Category: Baseball

PHILADELPHIA — Justin Verlander smirked.

He laughed.

Then, he sneered.

Verlander was almost in utter disbelief that someone could seriously ask him the question.

“Justin, have you ever been pulled out of a perfect game or no-hitter in your career?"

Are you kidding?

“No,’’ he said. “It was never even a conversation. No!"

How could someone ask?"

This is a man who has pitched for 22 years, won three Cy Young awards, two World Series championships, an MVP award, been selected to 10 All-Star teams, and will have his plaque mounted in Cooperstown in six years.

Do you actually believe that he would allow a manager to pull him out of a game when he has the opportunity to make history?

“It's very hard," Verlander said in disgust, “for me to watch."

There was not a single pitcher who ever had a perfect game through six innings who was ever pulled from a game from 1901-2015.

In the last 10 years, it occurred three times.

It happened twice in four days last week.

Verlander can’t comprehend it, but then again, he has difficulty understanding how people actually believe that wins are overrated for starting pitchers, knowing the impact of individual victories.

‘‘I know that wins is a stat that people kind of are poo-pooing now,’’ Verlander says, “but you look around. Starting pitchers definitely don't go as deep in the game. They don't throw as many pitches. And because of that, wins are coming way down.

“I think maybe on a given year or a given day, the win isn't a great stat. But over time, if you consistently win baseball games, you're doing all of the things that you want as a starting pitcher. You're going deep. You're limiting runs. You're giving your team a chance. And if they start winning more often than not, then you're doing a good job.

“So maybe short term, I get it, but macro view, I think wins tell you a much larger picture.’’

Verlander, who won at least 15 games in 12 seasons, pitching more than 200 innings 12 times, badly wanted to win 300 games before he retired. He knew he could be the last 300-game winner in baseball history. Now, even with 266 victories, he wonders if anyone will ever win 250 again.

He’ll fall short of 4,000 strikeouts, but with 3,554, it’s still the eighth-most all-time, with only two current pitchers within 1,000 strikeouts of him.

PHILADELPHIA — They will flock to Citizens Bank Park from both sides of the Delaware River, a contingent from Millville, New Jersey, taking I-76 over the Walt Whitman Bridge, another coming from the other direction on the interstate, or simply on surface streets from the proud territory the locals simply call Delco.

Mike Trout has secured 20 tickets for friends and family and knows many more will flock to Philly, intent on seeing the surefire Hall of Famer in what he acknowledges might be his goodbye to the All-Star Game.

Kevin McGonigle didn’t put a number on his ticket count, the Detroit Tigers’ outstanding rookie simply describing the entry fee to his inner circle for this, the first of what the baseball industry expects will be many Midsummer Classics for him.

“I want everyone here that helped me get here. I wouldn’t be in this seat without them,’ McGonigle said one day before the Tuesday, July 14 All-Star Game.

“I think they should take the whole experience in with me.”

This Brotherly Love All-Star Game will mark both joyful beginnings and wistful remembrances, the circle of baseball life connecting a first-time Tiger and a long-time Angel playing in his 12th, yet humbled by injury and the feeling of athletic mortality.

“I never take anything for granted in this game. You never know when your last game is, or when an injury can pop up,” says Trout, the three-time MVP with 422 career home runs yet with three seasons of 82 or fewer games played in his last five.

“Especially these last few years, it’s been tough for me. But I’m just excited. I’m honored to put on the jersey every day.”

It is also an ode to the Philly guy, a specimen typically brash and unyielding, their fandom for the Phillies and Eagles and Sixers and Flyers often crass, occasionally cruel.

Trout, he of the $427 million contract, has sat in the finest seats at Lincoln Financial Field for Eagles games, his 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame hard to miss in the end zone viewing area.

McGonigle? Heck, just four years ago, he was that Philly bro in the stands at the World Series in Citizens Bank Park, heartily heckling the Houston Astros alongside his high school buddies.

This week, he is American League teammates with one of those Astros – slugger Yordan Alvarez.

In their All-Star journeys, Trout, 34, and McGonigle, 21, each show how quickly life can come at you.

PHILADELPHIA — For many power hitters, aging often brings a decline in their swing.

For Kyle Schwarber, it has brought the exact opposite: improvement.

Since joining the Philadelphia Phillies in 2022 as a free agent, Schwarber has refined his swing and produced some of the best numbers of his career, cementing his place among baseball's premier power threats.

"I hope so," Schwarber told USA TODAY Sports on Monday at Citizens Bank Park ahead of the MLB Home Run Derby when asked if he’s beating Father Time with his swing. 

So what’s been the key to success for Schwarber, who was non-tendered by the Chicago Cubs after the 2020 season before reviving his career with the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox, and ultimately finding sustained success in Philadelphia?

He mentioned adapting his swing as baseball continues to adapt itself as a game, as well as trying to "stay the same guy every year" by sticking to his routines, which begins with hitting off the tee.

"Being able to address different things and feeling that if you can look at your season from top to bottom at the end of the year and try to address things that you need to get better at and not just be okay with it," Schwarber said. "... The game's changed from 2015 when I first came in to where it's at now."

