Category: Baseball

Meet the Mets

The Mets were shut out for the ninth time this season, falling to the Red Sox 4-0 at Citi Field. A pair of two-run homers powered the Red Sox and for the second day in a row, the Mets failed to get the big hit with runners on.

Choose your recap: Amazin’ Avenue, MLB.com, Newsday, New York Post

Zach Thornton will be called up to pitch today in the series finale against the Red Sox. The Mets have not yet indicated whether he will start the game or be used in bulk relief.

Bo Bichette is dealing with some lower body soreness that has caused him to miss the past couple of games. According to manager Andy Green, he’ll use the All-Star break to reset and rest.

Yesterday the Mets selected Carson Wiggins with the 27th overall pick in the MLB Draft. Anthony DiComo of MLB.com wrote up a profile of the flamethrowing righty, who has not thrown many college innings due to Tommy John surgery.

The Mets Player Development Twitter account posted videos of analysis Mets’ third-round pick Aiden Robbins and the Mets’ fourth-round pick Shane Sdao.

Juan Soto considered participating in this year’s Home Run Derby, but ultimately decided not to do it.

Yesterday the Mets provided updates on two righty relievers they had designated for assignment. Alex Carrillo was released and Matt Seelinger was outrighted to Triple-A Syracuse.

Marcus Semien, who is working his way back from a left hip flexor strain, is ready to begin a rehab assignment, but it may have to wait until after the All-Star break.

The Mets shouldn’t hold back and should make all of their relievers available in trade, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Around the National League East

The Yankees crushed three home runs in the eighth to make a late-inning comeback against the Nationals, who fell to the on this day aptly named Bronx Bombers 4-2.

After three years in Japan, Foster Griffin is now an All-Star with the Nationals.

Cristopher Sánchez was dominant again, striking out seven in the Phillies’ 4-2 victory over the Tigers and making his case to start the All-Star Game in his team’s home city.

Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler was asked to participate in the All-Star Game as an injury replacement, but felt disrespected to be the fifth choice and therefore declined.

The Marlins lost to the Guardians 4-1, as Cleveland racked up a whopping 11 hits against Miami pitching.

The Braves lost to the Cardinals by the same 4-1 score, as Lars Nootbaar struck early with a three-run homer in the first for St. Louis off Reynaldo López.

Braves pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver, who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, will have at least one more rehab outing after a rough appearance on Saturday with Triple-A Gwinnett.

Around Major League Baseball

You can find full coverage of the first day of the MLB Draft on MLB.com, Baseball Prospectus, Baseball America, and Fangraphs. MLB.com sums up all the big storylines from Day 1 of the draft.

The MLB Draft is raptly consumed by diehards and sickos, but the league is not doing a good job broadening its appeal to the wider fanbase, writes Michael Baumann of Fangraphs.

Madison Shipman made her debut as an analyst in the Blue Jays booth yesterday, making her the first woman to work a Blue Jays game on Sportsnet.

White Sox outfielder Tristan Peters was selected to the American League All-Star roster to replace the injured Nick Kurtz.

Jacob Misiorowski was scratched from his scheduled start today due to arm fatigue. He will unfortunately miss the All-Star Game as well.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

You can follow along with all the Mets’ draft picks in the 2026 MLB Draft with our handy minors team’s handy tracker. Meanwhile, Thomas Henderson covered the signing of the Mets’ first round pick Carson Wiggins and Lukas Vlahos covered the Mets’ next two selections: Aiden Robbins at 92nd overall and Shane Sdao 120th overall.

Steve Sypa wrote up profiles on all three of the Mets’ picks on the first day of the drat (Carson Wiggins, Aiden Robbins, and Shane Sdao).

This Date in Mets History

The 1988 All-Star Game was played on July 12 and the Mets sent four representatives that year.

For Yankees fans who watched the team during the mid-2010s, Chasen Shreve inspires a lot of emotions, most of which are negative. Acquired via trade for one of the organization’s biggest could-have-beens in Manny Bañuelos, he spent parts of four seasons in pinstripes. At times, the lefty looked like a dominant pitcher who was going to anchor the Yankees’ bullpen for years; at other times, he may as well have been throwing batting practice. No matter how he pitched, though, there was never a doubt that he left it all out on the field, and for that, Shreve ought to be remembered fondly for his contributions to several teams — some of which were certainly better than others.

Chasen Dean Shreve
Born: July 12, 1990 (Las Vegas, NV)
Yankees Tenure: 2015-2018 (majors); 2022 and 2024 (minors)

A native of Las Vegas, Shreve put himself on the map while at Bonanza High School, being named to the Nevada All-State second team for his senior season. He then went on to play for the College of Southern Nevada, where he played alongside then-catcher Bryce Harper during his JUCO season between high school and the draft. Both players were then selected in the 2010 MLB Draft, with Harper of course going first overall to the Washington Nationals, and Shreve falling to the 11th round, where he was selected by the Atlanta Braves.

Over the next three years, Shreve steadily climbed the farm, making his MLB debut for Atlanta on July 19, 2014 — just over a week after his 24th birthday. Between a five-cameo appearance across the final week of July and an extended run during September, he flashed great potential as a reliever, allowing just one run in 12.1 innings across 15 appearances. His performance against right-handed bats — he limited them to just a .167/.200/.208 slash line — despite being a southpaw inspired hope that he might be more than just a lefty specialist.

That hope would not be tested in Atlanta, however. Looking to add some rotation depth, the Braves rang in 2015 by flipping a pair of relievers, the youngster Shreve and the veteran David Carpenter, to the Yankees in exchange for the injured former top prospect, Manny Bañuelos (seriously, the deal went through on January 1, 2015). While Carpenter was at the time the name that drew more attention, as the Yankees had some openings in the bullpen due to the departure of David Robertson in free agency and the trade that sent Shawn Kelley to San Diego, Shreve was ultimately the one who played a bigger part of the 2015 bullpen.

