Ryne Barker hits during batting practice at the Casteel High School baseball field on Feb. 18, 2026, in Queen Creek. | Megan Mendoza/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
With their 11th round pick in the 2026 MLB Draft the Atlanta Braves have selected Arizona prep infielder Ryne Barker. Barker is an older for the prep class prep infielder with a very interesting mix of tools who probably would have ranked higher if not for both age and a more limited track record in showcase events.
Bio
Name: Ryne Barker
Position: Third Base/Shortstop
Hometown: Queen Creek, AZ (Casteel HS)
School: Texas Tech
Height: 6’2
Weight: 175
Bats/Throws: L/R
Rankings
Baseball America: 324
Perfect Game: 229
Pipeline: 197
ESPN: 181
Overslot: 186
My Own: 176
Consensus: 188
Hit 50
Barker is a bit raw as a hitter and has a fairly limited track record against top competition, but the growth he has shown this spring makes teams hopeful that he can eventually get to an average hit tool. He’s got a solid feel for contact and decent bat speed to work with.
Power 40
Power is never going to be a big part of his game, even though he is a guy with a good amount of projection remaining on his frame. His power is projected to be more of the extra base variety than over the fence.
Speed 70
It’s a pure double plus grade, and his most impactful tool.
Glove 50
He’s been a prep shortstop, though he played mostly at third base this spring and that’s where this grade comes from. He is a little light with the glove for short, leading to most believing he is more of a third baseman to possible second baseman. Other teams have wondered if he could use his speed in the outfield, despite the fact he’s spent the bulk of his time on the dirt thus far.
Arm 50
The arm is average at present, but there are some who believe it could grow into an above average arm as he continues to get stronger.
Overall Thoughts
Barker is an interesting player. Although he is 19.6 years old, he is still a raw but premium athlete who took a step forward this year. I’m not quite sure where he ends up defensively, as he doesn’t have the ideal power for third base. However the speed and feel for making contact are reasons the Braves wanted him in their player development system. He had a solid showing at the combine and although he is years away from the big leagues, should be a fun player to watch in the minor leagues until then.
OMAHA, NEBRASKA - JUNE 20: Macon Winslow #6 of the North Carolina Tar Heels bats during the fourth inning against the Oklahoma Sooners in Game 1 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals at Charles Schwab Field on June 20, 2026 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Day two of the 2026 MLB draft kicked off on Sunday morning. Four Tar Heels baseball players were selected on Saturday, highlighted by Jake Schaffner’s surprising selection as the 20th overall pick by the Boston Red Sox. Carolina fans didn’t have to wait long before seeing another UNC player taken off the board.
Macon Winslow was selected in the sixth round with the 190th pick by the Philadelphia Phillies. The UNC catcher set multiple career highs in his only season with the Heels after transferring away from the wrong shade of blue. Winslow batted .282 with 10 home runs and 57 RBIs for the Heels and was a regular behind the plate for one of the best pitching staffs in the country. Winslow’s selection made five UNC selections in the first six rounds of the draft; that’s the most Tar Heels selected in the first six rounds since 2009.
Mathew Matthijs also heard his name called on Sunday, as he was taken in the 17th round (520th overall). The four-year Tar Heel pitcher had a bit of a rocky 2026 but still finished his career with a 4.48 ERA overall and a 16-6 record as a UNC reliever. Matthijs was a Third Team All-American selection by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association in 2024; he will head to Seattle to join the Mariners.
Also somewhat notable is a UNC player who didn’t get drafted: Gavin Gallaher. One of the best pieces on offense for the Heels, Gallaher didn’t end up getting drafted despite being ranked among the top 150 prospects. This should clear the way for Gallaher to return to Chapel Hill for his senior season.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JULY 09: Tyler Stephenson #37 of the Cincinnati Reds celebrates his single with first base coach Collin Cowgill #54 in the second inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Great American Ball Park on July 09, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jeff Dean/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The NL Central has been a surprisingly competitive and deep division in MLB this year. The Brewers have once again established themselves as the cream of the crop, but the Cubs and Cardinals are contenders in the Wild Card race and even the Pirates have shown flashes, with a record over .500 at time of writing. But after a 20-11 start to the season, the Cincinnati Reds have fallen precipitously to the bottom of the pack, and find themselves with virtually no shot of climbing back up the ladder to contention.
A shame, too, since the Reds have a plethora of exciting young talent, particularly on the mound. Additionally, Elly De La Cruz remains of the of the most exciting players in the sport. But Cincinnati’s offense has been shockingly poor this season, posting a 90 wRC+ as a team — tied with scuffling NL West neighbors Arizona and San Diego for the worst mark in baseball.
So with that in mind, the Reds will have little choice than to continue to build for the future. The problem: Cincinnati’s roster is largely comprised of young, pre-arbitration players who don’t fit the mold for deadline deals. There are still a couple of veteran players the Yankees could potentially take a chance on — but they won’t light up the sports talk circuit.
In terms of bats, again, we’re talking about one of the worst hitting teams in baseball here. Much of their good production has come from guys like De La Cruz and rookie Sal Stewart. J.J. Bleday has come into his own as a strong lefty bat for the Reds after signing on a one-year deal, but still has a few more arb years ahead of him. As an outfielder, there’s little roster fit anyway unless somebody suffers an injury that sidelines them indefinitely. And let’s just say that a coveted bat from last year’s trade deadline, Eugenio Suárez, does not project to be a difference-maker at third base this time around.
There is one interesting opportunity for the Yankees to make a potential upgrade: behind the plate. Cincinnati’s catcher tandem of Tyler Stephenson and old friend Jose Trevino could be available. Reuniting with Trevino would mitigate the friction generally associated with trading for a catcher at the deadline, since he’s a familiar face. Obviously, we know his offensive ceiling is limited — so Stevenson would present a more tangible upgrade.
