Category: Baseball

Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel’s philosophy when it came to his baseball-obsessed sons was straightforward: the major-league players they grew up around were their coaches.

One of now 17-year-old Trey’s first baseball memories took place at Tempe Diablo Stadium with Albert Pujols and Mike Trout, when Dino was on the Angels’ coaching staff.

Pointing to targets hung up in the batting cages, the pair of future Hall of Famers set up a competition between Trey and his older brother Brady: whoever hit the most bullseyes would get a signed bat.

“Me and Brady were going at it,” Trey said with a smile. “I don’t even know who won.”

The prize wasn’t the most important part. The love for the game, competitive drive, and even bat control stuck with him.

“He kind of took the ‘dad’ out of it and just watched us have fun,” Trey said. “I’m extremely grateful for that because a lot of dads are hard on their kids.

“As we got older, if me and Brady needed some help, or he saw something, he’s obviously going to chime in, given what he does. But for the most part, he’s always let the players coach us, and it’s been great. Paid off for sure.”

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It paid off so well that Dino and his wife Shannon are hosting their second draft party in as many years Saturday.

They’re expecting about 100 friends and family members to descend on their Rancho Cucamonga home, just as they did last year to watch the Brewers select Brady with the No. 32 overall pick.

Now his younger brother’s up.

“It’s Trey’s day,” Dino said, reminiscing on his youngest son’s Little League days, his home run derby victory in Williamsport, Pa., his growth through travel ball and high school. “It’s not about anybody else.”

Said Trey: “I’m excited, and I’m ready, and I feel prepared.”

Trey, a Texas A&M commit, is expected to be selected in an early round. Some scouts have predicted he could go higher than his brother. But plenty of factors dictate draft order, with the bonus pool system also affecting team strategy.

It’s especially difficult to gauge where draft prospects coming out of high school may be picked. Teams have less information on them, and have to project further into the future on evaluations, compared to their college counterparts.

“I’ve been talking to so many people in baseball leading up to this draft,” said agent Joel Wolfe of THE TEAM, who is representing Trey. “And many front office people have mentioned to me the same phrase, which was, ‘Our guys were light on Brady last year,’ meaning they missed, he should have been drafted higher. And I think that could really help Trey this year.”

Brady’s draft process gave Trey and Dino a preview for this year, setting expectations for meetings, tryouts, and the day itself.

It was a new vantage point for Dino, who’s worn many hats in baseball. He played six seasons in the minors before launching a coaching career that’s taken him through the gamut of pro baseball levels, and even out of the country.

“It was very eye-opening,” Dino said. “I’ve always been in player development, coaching, on the field, and now I got a chance to see how the draft works.”

The family even held an identical gathering for Brady’s draft day. After he got the call saying the Brewers were going to select him, with his brother and father standing by, the trio put on poker faces for Shannon and their guests to preserve the surprise.

“Both of those boys are unique to other players in the draft because they grew up around the game,” Wolfe said, drawing comparisons to the Holliday and Lombard brothers. “Having been in the bubble with the Dodgers during the World Series, and being around all of the players and all of the coaches, and being around that life ... there’s just something about them — their comfort level, and also all of the both tangible and intangible things that they learn, especially defensively.”

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Many of the lessons Trey gleaned from the stars at dad’s work — first with the Angels and then, the last eight years, the Dodgers — came from observing. And he integrated those details into his infield mechanics, batting cage routine and appreciation for preparation.

When Dino did chime in with advice, it was often about controlling the strike zone, being a complete hitter rather than just a slugger, and valuing fundamentals.

“Their reputation, their character, who they are off the field, who they are on the field, that’s the part I really like the most,” Ebel said of his sons. “How they respect people in the game, on and off the field. They’re always about making somebody feel comfortable, make them feel like somebody important.”

Dino watched his son’s draft stock steadily rise, as Trey got a full season of shortstop under his belt at Corona High School, and added strength, with an emphasis on explosiveness, working out with MW Athletix’s Keith Coury (recommended to Dino by Brewers second baseman Brice Turang, a product of Santiago High School in Corona.)

“He went from a good player seven, eight, nine months ago, a year ago,” Dino said, “to really an exceptional, top prospect for me.”

Now, all the Ebel family can do is wait and answer the phone Saturday.

Read more:Dodgers coach Dino Ebel's eldest son learned lessons from the pros

Graduating seniors are often asked to envision their futures. What’s next? Where do you see yourself in five years?

For Trey, the vision is clear.

“Playing in the big leagues,” Trey said. “No matter what team ... I see myself being a great teammate, being a great person, and the ultimate goal is to win a World Series.”

It would be even sweeter to play alongside his brother. But playing against him would be fun, too. And Trey pictures his dad still in the third base coach’s box for the Dodgers.

Dino chuckled at that.

“I’d like to watch them, but now they’re telling me that they would want me on the field, playing against me,” he said. “And I’m like, you know, anytime you’re with your dad, we’re out to beat you.”

Judging by Brady and Trey’s competitive streak from a young age the feeling would be mutual.

“We’ll see when that time comes where I’m at,” Dino said. “I would love to be at third base and see the Ebel brothers in the big leagues. That would be pretty cool.”

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So far, his son’s baseball careers have played out as he envisioned nearly a decade ago, when they fell in love with the game.

“It’s really a dream,” he said.

Dino saved all the signed bats and batting gloves that Brady and Trey won off Pujols and Trout, storing them in a room full of baseball memorabilia. He’ll pass them on when his sons start collections in their own homes.

Watching his boys hit targets in the Tempe Diablo batting cages is one of Dino’s favorite baseball memories.

“I just sat back and enjoyed it as a dad,” Dino said.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Greetings, Brew Crew Ball community. The Brewers have powered their way through the longest stretch of the season, as they’re just three games away from completing 18 games in 17 days. Not only that, but they’ve also played great baseball during the stretch, building their NL Central lead as we near the All-Star break. Speaking of the All-Star break, the Brewers have just one All-Star despite holding the second-best record in baseball — Jacob Misiorowski has been replaced on the roster as he’s slated to start on Sunday, so it’s just catcher William Contreras headed to Philadelphia as of now. The Home Run Derby is scheduled for Monday night, with the All-Star Game to follow on Tuesday.

Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-baseball sports, the Brewers, you name it. As long as it’s appropriate and is allowed by our moderators, it’s fair game here.

You know the drill.

This is now an open thread:

Major League Baseball is at the halfway point in its season, and the Pittsburgh Pirates offense has been one of the best in baseball in the first half of the year.

It’s nothing short of amazing how the Pirates were able to turn around their offensive woes from just a season ago. In 2025 Pittsburgh ranked last in runs scored, home runs, RBIs and OPS. They also ranked near the bottom in nearly every other statistical category.

2026 however has seen the script flip almost entirely for the revamped lineup. With new faces contributing like Ryan O’Hearn and Brandon Lowe this offense is sitting near the top in most statistical categories. The Pirates currently rank third in runs scored with 492 near the halfway point in the season. They also rank second in RBIs with 472, sitting just behind Los Angeles Dodgers. The team’s recent series victory against the Nats might be more impressive than many realize, considering that Washington is at the top of several offensive categories.

Brandon Lowe crushes his 21st home run

The @Pirates have put up 5 runs in the 8th inning! pic.twitter.com/uI3UrsOB0f

— MLB (@MLB) July 5, 2026

The bats of Pittsburgh have been much improved this season, with nearly everyone in the lineup being able to contribute on any given night. Nick Gonzales has elevated himself to a different level this season, and was receiving serious All-Star considerations. Bryan Reynolds has been another top performer for the Buccos, maintaining a consistent output all season long. With these players and several others on the team the Pirates have climbed to the top of the rankings in total hits with 857 on the year, 19 more than the second ranked Dodgers.

Since Don Kelly took over as manager for the Pirates, he’s made active base running a big part of the team’s identity. As a result Pittsburgh ranks fifth in baseball for total steals with 88. When your team has players as fast as Konnor Griffin and Oneil Cruz in the lineup you have to be willing to nab some extra bags. Luckily for the Pirates they don’t get caught stealing often either, as they’re in a four way tie for getting caught stealing, with it only happening 16 times so far this year.

