in steals in 44 plate appearances. For a kid facing college competition, with a league average age of 2.8 years older than him, he didn’t just hold his own. It wasn’t just the slash line, he took at bats like a professional and showed his solid glove at both short and second. You can see from last year’s article that he was one of the honorable mentions from this team as an underclassman as well, speaking to just how mature he is as a young player. It should be noted that he outperformed teammate and fellow potential Top 100 pick Robert Omidi by a considerable amount over their nine game stint, though the top Canadian prospect (LHP Sean Duncan) missed playing due to injury.

Honorable Mention – Sam Ellis, OF, Jalen Jacob, 1B (2027)

Team Mexico – Jose Almeida, INF

Team Mexico struggled in their time up north in the MLBDL, going 0-9 and being outscored 86-33 in that time. Their prospects are also a little different, as they aren’t draft eligible and able to sign as international free agents. Infielder Jose Almeida was the biggest standout as a solid defender with infield versatility that hit .313/.500/.438 with two doubles, one steal, and six walks to four strikeouts over 22 plate appearances. Almeida only turned 17 in the middle of May

It was a hot one this week in Philadelphia, a heatwave engulfing the city during the series against the Pirates. It showed on Thursday when it looked like the team was barely able to stand, squeaking out a series split with Pittsburgh, but hey. Gotta get through some tough times during a long season like this.

Three up

Trea Turner – Things are finally starting to look up for the shortstop. He’s been the target of much criticism this season, all of it deserved. He was just bad for most of it, in the batter’s box and on the field, but has recently been much better at the plate. Three home runs this week qualifies as a good week for him, even if his allergy to walks continued unabated. He’ll need to continue to produce for the team to continue their good fortune.

Justin Crawford – I’m not much of a Crawford fan at all, but a week in which he hits .400/.400/.450 is one that deserves a point of praise. He’s looked better at the plate with another adjustment to his stance helping him, which makes him more playable every day. It would be nice to see him stealing more often, using the speed that got him to the majors, but it’s probably best to just keep letting him do what is working best.

Cristopher Sanchez – It’s always kind of weird when the Ace of the staff has a not normal few starts. Sanchez was at that point where his past two starts weren’t up to par for what we’ve come to expect. This week, he got back to his usual self, throwing seven shutout innings against the Pirates and just generally looking back to normal. Just in time too as it looks as though it is lining up for him to start the All-Star Game in Philadelphia.

Three down

Middle relief – Once again, there are questions about the soft underbelly this team has, which is the sixth, seventh and eighth pitchers in the bullpen. They just aren’t good enough, forcing more innings to be covered by the more reliable arms at the front of the pecking order. Maybe getting Brad Keller back healthy will help reset things, but it’s looking more and more like they will have to get another relief pitcher at the deadline.

Backup catchers – Boy do they stink. Both Rafael Marchan and Garrett Stubbs got a start; neither did anything of consequence. More of the same from them.

All-Star voting – Here’s my beef this year with the voting. How is Bryce Harper the “legends pick” or whatever it was? How was he not chosen outright for his production on the field by either the fans or the players? The guy is already in that pity selection phase by the game? That’s pathetic. Speaking of pathetic, how is Zack Wheeler not among the starting pitchers chosen? He’s been good enough with his pitching, but couple that the story of how he has returned from his injury, that should be an easy All-Star selection.

Hey hey…its everybody’s favorite time of the year. Its time for the LSB Midseason Community Prospect Rankings!!!

As we do every year, twice a year — once midseason and once offseason — we are voting on who we think is the top prospect in the Rangers farm system right now. If the voting is close, we have a runoff. We then vote on each successive spot, removing each prospect from consideration as they are voted in.

We are starting with the players who made the offseason top 25 who are still with the organization and who still have rookie eligibility remaining, and additional players will be added as we move forward.

You can see the final results from the offseason voting here.

Because there has been a history of vote-spamming shenanigans in the rankings, I used Google Forms for the last several of community rankings, and it worked out well, so we will use it again. You will need to include your LSB user name when you vote. If you don’t have an LSB user name, you need to use some sort of identifier. While this won’t eliminate the possibility of vote spamming, it will make it harder.

So who is the #1 prospect in the Rangers system right now?