After making his Yankees debut on April 6th, Shreve made himself an instant fan favorite just four days later. Thanks to a Chase Headley homer in the bottom of the ninth, the Yankees and Red Sox found themselves headed to extra innings having already exhausted their bullpens, with the Yankees already having used four pitchers to get through regulation. After Chris Martin, Justin Wilson, Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller, and Carpenter came and went, manager Joe Girardi turned the ball over to the rookie Shreve in the 12th.

He went an efficient 3.1 innings, allowing just three hits while striking four. While the Bombers ultimately lost, as Esmil Rogers allowed the Red Sox to rally in both the 18th and the 19th innings, it certainly wasn’t Shreve’s fault.

While he never had to go that long again, Shreve became a reliable multi-inning bullpen weapon for Girardi, capable of going one or two innings on a regular basis. Through September 5th, he had a 1.86 ERA, and had 60 strikeouts in 53.1 innings for a team that went on to win a playoff spot. Unfortunately, in what would become a pattern, Shreve utterly collapsed in September; across his final nine appearances, he managed to go just five innings, walking six batters and allowing four home runs. Because of this, his end-of-season numbers did not quite represent his full-season performance: 3.09 ERA, 4.92 WHIP, 1.406 WHIP.

Shreve was not used in the one-game Wild Card loss to Houston and never quite hit those heights ever again. He struggled out of the gate in 2016, posting a 5.21 ERA before hitting the injured list in May with a left shoulder strain. After returning in July, he bounced between Triple-A Scranton and the Bronx, and while his MLB numbers over that stretch don’t seem pretty — he had a 5.14 ERA in 14 innings — they don’t tell the full story: half of his eight earned runs came in one disastrous inning on August 16th, as Shreve, Adam Warren, and Blake Parker combined to allow eight runs to turn a 6-4 lead into a 12-6 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

More pleasantly, Shreve’s next appearance saw him come on in relief of Ben Heller in the bottom of the 10th on August 30th. Handed a bases loaded jam with just one out, Shreve struck out Kendrys Morales and got Salvador Perez to fly out to secure his first of two career saves.

Shreve spent all of 2017 and the first half of 2018 on the Scranton shuttle, unquestionably on the periphery of the bullpen picture and outside of their eventual playoff plans. On July 21, 2018, he recorded his second career save, this time against the New York Mets. After Aroldis Chapman began the inning by allowing a walk, a single, two walks, and a hit batsman, Aaron Boone called on Shreve to preserve a 7-5 lead with the bases loaded and nobody out. He traded two outs for one run on a ground-ball double play, then got Wilmer Flores to bounce back to the pitcher, to rescue Chapman and preserve the win.

That, however, would be Shreve’s last big highlight in pinstripes. Less than a week later, the Yankees sent him and Giovanny Gallegos to St. Louis Cardinals for international bonus pool money and an apparent Quadruple-A first baseman named Luke Voit. And while I’m sure that Yankees fans don’t exactly look upon this trade with regret, I will never not be touched by Shreve’s interview immediately after being informed of the trade — a reminder that, at the end of the day, these guys are people first and foremost.

Following his Yankees career, Shreve bounced around quite a bit. He spent the remainder of 2018 and all of 2019 in the St. Louis organization, then signed with the Mets for what would be the shortened 2020 season.

2021 was spent with the Pirates, the first half of 2022 with the Mets, and the final two months in Scranton on a minor-league contract with the Yankees (though he never made it back to the Bronx). The Tigers picked him up for 2023, his last extended run in the Majors, before designated him for assignment in August; he finished that season in the Reds organization. He began 2024 in the Rangers’ system, spent July with Scranton, and August with the Rockies, where he made one final big-league appearance. He made one last attempt to crack an MLB roster by accepting an invitation to spring training with the Braves in 2025, before being released in April.

While he has yet to officially announce his retirement, Shreve is not currently in an MLB organization. If this is in fact it for him, Shreve can hang up the cleats content in the knowledge that while he never quite recaptured the dominance he flashed early in his career across 11 different seasons, he was nonetheless an important part of some memorable Yankees squads.

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

Good morning and happy Sunday everybody! The Mariners tossed another cup-o-fart in our faces yesterday by losing 6-1 in Tampa and have a chance to do the funniest thing imaginable in the last game before the break this morning at 10:40 am PST.

In Mariners news…

• The first four rounds of the 2026 MLB Amateur Draft were yesterday. With the 26th pick of the first round the Mariners selected Mississippi State infielder Ace Reese, a big bat with an 80 grade baseball name. They followed one college hitter with another by taking Louisiana State outfielder Jake Brown in the second round, and then took University of Cincinnati RHP Nathan Taylor in the third. They finished up the day with UNC-Wilmington infielder Trevor Lucas in the fourth. The rest of the draft will wrap up today starting at 8:30 am PST.
• The Mariners posted some genuinely difficult Meccha Chameleon the other day. If you aren’t familiar with Meccha Chameleon, it’s the hot friendslop game of two weeks ago, and what I’m learning from this post is to avoid playing Meccha Chameleon with the Mariners social team at all costs, because I can’t paint like that.

Around the league…

• The Athletics officially placed All-Star first baseman Nick Kurtz on the 10-day IL with a strain in his right thumb. White Sox first baseman Tristan Peters, fresh off his cycle on Friday night, was named as the replacement on the All-Star roster.
• If I had a nickel for every time a Phillies pitcher was rightfully upset with the league for not adding them to the All-Star roster because of a scheduled Sunday start, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice.
• Diamonbacks pitcher Zac Gallen will not make his scheduled start against the Dodgers today and is expected to hit the IL with elbow inflammation.
• The Orioles were relieved to find out yesterday that closer Ryan Helsley will not need UCL surgery, as the ligament is intact and there is just inflammation surrounding it.