As far as the averages are concerned Pittsburgh is also elite in that category. As a team the Pirates rank second in team batting average, on base percentage and OPS while also ranking fifth in slugging percentage. The team has also been more patient at the plate this season as they rank sixth in most bases on balls. Pittsburgh is also tied for seventh-most homers scored with 120. The lowest mark (or the highest) is the team’s amount of strikeouts, as they sit at the top with the most in baseball currently with 860. The high amount of strikeouts is about the only thing that has stayed consistent with last year’s squad.

This is by far the best looking lineup the Pirates have had in years, and the team has a 47-47 record and is within reach of a wild card berth. If the team’s offense can stay consistent through the second half of the season it’s very possible that we could be celebrating the first Bucctober in a decade.

Back in November of 2025, I broke down the Fangraphs (FG) current rankings of the Cardinals farm system. It has been almost 8 months since and we are about to enter a time when systems are re-shuffled a fair bit. The draft will occur in a couple of weeks, adding new players to the pipeline. Players continue to graduate to MLB, thinning the prospect list and the in-bound draftees will further thin out the bottom ends of the system to make room. All this will influence how each system looks. Each year it is almost like a makeover.

First off, I want to draw your attention to a recent article by VEB alum Ben Clemons that describes an update to prospect valuation. In the FG methodology, prospect valuations help drive their ranking of each system. The article describes the method in more detail. I haven’t had time to digest all the permutations, but my first blush is that the update moves FG further away from other publications preference to weight their system rankings based valuation of the few top-end prospects a system has. Not my favorite approach, but perhaps more predictive? Will have to study this more, to see if my first-blush assessment is even on target. If true, systems with greater quantities of lower-end prospects will see greater rise in evaluations this go around.

A walk down memory lane

Back in November, FG had the Cardinals system ranked#1 in all of baseball (other pubs were not quite that optimistic). FG saw fit to rank and evaluate 49 Cardinal prospects (they include anyone with a Future Value (FV) of 35+ or better in their evals. FG had the overall projected valuation of the 49 players at $283m, almost double their assessment from the year prior for the Cardinals.

Some things have changed since

First and foremost, a number of players will have graduated off the prospect list as they have accumulated MLB service time. This phenomenon affects all systems, but likely affects the Cardinals the most, with them being one of the youngest teams in baseball, they likely have more graduations than average.

In the interim eight months, injuries and performance, both positive and negative, will influence individual player evaluations, which is turn affects the overall system valuation. Without getting too deep into it, I’d hazard a guess that Tink Hence’s injury history and performance have tarnished his earlier premium prospect status and tanked his valuation. Will look more closely as we move along.

How does it look today?

The surface level look shows that the updated methodology has altered the dollar valuations enough that they aren’t readily comparable to prior rankings. For instance, the Cardinals system is now valued at $485m but has fallen to 10th overall in MLB. Interestingly, they now have 52 players in the valuation, an increase of 3 players since November. They got added between the November system ranking and the February player updates. I can’t figure out all 3, but I believe Carlos Carrion and Juan Rujano were two of them. The third? I dunno. It’s a moving target, so I’m not going to sweat it.

For comparison, Pittsburgh is now #1 ranked valuation at $671m. Wow! Before anyone runs screaming from the room, understanding that a valuation system that heavily weights the top end prospects introduces significant risk to the analysis. For example, $340m of the valuation is wrapped up in 3 players with FVs of 70 and 60 (Griffin, Chandler, Hernandez). Miss on any one (or more) of those players, and the overall system will appear to significantly under-perform.

I’m expecting mid-season updates from FG to start leaking out soon, likely before the amateur draft. When they do update, here is what we may see for our home team.

Who will come off the list?

When they update, we should see the following players off the list:

• Wetherholt
• Crooks
• Church
• Jordan
• Prieto
• Torres

So, there will be some significant deductions (value wise) but most of the attrition comes from the lower half of the 49 ranked players. Depending on when FG does their cut, some of these guys may still pass their test for prospects.

Who may get added to the list

So, six guys will come off the list of 49. Who will get added? Back in December, 2025, I formulated a list of existing system prospects who might rise and be added to the list of FG prospects with the next update. I had fourteen names of guys to watch for:

• Won-Bin Cho
• Zach Levenson
• Deniel Ortiz
• Michael Watson
• Tyler Bradt
• Jack Findlay
• Andrew Dutkanych IV
• Tyler Van Dyke
• Nolan Sparks
• Alan Reyes
• Brian Holiday
• Mason Burns
• Ethan Young
• Payton Graham

Cho, Findlay, Van Dyke seem near certainties to get added as they have advanced and had outstanding seasons. Ortiz may based on last year’s results, but being injured the first half of this year will limit his exposure to evaluators.

Dutkanych IV, Young, Graham and Holiday probably have too much lost time to injury for evaluators to get a feel, but a couple of these guys may end up on the list.

The rest are iffy based on performance or injury, or sometimes both.

There are at least two notable names from the DSL that should break into the updated list:

• Sebastian Dos Santos
• Cristofer Lebron

One name not on many lists likely to appear on the next prospect list: Jacob Odle.

Who might move up or down enough the alter their valuation significantly?

• Tanner Franklin probably tops this list. He was ranked 24 in the prior FG update, with an FV of 40. Top 10 wouldn’t shock me with this update and an FV 50 probably isn’t out of the question. That is a lot of additional value.
• Mason Molina probably isn’t far behind. He was ranked 42 with an FV of 35+. Expect him to break the top 20, perhaps? I have no clue what the new FV will be but strongly suspect it won’t be 35+.
• Yhoiker Fajardo was ranked 34 with an FV of 40, primarily because of proximity and age-related risk. His continuing success at High-A at his young age should give evaluators more confidence.
• Brandon Clarke might sink from that 6 rank a fair bit, due to lost time to injury. He was a 45+ FV primarily due to his injury history, so they may not discount FV much further, but move him down the ordinal ranking nonetheless. The Cardinals have enough depth that he could retain his 45+ FV and end up ranked 15th or so.
• Tink Hence. What has happened?

Summary

In the end, it appears that Cardinals will still have a top 10 ranked system, even with all the graduations this year. I’m going to hazard an estimate that the update that comes out will have around 55 ranked prospects, so expect some minor growth in # of prospects and commensurate minor growth in valuation.

Additionally, top-100 draft picks tend to end up in the upper half of individual system rankings. They also tend to get rosy FV grades which will enhance their initial valuation. The Cardinals will have 6 of these picks in the 2026 draft, so expect the number of ranked prospects to rise above 60 by the end of the draft, and perhaps one or two more if the trade deadline works out as expected.

As valuations tend to more heavily weight the 50 FV and up players (especially those above 60 FV), we will have to wait and see how evaluators and scouts see the Cardinals higher end prospects before we know much about the new system valuation. The list of players that could fall in this elite group would seem to come from this pool:

• Doyle
• Baez (Joshua)
• Cijntje
• RainRod
• Padilla
• Peete
• Franklin
• Fajardo
• Dos Santos

Not a bad group. Two years ago, this list would probably have been almost empty, so lots of improvement.

Some might ask about Jesus Baez. I suspect that evaluators won’t be heavily influenced by his recent surge, but are likely noticing it. He currently carries a 40+ FV and evaluators don’t come off those easily. I don’t see him breaking the 50 FV barrier at least this go around. With a strong second half, perhaps by the off-season update.

There are so many avenues to create a healthy organization and an eventually viable Major League Baseball team, almost all of it unfolding far away from the bright lights of the draft’s first round.

Yet you can tell a lot about a franchise based on how it chooses to spend its very first pick during MLB’s annual selection meeting.

Certainly, not all top picks are created equal. Some aren’t even first-rounders, thanks to compensation owed for free agents, too much money spent in violation of luxury tax ceilings or even sign-stealing punishments.

With that in mind, USA TODAY Sports set out to grade the last 10 years of each team’s top picks, taking into account their average draft position and the total WAR (as tabulated by Baseball-Reference) produced by big leaguers in this past decade. In the event a top pick did not sign, the first signee was graded.

