Category: Baseball

The New York Yankees, fresh off a close 1-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox in Friday’s opener, are going to play two games against their archrivals on Saturday, which means they had to make some moves to finalize their roster ahead of the twin bill.

The team announced that 27-year-old right-hander Brendan Beck is their “27th Man” ahead of the doubleheader. Cam Schlittler and three relievers combined to shut out the Sox on Friday, so Beck will be available to provide some innings on Saturday if needed. The best-case scenario, of course, is that the Yankees are winning big in a blowout and have the flexibility to use Beck to soak up the final frames. But he can also be a long reliever in a pinch.

Beck has already pitched in two MLB games this season, starting one of them and covering 6.2 frames between the two. He has a bloated 9.45 ERA with seven hits, five walks, and four strikeouts (the first spot start went much better than the second).

Beck has done most of his work in Triple-A, where he has been much better with a 2.75 ERA in 121 innings as a full-time starter. There, he has walked 37 batters and struck out 133. He last pitched on August 15th.

Yesterday, the Yankees revealed that Max Fried will be activated to start Game 2 of the doubleheader, marking a quick return from his second injured list stint. He was placed there on August 17th, retroactive to the 14th, with a left elbow bone bruise.

It turns out the ailment wasn’t overly serious this time around, and the 32-year-old left-hander will be able to return in time to help the Yankees in a key series. For the season, he has a 2.81 ERA in 86.1 innings.

The Yankees still haven’t announced who will be leaving the active roster to make room for Fried. Left-hander Carlos Rodón will start the first game, so they don’t need to change their roster until the nightcap.

Elmer Rodríguez, who started a game on Wednesday and tossed six innings, would have been among the alternatives to be optioned to Triple-A, but manager Aaron Boone just announced that he will start on Monday in Anaheim. So that leaves Yerry De los Santos, Michael Fulmer, and Justin Topa as the most three most likely to leave the roster between games to activate Fried. De los Santos is the only one with options who wouldn’t have to be designated for assignment, so he may be out of luck this time around.

DETROIT –– Shohei Ohtani appears unlikely to make his pitching return with the Dodgers on Sunday, as had been increasingly expected earlier this week, after reporting to the team’s training staff that he still didn’t feel 100% following a bullpen session on Friday.

“That’s the hard part right now, is trying to figure out if he’s not 100% with the overall body, is it worth giving him an inning to build up or not,” manager Dave Roberts said. “So I think that’s kind of where we’re at right now, trying to weigh the positives and negatives.”

According to Roberts, neither the left knee nor right biceps issues Ohtani has dealt with in recent months are completely healed yet.

And while the manager said he still expected Ohtani — who has not made a pitching start since July 3 — to return to the mound soon, he also made it clear the club would be extremely cautious with his health.

“His value offensively is hugely important,” Roberts said of the two-way star, who has continued to serve as the Dodgers’ everyday designated hitter. “So if throwing potentially cuts into that, that’s not worth the squeeze.”

If Ohtani does not start Sunday (the Dodgers have Tyler Glasnow lined up to pitch instead if needed), Roberts said it’s also unlikely that the right-hander would turn right around and pitch in the opening game of the team’s homestand next Tuesday, instead indicating that the club would kick the can farther down the road on Ohtani’s pitching return.

Even if Ohtani starts Sunday, it would only be for one inning.

The longer he waits to make his return to the mound, however, the less time he will have to build up his pitch count over the rest of the regular season.

“I wouldn’t bet against Shohei,” Roberts said. “But I still think that [getting built up to] five innings by the end of the season … that’s an aggressive play.”

Granted, the Dodgers had seemed willing to be aggressive with Ohtani’s buildup over the last several weeks, as he progressed from bullpen sessions to a 30-pitch round of live batting practice last Saturday.

The hope was that, with still a month remaining in the regular season, he would have enough time before the start of the playoffs to get stretched out for full-length starts and resume his place as an anchor in the Dodgers’ starting rotation (he was 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts at the beginning of the season).

But now, uncertainty abounds again, with Ohtani’s ongoing knee and biceps issues continued to leave his pitching plans unclear.

“I think in the moment, yeah, he still feels that there’s an opportunity [to return to a full-time two-way role], and I’m not trying to say there isn’t,” Roberts said. “But I do think at the end of the day, he’s very aware of our roster strengths, weaknesses and his value to the ballclub.”

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Though Jake Bennett takes the mound in the early matchup, it’s nice to have setup man Garrett Whitlock back from the IL. His 2.05 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, .203 OBA, 49 strikeouts and seven walks in 44 innings will be helpful as the Sox try to move past the Yanks in the AL East.

Last night was tough but the Sox are tougher. Let’s go.

How to Watch and Listen

First pitch is at 1:05 PM ET on NESN and WEEI.

Lineups

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The Texas Rangers are one of the best teams in the league against left-handed pitching.