Nick’s pick…

• Seth Wickersham and Adam Schefter reported yesterday afternoon that the Seattle Seahawks were sold for $9.6 billion to Vinod Khosla, a now former limited partner of the San Francisco 49ers and the co-founder of Sun Microsystems.

The San Diego Padres staked starter Walker Buehler to a 2-0 lead heading into the top of the second inning against the Toronto Blue Jays. He immediately surrendered four runs and the Padres headed back to their dugout for their turn at the plate in the bottom of the inning, trailing the Blue Jays, 4-2. Both teams traded blows with the game being tied two times at 4-4 and 7-7 before Ty France hit a decisive solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to lead San Diego to an 8-7 win at Petco Park on Saturday night.

Buehler had his third consecutive disappointing outing. He allowed four runs on three hits with four walks and one strikeout over just two innings. Matt Waldron who just returned to the Padres, was forced into action and was effective over three innings. He did not allow a run and limited the Blue Jays to just two hits. San Diego held a 7-4 lead when Waldron left the game, but Bradgley Rodriguez came on to pitch for Yuki Matsui with two on in the top of the sixth inning and surrendered a three-run home run to Vladamir Guerrero Jr. which tied the game at 7-7.

France responded in the bottom of the sixth inning when he connected on a solo home run with two outs in the inning that put the Padres ahead by a run. Both teams failed to add to their run totals over the next two innings and Mason Miller came on to close the game and ensure the win for San Diego.

The Padres will look to win the series against the Blue Jays to head into the All-Star break with a .500 record today at 1:10 p.m.

Padres News:

• The Padres stuck to their recent draft strategy drafting a high school pitcher, Coleman Borthwick, with their first-round draft pick. San Diego made four additional picks on the first day of the MLB draft.

• Padres president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller discussed the draft strategy for the team and what San Diego could do at the trade deadline.

• New Padres owners are taking notes as the team drafts for the future.

Baseball News:

• The Boston Red Sox extended their win streak to eight games with a shutout win over the New York Mets.

• Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski will miss the All-Star game with arm fatigue.

• Alex Bregman homers to lead the Chicago Cubs to a win over the Cincinnati Reds.

• Matthew Liberatore leads the St. Louis Cardinals to a win over the Atlanta Braves.

• Brandon Pfaadt guides the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 9-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

• The San Francisco Giants knocked off the Colorado Rockies, 4-2.

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The Washington Nationals dropped the first two games of this series by multiple runs.

With a hot offense and an advantage on the mound, my Yankees vs. Nationals predictions and MLB picks see the home team flipping the script in the series finale.

Who will win Yankees vs Nationals today: Nationals moneyline (-110)

The surface stats would tell you there isn’t much separating Will Warren and Cade Cavalli. The underlyings tell a much different story — particularly over the last month.

Cavalli has posted a strong 2.49 xFIP and struck out 29.3% of opposing batters. It’s a much different story for Warren, who owns a 4.64 xFIP and 16.0 strikeout rate in that time.

Warren has struggled with power along the way, allowing 2.19 homers per nine innings. The Washington Nationalslead the majors in homers and OPS vs. RHP in July, making them the perfect team to back against him.

Bet this up to -120.

COVERS INTEL: Will Warren owns a 5.04 xFIP on the road, 24th among today's projected starting pitchers.

Yankees vs Nationals Over/Under pick: Over 9 (-115)

This is a matchup where the offenses should be front and center. The Nationals have hit for extreme power lately while also getting on base at a high rate. That should continue against Warren, given he ranks in the 12th percentile in pitcher run value and enters in poor form.

While Cavalli is solid, he's still conceded multiple earned runs in six of his last seven starts. The New York Yankees sit second in homers against righties this month and have the power to pounce on any mistakes.

Play the Over to -130.

Yankees vs Nationals weather

Temperatures in the low 80s are expected with winds blowing west. Small bump to the bats.

Yankees vs Nationals odds

• Moneyline: Yankees -110 | Nationals -110
• Run line: Yankees -1.5 (+145) | Nationals +1.5 (-170)
• Over/Under: Over 9 (-115) | Under 9 (-105)

Yankees vs Nationals trend

The Nationals have cashed the Over in 31 of the last 50 home games for +13.50 units and a 24% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Nationals.

How to watch Yankees vs Nationals and game info

Yankees vs Nationals 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.

The Pittsburgh Pirates came away from yesterday’s day one of the 2026 MLB Draft with a haul of players. Here’s the total list along with the MLB.com post draft info on each.

Pick #5 – Derek Curiel – OF, LSU

Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 45 | Run: 55 | Arm: 45 | Field: 55 | Overall: 55

Curiel plays a “special center field” and has shown command of the strike zone with upside in his damage profile. Curiel played with shortstop Konnor Griffin on the USA travel circuit, and the two committed to LSU together for the 2024 class.

Curiel could rise through the ranks quickly. The pick was a bit of a surprise, as many mock drafts leading up to the Draft had Pittsburgh expected to take Santa Barbara pitcher Jackson Flora. When Flora went fourth to the Giants, the Pirates had the choice between multiple college and high school bats. Ultimately, they went with the experienced Curiel.

The 6-foot-2, 192-pound outfielder was once considered a first-round pick out of high school in Southern California, but he decided to forgo the 2024 Draft after a subpar senior season. After two years at LSU, he has proven himself as one of the best pure hitters in the Draft class, batting .349 with a .975 OPS in two seasons with the Tigers. Just a sophomore — eligible for the Draft by virtue of turning 21 in May — in 2026, Curiel led his team in batting average (.353), runs (64) and hits (82) while trying for the team lead in total bases (122). He also has plus speed, stealing a team-high 13 bases in just 15 attempts.

