Category: Baseball

Triple-A: Norfolk Tides 3, Syracuse Mets 2

Nestor German was the story in this Tides win, twirling a dazzling outing of seven shutout innings, the longest outing of his professional career. He had more strikeouts (six) than baserunners (five), and it came against a Syracuse lineup in which all nine batters were guys with major league experience, including blink-and-you-missed-them former Orioles Cristian Pache and Vidal Bruján. It was German’s second straight scoreless start. What a performance by the Orioles’ #11 prospect (per MLB Pipeline).

Tides cleanup hitter Christian Encarnacion-Strand hit his 17th homer with Norfolk, and Heston Kjerstad went 0-for-3 but contributed a sac fly. Leadoff man Enrique Bradfield Jr., who as of yesterday is no longer the only EBJ in the organization, went 0-for-3 with a walk.

The Tides nearly blew a 3-0 lead in the ninth when lefty Andrew Magno had a rare bad outing, giving up two runs to raise his season ERA to a still-awesome 1.04, but he held on for his sixth save. Before that, Yaramil Hiraldo, whom the O’s activated from the IL and optioned yesterday, worked a perfect eighth.

Box score

Double-A: Chesapeake Baysox 9, Akron RubberDucks (Guardians) 0

The Baysox dominated on every side of the ball, not only erupting for nine runs on 10 hits but also throwing a two-hit shutout. It was maybe their most all-around well-played victory of the season.

Let’s start on the mound, where #4 prospect Luis De León had the kind of outing that makes scouts drool over him. Just like Nestor German, he delivered the longest outing of his professional career, but he one-upped German by tossing eight scoreless innings. Wowza! Before tonight, De León’s career high for innings in a game was six, and even that he only did once. Also like German, De León had more strikeouts (five) than baserunners (three). I think it’s safe to say this was the best outing of his professional career. For good measure, reliever Juan Rojas struck out the side in the ninth.

Then there’s the Chesapeake offense, which certainly brought the lumber on this night. Leadoff man Douglas Hodo III set the tone with a homer, a double, and five RBIs. Three other Baysox had multi-hit games, including Aron Estrada, Griff O’Ferrall, and recently acquired Dom Keegan. Thomas Sosa added a homer. The Baysox went 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position. They scored two of their runs against former O’s minor league Carter Rustad, who was traded for Johnathan Rodríguez in March.

Box score

High-A: Frederick Keys 6, Jersey Shore BlueClaws (Phillies) 4 — Game 1, 7 inn.

In their regularly scheduled Saturday game, the Keys scored six unanswered runs to rally back from an early 3-0 deficit. The top five hitters in the lineup were a combined 7-for-14, which my rudimentary math skills tell me is a .500 average. Wehiwa Aloy starred with two hits, including his 13th home run. Victor Figueroa, Randal Diaz, and Colin Tuft each added an RBI. The Keys also had four steals in five attempts.

Tall lefty Boston Bateman picked up the win with a solid five-inning effort, giving up three runs and striking out six. Righty Trent Turzenski, making his first appearance in High-A this year, worked a scoreless ninth for the save. The seven-inning game clocked in at under two hours (1:58).

Box score

High-A: Jersey Shore 2, Frederick 1 — Game 2, 7 inn.

The Keys had to settle for a doubleheader split, dropping the nightcap in a makeup of Thursday’s rainout. The productive offense from the opener disappeared in game 2, with Frederick managing only two hits in their seven innings of play. Aloy provided one, an RBI single in the third, and #9 hitter Alfredo Velásquez had the other. Jersey Shore starter Ramon Marquez, the Phillies’ #9 prospect, racked up nine strikeouts in five innings.

The BlueClaws, like the Keys, also had only two hits, but unfortunately they came back-to-back in the second — a single and a two-run homer — to provide the margin of victory. That spoiled an otherwise strong outing by Keys lefty Caden Hunter, who went five frames, walked three, and struck out eight. This game was even quicker than the first one, at just one hour and 50 minutes.

Orioles #2 prospect Ike Irish did not play in either game of the doubleheader, although no injury has been reported.

Box score

Low-A: Delmarva Shorebirds 8, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (White Sox) 0

Yet another stupendous pitching performance by an O’s affiliate on this night. You love to see it. This time it was Christian Rodriguez who delivered the goods, firing seven scoreless innings. That matched a career high for the 24-year-old righty. Rodriguez scattered five hits, walked one, and struck out four. When is the last time that three different Orioles minor leaguers pitched 7+ innings on the same day? I would venture to say it’s been a long time, if ever. Relievers Adrian Heredia and Luis Beltrán completed the combined shutout with a scoreless inning apiece, combining for five strikeouts.

The Shorebirds’ offense erupted for a 13-hit attack, including three apiece by center fielder Braylon Whitaker and catcher Adriander Mejía. Home runs by Félix Amparo, Jose Perez, and Andrés Nolaya helped lead the Delmarva rout.

Box score

Sunday’s scheduled games:

• Norfolk: vs. Syracuse, 1:05 PM. Starter: Cade Povich (0-2, 5.31)
• Chesapeake: at Akron, 1:05 PM. Starter: TBD
• Frederick: vs. Jersey Shore, 2:00 PM. Starter: Patrick Reilly (Frederick season debut)
• Delmarva: vs. Kannapolis, 5:05 PM.Starter: Dalton Neuschwander (1-6, 7.10)

(54-38) Memphis Redbirds 2, (45-45) Gwinnett Stripers 9

• Patrick Clohisy, CF: 2-for-4, HR, 2B, BB, 2 RBI, 2 R, .265/.349/.459
• Rowdy Tellez, 1B: 2-for-4, HR, 4 RBI, R, .259/.367/.492
• Jair Camargo, DH: 3-for-4, HR, 2B, RBI, 2 R, .236/.276/.345
• AJ Smith-Shawver, SP: 2.1IP 5H 2ER 3BB 2K, 7.71 ERA

The Stripers clawed their way back to .500 with a dominant win over the Redbirds thanks to a strong pitching effort by the Gwinnett staff, and some explosive hitting.

