Jun 20, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Kazuma Okamoto (7) celebrates and bows with first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) after hitting a three-run home run against the Chicago Cubs during the eighth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there.
I took yesterday off from all things Blue Jays related. My sister was in town, she’s a big Bonnie Raitt, so we went to the concert last night.
There was a bunch of news yesterday:
The team traded for Luis Urias from the Diamondbacks for cash. He’s an infielder. He is a 28-year-old right-handed hitting infielder, who has played eight seasons in the MLB, hitting .231/.329/.378 with 60 home runs in 2080 games. This year he’s been playing in Triple-A for Reno in the PCL, hitting .361/.393/.546 with 33 home runs in 27 games. They are still looking for a right-handed hitting platoon infielder who can hit is weight.
And they made a bunch of roster moves. Daulton Varsho and Lazaro Estrada were activated from the IL. Brendon Little and Charles McAdoo were optioned to the Bisons.
Shane Bieber will be starting Monday’s game. He threw 80 pitches in his last rehab start for the Bisons. We’ll ignore the part that he gave up 5 runs on 7 hits and 4 walks. I don’t generally read much into stats of a rehab start. The pitch is mostly just trying to make his pitches and getting his work in.
Today’s lineups:
Today’s Lineups
BLUE JAYS
CUBS
George Springer – DH
Pete Crow-Armstrong – CF
Vladimir Guerrero – 1B
Alex Bregman – 3B
Kazuma Okamoto – 3B
Michael Busch – 1B
Alejandro Kirk – C
Seiya Suzuki – DH
Daulton Varsho – CF
Ian Happ – LF
Ernie Clement – SS
Matt Shaw – RF
Davis Schneider – 2B
Nico Hoerner – 2B
Jesus Sanchez – LF
Carson Kelly – C
Myles Straw – RF
Dansby Swanson – SS
Dylan Cease – RHP
Shota Imanaga – LHP
16 Father’s Days ago, John McDonald hit a home run. It was just a few days after the death of his father. His dad told John to hit a home run for him and he did. Up until then, he had just 14 career home runs and would finish with 28 in his career. It was an amazing moment.
The Yankees officially welcomed back catcher Austin Wells on Sunday, activating the catcher from the 10-day IL.
Wells landed on the IL due to cervical headaches, but he’s been ramping up his baseball activities and manager Aaron Boone said he is headache-free.
Wells is back in the starting lineup on Sunday against Cincinnati, batting eighth.
It’s been a tough season for the former first-round pick, as he comes into play on Sunday hitting .166 with four home runs and 7 RBI in 145 at-bats.
Meanwhile, catcher J.C. Escarra was optioned to Triple-A on Saturday night, but Boone said he will likely be back with the club in the very near future, as catcher Ali Sanchez is expected to go on the paternity list soon.
CINCINNATI, OH - JUNE 15: Chase Burns #26 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches during the game between the New York Mets and the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on Monday, June 15, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Colten Strauss/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Did the Cincinnati Reds catch a break when the New York Yankees opted to shuffle their starting rotation for the series finale? We’ll find out this afternoon!
The Reds were initially slated to face six-time All Star and former Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole in Sunday’s series finale, but manager Aaron Boone made the call to bump their rotation all back one day instead. The Yankees are in the middle of playing 16 games in 16 days, and that was enough to prompt the 1st place Yanks to ease the strain on the arms they’ll depend on as they make their playoff push later this year.
Instead, New York will roll out rookie Elmer Rodriguez, who’s made a trio of starts at the big league level and pitched well enough (4.15 ERA) in that time. MLB Pipeline ranked him the #2 prospect in the Yankee system in their most recent update (and #59 overall) on the back of a fastball he can throw up to 99 mph, so the Reds won’t be up against some nobody on the day – they just won’t be up against Gerrit Cole.
The Yankees, meanwhile, will be up against Chase Burns.
Burns has already accrued 3.9 bWAR so far in less than half the 2026 season, his mix of fastball/slider simply devastating to teams he faces. He’ll toe the rubber knowing a victory today would give the Reds a series victory on the road in the Bronx, and he seems like precisely the kind of guy you’d want your team to have on the mound knowing that’s what’s at stake today.
First pitch is set for 1:35 PM ET. Here’s how both clubs will line up to start:
Jun 12, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Atlanta Braves shortstop Ha-Seong Kim (7) throws to first base to complete a double play in the seventh inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Braves are running it back for the sweep against the Milwaukee Brewers on this Father’s Day Sunday.
The only batter on the Braves’ side who’s had experience against the Brewers’ Robert Gasser is Joey Bart, who’ll be batting seventh in the lineup. For the Brewers, Brice Turang has had his fair share of field days against Bryce Elder. In his 10 different appearances, he averaged .400 and a 1.100 OPS. He’s also the only one in the lineup that’s had a homerun against Elder.
Though the Braves have clinched wins in clutch performances in the other two games in the series, both teams were slower on offensive production, resulting in low-scoring games. Elder, who had a disappointing start last week, is looking to bounce back and hold the Brewers off the scoreboard, in hopes that the offense carries its weight early on.
It’s all happening at 1:35 p.m. EDT today at Truist Park.
Even the Comiskey Park water fountain could not cool off red-hot Roy Sievers, who on this day 65 years ago clubbed two homers, including a pinch-hit grand slam.
1901 Already 29-20 and tied for first in the American League’s first season as a major league, the White Sox began a run of 10 straight wins with a shutout of the Philadelphia A’s, 4-0. Clark Griffith got the complete-game victory, his 10th win of the season.
