Alex Mcfarlane of the Reading Fightin' Phils is on the mound during a Minor League Baseball game at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, United States, on July 11, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
It’s no secret that the Phillies bullpen needs help. That was true even before they lost Brad Keller for the season, as every reliever not named Jhoan Duran has been at best inconsistent or at worst downright brutal. They’ve already churned through many of their options on the 40-man roster, hoping to find some stability somewhere before looking to address the issue at the trade deadline.
Curiously however, one name they haven’t really tried is Alex McFarlane. The 25-year-old has been called up to the Majors twice this season but has only appeared in one game, pitching the ninth of a 9-5 game lass night. In the minors, he has yet to even pitch above Double-A despite logging a 2.06 ERA in 32 appearances this season with 47 strikeouts in 35 innings for Reading. However, those gaudy strikeout numbers also come with an extremely high walk rate, as McFarlane has issued 18 free passes in his 35 innings of work. For his minor league career, McFarlane has posted a walk rate of at least 12% every year since his first full season in professional ball in 2023. That walk rate is at least part of the reason why the team still hasn’t promoted him to Triple-A or used him more in the majors.
Yet they’ve elected to carry him on the major league roster twice, thus starting his service clock. The team is running out of viable internal options to try in their bullpen to see if they can alleviate some of the pressure before the trade deadline arrives. The time may be approaching where the Phillies will have to give McFarlane a bigger role either with a promotion to Triple-A or by actually seeing what he has with extended use in the Majors.
So, should the Phillies give Alex McFarlane a real chance in the bullpen? Should they send him to Triple-A first or see what he does against MLB hitters right now?
Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees hit the road to take on the Phillies in a three-game series starting Friday...
Jose Caballero chaos
Caballero's pitch-clock antics have finally drawn the ire of MLB. In Game 1 of Wednesday's doubleheader, Caballero was assessed a pitch-clock violation in what the umpiring crew revealed was a mandate from the league.
The league believes Caballero's gamesmanship is closer to being deceitful to the pitcher and will not be tolerated moving forward. Caballero was not in the starting lineup for Game 2, so we couldn't see how he and the Yankees will adjust to this new enforcement. We'll certainly see it this weekend, and you can expect more disagreements with the umpires.
Can the offense wake up?
While Caballero combats with the umpiring crew, it's sort of overshadowed the Yankees' continued offensive ineptitude.
After clawing their way back in Game 1 on Wednesday before falling in extra innings, the Yanks mustered just two runs in the nightcap. While it was enough to split the doubleheader, the offense will need to do more if they hope to keep pace with a formidable Phillies lineup, and the starters they are planning to utilize -- more on that later.
Since they've returned from the All-Star break, the Yankees have scored more than three runs just once (Monday) and have plated two runs or fewer in four of six games.
Going up against Philadelphia's stud southpaws
The Yankees will likely miss Zack Wheeler this weekend, but two of the three Phillies starters are nothing to scoff at.
Apr 13, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Fernando Cruz (63) reacts during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium. / John Jones-Imagn Images
Jesus Luzardo will take the mound in the series opener and has had a solid season, with a 3.43 ERA, and the southpaw has dominated of late.
Over his last seven starts, Luzardo has allowed just seven earned runs across 42.1 innings (1.49 ERA). He's also struck out 63 batters during that span, including 18 over his last two starts (12 IP).
And then we have the series finale on Sunday when the Yankees will go up against Cristopher Sanchez, the All-Star Game starter for the National League and one of the front-runners for the NL Cy Young Award. Sanchez has not fared well lately, allowing 24 earned runs across 39.1 innings (5.49 ERA) over his last seven starts.
However, Sanchez has allowed just five runs in his last two starts while striking out 14 batters.
The Yankees will have their hands full with these two.
Shuffling the pitching plan
Inserting Max Fried back into the rotation has shuffled the Yankees' pitching schedule a bit. It was changed even more when Aaron Boone used Will Warren in relief on Wednesday.
Warren was scheduled to start Friday's series opener, but the right-hander will now go Sunday. Cam Schlittler will start Friday, with Ryan Weathers taking the mound on Saturday. With so much shuffling, how will the pitchers react?
Bullpen warriors
The Yankees bullpen, with its flaws, has been generally effective as the lineup has struggled. With Paul Blackburn and Brent Headrick becoming key pieces, the bullpen has solidified a bit, but can they continue to roll? Fernando Cruz, who has been dominant for most of the season, has struggled of late and gave up the lead in extras in Game 1 of the doubleheader on Wednesday.
And when we see Camilo Doval, how will he perform? The Yanks don't know what they'll get out of Weathers or Warren, so the bullpen will need to be nails this weekend. Luckily, the off day Thursday should help.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Cody Bellinger
Bellinger has struggled, but his at-bats have looked much better lately.
Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?
Cam Schlittler
Between Warren, Schlittler, and Weathers, it's hard to pick against the Cy Young front-runner.
Which Phillies player will be a thorn in the Yankees' side?
Trea Turner
The shortstop has had a down year, but his power numbers have been great of late, smashing four long balls in his last seven games.
The Cubs took an early lead, only to see it vanish when Colin Rea allowed a three-run homer. Then the offense basically vanished, and the game was put out of reach when the pen gave up an additional run in the late innings.
Oh, you think I’m talking about Wednesday’s 5-1 Cubs loss to the Tigers. That is, in fact, an accurate description of what happened Wednesday evening at Wrigley Field… but it is also an accurate description of last Friday’s 5-2 loss to the Twins — a three-run homer served up by Rea was the difference in that game, too.
This is what happens when the guy who’s your sixth or seventh starting option winds up in the rotation for an extended period due to injuries. Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer now has 11 days to address that issue before MLB’s Trade Deadline. Let’s hope he finds the right answer, or answers.
Then Detroit hit that aforementioned three-run shot in the fourth. Riley Greene led off with a double and Rea walked Torkelson. Rea did get the next two hitters to fly to left. Then came the three-run homer, by Hao-Yu Lee, giving the Tigers a 4-1 lead.
A three-run deficit in the fourth doesn’t sound insurmountable, but the Cubs offense was completely moribund the rest of the game. After Suzuki’s homer, the Cubs got just two runners past first base — a two-out double by Happ in the fourth, and then Happ taking second on defensive indifference after drawing a two-out walk in the ninth. They seemingly had a chance in the sixth when Pete Crow-Armstrong reached base when Tigers starter Keider Montero couldn’t handle his comebacker leading off the inning. One out later Montero was out of the game for reliever Drew Sommers, who got Michael Busch to hit into an inning-ending double play.
Credit to Ryan Rolison, Gavin Hollowell and Caleb Thielbar for keeping the Cubs in the game. Those three combined for three shutout innings, allowing one hit and striking out six. Tyler Ferguson, though, allowed a run in the ninth to make it 5-1, though it might as well have been 50-1 the way the Cubs offense was shut down by Tigers pitching.
Honestly, there isn’t much else to say about this game. Credit to Montero, who allowed just three other baserunners after Suzuki’s homer, and the Tigers pen. Here are Craig Counsell’s postgame remarks [VIDEO].