PHILADELPHIA — It's time for the 2026 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

Managers Dave Roberts and John Schneider unveiled their starting lineups on Monday, July 13 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, with the hometown pick, Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez, getting the ball for the National League while Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Dylan Cease will start for the American League.

First pitch for the 2026 Midsummer Classic is set for 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 14.

MORE: Bryce Harper says Home Run Derby will be his last 'no matter what'

Sanchez, the runner-up in the NL Cy Young race last season, is the first Phillies pitcher to start the All-Star Game since Roy Halladay did so in 2011. The 6-foot-6 left-hander ended the first half with an 11-4 record and a 2.62 ERA with 144 strikeouts in an MLB-leading 20 starts.

Cease, who was one of the Blue Jays' big free agent additions this past offseason, finished the first half on a rather high note, as he struck out 11 hitters and came three outs shy of the second no-hitter of his career.

Millville, New Jersey, native Mike Trout will hit leadoff for the American League. It'll be the first All-Star Game that Trout will be appearing in since 2019 despite earning selections in 2021, 2022 and 2023, as he was removed from the roster due to injuries in each of those three seasons.

Shohei Ohtani, who received the most votes from the fans, will hit leadoff for the National League in his sixth All-Star Game. The Phillies will have two hitters in the starting lineup in front of the home crowd, with Schwarber and Brandon Marsh, who is making his first All-Star Game appearance and starting in right field.

Here's a look at the full starting lineups:

MLB All-Star Game starting lineups

American League

Starting pitcher: Toronto Blue Jays RHP Dylan Cease

1. CF Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
2. DH Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros
3. C, Shea Langeliers, Athletics
4. 3B Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay Rays
5. SS Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals
6. RF Cody Bellinger, New York Yankees
7. 1B Ben Rice, New York Yankees
8. LF Riley Greene, Detroit Tigers
9. 2B Ernie Clement, Toronto Blue Jays

National League

Starting pitcher: Philadelphia Phillies LHP Cristopher Sánchez

• DH Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies
• LF Juan Soto, New York Mets
• 1B Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers
• SS CJ Abrams, Washington Nationals
• 3B Max Muncy, Los Angeles Dodgers
• 2B Ozzie Albies, Atlanta Braves
• RF Brandon Marsh, Philadelphia Phillies
• CF Andy Pages, Los Angeles Dodgers
• C Drake Baldwin, Atlanta Braves

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB All-Star game starting lineups: Sanchez and Cease pitch, batting order

Since he arrived in the majors in 2024, Paul Skenes has largely been appointment television for baseball fans as one of the sport's top pitchers.

The Pittsburgh Pirates' 6-foot-6 right-hander has started to build a nice résumé in just a short time that consists of the National League Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Awards, to go along with being named the starting pitcher for the NL All-Star team in back-to-back seasons.

In his third season in the majors, Skenes has managed to earn his third All-Star Game nod despite struggling during his past handful of starts, which included getting shelled for a career-high seven earned runs against the Philadelphia Phillies across just four innings on July 1.

Skenes didn't have to travel far for the Midsummer Classic this season, as the Pirates concluded the first half of the season at home at PNC Park, making it just a short flight or drive to Philadelphia. He made the trip strictly as a spectator in the NL dugout along the first baseline at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday, July 14, as he is one of a handful of ineligible pitchers for the NL squad.

Here's what to know about why Skenes won't be pitching in the 2026 Midsummer Classic:

2026 MLB All-Star Game: Full rosters for American and National Leagues

With more than half of the MLB season in the books, the baseball world has convened in Philadelphia for the annual All-Star festivities. What better time for owners and players to engage in Brotherly Love and figure out how to avoid the widely predicted 2027 labor strife that could cancel next season? Considering the storm clouds gathering, a near-term resolution seems unlikely, so we’d better soak in the season we’re having. How’s that going? Glad you asked.

Related: ‘What’s more American than baseball?’: World Cup brings fans, chants and verve to the national pastime

Not New York’s finest

A year ago Cal Raleigh was tearing up the American League, bashing 38 first-half home runs, setting up a bona fide battle between the Mariners catcher and Yankees slugger Aaron Judge for the MVP award. Today, Raleigh is licking his wounds after an injury-riddled meltdown that some Mariners officials blame on the preseason World Baseball Classic, which “killed him”. Raleigh’s radical reversal is one reason why a Seattle team who reached the AL Championship Series a season ago are underperforming in the West. He has just nine home runs with bottom-barrel slash numbers.

Meanwhile, Judge began the season in his usual Ruthian way, but a stress fracture of his right rib has sidelined the slugger and his timeline for return is unclear. His absence and the annual outage from oft-injured Giancarlo Stanton – it’s his calf now – mean the good vibes in the Bronx have dulled since their sizzling start to the season. The pitching-rich second-place Yankees recently had 13 losses in 17 games, but strung together four straight heading into the break.