Pick #44 – Aiden Ruiz – SS, Stony Brook

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 40 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 65 | Overall: 50

Many thought Ruiz, a smooth-fielding, switch-hitting (and switch-throwing – he throws lefty when he plays the outfield!) shortstop, might go in the first round.

An undersized switch-hitter who is listed at 5-foot-10 and 168 pounds, Ruiz is arguably the best defensive shortstop in the class. He’s an elite defender with a plus arm and range, great hands and outstanding footwork. Unlike with many young players at the premium position, Ruiz not only makes the spectacular, acrobatic plays, throwing on the run, he also slows the game down and makes the routine plays as well. It’s future Gold Glove-caliber defense. 

An above-average runner whose instincts help him be a successful base-stealer, Ruiz’s bat is behind his glove. He makes a ton of contact with an idea of what he’s doing at the plate, excellent bat control and no fear, showing an ability to turn around premium velocity

Pick #51 – Chris Rembert – 2B, Auburn

Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 45 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

Rembert has some of the best bat speed in college baseball and an advanced approach, though his swing and patience have regressed a bit while he dealt with an ankle injury this spring. He manages the strike zone very well and focuses on drilling line drives from gap to gap. It’s unclear if he’ll provide more than 15 homers annually because he makes too much groundball contact, though he has the strength and bat speed to do more damage if he turns on more pitches and adds more loft to his compact right-handed stroke.

Rembert is an average runner with arm strength to match, which limits his usefulness on the bases and in the field. Some scouts once wondered if he’d wind up in left field, but he’s looking more comfortable at second base in college than he did at shortstop in high school. He has reliable hands and provides steady defense at the keystone.

Pick #80 – Jason Decaro – RHP, UNC

Scouting grades: Fastball: 45 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

As a New York high schooler, DeCaro reclassified from the 2024 Draft to ’23 and got an early jump on his college career at North Carolina. He looked like a potential 2026 first-rounder when he cracked the Tar Heels rotation as a 17-year-old freshman, but scouts aren’t sure what to make of him because his stuff has leveled off since. His feel for pitching allowed him to make the U.S. collegiate national team after each of his first two seasons and rank third in NCAA Division I with 11 victories while serving as the ace of the College World Series runners-up in his third.

While DeCaro gets outs, he doesn’t miss a lot of bats or land his secondary pitches in the zone consistently. His fastball has ordinary velocity (91-94 mph, peak of 97) and shape and relies on generating weak contact. His fading low-80s changeup has regressed a bit during his junior season and is now more of an average offering, as are his tight low-80s slider and upper-70s curveball.

DeCaro keeps batters off balance by sequencing his pitches well and he throws consistent strikes from an upright delivery. Unless he improves the velocity and quality of his arsenal, he profiles more as a durable high-floor starter than someone who will pitch in the front half of a rotation. He’s extremely young for a college junior (20 years, three months on Draft day) but doesn’t have a lot of projection remaining in his strong 6-foot-5 frame.

Pick #108 – Andruw Giles – OF, Nevada HS

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 50 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

Strong and compact, Giles has the chance to be a solid offensive performer. He shows off hitterish traits from the left side, showing a solid, balanced approach and the ability to make a lot of solid contact. He looks like he’s more of a hit-over-power guy, but he can drive the ball to all fields. He’ll show off the raw power he can keep learning to tap into in BP, the kind of pop that will surely impress in workouts. 

An average runner, Giles does have the chance to play center field, though not everyone thinks he can stick there. A once easily plus arm that fired mid-90s fastballs from the mound now looks more above-average after he dealt with elbow soreness that forced him into a DH role during last summer’s Area Code Games. It’s still plenty for an outfield corner, though that move will put more pressure on his bat. To some, it gives him a little more of a tweener profile, but those who see every day player potential will consider signing him away from his commitment to Oregon. 

Here's what happened in Mets Land on Saturday, in case you missed it...

• At the MLB Draft, New York took RHP Carson Wiggins, OF Aiden Robbins, and LHP Shane Sdao
• SNY's Joe DeMayo wrote about the club taking a home run swing on the righty Wiggins and his tantalizing stuff
• WATCH: Mets VP of Amateur Scouting Kris Gross and Director of Scouting Drew Toussaint spoke about Wiggins
• In Queens, the Mets' bats went silent against the Red Sox in a 4-0 loss
• Interim skipper Andy Greenexpressed about getting shut out for the ninth time this year
• It has been a "difficult" stretch, but there was some encouragement taken at the start from Freddy Peralta
• Ahead of Saturday's game, Green had updates on several Mets' injuries
• Green also spoke about Sunday's starter Zach Thornton's development and Kodai Senga's bullpen role
• WATCH: Highlights of first-round pick Wiggins at the University of Arkansas
• WATCH: Wiggins reacts to being drafted by New York