Final note on this game from BCB’s JohnW53:
This was the Cubs’ third game of the season in which their only run came on a homer. The first two were six days apart, May 25 and 31, when they lost at Pittsburgh, 2-1, and at St. Louis, 5-1.
They had four such games last year, two of them at home. They also had four in 2024, after having had seven in 2023 and six in 2022. Back in 2018, they had a team-record 14.
The Cubs have played 516 one-run, one-homer games since 1901, an average of four. They won 56 of them, lost 456 and tied four.
Incidentally, the weather was great Wednesday in Chicago, maybe the nicest day of the summer so far… temps in the 70s, clear skies, light winds, no humidity. That brought out the second-largest Wrigley crowd of 2026 to date, 40,512. Too bad they all couldn’t see a win (though many in the Wrigley crowd were Tigers fans).
It’s not the end of the world, but the Cubs really have to do better than 3-3 on a homestand against two mediocre teams. And they would have, if Alex Bregman had just taken ball four from Kenley Jansen on Monday instead of swinging and missing. This homestand makes the Cubs’ record against AL teams this year 12-18, which is… not good. They lost a game to the Brewers in the NL Central after Milwaukee won on Wednesday, so the Cubs trail by seven games. The Phillies lost to the Dodgers, so the Cubs continue to lead them by 1.5 games for the first wild card spot.
The Cubs have Thursday off — and then they will play 17 days in a row, having lost their next scheduled off day Aug. 7 for a makeup game against the Blue Jays for the June 21 rainout. The first of those 17 straight games, 10 of which will be on the road, will be Friday against the Pirates at Pittsburgh. Matthew Boyd will start the series opener for the Cubs and his opponent will be Pirates right-hander Jared Jones. Game time Friday is 5:40 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JULY 22: Cam Cauley #27 of the Texas Rangers celebrates after hitting his first major league home run against the Chicago White Sox during the second inning at Globe Life Field on July 22, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
White Sox 4, Rangers 2
And back to .500 we go.
It could be worse. Being at .500 is better than being below .500. Given a choice between the two, I’ll take being at .500.
Also, the Rangers are still in first place, by virtue of Seattle losing. So that’s something.
The Rangers pitchers were fine, for the most part, I guess. Tyler Alexander gave up a run on a walk and a wild pitch that allowed that runner to go to third, putting him position to score on the subsequent single. Cal Qunatrill pitched three innings, two of which were good, one of which was very bad, and resulted in three runs scoring. Jakob Junis allowed the fourth run on three consecutive singles, though they weren’t exactly blistered.
The three pitchers after that — Robby Ahlstrom, Peyton Gray and Jacob Latz — did their jobs and kept the White Sox off the board so that the Rangers offense would be able to rally.
The Rangers offense, unfortunately, did not rally.
Latz was making only his second appearance since the All Star Break, due to the general dearth of close games where the Rangers had the lead. This was one of those “he needs some work and there’s an off day tomorrow” type appearances, rather than a “this is the ideal spot to utilize Jacob Latz” appearance.
The bats were largely silent. Cam Cauley had a home run, the first of his major league career. Off the bat it looked like an opposite field deep pop that would be caught on the warning track or something. It, instead, kept carrying and went several rows deep into the stands.
That was the second inning, and so one would be forgiven for thinking that that was the beginning of a respectable offensive output for the Rangers. Those thoughts would end up being banished.
The Rangers put runners on the corners with two outs in the third, but didn’t score. In the fourth, with Chicago having scored a pair of runs in the top of the inning off of Quantrill, the bases got loaded up on a Brandon Nimmo single, an Ezequiel Duran double, and a Cam Cauley 0-2 hit by pitch. Sadly, they only scored one run due to an Elias Diaz double play and an Alejandro Osuna strike out.
Texas didn’t get another hit the rest of the way after that Duran double.
They did manage some baserunners, yes yes. A couple of walks, a hit by pitch, an error. But no hits. And the final nine batters of the game resulted in seven Ks and a pair of weak groundouts.
This is how the game ends…not with a bang, but with a whimper.
Tyler Alexander’s fastball topped out at 93.1 mph. Cal Quantrill hit 94.5 mph with his sinker. Jakob Junis reached 93.6 mph with his fastball. Robbie Ahlstrom’s fastball maxed out at 94.9 mph. Peyton Gray touched 94.3 mph with his fastball. Jacob Latz’s fastball reached 96.2 mph.
Justin Foscue had a 104.1 mph ground out.
Now an off day to wallow in before a four game weekend wraparound series against Seattle.
The Atlanta Braves head into today’s series finale against the San Diego Padres as a heavy -223 moneyline favorite behind their ace, Chris Sale.
With the struggling Griffin Canning on the hill for the visitors, my Padres vs. Braves predictions are eyeing Atlanta to win the rubber match at home.
Find out more in my MLB picks for Thursday, July 23.
Who will win Padres vs Braves today: Braves -1.5 (-126)
The Atlanta Braves will be feeling confident with Chris Sale taking the ball. The left-hander owns a 2.77 FIP across his last four appearances, allowing just 0.86 HR/9 during that span.
Sale has also held opponents to a 31.8% hard-hit rate across his last two starts.
As for San Diego Padres righty Griffin Canning, he's improving, but there are still vulnerabilities. Canning has a 4.83 xERA in his last five outings, and he's allowed a 45.5% hard-hit rate.
That's a dangerous figure against a Braves offense with a 150 wRC+ across the last week.
Sale continues to deal, and Atlanta's hot bats add to Canning's struggles. I'll play this pick up to -140.
COVERS INTEL: Canning has been substantially worse on the road, posting a 5.96 FIP compared to a 3.78 mark at Petco Park.
Padres vs Braves Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 (-126)
We're looking at two of the top offenses in the big leagues at the moment, and with a modest total of 7.5, the Over screams value.
San Diego will likely have a difficult time against Sale, but they do carry a 159 wRC+ and .286 ISO over their previous six games. The Braves' bullpen hasn't thrived lately, collecting a 4.91 xERA while allowing 2.16 HR/9 over their last 25 frames.
As previously mentioned, the Braves are swinging it incredibly well, and they also have a .229 ISO in the last week. The Padres relief corps has held their own, but Atlanta could put up four or five before Canning even departs.
I'll play this pick up to -130.
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 36-41, -9.34 units
Over/Under bets: 43-32, +5.04 units
Padres vs Braves weather
Conditions look hot and somewhat unsettled in Atlanta this afternoon, with temperatures climbing from the mid-80s toward 90 degrees. Winds should sit around 8-9 mph, while rain chances rise into the upper 20% range later in the afternoon. Warm air could help carry, but possible showers are worth monitoring.
Padres vs Braves odds
Moneyline: Padres +213 | Braves -223
Run line: Padres +1.5 (+117) | Braves -1.5 (-122)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-117) | Under 7.5 (+113)
Padres vs Braves trend
The Braves have hit the team total Over in 30 of their last 45 games at home (+12.80 Units / 24% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Padres vs. Braves.