Across town, the Mets are suffering through their latest catastrophe. It was just a few months ago that an unnamed Guardian writer picked them to win the World Series. Come July, the team have bottomed out and are flirting with the worst record in baseball, their fanbase rescued only by a distracting Knicks run to the NBA title. With manager Carlos Mendoza put out of his misery last month, the bullseye is on David Stearns, the president of baseball operations credited with tearing up the core of the team and replacing it with a host of oft-injured, out-of-position players who you can’t begin to imagine make up a payroll of more than $300m. Chants of “Pete Alonso” from fans memorializing their dearly departed slugger are the soundtrack of summer amid rapidly emptying seats in Queens. Owner Steve Cohen is sticking with his man. Needless to say, the Mets will be selling at the trade deadline; will Francisco Lindor’s icy relationship with Juan Soto lead to his ousting?

And spare a thought for the reigning AL champions, the last-place Toronto Blue Jays, whose elite star Vladimir Guerrero Jr’s precipitous decline is a thing of major league mystery. Jays manager John Schneider recently accused the team, led by their $500m first baseman, of being “bullied by fastballs” on a west coast trip that saw them blanked for 24 straight innings. At least off-season acquisition Dylan Cease is working out: the Jays’ ace will start the All-Star Game in Philly.

What’s good?

How about the first-place White Sox? That phrase has no ring to it whatsoever after the team lost 324 games over the previous three seasons. Yet here they are, atop the Central Division, in an AL where everyone seems to have a shot to make the postseason. Chi-Town’s second club has a tidy offensive core with Miguel Vargas, Colson Montgomery and “rookie” Munetaka Murakami combining for 64 homers. Chasing are consistent Cleveland, hanging in the race despite the long-term injury to slugger José Ramírez, and Detroit, who won just six games in May but put together the largest increase in home run hitting from any 33-game span in MLB history and are now in the playoff hunt. Will they hold on to Tarik Skubal? The ace has reportedly hinted to friends that he badly wants to stay in Detroit and thinks they can win the World Series. We’ll see if the Dodgers make the Tigers an offer they can’t refuse.

The Rays are up to their old tricks again, settling into first place in their latest unexpected surge to the top of the AL standings. This time, they’re skating past the Yankees despite hitting 49 fewer home runs while socking the second fewest doubles in the AL. How have the Rays done it? Well, they’ve struck out nearly 250 fewer times than the Bombers, employing mostly station-to-station baseball while nickeling and diming opponents to death.

Meanwhile, in Miami, baseball’s deadest dead-zone has a heartbeat, with many thanks to Otto López, who has become one of the most exciting players in the sport. Not long ago, Marlins fans accustomed to annual sell-offs might have glanced at a player like the once solid-not-spectacular López as a trade asset. But now that he’s broken out into something of an infield Ichiro-type hitter, and the Marlins are in playoff contention, fans are urging ownership to invest rather than divest. He has the most first-half hits in Marlins history and is in position to steal down-ballot MVP votes from the Cubs’ stellar Pete Crow-Armstrong. Will this be the year Miami actually add at the deadline?

Related: I will show you fear in a rainbow baseball cap: the right’s culture wars come to MLB | Howard Bryant

The new manager bounce

The Phillies and Red Sox have surged to save their seasons on the backs of new managers. Don Mattingly righted the ship in Philadelphia, replacing the fired Rob Thomson and guiding the club to a 45-24 record. Philly, whose record looks much better than their expected wins total, has been led by their one-two pitching punch of National League All-Star Game starter Cristopher Sánchez and Zack Wheeler.

A late first-half surge has completely turned around Boston’s campaign with the team winning nine straight games heading into the break. Craig Breslow, their chief baseball officer, is still universally panned by Red Sox Nation for firing manager Alex Cora and failing to address their offense in the offseason. The question: is this a false dawn for Chad Tracy’s Sox or a legitimate turnaround?

What else is good? The Nationals’ offense! They lead the NL in runs, home runs, stolen bases and total bases. James Wood has 28 homers, 10 of which lead off a game! Imagine if they could pitch, even a little? Only the Rockies have a worse ERA in the NL.

And of course, there’s the Dodgers. Yep: Shohei Ohtani is your NL MVP again and there’s nothing to see here, except his knee is giving him – that’s something to keep an eye on. Otherwise, it’s mid-July and as usual, there’s plenty of daylight between them and second place in the NL West.

Awards

Spare a thought for Crow-Armstrong, who could be NL MVP if only Ohtani didn’t hit and pitch and do everything else. At least we’ll have a new MVP winner in the AL – Yordan Álvarez of the Astros is the overall favorite with 31 homers and an OPS of over 1.000. Dominant Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski should win the Cy Young thanks to his WHIP of 0.757, so long as he isn’t derailed by the arm fatigue that’s keeping him out of the All-Star Game. The AL race is more competitive between Cease in Toronto and the Yanks’ Cam Schlittler.

The MLB All-Star Game is here, and we’ll get to see the brightest stars in the league square off with each other tonight. The game marks the (approximate) mid point of the MLB season, which makes it as good a time as ever to reflect on where we are, where we’ve been, and where we’re going.

A four-game winning streak salvaged the vibes for the Yankees heading into the break, but they nearly wrapped up their first half in a state of catastrophe. Their annual summer swoon struck yet again, with a seven-game losing streak threatening to torpedo what was once an extremely promising season. It leaves the team in an interesting spot. They blew a sizable division lead (a couple of times!), but also closed strong, and are only three games back of the first-place Rays. At the end of the day, we have to ask: was the Yankees’ first half a success?