Astros 9, Rangers 3

• That was unfun.
• Kumar Rocker? Well, I guess he pitched okay, if you ignore the home runs.
• The home runs? They kind of put a damper on things.
• Allowing Yordan Alvarez to launch one to the moon? Okay, that happens. Pretty much every time Alvarez plays the Rangers, really.
• Allowing LaMonte Wade Jr. to hit a grand slam off of you? That’s bad.
• Rocker did make it into the sixth at least, which is helpful. MacKenzie Gore will be starting Sunday’s game on short rest, but the Rangers probably aren’t going to want to push him too hard, so not having to ask the pen to handle six innings or something on Saturday was good.
• Gavin Collyer and Robby Ahlstrom each acquitted themselves with scoreless outings, which is nice to see. And which has to be particularly rewarding for Ahlstrom, whose last two outings were rather bad.
• Chris Martin, pitching on back-to-back nights, allowed a pair of runs on a single, a double, a balk and a sacrifice fly. The single was of the infield variety, and weakly hit, but still…Martin’s ERA is now a nice, round 9.00 on the year.
• Much like Friday’s game mirrored the opener of the Angels series, this defeat largely followed the script of the middle game against Anaheim. The starter allowed seven runs in that game as well, and Gavin Collyer and Robby Ahlstrom both pitched. Also, Ranger reliever who pitched the ninth gave up two runs in both games, though in on Wednesday against Anaheim it was Kyle Higashioka who handled the ninth, not Martin.
• Collyer and Ahlstrom each gave up two runs in that previous game, so maybe this is a sign of progress.
• Oh, and Rangers only scored one run against the Angels in that blowout loss, compared to three in this game.
• All the runs for Texas came on Ezequiel Duran homers — a solo shot in the fourth and a two run shot in the ninth. Duran is now slashing .272/.322/.439 on the year.
• Evan Carter had a couple of hits, which, you know, that’s good to see. Cam Cauley had a pinch hit single, so way to go Cam.
• The Mariners lost, at least, which means that not only are the Rangers still a game and a half up on Seattle in the West, Texas is guaranteed to spend the All Star Break in first place.
• Kumar Rocker hit 95.6 mph with his sinker, averaging 93.5 mph. Gavin Collyer’s fastball touched 98.5 mph. Robby Ahlstrom hit 95.7 mph with his sinker. Chris Martin’s fastball touched 95.4 mph.
• The only ball in play above 100 mph was Ezequiel Duran’s fourth inning homer, at 100.3 mph.
• One more to go before the Break.

Though the Atlanta Braves have lost the series, they still have a chance to end the first half of the season on a high note before heading into the All-Star break.

MLB Braves’ beat writer Mark Bowman had announced on Friday that, as Hurston Waldrep would be sent back down to Triple- A, JR Ritchie would be taking his place in today’s matchup against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Ritchie’s rookie season has had its ups and downs. After spending some time in Triple-A when the Braves optioned Carlos Carrasco to the active roster earlier this month (July 5), Ritchie is looking to make an impact to give the Braves a solid start to hold down the Cardinals, who have been getting the best of them on offense throughout the series.

Holding a 4.60 ERA with 10 games under his belt (three as a reliever), Ritchie is still trying to find his footing and what works constantly for him to stick with. If he has the Braves’ offense on his side today, he might have the push he needs to spark a quality outing on the defensive-end for his first matchup against St. Louis.

As for Cardinals starter Dustin May, he’s looking to help St. Louis clinch their first series sweep for the first time since early June. Holding a 4.55 ERA currently, with a 1.25 WHIP, May also hasn’t been the most consistent in his starts, and is 0-2 when facing the Braves in his three starts against them.

In his last matchup against Atlanta on July 2, he gave up five runs off five hits with only one strikeout. This could work to the Braves’ advantage if he finds the same trouble commanding the strike zone. He did, however, get a better showing in his most recent matchup against Milwaukee, allowing four hits, no earned runs and seven strikeouts just this past Monday.

This matchup will honestly be a toss-up on which version of these two pitchers we’re going to get to close out the first half of the regular season. Ritchie is looking to avoid the sweep and May is looking to get one. Both are hoping for a quality outing after suffering some shaky starts; the question is, who wants it more?

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Sunday, July 12, 2:15 p.m. ET

Location: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO

TV: BravesVision

Streaming: MLB.tv

Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan, Los Bravos

The Mets (40-56) take on the red-hot Boston Red Sox (45-48) in the final game of the season's first half at 1:40 p.m. on PIX11. Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...

Mets Notes

• Zach Thornton will climb the hill for his third career big league start and look to build off his last outing when the left-hander allowed one run on five hits and a walk over six innings with seven strikeouts
• The Red Sox are sending out a lefty of their own in Payton Tolle, who carries a 3.14 ERA and 1.071 WHIP into the start over 80.1 innings with 80 strikeouts to 24 walks.
• New York was shut out for the ninth time this season in Saturday's defeat. In the series against Boston, the club has gone hitless in 16 at-bats with runners in scoring position after going 21-for-45 with RISP in the previous five games

Today's Lineups

After selecting two players on Saturday, the Dodgers conclude their 2026 MLB Draft with 14 picks on Sunday, beginning with the seventh round.

On Saturday the Dodgers drafted high school shortstop Bo Lowrance with the 40th overall pick out of South Carolina. They also selected Florida pitcher Russell Sandefer with their fourth-round pick, number 132 overall.

Their first pick on Sunday comes in the seventh round.

Dodgers Day 2 picks

• 7th round, 223rd overall
• 8th round, 253rd overall
• 9th round, 283rd overall
• 10th round, 313th overall
• 11th round, 343rd overall
• 12th round, 373rd overall
• 13th round, 403rd overall
• 14th round, 433rd overall
• 15th round, 463rd overall
• 16th round, 493rd overall
• 17th round, 523rd overall
• 18th round, 553rd overall
• 19th round, 583rd overall
• 20th round, 613th overall

It’s all streaming the rest of the way, with Sunday’s coverage on MLB.com and MLB.tv.

MLB Draft Day 2 particulars

• Rounds 5-20, through picks 136-613
• Time: 8:30 a.m. PT
• Streaming: MLB.com, MLB.tv

Good morning Birdland,

Yesterday was a good one to be an Orioles fan. The team won their third in a row, came within two games of the final wild card spot, and selected several young players that they seem very excited about.

Of course, every team likes their draft picks, or else they wouldn’t have selected them in the first place. But the Orioles did seem to get solid value. They also mixed ages and positions well, which is something they haven’t always done in the draft. They have a bunch more picks to make today, though they may not be as initially exciting as the guys they have already added. But oftentimes it is these later picks that make for a better quality draft overall.

