Category: Baseball

Hello, any new Battery Power readers retained from the Great Trade Deadline Site Surge of 2026! We hope you enjoy(ed) your time with this great community as we wind down on a memorable regular reason and that you stick around. Our regulars are some of the best baseball fans in the league.

The week following the trade deadline had some highs (back-to-back sweeps, an eight game winning streak) and lows (stumbling against both teams from New York) that have prompted some interesting discussion in our Feed. Here’s a sampling of what y’all have been cooking:

October surprise(s)?

Barring any waiver wire moves, the Braves are basically set with who they’re rolling with to hopefully make a deep postseason run. So it’s time for predictions: which guy will be the one to be the most impactful? Who will we hail as a legend for their contributions for years to come?

AJ Smith-Shawver is a candidate once he’s back up from Triple-A, where he’s polishing off the rust and working on that later-inning stamina.

On that note, a potential Game 3 starter might just be sub-40 miles away…

Other candidates: a spiteful Grant Holmes? Or maybe some current underperformers…

Rotation revamp

Of course, the biggest topic of conversation remains our starting pitching. Crumbs from sports writers have indicated the Braves made the pushes and called the phones for [insert your preferred SP here], but nothing worked out. So now what do we do, at least for the rest of the month or regular season?

A defense-based drafting

The prompt by the ever-insightful clmj1:

But of course on the flip side… why defend when hit dingers?

Record with Ronald

Superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. has largely been in the two-hole since his return from the IL and still steadily contributing despite a continued wOBA underperformance. It might feel like he hasn’t made much of a difference, but someone looked into the numbers, and…

While it may feel like the odds (read: the umpires) are against the Braves, we can always count on you all sharing your insights, articles, prospect questions, and so much more with us in our comments and in the Feed. You are the straw that stirs the Battery Power cocktail, and we appreciate you. Here’s to more hot takes!

The Nationals were the Cubs’ first regular season opponent this year, way back in March. The Nats took two of three at Wrigley Field.

Much has changed for both teams since then. The Cubs have solidified their claim on a postseason spot and could still win a division title. After playing over .500 for quite some time, the Nats had a selloff at the Trade Deadline.

For more on the Nationals, here’s Sam Sallick, manager of our SB Nation Nationals site Federal Baseball.

The Nats are a very different team to the one that played the Cubs on Opening Day. Only two members of the bullpen remain and many fixtures of the lineup are now gone. Joey Wiemer, who dominated the Cubs to start the season, has now gone, with his rise and fall taking place over the course of six weeks.

However, the Nats remain on the outskirts of the playoff race. These last couple weeks have been a rollercoaster though. After beating the Diamondbacks in a series, they got within one game of a playoff spot and were over .500. Shortly after that, they hit a snag, losing seven in a row and selling at the deadline.

This past weekend though, the Nats got back into the fight by sweeping the Reds. The Nats lost the likes of Luis Garcia Jr., Curtis Mead and Foster Griffin at the deadline. However, a lot of the returns they received were made with the idea of helping the team in the near future.

The Nats bullpen has been a well publicized disaster, but with some new faces, they looked great against the Reds. Yovanny Cruz, Will Dion and Jake Bird all came over in deadline trades and have looked good in a Nats uniform. Nats POBO Paul Toboni has been searching for bullpen answers all season, but this is the best they have looked all year.

Usually, losing the NL leader in slugging would be a huge blow to the offense. However, rookie Abimelec Ortiz has looked very good stepping into Luis Garcia’s shoes. Andres Chaparro has also stepped up making the first base platoon very dangerous.

There is one dangerous name the Cubs will avoid this week. James Wood is on the IL with a mild oblique strain. He is the most fearsome piece in this elite Nats offense. However, this offense is more than just Wood. CJ Abrams has also been tremendous and there are other hot bats such as Daylen Lile and the resurgent Keibert Ruiz.

On the pitching side, you are likely to see the debut of Jackson Kent, the Nats top left handed pitching prospect. He is a funky lefty with an average heater, a great changeup, solid breaking balls and good command. Kent is someone the Nats are very high on.

Right after the deadline, it looked like the Nats might have gone in a tailspin. However, they just got their first sweep since April and are riding high. It will be interesting to see how the surprising Nats matchup with a veteran laden Cubs team.

Fun facts

This is the first time the Cubs will play at Washington immediately after having played at Kansas City. Earlier this season, they went from Cleveland to Tampa and from Baltimore to Cincinnati for the first times. Next month, they will make their first trip from Miami to Milwaukee.

The Cubs have won two more games than they have lost at Washington, 35-33, since the former Montreal Expos relocated to the nation’s capital in 2005. The Cubs also were 49-33 against two 19th Century NL teams in Washington, for a total record of 84-66.

Last year, the Cubs won two of three at Washington. They swept three in 2024. They last were swept at Nationals Park in 2019. They split four games in 2021, won two of three in 2022 and went 1-3 in 2023. 

(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)

Probable pitching matchups

Tuesday: Shōta Imanaga, LHP (8-9, 3.60 ERA, 1.093 WHIP, 4.38 FIP) vs. Jake Irvin, RHP (2-5, 5.37 ERA, 1.290 WHIP, 4.73 FIP)

Wednesday: David Peterson, LHP (3-1, 4.03 ERA, 1.237 WHIP, 4.51 FIP in seven starts with Cubs; 6-7, 5.35 ERA, 1.500 WHIP, 4.08 FIP in 23 games overall) vs. Miles Mikolas, RHP (3-9, 5.89 ERA, 1.407 WHIP, 5.72 FIP)

Thursday: Kevin Gausman, RHP (1-0, 2.57 ERA, 0.714 WHIP, 4.23 FIP in one start with Cubs; 6-10, 4.29 ERA, 1.258 WHIP, 3.53 FIP in 24 starts overall) vs. Cade Cavalli, RHP (9-5, 3.57 ERA, 1.298 WHIP, 3.60 FIP)

Times & TV channels

Tuesday: 5:45 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Wednesday: 5:45 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Thursday: 3:05 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Prediction

The Nats lead MLB in runs — but as noted by Sam Sallick above, two of the guys who helped lead them to that (Luis Garcia Jr. and Curtis Mead) have been traded and another (James Wood) is on the IL. The Nats have also allowed the third-most runs in MLB and the Cubs are second to them in runs scored.

