Category: Baseball

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The NFL betting volume took some heat off the MLB player prop market yesterday, and I took advantage with a big day on the diamond, including a pair of dingers. I still have juice to sprint to the finish line.

My home run props are looking for a Jake Burger blast vs. Logan Gilbert. But Ryan Feltner is the pitcher worth exploiting most, and we're buying Bronx Bombers Cody Bellinger and Luis Garcia to make some noise on Thursday, Sept. 10.

MLB home run props for today

For help understanding Polymarket probabilities, see our odds calculator.

Player to hit a HR	Chance
Cody Bellinger	18.3%
Jake Burger	16%
Luis Garcia	24%
💲Today's HR parlay	107.4x

Home run prediction: Cody Bellinger (18.3%)

Colorado Rockies right-hander Ryan Feltner is the biggest pitcher target today. He has the worst HR/9 among today's starters dating back to last year and is pitching in the toughest environment on the slate.

The wind is blowing out to the short porch at Yankee Stadium, and Feltner gives up more slugging to left-handed bats. It's another great day to target New York Yankees lefties.

Cody Bellinger cashed yesterday at 17% with a fair price of 20%. I might move that fair price closer to 21%, making today's 18.3% an easy call for my MLB picks.

Todd Cordell has a complete look at this game with his Rockies vs. Yankees predictions.

• Time: 7:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: YES, Rockies.TV

Home run prediction: Jake Burger (16%)

Logan Gilbert has the fifth-worst HR/FB rate among starters in the second half at 21.8%, along with the 11th-worst HR/9 at 2.12. He just gave up four dingers in his last start and has surrendered 11 home runs since Aug. 1, with lefties and righties both hitting him for power.

I'll roll with Texas Rangers slugger Jake Burger. I have his fair price at 20%, so there's plenty of value on a batter with nine homers in the second half.

He's gone deep three times over the last three games and brings a hot bat against a cold arm, with a great price on a small slate.

For a deeper dive into this afternoon's clash, consult Neil Parker's Rangers vs. Mariners predictions.

• Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: RSN, Mariners.TV

Home run prediction: Luis Garcia (24%)

Let's get one more left-handed bat against Ryan Feltner in the best home-run environment on the board. Feltner is the best HR target, and Yankee Stadium is the best backdrop for four-baggers. It makes sense to grab another left-handed Yankee bat on a small Thursday slate.

Garcia went deep yesterday at a similar price and has multiple hits in both games of this series. Aaron Judge is back in the lineup, and that only helps the hitters behind him, including Garcia.

The Rockies' bullpen is still one of the worst in baseball and owns the dead-last second-half ERA.

Garcia is good to 27%.

• Time: 11:59 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: One National or Two local

Best home run combo for September 10

Cody Bellinger	Trade Now 107.4x
Jake Burger
Luis Garcia

Want more baseball parlays? Check out our MLB parlay picks page!

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Worcester: W, 8-3 (BOX SCORE)

While Jedixson Paez struggled to go far in Lehigh Valley against the IronPigs (Phillies AAA) some may wonder if him being pulled at exactly 60 pitches may signify some not too distant need to have him come up to toss another few innings soon, or at least give the club the option to do so if needed. Still, Paez threw ten scoreless outs and set the WooSox up well to take the win.

The team grabbed fourteen hits, 11 of those being singles but one being a home run by Vinny Capra in the ninth to combat the IronPigs breaking their scoreless run; Capra’s home run really put the game on ice and gave the team a five run lead. Most notable story from this box score, though, is Franklin Arias reaching base four times, going 2-for-3 with two walks. Chances are, if there’s a game, Arias is getting on.

Portland: L, 5-2 (BOX SCORE)

As the Red Sox fell to an Angels team that featured Vaughn Grissom, his return in Isaiah Jackson had both his first Double-A start in the Sea Dogs’ final series of the season, his first hit (a double) in Double-A, as well as his first stolen base and RBI. Henry Godbout also continued to hit as his Double-A batting average has now topped .300. Sadly, though, the hits came far and few between, and Hayden Mullins kept the ball in the yard in yet another quality start, going six innings with just one run allowed, Aaron Nixon’s promotion went less than stellar as he gave the lead up to the Rumble Ponies (Mets AA) in the 7th and the Sea Dogs would not recover, though they would thwart three opportunities to score with a runner in scoring position. Such is baseball!

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rangers fans and fans across the country.

This week’s Lone Star Ball Reacts question looks to the upcoming offseason, and the various Rangers players who are scheduled to hit the free agent market this offseason.

We want to know, of the Rangers who are set to become free agents, who would you most like to see the Rangers bring back?

Cast your vote below…

I feel certain that if I look long and hard, I’ll be able to find some internet source material that says that Philadelphia is a lovely place to visit in October. I mean, it might be propaganda from the city’s tourism board or something, but it’s got to be out there somewhere, right? Right now, the Cubs find themselves on a death march in that direction. To be clear, I’ll go that far with doom and gloom, but no way and no how is it entering my mind that this team doesn’t reach the playoffs. As long as we are getting the record straight, I think the Cubs are going to take this off day and then get back to playing better baseball and winning games. It’s not optimal that they are looking up at Philly with 15 to play. But also, it’s 1.5 games. Tie goes to the Cubs, so that half isn’t scaring me in the slightest. Though I do recognize for Philly, it’s the “good” half. If you had to pick one, you want to be one less win than one more loss. But that’s splitting hairs.

I was relatively prepared to write something to the extent “The Cubs played and lost and none of us want to talk about it, so moving on.” After all, the top of the fourth inning was the first time the Cubs had a better chance to win at the end of the half inning than the start of it. That improvement in their odds? .002! The bottom of the inning kept it rolling. The Cubs progressed .005! The bottom of the fifth was a positive inning at .004. By the end of the sixth, the Brewers were at 99.2 percent to win. It was almost a straight line in the Brewers direction through six innings. For all of the seventh and eighth innings, the game was sliding around in the 99.0 to 99.9 percent chance of the Brewers winning. When the game looks like that, there is no WPA being generated anywhere.

I can imagine inquiring minds wondering, how close did WPA think this ever got? Pete Crow-Armstrong’s inning opening walk put the WPA at 99.8 percent chance. By the time Michael Conforto had a two-out, two-run double they had moved the odds all of the way to… 96.3 percent. So there you have it, nothing at all good happened for the Cubs by way of WPA. They never moved the needle and you’ll see that in the WPA scores as we move on.

I’ll give a few paragraphs on my thoughts and you can dismiss it entirely as cope if you want. I’m not at all bothered by losing five of seven to the Brewers. I saw a lot of these games in part or in whole. What I saw? A blow0ut in favor of the Cubs and a blowout in favor of the Brewers (this game, despite the late rally). The other five games went overwhelmingly to the Brewers, but I saw five games that were neck and neck. A few plays here or there wins those games. I’m not at all surprised the Brewers came out on top. They are the better team. They have been for a few years now. Good teams often find a way to win a close game. Though Jed was always right that in general, if you are really good, you’d rather it wasn’t close. But the Brewers are built especially well for close games. They are built on playing fundamental baseball, taking advantage of every little edge and limiting mistakes wherever possible.