On the field, the Orioles turned in one of their most definitive wins of the season. Kyle Bradish dominated on the mound, even without his best stuff. And the offense launched four home runs, scoring five of their six total runs on long balls.

Despite what has been an up-and-down first half for the Orioles, they still find themselves in the thick of the playoff hunt. And you can make a pretty easy argument that, on the whole, they have underperformed and should have their best baseball ahead of them.

Is that reason enough for Mike Elias and the front office to go all in at the trade deadline and supplement this squad with external talent? Eh, probably not. But the reality is that these guys need to win games. There is pressure on everyone, from the players to the coaches, and especially the decision makers in the warehouse. They only need a minor indication that these guys can make it to October. Getting to four wins in a row today, on the final day of the season’s “first half” would feel like a sign from above.

I can’t really complain if that’s what happens. It would be nice to watch competitive baseball for the next two-and-a-half months. An aggressive trade deadline should make that happen. Let’s see it!

Links

More this, that and the other | Roch Kubatko
Roch notes that the Orioles, at this moment, have an 18.1 percent chance to make the playoffs, according to FanGraphs. Considering how poor they have looked for stretches across the last few months, that’s not too bad. It helps that the American League is so mediocre overall.

Orioles closer Ryan Helsley avoids surgery on elbow; Keegan Akin has surgeon appointment | The Baltimore Banner
This is very good news for both Helsley and the Orioles. The hard-throwing righty has a player option for 2027. Right now, it seems like he will pick it up. But at least there is a chance he will pitch through it, maybe even teaming up with Félix Bautista at the back of the bullpen. The news is not as good for Akin, who sounds like he is heading for Tommy John.

Orioles Activate Yaramil Hiraldo From 60-Day IL | MLB Trade Rumors
The Orioles need some bullpen depth. Hiraldo will provide that down in Norfolk. Orioles fans probably don’t want him in key situations up here anyway, but with both Helsely and Akin out for a while, this is good news.

Orioles strike balance of upside, high floors with Day 1 picks | The Baltimore Sun
It’s impossible to say right now whether the Orioles have had a good draft or not. But the process seems sound, and praise has been universally positive. That’s worth noting, even if it is not the end all be all of the draft.

Orioles birthdays

Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!

• The late Jack Harshman (b. 1927, d. 2013) was born on this day. He spent parts of two seasons in Baltimore from 1958-59, accumulating a 3.55 ERA over 283.2 innings.

This day in O’s history

1969 – Mike Cuellar tosses a complete game three-hitter to beat the Red Sox 4-0. Red Sox outfielder Tony Conigliaro has all three of their hits. Cuellar becomes the first pitcher in major league history to throw two complete game three-hitters in which one opposing hitter accounts for all of the hits. He achieves this feat in back-to-back starts (Yankees, July 8th).

2022 – The Orioles win their ninth straight game, beating the Cubs 4-2 at Wrigley Field. This win puts the Orioles at .500 for the first time all season.

2024 – Benches clear when Orioles youngster Heston Kjerstad is struck in the head by Yankees closer Clay Holmes. O’s manager Brandon Hyde takes exception to something he hears from the Yankees dugout and has to be restrained by Yankees catcher Austin Wells.

Another weekend of travel, this time to St. Louis for the Braves series, means an earlier than usual Sunday story. Before continuing, I wanted to shout out the fans who keep making it out. I’ve been here two days and both nights were fun, including last night in the Tarps Off section! Everyone feels welcomed (unless you are wearing the other team’s apparel) and the shtick isn’t overdone on me. Final shout to Jordan Walker for the nice toss!

The Cardinals have given us plenty to be annoyed at over the past week or so, but Wednesday’s team win at least paused those feelings for another 24 hours. Besides a winning result, Oli Marmol continued some lineup tweaks and moved Lars Nootbaar to center field for the fourth time since being activated from the injured list.

Grading as an above-average fielder in every season except for the last two, it is possible we have been selling Nootbaar’s defense in the outfield short thanks to his faulty heels. Since the surgery, Noot has been running faster and providing more value with the glove, doing so while also lengthening the lineup with his solid lefty bat. All told, Noot’s return was what the team needed, both on the field and in the clubhouse.

Lars Nootbaar and Joshua Baez can co-exist on this St. Louis Cardinals team

Since the start of last season, it appeared that Victor Scott II was the only sure outfielder to get everyday run, with Nootbaar continuously fighting injuries and Jordan Walker measuring as one of the worst players in all of baseball. While Noot was still on the shelf, Scott saw his leash run out quickly while Walker upped his game to All-Star caliber. Nathan Church stole the job from VSII and the Cardinals ran through a smattering of Jose Fermin, Thomas Saggese, and Bryan Torres in left field until Noot returned to full strength.

As Church’s bat settled into league-average territory, Oli Marmol saw this as an opportunity to try out a new setup in the outfield. Power bat Nelson Velazquez was promoted and when he played left field, Nootbaar swung over to center. On the surface, that outfield alignment would give Cardinals pitchers a heart attack whenever a ball is hit in the air, but new-heel Noot has been just fine up the middle until late-game defensive replacements allow him to shift back to the corner.

While it has only happened four times in his 28 games since returning, Noot has made every play hit his way in center field. He of course will not have the same range as defensive wizards Scott and Church, but making the routine play goes a long way. With Church and Noot both being lefty hitters, any flexibility in Noot’s game could give him the opportunity for more run as a better producing bat. “But Scott, why does it have to be Noot OR Church? ¿Por que no los dos?”