By the end of the streak, the White Sox were three games up in the AL. From there, the White Sox were only tied or a half-game out of first for six game days the rest of the season, cruising to the first MLB AL pennant.
The 10 straight wins remain tied for the seventh-longest winning streak in team history, along with streaks in 1919, 1937, 1957, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1976 and 1981.
1942 White Sox pitcher and future Hall-of-Famer Ted Lyons won his 250th career game, beating the Red Sox, 6-5. (And a week later, Lyons would knock off the Yankees and Red Ruffing to tie Ruffing with 251 career wins.)
That season, Lyons only pitched on Sundays, and posted this incredible statistic:In his 20 starts that year he completed all 20 games! He went 14-6 with a league-leading 2.10 ERA.
At the end of the season, at age 42, Lyons joined the Marines and served for four years during World War II.
1956 It was either a case of great pitching, or terrible hitting, as it was dual one-hitters as the White Sox beat the Orioles, 1-0, in a game that took just 2:12 in front of a mere 4,581 at Comiskey Park. Baltimore starter Connie Johnson, a former White Sox pitcher, threw seven innings of one-hit ball, relieved by George Zuverink and his clean eighth inning. Meanwhile Jack Harshman of the White Sox went all nine innings and allowed only one hit.
The White Sox scored their run in the first inning, when Jim Rivera walked, stole second and scored on a double by Nellie Fox. Baltimore’s only hit came in the seventh inning, a double off the bat of Gus Triandos.
1961 The White Sox had a heckuva doubleheader sweep to run their winning streak to six games, walloping Cleveland. In the opener, Roy Sievers had a pinch-hit grand slam and an additional homer, giving him 16 round-trippers on the year. His seven RBIs fueled a 15-3 White Sox win. In the 11-1 nightcap, it was Al Smith’s turn to club two homers, also giving him 16 on the season.
Interestingly, the White Sox began action that day at 30-34, 9 ½ games worse than third-place Cleveland. This blistering June stretch — including a streak of seven straight and this current one, which would extend to 12 straight wins and be separated by a single loss, giving the White Sox 19 wins in 20 games — took the club from last place into fourth, their high-water mark for the season.
Two seasons later, Sievers would club a pinch-hit home run while playing for the Philadelphia Phillies, making him the first player ever with pinch-hit grand slams in both leagues.
1964 The White Sox dropped their ninth straight game on the season to the Yankees, 2-1, in 17 innings. It allowed New York to sweep a twin bill where the Sox scored only one run on the day (over 26 innings), having lost the opener, 2-0. The nightcap loss really hurt, because New York got the winning run home thanks to an error by infielder Al Weis.
The Sox would lose another one to the Yanks the next day (running the streak to 10 in a row), and the Yankees would sweep the four-game series, giving up just one run over 41 total innings. In fact, this was part of a run that saw the White Sox lose nine games to the Yankees over 11 days. Chicago finally won again vs. the Yankees … in August.
Strangely, the White Sox were 6-12 vs. New York in 1964, but the dozen head-to-head losses were very costly, because the Sox ended the season with nine straight victories but still finished one game behind the Yankees.
1973 White Sox pitcher Stan Bahnsen, a 21-game winner in 1972, threw one of the strangest shutouts in baseball history. Bahnsen beat the A’s, 2-0, at Comiskey Park. He allowed 12 hits and a walk in the process. The A’s left 10 men on base. It was two hits allowed short of the record for most allowed in a shutout.
1974 Hendersons were wild in an 11-7 win at Minnesota, as Ken Henderson clouted two homers and Joe Henderson earned his first major league victory. The Sox jumped out to a 7-0 lead after their second at-bats, and when “opener” Ken Tatum could not parlay a gift blowout from his offense into the five-inning minimum, handing a win to Joe. Joe went 4 1⁄3 innings in a bulk relief role, striking out seven, walking six and being charged with two runs that came in after he left the game. Interestingly, manager Chuck Tanner chose to forego his DH with Joe, choosing to keep the pitcher in the game and bat for himself rather than go to the pen; thus Henderson (fielder’s choice grounder to second base) and fellow reliever Cy Acosta (strikeout) both got rare ABs in the DH era in this contest.
The White Sox totaled 21 hits and raised their record to 30-31 (the club in fact hovered from May-on around .500, finishing right at 80-80-3. Carlos May went 5-for-5 with three RBIs and Ken went 3-for-4 with six driven in. Jorge Orta and Bill Sharp also had three-hit days.
2016 On the first pitch of the game Tim Anderson launched his first career home run, over the Green Monster in Boston, providing the GWRBI in a 3-1 White Sox win. It was TA’s 11th career game, and the first of his 98 MLB home runs.
Jun 20, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Cooper Pratt (12) reacts with catcher William Contreras (24) after scoring a run against the Atlanta Braves during the seventh inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
The Brewers are looking to avoid the sweep on Father’s Day afternoon in Atlanta, as the team has dropped a pair of low-scoring affairs in heartbreaking fashion. After Jackson Chourio was cut down at the plate as the tying run in the ninth inning on Friday evening, Ozzie Albies played hero for the Braves Saturday afternoon, hitting his second homer of the game just over the wall in right field for a walk-off win.