I don’t care that they won these two sets of games. Obviously, it would have been a heck of a lot better to win them. I’m not blowing smoke at anyone. There is no significant contributor on this Cub team that thinks they can’t go toe to toe with the Brewers and win a series. If even one guy in their clubhouse eventually takes the field against the Cubs thinking they are going to roll and it’s all going to be easy, awesome. The Cubs are going to be ready for that fight. Of course it’s going to be an uphill battle. I shouldn’t have to say it, but I’ve said it dozens of times here for months and months. Nothing that matters is ever going to come easy for this team. It’s just too flawed.

Excellent hitting. Excellent fielding. Good baserunning. The National League MVP. A couple of battle tested starters with playoff experience. I’m saying there’s a chance. I lived through Cub baseball in the 80’s and 90’s, a chance is a heck of a lot better than we had most years. And I sure am glad I wasn’t around with Al and so many others for the 70’s. Roll it all out on the field. Hope everything breaks right. Be prepared for exiting with barely a whimper. Then get the offseason right. Take PCA out of your Cub season. Very little went well. Maybe you found some fringy relievers (to be depth and not key performers). You got a whole lot of data for making decisions on Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ and how each might age. But really, this isn’t a team boasting a bunch of career years or anything else.

This team can be better next year. Particularly if it has some actual pitching. But let’s enjoy this ride for a few weeks longer, shall we? Rest up on our day off. We’re gonna have to try to will this team to the finish line and beyond. What else are you doing? Even if you are a rabid football fan, that’s only a couple of days per week. You can put your honey-do’s off another couple of weeks. We’ve got work to do putting some positive mental energy behind this team over these last two plus weeks. Let’s do it.

Three Positives:

• Pete gets the top spot. He had a single and a walk. He scored twice.
• Michael Conforto had that two-run double I referenced in the open and was also hit by a pitch.
• Alex Bregman was the only other Cub to reach twice, with a double and a walk, though neither really impacted the game other than making Brewers pitchers work.
• Hat tips for Trent Thornton and Caleb Thielbar each working clean innings with no leverage.

Game 147, September 9: Brewers 8, Cubs 6 (81-66)

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

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Michael Conforto (.015). 1-3, 2B, HBP, 2 RBI
• Hero: Carson Kelly (.006). 1-3, DP
• Sidekick: Trent Thornton (.004). IP, 3 BF, 2 K

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Kevin Gausman (-.355). 4 IP, 23 BF, 8 H, 2 BB, 7 R (6 ER), 6 K (L 4-2)
• Goat: B.J. Murray, Jr. (-.038). 0-1
• Kid: Pedro Ramirez (-.035). 1-4, RBI

Note: the Heroes and Goats debut for Murray, the 51st Cub to join the list this year. Will he be the last?

WPA Play of the Game: Christian Yelich’s two-out, three-run homer in the first inning. You pretty much knew it was over already, right? (.250)

Cubs Play of the Game: Kevin Gausman actually struck out Andrew Vaughn just one batter earlier, providing hope of escaping that first inning unscathed. (.043)

Cubs Player of the Game:

Game 146 Winner: Carson Kelly received 52 of 78 votes.

Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)

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

• Alex Bregman +27
• Pete Crow-Armstrong +26.5
• Michael Conforto +18
• Ben Brown +13.5
• Carson Kelly +13.5
• Jameson Taillon -13
• Seiya Suzuki -16
• Nico Hoerner -16.5
• Dansby Swanson -17
• Caleb Thielbar -18.5

Scoreboard Watching: You’ll pardon me if I dropped all of the division leaders. I believe those ships have sailed. Though with the trajectories of the Phillies and Braves, I may review that decision again next week.

Padres win (2.5 back). Phillies win (1.5 up). Diamondbacks lose (3 back).

Up Next: The Cubs are off Thursday. The only consequential game is Thursday afternoon when the Phillies play that “game in hand” that they have. They host the Astros. The teams have split the first two games. The Phillies then fly to Atlanta for a three-game set to kick off a nine-game, three-city road trip. They have nine road games followed by hosting the Brewers and Rays. The remaining Philly schedule is tricky.

The Cubs begin the last “block” of games on the year. 15 games in 17 days with days off bracketing the Reds series September 18-20. So off day, six home games, off day, three road games, off day, three home games, three road games. Two of five series against likely playoff teams. The other three series are against teams mostly fighting to try to limp in with a winning record. Visiting Fangraphs for their model’s projections of those 15 games finds the Cubs winning eight more games, including all three against the Braves but only one each versus the Pirates and Reds. Go figure that out.

Shōta Imanaga (9-10, 3.91) gets the opener for the Cubs. He pitched well in Miami the last time out. He won, allowing a run on three hits over six innings. It was a nice bounce back after a handful of rough starts. Imanaga has two starts against the Pirates, one win and just four hits and no runs yielded in 12 innings of work.

The Pirates are 73-73 heading into play Thursday night in Chicago against the White Sox. They have won the first two against the Sox. They are 6-2 so far this month. They haven’t officially named starters for the series yet. Fangraphs projects Braxton Ashcraft to start. Ashcraft is having a terrific season at 14-6, 3.65. He did lose his last start against the Angels. He allowed three runs on seven hits in five innings of work. He’s finishing very strong though with 4-2, 2.51 over his last seven. He went nine and eight innings back to back August 13 and 18, winning both. So he gets deep into some games too. He hasn’t thrown even 90 pitches in a game since August 24 as the Pirates monitor his workload. They talked about loss of command and velocity as that last start went along.

Wednesday’s Pirates win was close and you’d hope Thursday’s will be a close game too, giving the Cub bullpen a huge rest edge. The Pirates used eight pitchers Wednesday. Pirate relievers are middle of the road in ERA (4.03, 15th), two spots behind the Cubs. Pirate relievers have thrown the ninth most innings of any bullpen. They are tied with the Cubs for 22nd in saves and have only four less blown saves (though I’ll keep reminding you that blown saves includes a lot of rather innocuous middle inning runs allowed in close games). Pirate relievers are 19th in WHIP but 7th in opponent batting average (read: a lot of walks). The Cubs might be able to steal a game in the late innings with patient at bats.

We’re likely catching both Ashcraft and Paul Skenes in the series (the answer to the go figure). But I still like the Cubs to come out with a couple of wins. But three sure would be nice.

The Braves sure do love “hey, this guy might have reverse splits, let’s do something about it!” Or, maybe they don’t really love it, but this is at least twice in recent memory that they’ve taken someone who might have… neutral splits, and gone with more righty bats. It doesn’t make much sense to me, but there it is. Lane Thomas and Brewer Hicklen are in the lineup this afternoon, as well as Ha-Seong Kim, while Sean Murphy, Ozzie Albies, and Mike Yastrzemski ride the bench.

Let’s take a wide view of Nick Martinez and his stats.

For the 2026 season, Martinez has a .283 wOBA-against by lefties, and a .310 wOBA-against by righties. This persists when you look at inputs by those batters, with a 3.78 xERA from lefty batters and a 4.89 xERA by righty batters.

However, the actual pitching is way less clear cut: Martinez has a 3.96 FIP and 4.50 xFIP against lefties, and a 3.94 FIP and 4.45 xFIP against righties. He seems more platoon-neutral than anything else. Considering that Lane Thomas is himself worse against righties, I’m not a huge fan of this, but whatever.