That prowess should allow them to cause problems for Shane Drohan, which is why I'm targeting the road team on the run line with my Rangers vs. Brewers predictions and MLB picks for Saturday, Aug. 29.

Who will win Rangers vs Brewers today: Rangers +1.5 (59%)

For help understanding probabilities, see our odds calculator.

Shane Drohan has posted a xFIP above 4.0 in seven of his last nine starts, and that’s likely to be the case again vs. the Texas Rangers.

They have quietly hit lefties well, owning a Top-10 win percentage vs. left-handed starters. They are also seventh in xwOBA against southpaws in August.

Texas should score against Drohan before the Milwaukee Brewers get to their elite bullpen, and that gives him a great chance of hanging tough in this game.

Cal Quantrill has allowed two runs or less in eight of nine starts he pitched 4+ innings.

Back the Rangers RL to 60%.

COVERS INTEL: Cal Quantrill ranks seventh among today's projected starters with a 3.51 FIP the last month.

Rangers vs Brewers Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (54%)

It isn’t always pretty, but Drohan is effective at limiting the damage in Milwaukee. He has only conceded 3+ runs in four of 17 home starts this season.

The Rangers will test him, but they’re not an overpowering offense that will score relentlessly. The Brewers also have a bullpen capable of clamping things down late.

Quantrill ranks in the 84th percentile in walk rate and has allowed 0.86 HR/9 in pitcher-friendly environments.

That should allow him to avoid big innings, setting up nicely for an Under.

Play to 57%.

Rangers vs Brewers home run prediction: Jake Burger (16%)

Jake Burger crushes left-handed pitching, posting an OPS exactly .200 points higher than against righties.

Drohan doesn’t really have one go-to pitch, throwing five different types more than 10% of the time vs. right-handed bats.

Burger is well-equipped to handle that variety. He has managed a .250 ISO or higher vs. four of the five pitches, only struggling against curveballs.

Righties have hit .333 against Drohan’s curveball so it’s unlikely Burger sees a steady diet.

There’s value up to 17%.

Rangers vs Brewers weather

This game will be played indoors.

Rangers vs Brewers odds

• Moneyline: Rangers 40% | Brewers 61%
• Run line: Rangers +1.5 (58%) | Brewers -1.5 (43%)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (48% | Under 8.5 (53%)

Rangers vs Brewers trend

The Rangers have hit the Under in 16 of their last 25 games (7.20 units, 26% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Rangers vs. Brewers.

How to watch Rangers vs Brewers and game info

Rangers vs Brewers latest injuries

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The Philadelphia Phillies own an 8-2 record over their last 10 games, and they're in a great spot to continue their winning ways tonight.

With ace Cristopher Sanchez set to start opposite Ryan Johnson, my Phillies vs. Angels predictions and MLB picks are backing Philadelphia to win with room to spare.

Who will win Phillies vs Angels today: Philadelphia Phillies -1.5 (57%)

For help understanding probabilities, see our odds calculator.

The Los Angeles Angels have hit .217 with a .097 ISO against lefties in August, and it’s hard to imagine things getting any better facing Cristopher Sanchez.

The star southpaw has been lights out all season and enters in great form. He has posted a 2.12 ERA, 2.46 xFIP, and punched out more than 30% of opposing batters the last month.

He shouldn’t need much run support, but he should get it.

The Philadelphia Phillies rank third in xwOBA vs. right-handed pitching this month, and Ryan Johnson is an unlikely candidate to slow them.

Play to 57%.

COVERS INTEL:Sanchez ranks in the 93rd percentile in Pitching Run Value, and should have little trouble slowing down a poor Angeles offense.

Phillies vs Angels Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (48%)

Sanchez owns a sparkling 1.34 ERA over eight starts against teams ranking bottom-10 in OBP vs. lefties the previous 20 games. He has also completely neutered his opponent’s power, allowing 0.17 HR/9.

The Angels rank 26th in OBP and ISO during that span, and will not pose much of a threat to Sanchez.

Johnson is vulnerable to giving up power, but the Phillies need to score a lot to push this total Over the number.

I make a fair price closer to 50%.

Phillies vs Angels home run prediction: Kyle Schwarber (32%)

Kyle Schwarber hits for power in waves. With three homers in his last six games, it appears he’s heading toward another heater.

He is in a great spot to deal damage against Johnson. Isolating his three most-used pitches when facing left-handed bats, Schwarber owns a 25% barrel rate over the last 25 games.

Johnson has also allowed a higher barrel rate than any of today’s starters the past month. He is letting hitters square him up, and that’s a recipe for disaster against Schwarber.

Play to 35%.

Phillies vs Angels weather

Temperatures are expected to hover around 80, with light winds. Neutral impact.

Phillies vs Angels odds

• Moneyline: Phillies 69% | Angels 32%
• Run line: Phillies -1.5 (56%) | Angels +1.5 (45%)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (54%) | Under 7.5 47%)

Phillies vs Angels trend

Los Angeles has hit the Game Total Under in 19 of their last 25 games (+13.35 units, 48% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Phillies vs. Angels.