Stephenson is a pending free agent with a power hitter’s build who has a career 102 wRC+; though he’s fallen short of that mark in 2026. The 6-foot-3, 225 pound righty hit 19 homers as part of a career year in 2024, and it’s not inconceivable that the stick could come along. The problem lies in his defense. Stephenson has always been a poor framer by MLB standards, but his -10 catcher framing runs this season is the poorest mark in baseball, with nobody particularly close. The Yankees are known for developing elite framers, but it’s hard to imagine Stephenson’s results improving over the course of a few short months as he tries to learn a challenging pitching staff on the fly.
The remaining options of note for the Reds lie in the pitching staff. The bullpen is where you’ll find more veterans: guys like Brock Burke, Sam Moll, and the undefeatable Tejay Antone, who has persevered through three Tommy John surgeries. Burke and Moll both have a tendency to walk a lot of batters, and Antone obviously has quite the history. Pierce Johnson is a breaking-ball-first veteran who pitched well last season and got off to a strong start to this year. Again, we’re not talking about household names here.
The Reds’ biggest player development successes have come in their starting rotation, and it’s hard to imagine the Yankees will care to pay the price for guys like Andrew Aboott and the recently-returned Hunter Greene. Brady Singer has put together a couple of good recent seasons, and could be available as a back-of-the-rotation arm. Singer has battled to a 4.72 ERA this year, and lacks a truly elite pitch, so there should be higher-quality options if the Yankees feel compelled to add rotation depth.
Cincinnati is in a weird spot — they don’t fit the traditional mold in terms of sellers, with few veterans performing well enough to command a lot of attention. As such, it’s not very likely we’ll see a new face from the Queen City come to the Bronx ahead of this month’s deadline.
Born and raised in Morgan Hills, California, Aidan Keenan grew up playing baseball with his older brother, Tyler, who eventually went on to be selected by the Seattle Mariners in the fourth-round of the 2020 MLB Draft out of the University of Mississippi. Aiden was just as good, but unlike his brother, he shone on the mound rather than at the plate. In addition to playing basketball and football, Aiden was a three-year letterman at Live Oak High School, winning the 2021 Blossom Valley Athletic League Sophomore of the Year Award and the 2023 Blossom Valley Athletic League Pitcher of the Year Award, in addition to others. In his senior season, he posted a 0.74 ERA in 47.0 innings with 75 strikeouts, and was considered one of the better prep players in California available in the 2023 MLB Draft, but had a very strong commitment to Stanford and withdrew from the 2023 draft class.
The right-hander did not see much action in his freshman season. All in all, he appeared in 5 games for the Cardinals, starting 2, and allowed 5 earned runs in 6.2 innings, resulting in a 6.75 ERA, allowing 4 hits, walking 10, and striking out 7. When he returned to Stanford in 2025 for his sophomore season, coach Esquer decided to use Keenan exclusively out of the bullpen, and the right-hander had a bit more success. Appearing in 24 games, he posted a 5.59 ERA in 37.0 innings, allowing 33 hits, walking 14, and striking out 43. That summer, Keenan played for the Santa Barbara Foresters of the California Collegiate League and looked good in the pair of games he started.
A junior for the 2026 season, coach Esquer moved the right-hander into the Cardinals’ starting rotation, but an oblique injury in mid-March cost him the majority of the season. In five starts in February and March prior to the injury and two more in May after returning from it, Keenan posted a 5.82 ERA in 21.2 innings, allowing 22 hits, walking 21, and striking out 25. Following the conclusion of the NCAA season, the right-hander appeared in a pair of games for the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod Baseball League.
The 6’2”, 200-pound right-hander throws from a low-three-quarters arm slot using a high-tempo delivery that has a bit of effort to it.
Keenan’s fastball sits in the mid-90s, reportedly topping out as high as 99 MPH. Coupled with the riding life that the pitch has, the pitch has the potential to be a well above-average offering, but on the whole, the pitch grades down because the right-hander does not have the best command of it.
The right-hander complements it with a sweeping slider, a cutter, and a changeup. His slider is the best of the three, a mid-80s, high-spin offering that features a tight vertical drop and impressive horizontal movement. His cutter, which sits in the high-80s, has tighter horizontal hop, but has been effective in inducing weak contact. Keenan throws two variants of his changeup, a high-80s circle changeup with more run and a low-80s split changeup with more vertical drop, but both variants are still developing and are only occasionally used during in-game situations.
As mentioned, Keenan has poor command not just of his fastball, but of all of his pitches. When he is on, he is more of a control-over-command pitcher, where he is still hitting the strike zone despite not hitting his spots, but when he begins tiring and losing stamina, he starts losing the entire strike zone.
Paul Toboni and his front office have officially completed their first draft class for the Washington Nationals, and while it will be years before we know if it was truly successful or not, my initial reaction is that they did a fantastic job of accumulating both talent and depth in the class. Let’s take a look at the class as a whole, and what each prospect is bringing to the table for the Nats.
Round One: 2B Chris Hacopian Texas A&M
Starting with the big fish, Hacopian can flat-out hit. He only posted a 116 wRC+ this season for the Aggies after transferring in from Maryland, but his batted ball profile was one of the best in the country, with excellent bat-to-ball skills, plate discipline, and raw power numbers. I am confident not only in his ability to be an above-average big league hitter one day, but to be one sooner than almost anyone from this draft class. It will be interesting to see how the Nats deploy him defensively in pro ball, as the middle infield is quite crowded currently, but he could likely handle third base if needed.
Round Two: OF Chase Brunson TCU
I was especially high on Brunson entering the draft, ranking him 17th on my overall big board, so I was thrilled to see the Nats snag him in round two. In 51 games in 2026, Brunson posted a 131 wRC+, with 10 home runs and 13 stolen bases for the Horned Frogs. He possesses above-average raw power and excels at both getting the ball in the air and to the pullside. The hit tool is roughly average, but the power potential and ability to handle centerfield are what make Brunson so appealing for the Nats.