Cast your vote below…

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The Los Angeles Dodgers aim to extend their 14-game lead in the NL West as they begin a three-game home series against the last-place Colorado Rockies.

L.A. is a massive favorite (-213), but my Rockies vs. Dodgers predictions like the price on the run line better. 

See why I'm expecting runs in bunches as well with my MLB picks for Monday, July 6.

Who will win Rockies vs Dodgers today: Dodgers -1.5 (-108)

Two southpaws take the bump, but only one lineup hits them well. 

The Colorado Rockies have a league-worst 81 wRC+ against LHP, whereas the Los Angeles Dodgers have been effective (108 wRC+). The edge at the plate is massive for the Boys in Blue, especially with the lineup back to full strength. 

Kyle Freeland has surrendered an ugly .310/.343/.575 slash line in a large sample size of 200 plate appearances against L.A.'s lineup. Colorado has dropped eight of his last 13 starts against the run line, so I'd play L.A. -1.5 up to -125.

COVERS INTEL: Kyle Freeland leads with his four-seamer (.321 xBA) and curveball (.299 xBA). The Dodgers hit both offerings well, posting 15.7 runs above replacement against four-seamers (third) and 12.6 against curves (first). 

Rockies vs Dodgers Over/Under pick: Over 9.5 (-104)

Two starting pitchers with profiles screaming "FADE ME!" and winds of 5-9 mph blowing out to dead center? Sign me up for runs. 

Freeland (91 Stuff+) and Eric Lauer (88 Stuff+) both throw lollipops. Freeland's third-percentile xBA (.294) is a major concern against L.A.'s league-best .266 xBA at the dish, and Lauer allows too much loud contact (ninth-percentile barrel rate) in the air (eighth-percentile groundball rate). 

Colorado has a 4.54 SIERA (23rd) out of the pen in the last 14 days, while L.A. hasn't been much better (18th with a 3.98 SIERA).

Rockies vs Dodgers weather

Sunny skies are expected with light winds. A beautiful night for baseball. 

Rockies vs Dodgers odds

• Moneyline: Rockies +154 | Dodgers -170
• Run line: Rockies +1.5 (+110) | Dodgers -1.5 (-110)
• Over/Under: Over 10.5 (-115) | Under 10.5 (-105)

Rockies vs Dodgers trend

The Dodgers have covered the run line in six consecutive home games against the Rockies. Find more MLB betting trends for Rockies vs. Dodgers.

How to watch Rockies vs Dodgers and game info

Rockies vs Dodgers latest injuries

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You may not have had the opportunity to watch what the Cincinnati Reds were up to all weekend given the holiday, heat, and literal thousands of other things more enjoyable to do than watch this club try to play the sport of baseball. Thankfully, we here at Red Reporter are going to wrap up the weekend’s news for you right now!

Will Benson was designated for assignment

The Reds called time on the Will Benson experiment for good. He joins the likes of Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Rece Hinds as former touted cornerstone pieces of this existential rebuild that have now been cast aside.

Cincinnati’s front office has been trying for years to find a left-handed outfield bat that’s worth a dang, and they continue to be forced to admit their swings and misses. Jake Fraley didn’t pan out. Gavin Lux cost them a fortune to acquire and they dumped him with egg on their face almost immediately. JJ Bleday has shown flashes but just hit .161/.288/.323 across the entire month of June. In Benson, the Reds initially thought they had something when the former 1st round pick excelled in 2023, but he was simply never able to replicate that small-sample excellence.

Hunter Greene returned and got smacked

Cincinnati hoped their resident ace would ride to their rescue immediately after missing the first half of the season following elbow surgery. The exact opposite happened on Saturday against Baltimore.

Hunter Greene was lit up for 8 ER in just 3.1 IP, his short stint forcing the bullpen to cover copious innings in an eventual loss in front of a holiday crowd mostly there just for the fireworks show that followed. Now, the Reds are immediately in the mode where they question just how much they lean on Greene when mired in last place and closer to 10 games under .500 than to a Wild Card spot.

The Reds lost another home series, this time to a dismal Orioles club

The Orioles are essentially the Reds. Flirting with being 10 games under .500, a dozen games back in their division (and, in Baltimore’s case, a half-game out of last place thanks to beating the Reds in GABP), and figuring out which pieces they’ll be better off selling in the next month.