To avoid the sweep, the Brewers will send out lefty Robert Gasser. Gasser, 27, hasn’t quite been able to replicate the success of his 2024 rookie season across five starts this year, but he is coming off his best outing of the year. While he’s 0-3 with a 4.88 ERA and 24 strikeouts over 24 innings this year, he tossed 5 2/3 scoreless frames against the Guardians on Tuesday night, allowing a pair of hits and a pair of walks while striking out five in a no-decision.
Opposite Gasser is right-hander Bryce Elder. Elder, also 27 (actually exactly 12 days older than Gasser), is in his fifth MLB season, all with the Braves. He looked great in his first two seasons, pitching to a 3.17 ERA over 54 innings in 2022 and earning an All-Star selection with a 3.81 ERA and 128 strikeouts over 174 2/3 innings in 2023. He’s coming off a pair of rough seasons — he totaled -1.2 bWAR across 38 starts in 2024 and 2025 — but he’s looked much more like the Elder of early seasons this year, with a 3.15 ERA, 3.76 FIP, and 73 strikeouts over 88 2/3 innings. He got roughed up in his last outing, though, allowing six runs on 10 hits and two walks while striking out two over four-plus frames.
Christian Yelich bats leadoff as the DH, followed by Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, and William Contreras. Jake Bauers, Garrett Mitchell, and Sal Frelick follow, with Cooper Pratt and David Hamilton rounding things out behind Gasser.
First pitch is at 12:35 p.m. on Brewers.TV and the Brewers Radio Network.
(Original Caption) Yankee catcher Yogi Berra (left) has his glove rosined by pitcher Ed Lopat, who was to have pitched the September 29 game against Philadelphia at the New York Yankee Stadium. The Game was called because of rain, and will probably be played September 30, an open date.
The nature of baseball as a sport means that you need more than just a star or two to be a good team. Just look at the Mike Trout/Shohei Ohtani era Angels. Of course you need excellent players as well, but having solid players across the middle and backend of the roster is what turns a fine team into a contending one.
The 1950s Yankees are a good example of this. Of course, everyone remembers the likes of Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra, but they also had a great core of supporting players. One of those was players was pitcher Eddie Lopat, whose birthday it happens to be today. In his honor, let’s look back at his baseball career.
Edmund Walter “Eddie” Lopat Born: June 21, 1918 (New York, NY) Died: June 15, 1992 (Darien, CT) Yankees Tenure: 1948-55
Born in New York City in 1918, Edmund Walter Lopatynski — he later shortened the name in order to fit it in box scores — grew up a Yankees’ fan in the heyday of the Babe Ruth/Lou Gehrig Murderers’ Row teams, and dreamed of playing for the team. Coming up in the game, he played first base, getting passed over by the Giants at one tryout before getting signed by the Dodgers in 1936.
One problem with Lopat playing first base was that as he came through the minors, he wasn’t a particularly great hitter. His first taste of Class D minor league ball saw him hit .223 with just a .311 slugging. However, something else happened that year that would help Lopat find his way to the majors.
While warming up one day before a game, the catcher he was throwing with noticed Lopat was putting a little extra on his tosses. The manager came over and told Lopat to try throwing a curveball, and came away impressed. From that day forward, Lopat became a pitcher.
As you might expect for someone who switches disciplines like that, it took a little while for Lopat to get to the big leagues as a pitcher. He left the Dodgers’ minor league teams and bounced around a little bit, eventually joining the Little Rock Travelers in 1942. While his 5-foot-10 frame turned some teams off, eventually the White Sox were impressed enough and brought him in for the 1944 season.
After average seasons in Chicago in 1944 and ‘45, Lopat broke out in ‘46. That year, White Sox ace and future Hall of Famer Ted Lyons returned from military service and gave Lopat some tips. Lopat used that advice to put up seasons that were worth 4.0 and 5.5 rWAR in 1946 and ‘47. However, the White Sox as a team weren’t particularly going anywhere, and Lopat’s successes eventually caught the eye of his childhood team.
In February 1948, the Yankees acquired Lopat for a trio of players, and over the next eight seasons, Lopat became a very good mid-rotation arm, known as “The Junkman” for his success despite not a particularly flashy arsenal. While the Yankees lost out on the pennant in his first season there, they returned to the World Series in 1949. They won that won and then added four more in a row, five-peating from 1949-53. Lopat was especially massive in the 1951 World Series. He allowed just one earned run in 18 innings over his two starts that series. He pitched in the Game 2 and Game 5 victories, the first of which tied the series at one after the Giants had won the opener, and the second put the Yankees up 3-2, as they eventually won in six.
On an individual level, Lopat’s best season came in the final year of that five-peat. In 1953, he went 16-4 with a 2.42 ERA, winning the ERA title.
However the year after that, Lopat fell off, posting a below average ERA for the first time since his tenure with the White Sox. He then got off to another slow start the following year. While he was only in his 12th MLB season, his extended journey to the majors meant that Lopat was 37-years-old. That July, the Yankees traded him, sending him to the Orioles. Lopat appeared in 10 games for Baltimore that season, but he continued struggling and decided to retire after the 1955 season.
Following his playing career, Lopat quickly got into coaching. During his playing career with the Yankees, he had a reputation as being almost an assistant pitching coach, including helping the likes of a young Whitey Ford. After a couple seasons as the Yankees Triple-A manager, Casey Stengel brought him in as the official pitching coach for 1960.
Somewhat infamously, the Yankees fired Stengel after they lost the 1960 World Series, and Lopat also left in the aftermath. He later joined former teammate Hank Bauer with the Kansas City Athletics. Bauer couldn’t turn around that struggling franchise, and eventually Lopat was elevated to the manager job. He went 73-89 in 1964, but was let go after a 17-35 start to the ‘65 season.