The team’s swoon from late June into July could’ve made this a clear “No”, but I think there’s a compelling case to be made that the first half was, on balance, very positive for the Bronx Bombers. At the core of that argument is the club’s pure performance. Sure, the Yankees’ 54-42 record is more good than great, and not on the same level as the top teams in the league, the Dodgers and Brewers, who have paced MLB over in the Junior Circuit. But any other descriptive statistic beyond wins and losses suggests the Yankees’ caliber of play was closer to those NL juggernauts than their record would suggest.

For one, the Yankees have scored 462 runs, fourth best in MLB, and allowed 371, fifth best in MLB. Those totals are the best marks in the American League, and their resulting +91 run differential is the best in the AL as well. I’m sure many fans are sick of hearing about how the Yankees have hamstrung themselves with a poor record in one-run games and extra-innings contest, but the fact of the matter is, championship contenders reveal themselves less by finding a way to narrowly win games, and more by showing the ability to dominate their foes. The Yankees have struggled with the former but have been among the league’s best at the latter; outside of the summer swoon, the Yankees were blowing out opponents as consistently as any team in baseball, and that’s reflected in their excellent scoring differential.

Moreover, if we drill down to the individual player level, there’s been plenty of good news. Ben Rice has been one of the best hitters in the league. Cody Bellinger has started off his five-year deal in great form, his 3.7 rWAR near the top of the outfield leaderboard in spite of a deep recent slump. Cam Schlittler might be the best pitcher in the AL, and his primary opponent for the AL Cy Young Award was rotation-mate Max Fried before Fried went down with injury. Injuries have been an issue for the rotation, sure, with Fried hurt, Carlos Rodón down, and Gerrit Cole coming in late and still adjusting after Tommy John surgery. But it’s a testament to the staff’s depth that the Yankees had three pitchers as excellent as Cole, Rodón, and Fried miss significant chunks of the season and still managed to lead MLB in ERA.

No, not everything has been perfect. The left side of the infield has been shaky for New York, Jazz Chisholm Jr. has had an up-and-down year, and the catching situation has been an absolute eyesore for almost the entire season. On top of all that, the Yankees’ talisman, their foundation, Aaron Judge, injured his rib in early May and played through pain until succumbing in early June. Yet as bad as it is for the Yankees to lose their Captain for what looks like it’ll be a two-month stretch at minimum, it’s possible to look at even this development in a positive light. Before injury, Judge, at the age of 34, was still by most measures the best hitter in baseball or very close to it, and what for him was a terrible, injury-caused slump only managed to bring his season OPS+ to 151. The Yankees want and need a healthy Judge back, but they can take heart in the fact that he still looked great, if not quite as great as 2024-2025, before he got hurt in 2026.

The Yankees’ scheduled summer slump was (is?) still incredibly frustrating, and many of the warts that have plagued them in the Aaron Judge/Aaron Boone era remain. But the team on the whole has performed, in my estimation, better than could have been expected thus far. They’ve had the best overall production in the AL in the first half, and project to do the same in the second half. What do you think? Is that enough to call the first half a success, or did you need to see more?

The All-Star Game is here, and we’ll have full coverage of the matchup between AL and NL tonight courtesy of Jeremy. Earlier on, you can check Michael’s invaluable weekly minor league recap, as well as Jonathan’s entry in the Yankees Birthday series, on Johnny Murphy, a quietly important member of the early Yankee dynasties. Later, Dan Kelly provides some trenchant commentary on the Yankees’ 2026 draft, and Peter gives his At-bat of the Week.

Today’s Matchup

American League All-Stars vs. National League All-Stars

Time: 8:05 p.m. EST

TV: FOX

Venue: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA

PHILADELPHIA – Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, two figures towering figuratively and literally over the sport of baseball, won’t be found at this All-Star Game.

The 6-6 Judge and 6-4 Ohtani are sidelined by injuries, though power-hitting luminaries like James Wood, who at 6-7 looks down on Judge, and hometown heroes Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper will be destroying baseballs all week, from the Home Run Derby to fan-pleasing batting practice sessions and finally the Tuesday, July 14 Midsummer Classic.

Somehow, amid these hulking figures and headline-grabbing talents, Otto Lopez and Luis Arraez found their way to Philly, too.

They are virtual twins in many ways, both listed at 5-10 and 185 pounds, and both atop the major league leaderboard in batting average, that old maid of a baseball statistic, Lopez batting .334 and Arraez right there at .330.

And their mere presence here is a reminder that pride and fortitude can go a long way in a game increasingly given over to measurables that have only so much to do with hitting a ball.

“Baseball,” Lopez, the Miami Marlins’ shortstop tells USA TODAY Sports, “needs us, too.”

And if the casual fan isn’t fully familiar with their games, they may soon get tutorials.

Lopez and the Miami Marlins are the game’s biggest surprise, posting a 26-11 record, best in the majors, since June 1 to threaten Atlanta and Philadelphia atop the NL East and firmly establish themselves in wild card position.

Things have gone sideways for the San Francisco Giants, but Arraez, at 29, has authored the greatest chapter of a baseball story that already includes three batting titles. Under the tutelage of infield guru Ron Washington, Arraez transformed himself from a defensive liability – a singles hitter at DH – into a likely Gold Glove second baseman.