Round Three: SS Luke Williams Franklin Regional HS (PA)
I was higher than perhaps anyone on Williams entering the draft, ranking my 44th on my big board, so getting him in round three was another pick I’d consider nearly perfect by the Nats. Williams is one of the very best athletes from this year’s high school class, and he displays it with solid power and elite speed. An ankle injury his junior season caused him to miss most of the 2025 summer circuit, meaning data on him against top competition is limited, but the Nats, and I, believe this means they got a steal on a great prep prospect due to limited sample size.
Round Four: RHP Cooper Harris Flower Mound HS (TX)
To cap off an already great day one, the Nats snagged right-handed pitcher Cooper Harris from Flower Mound High School in Texas in the fourth round, another prospect I was higher than most on, ranking him 49th on my big board, fantastic value for a pick outside the top 100. Harris has all the traits of a future big league starter: a big fastball, currently topping 96 MPH with more coming, a repeatable delivery, a feel for spinning breaking balls, and the ability to keep the ball on the ground. With some work to develop 1-2 more pitches in his arsenal, Harris could become one of the highest ranked arms in the Nats farm system.
Rounds 5-10:
5. 3B Daniel Cuvet Miami
6. RHP Cooper Allen UNC Wilmington
7. RHP Gage Peterson App. State
8. RHP Max Hansmann Evansville
9. C Cashel Dugger UCLA
10. OF Nick Williams Michigan State
The Nats kicked things off on day two with third baseman Daniel Cuvet from Miami, a power-hitting righty who has an eerily similar profile to another former Cane, Yohandy Morales. Cuvet has plus power, but will need to make more contact to successfully tap into it enough in pro ball.
Rounds six through eight were about finding upside arms while working on a budget, as money would need to go to afford the Williams and Harris picks from the day before. Allen, a junior righty out of UNC Wilmington, had a 2.79 ERA in 15 starts in 2026, posting a 21.3 K-BB% and 0.62 HR/9, two signs of a pitcher who controls what he can control very well. Peterson posted a 3.28 ERA in 15 starts for App. State, with a strong 29.4 K%, but shakier 10.7 BB%. Hansmann, a senior from Evansville, posted a 3.99 ERA in 15 starts, with a middling 13.7 K-BB%, a money-saving pick mainly from the Nats.
The Nats picked up 2 bats with their final top 10 picks, catcher Cashel Dugger from UCLA and outfielder Nick Williams from Michigan State. The 22-year-old Williams had strong numbers for the Spartans in 2026, hitting .333 with a 130 wRC+, but Dugger is the more interesting one of the two for me, as he is a plus defender behind the dish and displayed an excellent hit tool in 2026. His power output was close to nonexistent in 2026 for the Bruins, but based on his 6’3”, 200-pound frame, there may be more power yet to be unlocked in there.
Rounds 11-20:
11. RHP Weston Moss Texas A&M
12. LHP Matthew Dallas Wake Forest
13. RHP Cody Howard Texas
14. RHP Zack Konstantinovsky Rutgers
15. C Francisco Rivero Canyon del Oro HS (AZ)
16. OF Anthony Murphy Corona HS (CA)
17. SS Isaiah Galason Houston County HS (TX)
18. INF Avery Ortiz Oklahoma State
19. OF Jack Brooks Oregon
20. RHP Anson Seibert Johnson County CC
Rounds 11 through 20 were a mix of dart-throw pitchers and insurance policy hitters for the Nats. Moss is the highest ranked of the four consecutive arms from 11 to 14, a 6’4” righty with a below-average fastball, but excellent secondaries, including a nasty slider. He gets great extension down the mound, so if the Nats can find some way to improve his fastball velocity or shape, he could very well become the Brad Lord of this draft class for the Nats.
The Nats picked up three consecutive high school hitters from picks 15 to 17, and while Murphy and Galason are unlikely to sign unless something goes wrong in the signing process with Williams or Harris, Rivero is interesting. Ranked the 329th prospect on Over-Slot’s high school big board, Rivero was originally going to sign with the Dodgers as an international free agent in 2025, before being denied eligibility by MLB. He moved from Venezuela to Arizona to play ball and become draft-eligible, and the Nats grabbed him in round 14 on Sunday. A strong defensive catcher with a simple swing, there’s a chance the Nats get a deal done with Rivero and prevent him from ever stepping on campus at Arizona.
The Nats finished off their draft class with three more college prospects: 2 hitters and 1 pitcher. In total, the Nationals selected 12 hitters and 8 pitchers in their 2026 draft class, including 15 college prospects and 5 high school ones.
Overall, I thought day one of the Nationals draft was a home run, as they either tied or surpassed their pick value based on my big board rankings. Hacopian was one of the purest hitters from this years draft class, and could be in the Nationals big league lineup as soon as next year. Brunson has plus raw power and the abiltiy to handle centerfield, and is a slight plate approach change away from being one of the best outfielders in the Nationals farm system.
Williams is a tooled-up 18-year-old who could become a valuable big leaguer even if he is just a league average hitter, and I think he has room to become more than that. Harris has every trait you could look for in a high school arm to become a future big league starter, and I think with the Nats organization’s help, he can fill out the rest of his pitch arsenal and become a really fun pitching prospect.
Day two also looked how I hoped it would, snagging one of the better college bats remaining in Daniel Cuvet, a ton of dart throws on pitchers with good stuff, and a few insurance policy high school bats, just in case something goes wrong with signing one of the top 10 round picks.
Based on my limited research so far, I believe one of Allen, Peterson, Moss, or Dallas could wind up being a useful big-league arm for the Nationals one day. I am excited for all these prospects to put pen to paper on their contracts and begin their professional careers in the Nats minor league system.
The Chicago White Sox took shortstop Roch Cholowsky with the first pick of the amateur draft and Tampa Bay selected shortstop Grady Emerson one spot later.
Yes, both those teams currently are in first place.