How to watch Phillies vs Angels and game info

Phillies vs Angels latest injuries

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The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees play the nightcap of Saturday’s doubleheader tonight at 7:15 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium, with New York carrying a 56% win probability on Polymarket.

Max Fried is ready to go for New York. Boston has not officially announced a starter, but the plan is expected to feature an opener before Brayan Bello handles the bulk of the innings.

Who will win Red Sox vs Yankees today: Yankees (57%)

For help understanding probabilities, see our odds calculator.

I’m backing the New York Yankees because the expected pitching matchup favors them at both ends

Max Fried owns a 2.81 ERA and has been one of baseball’s best pitchers at preventing damaging contact. He ranks in the 89th percentile in xERA, 99th percentile in barrel rate allowed, and 92nd percentile in hard-hit rate allowed.

The Boston Red Soxhave not been producing the type of contact that typically breaks that profile. Its recent batted-ball numbers have generally hovered around league average or worse, while Fried can also force the issue on the ground with an 83rd-percentile ground-ball rate.

The Red Sox's bulk option for Brayan Bello has a much more vulnerable profile. Bello ranks in just the 7th percentile in xERA, 25th percentile in barrel suppression, and 37th percentile in hard-hit suppression.

I think this has value up to 60% with a better overall team who has a good matchup.

COVERS INTEL:Fried already dominated this Boston lineup once this season, throwing eight scoreless innings with nine strikeouts and only three hits allowed on April 22.

Red Sox vs Yankees Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (51%)

Fried is the reason I’m willing to back the Under. Boston’s recent contact quality runs directly into a pitcher who ranks in the 99th percentile in barrel suppression and 92nd percentile in hard-hit suppression.

Bello is the volatility on the other side, with just a 25th-percentile barrel rate and 37th-percentile hard-hit rate, but his 90th-percentile ground-ball rate still gives him a path to limiting damage.

I expect New York to do most of the scoring, but Fried should keep Boston quiet enough to hold this below 7.5.

I like this to 50%.

Red Sox vs Yankees home run prediction: Ben Rice (18%)

I like Ben Rice. Bello throws his sinker 40.5% of the time, which lines up well with Rice’s strongest contact profile. Rice owns a .505 xSLG and 51.4% hard-hit rate against sinkers this season.

Additionally, the Boston arm also ranks in the 25th percentile in barrel suppression, so there’s a clear path for Rice to turn one elevated sinker into damage. His left-handed pull power only makes that matchup more appealing at Yankee Stadium.

Red Sox vs Yankees weather

Red Sox vs Yankees odds

• Moneyline: Red Sox 45% | Yankees 55%
• Run line: Red Sox +1.5 | Yankees -1.5
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 | Under 7.5

Red Sox vs Yankees trend

The New York Yankees have covered the Run Line in 22 of their last 40 games (+8.30 Units / 18% ROI).  Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Red Sox. 

How to watch Red Sox vs Yankees and game info

Red Sox vs Yankees latest injuries

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

Last night, Brady House hit one of the more impressive home runs I have seen at Nationals Park. In the third inning, House absolutely unloaded on a 99 MPH fastball from Eury Perez. He sent it on to the concourse an estimated 474 feet, well at least at first. It was a perfect swing and an absolutely titanic blast.

There have been plenty of ups and downs in Brady House’s first 145 games as a big leaguer. However, swings like that are what keeps fans dreaming. House has not had the same sort of rapid improvement that we have seen from some hitters, but he has certainly improved. His chase rate is down 3%, his barrel rate is up over 8% and his walk rate is up over 4%. 

These are all important steps in the right direction for a talented but raw hitter. A big reason for these improvements is House having a more defined plan of attack during at bats and before games. After the game, House talked about going into his cage sessions with more of a purpose instead of just swinging to get reps. 

Blake Butera said that he expects to see more power from House as he develops that approach. As we saw last night, raw power is not the problem here. House hits the ball hard consistently, and can hit some absolute moon shots. He has all the raw tools to hit 30 homers, he just needs more refinement. Since he has come back from the minors, he has taken steps in the right direction in that regard.

Speaking of that moon shot, the distance of the homer became a source of slight controversy. At first, the distance was shown as 474 feet, which would be tied for the longest home run by a big leaguer all year. However, that total was changed to 445 feet later on. Interestingly, Heriberto Hernandez also hit a homer 445 feet in the 8th inning. At least to the naked eye, House’s looked like it went significantly further.

For his part, House said that this was probably the furthest he has hit one. It went to an area of Nats Park where you seldom see balls go. Butera said he has seen Andres Chaparro and Andrew Pinckney hit it up there in batting practice, but he had not seen anything like that in a game. Doing it off a 99 MPH heater makes it even more impressive.