If you take the arc of Martinez’ career, “platoon-neutral” also seems tempting as a conclusion. His wOBA-against is within .001 against lefties and righties, his xERA is marginally lower against lefties (4.19 to 4.39), and his FIP and xFIP have a marginal split in the expected direction (4.53 / 4.66 against lefties, 4.45 / 4.49 against righties). So, I wouldn’t do this, but the Braves are.

Meanwhile, the Rays are giving Martin Perez a few more righties to contend with, including Ryan Vilade and Nick Madrigal, though Chandler Simpson and Cedric Mullins remain in the lineup despite batting left-handed.

Let’s talk about batter-versus-pitcher, too, just for the sake of having something else to add here, even though it doesn’t really matter. Martin Perez has been around a while, but most of these Rays batters have not. Both Nick Martinez and most guys in the Braves’ lineup are veteran-ish.

Everyone but Hicklen and Drake Baldwin on the Braves side has faced Nick Martinez at least twice; Matt Olson leads the pack with 19 PAs and a pretty hefty .508 wOBA / .384 xwOBA. Austin Riley, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Mauricio Dubon have also done the business against Martinez in limited PAs. The collective line is a .351 wOBA and .336 xwOBA in 53 PAs.

For the Rays and Perez, it’s similar-ish: six of nine in their lineup have faced him. Yandy Diaz (.468 wOBA, .358 xwOBA) has 32 career PAs against Perez; Mullins has struggled with a .210-.220ish wOBA/xwOBA in 14 PAs. Collectively, it’s 64 PAs with a .364 wOBA / .316 xwOBA, so basically there’s a similar level of familiarity and performance in that sample by both of these teams against the scheduled starter.

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It's another short Thursday slate for our MLB expert picks.

Two of our analysts are eyeing lines from the Texas Rangers-Seattle Mariners clash at T-Mobile Field this afternoon, while Josh Inglis is backing the Chicago White Sox to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the nightcap on Thursday, Sept. 10.

MLB expert picks for today

Pick	Probability
Josh Inglis: CHW ML	51%
Jon Metler: TEX ML	47%
Joe Osborne: TEX/SEA o6.5	51%

Probabilities courtesy of Polymarket. For help understanding Polymarket probabilities, see our odds calculator.

Josh Inglis' expert pick: White Sox moneyline

Price: 51¢ at Polymarket

I got this at 51% and have the fair price closer to 54%.

The Chicago White Sox have already dropped both games of this series, and the threat of a sweep should provide plenty of motivation. There might be some interest in the Pittsburgh Pirates with White Sox rookie Hagen Smith making his first start, but he's been a nasty lefty out of the bullpen this year, with nine scoreless outings in 10 games and 23 Ks over 16 innings.

Jared Jones looks like a pitcher who struggles on visiting mounds, with a 4.0 BB/9 away from home compared to 2.6 at PNC Park. His road WHIP is also half a point higher.

I see this as a 50/50 game on a neutral field, and home-field advantage is worth at least another 2%, or 20 points, to me. The White Sox are fighting to hold onto the AL Central lead, while Pittsburgh has already secured the series and Chicago has one more chance to avoid the brooms.

• Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
• How to watch: SportsNet Pittsburgh, CHSN

Jon Metler's expert pick: Rangers moneyline

Price: 47¢ at Polymarket

The Texas Rangers are trading at 47%, and that's a number I'm buying because I price them closer to a 52% favorite. That's a sizable edge compared to what we typically see in this market. 

The middle of the Seattle Mariners' lineup, including hitters like Cal Raleigh and Dominic Canzone, features steep uppercut swings designed to elevate the ball. 

That's exactly what Jacob deGrom's high-velocity fastball with late riding life at the letters can neutralize, turning those uppercut swings into routine popups or complete whiffs. 

The Mariners will try to counter the right-handed deGrom by stacking their lineup with seven left-handed hitters, but that doesn't give them an advantage. DeGrom is equally tough on lefties as he is on righties, thanks to his ability to attack their hands with his fastball and use his back-foot slider to keep them off balance.

Neil Parker breaks this matchup down further in his Rangers vs. Mariners predictions.

• Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
• How to watch: RSN, Mariners.TV

Joe Osborne's expert pick: Rangers at Mariners Over 6.5

Price: 51¢ at Polymarket

Such a low total isn’t warranted with the 2026 versions of these two starters.

Logan Gilbert owns a 4.45 home ERA and just surrendered seven earned runs and four homers to the A’s, and deGrom has a brutal 5.86 road ERA across 13 starts.

Neither lineup is imposing, but each is in respectable form. Seattle ranks fifth in wRC+ against righties over the last two weeks, while Texas sits second overall over the past week.

Add in two bullpens getting smacked around all September, and getting to seven runs shouldn’t be much of a struggle.

• Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
• How to watch: RSN, Mariners.TV

More MLB best bets for today

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The Seattle Mariners are a short home favorite over the Texas Rangers ahead of the 4:10 p.m. ET first pitch in their series finale at T-Mobile Park on Thursday, Sept. 10.

My top Rangers vs. Mariners predictions and MLB picks call for the Rangers to pull off the afternoon win while the total goes Over the number.

Who will win Rangers vs Mariners today: Rangers moneyline (46.5%)

For help understanding probabilities, see our odds calculator.

While there have been a handful of hiccups from Texas Rangers veteran Jacob deGrom, he’s still allowed two runs or fewer in 19 of his 27 starts. Perhaps even more encouraging, the 38-year-old righty’s 3.11 xFIP ranks ninth among104 starters with at least 100 innings.

The Texas offense is also trending in the right direction with a fourth-ranked wOBA, third-ranked ISO and fourth-ranked xwOBA over the past two weeks. For comparison, the Seattle Mariners check in at 24th, 26th, and 23rd, respectively.

Mariners righty Logan Gilbert has also started to slide late in the season with a ho-hum 4.10 xERA and 3.92 xFIP over his past six starts, and Seattle ranking 30th in bullpen xERA over the past 30 days only bolsters the case to back Texas.

As a result, I expect the Rangers to outscore the Mariners this afternoon and recommend the Texas moneyline to 50%.

COVERS INTEL: DeGrom ranking second in swinging-strike percentage, seventh in strikeout-to-walk ratio, and eighth in strikeout percentage reinforces that the two-time Cy Young winner is still among the best in baseball.

Rangers vs Mariners Over/Under pick: Over 6.5 (51.2%)

This is an aggressively low total, and I’m still bullish on the Over 6.5 to 53.5%.

As highlighted, the Rangers are rolling at the dish, and the Mariners have scored eight times through the first two games of the series and have hit the Over in 15 of their last 22 games (+7.35 Units / 30% ROI). Texas has also cashed the Over in 11 of its past 15 games (+7.65 Units / 47% ROI). 

Seattle isn’t the only team with struggling relievers, with Texas ranking 23rd in bullpen xERA over the past 30 days.