Pro drafts — even those with lotteries — generally start with some of the weakest teams from the previous season. But because baseball doesn’t conduct its draft until the middle of the ensuing season, sometimes the teams picking at the top have already made impressive strides. The White Sox lost 102 games last year and Tampa Bay dropped 85. Now they’re in contention — and adding possible help for the future via the draft.
Here are a few teams that actually reached 90 wins the same year they had the top pick:
2008 RAYS (97-65)
This was Tampa Bay’s fourth No. 1 pick in a 10-year span, and the Rays haven’t had one since. Starting in that 2008 season, which ended with a World Series appearance, Tampa Bay became a lot more successful. The Rays didn’t take full advantage of that final No. 1 pick, selecting infielder Tim Beckham when Eric Hosmer and Buster Posey went later in the top five.
2024 GUARDIANS (92-69)
Cleveland won the draft lottery, then proceeded to win the AL Central. The Guardians drafted Travis Bazzana, who made his big league debut earlier this season.
1984 METS (90-72)
The Mets began their mid-1980s rise in ’84, finishing 6 1/2 games out of first place in the NL East with Dwight Gooden winning Rookie of the Year honors. New York would peak two years later with a World Series title, but this draft pick — outfielder Shawn Abner — never played for them.
1977 WHITE SOX (90-72)
Chicago’s rise in 1977 — from 64 wins to 90 — was short lived. But the White Sox drafted a keeper that year in Hall of Famer Harold Baines. He’d go on to play more than two decades in the major leagues and was part of division champions in Chicago in 1983 and toward the end of his career in 2000.
Trivia time
Cholowsky, of UCLA, became the school’s first No. 1 overall draft pick since Gerrit Cole in 2011. But there was another UCLA star, drafted in the first round, who has been worth even more wins above replacement than Cole. Who was it?
Comeback of the week
The Mets led 9-4 and, according to Baseball Savant, had a 94.2% win probability after Juan Soto’s three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth against Kansas City. The lead didn’t even last until New York’s next at-bat.
The Royals scored five runs in the fifth, then added seven more in the seventh on their way to a 16-12 victory.
Then the Mets blew a two-run lead in the ninth and lost to Boston 3-2 in 10 innings. Meanwhile, the rival Yankees swept three straight in Washington, coming from behind in the eighth inning or later in each game.
Performance of the week
Toronto’s Dylan Cease had a no-hit bid broken up in the ninth inning of a 10-0 win over San Francisco. He finished with 11 strikeouts and one hit allowed in eight-plus innings.
Honorable mention: Kansas City’s Tyler Tolbert went 5 for 6 with a homer in that big comeback victory over the Mets. He tied a major league record with hits in 12 straight plate appearances.
Trivia answer
Chase Utley, drafted with the 15th overall pick in 2000, was worth 64.6 WAR according to Baseball Reference.
NEW YORK — Chad Tracy notices how much baseball has changed in the 13 years since he took his last big league at-bat.
“You watch a Triple-A game, most everybody that’s coming out of the bullpen left-handed or right-handed is throwing 95-plus,” the Boston Red Sox manager said. “Back in the day, it was you’d get a lead and you’d get to the lower part of a bullpen and you’d see some guys coming out throwing 88.”
Heading into the All-Star break, velocity is on track to set a record for the sixth straight season.
Four-seam fastballs averaged 94.7 mph, up from 94.5 mph last year, 93.7 mph in 2021 and 91.9 mph when Major League Baseball first started tracking in 2008. The average was 94.4 mph for the first half of 2025, and this year’s final figure could increase by a tick.
“Definitely expecting anybody you’ve never heard of to throw a 95-plus,” said the New York Mets’ Marcus Semien, a three-time All-Star who made his major league debut in 2013, when four-seamers averaged 92.7 mph. “Before you’d know who the guys were who were throwing 98. Now, you just expect that this new guy is probably throwing 98. So that shows how everybody’s trained.”
Expectations have changed. In David Auburn’s “Proof,” which won the 2001 Pulitzer Price for Drama, a mathematical research work is described as “streamlined: no wasted moves, like a 95-mile-an-hour fastball. It’s just ... elegant.”
That figure no longer is notable.
Right-handed pitchers are averaging 95.2 mph in 2026, up from 95.0 mph last year. Right-handed relievers are averaging 95.6 mph.
The Triple-A average of 93.6 mph is up from 92.7 mph when tracking started at that level in 2022.
“People are learning the biomechanics of the body a lot better and it’s easier to figure out why people are throwing hard,” said Athletics pitcher Hogan Harris, whose four-seam average has increased from 92.6 mph as a rookie in 2023 to 95.0 mph this year. “There’s so many young kids throwing hard now and then you see a lot younger people in the big leagues, so my thought is they see a guy that’s throwing 100 when he’s 22 and, boy, he’s not going to throw 100 when it’s 30, so let’s get in there now.”
Six pitchers are at 100 mph in average four-seam velocity led by a pair of relievers, the Athletics’ Mason Miller (101.3 mph) and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Edgardo Henriquez (100.6 mph).
Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski, a 24-year-old starter, is averaging 100.5 mph, up from 99.3 mph as a rookie last year. He has thrown a big-league high of 670 pitches at 100 mph or higher. The Brewers skipped his most recent start because of arm fatigue.
As velocity increases, so does pitch mix among fastball types.
Four-seamers are 30.4% of pitches this season, down from 31.8% last year and 35.8% in 2019.
Sinkers increased from 15.5% last year to 16.6% and cutters from 7.5% to 7.8%. Offspeed pitches rose from 13.6% to 14.3%.
“It is exponentially harder to hit and I hit .200 in my career, so that should show you how well I would do in the game today. The thing that I think gets me when I watch games is it’s not just one fastball anymore,” said New York Mets interim manager Andy Green, whose last big league season with extensive playing time was in 2006. “It’s easy for us that played a couple of decades ago to malign the offensive players for not hitting from a batting average perspective what used to be hit, but there’s so much to contend with, so much information, so much awareness of what hitter handles what fastball shape. The game’s gotten harder, there’s no doubt about it.”