After his managerial tenure, Lopat became a scout for a number of teams, including a stint back with the Yankees. He settled in Connecticut and lived there until he passed away from pancreatic cancer in 1992.
“Steady Eddie” wasn’t a Hall of Famer, or someone who would get his number retired. However, you need players like him in order to be a great team, and the Yankees were definitely that while Lopat donned the pinstripes.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JUNE 20: Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres hits a three-run home run during the tenth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on June 20, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres desperately needed a win like this one. After the heartbreaking end to the slugging match between San Diego and the Texas Rangers, the club regrouped quickly and forced the rubber match.
After getting into a 1-3 deficit in the seventh inning, the Padres tied it in the eighth and forced the game into extra innings. In the 10th, Manny Machado came up with runners on first and second and took reliever Joe Ross deep to left-center field.
That allowed the Friars to coast to victory despite Mason Miller giving up an unearned run in the bottom frame of the inning. They’ll need to show the same power they’ve displayed in the first two games to take the series.
Taking the mound
Nathan Eovaldi (TEX) v. Lucas Giolito (SD)
(I mistakenly wrote that Eovaldi was pitching on Saturday instead of starter MacKenzie Gore. The former is pitching in today’s rubber game, apologies.)
After turning in the best season of his career in 2025, Eovaldi has looked rough in ‘26 with a 4.23 ERA across 14 starts. Pair that with a 1.17 WHIP through 87 1/3 innings and it’s been tough for the righty.
Eovaldi’s looked better in his last seven starts, pitching to a 3.78 ERA, but it’s still been tough. He’s given up 10 runs across his last 18 2/3 innings. The Padres will hope to beat the Rangers’ starter to win the series.
Giolito has been inconsistent for the Friars but has looked marginally better lately. He’s surrendered six runs across his last 13 innings and owns a 4.56 ERA on the season.
San Diego decided to utilize an opener for starter Griffin Canning as well as Giolito in their last starts. It worked out decently for the right-hander, but he still allowed three runs against the St. Louis Cardinals. He’ll need to pitch better today against Texas.
Batter up!
Machado finally seemed to break out Saturday after a rough night at the plate in the series opener. He knocked in five of the Padres’ six runs and went 2-for-5. Jackson Merrill was also a powerhouse, going 3-for-5, and knocking in the game-tying run in the eighth inning.
Fernando Tatis Jr., 2B
Samad Taylor, RF
Manny Machado, 3B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Jackson Merrill, CF
Ty France, 1B
Gavin Sheets, 1B
Will Wagner, DH
Blake Hunt, C
Rodolfo Durán could be back behind the dish today but will likely sit to give Hunt a slightly longer look. The backstop went 0-for-3 yesterday in his MLB debut at the plate.
The offense has looked much healthier than it did last series. After scoring just eight runs in the Padres’ series against the St. Louis Cardinals, the lineup has put up 13 in just the first two games. It’s momentum that the club needs heading into their upcoming homestand.
Relief corps
Starter Walker Buehler has been one of the few consistent starters for the Friars in the last month. He’s looked resurgent in his most recent starts. After exiting in the sixth with the score knotted, 1-1, the Padres’ relievers were tasked with holding the Rangers.
Kyle Hart pitched well before Jason Adam allowed his second homer in as many nights. His command has been spotty as of late but he settled in to complete the inning. Adrian Morejon covered the final two innings beautifully, and Miller nailed down the save in the tenth.
That gives San Diego options in the rubber game. Ron Marinaccio, Yuki Matsui, David Morgan and Wandy Peralta will be available out of the ‘pen for the Friars. It seems likely that Peralta will be utilized as an opener after he opened for Giolito in his last start.
SPRINGDALE, AR - JULY 29: Trey Dombroski #26 of the Corpus Christi Hooks pitches during the game between the Corpus Christi Hooks and the Northwest Arkansas Naturals at Arvest Ballpark on Tuesday, July 29, 2025 in Springdale, Arkansas. (Photo by Ada Pipkins/Minor League Baseball)
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (31-42) lost 6-5 (BOX SCORE)
Sugar Land jumped out to an early lead scoring 2 runs in the first inning on a Biggio solo home run and a run on an error. After the Isotopes scored 3 runs in the bottom of the first, Sugar Land retook the lead in the 4th on a Ferreras RBI double and Winkler RBI single. McPherson got the start and allowed 4 runs over 3.1 innings. The Isotopes responded with a run in the 4th and 5th to take the lead. Sugar Land tied the game in the 7th inning on an Alexander solo home run but the Isotopes took the lead again with a run in the bottom of the 8th. Sugar Land was scoreless in the 9th as they ended up falling 6-5;
Sam Carlson, RHP: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
J.P. France, RHP: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Roddery Munoz, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Alimber Santa, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (30-38) lost 2-1 (BOX SCORE)
The Hooks got on the board first on an Encarnacion RBI single in the second inning. Dombroski got the start for the Hooks and was solid allowing 2 runs over 5 innings. The pen was solid tossing 4 scoreless innings but the offense was unable to get anything else going as the Hooks fell 2-1.
Nic Swanson, RHP: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
A+: Asheville Tourists (18-49) lost 14-1 (BOX SCORE)
DeVos started for Asheville but struggled allowing 3 runs over 2 innings. The pen didn’t fare well either 10 runs over the next few innings. Thomas put Asheville on the board with a solo home run 5th inning. The Hot Rods got a couple more runs and the Asheville offense was quiet the rest of the way as they fell 14-1.