Rangers vs Mariners home run prediction: Wyatt Langford (16.7%)

Gilbert has surrendered 11 homers across his past seven starts with an unheard-of .403 ISO allowed to right-handed hitters. Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford has hit 12 of his 16 homers against righties with a .210 ISO. He’s also faced Gilbert 21 times, so there’s a growing familiarity.

Rangers vs Mariners weather

The weather forecast calls for clear, sunny skies with warm afternoon temperatures peaking around 75 degrees, and a light 4-6 mph wind blowing out toward right-center field at T-Mobile Park.

Rangers vs Mariners odds

• Moneyline: Rangers 47.6% | Mariners 56.5%
• Run line: Rangers +1.5 (67.7%) | Mariners -1.5 (37%)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (52.4%) | Under 6.5 (52.4%)

Rangers vs Mariners trend

The Rangers have hit the Over in 11 of their last 15 games (+7.65 Units / 47% ROI), and the Mariners have gone Over in 15 of 22 (+7.35 Units / 30% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Rangers vs. Mariners.

How to watch Rangers vs Mariners and game info

Rangers vs Mariners latest injuries

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Recaps

[Dbacks.com] Gallen, Soroka return, but D-backs fall out of 3rd NL Wild Card spot – In Arizona’s 5-2 loss to the Royals in the series finale, Gallen worked the opening 3 1/3 innings. He wasn’t able to get through the fourth because a 10-pitch at-bat against Nick Loftin with one out lifted his pitch count to 68. Gallen gave up four hits and two runs (one earned), including a solo homer to Carter Jensen. Soroka took over for the fifth in his first relief appearance of the season. Soroka struck out Kyle Isbel to begin his outing, but then surrendered a single to Isaac Collins and a walk to Jensen before Bobby Witt Jr. snapped a 2-2 tie with a three-run homer that proved to be the game-winner.

[SI] The Good And Not So Good From Zac Gallen’s Return from Injury – Gallen’s four-seam fastball has been the hinge point of his issues for multiple seasons. It simply has not been an effective pitch since the early stages of 2024. Unfortunately, that was the case again Wednesday. Gallen shied away from his fastball after the third one he threw was hit 106.5 MPH (albeit for an out). He threw only nine out of 68 total pitches, tied with his sinker for the least-used offering on the night. The fastball’s velocity was also significantly down. This is not a major concern after a lengthy IL stint and an elbow injury. But Gallen’s four-seam averaged 91.2 MPH, which is 2.2 MPH down from his 93.4 yearly average.

Team news

[Arizona Sports] Diamondbacks’ Corbin Carroll to get MRI on Thursday – Manager Torey Lovullo told reporters on Tuesday that Carroll would likely need imaging after he was scratched from the lineup in Kansas City. Lovullo said Carroll would not play in their series finale on Wednesday against the Royals. Carroll said he suffered a back spasm last week during Arizona’s home series against the Philadelphia Phillies. He made 44 start starts before taking a seat on Monday, when he came off the bench late in the D-backs’ 5-4 win. The All-Star has gone through his ups and downs this season both in terms of performance and health. At the plate, Carroll was great through mid-June, suffered a miserable July and started to tick back up in August before a late-month slump.

[ProPublica] The Dominican Baseball Factory – On an evening in late 2021, in a pristine baseball complex in central Santo Domingo, a baby-faced 14-year-old outfielder in athletic gear named Belfi Rivera huddled in front of a computer screen. Next to him was John Carmona, who had been Belfi’s trainer and de facto caretaker since he was 11 years old. In a nearby office, Belfi’s parents stared anxiously at a separate computer. On the screen, calling into the Dominican Republic, were representatives of the Arizona Diamondbacks, there for a conversation that promised to shift forever the fortunes of Belfi and his parents. The team, they would soon learn, had agreed to pay Belfi $1.8 million after his 16th birthday. It was a deal Carmona had negotiated without consulting Belfi or his parents. It was also a handshake agreement that skirted Major League Baseball’s rules that bar teams from signing players younger than 16.

[SI] Derek Jeter’s Most Meaningful World Series Was the One He Lost – Twenty-five years later, the 2001 World Series—a series he lost—resonates more deeply with Jeter than most any career highlight. It was bigger than the team. Bigger than the title that slipped away. Bigger than baseball. “But, the interesting thing is even to this day, if I run into people, Yankee fans, New Yorkers, they’ll mention how great that World Series was—and no one mentions the fact that we lost. It’s really fascinating because Yankee fans are like no other. It’s, ‘You win a World Series or it’s a failure,’ which I 100% agree with. But in that particular World Series, no one I run into mentions the fact that we lost.”

[NBC Sports] Don’t expect Burnes to return to form in 2026 – James Schiano breaks down Diamondbacks pitcher Corbin Burnes’ season debut, pointing to his inefficiency and velocity while tempering expectations for a return to form this season.

And, elsewhere…

[ESPN] Early MLB free agency intel: Skubal, Chisholm, Arraez, more – It’s anyone’s best guess as to how owners handle the free market. In the days leading up to the last lockout after the 2021 season, there was a flurry of big-money deals, including Corey Seager and Marcus Semien to Texas for $500 million combined; Javier Baez to Detroit for $140 million; Max Scherzer to the New York Mets for $130 million; Robbie Ray to Seattle for $115 million; and Kevin Gausman to Toronto for $110 million. Unlike last time, however, the owners today are seeking a system that would fundamentally change the game and its salaries. And without a sense of how previously signed contracts would work in a capped system, the reticence might be strong.

[MLB.com] Ohtani placed on injured list to rest left knee, right biceps injuries – “It was more just really huddling up and saying, ‘Hey, how are you going to feel on Friday? How are you going to feel on Saturday?'” Roberts said. “Talking to the doctors and training staff, there was not much certainty that he’d be in a much better place. With that, just taking it off the table seemed like the best course of action.” As a corresponding move, the Dodgers will call up MLB Pipeline’s No. 6 overall prospect, Josue De Paula, from Double-A Tulsa. De Paula will join the team on Friday in Miami. L.A. will need to add him to the 40-man roster ahead of his Major League debut.Roberts previously described placing Ohtani on the IL as a deterrent because the minimum-length IL stint for two-way players is 15 days. But after Ohtani did not show sufficient improvement over the past week, the Dodgers felt that he would be better served by taking a more extended stint to recover.

[ProPublica] The Rising Baseball Star, a Fatal Car Crash and the Fixer – Six years ago, Pittsburgh Pirates star prospect Oneil Cruz rear-ended a motorcycle, killing all three of its passengers and jeopardizing his career. Cruz’s parents brought in a fixer to pay off the victims’ families so they wouldn’t sue and wouldn’t demand that prosecutors pursue the case. In making the case go away, that fixer, Santo Caraballo, saved Cruz’s career and launched his own as one of the most powerful figures in Dominican baseball.

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (71-68) lost 8-6 (BOX SCORE)

Sugar Land got on the board in the first inning on a Price 3 run home run. In the 2nd inning, Spence connected on a solo home run. Alexander start for Sugar Land but struggled allowing 6 runs over 3.2 innings. In the third, Dezenzo drove in a run on a groundout. Swanson pitched in relief and allowed 2 runs as the Comets extended their lead. The offense got another run in the 8th on a Delgado groundout but that was it as Sugar Land fell 8-6.