The payoff. Nootbaar’s ability to play center, even if it is just at the bare minimum level, makes him less likely to be traded but could still open a spot for a promotion of Joshua Baez. With this season that is not supposed to end in a postseason run, average defense will be just fine to get the team through 162 without having to go through a massive roster churn. I have been tying Baez and Nootbaar together for some time, but with Baez proving to be ready for a promotion and Noot keeping the team involved, there is no use of tearing it apart right now.

Holding onto Noot and using an option on Bryan Torres or testing the DFA wire with Velazquez or Fermin keeps Nathan Church on the active roster as a platoon option or defensive specialist. Church’s calling card has never been his power bat and even though he has left the yard eight times this year, a part-time role might help him maintain his effectiveness. A Baez promotion should only happen with everyday playing time and worst case scenario, Church and Baez could form a platoon to keep both youngsters involved.

Nootbaar would not have to play center field everyday and likely still just once a week in this scenario. Baez has been seeing semi-regular time up the middle so he is capable of handling innings in the grass. With Ivan Herrera sticking as a DH and catcher, there are only so many bat-only opportunities available and Marmol may opt to use that for a Nootbaar or other veteran rest day.

The biggest downside in holding onto Nootbaar past the trade deadline is that he becomes what JoJo Romero has turned in trade rumors. Last season, Romero seemed like a sought after trade piece after putting together a great late-inning season, but Bloom opted to hang onto the lefty for the beginning of the 2026 campaign. With JoJo ceding the closer role and seeing his overall stats take a step back, the return in a trade surrounding the reliever is much less than it would have been at this time last year.

The trade market for hitters is likely to be calmer than for pitching, creating another pro to seeing this season through with Nootbaar getting another shot to put it all together. We have heard the vibes in the clubhouse being a reason the front office has not wanted to shake up the roster in a major way and keeping Nootbaar would be another example of that. Of course, if the team continues to stick around in the thick of the Wild Card, trading a fan-favorite in Noot while in contention would be met with plenty of negative fanfare.

With under a month until the official trade deadline, I could be swayed either direction in the Lars Nootbaar trade conversations. As of Wednesday evening, I find myself open to the idea of keeping him around for the vibes, the offense, and the thought that more teams would be interested in him during the winter.

As of July 12, what would you do with Nootbaar? Is Joshua Baez directly tied to Noot or can there be some finagling around Nathan Church and others? Convince me either way and I’ll reply to the strongest argument to get a Cardinals card or giveaway of some sort.

Thanks as always!

The 2026 edition of the Major League Baseball Draft is well underway! The action got started early on Saturday afternoon with the Chicago White Sox making UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky the No. 1 overall selection, and though the New York Yankees had to wait 34 more picks to get their first in, they seemingly got a good one to set the tone.

MLB set up Day 1 of the draft to include the first four rounds, and since the Yankees didn’t lose any due to free agent-signing qualifying offer compensation, they subsequently had four picks. Arkansas lefty Hunter Dietz, British Columbia prep southpaw Sean Duncan, Oklahoma catcher Brendan Brock, and Cal State Fullerton outfielder Paul Gutierrez-Contreras II became the newest Baby Bombers. Jonathan wrote up a full analysis of the Day 1 activity in Yankeeland.

Sixteen more draft picks joined the Yankees on Sunday. Since there were so many players in one day, we batched them into three different posts that you can review in the following links:

• Rounds 5-10
• Rounds 11-15
• Rounds 16-20

To help conveniently track all of the Yankees’ picks — from the selection process to any known eventual signing news — I’ve assembled this tracker that will also be regularly updated throughout July. If available, I’ve included their Instagram handles if you have any interest in following them.

Draft pick signing news can be a slow process and team assignments might be even fuzzier, but we’ll do our best to keep you posted. Players have until 5:00 PM ET on July 27th to sign unless they’re college seniors who have already used up their years of eligibility. As always, give us a shout in the comments section of this post if you see any news that needs to be added.

Note: Teams are allotted $150,000 per pick for each selection from Rounds 11-20. This doesn’t count toward their total bonus pool, though they are permitted to use any leftover bonus funds to increase their offers beyond $150,000 to these players.

Post-draft updates

7/13: That was quick! First-rounder Hunter Dietz has already signed, per the man who runs the Yankees’ draft himself, VP of scouting Damon Oppenheimer. We do not yet know slot value. (Update: MLB.com’s Jim Callis reported that Dietz signed for $2,497,500, or $329.2K under slot that the Yankees can distribute elsewhere.)

7/14 (1): Some day-after catch-up notes here. The Tennessean reported that second-rounder Sean Duncan, a Vanderbilt commit, is “expected to sign” with the Yankees, so we’ll call him “Should Sign.” Cal State Fullerton and Texas A&M respectively said that fourth-rounder Paul Gutierrez-Contreras II and fifth-rounder Bear Harrison are “heading to” the Yankees, so if their own schools are saying that, then that’s enough for us to put them under “Will Sign.” Both were college juniors. Third-rounder Brendan Brock has “@yankees” in his Instagram bio, so while that’s less certain, we will tag a “Should Sign.”

7/14 (2): The 13th-round pick, Virginia high schooler Lee Garris, did a “next stop” post on Instagram with the Yankees’ logo and he has it in his bio, so he seems like a safe “Will Sign,” forgoing his commitment to James Madison University. And in a similar “Will Sign” vein to the above note…

• East Tennessee St. said that seventh-rounder Michael Harpster is “going pro”
• Dallas Baptist posted that eighth-rounder Luke Pettitte “is a pro”
• Pittsburgh said that ninth-rounder David Leslie is “heading to the Bronx”
• UC San Diego said of 11th-rounder Anthony Potestio: “AP to NY”
• Miami Ohio said “Berggy to the Bronx” of 12th-rounder Austin Berggren
• St. Mary’s said “Diggy is a Yankee” of 14th-rounder Diego Castellanos
• Grand Canyon referred to 16th-rounder Garrett Ahern in the past tense and said he went to the Yankees
• Florida said “Gotham got CYRious” of 18th-rounder Blake Cyr
• Baylor said “Legendary home run hitter heading to a legendary of franchise” of 19th-rounder Tyce Armstrong
• Arizona State said of 20th-rounder: “[Dean] Toigo to the Bronx”

Austin, Pettitte, Berggren, Cyr, and Armstrong now have “@yankees” in their Instagram bios as well, and so does 10th-rounder Bayram Hot, though we’ll have him as “Should Sign” since that’s it for the moment on him. (Pettitte also has “@yankees” in his Twitter bio.)