Whether it was 474 feet or 445 feet, the point is that Brady House hit an absolute nuke. That was the kind of home run that makes fans come to the ballpark. Just the sound off the bat was different and not something you hear too often. As the ball left House’s bat, the left fielder did not move a muscle and Eury Perez just threw his arm up in disgust. I am not exactly statcast, but I buy the 474 foot mark more.

House is no stranger to long home runs in his career. In the minors, he hit some tape measure shots. I remember one in AAA last year that went 458 feet and hit the top of the batters eye. Ever since he was in high school, Brady House has had the ability to hit majestic homers.

We have seen plenty of flashes from the 23 year old, but we need to see him put it all together. Despite that homer last night, House is still hitting just .183 with a .569 OPS against right handed pitching. Going into next year, House will have to prove he is more than just a platoon bat. 

That mammoth homer is a good place to start, but we still need more consistency. Throughout his career, it feels like House just gets a little bit better every year. He has never made some stratospheric leap, but he has steadily improved. That was also the case this year, as he got noticeably better but still has not truly broken out. 

With more big league reps and another offseason under his belt, I think next season could be the year where House truly establishes himself as a big league regular. It really does need to be the year because we cannot wait forever. Those flashes need to turn into consistency. Home runs like that give you a lot more faith in Brady House though.

The Giants are back to their losing ways against the Diamondbacks.

As it has been all year, the pitching staff, be it rotation or relief, hasn’t quite figured out a way to stitch two quality performances together, dropping the second game of the series 10-6.  San Francisco is now 2-9 against their division rivals this season.

Just as Roupp did on Thursday, starter Blade Tidwell muscled his way through 5 innings, but it wasn’t particularly pretty. The right-hander’s first offering of the game was rocketed over the fence by lead-off man Lars Nootbar. More meatballs were served in a 5-run 3rd with Corbin Carroll and Tim Tawa both leaving the yard.  

That decisive rally benefited from a couple of “breaks” going the D-Backs way. “Breaks” might not be the best word, at least for the un-challenged ball call that would’ve struck out Nootbar for the inning’s second out.

Way back in the era before ABS, sure, a fastball squaring up the outside corner and the umpire missing it was a gift, a break, for the opponent. Nothing a team could do about it, a bad call was out of the battery’s hands. But in this new era, catcher Andrew Knizner had an actionable step to right a wrong, to back up his pitcher — and yet when Tidwell froze Nootbar with a 1-2 four-seam, Knizner accepted the call as gospel from Alan Porter.  

Now there are any number of approaches and philosophies of challenge strategy. We’ve seen the Giants make some questionable decisions to protest on inconsequential pitches early in games, leaving future batters/pitchers high-and-dry. There’s a feeling that you want to have at least one challenge late in the game. There’s also a feeling that it’s silly to squirrel them away — Krukow’s smoke ‘em if ya got ‘em philosophy. Swinging count leverage is also key. The difference between 1-0 and 0-1 counts in terms of probable outcome is huge. The difference between a 2-2 count and a strike-3, an out, is obviously far greater. Which is why Knizner’s acceptance of Porter’s call was baffling. Here was a chance to bag the second out, retire a batter who had homered off your starter two innings prior — it doesn’t matter what inning it is, as a catcher you gotta slap that noggin. 

All in all, the guiding principle of ABS challenges is to reverse obvious mistakes. A player is no better than the umpire if they can’t distinguish between a baseball painting a corner and a baseball an inch or two off of it. Porter, the home plate umpire, had a rough game last night. The zone was tight. Pitches dissected by the zone edges weren’t getting called.  All in all, he had 13 pitches challenged and 9 overturned. There could’ve been more. Umps are usually better than that. They should be at least, but a catcher needs to know the zone as well and be confident in their knowledge to refute what is passed off as the law. That “ooh” by Kuiper from the broadcast booth says it all. A damning tut for Porter, but Knizner as well. The catcher can’t miss a location like that, especially on Tidwell’s four-seam fastball, a pitch with no tail or slide or break that as honest and plain as can be.

Knizner went on to overturn four of Porter’s calls, so perhaps he knew the pitch was a strike — but in that crucial moment, he hesitated, overly deferential, or over-thinking whether “the timing was right.”

That inaction cost the Giants. On the next pitch, Tidwell surrendered the sweeper (the offering Nootbar was obviously waiting for), and it was drilled for a double at 110 MPH. Instead of two outs and the bases empty, Tidwell had to proceed against the meat of the order with a runner breathing down his neck. It didn’t go well. He fell into a full count against Carroll, and with a no free hand-outs mindset, handed him a sinker over the heart of the plate. 

Even with two outs and the lead lost, the 3rd dragged on, setting Arizona up for its second “break” of the frame.

With a runner on first single, Nolan Arenado pulled a high-bounding grounder towards third that landed in foul territory beyond the bag.

This goober ruled it fair, and good for a double.

Two pitches later, on a flat slider to Tim Tawa, Arizona had extended their lead to four.   