Big league batters are hitting .244, just below last year’s .245 and above the .243 in 2024.
“At the end of the day, us as hitters have to find a good pitch to hit and put a good swing on it,” Chicago Cubs star Alex Bregman said.
NEW YORK — After starting the season with high expectations and a payroll to match, the New York Mets stumbled into the All-Star break following their worst first half in 31 years.
Shortstop Francisco Lindor misplayed a potential game-ending, double-play grounder for an error that sparked Boston’s comeback in a 3-2, 10-inning win over the Mets.
New York lost for the 16th time in 22 games and at 40-57 matched its season low of 17 games under .500. The Mets had not been 17 under at the All-Star break since they were 25-44 in 1995, when the season’s start was delayed until late April by the players’ strike. They are 17 under at the break in a full season for the first time since 1993, when they opened 27-60 and finished 59-103.
“I think everybody understands what needs to happen going into the second half,” said interim manager Andy Green, who fell to 6-10 since taking over for Carlos Mendoza on June 26. “There’s cleaner, better baseball for us to play. We all bear a measure of responsibility for it. This organization, the fan base, deserve better baseball.”
New York squandered seven scoreless innings from rookie Zach Thornton and a pair of RBIs by Lindor in just his second two-hit game since his return from the injured list.
President of baseball operations David Stearns emphasized run prevention and a more resourceful offense while trading Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil and allowing Pete Alonso, the franchise’s home run leader, and closer Edwin Díaz to leave as free agents.
New York ranks 12th in the NL with 398 runs and has rarely fielded its optimal lineup. Lindor, Francisco Alvarez, Jorge Polanco, Marcus Semien and Luis Robert Jr. — all opening day starters —- have combined to miss 259 games.
Juan Soto, New York’s lone All-Star, was sidelined for 15 games with a left quadriceps strain in April. Bo Bichette, signed in January to play third, is hitting .255 — 39 percentage points below his career average entering the year. He started the first 94 games before relegated to pinch-hitting this weekend due to sore legs.
Mets pitchers have a 4.27 ERA, almost a quarter of a run higher than last year’s 4.03 mark. Opening day starter Freddy Peralta, acquired from Milwaukee in a January trade, has a career-worst 4.66 ERA.
Devin Williams, who blew a save for the second time in a week, has a 4.83 ERA.
“It hasn’t been a lot of fun,” Williams said. “Not a lot of celebrating going on in this clubhouse right now.”
New York is 12 games out of the last NL wild card and will begin the second half with 19 straight games against teams currently occupying a playoff position.
“Unacceptable,” said Lindor, who is batting .216 with a .671 OPS in 40 games. “Just encourages us to continue to fight, At the end of the day, that’s the only thing we can do. We’re going to try to be better. We’re going to play as hard as we can in the second half and hopefully we put ourselves in a much better position because right now, it’s not where we want to be.”
As the eight sluggers try to square up as many baseballs as possible to win the competition, they'll also be playing for a $1 million top prize.
For some young players such as Kansas City Royals outfielder Jac Caglianone, New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice and St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker, that figure represents more money than they will make in salary for the entire 2026 season.
Throw in an extra bonus for the longest home run of the competition, and it could be a pretty profitable night's work in Philadelphia.
Home Run Derby payouts
Champion: $1 million
Runner-up: $500,000
Other participants: $150,000
Longest home run: $100,000
2026 Home Run Derby field: Who is participating?
Below is the list of players that are competing in the 2026 MLB Home Run Derby (with current home run total in parentheses):
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 12: Mikey Romero #72 of the Boston Red Sox takes batting practice during a spring training workout at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on February 12, 2026 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
What’s better than finishing off the pre-All Star break series against Rochester (Nationals AAA) with a walk-off win? Doing so while holding off a late rally on a day where both teams combined for 15 pitchers used.
The bullpen held the Red Wings scoreless for six innings, but the Red Wings tied things up to send the game to extras. It was there, though, that Tyler McDonough was driven in by a 2-out single by one of the only infielders in Worcester who hasn’t sniffed the Major League roster yet this season: Mikey Romero. This was appropriate timing, given that this weekend was the MLB Draft and Romero is a former first-round pick who has seen plenty of players selected in that round already making impacts on their Major League rosters (2022: Chase Delauter, Spencer Jones, Sal Stewart). This is not entirely any fault of Romero’s, who’s on a team that has held off on promoting plenty of talent too quickly over the years (save for Kristian Campbell, of course). He also has some heavy depth in front of him and also has struggled staying healthy. Romero has been decent at the plate, if a little disappointing for Worcester, slashing .239/.302/3.79, and bringing with him some defensive versatility.
Also, speaking of Kristian Campbell, he had a huge outfield assist from left field to catch prevent a run at home, and he had an RBI dribbler that was instrumental in this game even getting to extras.
Miguel Bleis? 0-for-5. Franklin Arias? Day off to play in the Futures Game (he went 0-for-2 with an RBI groundout in his first at-bat). Nelly Taylor had three hits, finishing a triple short of the cycle, and a white-hot Ronald Rosario added two of his own, and Jack Winnay extended his hit streak to nine games. But all of these factors didn’t help when the pitching staff gave up ten runs to the FisherCats. (Blue Jays AA) The game was ugly, the hole being as bad as 9-1 at one point.
I offer an apology to any Greensboro (Pirates High-A) fans, as I’ve been referring to their team as a Braves farm team all week. They’ve punished me by holding Greensville bats silent outside of Mason White, who’s taken them for six total hits in the last three days. The team as a whole had just three other hits on the afternoon and never had an at-bat with a runner in scoring position, turning what was a great start by Dylan Brown into an afterthought, especially from the home run Brown gave up all the way in the second inning, a slip-up he recovered from quickly by putting four more solid innings together. But, it wasn’t enough given the way Greenville was swinging the bat.