Come Saturday, July 11, the first round will create a fresh crop to assess over time. But here’s who did it the best with their first picks from 2016 through 2025:

A+

Seattle Mariners

Average draft position for first pick: 14.7

Major leaguers produced: 8

Total WAR accumulated: 30.7

Notable: One of four clubs to produce eight big leaguers, the Mariners should make it 10 out of 10, as every top pick from 2016 to 2023 made it. Along the way they put together a rotation with collegiate right-handers Logan Gilbert (14th overall, 2018), George Kirby (20th, 2019) and Emerson Hancock (sixth, 2020). And then they snagged a middle infield from the 21st and 22nd spots in the draft, snagging high schoolers Cole Young and Colt Emerson in consecutive years. Lucking into the No.  3 pick and Kade Anderson a year ago was simply unfair.

A

Detroit Tigers

Average draft position: 8.6

Major leaguers produced: 7

Total WAR: 24.3

Notable: They had six top 10 picks in this stretch and didn’t really screw them up. Hey, this thing is harder than it looks. Along the way they got a three-time All-Star outfielder (Riley Greene), an All-Star starting pitcher (Casey Mize), a slugging first baseman (Spencer Torkelson) and the game’s No. 4 outfield prospect (Max Clark). Lest we forget, All-Star Kevin McGonigle doesn’t even count in these computations, taken after Clark in 2023.

San Diego Padres

Average draft position: 14.9

Major leaguers produced: 6

Total WAR: 37

Notable: MacKenzie Gore, CJ Abrams and Jackson Merrill became All-Stars – and one of them even did it with the Padres. Yep, AJ Preller’s high-wire act is something to observe, with big bets on high-ceiling but volatile high schoolers (nine of 10 top picks in this period were spent on preps) before trading many of them to keep the big league club potent. Save for Merrill, every top pick from 2016 to 2022 – Cal Quantrill, Gore, Ryan Weathers, Abrams, Robert Hassell III and Dylan Lesko – were traded. Now, Preller must pray prep lefties Kash Mayfield and Kruz Schoolcraft – his last two first-rounders – pop soon, for himself or someone else.

A-

Milwaukee Brewers

Average draft position: 18

Major leaguers produced: 6

Total WAR: 27.3

Notable: It’s not easy keeping mid-market success up when you start winning and the draft picks come later and later. Yet from 2018 to 2021, the Brewers found second baseman Brice Turang and outfielders Garrett Mitchell and Sal Frelick between picks Nos. 15-21 – and they’re still leading the NL Central. This stretch began with a pair of misspent top 10 picks (Corey Ray, Keston Hiura) but the Brewers have found their sweet spot with college bats, with slugging corner infielder Andrew Fischer, No. 20 overall a year ago, knocking on the door.

New York Yankees

Average draft position: 25.2

Major leaguers produced: 7

Total WAR: 16.8

Notable: What a streak: Every top pick taken from 2016-2022 touched the majors, either in New York or elsewhere. Their consistent success means the highest pick this past decade was No. 17 in 2017 – spent on Clarke Schmidt. Six of their 10 picks have landed between 25 and 39, yet they reeled in Anthony Volpe (No. 30, 2019) and Austin Wells (No. 28) in consecutive years. Scouting still matters, even for the 1%-ers.

B+

Chicago Cubs

Average draft position: 27

Major leaguers produced: 7

Total WAR: 30.6

Notable: Just call this the Nico Hoerner Show: The contact-hitting savant produced a whopping 23.1 of that WAR after he was picked 24th overall out of Stanford in 2018. The Cubs definitely have a type: Nine of their 10 draftees were collegians. After a bit of a slump they hit on high picks from 2022 to 2024 in Cade Horton (2.3 WAR), Matt Shaw (3.7) and Cam Smith (3.1), who was used to reel in Kyle Tucker.

New York Mets

Average draft position: 22.2

Major leaguers produced: 6

Total WAR: 24.7

Notable: Quite a mishmash here, as one would expect given that this decade of draftees spanned five regimes of baseball operations. And while the Mets were wise enough to draft Pete Crow-Armstrong, they didn’t have the foresight to keep him. No matter: PCA’s 13.8 WAR goes on the board here. Lest we forget, David Peterson (20th overall, 2017) produced 5.5 WAR and Brett Baty (2.4) has value. Yet the future gift may be Carson Benge, who will be a 3-win player in his rookie year, one year after getting plucked 19th out of Oklahoma State.

Philadelphia Phillies

Average draft position: 15.1

Major leaguers produced: 7

Total WAR: 17.3

Notable: They’re gonna go 10 for 10 on big leaguers as the first seven have already debuted and Aidan Miller, Dante Nori and Gage Wood will get there. Bryson Stott (10.1 WAR) and Alec Bohm (4.5) account for the bulk of the big league damage and heck, it’s a little easier filling the team with superstars when you snag a pair of infield stalwarts in the first round. The more pressing question is how high the ceilings are for center fielder Justin Crawford – he’s having a nice if neutral rookie season – and right-hander Andrew Painter, back in the minors after struggling mightily with command.

B

Chicago White Sox

Average draft position: 11.7

Major leaguers produced: 8

Total WAR: 27.2

Notable: Hagen Smith is close and 2025 prep shortstop Billy Carlson should get here and make these White Sox another perfect club the past decade. Garrett Crochet (No. 11 in 2020) is of course the gift that keeps giving, with three regulars in the lineup after they dealt him to Boston, and shortstop Colson Montgomery and first baseman Jacob Gonzalez are also contributing big to this year’s surprises. But they blew a No. 4 pick on infielder Nick Madrigal and No. 3 overall on first baseman Andrew Vaughn, who eventually figured it out – in Milwaukee.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Average draft position: 18.6

Major leaguers produced: 6

Total WAR: 25.5

Notable: Kind of another one-man show here, as Corbin Carroll consumes 18.9 of that WAR, Jake McCarthy another 5.2. After that? Not much else. How half-full you view this glass depends on how much hope you retain that prep draftees Jordan Lawlar (No. 6 overall, 2021) and Druw Jones (No. 2, 2022) can make themselves viable.

Baltimore Orioles

Average draft position: 12.6

Major leaguers produced: 7

Total WAR: 23.8

Notable: They picked 1-2-5-1 in four consecutive years, and history will determine if Adley Rutschman, Heston Kjerstad, Colton Cowser and Jackson Holliday constitute an appropriate haul for such good fortune. The old regime rolled the dice on prep pitchers DL Hall and Grayson Rodriguez, while the Mike Elias contingent’s legacy may hinge on whether collegiate bats Enrique Bradfield, Vance Honeycutt and Ike Irish return any value between picks 17-22.

B-

Kansas City Royals

Average draft position: 15.8

Major leaguers produced: 4

Total WAR: 37.6

Notable: The Royals produced more WAR with their top picks the past decade than anybody. So why no A grade? Well, 70% of that is tied up in the great Bobby Witt Jr., and kudos to KC for not messing him up. Yet the Royals have had four top 10 picks that have not made the major leagues. The jury’s still out on catcher Blake Mitchell (No. 8, 2023), but outfielder Gavin Cross (No. 9, 2022) is running out of time, while pitchers Asa Lacy (No. 4, 2020) and Frank Mozzicato (No. 7, 2021) failed to launch. Current Red Brady Singer and sophomore slugger Jac Caglianone are all that’s left to show for a decade of prime picks.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Average draft position: 33.3

Major leaguers produced: 4

Total WAR: 8.8

Notable: Yep, the average Dodgers top pick the past decade has fallen outside the top 30. That’s life in the big city, eh? Their WAR haul here does not reflect the 23.8 Will Smith racked up as the 32nd overall pick in 2016, but hey, rules are rules. Dalton Rushing was their top pick at No. 40 overall in 2022, meaning they’ve drafted two catchers from Louisville that will outperform many, if not most first-round picks. Not that they’re perfect: Jeren Kendall (No. 23 overall, 2017) and Kody Hoese (No. 25, 2019) were Vanderbilt and Tulane products who flopped in their system.

Texas Rangers

Average draft position: 14.4

Major leaguers produced: 8

Total WAR: 22.4

Notable: Lefty Cole Ragans started this run as the 30th overall pick in 2016 and he was used to fetch World Series closer Aroldis Chapman before starring for Kansas City. Nice start. But the Rangers burned a ton of capital on a pair of Vandy right-handers – Jack Leiter (No. 2, 2021) and Kumar Rocker (No. 3, 2022) – and the jury is very much out, if not coming back soon. Of the eight big leaguers, five have negative WAR, while the new generation is rescued by Wyatt Langford, who’s delivered big time on his No. 4 overall selection in 2023.