Still, that Orioles club was good enough to come into an opponent’s ball park and take 2 out of 3, which says just about all you need to know about the Reds at the moment.

Sal Stewart and Chase Burns are All Stars

Sal Stewart and Chase Burns were named to the National League’s All Star roster on Sunday, the two certainly deserving of the honors.

The Cincinnati Reds are in last place with less than a month to the trade deadline

It’s about time we all acknowledged the obivious: this team, this franchise has serious problems. More problems than they have solutions. I’m not suggesting that they go full fire-sale right this minute and deal everyone they can for whatever they can get, but it’s time for them to be strategic sellers.

Nick Lodolo just had his best start of the season. Maybe if he strings together 2-3 more, you think about dealing him. He’ll be a free agent after 2028, and do you really think this club can build itself into a contender for next year?

It’s those types of decisions that will be kicked around the front office in the coming weeks. That, and whether or not Terry Francona and his staff are at all the right fit for the roster as it evolves.

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

Before locking in your MLB player props, here are my MLB picks I'm targeting to leave their mark tonight.

Best MLB home run props today

Player to hit a HR	Odds
James Wood	+250
Michael Harris	+436
Hunter Goodman	+230
💲Today's HR parlay	+5875

Home run pick: James Wood (+250)

I think I am still out of breath from running to bet on this prop.

Washington Nationals star James Wood finds himself in the spot of all spots, as he draws Houston Astros right-hander Mike Burrows. Over his last 30 left-handed hitters faced, Burrows is allowing just a 17.4% ground ball rate. 

Yes, that means hitters are elevating the baseball 82.6% of the time. During that span, they are also generating a 43.5% hard-hit rate and an 8.7% barrel rate, while posting a .589 xSLG and a .355 xwOBA.

Wood may only have a .208 BA over his last 30 plate appearances against right-handed pitching, but he also owns a .500 SLG, .867 OPS, and .377 wOBA, while producing an 86.7% hard-hit rate and a 13.3% barrel rate.

Yeah, give me the nuke.

• Time: 6:45 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Nationals.TV, Space City Home Network

Home run pick: Michael Harris (+436)

We are backing dad strength in this one, Michael Harris to go yard against New York Mets starter Freddy Peralta.

The Atlanta Braves outfielder has been one of the few bright spots for Atlanta over the last month. The sparkplug is batting .268 with a .464 SLG and .781 OPS, while posting a 53.5% hard-hit rate and a 13.9% barrel rate in his last 60 plate appearances against right-handed pitching.

Harris enters Monday with an elite rating on Batters-Box’s current season metrics, with nearly 90% arsenal coverage against Peralta. The right-hander also owns a poorly rated matchup in ISO, wOBA, and hard contact on Batters-Box.

On the road, Peralta is allowing 69.4% elevation and a 36.1% hard-hit rate to lefties. Those hitters have produced a .571 SLG and .384 wOBA, and over his last 60 faced, he is allowing a 2.84 HR/9 with a .497 xSLG.

The Braves are slowly turning it around, and with Harris leading the way, they can keep building toward the form they showed two months ago.

• Time: 7:15 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: BravesVision, SportsNet New York

Home run pick: Hunter Goodman (+230)

Tonight is the night, I think...

I am sitting on a Hunter Goodman over 27.5 home run ticket, and with 27 homers on the year, I think tonight is the night this future cashes.

The Colorado Rockies' All-Star draws left-hander Eric Lauer, who has allowed plenty of loud contact to right-handed hitters. At home this season, righties are elevating the ball nearly 78% of the time while producing a 36.7% hard-hit rate. 

Over the last 30 right-handed batters he has faced, they own a .541 xSLG and .337 xwOBA with a 14.8% barrel rate.

Meanwhile, Goodman has crushed lefties over his last 60 plate appearances, posting a .630 SLG and 1.013 OPS while producing a 56% hard-hit rate and a 20.6% barrel rate.

Take it out of the park, Hunter!

• Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Rockies.TV, Sportsnet Los Angeles

Today’s HR parlay

Hunter goodman	Bet Now +5875
James Wood
Michael Harris

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Start the week off right with my favorite MLB same-game parlay predictions for Monday's eight-game slate.

My top MLB picks begin with the Mets pulling off a road upset over the favored Braves (-132) and wrap up with the Dodgers pulling away from the Rockies in the nightcap.