The FireFlies (Royals A) going 3-for-18 with runners in scoring position and stranding eleven runners cost them the game. Jose Bello (the only piece remaining in the organization from the Rafael Devers trade) allowing no runs despite allowing six hits and two walks in four innings was impressive. This game was deadlocked 3-3 going into extras, but the RidgeYaks powered two shots over the fence, including Ilan Fernandez’s second of the game. The second one, Starlyn Nunez’s third hit of the game, would put it on ice for Salem.
As the big leagues are off for a few days, so too is the farm, who returns to action on Friday night.
BALTIMORE — The frustration of struggling through a lackluster first half of the season became alarmingly evident for both the Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals.
An errant pitch from Royals reliever Lucas Erceg that struck Baltimore’s Blaze Alexander on the left hand resulted in both dugouts and bullpens emptying onto the field near home plate during the seventh inning of the Orioles’ 8-2 victory.
Though both teams began the day in last place in their divisions, there was no shortage of emotion after Erceg hit Alexander with an inside fastball. Alexander took a few steps toward first base before shouting at Erceg, prompting Orioles manager Craig Albernaz to quickly restrain his infielder from charging the mound.
During that time, however, players from both teams emerged from the dugouts and pitchers from both bullpens charged in from beyond the outfield wall.
No punches were thrown and no one was ejected. But Alexander ended up with a non-displaced fracture of his left hand, according to Albernaz.
“Definitely a gut punch,” Albernaz said of the prospect of being without Alexander when the team returns from the All-Star break to face Houston.
Alexander leads the Orioles with a .312 batting average. He was not made available to the media after the game.
Erceg insisted the errant pitch was a complete accident — even though the previous batter, Samuel Basallo, homered for an 8-2 lead.
“There’s no ill intent. That’s baseball,” Erceg said. “I mean, guys are going to get hit, and you have to, I guess, kind of understand the situation. I understand why he’s mad. Obviously, you don’t ever want to get hit, especially in the hand. So sorry about that.”
It’s been that kind of year for the Royals and Erceg.
“I’ve got like a five-something ERA,” Erceg noted. “I mean, I’m not going out there to hit guys and put guys on and give up homers and this and that.”
Kansas City dropped a season-high 21 games under .500 (38-59) after being swept for the eighth time, most in the majors. The Royals have dropped five in a row, and a four-day break might not ease the angst they’re feeling.
“Frustration is one word. Disappointment, anger,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “You know, every emotion that you can think of we’re battling, not getting any results and it stinks.”
WASHINGTON — Not since 1910 — before Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Reggie Jackson and so on — had the New York Yankees swept a series quite like this.
Ben Rice’s two-run triple in the eighth inning helped the Yankees to a 5-3 victory over the Washington Nationals. New York trailed in the ninth Friday and in the eighth Saturday and Sunday but still won all three games.
It’s the first time the Yankees swept a series of at least three games while trailing in the eighth inning or later in each of them since May 19-21, 1910, according to Sportradar. Back then it was the New York Highlanders taking three straight from the Cleveland Naps.
The previous time any team accomplished the feat was June 13-15, 2014, when Colorado won three in a row at San Francisco.
“Winning at-bats in different ways in all three games,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “A good job by the pitching staff of holding a really good offense enough in check, and giving us a chance to win each game, and the guys just did some really good things late in games.”
On Friday, the Yankees trailed 3-2 when Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a two-run homer in the ninth. Austin Wells added a solo shot and New York won 5-3.
Washington led 2-0 before New York’s four-run eighth Saturday, which included homers by Ryan McMahon, Trent Grisham and Paul Goldschmidt.
On Sunday, the Yankees didn’t need any home runs. Down 3-2, Rice hit a drive that center fielder Dylan Crews was unable to catch against the wall.
“I didn’t think I got it quite right, but I saw it kept going,” Rice said. “The wind must have just been helping it just enough to make it a tough wall-ball play there.”
After another run in the ninth, the Yankees finished the series outscoring the Nationals 10-0 in the eighth and ninth innings.
Mascots race around CitiField during a game between the New York Mets and the Boston Red Sox, Jul 12, 2026, Flushing, NY, USA. | Yannick Peterhans / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Welcome back to Monday Stat Party, a weekly series showcasing some of the most curious and nostalgia-inducing statistical developments from the past week of Mets baseball. What unites each entry is the sense of intrigue which they aim to spark, and the unbridled love of the game’s anomalies from which they arise. Without further ado, let the stat party begin.
MONDAY
Juan Soto’s three-run homer was the Mets’ second game-tying or go-ahead homer when down to their final out this season, along with Tyrone Taylor’s in the Subway Series on May 17. The Mets have had nine such homers since 2015, and three of the nine have come against the Braves (Daniel Murphy’s at Turner Field on September 13, 2015, Dominic Smith’s walk-off at Citi Field on September 29, 2019, and now Soto’s on Monday).
Soto’s homer had an astonishing +74.5% WPA (Win Probability Added), the most for a Mets plate appearance since Pete Alonso’s three-run walk-off home run of Pete Fairbanks (+78.4%) on May 17, 2023.
TUESDAY
Bo Bichette’s single in the bottom of the first marked his 1,000th career hit. Bichette accomplished the feat in 840 career games, making him just the fifth player debuting since 2008 to do that, along with Jose Altuve, Mookie Betts, Trea Turner, and Luis Arraez.
Kodai Senga’s strikeout of Lane Thomas to begin the top of the third marked the 400th strikeout by the Mets bullpen this season, making them the second-fastest group to reach that mark behind the White Sox’ ’pen.
A.J. Ewing became the youngest player to record four hits, a home run, and a stolen base in a game in franchise history, and the first since Francisco Lindor on May 30, 2024 against the Diamondbacks.
Ewing also became just the ninth Met to simply record a four-hit game at age 21 or younger, joining: Ed Kranepool, Wayne Garrett, Wally Backman, Gregg Jefferies, Edgardo Alfonzo, José Reyes, David Wright, and Francisco Alvarez.