C+

Atlanta Braves

Average draft position: 20.5

Major leaguers produced: 6

Total WAR: 16.2

Notable: Turns out the best player they produced – catcher Shea Langeliers – accrued almost all his 10.2 WAR with the Athletics. Still, they had enough hits to piece together a perennial winner and 2021 World Series champion, as 2016 No. 3 overall pick Ian Anderson accrued just 3.1 WAR but pitched in some huge playoff games. Best future hope is long lefty Cam Caminiti, a high school sign in high Class A at 19. 

Cleveland Guardians

Average draft position: 24.4

Major leaguers produced: 6

Total WAR: 12.5

Notable: Their penchant for being Consistently Pretty Good has reduced the Guardians to picking 23rd or higher six of the past 10 years. And until the lottery balls bounced their way and they snagged Travis Bazzana No. 1 overall in 2024, their highest pick was 14. Smiling through it all, the Guardians grabbed Gavin Williams at No. 23 and Chase DeLauter at 16 in consecutive years, and Bazzana is an All-Star just weeks after debuting. Yeah, they still know what they’re doing.

C

Cincinnati Reds

Average draft position: 8.1

Major leaguers produced: 7

Total WAR: 37.1

Notable: Second to Kansas City on the WAR list here, so why the C? Well, they’ve had seven top 10 picks the past decade, and produced just two All-Star selections – one each for right-handers Hunter Greene and Chase Burns, each taken No. 2 overall. Another No. 2, 2016 pick Nick Senzel, produced minus-3.1 WAR, the biggest negative among all top picks the past decade. Somehow, the Jonathan Indias and Nick Lodolos haven’t added up to a contender in Cincy.

San Francisco Giants

Average draft position: 18.9

Major leaguers produced: 5

Total WAR: 35.8

Notable: Two-thirds of the production came from their top pick in 2016, Bryan Reynolds, who they picked 59th overall and traded to rent Andrew McCutchen. So, good for the Pirates, we guess. Eight top picks were spent on collegians, yet the two high schoolers – outfielder Heliot Ramos and slugger Bryce Eldridge – are their only everyday players. That’s what happens when a No. 2 overall pick is burned on Joey Bart, who like Reynolds flourished in Pittsburgh, and a No. 10 on Hunter Bishop, who touched AAA but never found the power he flashed at Arizona State.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Average draft position: 9

Major leaguers produced: 8

Total WAR: 22.9

Notable: They have had six consecutive top nine picks, the first three producing a part-time shortstop (Nick Gonzales), a backup catcher (Henry Davis, who went 1/1 in 2021) and a struggling AAA infielder (Termarr Johnson). Now, the good news: Paul Skenes, Konnor Griffin and Seth Hernandez, the latter now striking out 13.4 batters per nine innings in high A, one year after he was plucked out of high school. Too bad they didn’t hold onto Shane Baz or unlock Quinn Priester.

Athletics

Average draft position: 14.1

Major leaguers produced: 7

Total WAR: 19

Notable: Kyler Murray, we hardly knew ye. Things got a little brighter after 2018’s ninth overall pick decided NFL riches were the surer thing, beginning with plucking Tyler Soderstrom with the 26th overall pick in 2020. And then Nick Kurtz was popped fourth overall in 2024, and Yolo County didn’t know what hit it in 2025. Indeed, those two comprise almost all the value from the last decade, and perhaps things would’ve gone better in Oakland had Murray, AJ Puk and Austin Beck been bypassed for other picks at nine, six and six, respectively.

C-

Boston Red Sox

Average draft position: 19.1

Major leaguers produced: 6

Total WAR: 11

Notable: Yet another franchise that underwent significant regime changes this past decade, but that’s not much excuse for just two top pick players – Tanner Houck and Triston Casas – producing more than 1 win above replacement. They did burn Kyle Teel and Braden Montgomery to snag Garrett Crochet, but the meh tone was set with prep lefty Jay Groome failing to catch on after he was picked 12th overall in 2016.

St. Louis Cardinals

Average draft position: 24.9

Major leaguers produced: 6

Total WAR: 13.1

Notable: They’ve drafted late and played it safe over the years, selecting almost entirely uninspiring collegians with seven of their 10 top picks. Turns out rolling the dice on prep guys was wise: Nolan Gorman (19th overall in 2018, 3.4 WAR) and Jordan Walker (No. 21 in 2020, first-time All-Star in 2025) were their only bright spots the first five years. The latter group has been saved by right-hander Michael McGreevy (No. 18 in 2021) and JJ Wetherholt, who in 2024 became their first top 10 pick since 1998. He’s now the best defensive second baseman in the game.

Minnesota Twins

Average draft position: 15.2

Major leaguers produced: 5

Total WAR: 15.2

Notable: A tough break when your 1/1 – Royce Lewis, 2017 – has suffered through almost nonstop injuries, though he’s still got runway as a major leaguer. Keoni Cavaco, a prep shortstop chosen 13th in 2019, never made it out of A ball while their top pick a year later, former North Carolina first baseman Aaron Sabato, has finally made it to Class AAA. There are high hopes for their past three No. 1 picks – prep outfielder Walker Jenkins and college shortstops Kaelen Culpepper and Marek Houston.

Los Angeles Angels

Average draft position: 11.1

Major leaguers produced: 9

Total WAR: 23.2

Notable: You get what you pay for: Draft a nonstop stream of close-to-the-majors collegiate players and watch none of them become All-Stars. That’s pretty much how it’s gone down in Anaheim, where shortstop Zach Neto has produced 12.2 WAR and lefty Reid Detmers has finally found his stride. As for Will Wilson, Sam Bachman, Nolan Schanuel and Christian Moore, all chosen between picks eight and 15? They’ve all made it to Anaheim, but seem helpless to prevent a third consecutive last-place finish.

D+

Toronto Blue Jays

Average draft position: 16.1

Major leaguers produced: 6

Total WAR: 9.8

Notable: They basically have one All-Star season from Alek Manoah and two amazing months from Trey Yesavage to show for a decade of top picks. Tough back-to-back selections in 2017 and ’18, as collegiate shortstop Logan Warmoth (No. 22) reached AAA but was gone by 2023, while Jordan Groshans played 17 games for the Marlins in 2022.

Tampa Bay Rays

Average draft position: 18.7

Major leaguers produced: 5

Total WAR: 2.7

Notable: Yeah, seems weird to see the Eternally Smart Rays at the back of the class here. But they’ve perhaps swung too big with their top picks, going the high school route seven of 10 times, with only outfielder Josh Lowe producing positive WAR. It didn’t help when two-way player and 2017 No. 4 overall Brendan McKay ran into shoulder issues; Tampa Bay would pick between 16 and 29 the next seven years.

D

Miami Marlins

Average draft position: 9.5

Major leaguers produced: 5

Total WAR: 19.2

Notable: Trevor Rogers and JJ Bleday largely popped elsewhere and drafting high schoolers six times in nine years didn’t return many dividends. They did right in 2020, grabbing Max Meyer with the third overall pick, and now he’s an All-Star rotation stalwart. The new regime’s pivotal guy is Aiva Arquette, the 6-foot-5 shortstop from Oregon State taken seventh overall last year. Will he return more value than a slew of highly regarded prep shortstops and proven college arms that went behind him?

F+

Houston Astros

Average draft position: 35.6

Major leaguers produced: 6

Total WAR: Minus-2.3

Notable: They were really good on the field (two World Series titles) and really bad off it (a grim sign-stealing scheme) and both conspired to push Astros picks later in the draft, as they were stripped of first- and second-round picks in 2020 and ’21 after their nefarious scheme was discovered. That still doesn’t excuse some awful top picks, beginning with four players who produced negative WAR in their big league careers: Right-handers Forrest Whitley and JB Bukauskas, outfielder Seth Beer and catcher Korey Lee. They had to wait until Nos. 72 and 87 to pick in 2020 and ’21, but given the freedom of choice again, opted for college outfielder Drew Gilbert at No. 28 in ’22. Oy. At least ’23 No. 1 Brice Matthews is contributing to the big league roster, and last year’s No. 1, Xavier Neyens, is far toolsier than many of their previous top picks.