AJ Smith-Shawver got the rehab start and was okay – clearly running out of gas around the 40 pitch mark for the second start in the row. AJ’s mechanics seemingly disappeared at time, with his pitching shoulder often dipping making his arm whip around more which led to his velocity decreasing a bit as he sat more in the 95-96 range. Smith-Shawver was strong up until that 40 pitch mark – seeing just two over the minimum as he entered the third inning. It was the third that the command wavered, walking two and surrendering three singles and driving in two runs. He was replaced by Carlos Carassco (3IP 1H 0R 4BB 2K) who needed just one pitch to end the bases loaded, 1 out threat that Smith-Shawver left. Carlos was strong, working around some walks, to register three one hit innings. Following Carlos was Anderson Pilar (2.2IP 0H 0R 0BB 4K) who was dominant – striking out four over 2.2 scoreless innings of work himself. Finally, it was Joel Payamps (1IP 0H 0R 0BB 0K) who worked the final inning and secured the win for the Stripers.

Offensively, it was a barrage for the Stripers who hit three home runs and collected 11 hits. Rowdy Tellez continued his hot form – by driving in two with a single in the first inning. He added another pair of runs in the third inning when he connected on his 10th home run of the season. The following inning it was Jair Camargo who added a solo shot in the fourth to push the Stripers lead to 5-2. Two innings later it was Patrick Clohisy, who was making his Triple-A debut, who connected on a two run home run himself to push it to 7-2.

Finally, Sandy León and Cal Conley drove in the final two runs of the game, both in the bottom of the eighth, to extend the Stripers dominant lead to 9-2.

(32-54) Birmingham Barons 2, (39-42) Columbus Clingstones 3

• Dalton McIntyre, CF: 1-for-4, RBI, .289/.438/.447
• Will Verdung, 1B: 2-for-4, R, .145/.234/.217
• Ambioris Tavarez, 2B: 2-for-3, R, 2B, .186/.297/.311
• Brett Sears, SP: 6.2IP 4H 2ER 1BB 8K, 3.99 ERA
• Owen Hackman, RP: 1.1IP 0H 0R 0BB 3K

Box Score

An absolutely brilliant pitching performance by the Clingstones pitching staff did the heavy lifting in a tight 3-2 over the Barons.

Brett Sears got the start and put together a really strong start, registering 18 whiffs across 6.2 innings of work. He allowed a total of just four hits including a double, and solo home run. Sears saw just one over the minimum until the fifth inning when he ran into his first bit of trouble when he allowed a one out, run scoring double. He would then get back on track, getting the next five outs before allowing that solo shot in the seventh inning. Sears would get replaced by Owen Hackman (1.1IP 0H 0R 0BB 3K) who was…also dominant, striking out three over his 1.1 innings of work, including striking out the final two batters he would face. Tyler LaPorte (1IP 0H 0R 0BB 1K) worked the final inning, picking up his fourth save of the season, as he pounded the zone throwing 8 strikes on 10 pitches while picking up four whiffs.

Offensively, the Clingstones got just enough done to secure the win. Drew Compton got the fun going in the first inning as he singled in Luke Waddell, who had earlier doubled, to give Columbus the 1-0 lead. The Clingstones would then be held scoreless the next three innings until Dalton McIntyre singled in Ambioris Tavarez to drive in the second run of the game. It was one inning later when this time Tyler Tolve drove in what was eventually the game winning hit via a dribbler to third that allowed Will Verdung to score.

(41-42) Rome Emperors 1, (41-43) Hudson Valley Renegades 7

• Tate Southisene, 0-for-4, BB, .217/.366/.396
• John Gil, 2B: 1-for-5, SB. .250/.346/.394
• Eric Hartman, CF: 1-for-3, 2B, BB, .281/.359/.543
• Dixon Williams, 1B: 1-for-2, 2B, R, 2 BB, 2 SB, .222/.332/.419
• Matieu Curtis, SP: 2.2IP 1H 1ER 2BB 7K, 4.43 ERA

Box Score

The talented Emperors offense ran into an absolutely dominant pitching performance by the Hudson Valley Renegades – striking out 12 times, while collecting just four hits. They went a painful 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position, stranding 10 on base.

Matieu Curtis got the start and put the Emperors in a good place as he struck out seven across just 2.2 innings of work. He struck out the side in the first inning, while working around a pair of walks in the second while picking up another two strikeouts. After picking up his sixth strikeout at the start of the third, the first blemish occurred as Curtis allowed a one out double, stolen base, and a balk drove in the first run of the game for the Renegades. Drew Christo (2IP 4H 3ER 1BB 2K) relieved Matieu in the third and surrendered what ended up being the game winning solo home run to his first batter seen. Drew would go on to surrender three more runs in his two innings of work before he was replaced by Jarret Whorff (1.1IP 3H 2ER 0BB 1K) who ran into double himself – allowing another pair of runs in his innings of work. Jacob Shafer (2IP 1H 1ER 2BB 2K) was the final pitcher utilized for the Clingstones and allowed a run himself across a pair of innings. In totality, the Clingstones pitching staff surrendered seven runs on nine hits hits and five walks.

Offensively, it was a struggle. The Emperors made things interesting in the first inning, loading the bases but were unable to cash in on any real opportunities until the fourth inning when Dixon Williams led off a double. Dixon would steal third, and then come into score on a wild pitch. That would end up being the only run scored. They would threaten throughout the game but never get the big hit that they needed. Starting pitcher Rory Fox for the Renegades was dominant – striking out nine across five innings of work.

(48-36) Hickory Crawdads 13, (48-38) Augusta GreenJackets 4

• Luis Guanipa, CF: 2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI, .307/.364/.465
• Conor Essenburg, RF: 1-for-2, 2B, RBI, 2 BB, .259/.401/.465
• Cody Miller, 3B: 1-for-3, 2 BB, R, .217/.365/.400
• Cooper McMurray, 1B: 2-for-4, 2 R, .236/.384/.406
• Michael Martinez, DH: 2-for-3, R, .252/.331/.462
• Davis Polo, SP: 1IP 3H 5R 4ER 3BB 1K, 4.21 ERA

Box Score

The GreenJackets were unable to overcome porous defense, as they committed five errors, while the pitching staff allowed an appalling fourteen walks and nine hits.