Tony Vitello and Logan Webb were pretty miffed by the fair call (which can’t be challenged). Webb received the first ejection of his career, and Vitello his second in three games.

They may have had a point — the ball bounced so high with so much spin, it’s really hard to tell if passed over any part of the base — but Porter had a point as well. Instead of Vitello coming up and talking to the umpire right after the call was made, he waited to explode into gestures and expletives until after the third out was recorded and three more runs had scored. Like Knizner, Vitello waited. Would it have made a difference if he was a little more immediate, a little more diplomatic, requesting Porter’s opinion on Alex MacKay’s initial call? Not sure, but what I’m sure of is waiting until the inning over to complain isn’t going to do anything, just as challenging all the obvious strikes-called-balls won’t make up for Knizner’s silence on that 1-2 fastball to Nootbar. 

Despite the early deficit, San Francisco’s bats put up a good fight. Bryce Eldridge hit his 15th homer in the 1st and his 17th double, a two-out RBI knock in the 3rd that scored from Rafael Devers from first.  

Jung Hoo Lee scrambled around the bases in the 2nd on a single and stolen base, then advanced to third on a ground out and scored on a sacrifice fly by Turner Hill.   

Boss Koss pulled the Giants within one in the 4th with his first homer of the year, a 2-run shot off starter Kohl Drake.  

San Francisco did a nice job of answering Arizona early. The offense scored in each of the first four innings. Four of those five runs touched home with two outs recorded. But that steady production came to halt in 5th when, with two on and two out, Jung Hoo Lee’s liner found the glove of Perdomo at short. The potential comeback train lost steam, and in the next half inning, the Diamondbacks pulled away for good.   

Tasked with holding the line, Spencer Bivens, fresh off his contributions to Wednesday’s historic collapse, dropped it like it was hot, immediately forfeiting 2 runs on 3 hits to the first three batters he faced. But, again, as if this is any consolation, there were some “breaks” that went  Arizona’s way. Devers couldn’t run down a tough bloop to shallow right. Not hard hit, yet hard to wrangle. That lead-off single was followed by a smoked double (terrible slider, no excuses there), and Ildemaro Vargas’s obliterated bat still managed to push the baseball far enough to the outfield to score two. One more would score in the inning. Another in the 7th.

 Four runs earned off Bivens. Six off Tidwell. 10 for Arizona, 6 for the Giants.

Two more games on Saturday — baseball is such a gas right now, why not play two?

Well after two electric series against the two best teams in the NL, the Braves have quite the drop-off in competition, facing the Rockies. They took care of business on Friday night behind Grant Holmes and will now hope for another win behind Martin Perez in what is a favorable pitching matchup for Atlanta, despite Perez’ unspectacular pitching.

Ryan Feltner will take the mound for the Rockies, with a 5.53 FIP and 4.98 xFIP on 97.2 innings this season. HE has never been a strikeout pitcher, but has found some success when he can limit walks. He is walking nearly 4 batters per 9 innings this season, so it has been a rough go for Feltner with less than 2 Ks per walk. He has most of his success on his changeup, which is a very vertical pitch without much horizontal run. His fastball has average velocity with below average shape and his slider is thrown pretty hard with fine movement. He mixes in a solid sweeper, a curve, and a sinker to round out his pitch mix. This is a guy that the Braves’ bats need to hit hard based on his profile. He doesn’t strike people out, he doesn’t have great command, and his ground ball rate isn’t anything special.

Meanwhile, Martin continues to get away with a 3.12 ERA with more predictive metrics in the low to mid 4s, now through 115.1 innings and in late August. His strikeout and walk rates look similar to Feltner’s, with a somewhat better ground ball rate, but he’s muddled through with some substantial fortune for productive innings in terms of run prevention for Atlanta. Even Martin’s location heatmap on his sinker and cutter are essentially scattered across the strike zone. It’s been a fortunate run for Martin and the Braves, but the Rockies are at least bad enough that it could very plausibly live another day. Now let’s see the Braves get him some run support.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Saturday, August 29, 4:10 p.m. ET

Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA

TV: BravesVision

Streaming: MLB.tv

Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan, La Mejor 1600/1460/1130 AM

Several months back, I began a series here at Pinstripe Alley where I was going to put together an All-Star Yankee team of players who were born in a given month. Since then, we as a staff have started doing daily posts for the year 2026, highlighting a Yankee from history whose birthday happens to land on that day. As we near the end of this month, what better way to put a cap on a month’s worth of birthday posts then by using the all-month teams as a way to look back on who we covered? And maybe some we didn’t cover who shared a birthday with someone else?

With that in mind, here are my choices for the All-August Birthday Yankee Team.

Pitcher: Ron Guidry (August 28th Birthday Post)

August has the birthday for a pitcher with a better career in Roger Clemens, but as far as Yankee careers go, there was only one choice to be August’s, and that’s Guidry. Also, he’s my mom’s all-time favorite player, and she would disown me for not picking him.