How to watch Padres vs Braves and game info
Location
Truist Park, Cumberland, GA
Date
Thursday, July 23, 2026
First pitch
12:15 p.m. ET
TV
Padres.TV, BravesVsn
Padres starting pitcher
Griffin Canning (1-8, 6.67 ERA)
Braves starting pitcher
Chris Sale (10-6, 2.06 ERA)
Padres vs Braves latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
MILWAUKEE, WI - JULY 22: Brice Turang (2) of the Milwaukee Brewers reacts after reaching second base safely during a MLB game against the New York Mets on July 22, 2026 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Meet the Mets
Despite having plenty of outfielders on the roster, the Mets played Brett Baty in the outfield instead, a decision that directly lost them the game. Baty misplayed a ball that led to three runs and gave the Brewers the lead. The Mets couldn’t recover, losing both the game and the series against the Brewers.
Tarik Skubal has been in the spotlight ever since he burst onto the scene with the Tigers, and now all eyes are on him once again as the trade deadline approaches.
The Cleveland Guardians have come to life on offense, scoring 24 runs over the first three games of this series.
They are -140 favorites to take the finale. My Twins vs. Guardians predictions and MLB picks believe that line is a little short.
Who will win Twins vs Guardians today: Guardians moneyline (-140)
Gavin Williamsowns a 2.39 xFIP over the last 30 days, which does not align with his 4.70 ERA.
He has pitched well, and this is a great matchup for the numbers to finally reflect that.
The Minnesota Twins rank 27th with a .131 ISO against right-handed pitching over the last two weeks. They’re not hitting for power right now, and homers are the one thing that has made Williams vulnerable.
The Cleveland Guardiansare fourth in OPS vs. RHP the past 10 games, and star Jose Ramirez just returned. Williams should get the support he needs.
The forecast calls for weather in the mid-70s with slight winds blowing in. Small boost to the pitchers.
Twins vs Guardians odds
Moneyline: Twins +120 | Guardians -140
Run line: Twins +1.5 (-170) | Guardians -1.5 (+145)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-110) | Under 7.5 (-110)
Twins vs Guardians trend
Cleveland has hit the Over in 18 of their last 30 games at home (+4.85 units, 15% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Twins vs. Guardians.
How to watch Twins vs Guardians and game info
Location
Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH
Date
Thursday, July 23, 2026
First pitch
1:10 p.m. ET
TV
Twins.TV, Guardians.TV
Twins starting pitcher
Taj Bradley (9-4, 3.85 ERA)
Guardians starting pitcher
Gavin Williams (10-5, 4.00 ERA)
Twins vs Guardians latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - JULY 7: Cade Gibson #58 of the Miami Marlins, Xavier Edwards #9 of the Miami Marlins, Otto Lopez #6 of the Miami Marlins, Esteury Ruiz #3 of the Miami Marlins, Heriberto Hernandez #13 of the Miami Marlins and Brian Navarreto #64 of the Miami Marlins celebrate after defeating the Seattle Mariners at loanDepot park on July 7, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Jasen Vinlove/Miami Marlins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This makes the Marlins another potentially useful model for the Rockies to consider at as they embark on their own rebuild.
Don’t be afraid to search the scrap heap
Many of the most productive pieces of this 2026 Marlins season joined the team in small unheralded moves after being cast off from other teams.
The most valuable player on the team this year has been shortstop Otto Lopez. His 4.3 fWAR leads the team and is top ten in the majors. Lopez was acquired off of waivers from the San Francisco Giants in 2024.
Their starting catcher, Liam Hicks, was a Rule 5 Draft selection from the Detroit Tigers last season. He currently has a 122 wRC+ in 90 games.
Their most valuable outfielder this season has been Esteury Ruiz who has only played 62 games for the team. Ruiz was acquired via a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers after being optioned to the minors for his third organization.
The Marlins’ hottest hitter since the start of June has been Heriberto Hernández who signed a minor league contract with the organization before the 2025 season. Hernández had a 127 wRC+ in June and has followed it up with a 182 so far in July.
This is a team that opened up spots on the roster when it became clear that the previous group was not going to be successful and then scrounged around for diamonds in the rough from anywhere they could find them. The Marlins then gave runway to these players that had been abandoned by other organizations and have seen tangible on-field benefits from having done so.
These small moves on the margins are a good first step, and if the Marlins are any guide, the Rox should continue making more of them even as the overall quality of the roster improves.
Trade from positions of strength
The Marlins of 2024 were a decent mirror of the current Rockies. Whereas the Rockies have some decent hitting talent throughout the organization, they have very little pitching talent. The exact opposite of this was the case for the Marlins when their current front office took over before the 2024 season.
The previous Marlins administrations had established an ability to identify and develop pitching talent — that aspect of the team was not the problem. The primary driver of their 100-loss collapse in 2024 was a complete dearth of hitting talent in the organization from top to bottom.
Since then they have made a flurry of trades from their pitching depth to address their hitting concerns. They have moved all of Trevor Rogers, Jesus Luzardo, Ryan Weathers, and Edward Cabrera over the past two calendar years. That’s almost an entire starting rotation of quality pitching arms that the Marlins have shipped out since the 2024 deadline, and yet, because it was such an overwhelming strength before, they are still in the top half of essentially all pitching categories this season.
In exchange for those four arms, the Marlins were able to bring in 11 players headlined by two regulars in their big league outfield in the form of Owen Caissie and Kyle Stowers. Both Caissie (24) and Stowers (28) have been roughly league average hitters so far this season but have both shown promise for more. Caissie was a top 100 prospect before his debut last season, and Stowers was a National League All-Star a year ago.
“[Owen] Caissie reminds me so much of [Kyle] Tucker. The way that we are talking about Tucker… this guy is going to grow into that!”
Harold and Matt are big fans of Owen Caissie and the job @Marlins President of Baseball Ops. Peter Bendix has done constructing Miami’s roster. pic.twitter.com/oOzgBd1xTd
In addition to those two major league hitters, the Marlins string of starting pitcher trades have also infused their minor league system with a pile of interesting position player prospects. This group is headlined by defensive shortstop Starlyn Caba, slugging outfielder Dillon Lewis, and speedy middle infielder Cristian Hernández but includes many other names thought to have a chance to be useful big leaguers.
Looking through the Rockies organization, the closest analog to the Marlins recent organizational pitching strength is in the outfield. Between the major league team and Triple-A, the Rockies have a ton of names currently factoring into their outfield picture.
The strong seasons of youngsters Cole Carrigg (No. 4 PuRP), Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP), and Zac Veen (No. 9 PuRP) give the front office the freedom to consider following the Marlins example. They could look to move multiple talented, but older, outfield bats before the 2027 season to address their dearth of organizational pitching talent.
Hold on to your controllable stars
The Marlins 2022 NL Cy Young award winner Sandy Alcantara has been the subject of trade rumors for many years. Despite how many other pitchers the Marlins have shipped out of Miami in recent years, they have turned down all offers for their ace.
Before that Cy Young campaign in 2022, Alcantara signed a five-year deal (with a club option for a sixth) worth only a guaranteed $56 million. This contract was widely thought to be below market value at the time but looked incredibly team friendly after his award winning 2022 season. The overall shine on the total deal took a hit as Alcantara lost a season to UCL surgery in mid-2023, but that did not stop other teams from attempting to buy-low on the Marlins ace.