Davis Polo got the start and it just wasn’t his day – as he allowed five runs, four earned, threw two wild pitches, allowed a run to score on a balk, and allowed a stolen base. As he lasted just a single inning, the game quickly fell apart as the GreenJackets had to turn to the bullpen to cover at least eight innings. Adiel Melendez (2IP 3H 3R 2ER 0BB 2K) was the first man up, surrendering three total runs across two innings of work. Logan Forsythe (1.1IP 0H 3ER 2BB 1K) replace Adiel, and surrendered three earned runs despite not allowing a single hit. The GreenJackets then turned to Lews Sifontes (1IP 2H 1R 4BB 0K) who struggled with his command – walking four in his single inning of work. With the game all but settled at this point, the GreenJackets turned to a pair of position prospects who not only saved more arms, but had the best results on the mound. Joe Olsavasky (2.2IP 0H 1ER 4BB 2K) was the first one up, surrendering an earned run in his 2.2 innings of work. Hayden Friese (1IP 1H 0R 1BB 1K) was the only player on the team to record a scoreless inning.

There wasn’t much the GreenJackets could do to overcome that bad defense and poor pitching, but still did an admirable job – scoring four runs on eight total hits. They were held scoreless until the seventh inning when Luis Guanipa collected his 16th double of the season – driving in Cooper McMurray. Conor Essenburg would follow that up with a sacrifice fly that drove in Michael Martinez to give Augusta a pair of runs. They added on another run in the eighth when Cody Miller walked, took second and then third on a pair of wild pitches before being driven in by Austin Machado on a ground out. Their final run scored came in the bottom of the ninth, when it was again Luis Guanipa that singled and drove in Cooper McMurray for the GreenJackets fourth run.

(14-35) FCL Braves 5, (33-17) FCL Rays 13

• Manuel Campos, SS: 1-for-4, R, .306/.407/.442
• Jorwin Pulido, DH: 0-for-3, BB, RBI, R, .341/.429/471
• Andrew McCutchen, LF: 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, .200/.429/.400
• Johan Rodriguez, 1B: 2-for-3, 2B, RBI, R, .276/.338/.439
• Luisberth Valdez, SP: 2.2IP 5H 7ER 4BB 0K, 12.46 ERA

Box Score

(14-14) DSL Orioles Black 10, (8-20) DSL Braves 3

• Jose Manon, 3B: 2-for-4, R, .290/.396/.398
• Edelson Cabral, SS: 1-for-3, BB, R, RBI, .289/.429/.446
• Durban Arnedo, 2B: 2-for-4, .200/.273/.250
• Hector Aguilar, SP: 3IP 6H 5ER 4BB 0K, 22.50 ERA

Box Score

I have always found the Home Run Derby to be one of the most exciting events on the baseball calendar every year. There is something simple and satisfying about seeing people swing as hard as they can and smash baseballs as far as possible.

This season a combination of factors have transpired that have conspired to somewhat dampen my particular enthusiasm for the event.

1. The rules have changed such that participants no longer have a time limit but instead a limited number of swings.
2. Hunter Goodman, who is tied for fourth most home runs in the majors, wasn’t named as a participant.

Losing out on the frenetic pace of recent derbies was one thing but having a Rockies hitter who had a legitimate case to participate be snubbed has somewhat dimmed my excitement for this otherwise incredible event.

There are still plenty of exciting names in the derby (Jordan Walker!) and it will still be fun to baseballs get smashed but, for me, I worry something will feel missing from past years.

So, that brings me to our question:

If you were commissioner, would you make any changes to the Home Run Derby?

Would you want changes to the actual rules of how the Derby is played or perhaps a difference in the participant selection process?

Let us know in the comments!

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

Meet the Mets

The Mets were shut out for the ninth time this season, falling to the Red Sox 4-0 at Citi Field. A pair of two-run homers powered the Red Sox and for the second day in a row, the Mets failed to get the big hit with runners on.

Choose your recap: Amazin’ Avenue, MLB.com, Newsday, New York Post

Zach Thornton will be called up to pitch today in the series finale against the Red Sox. The Mets have not yet indicated whether he will start the game or be used in bulk relief.

Bo Bichette is dealing with some lower body soreness that has caused him to miss the past couple of games. According to manager Andy Green, he’ll use the All-Star break to reset and rest.

Yesterday the Mets selected Carson Wiggins with the 27th overall pick in the MLB Draft. Anthony DiComo of MLB.com wrote up a profile of the flamethrowing righty, who has not thrown many college innings due to Tommy John surgery.

The Mets Player Development Twitter account posted videos of analysis Mets’ third-round pick Aiden Robbins and the Mets’ fourth-round pick Shane Sdao.

Juan Soto considered participating in this year’s Home Run Derby, but ultimately decided not to do it.

Yesterday the Mets provided updates on two righty relievers they had designated for assignment. Alex Carrillo was released and Matt Seelinger was outrighted to Triple-A Syracuse.

Marcus Semien, who is working his way back from a left hip flexor strain, is ready to begin a rehab assignment, but it may have to wait until after the All-Star break.

The Mets shouldn’t hold back and should make all of their relievers available in trade, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Around the National League East

The Yankees crushed three home runs in the eighth to make a late-inning comeback against the Nationals, who fell to the on this day aptly named Bronx Bombers 4-2.

After three years in Japan, Foster Griffin is now an All-Star with the Nationals.

Cristopher Sánchez was dominant again, striking out seven in the Phillies’ 4-2 victory over the Tigers and making his case to start the All-Star Game in his team’s home city.

Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler was asked to participate in the All-Star Game as an injury replacement, but felt disrespected to be the fifth choice and therefore declined.

The Marlins lost to the Guardians 4-1, as Cleveland racked up a whopping 11 hits against Miami pitching.

The Braves lost to the Cardinals by the same 4-1 score, as Lars Nootbaar struck early with a three-run homer in the first for St. Louis off Reynaldo López.