And with the Giants struggling at 41-55, Arraez will be one of the most sought-after commodities on the trade market come Aug. 3.

And then he’ll hit free agency, he believes after proving a point after his finest season.

“A lot of people want to change the game,” says Arraez. “They just look at the computer, and then the computer can play baseball. They put the computer at home plate, and it can hit.

“But we are human. They forgot we are human. And I hope they recognize my job. But I don’t care. I just go out there and play my game.”

Perhaps at his highest level yet, a designation Lopez can also claim.

'Best hitter in the league'

Lopez, a 27-year-old Dominican Republic native, and Arraez, 29, from Venezuela, each played for the Marlins in 2024, at least until May 4, when the Marlins dealt Arraez to the Padres for a three-player package that includes current center fielder Jakob Marsee.

They still talk frequently about hitting, and Lopez’s evolution within it. His nine home runs put him easily on pace to surpass his career high of 15, and he leads the major leagues with 26 doubles.

 And all of that coming out of the shortstop position?

Little wonder that Lopez is second among National League position players with 4.7 WAR, already surpassing his career-best 3.6 he posted last year.

“He’s the guy in the lineup that’s going to hurt you,” says Marlins ace Max Meyer. “Unbelievable. He’s the best hitter in the league. I’m surprised he’s not hitting .500.

“It seems like it’s a hit every time. He’s incredible to watch.”

It’s all a little bit startling, given that Lopez, even as he was revered by Blue Jays fans, couldn’t stick after brief stints with Toronto in 2020 and ‘22, spent all of 2023 with their Class AAA club and was purchased, then waived, by the Giants between February and April 2024.

That’s when he was claimed by the Marlins and simply allowed to go play. He knocked 109 hits in 117 games, added 15 homers among his 134 hits last season and then broke all the way out this year.

“They have given me the freedom to be myself,” Lopez says of the Marlins. “To play, to do what I know I can do. Not just that – the fact they have shown me this opportunity and helping me to be the player I am now.”

From the moment he broke out with the Los Angeles Angels, Shohei Ohtani has been Major League Baseball's biggest star. There's no other way to describe it.

Now with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the dual threat proved that by receiving the most fan votes for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game in Philadelphia on Tuesday, July 14, his third consecutive selection with the back-to-back World Series champions.

Despite that, Ohtani surprisingly will not partake in the Midsummer Classic, as he has remained in Los Angeles during the All-Star break for treatment. The Dodgers announced the decision for the four-time MVP on Friday, July 10, though he finished the first half with the squad against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Ohtani was scheduled to be the National League’s starting designated hitter, which will now go to Philadelphia Phillies DH Kyle Schwarber, who leads the majors in home runs.

The NL is going for its second consecutive All-Star Game victory after it defeated the American League in an electric swing-off in Atlanta last season, which Schwarber won by going 3-for-3 with his swings. First pitch is set for 8 p.m. ET at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

Here's what to know:

DODGERS: Will visit President Trump at White House to celebrate World Series win

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: The Yankees have wasted no time getting to business after the draft as Hunter Dietz, their top selection in the draft, quickly signed his deal. Dietz, a left-handed pitcher out of Arkansas, will make his way to the player development complex in Tampa, though it remains to be seen whether or not he will pitch in any games this season, according to Damon Oppenheimer, who also announced the completion of the deal.

Newsday | David Lennon: While even simply getting invited and participating in the Home Run Derby is an honor itself, Ben Rice would probably like a bit of a redo from his outing last night. Hitting just seven home runs in his first-round exit, Rice had a moment where it looked like he was heating up with four dingers in his first 10 swings, but the final 10 proved a bit of a challenge as he kept knocking line drives and only getting three more. Nonetheless, it’s a dream come true for the father and son duo, and maybe he’ll make his mark during the game tonight, with Rice also announced as being in the starting lineup and hitting seventh behind teammate Cody Bellinger in right field.

MLB.com | Ed Eagle: If anyone had any doubts about Rice earning his first All-Star nod and starting spot, he put those critics and concerns to bed with the week he had leading up to the event. Hitting five homers, 12 RBIs and a 1.577 OPS in seven games earned Rice his second Player of the Week nod for the season and ensured he went into the Midsummer Classic on a high note. Nationals outfielder James Wood took home the honors on the National League side of things.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: Rice and Cam Schlittler both look to be cornerstones for the Yankees for years to come and have solidified that thought process by earning their first All-Star nods this season. That both are Boston-area natives and became All-Stars for the Yankees for the first time together is the kind of story that usually gets written for movies, but it’s a reality for the Yankees whose process in selecting both of these young studs is outlined in this story.

While it would be nice to have seen all the Yankees participate in the game, Schlittler opted out of participating in the game to prioritize rest and recovery. Still, a deeper look into his story and how he became an ace on one of the more talented staffs is truly inspiring.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The San Diego Padres limped into the All-Star break, but they did gain some momentum winning the last two games of the series against the Toronto Blue Jays to finish the ceremonial first half of the season at .500. There has been a lot of debate about what the Padres should do at the trade deadline in recent weeks. This debate reached a fever pitch after San Diego went on an eight-game losing streak to end June and start July. The worst part of the streak was that five losses were to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are running away with the NL West, and the other three losses were to the Chicago Cubs, who will likely be fighting for playoff position at the end of the season.