The Mets allowed 59 runs in a six-game span for the first time in franchise history.
The Mets lost despite scoring 12 or more runs for just the second time in franchise history, after a 13-12 loss on May 24, 2022 in San Francisco. The Mets now have a 200-2 record in games when they score 12+ runs. (credit: SNY)
The Mets allowed 14 or more runs for the fourth time this season, tied for most in the majors with the Nationals and A’s. The only other seasons in Mets history where they have allowed 14+ runs on at least four occasions through their first 92 games were 1962 (5) and 2020 (4).
The Mets allowed 19 or more hits for the first time since the first game of a doubleheader on August 12, 2023, when they lost 21-3 to the Braves. Those two games mark two of four contests in Citi Field’s history in which the Mets allowed 16 or more runs.
The Mets allowed five or more runs in multiple innings for the first time since a 20-2 loss in Atlanta on June 30, 2021.
Seth Lugo appeared in his 135th game at Citi Field, the fourth-most of any player in the ballpark’s history behind Jeurys Familia (256), Edwin Díaz (188), and Bobby Parnell (169).
Jac Caglianone’s fifth-inning double off Austin Warren had a 115.0 mph exit velocity, representing the hardest-hit ball the Mets have allowed this season. The next day, Caglianone’s 113.1 mph double off Tobias Myers earned sixth place on that leaderboard.
WEDNESDAY
A.J. Ewing’s leadoff homer went 420 feet, tied for the furthest-hit ball of his young career.
Ewing became the fifth different player to hit a leadoff homer for the Mets this season. Only the 2019 Rays and 2022 Giants have had more players (6) hit leadoff homers in a year. (source: SNY broadcast)
Christian Scott began his night by striking out Carter Jensen, marking the 100th strikeout of Scott’s career. Scott became just the 13th player in Mets history with 100 strikeouts in their first 21 career outings, joining: Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Gary Gentry, Dwight Gooden, Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz, Tylor Megill, Kodai Senga, and Nolan McLean.
THURSDAY
Sean Manaea completed seven innings for the first time since October 8, 2024, against the Phillies in Game 3 of the NLDS at Citi Field.
On July 18, 2017, Michael Wacha threw a complete game shutout at Citi Field as a Cardinal. Since then, he has made seven starts at Citi Field and allowed at least four earned runs in each one, with a combined 0-7 record and 8.39 ERA.
Juan Soto’s 435-foot homer was his longest at Citi Field as a Met, and the longest home run hit by a Met from the left side at Citi Field since Brandon Nimmo’s 440-foot shot off Patrick Corbin almost exactly two years earlier on July 10, 2024.
FRIDAY
Nolan McLean racked up his fifth consecutive start with six or more innings pitched. He’s the first Mets right-hander to do that since Luis Severino from June 5-July 20, 2024. He also notched his third consecutive quality start, something only one other Mets pitcher (Clay Holmes) has done this season.
For the second time this season, the Mets scored just two runs despite getting 10 hits. The Mets are one of just six teams to score two or fewer runs despite getting 10 or more hits on multiple occasions this season, along with the Blue Jays (4), Tigers (3), Orioles (2), Pirates (2), and Giants (2).
Brett Baty achieved a 10-game hitting streak, the longest of his career (his previous high was eight, set in July 2025).
Baty tallied six total bases for just the fifth time in his career, and the first since May 10, 2025 against the Cubs at Citi Field. The Mets now have a three-game losing streak in games where Baty tallies six or more total bases.
SATURDAY
Carson Benge reached 15 career stolen bases in his 93rd career game. He’s one of just five Mets with 15+ stolen bases in their first 100 career games, joining: Mookie Wilson (26), Lenny Dykstra (23), José Reyes (22), and Lee Mazzilli (19).
The Mets were shut out for the ninth time this season, leaving them tied with the Cubs and Giants for the second-most shutout losses in baseball behind the Padres (10) entering the All-Star break.
SUNDAY
Luke Weaver recorded his 25th consecutive outing without allowing an earned run, tying A.J. Minter for the second-longest such streak by a pitcher in franchise history behind Mark Guthrie (33).
Zach Thornton’s 39 pitches through four innings were the fewest of any Mets pitcher through four innings this season. (source: PIX broadcast)
Thornton became just the third Mets pitcher to finish seven innings without allowing an earned run this season, along with Clay Holmes on April 4 in San Francisco and Nolan McLean on June 17 in Cincinnati.
The Mets scored two runs or fewer through nine innings for the 41st time this season, leaving them tied with the Angels for the most such games in MLB entering the All-Star break.
The Mets played their 15th extra-inning game of the season. No other team in MLB has played more than twelve. Only the 1971 Mets (15) and 1978 Mets (19) played that many extra-inning affairs through their first 97 games of a season in franchise history.
For a fourth consecutive time, the Mets’ meeting with the Red Sox at Citi Field resulted in a series sweep. In both 2020 and 2021, the Red Sox swept a two-game series from the Mets at Citi Field. In September 2024, the Mets swept the Red Sox in three games. Now, the sweep streak continues in the Sox’ favor.
Miscellaneous Mets stat of the week:
Carlos Beltrán is the only Met to triple in the All-Star Game, having done so in San Francisco in 2007 off Justin Verlander. Beltrán’s triple marked the first batter that 24-year-old Verlander ever faced in an All-Star Game.
This July, Beltrán is getting inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, while Verlander heads to his 10th and final All-Star Game before retirement.
The Cubs finished the “first half” (actually, first 59.3 percent) of the 2026 schedule on a high note, taking four fo six on a road trip to Baltimore and Cincinnati. That gives the Cubs a 27-23 road record, one of the better road marks in MLB to date. And of their 66 remaining games, 35 will be at Wrigley Field, where they are 27-19.
At the All-Star break I usually post a Cubs mid-season grades article. That will appear here tomorrow. In the interim, here’s who was hot and not for the Cubs over the past week.