Braves pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver, who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, will have at least one more rehab outing after a rough appearance on Saturday with Triple-A Gwinnett.

Around Major League Baseball

You can find full coverage of the first day of the MLB Draft on MLB.com, Baseball Prospectus, Baseball America, and Fangraphs. MLB.com sums up all the big storylines from Day 1 of the draft.

The MLB Draft is raptly consumed by diehards and sickos, but the league is not doing a good job broadening its appeal to the wider fanbase, writes Michael Baumann of Fangraphs.

Madison Shipman made her debut as an analyst in the Blue Jays booth yesterday, making her the first woman to work a Blue Jays game on Sportsnet.

White Sox outfielder Tristan Peters was selected to the American League All-Star roster to replace the injured Nick Kurtz.

Jacob Misiorowski was scratched from his scheduled start today due to arm fatigue. He will unfortunately miss the All-Star Game as well.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

You can follow along with all the Mets’ draft picks in the 2026 MLB Draft with our handy minors team’s handy tracker. Meanwhile, Thomas Henderson covered the signing of the Mets’ first round pick Carson Wiggins and Lukas Vlahos covered the Mets’ next two selections: Aiden Robbins at 92nd overall and Shane Sdao 120th overall.

Steve Sypa wrote up profiles on all three of the Mets’ picks on the first day of the drat (Carson Wiggins, Aiden Robbins, and Shane Sdao).

This Date in Mets History

The 1988 All-Star Game was played on July 12 and the Mets sent four representatives that year.

The San Diego Padres staked starter Walker Buehler to a 2-0 lead heading into the top of the second inning against the Toronto Blue Jays. He immediately surrendered four runs and the Padres headed back to their dugout for their turn at the plate in the bottom of the inning, trailing the Blue Jays, 4-2. Both teams traded blows with the game being tied two times at 4-4 and 7-7 before Ty France hit a decisive solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to lead San Diego to an 8-7 win at Petco Park on Saturday night.

Buehler had his third consecutive disappointing outing. He allowed four runs on three hits with four walks and one strikeout over just two innings. Matt Waldron who just returned to the Padres, was forced into action and was effective over three innings. He did not allow a run and limited the Blue Jays to just two hits. San Diego held a 7-4 lead when Waldron left the game, but Bradgley Rodriguez came on to pitch for Yuki Matsui with two on in the top of the sixth inning and surrendered a three-run home run to Vladamir Guerrero Jr. which tied the game at 7-7.

France responded in the bottom of the sixth inning when he connected on a solo home run with two outs in the inning that put the Padres ahead by a run. Both teams failed to add to their run totals over the next two innings and Mason Miller came on to close the game and ensure the win for San Diego.

The Padres will look to win the series against the Blue Jays to head into the All-Star break with a .500 record today at 1:10 p.m.

Padres News:

• The Padres stuck to their recent draft strategy drafting a high school pitcher, Coleman Borthwick, with their first-round draft pick. San Diego made four additional picks on the first day of the MLB draft.

• Padres president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller discussed the draft strategy for the team and what San Diego could do at the trade deadline.

• New Padres owners are taking notes as the team drafts for the future.

Baseball News:

• The Boston Red Sox extended their win streak to eight games with a shutout win over the New York Mets.

• Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski will miss the All-Star game with arm fatigue.

• Alex Bregman homers to lead the Chicago Cubs to a win over the Cincinnati Reds.

• Matthew Liberatore leads the St. Louis Cardinals to a win over the Atlanta Braves.

• Brandon Pfaadt guides the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 9-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

• The San Francisco Giants knocked off the Colorado Rockies, 4-2.

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The Washington Nationals dropped the first two games of this series by multiple runs.

With a hot offense and an advantage on the mound, my Yankees vs. Nationals predictions and MLB picks see the home team flipping the script in the series finale.

Who will win Yankees vs Nationals today: Nationals moneyline (-110)

The surface stats would tell you there isn’t much separating Will Warren and Cade Cavalli. The underlyings tell a much different story — particularly over the last month.

Cavalli has posted a strong 2.49 xFIP and struck out 29.3% of opposing batters. It’s a much different story for Warren, who owns a 4.64 xFIP and 16.0 strikeout rate in that time.

Warren has struggled with power along the way, allowing 2.19 homers per nine innings. The Washington Nationalslead the majors in homers and OPS vs. RHP in July, making them the perfect team to back against him.

Bet this up to -120.

COVERS INTEL: Will Warren owns a 5.04 xFIP on the road, 24th among today's projected starting pitchers.

Yankees vs Nationals Over/Under pick: Over 9 (-115)

This is a matchup where the offenses should be front and center. The Nationals have hit for extreme power lately while also getting on base at a high rate. That should continue against Warren, given he ranks in the 12th percentile in pitcher run value and enters in poor form.

While Cavalli is solid, he's still conceded multiple earned runs in six of his last seven starts. The New York Yankees sit second in homers against righties this month and have the power to pounce on any mistakes.

Play the Over to -130.

Yankees vs Nationals weather

Temperatures in the low 80s are expected with winds blowing west. Small bump to the bats.

Yankees vs Nationals odds

• Moneyline: Yankees -110 | Nationals -110
• Run line: Yankees -1.5 (+145) | Nationals +1.5 (-170)
• Over/Under: Over 9 (-115) | Under 9 (-105)

Yankees vs Nationals trend

The Nationals have cashed the Over in 31 of the last 50 home games for +13.50 units and a 24% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Nationals.

How to watch Yankees vs Nationals and game info

Yankees vs Nationals latest injuries

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The Pittsburgh Pirates came away from yesterday’s day one of the 2026 MLB Draft with a haul of players. Here’s the total list along with the MLB.com post draft info on each.

Pick #5 – Derek Curiel – OF, LSU

Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 45 | Run: 55 | Arm: 45 | Field: 55 | Overall: 55

Curiel plays a “special center field” and has shown command of the strike zone with upside in his damage profile. Curiel played with shortstop Konnor Griffin on the USA travel circuit, and the two committed to LSU together for the 2024 class.