F

Washington Nationals

Average draft position: 14.8

Major leaguers produced: 6

Total WAR: Minus-1.3

Notable: Yet another good team, bad decisions scenario: The Nationals picked between No. 17 and No. 28 from 2016 to 2020, but that didn’t mean they had to choose bad players. Alas, all that’s left from that bunch is Cade Cavalli (No. 22 in 2020), and he’s perhaps established himself as a rotation mainstay. It probably got worse as the Nats got bad, the nadir coming when they selected prep outfielder Elijah Green fifth overall in 2022. Now 22, Green has 141 strikeouts in 313 plate appearances (45% K rate) at high Class A this season. A new regime and last year's 1/1, shortstop Eli Willits, should produce better outcomes.

F-

Colorado Rockies

Average draft position: 14

Major leaguers produced: 7

Total WAR: Minus-1.6

Notable: Can’t really blame this on Coors Field. The Rockies took a hitter four out of five years at one point, and they all went belly up, from Ryan Vilade (No.  48, 2017) to Michael Toglia (No. 23, 2019) to Zac Veen (No. 9, 2020) and Benny Montgomery (No. 8, 2021). Veen is still knocking on the door, but these past 10 years got off to a tough start when they spent the No. 4 overall pick on prep right-hander Riley Pint in 2016; he quit baseball, came back and then said, “I’m good” after five big league games. There’s some hope for the new generation though good health must return for Chase Dollander and 2025 No. 4 overall Ethan Holliday, and slugger Charlie Condon needs to cut down his strikeouts at AAA.  

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB draft grades for what teams did with top picks over last 10 years: Top squad surprises

The Road to the Show is set to begin shortly for the next wave of future MLB prospects.

The 2026 MLB Draft kicks off Day 2 of MLB All-Star Week festivities in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Saturday, July 11, with the first round of the draft set to start at 1 p.m. ET.

The draft, similar to last year's in Atlanta, will take place across two days. The first four rounds of selection will take place on Saturday, while rounds four through 20 will take place on Sunday. Interestingly, Saturday's selections will be made while several of the penultimate first-half games before the All-Star break are being played across the country.

Watch select picks of the 2026 MLB Draft on Fubo (free trial)

The Chicago White Sox own the No. 1 overall pick. The AL Central franchise, which is off to a surprising 47-44 record in Year 2 (WILL NEED UPDATE AFTER TODAY'S 2:10 PM GAME) of the Will Venable era on the South Side, has a plethora of options to go with the pick, including UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey and Texas high school shortstop Grady Emerson.

Several teams have received a 10-pick penalty for their first pick of the draft for exceeding the second surcharge threshold of the Competitive Balance Tax. Those teams include the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers. In fact, the Blue Jays and Dodgers won't be selecting in the first round, as their first picks will be in the second round.

Here's everything to know about the 2026 MLB Draft, including start times and how to watch information:

DRAFT ANALYSIS: Who will White Sox pick No. 1 in 2026 MLB Draft? A case for three top options

When is 2026 MLB Draft?

The 2026 MLB Draft is scheduled to take place across both Saturday, June 11 and Sunday, June 12 in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Saturday will consist of rounds 1-4 of the draft, with Sunday consisting of rounds 5 through 20.

Day 1 is set to begin at 1 p.m. ET and run through 7:45 p.m. ET. Day 2 is set to resume at 11:30 a.m. ET and is expected to go until 7:30 p.m. ET.

Watch first 10 picks of 2026 MLB Draft on Peacock

How to watch 2026 MLB Draft: TV channels, streaming options

• TV channels: NBC | MLB Network
• Streaming options: Fubo | Peacock | MLB.com

NBC will broadcast the first 10 picks of the 2026 MLB Draft before TV coverage shifts over to MLB Network for picks 11-40 of Day 1 of the draft. The streaming option for the first 10 picks is Peacock, NBC's subscription streaming service. You can stream MLB Network's coverage of Day 1 of the draft either on Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers, or MLB.com.

MLB.com will be the spot to watch most of the draft, including picks 41-135 on Saturday. The entirety of Day 2 of the draft will be on MLB.com.

MLB mock draft 2026: Will White Sox Roch steady at No. 1 with star shortstop?

MLB draft first round order 2026

Here's the first-round order of the top 15 picks for the 2026 MLB Draft:

1. Chicago White Sox
2. Tampa Bay Rays
3. Minnesota Twins
4. San Francisco Giants
5. Pittsburgh Pirates
6. Kansas City Royals
7. Baltimore Orioles
8. Athletics
9. Atlanta Braves
10. Colorado Rockies
11. Washington Nationals
12. Los Angels Angels
13. St. Louis Cardinals
14. Miami Marlins
15. Arizona Diamondbacks

Click here to view the 2026 MLB Draft order.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How to watch 2026 MLB Draft: Time, TV channel, live streaming options

First they sang for Harry Kane. Then they sang for Michael Harris II.

The Atlanta Braves center-fielder is not someone many Major League Baseball fans would consider a household name. A local kid made good, he has established himself as an above-average, everyday outfielder and at age 25 is enjoying a career-best season, but his face doesn’t dominate billboards and ads in the way of Shohei Ohtani or Aaron Judge.

To a pack of football fans, though, he is a superstar.

Last week, England supporters, in Atlanta for the World Cup and fresh off their team’s dramatic last-32 win over the Democratic Republic of Congo, were offered discounted tickets to the Braves’ home game against the St Louis Cardinals. They filled a pocket of the center-field bleachers, hung their flags and brought the sounds of Wembley to Truist Park.

As the player situated closest to the England fans, Harris caught their attention. His performance in a 5-1 win – one hit, one RBI, four putouts – didn’t quite match the heroics of Kane earlier in the day, but the supporters in red and white sang in spirited verve anyway, from “Walking in a Harris wonderland!” to “Baseball’s coming home – with Michael Harris!”

This World Cup has been full of stories of international visitors marveling at the small towns, the delis, the high schools, the Walmarts, the ranch dressing and the culture of America. They’re also giving a nice boost to its national pastime.

More than 5 million fans attended home games of the 14 teams in 12 World Cup host cities (including Toronto in Canada) from 11 June to 5 July. The average attendance across those markets (35,326)was higher than in the same stretch of three of the past four seasons.

The influx of World Cup visitors may not be the only responsible factor for attendance boosts in certain markets, but the crossover in the calendar has made for a compelling collision of sports cultures: the slow-paced, quiet of midsummer baseball with the raucous, frenzied energy of international soccer.

“We export the game. We play games in other parts of the world. And now the world is coming to us,” said Adam Zimmerman, the senior vice-president of marketing and content for the Braves who oversaw their England promotion. “And what is a more American experience than going to a baseball game?”

The Boston Red Sox were the first out of the gate. With Scotland in town for their World Cup group-stage matches, the Red Sox hosted a Scottish Heritage Celebration Night on 14 June against the Texas Rangers, drawing more than 5,000 members of the Tartan Army among a crowd of 32,006 at Fenway Park.

Never mind that many of them didn’t know much about baseball. “How many innings is it?” one fan asked a local TV reporter. “Oh, you’re having a laugh!” he said upon hearing the answer of nine. (What did excite that fan was the concession offerings: “We’ve been here four days and I’ve not had a hot dog yet. I’m gagging for it.”)

The Tartan Army led a bagpipers’ march down the historic Lansdowne Street that borders the 114-year-old ballpark. The stands were filled with supporters in Scotland tops, kilts and red socks, chanting “We’ve got McGinn, Super John McGinn”. They sang Flower of Scotland after the Star-Spangled Banner, and roared when the team organist played Loch Lomond and I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).

Such was the Red Sox’s amazement at the scenes – which came amid a slump for one of baseball’s most historic franchises – that the team president wrote a letter thanking Scotland for “genuinely one of the most moving things we have witnessed at Fenway Park in a long time”.

“My bucket list is to be at a European game one day with my kids, and that was probably as close to it as you can get as far as the atmosphere,” said Rangers manager Skip Schumaker, whose own team started playing No Scotland, No Party in their clubhouse after two wins with the Tartan Army in attendance. “That was pretty special.”

The Miami Marlins, hosting Scotland fans eight days later, saw their biggest crowd for a Monday game in nine years. An estimated 8,000 supporters helped give a team that has historically sat at the bottom of MLB’s attendance table one of their best home atmospheres this season, with a crowd of 20,008.