Three up
Welcome back, Alex Bregman
Bregman had just six hits on the week, but two of them were key home runs that helped the Cubs solidify leads in games they won against the Reds Saturday and Sunday. For the week he posted an OPS of .846, which included nine RBI. Even some of the outs he made on the trip were hard-hit balls.
A good second half from Bregman would be an enormous boost to the offense.
Pete Crow-Armstrong has turned into an OBP machine
PCA had two games of the six on the trip in which he didn’t have a hit, and he still put up a really good slash line of .273/.429/.591 because he drew six walks. He also hit two home runs, scored six runs, stole a base and continued to play outstanding defense.
For most, if not all, other teams, that ball likely falls in between three fielders and continues the inning. Instead PCA makes it look routine.
After the Cubs got swept by the Brewers in May at Wrigley Field, PCA was batting .225/.302/.357. Since then, in 46 games: .358/.465/.710 (63-for-176) with 10 doubles, two triples, 16 home runs, 33 RBI, 37 runs scored, 32 walks and 12 stolen bases. He was NL Player of the Month for June and so far in July (10 games): .353/.500/.676 (12-for-34) with two doubles, three home runs, seven RBI, four stolen bases, eight walks and nine runs scored. Keep that up and another monthly award could happen.
Lastly, his .386 season OBP ranks fifth in the National League. You did not have that on your Bingo card for this year.
The starting pitching was surprisingly good
As you know, the Cubs rotation has been ravaged by injury. And yet, in the six games on the road trip, Matthew Boyd, Shōta Imanaga, Colin Rea, Javier Assad and David Peterson combined for a 3.03 ERA and 1.286 WHIP in 32.2 innings, keeping the team in position to win in pretty much all of the games. And in one of the two games the team lost on the trip, the bullpen failed — in that 3-2 loss to the Orioles Thursday, Peterson threw five good innings and the Cubs had the lead entering the eighth.
No question, the rotation needs reinforcements. But if they can even pitch this well for an extended period, if the bullpen also can be reinforced and hold leads, perhaps another long winning streak can happen.
Three down
Nico Hoerner continues in his long slump
At the end of April Nico was batting .291/.370/.449 with four home runs and seven stolen bases in 31 games.
In 63 games since then he’s batting .202/.270/.263 with no home runs and seven steals. He does have a lot of doubles — he has 15 in that 63-game stretch and his 23 doubles are tied for fourth in the NL — but otherwise his offense has almost completely disappeared, and he enters the break on a skid of 0-for-14.
There’s really no one on this team who needs the break to reset more than Hoerner. Hopefully he comes out blazing when the season resumes.
Ian Happ’s slide is still going
Happ went 6-for-21 (.238) over the week with no extra-base hits, though he did have three walks for a .333 OBP.
He started the year looking like he might set a career high in home runs, but now he’s hit just one in his last 25 games dating to June 14, and over that span has a .565 OPS with 31 strikeouts.
As we all know, Happ is a notorious streak hitter. Coming out of the All-Star break would be a perfect time for him to go on a hot streak.
The Drew Pomeranz experiment might be short-lived
Pomeranz had a really good year for the Cubs in 2025, but they declined to re-sign him. Instead he went with the Angels and didn’t perform well there. They wound up releasing him and the Cubs signed him. There wasn’t much risk, as they’re only paying a pro-rated portion of the MLB minimum.
In four appearances, Pomeranz has an 8.31 ERA and two home runs allowed in 4.1 innings. If that doesn’t improve soon, I could see the Cubs letting him go when one of the currently injured relievers returns, or if the team can make a deal for a reliever.
Cristopher Sánchez of the Philadelphia Phillies will start the All-Star Game in his home ballpark, taking the mound for the National League against Dylan Cease of the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Blue Jays announced Cease will be the American League’s starter. Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who is managing the NL, said Sanchez is his starter.
“I think he deserves it. He’s the hometown ballplayer and I think the city of Philly will enjoy watching him and supporting him,” Roberts said. “I had a conversation with him this morning. ... He was very grateful. In a time when guys are not wanting to participate, this guy in the Midsummer Classic for fans, I think this is a good thing. He’s very excited about pitching.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said New York’s Cam Schlittler was not planning to pitch in the All-Star Game, then hours later said the right-hander could be available after all.
With less than 72 hours left before the game, there was no replacement planned for the AL roster if Schlittler wasn’t going to pitch.
“The staff’s had a lot of injuries this year ... I don’t want to put that risk in there of kind of letting the team down,” Schlittler said after New York’s win at Washington. “I’m on the roster, and if they need me I’ll throw. That’s a conversation I’ll have within the next day or two.”
Schlittler was a candidate to start, boasting an AL-leading ERA of 2.05. He pitched for the Yankees over the weekend.
Sanchez is 11-4 with a 2.62 ERA this season. He’s third in the major leagues with 144 strikeouts. The left-hander’s streak of 50 2/3 scoreless innings was a highlight of the major league season so far.
Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski, who leads the majors in ERA (1.62), WHIP (0.76) and strikeouts (167), was replaced on the All-Star team when it appeared he would be starting for the Brewers over the weekend. Then Milwaukee scratched him from that start because of arm fatigue.
Cease is 6-4 with a 2.56 ERA for the Blue Jays. He nearly threw his second career no-hitter against San Francisco, but it was broken up in the ninth inning.
Cease is the first Toronto pitcher to start the All-Star Game since Roy Halladay in 2009.
Cease got the word from his manager, John Schneider, who will skipper the AL squad, during a team meeting before the series finale at San Diego.
“It’s pretty surreal. I didn’t know what to say. Everyone’s saying, ‘Give a speech,’ and I’m like, I was pretty speechless, so it was just a really cool experience,” Cease said.
“It’s really cool how all of these things have lined up, you know, even being able to pitch in it and having a good enough first half to be in the running for it and all that. And the fact that pretty much our entire staff is going, it’s really a really great recipe,” Cease added.