Curiel could rise through the ranks quickly. The pick was a bit of a surprise, as many mock drafts leading up to the Draft had Pittsburgh expected to take Santa Barbara pitcher Jackson Flora. When Flora went fourth to the Giants, the Pirates had the choice between multiple college and high school bats. Ultimately, they went with the experienced Curiel.

The 6-foot-2, 192-pound outfielder was once considered a first-round pick out of high school in Southern California, but he decided to forgo the 2024 Draft after a subpar senior season. After two years at LSU, he has proven himself as one of the best pure hitters in the Draft class, batting .349 with a .975 OPS in two seasons with the Tigers. Just a sophomore — eligible for the Draft by virtue of turning 21 in May — in 2026, Curiel led his team in batting average (.353), runs (64) and hits (82) while trying for the team lead in total bases (122). He also has plus speed, stealing a team-high 13 bases in just 15 attempts.

Pick #44 – Aiden Ruiz – SS, Stony Brook

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 40 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 65 | Overall: 50

Many thought Ruiz, a smooth-fielding, switch-hitting (and switch-throwing – he throws lefty when he plays the outfield!) shortstop, might go in the first round.

An undersized switch-hitter who is listed at 5-foot-10 and 168 pounds, Ruiz is arguably the best defensive shortstop in the class. He’s an elite defender with a plus arm and range, great hands and outstanding footwork. Unlike with many young players at the premium position, Ruiz not only makes the spectacular, acrobatic plays, throwing on the run, he also slows the game down and makes the routine plays as well. It’s future Gold Glove-caliber defense. 

An above-average runner whose instincts help him be a successful base-stealer, Ruiz’s bat is behind his glove. He makes a ton of contact with an idea of what he’s doing at the plate, excellent bat control and no fear, showing an ability to turn around premium velocity

Pick #51 – Chris Rembert – 2B, Auburn

Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 45 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

Rembert has some of the best bat speed in college baseball and an advanced approach, though his swing and patience have regressed a bit while he dealt with an ankle injury this spring. He manages the strike zone very well and focuses on drilling line drives from gap to gap. It’s unclear if he’ll provide more than 15 homers annually because he makes too much groundball contact, though he has the strength and bat speed to do more damage if he turns on more pitches and adds more loft to his compact right-handed stroke.

Rembert is an average runner with arm strength to match, which limits his usefulness on the bases and in the field. Some scouts once wondered if he’d wind up in left field, but he’s looking more comfortable at second base in college than he did at shortstop in high school. He has reliable hands and provides steady defense at the keystone.

Pick #80 – Jason Decaro – RHP, UNC

Scouting grades: Fastball: 45 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

As a New York high schooler, DeCaro reclassified from the 2024 Draft to ’23 and got an early jump on his college career at North Carolina. He looked like a potential 2026 first-rounder when he cracked the Tar Heels rotation as a 17-year-old freshman, but scouts aren’t sure what to make of him because his stuff has leveled off since. His feel for pitching allowed him to make the U.S. collegiate national team after each of his first two seasons and rank third in NCAA Division I with 11 victories while serving as the ace of the College World Series runners-up in his third.

While DeCaro gets outs, he doesn’t miss a lot of bats or land his secondary pitches in the zone consistently. His fastball has ordinary velocity (91-94 mph, peak of 97) and shape and relies on generating weak contact. His fading low-80s changeup has regressed a bit during his junior season and is now more of an average offering, as are his tight low-80s slider and upper-70s curveball.

DeCaro keeps batters off balance by sequencing his pitches well and he throws consistent strikes from an upright delivery. Unless he improves the velocity and quality of his arsenal, he profiles more as a durable high-floor starter than someone who will pitch in the front half of a rotation. He’s extremely young for a college junior (20 years, three months on Draft day) but doesn’t have a lot of projection remaining in his strong 6-foot-5 frame.

Pick #108 – Andruw Giles – OF, Nevada HS

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 50 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

Strong and compact, Giles has the chance to be a solid offensive performer. He shows off hitterish traits from the left side, showing a solid, balanced approach and the ability to make a lot of solid contact. He looks like he’s more of a hit-over-power guy, but he can drive the ball to all fields. He’ll show off the raw power he can keep learning to tap into in BP, the kind of pop that will surely impress in workouts. 

An average runner, Giles does have the chance to play center field, though not everyone thinks he can stick there. A once easily plus arm that fired mid-90s fastballs from the mound now looks more above-average after he dealt with elbow soreness that forced him into a DH role during last summer’s Area Code Games. It’s still plenty for an outfield corner, though that move will put more pressure on his bat. To some, it gives him a little more of a tweener profile, but those who see every day player potential will consider signing him away from his commitment to Oregon. 

Here's what happened in Mets Land on Saturday, in case you missed it...

• At the MLB Draft, New York took RHP Carson Wiggins, OF Aiden Robbins, and LHP Shane Sdao
• SNY's Joe DeMayo wrote about the club taking a home run swing on the righty Wiggins and his tantalizing stuff
• WATCH: Mets VP of Amateur Scouting Kris Gross and Director of Scouting Drew Toussaint spoke about Wiggins
• In Queens, the Mets' bats went silent against the Red Sox in a 4-0 loss
• Interim skipper Andy Greenexpressed about getting shut out for the ninth time this year
• It has been a "difficult" stretch, but there was some encouragement taken at the start from Freddy Peralta
• Ahead of Saturday's game, Green had updates on several Mets' injuries
• Green also spoke about Sunday's starter Zach Thornton's development and Kodai Senga's bullpen role
• WATCH: Highlights of first-round pick Wiggins at the University of Arkansas
• WATCH: Wiggins reacts to being drafted by New York