The Padres had a successful start to the season and were 11 games over .500 at one point. They have slowly regressed and slid back in the standings thanks in large part to the inept offense and more recently due to abhorrent pitching. These two things combined do not show much promise for a second half turnaround and they speak more to the fact that there is not much to look forward to. San Diego has needs in the lineup and in the rotation and the minor league system lacks prospect capital to address all the needs.

The hope is that Joe Musgrove or Nick Pivetta, and preferably both, could return to the rotation not long after the break, which would allow Padres general manager and president of baseball operations A.J. Preller to focus on addressing the needs on offense if he chooses to buy at the deadline. If Musgrove and Pivetta can return and be somewhat effective, they could join Michael King and some duo of Randy Vasquez, when he returns from the IL, Walker Buehler, German Marquez, Griffin Canning, Lucas Giolito, when he returns from the IL, JP Sears and/or Matt Waldron to make up a five-man rotation for the second half. Musgrove and Pivetta have both been throwing bullpens but have not started rehab assignments and there is no timeline for their returns.

The Padres offense has been slowly improving with Manny Machado now hitting above .200 and Jake Cronenworth just below. Fernando Tatis Jr. is still lacking in home runs but has a good average and is always a threat at the plate. Jackson Merrill has been streaky both ways but will hopefully figure it out. Xander Bogaerts started well but has faded lately and perhaps a break during the All-Star week will allow him to rest and recover for the second half. Gavin Sheets has seen his average slowly declining, but he continues to get on base and with Luis Campusano back off the IL the offensive production at the catcher position should improve. Miguel Andujar and Ty France have each had ups and downs this season while Samad Taylor provided some youthful energy to an aging lineup before he too landed on the IL.

Perhaps these are the factors the Friar Faithful considered when casting their vote on the Padres Reacts Survey poll this week on Gaslamp Ball. The fans seem willing to admit defeat and accept that this season is a lost season in San Diego. Whether or not Preller, the coaching staff and the players feel the same way remains to be seen but based on the poll results it would appear the fans are willing to focus on the future.

It easy to say the Padres should look to move pieces at the deadline rather than add, but it is harder to admit it is the right move and even harder to make it happen. San Diego will play 16-games before the deadline after the All-Star break and in that time, the Padres could make the decisions in the first week of August fairly easy. Either way, most if not all of us will be watching.

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For the 10th straight draft, the San Diego Padres took a prep athlete in the first round of the MLB draft, with six of those previous picks also being pitchers. RHP Coleman Borthwick, 18, out of South Walton High School in Florida, will join LHP Kash Mayfield and LHP Kruz Schoolcraft in the Padres system as teenage gambles in the draft.

After choosing a prep shortstop in the second round, the Padres finished day one with college players, a right-handed pitcher, a catcher, and an outfielder. 

In his Zoom conference with the media after the first day of the draft, president of baseball operations A.J. Preller was joined by scouting director Chris Kemp to discuss their thinking with their first five picks and detail how they will be worked into the system.

First round pick Borthwick, in a zoom conference with the media after his selection, detailed his thinking on how he will achieve his goal of being a major league pitcher for the Padres.

“Velocity is great – it’s a great thing to have. But the thing that’s going to get you to the big leagues – is being a competitor, learning to throw strikes while being durable.

“My two-seam is an A-plus. That’s one of my plus-plus pitches that I love to use. It gets early, week contact, nobody can really barrel it, and it’s a pitch I can throw wherever I want. I can pretty much put all my pitches wherever I want, and that’s something that kind of separates me.”

https://sports.yahoo.com/videos/coleman-borthwick-being-drafted-21st-224956280.html

The big right hander has already committed to signing and his first-round slot guarantees him $4,224,700. Don’t be surprised to see him on a roster in the near future.

Day 2 of Padres draft

Day 2 of the draft was covered live on MLB.com as well as the MLB app, with Jonathon Mayo and Jim Callis providing commentary on the draftees with their computers and notes in front of them. This is the first draft with live commentary during the second day, and it allowed some information on players that might not have a lot available on scouting sites.

Over the 16 players selected by the Padres on day 2 of the draft, 14 were college level and two were prep athletes. A somewhat surprising development for a team that normally values young talent with high upside. Signing prep athletes away from their college commitments can be expensive so it appears the Padres focused on college players to save poll money for the more costly signs.

Rounds 5-10

The Padres drafted No. 157 in the 5th round and chose Kansas St. RHP James Guyette, 21, who is unranked by MLB.com. 

Callis gave a quick scouting report on the 6-foot-3, 215-pound power arm that highlighted his 92-94 mph sinking fastball that peaks at 97 mph and a low-80s slider. He also has a quality, low-80s changeup that misses barrels. In 79.1 innings, he had 105 strikeouts to 35 walks in 16 games/15 starts.

In the 6th round, pick No. 186, the Padres drafted Arizona St. righty-hitting shortstop Nu’u Contrades. The 23-year-old had a .366/.434/.762 batting line with 21 homers and 61 RBI in his senior year. A compact 5-foot-10 and 180-pound, Contrades is ranked No. 251 by Baseball America and No. 225 by MLB.com.