In the heart of Texas, the Rangers hosted Australia fans at their Globe Life Field, which sits across a parking lot from World Cup host Dallas Stadium. One Socceroos fan – perhaps a cricketer back home – earned himself headlines last Thursday for his barehanded catch of a foul ball.

Norway fans took their trademark row celebration to the first game of a New York Mets midweek doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs. One supporter, surely captivated in part by the 18ft (5.5m) Home Run Apple in center field, told MLB.com that Citi Field was the most beautiful sports venue he’d ever visited.

“I’ve never been to a baseball game before, and I think this is part of the American experience, to be at a baseball game,” that fan, a visitor from outside Oslo named Daniel, said. “So this is the United States for me.”

(If the Norwegian support has been a boon for their team, who are in the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in their history, it didn’t help the fortunes of the last-place Mets: they lost both games of that doubleheader amid a seven-game losing streak.)

The Braves started planning for how to make the most of World Cup opportunities in Atlanta months in advance, but their 1 July England night came together quickly once the knockout draw was released. Team staff worked with the British consulate and the Football Supporters’ Association to arrange discounted game tickets and free bus services from downtown, where many fans spent the afternoon watching the win at Atlanta Stadium. A special allowance was made for just one night to let fans bring flags inside the ballpark, where the brick walls were dotted with emblems of Leeds and London, Birmingham and Brentford. The team hired a cover band called Broasis – yes, they played Wonderwall – decorated a red double-decker bus and made “England is Braves Country” T-shirts that “flew like hotcakes”, Zimmerman said.

No moment had as wide a reach as the one that happened completely spontaneously: the fans’ interaction with Harris. After the game, they tossed hats and jerseys to be signed and called for him to make a speech, serenading him with chants of “There’s only one Michael Harris!” (There are, in fact, at least three: his father and his son share the same name.)

The wholesomeness of the moments has left players charmed and front offices inspired to find ways to carry on that energy at baseball games long after the soccer fans return to their home terraces.

“For our players to experience fandom from a different country and a different perspective was remarkable,” Zimmerman said. “And then the trick for us is, OK, you don’t want to take that and overly engineer it and then take out what was beautiful about it, which was the spontaneity. I think my biggest takeaway was to provide the ingredients and see what people make.”

It’s not just the visiting fans showing baseball the love this summer. The ceremonial first pitch is a staple of baseball games, where a well-known face – sometimes a pop star, sometimes a politician, sometimes a local celebrity – takes the mound to toss the first throw. Several of soccer’s biggest names have done the honors in the last month, from England manager Thomas Tuchel with a looping fastball in Kansas City to Barcelona star Aitana Bonmatí with a wind-up and strike in San Diego.

Before the United States’ last-16 game in Seattle, head coach Mauricio Pochettino threw out the first pitch at T-Mobile Park. The Mariners have had their share of World Cup visitors: their highest home crowds this season coincided with the weekend of the USA v Australia group-stage game, and their game honoring the USMNT on 3 July drew their fifth-largest attendance this year at 45,391.

Pochettino put in his practice at a training session earlier in the day with goalkeeper Matt Turner, a former high school baseball player, and performed admirably.

And baseball is showing the love back. Players and coaches alike have used their off-days – rarities in the 162-game regular season – to cross the World Cup off their bucket lists. Stars Juan Soto, Julio Rodríguez and Salvador Perez appeared at games in their local markets.

Of anyone, Harris may best epitomize this sporting love affair. After his interaction with the fans, he posted a video from his vantage point captioned “England Lit!” In an interview with Men in Blazers, he correctly predicted a 3-2 win for the Three Lions over Mexico in the last 16. He showed up to the ballpark the next day in an England jersey, saying he watched the game “biting his nails at the end”.

Should England beat Norway on Saturday and return to Atlanta next week for a semi-final, there could be an even sweeter reunion.

“England,” Harris posted last week, “I’m forever with you!”

The Atlanta Braves announced a roster move that reinstated OF Eli White from the paternity list and designated fellow outfielder José Azócar for assignment. The move came ahead of Thursday’s series finale in Pittsburgh. 

The #Braves today reinstated OF Eli White from the paternity list and designated OF José Azócar for assignment.

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 9, 2026

White returns to the active roster after missing the last series while on paternity leave. During his absence, Azócar filled the open roster spot and appeared in two games, where he recorded one hit and scored a run. 

White gives Atlanta another versatile option as the Braves travel to St. Louis for a weekend series against the Cardinals.

More Braves News:

The Braves took the series and defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-5. 

AJ Smith-Shawver is nearing a return to Atlanta and will rehab with the Gwinnett Stripers this weekend. 

Lucas Braun had a 12-strikeout game, setting a Columbus Clingstones record. More in the minor league recap.

Trade rumors are ramping up, and Sonny Gray has been connected to Atlanta.

MLB News:

The New York Mets will place infielder Mark Vientos on the injured list with a hand fracture after he was hit by a pitch. No timeline has been provided for his return, but he will likely miss several weeks. 

The Miami Marlins have placed OF Owen Caissie on the 10-day injured list with a right calf strain. The club also placed left-hander John King on the 15-day injured list with a left lateral ankle sprain. 

Minnesota Twins left-hander Anthony Banda underwent lat surgery and is done for the season. 

From the Feed:

Carlos Carrasco has returned to the Braves on a minor league deal. 

Matt Olson has tied Dale Murphy for the longest consecutive games streak.

Well, you have to start somewhere. A split with the Rays in St. Petersburg won’t turn the Yankees’ season around on its own, but it’s a step in the right direction after three weeks of putrid baseball. Yesterday, New York’s offense finally showed up, putting in a cathartic 12-run effort against Tampa Bay, led by Ben Rice’s two home runs. It’s just one game, but if the lineup starts to produce again, it could be remembered as a turning point for this summer.

It’ll be a packed day on the site ahead of a matchup in D.C. In the morning, Matt will preview the three games with the Nationals, and recap Thursday’s American League action. Later, Dan Kelly will continue our MLB Draft coverage with an analysis of the Yankees’ possible strategy, and Maximo will continue our Trade Deadline preview with a look at the Royals as a possible trade partner. Also, Sam remembers reliever Buddy Groom for the Yankees Birthday series, and Madison delivers the answers to this week’s mailbag.

Today’s Matchup:

New York Yankees at Washington Nationals

Time: 6:45 p.m. EST

TV: YES Network, Nationals.TV

Venue: Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.

Questions/Prompts:

1. Was yesterday a definitive sign that the Yankee offense has re-awakened?

2. After hearing Brian Cashman discuss Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton’s injuries yesterday, when do you expect each slugger to return?

ESPN | Associated Press: Speaking to reporters yesterday, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman informed the press that Aaron Judge, out since June 5th with a stress fracture in his rib cage, will undergo more imaging during the All-Star Break. Unfortunately, while the imaging will give the team a better idea on when Judge can start ramping back up, the team knows that the images will not be clean, and that he won’t return to the field until he is fully healed.

New York Post | Greg Joyce: As it turns out, Giancarlo Stanton’s setback from a right calf strain last month was not a setback at all, but rather, another right calf strain — just in a different part of his calf. He has finally been cleared to begin running, although there is currently no timetable for his return. At this point, he’s not expected back until August at the minimum.

The Athletic | Chris Kirschner: (subscription required) It wasn’t all injury updates, though. Cashman also discussed the current state of the roster, noting, of course, that the team’s catching has been a major black hole in the lineup. Of more interest to Yankees fans, though, might be his report that George Lombard Jr., who is expected to return to action around the All-Star Break after missing some time with sprained fingers, may make his Major League debut later this season: his defense was described as plug-and-play, and his offense as catching up to the level.

The Athletic | Tyler Kepner: This is not, strictly speaking, Yankees news, although it does come with some interesting tidbits from Yankees starter Gerrit Cole. As you probably know by now, Justin Verlander announced this week his intent to retire after the season, prompting some to wonder whether we have seen the last 300-win pitcher (Verlander’s 266 is currently the closest, followed by Max Scherzer’s 222 and Gerrit Cole’s 156). Injuries robbed Verlander, who, as Cole rightly points out, is one of the last pitchers who pitched extensively in both the pre-analytics and post-analytics worlds, and is the last pitcher to throw 250 innings in a season (a feat he accomplished in 2011).