Today's best MLB SGP picks

Game	SGP Odds
NYM vs ATL	+410
MIL vs STL	+410
COL vs LAD	+315

Mets vs Braves SGP: New York upsets Atlanta

The Atlanta Braves have dropped to 29th in wOBA and 27th in xwOBA through 21 games without star Ronald Acuna Jr. (hamstring), while the New York Mets comfortably sit 16th and eighth in the two metrics. 

I also expect New York righty Freddy Peralta to pitch well. He’s held opposing hitters to the sixth-lowest barrel percentage among pitchers with at least 75 innings to pave the way for a respectable 3.78 xERA that’s way below his 4.81 ERA. Still, he’s failed to register 6+ strikeouts in seven of his past nine starts with a pedestrian 19.8 strikeout percentage.

The final leg of this SGP turns to Mets star Juan Soto, and with him ranking fourth in the majors in both wOBA and OPS against right-handed pitchers since the beginning of the 2024 campaign, I see value in the SGP down to +375.

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

Brewers vs Cardinals SGP: Busch isn't light on runs tonight

The Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals rank first and third in xwOBA across the past 30 days while averaging 5.1 and 5.2 runs per game, so I’m anticipating both offenses putting runs on the board tonight.

Brewers lefty Shane Drohan has allowed an above-average .338 wOBA while pitching to a mediocre 4.09 ERA across 33 innings as a starter this season, and Cards righty Dustin May has surrendered a healthy 46.3% hard-hit rate, after all.

I recommend this SGP down to +390.

• Time: 7:45 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: CARD, BREW

Rockies vs Dodgers SGP: L.A. tees off on Freeland

There’s nothing pretty about Colorado Rockies starter Kyle Freeland’s underlying numbers, with his 18.5 blast-contact percentage and .394 wOBA allowed both sitting among the worst marks in baseball. Additionally, the Los Angeles Dodgers are fifth in wOBA against lefties this season and first in xwOBA across the past 30 days.

I also have confidence in L.A. lefty Eric Lauer. He’s limited opposing bats to a minuscule 25.3 squared-up contact percentage and 9.1 BlastCon% across five starts with the team, and the Rockies have the highest strikeout percentage against southpaws while also ranking below average in wOBA.

Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández rounds out the SGP, and he’s recorded a rock-solid .268 batting average against lefties across the past three years. Hernandez is also ripe for a breakout game after going just 3-for-22 at the plate across six games since returning from a hamstring injury.

This SGP is in play down to +300.

• Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SportsNet Los Angeles, COLR

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The Detroit Tigers opened July with three wins in four tries while going 5-1 on their road trip after securing a 6-3 win over the Texas Rangers in Arlington on Sunday afternoon. Riley Greene paced the offense with a three-hit day, falling just a double short of the cycle, while Casey Mize threw his second straight quality start en route to the victory.

This week, the Motor City Kitties return home for a six-game home stand heading into the All-Star break, starting with a trio against the Athletics beginning on Tuesday night. Left-hander Tarik Skubal will get the start in the opener looking to build upon his best outing since returning from the disabled list.

Last time out in the Bronx, the 29-year-old allowed two runs (one earned) on just one hit — a solo home run — and zero walks while striking out nine New York Yankees plus a hit batter over six innings of work en route to his fourth win of the 2026 campaign in a 9-3 triumph for the Tigers.

Up against Skubal for the Athletics will be right-hander J.T. Ginn, who also had a strong outing last time out after experiencing a rough June. The 27-year-old threw six frames of one-run ball on three hits (one home run) and five walks while striking out four Los Angeles Dodgers to earn his seventh win of the season in a 7-1 final.

Here is a look at how the two match up in Tuesday’s evening opener at Comerica Park.

Detroit Tigers (40-50) vs. Athletics (41-49)

Time (ET): 6:40 p.m.
Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
SB Nation Site:Athletics Nation
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 91: LHP Tarik Skubal (4-4, 3.15 ERA) vs. RHP J.T. Ginn (7-4, 3.04 ERA)

SKUBAL

GINN

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (40-46) lost 8-2 (BOX SCORE)

Pecko started for Sugar Land but struggled a bit allowing 4 runs over 3 innings. Sugar Land got on the board in the 4th inning on a Salazar 2 run single. Knorr allowed 3 runs in relief as OKC extended their lead. The bullpen allowed one more run and the offense was quiet the rest of the game as they fell 8-2.