Always a fly-ball hitter, his power numbers climbed this past season. He is a free-swinger who had 28 strikeouts in 228 plate appearances over the season. A solid runner, Contrades can also play second base and third base. MLB rates him as a better second baseman going forward, but he has versatility.

The Padres drafted infielder Joe Tiroly, 21, out of Virginia St. in the 7th round with pick No. 215. At 6-f00t and 200 pounds, Tiroly played both second and third base with a .319/.408/.576 batting line while hitting 16 homers with 66 RBI. 

Not a speedy runner, Tiroly had a foot injury for a good part of the early season and played through using a boot between games. The right-handed hitter could profile better as a third baseman going forward, but would need to maintain a power stroke.

For the 8th round and pick No. 245, the Padres selected LHP Sean Fitzpatrick out of Arizona St. The 23-year-old, 6-foot, 175-pound reliever features a 90-93 mph fastball and has swing-and-miss in his game. He is not ranked in the draft boards, and the Padres draft room provided the evaluation to Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Pick No. 275, in the 9th round, was LHP Benjamin Stubbs out of Troy University. The 22-year-old reliever features a low-90s fastball and showcases swing-and-miss ability per the Padres draft room (Jeff Sanders’ draft report).

The 10th round pick, at No. 305, is catcher Augie Lopez out of USC. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound left-handed hitting sophomore punched a .278/.364/.590 line with 19 homers and 57 RBI.

Rounds 11-20

After the 10th round the slot system is complete. The assigned values for those picks equals the Padres bonus pool. If they don’t use the total allowed for the slot, then that money can be used to pay another player. 

Paying above slot can be used to lure a player away from a college commitment. Teams can negotiate contracts with picks in the 11-20 rounds but the top allowed is $150,000. Any overage of that amount is applied to the bonus pool for the team. Any money saved in the first ten rounds can be used to pay a player in the lower rounds.

Round 11, pick No. 335, is first baseman Chris McHugh out of North Carolina St. The right-handed hitting infielder, 6-foot-3 and 215-pound, played first base, DH, and left field for NC St.

Round 12, pick No. 365 is LHP Rob Evans, 22, out of the University of Miami. The 6-foot-1, 230-pound starter pitched in 16 games/15 starts over 87.2 innings with a 10-3 record and 3.29 ERA with 98 strikeouts to 31 walks.

 Round 13, pick No. 395 is outfielder Michael Smith Jr., out of Dayton (Ohio). At 6-foot-3, 230 pounds the right-handed hitter totaled a .332/.502/.588 line with 10 homers and 56 RBI with 43 strikeouts and 47 walks. He also stole 38 bases in 53 games and 261 plate appearances.

Round 14, pick No. 425 is RHP Ty Brachill out of High Point University (N.C.). In 15 starts he posted an 11-2 record with a 3.59 ERA, 81 strikeouts, 24 walks in 90.1 innings.

Round 15, pick No. 455 is shortstop Ryan Kucherak out of Northwestern. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound infielder bats right handed and has solid power and plus speed. He hit .295/.390/.521 with 10 homers and 39 RBI with 59 strikeouts and 27 walks in 51 games and 224 plate appearances.

Round 16, pick No. 485 is RHP Albert Roblez out of Oregon State. Only 5-foot-11 and 221 pounds, the reliever has a 2-1 record and 1.50 ERA with 14 saves and 53 strikeouts to 13 walks in 24 games and 30 IP.

Round 17, pick No. 515 is RHP Denton Lord. Another prep pitcher out of the same school as first round pick Coleman Borthwick, the 18-year-old is another towering power pitcher. At 6-foot-8 and 220 pounds, the starter is ranked No. 133 by Baseball America and No. 80 by MLB.com. He has a commitment to Mississippi State and is not considered signable. It is not unusual for a team to take a flyer on a player late in the draft if they think they have a chance to use their bonus money to tempt the player to sign with a team.

Lord features a high-90s fastball with heavy sink as well as a high-70s curve that is working toward a plus pitch. He has a changeup that he hasn’t needed to use much at the high school level.

Round 18, pick No. 575 is LHP Chris Downs out of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. At 6-foot-7 and 230 pounds the Padres show their penchant for drafting a lot of very large pitchers into the organization. He profiles as a back-end reliever but has a 5.71 ERA with two saves in 58.1 IP with 56 strikeouts and 22 walks.

Round 20, pick No. 605 is outfielder Ezekiel Zion out of Campo Verde High School in Arizona. The right handed bat is committed to South Montana CC and is 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds at 18-years-old. He is the second prep player drafted by the Padres on Day 2. Their draft class totaled four prep players and 16 college players.

As is the case in years past, the Padres will be active in signing undrafted free agents and it usually begins the same day as the ending of the draft. There is a UDFA tracker on Baseball America’s website that will list all the players signed that are hoping to begin their professional careers.

PHILADELPHIA — The Yankees are frequently looking for relief help, always competitive and have the wherewithal to add at the very top of the market.