7/14 (3): Hat tip to community member CON MEN in the comments (say that 10 times fast), who linked to articles confirming that 15th-rounder William Cutshall will sign and 17th-rounder Jason Krieger had signed. Cutshall told Upstate Today that he is on his way to Tampa to sign, and Krieger’s head coach at Maine confirmed Krieger already signed. The university later posted a photo of him signing on their Instagram.

7/14 (4): Baseball America’s signing tracker reported ninth-rounder David Leslie’s bonus at $37.5K, or $166K under slot. He was a senior sign, so this was fairly expected; look for his surplus to go toward one of the prep guys or possible transfers who they’re trying to convince to go pro.

7/15 (1): Eighth-rounder Josh Pettitte and 15th-rounder William Cutshall have officially signed, per their Instagrams and related stories. Also, second-rounder Sean Duncan and his girlfriend are already wearing Yankees gear in their stories, so I feel comfortable bumping him up to “Should Sign.”

7/15 (2): Sixth-rounder Andrew Gonzalez signed today, per his high school’s Twitter. It really looks like the Yankees will sign everyone in this class! It will be interesting to see what bonus they gave him to forgo his commitment to Texas Tech.

7/16: Fifth-rounder Bear Harrison has signed for full slot ($437,200), per MLB.com’s Jim Callis. Also, 13th-rounder Lee Garris has officially signed, and given that 18th-rounder Blake Cyr’s Instagram photo is now him in a Yankees uniform, that was almost certainly also his signing. We’ll count it.

7/17 (1): Baseball America has updated its signing tracker and noted $150K bonuses for 16th-rounder Garrett Ahearn and 17th-rounder Jason Krieger, as well as $75K for a 20th-rounder in Dean Toigo. None of these bonsues exceed the threshold for the picks beyond Round 10 that would chip away at the overall pool value.

7/17 (2): Second-rounder Sean Duncan, third-rounder Brendan Brock, and eighth-rounder Michael Harpster have all officially signed, per their Instagram posts. Callis later reported Brock’s bonus at $789,800, only a little under slot.

7/18: We have a whole of signing news with slot values! Rather than just relay all the info from Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo, we’ll just include his tweets relating to Paul Gutierrez-Contreras II (Round 4), Andrew Gonzalez (Round 6), Michael Harpster (Round 7), Luke Pettitte (Round 8), and Bayram Hot (Round 10). Also, MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo reported that second-rounder Sean Duncan signed for $2,497,500. If that dollar amount sounds familiar, it’s exactly the same as what first-rounder Hunter Dietz got, just over-slot for the prep arm Duncan rather than a little under slot.

7/19: We’re almost to the end of the line! Baseball America dumped a whole bunch of post-10th round signings on their tracker and the only one who hasn’t signed yet at this point is 19th-rounder Tyce Armstrong — who again, has Yankees listed in his Instagram bio, so he probably has and we just can’t say for sure yet. All the post-10th rounders who we hadn’t yet reported on got $150K bonuses, with $300K going to 13th-rounder Lee Garris since he was a well-regarded prep pick (so $150K over “slot”).

7/20: That’s Yahtzee! Tyce Armstrong has signed. We don’t know bonus info yet, but that’s a perfect 20-for-20 on picks signed this year. Thanks for following along, everyone!

Saturday saw the beginning of the 2026 MLB Draft. After a season that saw them get a win away from a national championship, the North Carolina Tar Heels baseball team are likely to see several players picked in this year’s edition. For example, Owen Hull (#67), Jake Schaffner (#75), Ryan Lynch (#98), Jason DeCaro (#133), and Gavin Gallaher (#200) are all listed in MLB Pipeline’s top 250 ranked players eligible for the 2026 draft.

The MLB Draft can be a little harder to project than in other sports. In one way that’s true is in the players’ futures. Sure, other sports all have busts too, but in baseball even the best players need more seasoning in the minor leagues before making it to MLB. Some players won’t even make it to the majors at all. Figuring out what will happen in the couple years between when you draft a player and how they develop can be a bit of a different skill than in the NFL or NBA Drafts.

It can also be a little harder to predict just where the players go. With the MLB Draft rules and teams having only a certain amount of money to dole out among all their draftees, some teams go in with specific strategies that might lead to an unexpected selection. Plus, with so many players from high school and college, it can also just take one team having a differing opinion from the collective wisdom for a player to shoot up the board.

Recognizing all that, I still have to ask, what Tar Heel eligible for this year’s draft do you think will go on to the best MLB career?

Going by the aforementioned rankings, the Super Regional hero Hull is some people’s best bet. He hit .393 with a 1.115 OPS last season, so he certainly has the ability to hit, and that could translate to the professional level. I personally have a sneaky suspicion about Gallaher, though. With 12 home runs last season, he has a decent amount of power for a second baseman. While he’s not a blazing fast runner, he was successful on eight of nine stole base attempts last year too. I’m not sure if there’s ever going to be one particular thing that makes him standout, but I could see him turning into a perfectly good all-around MLB level player.

That’s my answer, but what about you? Put on your projection hat and guess which Tar Heel will have the best MLB career?