Note: Santos has a 1.00 ERA in Triple-A.

• Cavan Biggio, 2B: 1-for-2, 3 R, 2 BB, SB
• Collin Price, 1B: 2-for-4, R, HR, 3 RBI
• Zach Dezenzo, DH: 1-for-3, RBI, BB
• Lucas Spence, LF: 1-for-3, R, HR, RBI, BB

• Jason Alexander, RHP: 3.2 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 5 K
• Alex Santos II, RHP: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Nic Swanson, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
• Christian Roa, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Roddery Munoz, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (61-73) won 5-3 (BOX SCORE)

Shoemaker started for the Hooks and tossed 4 scoreless innings allowing just one hit. The offense got on the board in the 3rd inning scoring 4 runs on a Janek RBI double, Moss 2 run single and Holy RBI single. The pen allowed a few runs as the RockHounds made it close. The offense got an insurance run in the 9th on a Thomas sac fly and David tossed a scoreless 9th inning to close out the 5-3 win.

Note: Thomas has a .802 OPS in Double-A.

• Justin Thomas, CF: 1-for-3, R, RBI, BB
• Will Bush, DH: 1-for-3, R, 2 BB
• Walker Janek, C: 1-for-3, R, 2B, RBI, BB
• Jack Moss, 1B: 1-for-4, R, 2 RBI
• Alejandro Nunez, LF: 1-for-3, BB
• Max Holy, SS: 1-for-4, RBI
• Hector Salas, 2B: 1-for-4, R
• Alberto Hernandez, 3B: 1-for-4, 2B

• Adam Shoemaker, LHP: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 6 BB, 2 K
• Max Martin, RHP: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
• Amilcar Chirinos, RHP: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, o ER, 1 BB, 2 K (WIN)
• Alejandro Torres, RHP: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
• Ramsey David, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (SAVE)

A+: Asheville Tourists (43-87) SEASON OVER

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (1-0) OFF

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: Brandon McPherson – 6:35 CT

CC: Joey Mancini – 7:00 CT

AV: SEASON OVER

FV: TBD – 5:35 CT

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The New York Yankees beat the Colorado Rockies by multiple runs in the first two games of this series, and my Rockies vs. Yankees predictions expect more of the same in the finale.

New York's power should be front and center against Ryan Feltner, who bleeds home runs and will get no help from the favorable conditions at Yankee Stadium.

Let's break it all down with my MLB picks before first pitch at 7:05 p.m. ET.

Who will win Rockies vs Yankees today: Yankees -1.5 (58%)

For help understanding probabilities, see our odds calculator.

Ryan Feltner is one of the most hittable pitchers in the majors, ranking in the second percentile in xERA.

Pitching a healthy chunk of games at Coors Field hasn’t helped his cause but, unfortunately for Feltner, playing in warm weather at Yankee Stadium isn’t much better.

Feltner has posted a 5.91 ERA and allowed 1.86 HR/9 in hitter-friendly conditions. Things are unlikely to go well for him against a New York Yankees squad sitting third in ISO vs. right-handed pitching.

Max Fried should get a ton of run support, making the Yankees run line a buy up to 59%.

COVERS INTEL:Ryan Feltner's 11th percentile barrel rate will get him into trouble against a powerful Yankees attack.

Rockies vs Yankees Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (53%)

Feltner has allowed nearly two baserunners per inning over the last 30 days. He's giving up a ton of traffic, and the Yankees certainly have the power to cash in.

They sit fifth in homers against righties — and third at home — despite playing a ton of games without Aaron Judge. Luis Garcia Jr. is also still relatively new to the scene and adds to their pop.

The Colorado Rockies quietly rank eighth in road wOBA vs. southpaws the past two months, and could cause headaches for Fried.

Play to 55%.

Rockies vs Yankees home run prediction: Aaron Judge (32%)

Aaron Judge hasn’t left the park since returning from injury, and this is the perfect storm for that to happen. Hot weather and wind blowing out create a great environment for homers, with a 22% boost projected for this game.

Judge also shines against Feltner’s pitch mix. Isolating the three pitches he uses at least 20% of the time facing righties, Judge owns a .270 ISO and a remarkably high 21.3% barrel rate. All rise!

Rockies vs Yankees weather

The bats will see a big boost with temperatures in the 80s and winds blowing out in an already hitter-friendly ballpark.

Rockies vs Yankees odds

• Moneyline: Rockies 26% | Yankees 75%
• Run line: Rockies +2.5 (55%) | Yankees -2.5 (45%)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (53%) | Under 8.5 (48%)

Rockies vs Yankees trend

The Yankees have covered the run line in 15 of their last 22 games for +11.15 units and a 42% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Rockies vs. Yankees.

How to watch Rockies vs Yankees and game info

Rockies vs Yankees latest injuries

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

Good morning A’s fans!

The A’s got hit with more bad injury news recently concerning two of the team’s top two prospects. Young infielder Leo De Vries is set to undergo the knife and be down longer than people expected, possibly as long as eight months:

The surgery isn’t the surprise, it’s the time he’ll be down for. It is major shoulder surgery though so the timeline shouldn’t come as a complete shock when you think about it. Most of the recent examples that have undergone a similar surgery like Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe or Toronto’s Anthony Santander missed at least eight months. Shohei Ohtani was only down for roughly four but that was to his non-throwing shoulder, which De Vries’ is.

If he does end up missing eight months that’ll see him getting back into the swing of things by mid-May. After a strong year at Double-A there was the expectation he’d begin next year with the Aviators but with the extended time off he may return to the Rockhounds for a rehab stint before his promotion to the last level of the minors. And from there it’s one call from the Athletics’ dugout.

On the bright side the 19-year-old is still incredibly young for the level he played at this year and with youth on his side he should be able to recover from this with no issues or setbacks. No news is good news regarding our top prospect this offseason because that’ll mean his recovery is going smoothly. We’ll see where he is come spring.

Things take a darker turn for the Athletics from here. Left-handed pitching prospect Jamie Arnold was struck in the face by a comebacker in his second Triple-A start by the fourth batter he faced, He was immediately removed from the game.

Not a great day for injuries, or year for that matter. Good news though is that Arnold was able to walk off under his own power. He did make that trip to the hospital though and it was discovered he suffered intra orbital and maxillary sinus fractures. That’s your face bones, people.

It definitely could have been much worse though. Older A’s fans may remember what happened when Brandon McCarthy got hit right in the head with a line drive. Arnold seems to have dodged the worst of it but we’ll have to wait and see what the rest of his year looks like. Surgery won’t be required, so that’s good, but there’s also no time line for his return to the mound. And frankly, it may be a blessing in disguise to end his season here. He’s surpassed his career-high in innings pitched, has reached the final level of the minors and looked good in his first start with the Aviators. Call it a season and have a good offseason. He’ll be needed next year.

And it sounds like a family member shared some good news on X as well:

No game today as the club has a day off while they await the Seattle Mariners who are coming to Sacramento. Until then! Have a great day A’s fans.