Catcher: Jorge Posada (August 17th Birthday Post)

There are only a couple catchers in all of Yankees’ history who you could possibly argue were better than Posada, and none of them were born in August. He provided a lot of heart and emotion in the Yankees’ dynasty era and the “Core Four.”

First Base: Anthony Rizzo (August 8th Birthday Post)

The first base position isn’t the strongest for August, so we’ll go with Rizzo, who was decent for a little bit before rapidly falling off following a concussion. Also, he played a non-zero role in convincing Aaron Judge to re-sign during his 2022 free agency, so shoutout to that.

Second Base: Bobby Richardson (August 19th Birthday Post)

Richardson is a player whose numbers don’t particularly impress in a modern context, but who am I to argue with three World Series rings? He was a beloved second baseman for many years and just celebrated his 91st trip around the sun.

Shortstop: José Caballero

Born on August 30th, Cabby is a player who is often described as “you love him when he’s on your team and hate him when he’s on the other.” Having watched him on my team for a little over a year now, I can’t say I disagree with that sentiment.

Third Base: Graig Nettles (August 20th Birthday Post)

Scott Brosius would be a contender for the third baseman on a ton of these other All-Birthday Month teams, just not this one. There is a legitimate argument that Nettles is not only the best third baseman in Yankees’ history, but that he also should be in the Hall of Fame. He’s the only actual choice here.

Left Field: Brett Gardner (August 24th Birthday Post)

While he had only one All-Star appearance and a Gold Glove as far as accolades go, Gardy racked up a sneakily good career according to stats like WAR, as he was a terrific player in almost every aspect of the game.

Center Field: Melky Cabrera (August 11th Birthday Post)

“The Melk Man” was a fan favorite on the 2009 World Series championship team, but ended up leaving shortly after, thanks in part to the emergence of the man playing left for August.

Right Field: Gene Woodling (August 16th Birthday Post)

Woodling was a part of the Yankees’ famous five-peat from 1949-53 and was a very solid role player for those teams, backing up the stars of the era while possessing a fine bat of his own.

Designated Hitter: Rocky Colavito

Between the likes of Gerald Williams, Jay Buhner, and Deion Sanders, there are several more famous players that you could squeeze in at the DH spot. However, I wanted to highlight Colavito (an August 10th birthday) because we didn’t get to him during the Birthday series, and also because the 374-homer slugger was once a winning pitcher in a game for the Yankees.

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (66-63) lost 11-3 (BOX SCORE)

Sugar Land got on the board in the first inning on a Loperfido RBI double. They got 2 more runs in the third inning on a Meyers 2 run double. Alexander got the start but struggled allowing 7 runs over 4.2 innings. Weiss allowed 4 runs in relief and the offense struggled the rest of the way as Sugar Land fell 11-3.

Note: Ferreras is hitting .314 in Triple-A.

• Pascanel Ferreras, SS: 2-for-3, R, 2B, BB
• Joey Loperfido, RF: 2-for-4, R, 2 2B, RBI
• Cavan Biggio, 2B: 1-for-3, R, 2B, BB
• Jake Meyers, CF: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI
• Trenton Brooks, 1B: 1-for-3, BB

• Jason Alexander, RHP: 4.2 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
• Michael Knorr, RHP: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
• Ryan Weiss, RHP: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• Cesar Salazar, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (58-66) lost 9-1 (BOX SCORE)

Taylor started for the Hooks and went 4.2 innings allowing 5 runs while striking out 4. The offense got on the board in the 6th on a Whitaker RBI single. Leach struggled in relief allowing 4 runs in the 8th and the offense was quiet the rest of the way as the Hooks fell 9-1.

Note: Janek has 26 stolen bases this season.

• Justin Thomas, CF: 2-for-5
• Jason Schiavone, C: 1-for-3, R, SB
• Walker Janek, DH: 1-for-4, SB
• Tyler Whitaker, LF: 1-for-2, RBI, BB

• Andrew Taylor, RHP: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
• Jose Guedez, RHP: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• Hudson Leach, RHP: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
• Colby Langford, LHP: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

A+: Asheville Tourists (41-80) lost 4-2 (BOX SCORE)

Shoemaker started for Asheville and went 4 innings allowing 4 runs, 2 earned. The offense got on the board on a Huezo 2 run home run in the 3rd inning. Varela tossed 4 scoreless innings in relief but the offense was quiet the rest of the way as Asheville fell 4-2.

Note: Huezo has 21 home runs this season.

• Anthony Huezo, CF: 1-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI
• Brandon Nigh, 3B: 0-for-2, R, BB

• Adam Shoemaker, LHP: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
• Jose Varela, RHP: 4.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (68-53) won 6-2 (BOX SCORE)

Beck started for the Woodpeckers and pitched well tossing 5 scoreless innings with 7 strikeouts. The RidgeYaks scored 2 runs in the 6th to take a 2-0 lead. In the 8th, the offense rallied scoring 6 runs on a Luciano RBI double, Sierra sac fly, Hughes walk, Durnin 2 run single and Alvarez 2 run single. Verdugo closed it out tossing 3 scoreless innings with 6 strikeouts as the Woodpeckers won 6-2.