Note: Biggio has a .889 OPS this season.

• Cavan Biggio, 1B: 1-for-2, 2B, 2 BB
• Trenton Brooks, LF: 1-for-3, 2B, BB
• Lucas Spence, RF: 1-for-3, R, BB
• Cesar Salazar, C: 1-for-3, 2 RBI

• Ethan Pecko, RHP: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
• Michael Knorr, RHP: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Bennett Sousa, LHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• Brandon McPherson, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Christian Roa, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (37-43) won 3-2 (BOX SCORE)

Wesneski made a rehab start for the Hooks and pitched well allowing 1 run over 4 innings. The Hooks got on the board in the 5th inning on an Encarnacion 2 run home run. In the 8th, Rosario added a 3 run home run to extend the lead. Gillis went the final 5 innings allowing 1 run as he closed out the 5-2 win.

Note: Gillis has a 3.33 ERA this season.

• Joseph Sullivan, RF: 1-for-3, R
• Yamal Encarnacion, 2B: 1-for-3, R, HR, 2 RBI
• Tyler Whitaker, CF: 1-for-3, BB
• Max Holy, SS: 0-for-3, R, BB
• Jax Biggers, 3B: 1-for-4, R
• Hemmanuel Rosario, DH: 1-for-4, R, HR, 3 RBI, BB

• Hayden Wesneski, RHP: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• Brett Gillis, RHP: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (WIN)

A+: Asheville Tourists (27-53) won 11-8 (BOX SCORE)

Howard started for Asheville but struggled allowing 6 runs over 3.2 innings. Asheville got on the board in the 2nd inning on a Call solo home run. The offense rallied in the 3rd scoring 6 runs on an Ochoa 3 run home run, Nunez RBI double and Trujillo 2 run single. They got another run in the 4th on a Moss sac fly and one more in the 6th on a Hernandez RBI single. After Hub City got 2 in the 8th, Asheville responded with a Daudet 2 run double in the bottom of the inning. Wells closed it out with a scoreless 9th inning as Asheville won 11-8.

Note: Ochoa has a .896 OPS in High-A.

• Kyle Walker, SS: 0-for-4, R, BB
• Caden Powell, LF: 1-for-4, 2 R, BB, SB
• Nehomar Ochoa, CF: 3-for-5, 3 R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI
• Chase Call, RF: 2-for-4, 2 R, HR, RBI, BB
• Jack Moss, 1B: 0-for-2, RBI, 2 BB
• Cesar Hernandez, DH: 1-for-5, R, RBI
• Zach Daudet, 3B: 2-for-2, R, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, 2 SB
• Alejandro Nunez, 2B: 1-for-3, R, RBI, 2 BB, SB
• Keduar Trujillo, C: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, BB

• Dylan Howard, RHP: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
• Raimy Rodriguez, RHP: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (WIN)
• Anthony Cruz, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• Bryce Collins, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
• Jackson Wells, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (SAVE)

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (41-39) won 10-9 (BOX SCORE)

The Woodpeckers got on the board in the first inning on an Alvarez RBI single. They rallied in the 5th for 4 runs on Ramirez sac fly, Wakefield 2 run home run and Luciano RBI double. Smith got the start and was solid tossing 5 no-hit innings, though he walked 5 and allowed a run. Saunier allowed a few runs in relief but in the 7th, Luciano connected on a solo home run to extend the Woodpeckers’ lead. The Howlers took the lead with 4 runs in the 7th, but the Woodpeckers rallied again scoring 4 runs in the 8th on a Wakefield RBI single, Cauro walk, Flores walk and a run scoring on a wild pitch. Cassedy tossed a scoreless inning to close out the 10-9 win.

Note: Luciano has a .844 OPS this season.