A’s Coverage:

• 2027 Infield Landscape Ever Changing
• A’s Shut Out Blue Jays 2-0 to Win Series
• Blue Jays Win 4-2 to Even Series
• A’s Walk Off Blue Jays 6-5
• Mariners Defeat A’s 2-0 in Road Trip Finale
• “Fast Movers” Might Be Key To Contention
• Bi-Polar Performance Arcs Make Evaluation Difficult
• A’s Escape Texas With A Win, Beat Rangers 9-2
• A’s Designate José Suarez For Assignment
• Q&A: Clarke determined to finish strong with A’s after long IL stint
• White exits with back tightness as A’s injury woes continue
• It’s Been a Bummer Summer in Sacramento
• The A’s valuation rises with sales of 2 MLB clubs as Las Vegas move looms
• Your 2026 Hacktastic A’s
• Athletics Considering James Click For GM Vacancy
• Daejon Love case brings back Eric Byrnes’ bizarre story of an A’s bat boy impersonation
• Get the best of Athletics Nation on the new SB Nation app
• How defensive whiz Clarke’s return will impact A’s
• How A’s catcher Bruce Maxwell brought taking a knee to MLB and what happened afterwards
• A’s Plan to Test Top Pitching Prospect Jamie Arnold at Next Level
• Separating The Wheat From The Chaff Not So Easy
• Amidst The Despair: The Position Player Talent Is There
• What Are The Next Steps For The A’s? ($)
• Where Each A’s Player’s Contract Stands Entering Offseason
• Why Athletics Will Have Scary Offense in 2027
• Underdog Athletics prospect Cole Conn playing like a big dog for Aviators
• Behind the Plate, the A’s Face an Offseason Reckoning
• Why The New GM Needs To “Clean House”
• A Seemingly Rock Bottomless Glass
• MLB Trade Grades: A’s Have Quiet Trade Deadline
• Fustercluck 2026: The Real Reasons For A Disappointing Season

MLB News and Interest:

• Ohtani to go on injured list to rest leg, arm injuries
• Dodgers calling up top prospect Josue De Paula with Ohtani out
• Yankees To Place Jazz Chisholm Jr. On Injured List
• Willson Contreras to begin rehab stint Friday, Red Sox say
• An early look at 11 intriguing offseason trade candidates
• Astros’ Jose Altuve doubles in 3rd vs. Phillies for 2,500th career hit
• Diamondbacks Activate Zac Gallen, Michael Soroka
• Only Yankee younger than Lombard to hit grand slam: Mickey Mantle
• Carson Whisenhunt Scheduled For Tommy John Surgery Next Week
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Looks like Shea just really wants to make it back:

Looks good to me!

And we’re almost a third of the way through!

Medina has found a place in the Athletics’ bullpen:

ICYMI:

If you really want to see the play where Arnold is hit, here it is:

The Lake Elsinore Storm completed their regular season schedule with a 4-1 record for the week and a cancelled game. Unanticipated weather conditions made the Lake Elsinore field unplayable. The tarp had not been deployed the day before the night and early morning rain arrived.

The championship playoff, a best-of-three series against the Ontario Tower Buzzers, started Tuesday, today and Friday, if needed.

Multiple roster moves occurred at the end of the Bridge League in Arizona and the end of both A-level seasons.

RHP JP France and RHP José Leclerc were released from El Paso. Outfielder Kai Murphy and catcher Victor Duarte were returned to the development list.

Outfielder Braedon Karpathios, LHP Luis Gutierrez, and catcher Anthony Vilar were promoted from San Antonio to El Paso.

RHP Trevor Gott was signed to a minor league contract and assigned to El Paso.

RHP Carson Montgomery, infielder Kerrington Cross, and RHP Will Varmette were promoted from Fort Wayne to San Antonio.

The Lake Elsinore Storm received 2026 first-rounder Coleman Borthwick for their playoff roster. The righty has been pitching in the Bridge League. LHP Jeronimo Palmeros was sent to Arizona to open a roster spot for Borthwick.

El Paso Chihuahuas (56-82 record, last in PCL East)

The Chihuahuas split their week’s series while continuing to struggle with enough pitching to hold opponents in check. RHP Evan Fitterer was their most effective starter for the season with a 4.38 ERA in 88.1 innings pitched in 26 appearances and 20 starts. 

RHP Hunter Stratton, acquired at the trade deadline, has pitched in 11 games and 14.2 innings with a 1.23 ERA.

RHP Jhony Brito, called up to the Padres briefly with the roster expansion, returned to El Paso with the activation of Nick Pivetta. He has started and relieved in his 42.1 innings pitched since coming off the injured list. Brito should have a more defined role with next season’s Spring Training work.

The Chihuahuas never really had a chance for a winning season with the constant flow of players back and forth with the parent club. Their offense was robbed of all their effective hitters while the pitching was also in flux and underperformed. 

Of the remaining players on El Paso’s offensive roster, outfielder Nick Solak has had the best season. In 105 games, Solak is hitting .316/.379/.505 with 26 doubles, two triples, and 16 home runs for 73 RBI. 

San Antonio Missions (58-74 record, last in Texas League South)

The Missions also split their series this past week.

Outfielder Braedon Karpathios, who struggled for most of the season after breaking out last year, has surged over the past month. In the first two games of the week, Karpathios had 7 hits with 2 homers and 9 RBI. He finished the six games hitting .636 (three doubles, two homers, 13 RBI) for a 1.712 OPS. He earned Texas League Player of the Week honors for that outburst. He was also promoted to El Paso for the last two weeks of their season.

LHP Luis Gutierrez, working to get back into form after missing most of the season with a shoulder injury, had a good start. He threw three innings with two hits and four strikeouts, not allowing a run. He was promoted to El Paso for their last two weeks and could see time in the AFL to continue to work back into form.

RHP Francis Peña, who has struggled with command most of the year, is finishing strong for the Missions. In two appearances, Pena struck out four over four innings pitched. He has a 27.6% K rate but also has a 14.2% walk rate for the year. 

Fort Wayne TinCaps (56-74 record, last in Midwest League East)

The TinCaps went 4-2 for the week, with third baseman Kerrington Cross finishing his Single-A stint with a good week. He had a 1.073 OPS for the week and has been hitting for more power of late. Over his last 27 games with Fort Wayne, Cross hit .269/.382/.441. After a dominant start in Lake Elsinore, Cross struggled when promoted to Fort Wayne but looks to have adjusted as the season ended for the team. He was promoted to San Antonio to finish out the season. Quite the first pro year for the 2025 7th-rounder.

RHP Winyer Chourio, 22, signed with the Padres in 2024 as an international player. He played in the ACL in 2025 and began this season with Lake Elsinore, promoted in June. Over those two levels, Chourio has a 6-5 record and a 4.56 ERA in 92.2 innings pitched. Also finishing strong, Chourio has a 2.29 ERA over his final five appearances after struggling to begin his time with the TinCaps. 

Catcher Robbie Lavey, the only 2026 Padres draftee to start his pro career in Single-A, played in 16 games with Fort Wayne, hitting .241/.302/.431 with five doubles and two homers for 12 RBI.

Lake Elsinore Storm (66-65 record, 2nd in California League South)

The Storm finished strong after struggling for all of the second half of the season. Shortstop Jorge Quintana, acquired at last year’s trade deadline, got some time at third base after new draftee Elliot Lascelles joined the team, playing at short. Quintana, 19, is still growing into his 6-2 frame. He might be a better fit at third base in the long run. He has just begun to come into his power swing, hitting nine homers in 103 games. 