This combination of standout performance, years of below market team control, and reduced trade value due to injury has led the Marlins rebuff the myriad trade offers they received for Alcantara.
They are now reaping the rewards of having done so as Alcantara is once again leading the team in innings pitched, fWAR, and walk percentage. The Marlins rotation also features promising youngsters like Max Meyer and Eury Pérez but it’s depth has been significantly weakened by their many trades. Alcantara has been the reliable backbone that has allowed the Marlins to remain in the playoff picture so far this season.
Alcantara and the Marlins are a cautionary tale of how quickly competitive outlooks for once-hopeless clubs can turn around. If the Rockies do end up trading Hunter Goodman, it’s possible they will be looking around come 2028 and wondering whether a 30-homer bat behind the plate would have put them in the Wild Card race.
Conclusions
The Marlins problems that led to their most recent 100-loss season were very different from those facing the Rockies. For Miami the problem was an almost complete lack of premium young hitting talent (outside of Jazz Chisholm) whereas for the Rockies, the problem is on the mound.
Both clubs having their overall talent being lackluster and unbalanced, however, means that the methods employed should be applicable by just swapping out the particulars.
A plausible path the Rockies could take would be to keep taking shots at cast offs from other teams, trading aggressively for pitching talent from their outfield surplus, and holding onto their most accomplished player despite trade offers rolling in.
There’s no guarantees that this would result in the same sort of frisky contending team in two years that the Marlins have now, but there is precedent that it could.
The Isotopes pitching staff passed the baton effectively in this bullpen game. Five pitchers combined to fill the full nine innings and managed to strand eight runners en route to only two runs. The collective gave out six free passes and allowed eight hits but limited the damage with two doubles being the only extra base hits allowed.
The offense was led by Zac Veen (No. 9 PuRP) who collected three hits including his sixth triple of the season. The supporting cast around Veen of Nic Kent, Vimael Machín, and Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP) each reached base twice. In the end, this was enough to score five runs and earn the Isotopes their 49th win and bring them back up to a .500 record.
Connor Staine started the first game of the doubleheader and earned his sixth win of the year with five solid innings. Until the fifth inning Staine had only allowed one run, the result of a solo home run from Jean Carlos Sio. The wheels came off a bit in the bottom of the fifth and he allowed three more runs on four hits including a double but by that point Hartford had already scored six runs of their own.
Center Fielder Mike Antico drove in five of the Yard Goats six runs with his second inning double and fourth inning home run. Beyond Antico, both Braylen Wimmer (a double and a stolen base) and Aidan Longwell (two hits) were the primary contributors to Hartford’s offensive output.
Michael Prosecky (No. 25 PuRP) started his third game of the season after having worked primarily in relief. Prosecky got through two innings with 39 pitches and didn’t allow any runs before handing the ball to Griffin Herring who promptly allowed the Flying Squirrels first three runs of the game. Fisher Jameson finished the game out with three innings in which he allowed an additional two runs on three hits and four walks.
The Yard Goats were never able to catch up to the Flying Squirrels after that third inning outburst. What offense the did muster came from a combination of Roc Riggio (No. 14 PuRP), who reached base twice and stole a base, and Andy Perez who had two hits including a home run.
Spokane took the lead early with a four run third inning but it was not enough to hold off the Dust Devils. The Indians offense was speed oriented as they only had a one extra base hit, a double by Alan Espinal, but made up for it with six stolen bases. Leadoff hitter Tommy Hopfe stole one of those bases to go along with four hits as their offensive standout for Spokane.
Jordy Vargas (No. 21 PuRP) got the start for Spokane and struck out eight over five innings. Over the course of those five innings Vargas allowed three runs on ten hits and two walks which kept the Indians in the game. Poor bullpen performances from Austin Emener and Nathan Blasick allowed the final three runs that the Dust Devils needed to take the victory.
For the first seven innings of this game the Quakes looked like they were in line for a victory.
The Grizzlies pitching staff, too their credit, kept the game close through the early innings even when the lineup was struggling to score. Ethan Cole started the game for Fresno and went five innings while only allowing two runs. Grif Hughes followed Cole and allowed another run on a solo home run by Victor Rodriguez but otherwise was great in his three innings of work.
At the plate, the Grizzlies were largely stifled until the eighth inning in which they scored their first two runs thanks to a home run by Wilder Dalis (No. 24 PuRP). Then came the bottom of the ninth which Fresno entered trailing four to two. Landyn Vidourek, in his first game since being traded from the Dodgers, led the inning off with a walk before a pair of singles by Luis Mendez and Jeremy Ciriaco loaded the bases. Another pair of singles from Clayton Gray and Carlos Renzullo drove in the tying and winning runs.
The ACL Rockies dominated this one from the start. They divided the game amongst five pitchers, none of whom went longer than two innings. The only shaky performance for ACL Rockies pitchers was for the starter Kevin Concepcion who allowed three hits and two walks in only two innings.
At the plate the ACL Rockies combined for an incredible 17 hits, only three of which were for extra bases. This onslaught of pressure baserunners was headlined by center fielder Cristian Arguelles’s and third baseman Eriel Dihigo who had three hits apiece.
The bats were out for DSL Colorado in this seven inning match. A combination of plate discipline (they earned eight walks) and timely slugging led to runs in four separate innings. Centerfielder Larry Suero was the obvious standout in the lineup as he led off and collected four RBI’s by hitting both a double and a home run.
Yeremi Mendez and Eric Veras combined to hold the DSL Angels to four runs (three earned). They each only allowed a single walk, rare for this level of the minors, and the only extra base hit they allowed was a fourth inning double by David Manzueta.
Overshadowed by his slugging exploits has been Goodman’s ability to use the ABS challenge system to the Rockies advantage. Drew Creasman sits down with Goodman and how he’s gone about approaching the new system.
Speaking of Goodman, Sam Blum of the Athletic provides a primer for folks around the league as to why teams are interested in trading for him. This is aimed at folks outside the Rockies orbit that aren’t already familiar with Goodman’s game but it is just nice to see national media speaking so glowingly about a Rockie.
Another example of the national baseball media taking notice of Rockies performing well, Maddie Landis digs into TJ Rumfield’s rookie campaign. Landis lends credence to the idea that’s been floated on Purple Row that Rumfield has a legitimate case for National League Rookie of the Year.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MAY 23: A general view of the Giants equipment rack before the start of the game between the Chicago White Sox and San Francisco Giants on May 23, 2026 at Oracle Park in San Francisco, CA. (Photo by Larry Placido/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
Today is an off-day for the San Francisco Giants, and there hasn’t been a lot of fun to be had lately with the way the games have been going.
So instead of focusing on non-fun stuff, I thought we’d visit a video that the Giants’ social media team put out a little while ago. If you are a fan of Wordle, and the various other versions that have popped up over the years, and you’re also a baseball fan (which I assume you are, because otherwise you are very lost) then you’ve probably at least heard of the Immaculate Grid.
Players are given a set of parameters to guess baseball players that fit those parameters. And the more obscure your picks are, the higher score you receive. I’m pretty sure that’s how it works anyway, I haven’t played in a while.
So the Giants social media team asked Giants players to give it a go. The video is a little under twenty minutes, so grab your coffee, settle in, and enjoy!