A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (33-34) lost 10-0 (BOX SCORE)
Carrera started for the Woodpeckers and went 5 innings allowing 6 runs while striking out 4. Gonzalez relieved Carrera and allowed 4 runs over 3 innings. The Woodpeckers offense was quiet all night collecting just 5 hits as they were shutout in the 10-0 loss.
Zack Wheeler has shown no signs of slowing down at age 36, still ranking in the 96th percentile in pitching run value and the 92nd percentile in chase rate.
The Philadelphia Phillies' ace has victimized batters with his four-seamer forever, and that trend is holding steady in 2026. Wheeler has recorded 25 strikeouts thanks to his four-seam fastball, and that’s a pitch the New York Mets struggle against.
The Mets have the eighth-highest K rate when facing the four-seamer from a righty (23.1%), while their swinging strike rate vs. that pitch is the seventh-highest in MLB (9.8%).
I’d play this up to -120 tonight.
Kyle Schwarber Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI (-130)
Kyle Schwarber had himself a game on Saturday with four hits, three homers, and six RBI. It was just another feather in the cap for the Phillies slugger, who’s batting .323 so far in June.
The left-hitting Schwarber is enjoying strong reverse splits once again, batting .292 vs. lefties with a massive 1.013 OPS, and he’ll enjoy squaring up against Mets southpaw David Peterson tonight.
Peterson goes to his sinker 28.9% of the time, and that’s a pitch Schwarber is mashing for a .407 average.
Give me this prop at any price up to -140.
Juan Soto Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI (-120)
The New York Mets may struggle against Wheeler, but Juan Soto has had some success against the Phillies veteran over the years.
Soto is batting .259 over 54 career at bats vs. Wheeler, and he’s cleaned up against righties this season, hitting .314 with a 1.063 OPS.
The Mets slugger is batting .356 over the last 15 days, which comes as no surprise given his impressive batting profile. Soto ranks in the 99th percentile in xSLG, 97th percentile in xBA, and 99th percentile in squared-up percentage — just to highlight a few stats.
Soto’s cashed this prop in six of his last nine outings, and I’ll play it to -125 tonight.
How to watch Mets vs Phillies and game info
Location
Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
Date
Sunday, June 21, 2026
First pitch
7:20 p.m. ET
TV
NBC/Peacock
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.
He has started five games against teams ranking in the bottom half of the league in OBP vs. righties. He posted a 1.72 ERA in those starts while averaging 6 2/3 innings of work.
Mets vs Phillies Over/Under pick: Under 8.0 (-105)
The Mets rank 29th in OBP and tied for 23rd in runs per game. They are not a good offensive team at the best of times, and it’ll be tough sledding against an in-form Wheeler.
The Phillies are more likely to do damage against David Peterson, but a ceiling game at the plate is still unlikely.
Philadelphia has struggled with lefties for much of the year, hitting just .223 and ranking 23rd in wOBA.
The Mets also have a very rested bullpen behind Peterson, so they’ll be well-equipped to put out fires as they arise.
Play to -115.
Todd Cordell's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 37-28, +1.15 units
Over/Under bets: 35-27-3, +4.69 units
Mets vs Phillies weather
Sunny skies and 80-degree weather will help give balls a little more pop tonight. Winds are expected to blow side-to-side.
Mets vs Phillies odds
Moneyline: Mets +165 | Phillies -200
Run line: Mets +1.5 (-120) | Phillies -1.5 (+100)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+100) | Under 8.5 (-120)
Mets vs Phillies trend
Philadelphia has hit the game total Under in 23 of the last 35 games (+11 units, 29% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Mets vs. Phillies.
How to watch Mets vs Phillies and game info
Location
Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
Date
Sunday, June 21, 2026
First pitch
7:20 p.m. ET
TV
NBC, Peacock
Mets starting pitcher
David Peterson (3-5, 5.91 ERA)
Phillies starting pitcher
Zack Wheeler (6-1, 2.01 ERA)
Mets vs Phillies 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.
SPRINGFIELD, MO - APRIL 09: Chris Newell #9 of the Tulsa Drillers celebrates with teammates at home plate after hitting a two-run home run in the third inning during the game between the Tulsa Drillers and the Springfield Cardinals at Hammons Field on Thursday, April 9, 2026 in Springfield, Missouri. (Photo by Shanna Stafford/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Two of three Dodgers affiliates that played on Saturday won their games.
Player of the day
Tulsa outfielder Chris Newell was designated to hit on Saturday, and that he did. He hit the game-tying home run in the ninth inning, then smashed the game-winning two-run shot in the 11th.
Chris Newell crushes his second home run of the night and the Drillers are in front 7-5 🚀 pic.twitter.com/D3NmMC46aF
Cole Irvin pitched six scoreless innings in the Comets’ third shutout win of the season, on Saturday blanking the Sacramento River Cats (Giants). All three shutouts have been home games in Oklahoma City, including April 10 vs. Round Rock and May 21 vs. Reno.
Ryan Fitzgerald doubled, singled, and drove in three runs. Noah Miller also had two hits and, shifting over from his usual shortstop to play third base, made this fantastic diving stab and throw at the hot corner in the sixth inning.
Down 5-1 in the ninth inning, the Drillers rallied for four runs to force extra innings, then beat the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals) in the 11th. Before Newell’s tying blast in the ninth, Jake Gelof hit a three-run shot, his team-leading 14th of the season.