A Giant has finally splashed down into McCovey Cove. The 109th baseball to be baptized in the icy Bay waters was the first by a San Francisco Giant in 2026, and the first of Bryce Eldridge’s career. 

It was a doozy too. Well…a doozy compared to recent Splash Hits. Measured on the Bondsian Scale, Eldridge’s would qualify as roughly a “routine fly.” It didn’t do a fifth or sixth archway flyover, nor burst into flames as it broke through the atmosphere on its descent — but it wasn’t cheap either. The game-tying shot in the 4th took a direct route down the right-field line and cleared the boardwalk railing below by plenty. Considering the pitch he hit, a hung slider off the inside of the plate, didn’t veer off foul is a testament to the quality of Eldridge’s contact. The ball hissed off his bat at 106 MPH, traveling 394 feet before it got soaked. 

Eldridge is the 33rd Giant, and at 21 years of age, the youngest to launch a Splash Hit in their career, and first since Rafael Devers in September of last year. While we’re already on the doorstep of the All-Star Break, this was not the latest fans have had to wait for a ball to go spelunking into the Cove. Stephen Vogt’s off Philly’s Drew Smyly ended the drought in 2019 on August 9th. Brandon Belt hit one on September 25th, 2014, and he hit one again 20 months later, off Boston’s David Price, in June of 2016 — no other ball got wet off a Giants bat in the meantime. 2015 remains the only dry season in the 27 year history of the park at 3rd and King. 

The best part of Eldridge’s Splash Hit: it helped the Giants win. The solo homer evened the score and kicked off a string of seven unanswered runs for the San Francisco offense, culminating in a 4-run outburst in the 8th that secured an 8-2 victory over the Rockies. 

While this was the two teams’ first meeting at sea-level, the park played like its Rocky Mountain high counterpart. The Giants line-up knocked four doubles and three homers, including Casey Schmitt’s 18th in the 1st inning and Willy Adames’s 15th in the 8th.

Drew Cavanaugh, who is still searching for his first extra base hit, nearly had a fourth home run in the 5th when he smoked a first-pitch fastball to right. At 102 MPH off the bat, it sounded like the ball was destined for the water, but with a wicked topspin, it dove into the bricks, hitting the Splash Hit counter instead before ricocheting back into the field of play, holding the back-up catcher to another single. A tough break that worked out in the end when Heliot Ramos and Luis Arraez singled and doubled to score Cavanaugh and break the 2-2 tie. Devers immediately plated the fourth run with a bases-loaded single. 

In the 8th, they’d stretch their two-run lead to six with two-out thunder from the heart of their line-up. Schmitt and Devers doubled-up on doubles, both collecting their second hit and second RBI of the night, before Adames ended the evening with a 2-run tater to deep left. 

It was the offense’s night, all in support of a serviceable Carson Whisenhunt, making his second start of the year. The southpaw, called up to give Landen Roupp an extended rest through the All Star break, pitched into the 6th and picked up the win. He retired the first 8 batters he faced, but things got more dicey on the second go-round. A 2-out double turned into bases-loaded stress after back-to-back walks, with the third out being recorded 390 feet from home plate. Willi Castro’s 2-run homer in the 4th was the biggest blow landed. Whisenhunt weathered it — considering the fact that he walked four batters over 5.2 innings, he may have gotten a little lucky. 

Luck — and definitely some help from key actors. Arraez, Schmitt, Devers, Adames, and Eldridge — the #2 thru #6 hitters — all punched in at least one runner. Arraez, Devers, Schmitt, Eldridge, and Cavanaugh logged multiple hits. Schmitt worked a walk for the first time since May 24th — the longest span by a Giants player since Hal Lanier in 1964. Schmitt and Victor Bericoto, before he left the game after his at-bat in the 5th, made some excellent defensive plays on the left-side of the field. The bullpen got in on the action too, allowing just 2 hits over 3.1 scoreless innings. J.T. Brubaker and Erik Miller retired seven Rockies in a row while Caleb Kilian closed the door in the 9th .

When the Jays dumped Trevor Richards on the Twins at the 2024 deadline, the return was an infielder who’d signed a way under slot deal in the sixth round of the previous year’s draft out of the decided non-baseball hotbed of Penn State University by the name of Jay Harry. Baseball America ranked him 426th among draft eligible prospects that year and promptly never wrote about him again. After the trade, Fangraphs’ rated him the 87th best prospect dealt at the deadline and described his likely peak as “a utility guy for a weak Double-A team.” Which is harsh, perhaps, but looked about right as his OPS last season, split between A+ and AA, started with a five.

I’m writing about him here, so you can guess that things have improved. And indeed they have, to the tune of a .327/.368/.591 line split between New Hampshire and Buffalo that makes Harry one of the best 40 or so hitters in the upper minors this season.

So what’s happened here? Harry was an ultra-contact-oriented hitter in college, with a swing geared just to try to poke line drives through the infield. You can see that approach carry over to his first taste of pro ball after the draft, where he struck out just 6.8% of the time in A ball but failed to generate much impact. His contact rate dropped, though, from 85% that season to 76% during his time with the Twins organization in 2024 and then 71% after his trade to the Blue Jays. At the same time he showed a little bit of game power, going from 1 home run in 129 PA in his draft season to 12 in 448 in ‘24. Last year he seems to have been caught in between, bringing his contact back to 77% but losing almost all of his impact. In 2026, his contact rate remains at 77%, but all of the power production has returned and then some. Normally with a left in New Hampshire, you can write some power jumps off as the product of park factors, but a) he was awful in the same park last season, and b) he’s hit even better since moving up to Buffalo.

On video, you can see his swing change a little over the course of the last three years, going from a very upright setup with almost no hand load and the bat starting upright in 2024 to a bit deeper of a load and more angle in 2025. His 2026 swing is back closer to 2024, very upright and with his hands starting out front to give him a super short path to the ball. These are all subtle differences, though, and I don’t see evidence that he’s reinvented his swing.

There are a couple of other changes to note. First, he’s just swinging a lot. He’s always been aggressive, but his 59.5% rate this season is among the highest in the league and would be in the top five in the majors. That’s resulted in a collapse in his walk rate, although without much change in his strikeouts.

He’s also pulling the ball a lot less often, 39% of the time down from an extreme 55-56% rate the previous two seasons. Normally you’d expect that to come with less power production, as hitters typically do their damage to the pull side. As we’ve seen, though, the effect for Harry has been the opposite. We don’t have comparative StatCast data, because A+ and AA don’t make that info public, but we can see that since the promotion to Buffalo he’s running a 90.0mph average exit velocity and a 41% hard hit rate, both of which are above average. His max exit velocity is 107.2, though, which is well below average. He might best that once he has more than 68 batted ball events in the register, but it seems like the scouting reports that noted a lack of raw power are still correct and that he’s doing this by just maximizing what he does have.

This is all a bit puzzling. Harry’s swing decisions appear worse, but he’s not making any less contact. He’s pulling the ball less, but producing more power. My best guess is that he’s just gone back to what’s comfortable. He’s ultra-aggressive on pitches inside, pulling the ball where he can but not forcing everything to the pull side. He’s using the swing that feels right to him, and trusting his strength to generate enough power.

Lacking a clear change that drive the breakout, I remain skeptical of how real it is. That said, you have to pay attention to the results, especially as players get close to the majors. Jay Harry isn’t likely to take the big leagues by storm, but his performance this year makes it easy to imagine him getting to the big leagues at all, which is a dramatic change in the course of three months. He can play all over (mostly short in the minors, but he’s not an everyday calibre glove there by big league standards), he gets the bat on the ball, and when he does there’s a chance he’ll do something with it. That’s not nothing. At the very least, I don’t think he’d have trouble cracking any AA lineup out there.

With their backs against the wall after 2 very disappointing losses, veteran Merrill Kelly stepped up into the roll this team needed him to so very badly and put this team on his back Thursday night. Kelly was dominant for 7 innings and the offense did just enough to finish the series with the Padres with a split.

As I mentioned, Kelly really looked like the vintage Merrill Kelly we know and love tonight as he gave this team length going 7 innings and needing just 94 pitches while allowing just a single run in the second inning and striking out 6 Padres batters.  As the game went on, Kelly was able to make big pitches and get some key double plays in big spots. He just seemed to get more and more comfortable as the game went on, and if Kelly has indeed regained his vintage form, that would be so huge for this team.