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 12: Ike Irish #18 of the Baltimore Orioles bats in the fifth inning during the 2026 All-Star Futures Game Presented by Nike at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, July 12, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Brian Garfinkel/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Triple-A: Charlotte Knights (White Sox) 8, Norfolk Tides 4
A pair of two-run home runs was all the offense that the Tides could muster. Heston Kjerstad hit his sixth long ball of the season in the sixth inning, and Bryan Ramos went deep for the third time in the ninth inning to make the scoreline a bit more respectable. Jud Fabian and Ryan Noda were the two that scored on those homers. Enrique Bradfield Jr. went 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout. Creed Willems took an 0-for-3.
Chris Kachmar started on the mound, allowing four runs on seven hits, two walks, and four strikeouts. Dietrich Enns followed and had another tough outing. Across his 1.1 innings the lefty gave up a pair of runs on three hits (two homers), three walks, and two strikeouts. Hans Crouse and José Espada combined for 2.2 scoreless innings in the middle of the game before Cam Sanders allowed two runs on one hit (a homer), a walk, and a strikeout.
Tavian Josenberger had a big game, hitting two home runs as part of his three-hit, three-RBI night at Prince George’s Stadium. Douglas Hodo added a pair of hits, including a double, two RBI, and a run scored. Frederick Bencosme had two hits out of the leadoff spot, and Brandon Butterworth went 1-for-5 with an RBI hitting right after him. Griff O’Ferrall had one hit, one run, and one stolen base. Fernando Peguero collected a hit and two stolen bases.
Juaron Watts-Brown’s turnaround continues. For the sixth consecutive start he lowered his season ERA. The box score doesn’t look amazing (5.1 innings, three runs), but he did it while striking out six and not allowing a single walk. The bullpen was money behind him. Zane Barnhart, Keagan Gillies, and Richard Guasch combined for 3.2 scoreless innings of relief to close out the win.
High-A: Frederick Keys 13, Rome Emperors (Braves) 8
All this Frederick offense does is put up big numbers. It happened again in this win. They collected 13 hits and six walks while going 4-for-17 with runners in scoring position. Wehiwa Aloy led the way with three hits, two runs scored, and five RBI. Ike Irish also had three hits, including a double, a walk, and a run scored. Aloy and Irish had one stolen bag each as well. Reed Trimble, Edwin Amparo, and Braylin Tavera hit one home run each. Tavera had three RBI for the game. Trimble also walked three times and scored four runs.
The pitching was not as universally successful. Yeiber Cartaya gave up three runs, four walks, and struck out five in his three innings. Ben Vespi coughed up three runs (two earned) in his two frames, and a rehabbing Cameron Foster allowed two solo homers in 1.1 innings. However, he late innings saw the relief corps lock things down. Chandler Marsh and Braeden Sloan combined for 2.2 scoreless innings to end the game.
Low-A: Hill City Howlers (Guardians) 6, Delmarva Shorebirds 4
Braylon Whitaker gave the Shorebirds a great effort at the top of the lineup. He singled three times, stole a base, and scored a run. Jaiden Lo Re added a single and a run scored. Junior Aybar doubled for the team’s only extra-base hit of the night and his 10th two-bagger on the season. Stiven Martinez had two of the team’s RBI and a walk. Miguel Rodríguez and Félix Amparao had one RBI each. Jordan Sanchez singled, walked, stole a base, and scored twice.
It was a mixed bad on the mound. Stephen Still lasted just four innings, but allowed only two runs on three hits, three walks, and three strikeouts. Teddy Sharkey followed with a shutout inning, and then Eccel Correa provided two scoreless innings after that. The Shorebirds lost the game in the eighth inning, when Zac Lampton was charged with allowing four runs on two hits, three walks, and a strikeout. Jack Crowder came on for the final out and allowed one of his inherited runners to score.
JUPITER, FLORIDA - MARCH 19, 2026: Tanner Franklin #43 of the St. Louis Cardinals throws a pitch during the fourth inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Washington Nationals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on March 19, 2026 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
On Monday, I covered the Memphis pitchers and the Springfield starting pitchers. Which is why this article begins with the Springfield relievers.
I think it is fair to say that Watson’s performance this year is a massive disappointment considering how well he finished last year at Springfield. You do have to be pretty neck deep in the woods to be invested in Watson in the first place, so I’m overstating the level of feeling most of you have towards him. But he had a 30.5 K% and 10.5 BB% with a 1.11 ERA in 24.1 IP last year in Springfield. The ERA was pretty lucky, but still. He has worse stats than last year pretty clearly.
Randal Clemente, RHP – 24
Acquired: International free agent signing out of Dominican Republic in 2020
Although the ERA isn’t better, Clemente seems to be improving as a pitcher from last season. He walked 26.1% of batters last year and struck out 27.5%. He clearly has swing-and-miss stuff… and also has no idea where the ball is going. You don’t usually see a pitcher where knocking off one percentage point off the K% for one percentage point of a BB% would totally be worth the tradeoff.
The last time I did an update, I am pretty sure Findlay had just got called up to Springfield. He struck out 30% of batters while walking 6.7%, so it was a well-deserved promotion. He’s doing alright, but considering he spent the vast majority of last year pitching poorly in Low A, him holding his own at AA less than a year later is a huge positive.
Darlin Saladin, RHP – 23 (VEB’s #16 prospect in 2025)
Acquired: International amateur free agent out of Dominican Republic in 2019
Most of these pitching lines are not as bad as they seem, for some reason they all have super high BABIPs. I don’t know if it’s because of poor defense or if it’s like playing at Coors Field or some combo of the two. I will say entering the 2025 season, Saladin did look like a legit prospect, so it has been disappointing that one and a half seasons later, he’s not great in AA as a reliever.
Hey we have something here…. and he’s hurt. Of course. He hasn’t pitched since May 24th. I actually think he may be in Memphis right now if he didn’t get hurt. Good strikeout rate, lots and lots of groundballs, and… well too many walks but it’s better than a lot of guys are managing.
I’m not going to share the stats, but there are a good four or five relievers in Springfield who have HORRENDOUS stats that make some of these lines look considerably more impressive. I’m talking like 9.00+ ERA and FIP. I’m not kidding. The ones I shared are the best relievers on the team.
With some of these pitchers, and I don’t know if you’re like me, you’ll notice a disparity between what you think the K/BB numbers should produce for FIP and what the FIP actually is. And in most cases, it’s hit by pitches. They are factored into the FIP formula. Franklin has 6 HBPs, so just mentally add that to his BB% and his FIP numbers make a lot more sense. Anyway, me personally, the numbers that matter are a strong K%, a slightly too high BB%, and a normal GB%. Things are on track despite the slash line being less than ideal.
Yhoiker Fajardo, RHP – 19 (VEB’s #19 prospect)
Acquired: Traded with Hunter Dobbins and Blake Aita for Willson Contreras
In case you have any regret at trading Willson Contreras for some reason – I don’t know why you want Burly in the outfield – I have to say the returns on his trade have been very good so far. Close to best case scenario quite frankly. Fajardo has been unbelievable and if anything tells me that minor league BABIP is super weird, it’s Fajardo producing strikeouts on 32.3% of his ABs and somehow still coming away with an insanely high BABIP.