• Josh Wakefield, LF: 3-for-5, 3 R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, BB
• Xavier Neyens, DH: 1-for-3, R, 2B, BB
• Kevin Alvarez, CF: 1-for-6, RBI, SB
• Waner Luciano, 3B: 2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, SB
• Carlos Cauro, C: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, BB
• Arturo Flores, 1B: 0-for-4, RBI, BB
• Hector Salas, 2B: 1-for-4, R, 2B, BB
• Kenni Gomez, RF: 0-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 SB
• German Ramirez, SS: 2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI, BB

• Aubrey Smith, RHP: 5.0 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 1 K
• Grayson Saunier, RHP: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
• Jackson Wells, RHP: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 0 K (WIN)
• Brandon Cassedy, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (SAVE)

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: OFF

CC: OFF

AV: OFF

FV: OFF

The Washington Nationals finally had a reliever that looked good, and they sent him down. Well, that is quite the oversimplification, but I do wish Eddy Yean got to stay with the team after his electric debut. However, he threw 28 pitches, so he was not going to be available for a few days.

Now that he is on the 40-man roster and made that kind of first impression, there is no doubt that Eddy Yean will be back. I just hope it is sooner rather than later. The big right hander made his debut in a tough spot. Cade Cavalli just did not have it today, so Yean had to come in during the third inning with two on. He was able to stop the bleeding in that inning, and things just went from there.

Yean came in the ball game and attacked with his power stuff. That was a breath of fresh air for this bullpen. Yean’s heater averaged 97.8 MPH yesterday. The Nats bullpen just does not have that kind of velocity in it. I take a liking to big fireballers out of the bullpen, and Yean certainly fits that description. Seeing a guy who looks like a defensive tackle flirt with triple digits is pretty awesome if you ask me.

While Yean’s fastball is in the upper 90’s, his primary putaway pitch yesterday was his changeup. All three of his strikeouts came on the change, which has also been his primary whiff pitch in the minors. The pitch looks and moves a lot like his sinker, it just comes in about 8 to 9 MPH slower. That makes things really tough on hitters.

That first strikeout is a really good example of how his changeup plays. It does not have insane movement, but hitters are just out in front of the pitch. That leads to whiffs or ground balls. Those ground balls are a big part of Yean’s game. In the minors, his GB rate was 54.1%. Yesterday, Yean got a couple ground ball outs as well. Despite the big velocity, he projects more as a ground ball artist than a guy who gets a ton of strikeouts.

It was not just Yean’s performance on the mound that endeared him to fans though. The righty made a grand entrance on the bullpen cart to start his big league career. With how hot it was yesterday, I would have done the exact same thing. He is a big boy, and you don’t want him wasting any energy on things that do not involve pitching. It is also very cool and funny when guys take the bullpen cart.

Honestly, Eddy Yean was giving off a lot of Fernando Rodney energy yesterday. Between the Dominican heritage, the beefy build, the nasty changeup and big velocity, there are a lot of similarities there. Yean even had a flat-billed cap like Rodney, but it was not sideways.

Yean really seems like a charismatic presence, and could become a fan favorite with a few more good outings. I understand the process of sending him down, but I wish they rewarded good performances more than they do. It is also not like Yean threw 50 pitches like Carson Palmquist did in his Nats debut. 

This is really just a nit pick though because Yean is almost certainly going to be back soon. The bullpen is simply not good enough to have a guy with an upper 90’s heater and nasty changeup just sitting in the minors. Frankly, Yean should have been given a shot sooner than he was. You need velocity and stuff in the bullpen, and that is what Yean can provide.

Sometimes finding bullpen help can be simple. Just call on the big Dominican right hander who throws 99. Eddy Yean did not look scared or overwhelmed at all in his big league debut. Why would he feel scared, even in the big leagues, his velocity and stuff plays. I can’t wait to see more of the 25 year old righty.

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The San Diego Padres snapped an eight-game losing streak against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday Night Baseball.

They are -115 favorites to follow it up and win their series opener against Arizona, and my Diamondbacks vs. Padres predictions and MLB picks expect them to do just that.

Who will win Diamondbacks vs Padres today: Padres moneyline (-115)

Walker Buehler was blown up in his most recent start. Otherwise, it’s been smooth sailing for him with the San Diego Padres.

He's allowed two runs or fewer in eight of his past 10, and he’s been lights out at home all season — posting a 3.13 ERA and strong 50.4 GB%.

The Arizona Diamondbacksrank dead last in OPS against righties. They’re not a team that should give Buehler much trouble.

Look for the Padres, who are up to 16th in wOBA vs. RHP over the last month, to provide run support against Brandon Pfaadt. Bet this to -125.

COVERS INTEL:Brandon Pfaadt ranks in the 20th percentile in pitcher run value and allowed four runs over three innings against San Diego back in April.