So Mason Miller has heard the rumors and reports — though more last year than this year, he said — that the Yankees would be interested in landing him in a blockbuster.

“The rumors are what they are,” Miller said at Monday’s All-Star media day at Citizens Bank Park. “The Yankees are a good team, and they’re obviously a team that is going to add most years. I think it’s just a compliment in a way that good teams are interested in good players.”

There is every reason to believe that the Yankees are interested in Miller, though there is doubt whether he reaches the trade block (and if so, the price tag would be astronomical).

In an era of flamethrowers, Miller burns brightest with a fastball that has averaged 101.3 mph this season.

That he throws his slider more often — a pitch that has yielded an .079 batting average — seems unfair.

He would fit nicely in a shaky Yankees bullpen and push David Bednar to setup duties.

Miller has saved 25 games and pitched to a 0.91 ERA with 72 strikeouts in 39 ²/₃ innings for the Padres, who have been carried by the back of their bullpen but sit at 48-48 and 3 ¹/₂ games back of the final NL wild card.

Trading the 27-year-old, who cannot be a free agent until after the 2029 season, would fetch an immense haul for the Padres, who know this well: In 2025, they sent a four-prospect package that was led by shortstop Leo De Vries (who at the time was the No. 3 prospect in the entire minor leagues) to the A’s for the closer.

Would San Diego president of baseball operations A.J. Preller, among the most aggressive in the business, seek to replenish his prospect reserves and sell Miller if the team does not tick up?

“It’s kind of fruitless to worry about something three weeks away, four weeks away, whatever it ends up being,” Miller said. “Ultimately, it’s out of your hands.”

It is in the hands of the Padres, who started well but are 29-37 since May.

They did enter the break having taken a series from the Blue Jays.

“We’re going to have to wait until we come out of the break and see how those weeks go. See if that tells us anything,” Miller said. “We could very well be in the same position as we are now. Then [buying or selling] might be a little more of a toss-up.

“I think optimistically looking ahead, we’re excited we ended the first half on a winning series and look to carry that momentum forward.”

Cam Schlittler declined to pour fuel on the AL starting pitcher controversy.

The Yankees starter reiterated that he decided he was not going to pitch in Tuesday’s All-Star Game before learning that Blue Jays manager John Schneider had decided to give the ball to his own pitcher, Dylan Cease, to start the game.

“There’s no hard feelings,” Schlittler told reporters. “That’s not something I can control. I’m more worried about the second half, and Dylan deserves that.”

In explaining his decision, Schneider cited Cease’s “overall body of work this year” and his “body of work over the last three years” along with Cease leading the league in strikeouts.

In most other categories, Schlittler holds the edge.

An All-Star Game already missing Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani because of injury also will not include Schlittler (who said he wants to focus on getting ready for the second half), Jacob Misiorowski (fatigue), Paul Skenes (who pitched Sunday), Chase Burns (groin), Max Meyer (rest), Ranger Suárez (groin) and Zack Wheeler (who declined an invite after originally being snubbed), to name a few.

“The way the game is now, where there’s rest, recovery, injuries, which are certainly validated, I still try to encourage players to participate because it is for the fans,” NL and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “To be able to showcase your talents in front of everyone, it’s a special moment.”

It’s easy to claim nepotism when a team drafts the son of one of its franchise icons; just ask Bronny James.

In the case of the Yankees’ eighth-round pick Luke Pettitte, though, Damon Oppenheimer promised it had nothing to do with his dad, five-time World Series winner Andy Pettitte.

In fact, the Yankees vice president and director of amateur scouting said the team didn’t talk to Andy at all before the selection.

“I wanted this to be about Luke and his ability, and not about Andy,” Oppenheimer said. “He’s been great, but I thought that this was better off for Luke’s career to take it and put it in his hands.”

Oppenheimer said he thinks the Pettittes were actually surprised the Yankees took Luke, saying he was good enough to go anywhere.

They were, though, “ecstatic” that he ended up with the Yankees, now teamed up with his dad, still a special adviser to the team.

Oppenheimer said the Yankees were impressed by both Luke’s pitching and hitting ability.

A two-way player for Dallas Baptist before undergoing Tommy John surgery last summer, Luke served solely as a DH this season.

He hit 16 home runs in 42 games and was named first-team All-Conference USA and second-team All-Central Region for his efforts.

“We liked him as a pitcher; he got hurt. We followed him as a hitter, he’s had power,” Oppenheimer said. “The guy’s got a good swing, so his name could have been [anything] and we were taking him based off the ability we saw here.”

As for Luke’s development plan, Oppenheimer said Luke will be allowed to hit and pitch in the low minors, with his performance deciding if he continues to do both as he moves up the ranks.

Luke, along with 20 other players, makes up a draft class the Yankees are excited about.

Their first-round choice, Hunter Dietz, already signed with the team, Oppenheimer said, and will begin his development in Tampa.

Despite taking Pettitte, Dietz and six other pitchers, Oppenheimer said they were not chasing the position, but rather the best players on the board.

He also said recent success stories, like Ben Rice and Cam Schlittler, make him eager to see what this class will do.

Schlittler, taken in the seventh round in 2022, and Rice in the 12th a year earlier, were true wins for “pure old scouting,” Oppenheimer said.