Outfielder Qrey Lott, 21, is an undrafted free agent signed in July 2025. His first full pro season resulted in a .272/.385/.420 batting line with 14 doubles, two triples, eight home runs and 42 RBI in 95 games. He is not in the Padres’ top 30 prospect list but bears watching.

2026 second-rounder SS Elliot Lascelles and seventh-rounder IF Joe Tiroly both did well in their pro debuts after signing their contracts. Lascelles hit .321/.406/.429 in 15 games with only 10 strikeouts in 64 plate appearances. 

Tiroly hit .323/.380/.692 with seven home runs and 16 RBI in 17 games and 71 plate appearances. He struck out 14 times.

RHP Jesus Castro, 19, completed his first stateside pro season with a five-inning outing, allowing four hits and one run. In 90.1 innings pitched, Castro has a 4.18 ERA in 22 games and 20 games started with 100 strikeouts to 31 walks. 

LHP Kruz Schoolcraft had a very inconsistent first season as a Padres prospect. In 22 starts and 79.1 innings pitched, Schoolcraft has a 5.90 ERA with 82 strikeouts and 57 walks. 

The Instructional League begins in Arizona before the start of the Arizona Fall League. AFL begins on Oct. 3.

When news broke over a week ago that Arte Moreno had reached an agreement to sell the Los Angeles Angels to Stan Kroenke, my buddy who lives in Mississippi texted me the—dare I say—iconic GIF from Angels in the Outfield:

That child actor is Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and he’s gone on to quite the acting career from starring in the sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun to portraying Batman’s sidekick in The Dark Knight Rises, among many other credits. He’s a good actor.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that the cast for Angels in the Outfield is stacked. I mean, you have JGL in one of his earliest roles, if not his first; then you have established movie stars at the time like Danny Glover and Christopher Lloyd; sitcom star Tony Danza; and future stars Adrien Brody and Matthew McConaughey.

And that’s not even it!

Does Angels in the Outfield boast the best movie cast of all the baseball movies? It’s off to a strong start, for sure. But I wanted to make sure, so I first listed all of the baseball movies I could think of, then narrowed it down to 11 of them. After that, I wrote down every actor I could think of from that movie before turning to IMDb to see if I missed anyone.

Today’s mission: decide which of these 11 baseball films, listed alphabetically, has the best cast, regardless of how good the movie actually is. Readers can vote at the end.

42

Released in 2013, this Jackie Robinson biopic boasts Marvel star Chadwick Boseman in the title role with Harrison Ford portraying Branch Rickey, the Dodgers GM who signed Robinson. That’s a heck of a 1-2 punch. The cast also includes Nicole Beharie, who’d go on to star in the television show Sleepy Hollow, as Rachel Robinson, plus two doctors from Grey’s Anatomy, the always underrated Hamish Linklater, Christopher Meloni as Leo Durocher, Lucas Black, Andre Holland, Alan Tudyk, John C. McGinley (aka Dr. Cox from Scrubs), and an actor with just an incredible last name, Brett Cullen.

Heck of a first entry. Let’s see if it can be topped.

A League of Their Own

Two titans of modern-day acting in the first two films: Harrison Ford vs Tom Hanks as Jimmy Dugan, the manager of the Rockford Peaches of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during World War II. Accompanying Hanks: Geena Davis and Lori Petty as sisters who star for the Peaches; pop star Madonna; 47’s BFF Rosie O’Donnell; The Third Cusack; Jon Lovitz; famed director Garry Marshall as the owner/creator of the league; David Strathairn as his right-hand man; Bill Pillman as Davis’ character’s husband; and early TéaLeoni.

Angels in the Outfield

I went through a good chunk of these actors in the beginning, but to recap: Danny Glover, Christopher Lloyd, Tony Danza, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Adrien Brody, Matthew McConaughey. But joining them: Brenda Fricker, who just passed away and was famous for her role in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York; Jay O. Sanders; my father’s favorite cowboy actor, Ben Johnson, as the owner of the Angels; Neal McDonough; and Dermot Mulroney (not to be confused with Dylan McDermott).

Brewster’s Millions

I love this stupid movie. I have seen it entirely too many times. Richard Pryor stars as Montgomery Brewster, a minor-league pitcher who must spend $30 million in thirty days to inherit $300 million. I’m laughing as I write this because one of the tags for the movie on IMDB is “high-concept comedy.” Sure.

Anyway, starring alongside Pryor is the great John Candy, who plays Spike Nolan, his battery mate and best friend. Other actors include Lonette McKee, Mr. Law & Order himself, Jerry Orbach, Pat Hingle (who played Commissioner Gordon in the Batman movies from 1989 to 1997), and—get ready for this—RICK MORANIS!

One million points awarded.

Field of Dreams

This is probably the best movie on this list, but does it boast the best cast? It’s certainly a strong one with an in-his-prime Kevin Costner starring as an Iowa farmer who hears voices in his head that convince him to create a baseball field in his corn. Then some ghostly baseball players come out of the corn, one played by Ray Liotta, another by Art LaFleur (we’ll see him again), and one by Frank Whaley. Whaley’s character is also portrayed by the great Burt Lancaster in one of his final films. Newly minted scream queenAmy Madigan plays Costner’s wife while her real-life husband, Ed Harris, is The Voice.

Last but certainly not least, James Earl Jones portrays Terence Mann, an early foil to Costner’s Ray Kinsella who then helps solve the mysteries spoken by The Voice.

(Uncredited as fans at Fenway: Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, but they’re just extras here, so I’m not counting them.)

Brief interlude here to recognize two movies that feature baseball to a much smaller degree:

• The Untouchables when Robert De Niro’s Al Capone brings a baseball bat to a meeting, and
• Ferris Bueller’s Day Off when the gang takes in a game at Wrigley, scored tied 0-0, Bears winning.

The Major League films

Bit of a cheat here as I’m considering all three of the Major League movies. The original’s cast is stacked with the likes of Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, and Wesley Snipes, but the first sequel brings in Omar Epps to replace Snipes while the second sequel—a very awful movie that you should at least watch once—stars that guy from Quantum Leap, a young Walton Goggins, and Ted McGinley of Married…with Children and Shrinking fame.

Corbin Bernsen is Roger Dorn in all three films while Dennis Haysbert also shows up in the trio. Rene Russo plays Berenger’s significant other in the first and then is barely in the second while Margaret Whitton excellently mocks Marge Schott. James Gammon, Chelcie Ross, David Keith, and everybody’s favorite announcer, Bob Uecker, also shine in these flicks.

Moneyball

Quality over quantity for Moneyball, which makes sense. Brad Pitt leads as Billy Beane, the general manager of the cheap Oakland Athletics. Jonah Hill co-stars as his right-hand man not named Paul DePodesta while the late Phllip Seymour Hoffman captures the disgruntled manager, Art Howe. Robin Wright, Chris Pratt, and Reed Diamond—shoutouts to Homicide: Life on the Street and The Shield, two of the best cop shows ever—also star. Arliss Howard plays Red Sox owner Johny Henry for one memorable scene. Howard will show up again later in this list.