Before Newell’s winning home run in the 11th, Northwest Arkansas had runners at the corners with one out in the 10th. Gelof threw home on a grounder to nail the potential winning run to keep the game going.
Adam Serwinowski struck out six in his 6 1/3 innings, and allowed three runs, one of them earned. Antonio Knowles struck out three and stranded a pair of free runners over the final two inning scoreless to earn the win.
High-A Great Lakes
The penultimate game of the series between the Loons and the Lake County Captains (Guardians) was rained out.
The game will be made up during the last week of the regular season, September 1-6, when Great Lakes travels to Lake County. That means we could see a Great Lakes home game while on the road, the opposite of what happened in the second game of a doubleheader this Wednesday, then Lake County was the home team for a game at Great Lakes.
Class-A Ontario
Allowing runs in seven of nine innings spoiled the voyage for the Tower Buzzers in a loss to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Angels).
Most of the offense for Ontario came out of the 9-1-2 spots. Oswaldo Osorio had three hits batting ninth. Catcher Bryan Gonzalez Garcia and second baseman Mairo Martinus each had two hits, with a double for Gonzalez Garcia and a triple for Martinus. Those three combined to score six of Ontario’s eight runs.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - JUNE 20: Clayton Beeter #39 of the Washington Nationals celebrates the final out of a save against the Tampa Bay Rays in a baseball game at Tropicana Field on June 20, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Not much went right for the Yankees during their 10-2 loss to the Reds yesterday. The defense was shoddy, Will Warren got rattled and gave up a game-breaking tank, and they made mistakes at both the plate and on the bases. In short, if you knew nothing about the game aside from the fact that they lost 10-2, you’d probably guesss that they played poorly.
The silver lining is that every team has awful days. That’s the sport! And the Yankees hadn’t lost a game by this margin in over a month. Just for a few points of comparison, the Dodgers lost by eight to the Angels on June 7th, the Braves got blanked by the Red Sox 8-0 on May 27th, and the Rays have actually suffered multiple 8-0 losses in June. The Yankees have mostly stayed competitive, even in losses. They’re 15-7 since Memorial Day. Sleep off the ugly loss and move on! Even with Aaron Judge out and Chase Burns going today for Cincy, this is still a very talented team to watch.
Here’s some of what else was going on around the Junior Circuit on Saturday.
Tampa Bay Rays (42-31) 3, Washington Nationals (40-37) 4
The Yankees’ three-game lead in the AL East remained intact despite the blowout because the resurgent Nationals capably turned away the Rays down in St. Petersburg. At the outset, it seemed like it could’ve gotten ugly in a hurry for the visitors, as Cade Cavalli allowed the first three batters to reach on singles, loading the bases with no one out and masher Junior Caminero due up. But Cavalli hung in there and limited Caminero to a sacrifice fly before getting a double-play ball from Richie Palacios.
Likely NL All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams then wasted no time in bringing the score back to even at 1-1, launching an Ian Seymour pitch for his 16th homer of 2026 to begin the second.
Nasim Nuñez soon cashed in the Nats’ second run of the inning, doubling in Dylan Crews after the latter followed Abrams’ homer with a single to center.
The Rays continued to grind against Cavalli, making it a 2-2 game when Chandler Simpson drove in Caminero on an RBI knock in the third. The crushing blow would not land for Tampa Bay however, and though Cavalli would exit having recorded just 8 eights on 68 pitches, Mitchell Parker held them down. He got the last out of the inning and then combined with Brad Lord to cover the next five scoreless. The bullpen also got a huge assist from center fielder Jacob Young, who made a phenomenal catch in center to rob Victor Mesa Jr. of a game-tying double in the eighth.
Young left the game with a side injury and the Nats had to lose the DH to cover themselves on defense, but it was worth it — especially when the ninth got dicey.
Washington had taken the lead in the fifth with the help of a leadoff hit by Keibert Ruiz and a James Wood double to move the catcher to third. A soft groundout by erstwhile Baby Bomber Andrés Chaparro made it 3-2, Nats. Thanks in part to Young, that’s where the score remained in the final frame. One-time top prospect Dylan Crews smashed a homer off Cam Booser to give the Nats insurance that they would need with 2025 Amed Rosario trade return Clayton Beeter in to close it out.
Two batters into the ninth Beeter had already allowed Tampa Bay to chip away one run. Taylor Walls walked, stole second and third, and dented home plate when Yandy Díaz singled him in. Jonny DeLuca pinch-ran for Yandy and swiped second himself, putting the tying run in scoring position with the winning run of course at bat in recent All-Star Jonathan Aranda. But Beeter got Aranda to fly out, fanned Cedric Mullins, and intentionally walked Caminero to set up a three-pitch strikeout of Ben Williamson. Thanks, old pal!
Toronto Blue Jays (38-39) 8, Chicago Cubs (40-37) 6: The Jays have had a weird enough American League pennant defense this year that we’ve probably said this about at least a few of their wins this year. Nonetheless: Boy, they needed this one. Fresh off sweeping the Red Sox at Fenway, the Cubbies had cut ’em down to size by blowing them out 16-2 at Wrigley on Friday and comfortably led 5-0 entering the seventh yesterday thanks to homers by Pete Crow-Armstrong and Matt Shaw. Colin Rea departed following 5.1 scoreless innings, but the Chicago bullpen absolutely beefed it. Trent Thornton allowed a three-run bomb to Daulton Varsho that allowed Toronto to get back into it, and in the eighth, Caleb Thielbar and Jacob Webb got smacked around on RBI knocks by Alejandro Kirk and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to tie the game at 5-5.