Diamondbacks vs Padres Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-110)

This total is a little high. Buehler hasn’t allowed more than three runs at home all year, and he has held Bottom-15 opponents in OPS to two runs or fewer in all four starts in San Diego.

The Diamondbacks are hitting .209 with a .285 wOBA against right-handed pitching over the past month. It’s tough to envision them doing much damage against Buehler in a pitcher’s park.

Although the Padres have improved offensively of late, it’s important to remember they rank dead last in runs, batting average, and OPS. They’re not a team that runs it up.

I'd play this to -120.

Diamondbacks vs Padres weather

Temperatures in the low 70s are expected with winds blowing southeast. Boost to the pitchers.

Diamondbacks vs Padres odds

• Moneyline: Diamondbacks -105 | Padres -115
• Run line: Diamondbacks -1.5 (+160) | Padres +1.5 (-190)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-115) | Under 8.5 (-105)

Diamondbacks vs Padres trend

The Padres have cashed the Under in 16 of their last 25 home games for +6.15 units and a 23% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Diamondbacks vs. Padres.

How to watch Diamondbacks vs Padres and game info

Diamondbacks vs Padres latest injuries

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Daily perspective: Four teams with more wins than the Cubs. The Cubs are on a perfect 90-win pace. 72 games remaining. The Cubs managed one win from the Cardinals. A disappointing weekend, but a good homestand winning four of six. Fangraphs has the Cubs at 71 percent for a postseason spot. The Cubs have an off day Monday before a six-game road trip to Baltimore and Cincinnati. The early Fangraphs projection of those matchups has the Cubs somewhere between a small and medium favorite for the first five of those six games and an underdog in the sixth. An off day, then six road games, then the All-Star break provides a somewhat unusual opportunity to be a little more aggressive with bullpen usage. Matthew Boyd is in line for the two start week. I’m not sure there is per se a better option right now. I haven’t followed injury notes, but Fangraphs thinks Jameson Taillon takes the Saturday start (and no starts for Javier Assad). Taillon threw 3.1 innings in a rehab start for South Bend Sunday, allowed one run, struck out two and threw 45 pitches. So he and Assad could possibly piggyback on Saturday.

Enough perspective for one day. That feels like it at least could be a decent trip. So it’s a good thing the Cubs didn’t spoil the homestand by getting swept. Four of six feels pretty good against two teams that Fangraphs thinks have 41.5 percent and 12.5 percent likelihood of being in the playoffs. Putting a nail in a in no way sealed coffin for the Padres was terrific. That team might be in some amount of disarray right now, but with their bullpen and some of the bats they have there, that’s a team that has a puncher’s chance in a series.

The Cardinals have a tough road ahead and appear to be the third (or fourth) best team in their own division. That’s a tough, though clearly not impossible, road to the playoffs. I think if I could flat out pick where the wins fell, I’d have chosen two in each series, but I really don’t mind the 3/1 split. This is not a year where I feel it totally needed to be 3/1 with the Cardinals being the three.

What went right on Sunday? Javier Assad had a decent start, though he didn’t finish five, using 80 pitches to get two outs into the fifth. He allowed two hits and two walks. The Cubs rode two Cardinals errors in the decisive sixth inning to put together a four run inning. A walk and two hit by pitches in the first inning by Cardinal pitchers also helped the Cub offense.

Long story short, the Cubs were better on Sunday, but they really won this one because the Cardinals were pretty sloppier. Drew Pomeranz returned to the team and appears to be a potential contributor. We’ll see how spotty that will be. But obviously this team had a lot of familiarity with him and a ton of need. The team continues to keep their eyes open. There are a couple of more veteran relievers throwing innings in Iowa for the organization, as the team looks to try to float their injuries until some of the plethora of injured Cub pitchers start working their way back.

I will hat tip that the Cubs led 6-3 after six and ultimately won a game. I’ve belabored a lot that the Cubs really haven’t been involved in games like this, games where the team leads after six and turns it over to the pen to nail it down. I’m not sure how often they can throw Jacob Webb for two innings to nail down a save like this, but he hadn’t thrown all weekend and won’t be needed Monday, so it was a spot where this was an option. Webb has looked better, but knowing they wanted him to get six outs while also knowing he had a three-run lead to work with, this was a fine performance.