Odle spent April and May in Low A and dominated, posting a 1.91 ERA with a 36.4 K%. He’s still missing a lot of bats in High A, but he’s missing the strike zone. He pitched yesterday and I did update the stats I could, which is actually good news, because his FIP will be a lot better. He struck out 9, walked 3, and hit a batter in 4.2 IP. He didn’t allow a homer either. I think the xFIP will improve too, but it’ll be a much bigger boost to the FIP. This is a 14th rounder posting those K numbers, it’s ridiculous.
Leonel Sequera, RHP – 20
Acquired: International amateur free agent signing out of Venezuela in 2022
I will refrain from judging him, mostly because the big knock on him, as far as being a prospect went, was that he didn’t strike people out. He’s improved his K rate from 20.9% to 24.2% and his BB% isn’t that much higher either. Last year it was 8.7%. His groundballs have remained the same. Why is his slash line so bad? Over a fourth of the flyballs he allows go out of the park. That is one home run per start and 2.03 per 9 innings. He’s still just 20 and the three stats I care about (K%, BB%, GB%) are fairly strong.
Nate Dohm, RHP – 23
Acquired: Traded with Jesus Baez and Frank Ellisalt for Ryan Helsley
It is genuinely hard to judge pitchers in the minor leagues right now and I guess by association, I suppose we should distrust some of the hitting stats. If everyone is having a BABIP problem, I kind of think it’s the league. Dohm’s K% is the same as last year, his BB% is a little better, and his GB% is noticeably better… for some reason his xFIP is a full run lower. So the run environment certainly has changed.
Frank Ellisalt, also in the Helsley trade, has been injured all season.
I’m trying to save myself a little time by not sharing the stats of the lower level when a guy is promoted, especially if the guy was promoted before my previous update (Van Dyke’s last Low A start was May 13th and my pitching update was May 24th), however it does have the effect of only seeing the negative part of a guy’s season. Van Dyke was excellent in Low A, with a lot of Ks, not many walks, and a decent GB%. He is arguably ahead of schedule despite underwhelming stats.
When both the K% and BB% make you audibly let out an expletive, you know you have an interesting line. That is a very high strikeout percentage. That is also a very high walk percentage. If he somehow duplicated this line up the ladder, he would have the floor of a reliever at the very least. So I hope he keeps missing this many bats.
He never ended up making the top 20, but he had a decent amount of support back in March. I think that was jumping the gun a little bit. And don’t worry he’s still considered a starting pitcher – his last outing, he did not literally start the game, but he threw 5 innings. And if you were wondering, he only threw 17.2 IP all last season, so the Cardinals are managing his innings. He also began the year hurt.
Yeah tell me the pitching environment in the minors makes sense right now with this stat line. Above average K%, great BB%, good GB% – terrible numbers. Granted, it’s home runs fault. He has allowed a homer on 27.8% of flyballs, and the league average is 11%. His xERA, for whatever that’s worth, is 3.63. I’m encouraged by his start despite the homers.
Now this line being bad, I understand. Along with Dutkanyvch and Findlay, Graham was drafted with the full realization that he had recently undergone Tommy John surgery. Graham only actually started 4 total games in college. He spent his freshman and sophomore years in relief and needed TJ surgery after just one start in his junior season. So Graham does not have many innings in his past. He threw a high of 33.1 IP in his sophomore season.
Young has been injured since May 14th and is on the minor league 60-day IL. He wasn’t put on the 60-day until July 17th, which could have been a procedural move to make room for the draftees since he has been injured for 60 days already and I think it works retroactively. Or he could be done for the year. I can’t find any information on his injury.
Nelfy Ynfante, RHP – 21
Acquired: International amateur free agent out of Dominican Republic in 2022
Yes, this is an unusual stat line to give for a guy who is Low A, but Ynfante was weirdly promoted to Springfield for 7 games. I don’t know why but the Springfield bullpen is so bad, he was middle of the pack, so they could have just been desperate. Anyway, he was sent back to Low A (and not High A, curiously), where his numbers are solid.
I don’t really need a WAR figure for the minor leagues, but one helpful thing it would do, quite honestly, is share exactly the context for the numbers. If it used FIP, Shelagowski would actually have a positive WAR, I’m fairly sure. If it used xFIP, I’m not sure what it would be, but I don’t think it’d be negative. How bad does an ERA of 5.71 look? It’d just be interesting to see how it compares to a replacement player in that league.
Breckheimer is another pitcher who is on the 60-day IL right now. Not that you got all that excited about these stats, but does suck to see an injured pitcher.
Jesus Garcia, RHP – 20
Acquired: International amateur free agent signing out of Venezuela in 2024
Garcia pitched about as good as you possibly can while he was at the complex leagues, so the Cardinals promoted him pretty quickly. He’s found more of a challenge at Low A and I wish for more missed bats, but it’s not that bad.
Standout Performances
Yairo Padilla came back from the injured listi and homered in his first game. He went 3-4 with a double in his next game and yesterday he went 1-3 with a single. He’s looking good when he’s healthy.
Sebastian Dos Santos had a 89 wRC+ before he went 2-4 with two doubles in yesterday’s game. So the 18-year-old has had a decent start, mostly thanks to a 15.3 BB%.
Jack Gurevitch sure is on a roll. On Tuesday, he came to the plate five times, he homered three times, doubled once and walked. Yesterday, he homered again, but the bum was out his other three times to the plate. He’s an extra base hit machine.
Tai Peete had a very Tai Peete game on Tuesday, going 3-5 with a triple and two homers, with the two outs being strikeouts of course. Yesterday, he came to the plate five times and didn’t strike out once, going 2-5 with a double.
In his most recent start, Fajardo threw 5 innings, struck out 10, walked one and allowed 3 runs.
Won-Bin Cho hit his 10th homer in 20 games while at Springfield, and his 18th of the season. He also singled, walked, and stole a base. It’s pretty fun he’s a prospect again!
Rainiel Rodriguez has a 112 wRC+ (before he went 0-4 with a BB yesterday) in a relatively unexciting way, except for the fact that he is 19-years-old having an above average line at AA.
If you think the Cardinals bullpen is bad, check out the Springfield bullpen. Three relievers pitched in yesterday’s game. The ERAs of those pitchers were 14.85, 7.96, and 14.04. One of those lines has thrown over 30 innings, one over 15, and one has 7.2 innings.
Brycen Mautz appears to be in the bullpen now. He threw 2 scoreless innings with 4 Ks yesterday. There is a good chance he’s being primed to replace Romero as the lefty reliever role when the Cardinals deem Mautz ready.
Early on, Chase Davis has a .200/.429/.500 line and already hit a homer. As you might expect, he’s walked a lot and he’s also struck out a decent amount.