Astros 9, Rangers 3

• That was unfun.
• Kumar Rocker? Well, I guess he pitched okay, if you ignore the home runs.
• The home runs? They kind of put a damper on things.
• Allowing Yordan Alvarez to launch one to the moon? Okay, that happens. Pretty much every time Alvarez plays the Rangers, really.
• Allowing LaMonte Wade Jr. to hit a grand slam off of you? That’s bad.
• Rocker did make it into the sixth at least, which is helpful. MacKenzie Gore will be starting Sunday’s game on short rest, but the Rangers probably aren’t going to want to push him too hard, so not having to ask the pen to handle six innings or something on Saturday was good.
• Gavin Collyer and Robby Ahlstrom each acquitted themselves with scoreless outings, which is nice to see. And which has to be particularly rewarding for Ahlstrom, whose last two outings were rather bad.
• Chris Martin, pitching on back-to-back nights, allowed a pair of runs on a single, a double, a balk and a sacrifice fly. The single was of the infield variety, and weakly hit, but still…Martin’s ERA is now a nice, round 9.00 on the year.
• Much like Friday’s game mirrored the opener of the Angels series, this defeat largely followed the script of the middle game against Anaheim. The starter allowed seven runs in that game as well, and Gavin Collyer and Robby Ahlstrom both pitched. Also, Ranger reliever who pitched the ninth gave up two runs in both games, though in on Wednesday against Anaheim it was Kyle Higashioka who handled the ninth, not Martin.
• Collyer and Ahlstrom each gave up two runs in that previous game, so maybe this is a sign of progress.
• Oh, and Rangers only scored one run against the Angels in that blowout loss, compared to three in this game.
• All the runs for Texas came on Ezequiel Duran homers — a solo shot in the fourth and a two run shot in the ninth. Duran is now slashing .272/.322/.439 on the year.
• Evan Carter had a couple of hits, which, you know, that’s good to see. Cam Cauley had a pinch hit single, so way to go Cam.
• The Mariners lost, at least, which means that not only are the Rangers still a game and a half up on Seattle in the West, Texas is guaranteed to spend the All Star Break in first place.
• Kumar Rocker hit 95.6 mph with his sinker, averaging 93.5 mph. Gavin Collyer’s fastball touched 98.5 mph. Robby Ahlstrom hit 95.7 mph with his sinker. Chris Martin’s fastball touched 95.4 mph.
• The only ball in play above 100 mph was Ezequiel Duran’s fourth inning homer, at 100.3 mph.
• One more to go before the Break.

Though the Atlanta Braves have lost the series, they still have a chance to end the first half of the season on a high note before heading into the All-Star break.

MLB Braves’ beat writer Mark Bowman had announced on Friday that, as Hurston Waldrep would be sent back down to Triple- A, JR Ritchie would be taking his place in today’s matchup against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Ritchie’s rookie season has had its ups and downs. After spending some time in Triple-A when the Braves optioned Carlos Carrasco to the active roster earlier this month (July 5), Ritchie is looking to make an impact to give the Braves a solid start to hold down the Cardinals, who have been getting the best of them on offense throughout the series.

Holding a 4.60 ERA with 10 games under his belt (three as a reliever), Ritchie is still trying to find his footing and what works constantly for him to stick with. If he has the Braves’ offense on his side today, he might have the push he needs to spark a quality outing on the defensive-end for his first matchup against St. Louis.

As for Cardinals starter Dustin May, he’s looking to help St. Louis clinch their first series sweep for the first time since early June. Holding a 4.55 ERA currently, with a 1.25 WHIP, May also hasn’t been the most consistent in his starts, and is 0-2 when facing the Braves in his three starts against them.

In his last matchup against Atlanta on July 2, he gave up five runs off five hits with only one strikeout. This could work to the Braves’ advantage if he finds the same trouble commanding the strike zone. He did, however, get a better showing in his most recent matchup against Milwaukee, allowing four hits, no earned runs and seven strikeouts just this past Monday.

This matchup will honestly be a toss-up on which version of these two pitchers we’re going to get to close out the first half of the regular season. Ritchie is looking to avoid the sweep and May is looking to get one. Both are hoping for a quality outing after suffering some shaky starts; the question is, who wants it more?

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Sunday, July 12, 2:15 p.m. ET

Location: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO

TV: BravesVision

Streaming: MLB.tv

Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan, Los Bravos

The Mets (40-56) take on the red-hot Boston Red Sox (45-48) in the final game of the season's first half at 1:40 p.m. on PIX11. Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...

Mets Notes

• Zach Thornton will climb the hill for his third career big league start and look to build off his last outing when the left-hander allowed one run on five hits and a walk over six innings with seven strikeouts
• The Red Sox are sending out a lefty of their own in Payton Tolle, who carries a 3.14 ERA and 1.071 WHIP into the start over 80.1 innings with 80 strikeouts to 24 walks.
• New York was shut out for the ninth time this season in Saturday's defeat. In the series against Boston, the club has gone hitless in 16 at-bats with runners in scoring position after going 21-for-45 with RISP in the previous five games

Today's Lineups

After selecting two players on Saturday, the Dodgers conclude their 2026 MLB Draft with 14 picks on Sunday, beginning with the seventh round.

On Saturday the Dodgers drafted high school shortstop Bo Lowrance with the 40th overall pick out of South Carolina. They also selected Florida pitcher Russell Sandefer with their fourth-round pick, number 132 overall.

Their first pick on Sunday comes in the seventh round.

Dodgers Day 2 picks

• 7th round, 223rd overall
• 8th round, 253rd overall
• 9th round, 283rd overall
• 10th round, 313th overall
• 11th round, 343rd overall
• 12th round, 373rd overall
• 13th round, 403rd overall
• 14th round, 433rd overall
• 15th round, 463rd overall
• 16th round, 493rd overall
• 17th round, 523rd overall
• 18th round, 553rd overall
• 19th round, 583rd overall
• 20th round, 613th overall

It’s all streaming the rest of the way, with Sunday’s coverage on MLB.com and MLB.tv.

MLB Draft Day 2 particulars

• Rounds 5-20, through picks 136-613
• Time: 8:30 a.m. PT
• Streaming: MLB.com, MLB.tv

The Cubs defeated the Reds 5-3 Saturday night on the strength of homers by Carson Kelly and Alex Bregman, the latter a two-run blast. Those helped the team come from behind in the sixth and seventh innings.

But before I get to all of that, can I say that this team needs Daniel Palencia back — bad — or to trade for a shutdown closer, because it took Ryan Rolison and Trent Thornton 18 nerve-wracking pitches in the ninth inning to lock this one down. Yes, all’s well that ends well but yikes, I think I’d like a bit less of that, please.