Webb now has three saves, matching Daniel Palencia for the team lead. It was a rare three-save week for the Cubs. And true to form for this team, the saves were recorded by three different pitchers. An interesting question is what will the Cubs end up with more of: Different pitchers with saves or walk-off wins? With 10 different players already having saves, you’d knee jerk that it’s going to be hard to find too many other guys to get saves. Pomeranz comes to mind right away. Phil Maton is the only other semi-obvious candidate. But I’ll eat my hat if the Cubs don’t trade for at least one reliever later this month. Then there are also those two veteran arms working at Iowa. Walk-offs are not a thing that are guaranteed to happen. I would probably say walk-offs are at least a 60-40 favorite.

Three Positives:

• Nico Hoerner had two plate appearances in scoring opportunities and had a sacrifice fly and an RBI-single, scoring two of six runners he batted with on base on the day.
• He had all of those opportunities because Michael Busch (single, two hit by pitch) and Carson Kelly (single, two walks) kept getting on base. Each scored a run.
• A hat tip to Jacob Webb for six outs even though he allowed a hit and a walk and an inherited run.
• Obligatory PCA update: two singles, hit by pitch, two stolen bases and a run scored. Pete is now on pace for a 30/40 season with 74 walks, 88 RBI and 101 runs. His ascendency to Superstar has been so much fun to watch.

Game 90, July 5: Cubs 6, Cardinals 4 (50-40)

Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Javier Assad (.252). 4.2 IP, 17 BF, 2 H, 2 BB, 0 R, 2 K
• Hero: Michael Busch (.204). 1-2, 2 HBP, R
• Sidekick: Dansby Swanson (.158). 1-4, R

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Tyler Ferguson (-.336). 0.2 IP, 3 BF, H, ER
• Goat: Ian Happ (-.089). 0-3, HBP (Cards hit four Cubs).
• Kid: Seiya Suzuki (-.072). 0-4

WPA Notes: Despite Ryan Rolison starting the sixth inning meltdown for the Cub pen, most of the WPA falls on Ferguson because they scored while he was pitching. Webb gets knocked for allowing the inherited runner to score. Absent that run, he slips past Dansby for third. Nico’s day doesn’t land higher because his RBI-single didn’t really massive move the needle on expected scoring. Run expectancy thought the Cubs would score 1.83 more runs in the inning before Hoerner’s single and after his RBI-single, total run expectancy for the inning was 2.48.

WPA Play of the Game: Jordan Walker’s three-run homer off of Tyler Ferguson with one out in the sixth turned a two run deficit into a one run lead. (.370)

Cubs Play of the Game: Dansby Swanson batted with runners on first and second with one out, scored tied in the sixth. He grounded to third, but Jose Fermin’s error led to a run and runners on second and third. (.198)

Cubs Player of the Game:

Game 89 Winner: Pete Crow-Armstrong received 83% of 36 votes.

Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)

The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.

• Pete Crow-Armstrong +21
• Carson Kelly +14.5
• Michael Busch +14
• Ben Brown +13.5
• Trent Thornton +12.5
• Dansby Swanson -9
• Edward Cabrera -9.5
• Phil Maton -10
• Caleb Thielbar -13
• Seiya Suzuki -13.5

Up Next: That off day Monday. Matthew Boyd (3-1, 5.08) is scheduled for the first game of the trip. He’s 1-0 with three runs allowed in 9.2 innings since coming off of the IL. He threw 76 pitches in each of the two starts. I’d imagine at this point situation would dictate possibly going a little farther than that going forward.

The 42-49 Orioles have lost six of 10 and have a -28 run differential. They feel like the fifth best team in a division with two titans in it (though the Yankees are free falling right now). 27-year-old right Shane Baz (4-8, 4.19) will get the start. I know him best for his four years here in Tampa with the Rays, though he was the 12th overall pick of the Pirates back in 2017. He had a good start last time against the White Sox in Baltimore, allowing two runs over seven innings. He’s got a 3.30 ERA over his last seven starts (43.2 IP), so this is definitely no gimme.

The Orioles are 12th in runs scored in MLB. Their issue is the eighth most runs allowed. They are 13th in runs allowed by relievers, so the starters have been the problem. If you follow that set of stats around the circle, this is a decent chance for the Orioles to win a game.