Note: Beck has 101 K over 85.2 innings this season.

• Logan Hughes, 1B: 1-for-4, R, RBI, BB
• Kam Durnin, SS: 2-for-5, 2 RBI
• Kevin Alvarez, CF: 3-for-5, R, RBI
• Waner Luciano, 3B: 2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI
• Arturo Flores, C: 0-for-1, R, 3 BB
• Rashawn Galloway, LF: 0-for-2, R, 2 BB

• Jagger Beck, RHP: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
• Jhoster Baez, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Ryan Verdugo, RHP: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (WIN)

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: Jackson Nezuh – 9:05 CT

CC: Nolan DeVos – 7:05 CT

AV: Parker Smith – 6:00 CT

FV: TBD – 6:05 CT

Carson Benge is good at hitting? Big deal. Everyone knows that. Carson Benge is good at fielding? Duh. I know what pulchritudinous means. Carson Benge is good at running? Of course. He might end up with 25 stolen bases this year. Tell me something I don’t know!

How about this: Carson Benge is the Mets’ best ABS user.

That’s right. In addition to all his other accomplishments, the rookie has been the Mets’ most valuable player when it comes to his use of the new Automatic Ball-Strike Challenge system. Benge has recorded 4.2 net overturns vs. expected in his favor, the most by any Met this season. Juan Soto ranks second with 3.5, and Bo Bichette ranks third with 1.6. Benge’s mark is also the 29th-best in baseball, essentially making him an “ace” ABS challenger.

On some level, these results seem predictable. Unlike most of his teammates, Benge had experience using the ABS system coming up through the Minors. But it still takes skill and feel to deploy those challenges correctly in-game (or to stop yourself from doing so), as evidenced by the fact that fellow rookie A.J. Ewing has actually been the Mets’ lowest-ranking ABS user at -3.0 net overturns vs. expected.

So how, then, is Benge providing so much value? He’s not racking up overturns. In fact, most of his value appears to come from his relative restraint, his timing, and his accuracy.

Benge has only challenged nine pitches all season, but he’s won six of those challenges. He hasn’t incorrectly challenged a pitch in over three months, going a perfect 5-0 since May 26. Of those five overturns, two resulted in a walk and one reversed a strikeout, proving more pivotal than an early-count change.

We can see Benge’s restraint measured via Statcast’s expected metrics. The 23-year-old has tapped his head on just 2.6% of challengeable pitches, below the 3.7% that Statcast would expect a player viewing identical pitches to challenge. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that Benge is challenging too little. There are plenty of pitches that a player would be “expected” to challenge incorrectly. Benge appears to be consistently (and correctly) declining those opportunities.

This trend runs in direct contrast to the team’s overall approach this season. Mets batters have challenged 164 pitches thus far, tied with the Yankees for the most in baseball, despite a 50% overturn rate — tied for 12th-best. That leaves the Mets with a lot of overturns (82, fourth-most), but also a lot of lost challenges (82, 3rd-most). It’s a rather reckless strategy, one the organization is sure to hone as ABS tactics further develop over the coming years. But for now, Benge bucks the Mets’ trend, representing a shining light of patience in a lineup of relatively free-tappers.

There’s no award for ABS use, and it’s by no means the most meaningful stat on Benge’s resume — but it’s yet another way that Benge’s rookie season has been remarkably well-rounded, and another facet of the game through which his skills can be appreciated.

Oh, and in case you were looking for any small, petty way to fuel Benge’s Rookie of the Year case when debating Cardinals fans:

Benge: 4.2 Net overturns vs. expected
JJ Wetherholt: 2.5 Net overturns vs. expected

How about we just put these guys in an ABS Derby to decide the winner. Who says no?

We asked you the question about whether or not you think this new offensive approach taken by the Phillies is just a hot streak of good games or an actual, concrete shift in their philosophy once they step into the batter’s box. Your thoughts:

You bunch of pessimists, you.

I can understand why though. Asking a team to change its stripes this dramatically in the middle of the season is a difficult thing to do. The Phillies taking more walks, getting more hits and scoring more runs couldn’t just be a thing that happens overnight. Perhaps it’s the idea that Kevin Long has pounded into their heads all season, only for them to suddenly realize it’s a great way to win baseball games.

However, the big test is still to come. Having all of this success in the regular season is great because it allows them to continue on their quest to get into the postseason, but carrying it over into the postseason games is another thing altogether. We have seen this offense crumble once the lights get brighter, so if we really want to think this is going to be a meaningful change in how they approach at bats, we have to see it once the pitching is at its best.