All right, that said, let’s rewind to the beginning of this one.

Javier Assad and Nick Lodolo matched zeroes for three innings. In the third. Assad allowed a pair of singles to TJ Friedl and Elly De La Cruz that put runners on first and third with nobody out. One out later, Assad picked De La Cruz off first base:

That’s good work by Assad and Michael Busch. The Cubs had picked De La Cruz off in Chicago back in May on a similar play, with Busch not holding him on, then sneaking in behind him. JJ Bleday followed with an inning-ending fly ball — if he hits that without the pickoff, the Reds score a run and subsequent sequencing is different.

The Cubs didn’t score in the fourth, then Assad got touched up for back-to-back homers by Nathaniel Lowe and Eugenio Suárez. Suárez has, as you know, made a career out of homering off Cubs pitching. That was the 37th time he took a Cubs pitcher deep, the most for any active player.

The Cubs cut the two-run deficit in half in the fifth. With two out and nobody on base, Miguel Amaya singled and Pete Crow-Armstrong walked (one of two walks PCA had on the night, giving him 45 for the year in 95 games played).

Seiya Suzuki’s single scored Amaya to make it 2-1 [VIDEO].

The Cubs held the Reds scoreless in the bottom of the fifth in part thanks to yet another slick sliding catch by PCA [VIDEO].

Then the Cubs took the lead in the sixth. Carson Kelly led off the inning with his sixth homer of the year [VIDEO].

That ball went a long way [VIDEO].

More on Kelly’s homer from BCB’s JohnW53:

Carson Kelly’s game-tying solo homer in the sixth inning was the Cubs’ 14,000th since 1920, first season of the Live Ball Era. It was their 119th this year. They have averaged 130 per year.

The Cubs’ 14,000 homers are the sixth most in the era and second most among National League teams. The Giants began Saturday with 14,643, which were a distant second to the Yankees’ 17,284.

The other teams ahead of the Cubs, in order, were the Tigers, Browns/Orioles and Red Sox.

The Braves trailed the Cubs by just 32 going into the day.

After the homer, Lodolo had to leave the game due to a blister. Lefty reliever Caleb Ferguson entered, and Busch singled off him. After Nico Hoerner flied to center, Ian Happ’s double scored Busch to make it 3-2 Cubs [VIDEO].

Drew Pomeranz entered the game and Bleday hit his first pitch out of the yard to tie the game. Pomeranz was a reasonable chance to take after the Angels let him go, but so far the results haven’t been good. That’s already two homers allowed in just 4.1 innings with the Cubs for Pomeranz. He did make it out of the sixth without further incident.

The Cubs took the lead back in the seventh. Suzuki drew a one-out walk and Bregman then launched the aforementioned two-run homer [VIDEO].

For Bregman, it was his second homer in his last 10 games. He’s continued to draw walks (six in those 10 games) and even his outs have been hit harder than before. You can see signs that he might be coming out of his season-long slump. Perhaps the All-Star break will give him a chance to re-set and get going when play resumes on Friday.

More on Bregman’s blast from John:

Alex Bregman’s tie-breaking homer was the Cubs’ sixth of the season in the seventh inning or later. The first five all came between April 5 and May 27. Ian Happ hit the first and last, in the eighth and seventh innings respectively. Seiya Suzuki, in the eighth; Dansby Swanson, in the ninth; and Michael Conforto, in the ninth, hit the others. Conforto’s was a walk-off.

Now Cubs pitchers have to get nine outs without allowing two runs. Friends, with the makeshift bullpen that’s now the Cubs relief corps, you knew this wasn’t going to be easy. Caleb Thielbar, who has been hit hard recently, managed to get out of the seventh scoreless and Jacob Webb — perhaps the closest thing the Cubs have to a “closer” right now — managed a scoreless eighth, though with 23 pitches thrown you knew he wasn’t coming back out for the ninth.

Thus it was up to lefty Ryan Rolison to shut things down. Well, as soon as a lefty’s in the game, you know Terry Francona is going to send up right-handed pinch hitters. The first of those, Tyler Stephenson, singled on Rolison’s first pitch, and advanced to second on a wild pitch. A fly to right, the first out, put Stephenson on third. At this point the Cubs would have traded a run for an out, but they didn’t need to as Rolison struck out pinch-hitter Noelvi Marte.

So that left a runner on third and De La Cruz coming to the plate. Craig Counsell stuck with Rolison to turn De La Cruz to the right side, though this year the Reds shortstop has hit lefties well. Rolison walked De La Cruz and Counsell called on Trent Thornton to face a really good young hitter, Sal Stewart.

Thornton got ahead of Stewart 0-2 and then… [VIDEO].

Well. That’s not exactly an “easy” save but Thornton did nail it down, his third. The Cubs now have three pitchers with at least three saves (Thornton, Palencia and Webb, who has four).

Craig Counsell addressed the bullpen, and more, in his postgame remarks [VIDEO].

The Cubs got some good news out of Pittsburgh Saturday, where the Pirates did the Cubs a solid by sweeping a doubleheader from the Brewers, winning both games by one run. So the Cubs gained a game and a half on the Brewers in the division race and trail them by six. They remain 2.5 games ahead of the Cardinals, who defeated the Braves Saturday, and lead the Phillies (also winners Saturday) by half a game for the top wild card spot.

One more game remains in this series, and also before MLB breaks for All-Star festivities. Matthew Boyd, who was really good his last time out against the Orioles, will start for the Cubs and Andrew Abbott will go for Cincinnati. Game time Sunday is 12:40 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network. The BCB game preview will post at 10:30 a.m. CT.

The Phillies had a day to remember yesterday at the MLB draft. Not picking until the 36th pick thanks to their spending money on their major league team, they had to wait a while to make that first pick.

If there was anything this team needed in its farm system, it’s top flight hitters with power and starting pitching depth. Even with spending a large amount of capital on pitching last year, a simple scan up and down their various minor league rosters reinforces the idea that they can still use more. With their first pick in the draft though, they went with Tyler Spangler, a shortstop from a high school in California. Reading this Matt Gelb piece ($), there is some risk that they were willing to take to land a bat like Spangler.