Then Kazuma Okamoto unloaded on Webb to put the Jays ahead:
The Cubs almost got back into it though. Mason Fluharty immediately loaded the bases on a walk and two hits, bringing the go-ahead run to the plate. Closer Louie Varland entered to put out the fire, getting the next three batters in order and only allowing one of the baserunners to score. An error by Varland in the ninth did grant Chicago two shots to tie it up on another dinger, but Shaw was caught looking and rookie Pedro Ramírez grounded out to end it.
Cleveland Guardians (41-36) 8, Houston Astros (36-42) 1: The top pick of the 2024 MLB Draft, Travis Bazzana, has only played 46 games, but I’m beginning to think that there’s probably no better pick to lead the AL All-Star contingent at second than him. He clobbered a pair of homers off Spencer Arrighetti (the first leading off the game) as part of a smooth Guardians win in Houston, and the 23-year-old rookie is now hitting .274/.369/.476 with a 136 wRC+. He finished the day 4-for-4 with five RBI. Ernie Clement will likely get voted in as the All-Star starter, but Bazzana would probably be my pick for the keystone reserve. Anyway, as far as standings are concerned, Cleveland’s win put them one up in the AL Central with the Pale Hose losing in Detroit earlier in the day.
Seattle Mariners (39-39) 1, Boston Red Sox (31-43) 5: The AL West is back to a merely .500 leader, as the M’s lost their second in a row to the Red Sox. They only hold first place alone because the A’s got blown out by the Angels in West Sacramento, which says more about the true quality of the A’s than anything else. Anyway, up in the Emerald City, Boston rookie Connelly Early outpitched Emerson Hancock, allowing just one run on two hits in six innings of work, fanning seven while Wilyer Abreu’s 414-foot blast put the Red Sox ahead in the fourth. The rest of their runs scored on only infield singles and a wild pitch, but they count all the same.
Felix Reyes of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs heads to the plate during a Minor League Baseball game at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, United States, on May 22, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there. Let’s look at the kids on the farm.
Lehigh Valley 4, Worcester 3
Two things to notice in this game. First, Felix Reyes continues to crush the pitching at this level something that we have seen him do all year long.
Pair of run-scoring, extra-base hits for Felix Reyes tonight. He goes opposite field for a first-inning solo homer, his 17th. Then he goes to the opposite gap to drive in another run pic.twitter.com/DtE8hcqo5s
At this point, it’s probable that the team goes outside of the organization to improve in the outfield and that Reyes won’t get a long term chance to see if he can do it against major league pitching consistently. He’s been great at Lehigh Valley, but that’s probably as far as he’ll get. The second thing to notice is Kyle Backhus had another scoreless inning here and will probably be back in the majors soon. The team needs left handed relief pitching badly, so hopefully Backhus can come back and be as good as he was earlier.
Reading 3, Hartford 1
Adam Seminaris was great for Reading, throwing seven innings of one run ball, only allowing three hits and striking out seven. He’s not a big time prospect or anything, but any time solid pitching is done in the minor leagues, it should be noted. The offense got another home run from Alex Binelas, his fifteenth on the year. He’s been a good minor league find for the team. Bryan Rincon had an RBI double as he continues his prospect resurgence.
Greenville 4, Jersey Shore 1
Carter Mathison was the story here, his home run accounting for the lone run in the game for the BlueClaws. It was a meager offensive night with only four hits on the night for them. Mathison had the only run, but Luis Caicuto had two hits for himself. On the mound, Tanner Gresham was solid in his five innings of work, only allowing three runs, two earned, but it wasn’t nearly enough with the offense doing little.
Bradenton 4, Clearwater 2
Sean Youngerman had a so-so night on the mound for the Threshers, giving up only two runs, but allowing four hits and four walks. He’s continuing to disappoint. Nathan Humphreys had a two-run home run for the Threshers in the first inning, but that was all they could muster the rest of the game as the Marauders pitching staff, including a rehabbing Mike Clevinger, shut down Clearwater the rest of the way. The game was tied going into the ninth inning, a close one, but was lost when Brent Iredale hit a walkoff home run for Bradenton off James Tallon.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 21, 2026: Eric Hartman #64 of the Atlanta Braves hits a single during the second inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 21, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Saturday’s action in the Atlanta Braves system was headlined by Eric Hartman’s 18th homer of the season, but he wasn’t alone in hitting it out of the park. Luis Guanipa, Conor Essenburg, and Cody Miller all homered in a fun Augusta game, while Johan Rodriguez hit a pair down in the FCL. We also got to witness the rare strong pitching performance from the DSL club, while Columbus had a pair of games called off due to weather.
Louisville Bats 4, Gwinnett Stripers 2
Jim Jarvis, SS: 0-2, 2 BB, SB, .305/.399/.447
Aaron Schunk, 1B: 3-4, HR, R, RBI, .248/.311/.391
Austin Gomber, SP: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 5.52 ERA
Elieser Hernandez, RP: 2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 5.13 ERA
Austin Gomber turned in six strong innings on Saturday, allowing just one run on three hits and no walks with four strikeouts and 14 whiffs. Elieser Hernandez followed him and did allow three runs on five hits, but also struck out hitters for all six outs he recorded. Hayden Harris finished the game off with a scoreless ninth inning.