PHOENIX, AZ - JULY 22: Ryan Waldschmidt #15 of the Arizona Diamondbacks looks on after hitting a two-run home run in the fifth inning during the game between the Athletics and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Wednesday, July 22, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Zach Gardner/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Whenever someone asks why I’m a fan of sports, I often point to any number of reasons from the simple – it’s entertaining – to the more esoteric – it’s a matter of civic pride. I also often answer that sports can offer a kind of catharsis that you can rarely find in our everyday lives. That’s particularly true for baseball which inherently creates tension through a lack of action – only for the eventual resolution to provide a special kind of resolution. I suspect the entire D-Backs’ offense felt an incredible kind of catharsis this afternoon. After losing a frustrating game in the series opener and needing extra-inning magic to eke out a win last night, the Diamondbacks were staring down a series loss against an Athletics team that seems stuck in neutral. Instead, the offense erupted for their highest run total in nearly two years to take a crucial series win as the team attempts to convince the front office to buy at the Trade Deadline or at least convince them not to sell.
The first time through the lineup, the D-Backs failed to generate much offense against rookie Gage Jump, making just his eleventh career start. The young lefty utilized his excellent fastball to generate several weak swings and misses along with plenty of weak contact. But starting with the second time through the lineup, the batters clearly made some adjustments beginning with Corbin Carroll who opened the team’s scoring with a solo shot to left field while Nolan Arenado followed with his own one batter later to knot the score at 2-2. That was just the amuse-bouche however as the main course came one inning later when the game unraveled for the rookie. Ketel Marte began with a leadoff double and scored on a wild pitch, Gabriel Moreno took Jump deep with his own solo shot, Arenado worked a walk and moved to second on yet another wild pitch, and Ildemaro Vargas doubled him in to end Jump’s afternoon. Amazingly, the fun wasn’t over as James McCann took the very first pitch from reliever Yunior Tur into the left field bleachers to put the Snakes up by five. Ryan Waldschmidt even got the proverbial monkey off his back with his first career homer at the big league level to cap off the inning and turn the game into a rout. And if you weren’t already full, the dessert course was just as much fun as the rest of the dinner. Carroll collected his major league-leading 11th triple and scored on yet another wild pitch, the D-Backs loaded the bases on three consecutive walks and then cashed them all in with knocks by McCann and Tim Tawa to turn the game into a true laugher. In all, the offense scored 14 runs in three innings and did it in impressive fashion with plenty of power, timely hitting, and excellent at-bats up and down the lineup. Every starter except for Geraldo Perdomo had at least one hit and the team had the same number of walks as strikeouts for the game. It’s hard to encapsulate and the video may do it even more justice:
On the flip side, this felt like a perfect opportunity for Merrill Kelly to feel absolutely no pressure as his offense clearly had the game in hand and focus on trying to return to the form we know he can have. Instead, we saw much of the same type of struggles that have plagued him all season: an inability to put hitters away, a lack of command that leads to walks, and depending all too much on the changeup as a putaway pitch. The final line on the veteran for the afternoon (5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K) isn’t bad, but it masks some bad luck on the Athletics bouncing into two separate double play balls. Now that those pesky Athletics are out of the way, here’s hoping the team can quickly regroup for the latest in “most important series of the year” with about a week and a half until the Trade Deadline.
In this week's Closer Report, Edwin Díaz is checking off all of the boxes in his recovery as he nears his return to the Dodgers. And Aroldis Chapman is still getting it done as a key piece on a surging Red Sox team, picking up four saves this week to help Boston tie a franchise record with 15 consecutive wins. All that and more as we cover the last week in saves around baseball.
⚾️ Baseball is back! MLB returns to NBC and Peacock in 2026! In addition to becoming the exclusive home of Sunday Night Baseball, NBC Sports will broadcast MLB Sunday Leadoff, “Opening Day” and Labor Day primetime games, the first round of the MLB Draft, the entire Wild Card round of the postseason, and much more.
Mason Miller - San Diego Padres
Jhoan Duran - Philadelphia Phillies
Cade Smith - Cleveland Guardians
Louis Varland - Toronto Blue Jays
Josh Hader - Houston Astros
Bryan Baker - Tampa Bay Rays
Miller struck out the side in a non-save situation against the Royals on Friday. Trade rumors are swirling around the 27-year-old flamethrower. The Padres would ideally attach a big contract to a Miller trade, but moving him to replenish the farm system is a real possibility. He's been the best reliever in baseball all season, posting a 0.89 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, and 75 strikeouts over 40 2/3 innings.
Duran made two appearances in non-save situations against the Mets and Dodgers. He's been an easy number two in the rankings, enjoying a career year with a 1.32 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 50 strikeouts over 34 innings while converting 24 saves.
Smith struck out two in a clean inning of work against the Pirates on Saturday to fall in line for a win, then picked up a save against the Twins on Tuesday. He's been steady all season as one of the top closers, converting 29 saves with a 2.72 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 66 strikeouts over 46 1/3 innings.
Varland converted his 20th save against the White Sox on Saturday with a clean inning of work, striking out one. He's allowed just six runs all season for a 1.08 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and 68 strikeouts over 50 frames as the top closer breakout.
Hader has been outstanding since coming off the injured list. He made three appearances this week, giving up one run in a non-save situation on Monday against the Marlins before bouncing back with a save on Tuesday against the Marlins. Meanwhile, Baker pitched a clean inning with one strikeout against the Blue Jays on Wednesday for his 26th save. He's posted a 1.69 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, and 41 strikeouts over 37 1/3 innings.
▶ Tier 2
David Bednar - New York Yankees
Aroldis Chapman - Boston Red Sox
Andrés Muñoz - Seattle Mariners
Raisel Iglesias- Atlanta Braves
Jacob Latz - Texas Rangers
Trevor Megill - Milwaukee Brewers
Tanner Scott - Los Angeles Dodgers
Make it 17 straight scoreless appearances for Bednar. He recorded five outs against the Dodgers on Sunday, striking out two batters to pick up a win. The 31-year-old right-hander has posted a 2.72 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 47 strikeouts over 41 2/3 innings.
Chapman was busy out of the break, locking down four saves with four scoreless appearances against the Rays and Orioles, helping the Red Sox extend their winning streak to 15 games before falling to the Orioles in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader. The 38-year-old left-hander looked like a prime trade candidate at one point. Now, he's a key piece on a surging Boston team.
Muñoz has seen his fortune turn with 12 straight scoreless appearances. He pitched two perfect innings this week, picking up his 17th save against the Giants on Sunday. Jose Ferrer, Gabe Speier, and Eduardo Bazardo have all been excellent behind Muñoz, giving Seattle one of the best bullpens in baseball.
Iglesias made back-to-back appearances in non-save situations, giving up one run against the Rangers on Sunday. The 36-year-old right-hander has been consistent in his 12th season, posting a 2.36 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 38 strikeouts over 34 1/3 innings while converting 19 saves.
Latz worked a four-out save against the Braves on Saturday, striking out one batter for his 19th save of the season. Jakob Junis was activated from the injured list on Saturday and stepped back into a setup role.
Megill was on an excellent run, making his 15th straight scoreless appearance with an inning of work against the Marlins on Saturday. That streak was snapped with a run allowed against the Mets on Wednesday, but he held on for his 16th save of the season. Meanwhile, Scott is back on track with four consecutive scoreless outings. He picked up his 15th save against the Phillies on Tuesday. Edwin Diaz could be on tap to return from the injured list sometime in the next week as he makes his way back from elbow surgery to remove loose bodies. He's currently on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City. He'll throw on Thursday in his first back-to-back, then again on Sunday before potentially being back with the Dodgers next Tuesday.