The Natural

After two very strong candidates in Major League and Moneyball, we have The Natural, which may top both of them. Three Roberts lead the way: Redford as Roy Hobbs, Duvall as journalist Max Mercy, and Prosky as the majority owner known simply as The Judge. But that’s far from all: Glenn Close, Kim Basinger, and Barbara Hershey are also in the movie alongside the likes of Wilford Brimley, Joe Don Baker, Michael Madsen, and Richard Farnsworth.

Folks, I think we may have a new leader in the clubhouse.

Rookie of the Year

Daniel Stern directed this movie about a boy named Henry, played by Thomas Ian Nicholas, who breaks his arm, but when it heals, he can suddenly pitch as fast as Jacob Misiorowski. More believable than The Miz, Henry is a bullpen arm. Eddie Bracken, who plays the owner of the Cubs, has his son, played by Dan Hedaya, sign Henry. Amy Morton stars as Henry’s secretly ballplaying mother while Bruce Altman is truly slimy as her boyfriend.

Lest we forget, Gary Busey, always a wildcard, plays the team’s aging ace, Chet Steadman.

The Sandlot

Interesting candidate here as the main characters are all played by child actors who a) do an amazing job playing kids of a bygone era who love playing baseball during the summer and b) unlike Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Angels in the Outfield and Thomas Ian Nicholas of Rookie of the Year, didn’t do much afterward. Still, these kids are all brilliant.

Of the adult actors in the movie, Karen Allen plays, uh, Mom, who is the mother of the main character, Scotty Smalls. Denis Leary plays Bill, Smalls’ stepdad. Art LaFleur makes the list for the second time, this time as the specter of Babe Ruth. Arliss Howard, also in Moneyball, plays an adult version of Smalls, now a broadcaster for the Dodgers. And James Earl Jones makes his second appearance, this time as the owner of the misunderstood Hercules, the dog who loves to collect baseballs.

The Scout

Last and least, we have The Scout, which stars two of my favorite actors: Albert Brooks as a scout for the Yankees who finds an incredible, Shohei Ohtani-esque baseball talent portrayed by Brendan Fraser. Also in this film: Diane Wiest, the subject of the joke of one of the best cold opens in recent sitcom history:

Those are the eleven contenders. I have to say, I think I’m going with…The Natural by a smidgen over A League of Their Own followed by Field of Dreams. I’m going with Moneyball and Angels in the Outfield to round out the top five.

But now it’s your turn to vote. Poll limited to six options, if it’s an option not listed, feel free to speak up in the comments!

Led by a George Lombard Jr. grand slam, a good Will Warren outing, and Aaron Judge’s first two hits since returning, the Yankees cruised past the Rockies on Wednesday night. It wasn’t a victory to remark on for too long considering the opposition, but it was exactly the type of game they needed as they try to make their way in the playoff race.

With the Yankees taking care of business, did any teams do them some favors to add onto the win? Let’s take a look back in today’s Rivalry Roundup.

Tampa Bay Rays (87-58) 7, Atlanta Braves (85-61) 2

The Rays timed yet another victory well, downing the Braves and preventing the Yankees from gaining a game in the AL East race.

Led by a Victor Mesa Jr. home run, the Rays struck early, putting up three runs in the second inning. Two frames later, they put up yet another three spot thanks to a combination of three hits, a walk, and a sacrifice fly. Those six runs proved to be plenty for the Rays.

That’s because Griffin Jax was very solid on the mound for Tampa Bay. He allowed just two hits in five innings, with the one run he allowed coming on a Drake Baldwin home run. Atlanta eventually got another run back as well, but the Braves managed just one baserunner over the final three innings as the Rays won fairly easily.

Other Games

• Los Angeles Angels (56-90) 6, Boston Red Sox (80-67) 4: Homers from Zach Neto and Jose Siri allowed the Angels to put up a five spot in the third inning, carrying them past the Red Sox. The Angels jumped all over Red Sox starter Jake Bennett, picking up six runs on nine hits in 5.1 innings off him. For the rest of the game, Boston began to slowly chip away at their deficit. They brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth, but it proved to be too late.

• Pittsburgh Pirates (73-73) 4, Chicago White Sox (75-70) 2: After a tight contest, a three-run seventh inning from the Pirates, including two RBI from Konnor Griffin, helped Pittsburgh pull away and secure the win. That being said, all that was overshadowed by the benches clearing after a bit of some jawing following a double play turned by Pittsburgh. The White Sox were kept off the board for most of the game by a Pirates bullpen game, but did score a couple runs late to make things interesting, although not interesting enough.

AL Rock Fight

• Athletics (59-88) 2, Toronto Blue Jays (73-74) 0: The Blue Jays fell back under .500 as they were shutout at the hands of the lowly A’s. Starter Brady Basso threw four scoreless frames before the A’s bullpen finished things off, holding Toronto to no runs on six hits, as they left seven runners on base for the game.

• Seattle Mariners (68-78) 3, Texas Rangers (72-74) 2: The Rangers dropped a winnable game in the AL west race as they managed just two runs against the Mariners. Seattle starter and highly rated recent callup Kade Anderson had his best game so far, holding Texas to one run in six innings, as the M’s offense did enough to squeak out the win.

• Baltimore Orioles (71-76) 9, Cleveland Guardians (74-73) 5: The Orioles did most of their damage in an eight-run third inning that led to the Guardians failing to gain ground in the standings. Cleveland took a 2-0 lead in the first, but the O’s recorded eight hits, two walks, and a hit by pitch to take the lead and never look back.

• Philadelphia Phillies (82-64) 11, Houston Astros (74-72) 7: Kyle Schwarber’s sixth inning grand slam proved to be the difference maker in a high-scoring game against the Astros. The teams traded runs early, with the Astros getting the better of that and holding a lead. However, the Phillies scored six runs in the sixth and held on from there.

Hello folks! Happy Thursday to you all.

Yesterday, Kade Anderson got his first big league win in a 3-2 Mariners victory over the Rangers. You’ve got to enjoy the little things once you realize a season is lost. Perhaps we’ll see some more encouraging signs from the team in today’s series finale kicking off at 1:10pm PT.

In Mariners news…

• Michael Arroyo was seen taking reps in the outfield prior to yesterday’s game.
• The Mariners are hiring interns in data science and baseball operations.

Around the league…

• The Yankees placed infielder Jazz Chisholm, Jr. on the injured list with a thumb sprain.
• Michael Baumann at Fangraphs thinks Shohei Ohtani’s pitching injuries might be impacting his performance at the plate. The Dodgers seem to agree, as they’re indicating that an IL stint is on the table for the superstar in preparation for the playoffs.
• The A’s received devastating news on top prospect Leo De Vries, who will undergo shoulder surgery which is expected to have an eight month recovery timeline.
• A’s left-handed pitching prospect Jamie Arnold was diagnosed with facial fractures after being struck by a line drive during Tuesday’s game. He will not require surgery but there is no timetable for his return to baseball activity.
• Marc Normandin at Baseball Prospectus gave the optimist’s case for us getting to enjoy baseball games in 2027. ($)
• Kent Babb at ESPN wrote about how Mike Trout is passing the baton to Pirates superstar shortstop Konnor Griffin.