Aaron Schunk led the offense, going three for four with a homer, scoring and batting in one of the two runs. Cal Conley had a pair of singles and Jim Jarvis drew a pair of walks with both stealing a base, joining Schunk with multi-hit games. The rest of the offense managed just two hits, though there was a Brewer Hicklen double included in there.
Columbus Clingstones vs Biloxi Shuckers – PPD
Columbus Clingstones vs Biloxi Shuckers – Cancelled
The doubleheader for Columbus got rained out, which included the resumption of Friday night’s game and a new game for Saturday. The Friday game will be played as part of a doubleheader on Sunday, while the second game has been cancelled.
Hudson Valley Renegades 3, Rome Emperors 2
Tate Southisene, SS: 0-2, 2 BB, .220/.360/.341
Eric Hartman, LF: 1-4, HR, R, 2 RBI, .300/.362/.580
John Gil, 2B: 1-4, R, .277/.372/.434
Zach Royse, SP: 5 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 5.40 ERA
Zach Royse was mostly solid in this start, though did allow a pair of homers, leading to the three runs against him. Royse allowed the three runs on eight hits and two walks over five innings, striking out three and whiffing five. David Rodriguez followed with two scoreless innings that included three strikeouts and seven whiffs, before new Braves farm hand Jarret Whorff made his debut with a scoreless inning. Mathieu Curtis finished it off with a scoreless frame.
Eric Hartman continued his destruction of A-ball pitchers on Saturday, when he hit his 18th homer of the season. Unfortunately that homer accounted for all of the Emperors scoring in this one, as they managed just six hits. Mason Guerra came through with two of those, while John Gil and Owen Carey also added one. Tate Southisene was held out of the hit column, but did draw a pair of walks, while Isaiah Drake and Dixon Williams were each hitless in four plate appearances.
Augusta GreenJackets 11, Hill City Howlers 10
Luis Guanipa, CF: 3-6, HR, R, 3 RBI, .323/.373/.500
Jeremy Reyes got the start in what turned out to be a fun shootout of a game. Reyes allowed two runs on four hits and a walk over four and two thirds, striking out three and whiffing eight. It was actually better than the line suggests, as he allowed the runs in the first inning and didn’t allow anyone else to score the rest of the way. Lewis Sifontes went the next inning and a third scoreless, striking out hitters for three of the four outs he recorded. Jaylen Paden and Carter Lovasz each got tagged for a pair of runs as Hill City attempted to crawl out from an 8-2 deficit. Hill City was actually able to take the lead in the ninth, as they got four runs off Styven Paez, before Cristobal Abreu came on to get the final out of the ninth.
The bigger story of the game is the offense was very productive. Luis Guanipa, Conor Essenburg, and Cody Miller each homered, making it nine for Guanipa, six for Essenburg (in 29 games), and four for Miller (in just 13 games). Guanipa actually ended up with a three hit and three RBI day, while Essenburg and Miller each had two hits – and Essenburg also batted in three runs. Those weren’t the only stars here, as Juan Mateo singled, doubled, and walked plus stole a base, and Cooper McMurray singled twice, walked, and batted in three runs. Michael Martinez also walked and singled in four plate appearances. In all eight starters reached base safely, and seven of them did it multiple times. The lone Jacket not to reach was Alex Lodise, who was hitless in five at bats with a golden sombrero.
Danny Young made a rehab start that lasted the first inning and included five whiffs before giving way to team ace Gensi Angeles for the second inning. Angeles went three and a third out of the pen, allowing a run on three hits and four walks while striking out three and picking up 10 whiffs. Ryan Heppner followed and allowed a run over his inning and two thirds, and Luis Arestigueta finished the game off by going three scoreless innings and allowing just one base runner to pick up his first save here.
Johan Rodriguez smashed two home runs on a three-hit day, while Malvin Fernandez hit one himself during a two-hit afternoon. The homers were the first of the season for Fernandez, and the second and third of the year for Rodriguez. Those two provided the bulk of the offense, as the only other player to reach base more than once was catcher Yoelvis Betancourt, who singled twice. Shortstop Manuel Campos walked once in four plate appearances and also stole a base, while Diego Tornes had the day off.
DSL Braves 4, DSL Red Sox Blue 1
Starlyn De La Cruz, CF: 1-2, 3B, BB, R, .341/.491/.568
The DSL Braves came into today with a team 11.37 ERA in their first 14 games, but got an excellent pitching performance on Saturday. Starter Cesar Navarro, who has been one of the two bright spots on the pitching staff, went four and two thirds scoreless in this one. Navarro allowed just one hit and three walks while striking out three and dropped his ERA to 2.25. Moises Semerite followed and allowed the one Red Sox run in his inning of work, before a scoreless frame from Giovanni Medina followed by Geowin Gomez picking up the save by collecting the final out.
It was a relatively quiet day for the bats from the DSL. Starlyn De La Cruz and Yassel Pena led the way, with De La Cruz tripling, walking, and scoring a run in four plate appearances while Pena doubled and scored a run in three appearances. Luis Fortunato singled, walked, and stole a base while Elias Reyno had a pair of singles, two steals, and threw out a runner at the plate. Bigger names like Jose Manon and Edelson Cabral went hitless, while recent signee Elioberto Mondesir walked, stole his fourth base in four games, and scored two runs.
Zack Wheeler Over 6.5 strikeouts
Juan Soto Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI
COVERS INTEL: Mets starter 