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Worcester: L, 2-0 (BOX SCORE)

Just as the Red Sox struggled to put runs on the board on Friday night at Yankee Stadium, Worcester couldn’t get one cross the plate hosting the Triple-A affiliate RailRiders (Yankees AAA) despite the pitching staff doing a good job throughout the night. This had some parallels with the actual Major League team’s game: John Holobetz let up a home run early that made all the difference. Franklin Arias, Nate Eaton and Romy Gonzalez accounted for the only three hits Worcester got on the night, and none of them are were in the same inning. It’s tough to win games that way, as without the rehabbing members of the organization present, there was no pop in the WooSox lineup to speak of.

Portland: W, 9-3 (BOX SCORE)

Every hitter in the Sea Dogs lineup took Richmond (Giants AA) for at least a knock on Friday. Ronald Rosario and Tyler McDonough had two early home runs and Brooks Brannon mashed his twentieth of the year later on. Devin Futrell had yet another effective outing, striking seven out and going six innings. Justin Gonzales even added his first double in Double-A in a well-rounded, decisive win. There’s a lot to be excited about in Brannon’s 2026. He’s still just 22, is a bit defensively versatile, and has been swinging the bat really well. He still has a .943 OPS with plenty of growth over the last year, and potentially, plenty to still experience in years to come.

Greenville: W, 6-2 (BOX SCORE)

Yordanny Monegro is back! After looking promising in 2025 through 33 2/3 innings and pitching 2.67 ERA, the 24-year-old was out for more than a year after suffering an elbow injury that required a Tommy John. Friday Night against the Emperors (Braves High-A) was his first night back, and he walked three but also struck out three, and did not allow a hit. Shea Sprague and former Yankees prospect Aaron Nixon came in and steered the ship the rest of the way. Luckily, this Drive win was powered by Owen Hull. The two Tar Heels that have emerged onto the farm have been huge and Friday night was no exception, as Hull had a home run and a double as Greenville took an early lead and never looked back.

Salem: L, 6-2 (BOX SCORE)

The RidgeYaks went into the bottom of the 8th inning sweating a 2-0 lead behind Leighton Finley’s nine strikeout performance, but then the Woodpeckers (Astros A) came roaring back for six runs. Salem got the lead in the sixth with a Kleyvar Salazar home run to solidify Finley’s performance and give him a lead, but sometimes baseball happens and a team gets hot and doesn’t stop getting hot until there’s a four-run deficit.

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The New York Mets (56%) are favored to put their three-game losing streak to an end against the Houston Astros.

With a clear pitching advantage stemming from Nolan McLean taking the mound, I see value on the home side with my Astros vs. Mets predictions and MLB picks for Saturday, Aug. 29.

Who will win Astros vs Mets today: Mets moneyline (57%)

For help understanding probabilities, see our odds calculator.

The Houston Astros are not doing much damage at the plate, especially against righties. They sit 29th in xwOBA over their last 20 games.

Nolan McLean has feasted on cold offenses all season long. His ERA sits at just 1.40 over 12 starts vs. opponents who ranked Bottom-10 in xwOBA the 20 games prior to squaring off. 

We should expect a quality start here, which puts the New York Mets in a great spot to get a win. They’re quietly ninth in xwOBA vs. RHP the past three weeks, and Cristian Javier is very hittable.

Back New York to 58%.

COVERS INTEL: McLean ranks in the 98th percentile in Fastball Run Value, and should cause problems for a Houston offense hitting .238 against RH fastballs the past 30 games.

Astros vs Mets Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (47%)

McLean has allowed two runs or fewer in all 12 starts against teams who ranked Bottom-10 in xwOBA their last 20 games, and gave up 0.38 HR/9 along the way.

He is going to make life difficult on an Astros lineup owning the seventh-highest soft contact rate against right-handed pitching this month.

Both teams have Top-10 bullpens by wOBA in August so we shouldn’t expect much fireworks late.

If Javier avoids an early blow-up, there’s a clean path to an Under.

Play to 48%.

Astros vs Mets home run prediction: Yordan Alvarez (23%)

Yordan Alvarez owns otherworldly numbers against McLean’s pitch mix. He will primarily see sinkers, fastballs, and curveballs, and that sets up very well for the AL MVP favorite.

Alvarez has posted a .389 ISO, 18.1% barrel rate, and 60.9% hard-hit rate when facing those pitches. 

His 70% hard hit rate over the last 25 at-bats against that mix signals another hot stretch could be looming.

Play to 26%.

Astros vs Mets weather

With weather in the mid 70s and soft winds, the conditions are still more favorable for the pitchers.

Astros vs Mets odds

• Moneyline: Astros 45% | Mets 56%
• Run line: Astros 64% | Mets 38%
• Over/Under: Over 55% | Under 46%

Astros vs Mets trend

New York has hit the Under in 16 of its last 22 home games (+10.65 units, 45% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Astros vs. Mets.

How to watch Astros vs Mets and game info

Astros vs Mets latest injuries

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