The Phillies selected Spangler, a somewhat ironic pick in 2026 because one of their best prospects has been sidelined by a back injury all season. Aidan Miller might not play in a minor-league game this season. But the Phillies believe Spangler will be on the field at some point this summer. (Provided the two sides agree on a signing bonus.) Spangler has been cleared to return to action, said Brian Barber, the team’s amateur scouting director…[s]o, given the inherent risk of picking so late, it might have prompted the Phillies to take a bigger swing. The 36th pick comes with a $2.76 million slot value, and Spangler will command a much higher bonus than that despite not having played a single game during his senior season.

From there, they went with another big bat in Caden Bogenpohl, a powerful outfielder from Missouri State, before focusing in on pitching with their next three picks. Those picks – Ruger Riojas, Deven Sheerin, Jaxon Jelkin – all look as though they can move fast to either reinforce the bullpen in a year or two, or maybe even be some depth for their rotation.

As far as reaction the picks, there was a mixture. Keith Law at The Athletic didn’t get it:

With their first pick (No. 36), they took high school shortstop Tyler Spangler, a teenager with a back injury that kept him from playing all spring. Their second pick was Missouri State outfielder Caden Bogenpohl, who has otherworldly power and is a pretty good athlete but whiffs on pitches in the zone a ton, even fastballs. Their third pick was Texas senior right-hander Ruger Riojas, a solid pick for the spot who’ll move fast if they put him in the bullpen, followed by a future reliever in LSU right-hander Deven Sheerin, fine value for the fourth round. Philly’s last pick (compensation fourth round) was 23 1/2-year-old Kentucky right-hander Jaxon Jelkin, who has injury and makeup questions on his resume.

Baseball America is on board with the Spangler pick, thinking they may have gotten a steal ($).

I love this pick for the Phillies. Coming into the season, Spangler was right behind Grady Emerson in the conversation for being a top two or three high school player in the 2026 class. Spangler didn’t play his senior season, which obviously dinged his stock, but the talent and upside is still commensurate with players who went in the top half of the first round, and the Phillies were able to get him despite not having a pick until 36th overall.

Obviously, there will be many years pass before we can definitively put a grade on this draft for the Phillies. The early returns are that they did well for themselves despite not having one of the top thirty five picks in the draft. Be sure to keep an eye on our draft tracker throughout the day to follow how the Phillies put the finishing touches on this draft.

Good morning Birdland,

Yesterday was a good one to be an Orioles fan. The team won their third in a row, came within two games of the final wild card spot, and selected several young players that they seem very excited about.

Of course, every team likes their draft picks, or else they wouldn’t have selected them in the first place. But the Orioles did seem to get solid value. They also mixed ages and positions well, which is something they haven’t always done in the draft. They have a bunch more picks to make today, though they may not be as initially exciting as the guys they have already added. But oftentimes it is these later picks that make for a better quality draft overall.

On the field, the Orioles turned in one of their most definitive wins of the season. Kyle Bradish dominated on the mound, even without his best stuff. And the offense launched four home runs, scoring five of their six total runs on long balls.

Despite what has been an up-and-down first half for the Orioles, they still find themselves in the thick of the playoff hunt. And you can make a pretty easy argument that, on the whole, they have underperformed and should have their best baseball ahead of them.

Is that reason enough for Mike Elias and the front office to go all in at the trade deadline and supplement this squad with external talent? Eh, probably not. But the reality is that these guys need to win games. There is pressure on everyone, from the players to the coaches, and especially the decision makers in the warehouse. They only need a minor indication that these guys can make it to October. Getting to four wins in a row today, on the final day of the season’s “first half” would feel like a sign from above.

I can’t really complain if that’s what happens. It would be nice to watch competitive baseball for the next two-and-a-half months. An aggressive trade deadline should make that happen. Let’s see it!

Links

More this, that and the other | Roch Kubatko
Roch notes that the Orioles, at this moment, have an 18.1 percent chance to make the playoffs, according to FanGraphs. Considering how poor they have looked for stretches across the last few months, that’s not too bad. It helps that the American League is so mediocre overall.

Orioles closer Ryan Helsley avoids surgery on elbow; Keegan Akin has surgeon appointment | The Baltimore Banner
This is very good news for both Helsley and the Orioles. The hard-throwing righty has a player option for 2027. Right now, it seems like he will pick it up. But at least there is a chance he will pitch through it, maybe even teaming up with Félix Bautista at the back of the bullpen. The news is not as good for Akin, who sounds like he is heading for Tommy John.

Orioles Activate Yaramil Hiraldo From 60-Day IL | MLB Trade Rumors
The Orioles need some bullpen depth. Hiraldo will provide that down in Norfolk. Orioles fans probably don’t want him in key situations up here anyway, but with both Helsely and Akin out for a while, this is good news.

Orioles strike balance of upside, high floors with Day 1 picks | The Baltimore Sun
It’s impossible to say right now whether the Orioles have had a good draft or not. But the process seems sound, and praise has been universally positive. That’s worth noting, even if it is not the end all be all of the draft.

Orioles birthdays

Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!

• The late Jack Harshman (b. 1927, d. 2013) was born on this day. He spent parts of two seasons in Baltimore from 1958-59, accumulating a 3.55 ERA over 283.2 innings.

This day in O’s history

1969 – Mike Cuellar tosses a complete game three-hitter to beat the Red Sox 4-0. Red Sox outfielder Tony Conigliaro has all three of their hits. Cuellar becomes the first pitcher in major league history to throw two complete game three-hitters in which one opposing hitter accounts for all of the hits. He achieves this feat in back-to-back starts (Yankees, July 8th).

2022 – The Orioles win their ninth straight game, beating the Cubs 4-2 at Wrigley Field. This win puts the Orioles at .500 for the first time all season.

2024 – Benches clear when Orioles youngster Heston Kjerstad is struck in the head by Yankees closer Clay Holmes. O’s manager Brandon Hyde takes exception to something he hears from the Yankees dugout and has to be restrained by Yankees catcher Austin Wells.