▶ Tier 3
Riley O'Brien - St. Louis Cardinals
Grant Taylor - Chicago White Sox
Paul Sewald - Arizona Diamondbacks
Emilio Pagán - Cincinnati Reds
Kenley Jansen - Detroit Tigers
Yoendrys Gómez - Minnesota Twins
Devin Williams - New York Mets
O'Brien picked up a save against the Diamondbacks on Friday, then gave up two runs to blow a save chance and take the loss against the Angels on Monday. He bounced back with a scoreless inning on Wednesday for his 26th save. Meanwhile, Taylor continues to solidify his role as the go-to guy in the ninth inning, picking up a save against the Blue Jays on Sunday with a scoreless inning. Three of his five saves have come in his last four appearances.
Sewald has surrendered at least one run in seven of his last 11 outings. He took a loss against the Cardinals on Friday, held on for a save on Saturday, then gave up two runs to blow a save against the Athletics on Tuesday. The 36-year-old right-hander holds a 4.95 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and 42 strikeouts over 36 1/3 innings. Despite Sewald's 23 saves, if the Diamondbacks are to make a run for a playoff bid, they're going to need better performance in the late innings.
Pagán gave up a run in a non-save situation on Sunday in Colorado, then worked back-to-back scoreless appearances to lock down a pair of saves against the Mariners. The 35-year-old right-hander has made six appearances since coming off the injured list, stepping back into the closer role.
Jansen made two scoreless appearances this week, striking out two batters in each. He fell in line for a win on Monday against the Cubs. The 38-year-old right-hander has converted 11 saves with a 4.21 ERA across 25 2/3 innings and could be a trade candidate at the deadline. And in Minnesota, Gómez worked a scoreless inning against the Cubs on Friday for his 12th save.
There was some speculation regarding a potential role shift for Williams, but he worked the first save chance out of the break, tossing a clean inning with one strikeout last Thursday against the Phillies.
▶ Tier 4
Gregory Soto/Mason Montgomery - Pittsburgh Pirates
Kaleb Kilian - San Francisco Giants
Clayton Beeter - Washington Nationals
Jordan Romano - Colorado Rockies
Pete Fairbanks - Miami Marlins
Jacob Webb/Trent Thornton - Chicago Cubs
Soto was charged with a blown save on Saturday against the Guardians. Montgomery recorded the final out in the eighth and pitched a scoreless ninth on Wednesday against the Yankees before Soto picked up a save in the tenth. The two are trending in different directions, with Montgomery on a nine-game scoreless streak.
No saves for Kilian this week. He gave up a run against the Royals on Monday to take a loss. He remains at eight saves, with his last one on July 4. Beeter is also at eight saves after converting one on Sunday against the Athletics. He's given up at least one run in each of his last three appearances and holds a 3.94 ERA across 40 1/3 innings.
Romano worked a clean inning with two strikeouts to pick up a save against the Nationals on Tuesday, his seventh of the season and third since joining the Rockies. He's allowed one run with an 8/4 K/BB ratio across 5 2/3 innings with Colorado.
Fairbanks gave up three runs to blow a save and take the loss against the Brewers on Sunday. He's converted 13 saves, but it's come with a 7.42 ERA and 1.52 WHIP over 30 1/3 innings. And in Chicago, no saves for the Cubs' committee this week.
▶ Tier 5
Alex Lange - Kansas City Royals
Tyler Wells/Andrew Kittredge - Baltimore Orioles
Elvis Alvarado/Hogan Harris - Athletics
Ryan Zeferjahn/Kirby Yates - Los Angeles Angels
Lange blew two save chances this week before locking down his ninth against the Giants on Tuesday. In Baltimore, three different relievers were charged with a blown save this week for the Orioles, including Kittredge, Rico Garcia, and Yennier Cano. Meanwhile, Wells picked up a save on Friday before taking a loss on Monday. And Harris picked up a save against the Diamondbacks on Monday, his first save since June 10.
“About a week ago, 10 days ago, somebody asked me about the job he had done,” Boone said after Blackburn delivered two innings of shutout relief to help the Yankees take Game 2 of Wednesday’s doubleheader over the Pirates, 2-0, and salvage a split in The Bronx. “It had been about a month-plus of some really good work — whether it be a high-leverage situation, whether it’s giving you multiple innings on a given night.
“It’s been about six weeks where he’s gotten his stuff in a really good place. He’s another guy like [Brent] Headrick, you feel good about going through lefties and righties. He’s been big for us.”
Yankees pitcher Paul Blackburn (58) reacts to getting out of the seventh inning with men on when the Yankees played the Pirates in Game 2 of a doubleheader on Wednesday. Robert Sabo for NY Post
The veteran righty is enjoying a terrific year, pitching to a 2.00 ERA after his latest performance. He has given up just one earned run over his past 14 appearances dating back to June 21 spanning 21 ¹/₃ innings.
After using high-leverage arms David Bednar, Fernando Cruz and Headrick in the opener, Blackburn’s two frames were integral to the victory. He inherited a runner on first base in the seventh, and when Jared Triolo stole second and went to third on catcher Ali Sánchez’s throwing error, the Pirates were set up to take the lead.
But Blackburn struck out Ryan O’Hearn and Marcell Ozuna to escape trouble, and the Yankees broke through in the bottom half of the inning.
The 32-year-old veteran joined the Yankees last year after he was released by the Mets in August. He didn’t perform well, but he enjoyed his time in The Bronx and returned on a one-year deal. This year, he has taken off.
“Just when I showed up last year, I didn’t know what to expect,” Blackburn said. “I walked in, there was a plan for me from day one. It just seemed like they were interested in helping me and getting me back to where they thought I could be.”
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One major factor: increased velocity. It is up across the board for Blackburn. He is averaging a career-best 94.2 mph on his sinker, up from 92.6 a year ago, and it has made his secondary pitches more effective.
“I had a full offseason this year,” Blackburn said. “I focused on little different things I needed to get stronger and [gain] more mobility. Just ran with it.”
ANAHEIM, CA - JULY 18: Tarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers pitches during the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on Saturday, July 18, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Tony Macon/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The trade deadline fast approaches and (stop me if you’ve heard this before) the Braves HAVE to add at least one quality starting pitcher if they want to expect any serious postseason success (setting aside the performance on offense). Without adding a postseason-quality starter, they would need to operate a three or four man rotation that would involve at least two of Bryce Elder, Grant Holmes, Reynaldo Lopez, Martin Perez, JR Ritchie, Owen Murphy, Didier Fuentes, Spencer Schwellenbach, and AJ Smith-Shawver. While you can squint in that list and see a pathway or two for passable postseason pitching, it’s certainly unlikely and only so much can be papered over by creative pitcher usage. Trades are hard to negotiate and this front office has been very firm on sticking to their value judgements, but this team simply cannot be a serious postseason contender (outside of general baseball variance) without adding at least one playoff-quality starter.
COVERS INTEL: Canning has been substantially worse on the road, 
James Schiano