Paul Sewald also did a great job of coming in in the 9^th and slamming the door in dominant fashion striking out Fernando Tatis Jr and Xander Bogarts. He is now 21 for 22 on the season for save opportunities. I definitely didn’t see this level of success coming, but I am so glad to see it. Not only has it been huge for this team to have a stopper at the backend, but you love to see good things happen to good people and Paul is about as good as they come.

On the offensive side, the Dbacks were able to get all 3 of their runs in the middle innings scoring a run in the 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th. Geraldo Perdomo scored Tommy Troy in the 5^th with an RBI single. Nolan Arenado inched closer to the 2,000 hit mark golfing a pitch about a foot below the strike zone over the left field fence for his 11^th home run of the season. The offense did just enough tonight.

All in all, you definitely need to see this offense score more runs if they are going to go on the run this team needs to go on. Especially when you head to LA to face the Dodgers tomorrow and you are a game under .500. However, It was really good to see Merrill Kelly regain his form tonight and allow his team to win. The Dbacks need to get hot and get hot quickly heading into LA, and what a better time to do so?

Bryce Eldridge has made a strong impression two months into his rookie season, but on Thursday night, the Giants’ young star really made a splash for the first time.

The 21-year-old first baseman slugged his first of what are sure to be many Splash Hits in the Giants’ 8-2 win over the Rockies to open San Francisco’s final series before the All-Star break.

Eldridge got a letter-high slider off the plate inside and somehow kept the arms on his 6-foot-7 frame short enough to launch the pitch at 106.7 mph on its way into McCovey Cove.

Eldridge’s eighth homer of the year was also the 109th Splash Hit by a Giant since the waterfront ballpark opened in 2000 — and the first this season.

The solo shot tied the score, and the Giants proceeded to add on with two RBIs apiece from Casey Schmitt, Rafael Devers and Willy Adames. A day after being no-hit for eight innings, they pounded out 13, including four during a two-run fifth to take a 4-2 lead.

Schmitt got things started with his 18th homer of the season, tying Rafael Devers for the team lead, and Adames put a bow on the win with a no-doubter to left for his 15th to make it 8-2.

Not to be lost amid the fireworks: Schmitt’s first walk since May 24, snapping a streak of 172 plate appearances that was the longest in the majors.

All the offense served to back up 5 ⅔ strong innings from Carson Whisenhunt, who earned the win in what was a tryout of sorts for a rotation spot in the second half.

What it means

The Giants were at risk of falling into a virtual tie for last place in the NL West with a loss.

They entered the series tied with the Rockies in the win column, only with two fewer losses.

Either way, the outcome of the final three games will determine who enters the break in last.

Who’s hot

With shakeups expected to be coming to the starting rotation by the Aug. 3 trade deadline, Whisenhunt continued to build his case to claim one of the soon-to-be open spots.

The 25-year-old left-hander hasn’t allowed more than two runs in either of his two starts in the big leagues this season while flashing more swing-and-miss stuff this time, generating 15 whiffs, including eight with his changeup, and four strikeouts.

He still has to work on his command, issuing four bases on balls over 5 ⅔ innings, and was punished for a two-run homer by Willi Castro, but yielded only two other hits.

Who’s not

It had to feel good for Adames to connect on his eighth-inning blast, because it hasn’t looked like much fun to be Adames lately. He was left wincing for the second game in a row after getting his cleats tangled up and falling to the ground behind second base.

Manager Tony Vitello acknowledged the 30-year-old shortstop is still feeling the effects of back spasms that caused him to miss three games last week, and it showed at the plate.

Before the home run, Adames was 4-for-his-past-23, including two strikeouts and a pop out with the bases loaded earlier in the game.

Up next

The Giants will attempt to win consecutive games for the first time since the end of their last homestand, June 27 and 28 against the Braves. They have won Robbie Ray’s past eight starts.

Oracle Park continues to be a difficult venue for the Colorado Rockies, as the offense faltered in an 8-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Thursday night. The Rockies have now lost seven straight in San Francisco as the Giants put away a close game with a late-game rally.

An inconsistent start for Feltner

The woes of pitching at Oracle Park stung Ryan Feltner once again as he labored through 4.1 innings. From the start of the game, it was apparent that Feltner didn’t have the command he had shown over his last couple of outings. Despite long at-bats and big misses on his pitches, Feltner was able to mitigate trouble early on, however.

After retiring the first two batters he faced in the first inning, breakout star Casey Schmitt hit a solo home run to give the Giants an early 1-0 lead. Feltner then worked around two walks in the second inning and delivered a 1-2-3 third.

After the Rockies took the lead in the top of the fourth, the Giants answered back with another home run, this time courtesy of Bryce Eldridge, to tie the game. Feltner rebounded to escape the inning without further damage, but his luck was starting to run out.

Trouble would finally catch up to Feltner in the fifth inning as the Giants found some lucky swings. Catcher Drew Cavanaugh led off the inning with a towering single that bounced off the right-field wall. Heliot Ramos then chopped a ball on the infield grass for another hit. That set the table for Luis Arraez to reach up and tuck a ball down the right-field line for an RBI double to give the Giants a 3-2 lead.

Feltner would then walk Schmitt to load the bases and Rafael Devers followed up with a single to keep the bases loaded and extend the lead by one run. Feltner then got Willy Adames to pop up on the infield for the first out of the inning but it signaled the end of his night. Victor Vodnik entered and got the next two batters to leave the bases loaded and close the book on Feltner.

The Rockies starter allowed four runs on six hits as he allowed four walks and had just three strikeouts. He threw 92 pitches and had 53 strikes, but found success with five groundouts. The Giants mainly took advantage of missed locations and the lapse in command to drive him from the game.

After the game, manager Warren Schaeffer said, “Felt looked like he didn’t have much feel for the ball early on; the command was a little shaky. But he reeled it in a little bit, battled through it and kind of held them at bay for a little while.”

Can’t fully wise up to Whisenhunt and company

The Rockies, on the other hand, struggled to piece together their offense against Giants starter Carson Whisenhunt.

The first opportunity of the game for the Rockies came in the third inning with two outs. Braxton Fulford narrowly missed a home run to center field as the ball hit off the wall. Jake McCarthy and Kyle Karros each drew walks to load the bases. Cole Carrigg then launched a ball to deep center field but didn’t get enough of it as it was caught on the warning track.

The following inning, Hunter Goodman singled to lead off and was followed by a walk to TJ Rumfield. Unfortunately, Tyler Freeman bounced into a double play that moved Goodman to third base. In danger of spoiling another scoring opportunity, Willi Castro came through with a two-run home run that gave the Rockies a short-lived 2-1 lead at the time.

Through 5.2 innings, the left-hander held Colorado to two runs on three hits with four strikeouts while also allowing four walks. The Rockies made plenty of contact, but he was able to induce enough mis-hit balls to leave with a lead after 87 pitches, 57 of which were strikes.

“I thought [Whisenhunt] attacked the strike zone well today,” said Schaeffer. “He kept us off balance.”

The Giants’ bullpen kept the Rockies in check as well. After the fourth inning, the Rockies only had one baserunner and no hits until Rumfield and Freeman both singled in the ninth inning. Colorado ended up with five total hits but struck out nine times while drawing four walks. They also went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

Giants tack on late

The bullpen, which has been excellent of late, picked up some slack after Feltner’s early departure. After Vodnik escaped that fifth inning, he fired a quick sixth, ending his night with three strikeouts and just one hit allowed.

Looking to save some arms, the Rockies turned to rookie TJ Shook for a solid seventh inning. However, things started to unravel for him after he retired the first two batters of the eighth. Arraez singled, Schmitt doubled in the run, and then scored on a double for Devers to give the Giants a 6-2 lead. Adames then hit a two-run home run to break the game open 8-2.

Vodnik and Shook combined for six strikeouts, but Shook’s six hits allowed proved the most detrimental as the Rockies couldn’t close the gap in the ninth, suffering the loss.

Up next

The Rockies and Giants continue the series with the second game on Friday. Tanner Gordon (0-2, 6.95 ERA) takes the mound for the Rockies while the Giants send out Robbie Ray (8-6, 3.45 ERA).

First pitch is scheduled for 8:15 pm MDT.

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