All that adds up, I think, to a Cubs series win, two of three, and an outside chance of a sweep.

Up next

The Cubs return to Wrigley Field to host the St. Louis Cardinals in a three-game series beginning Friday afternoon.

Will this be the parting point for the Guardians and Tigers in 2026’s MLB standings?

The Guardians are 58-61 with a -27 run differential, 23rd in wRC+ at 94, sixth in baserunning runs above average at +5.4, tenth in Defense at -7, seventh in starting pitcher ERA at 3.73 (3.93 FIP) and 16th in bullpen ERA at 4.01 (3.91 FIP).

The Tigers are 58-60 with a +87 run differential (the best run differential in the AL!), seventh in wRC+ at 105, 26th in baserunning runs above average at -5, 25th in Defense at -31.8, first in starting pitcher ERA (numbers reflecting the now absent Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize, however) at 3.31 ERA (3.57 FIP) and ninth in bullpen ERA at 3.75 (4.06 FIP).

Put the ball in play, get to the starters and pitch better in relief and the Guardians can win this series.

Matchups:
Tuesday, 6:40PM ET: Bibee, RHP 3.85 ERA (4.58 FIP) vs. Anderson, RHP 0.82 ERA (2.09 FIP) – Anderson averages under 4 innings an outing.
Wednesday, 6:40PM ET: Griffin, LHP 3.31 ERA (4.21 FIP) vs. Valdez, LHP 4.17 ERA (4.04 FIP)
Thursday, 1:10PM ET: Messick, LHP 2.87 ERA (3.19 FIP) vs. Montero, RHP 3.50 ERA (4.14 FIP)

The Tigers are led by Max Clark 145 wRC+, Dillon Dingler 139 wRC+, Kevin McGonigle 135 wRC+, Riley Green 129 wRC+, Gleyber Torres 119 wRC+, Spencer Torkelson 107 wRC+ and Colt Keith 107 wRC+.

The Guardians are led by Angel Genao 175 wRC+, Nathaniel Lowe 135 wRC+, Chase DeLauter 124 wRC+, Travis Bazzana 107 wRC+, Austin Hedges 106 wRC+, Steven Kwan 104 wRC+ and Jose Ramirez 103 wRC+.

This is now the biggest series of the year. It would be great to see the Guardians play their best baseball.

Today marks Colby Rasmus’s 40th birthday.

Rasmus was selected as the 28th overall pick in the first round of the 2005 draft. The Blue Jays chose Ricky Romero with the 6th pick that year.

He appeared on Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects list for three consecutive years: ranked #29 in 2007, #5 in 2008, and #3 in 2009.

In 2009, Colby made it to the majors, hitting .251/.307/.407 with 16 home runs, picking up a few Rookie of the Year votes along the way. Then, Colby had an excellent 2010 season, hitting. 276/.361/.498 with 23 home runs and posting a 4.3 bWAR. It seemed that he was becoming the player the prospect list had suggested he would become.

2011 proved more challenging. Rasmus hit .246/.332/.420 and struggled to get along with manager Tony La Russa. La Russa, known for his fast-talking ‘genius’ persona, didn’t mesh well with Colby, who often seemed like a square peg in baseball’s round-hole world.

On July 27th, the Blue Jays executed two multi-player trades. The first, with the White Sox, brought Edwin Jackson and Mark Teahen to Toronto.

The second, more significant, trade was with the Cardinals, sending Jackson, Octavio Dotel, Corey Patterson, and Marc Rzepczynski to St. Louis in exchange for Rasmus, Trever Miller, Brian Tallet, and P.J. Walters. The Cardinals were looking to strengthen their bullpen and rotation (they went on to win the World Series that year), while La Russa was eager to move Rasmus. The Jays sought a young player with considerable upside.

I reached out to DanUpBaby from Viva El Birdos for a scouting report. He described Colby as follows:

Your COLBY RASMUS comes equipped with HOME RUN ACTION, INTERMITTENTLY IMPRESSIVE DEFENSE ACTION, and DEBATABLY USEFUL SPEED ACTION. Please do not expose your COLBY RASMUS to direct sunlight, fans of MAKING THINGS HAPPEN on offense or TONY LA RUSSA.

He never fully met our expectations. While 2013 was a strong year—he hit .276/.338/.501 with 22 home runs in 118 games—overall, he was inconsistent, struggled with nagging injuries, and struck out too often.

His 2014 season was disappointing, and he was clearly unhappy. He reflected:

I’ve lost a little bit of that drive just because so many people are always just poking and prodding at me. And I felt, at times, like an animal at the zoo. You know, you keep poking at it until one day, they bite back at you.

He appeared to be struggling emotionally, perhaps dealing with issues related to his parents, especially his father. While I don’t like to blame parents, most of us hear their voices in our heads when we do things. For example, I play tennis with a younger woman whose dad often watches and coaches; she performs better when he’s absent, but she still hears his voice in her mind when she makes a mistake.

After Colby left the team, I reflected:

We all have those voices in our heads telling us we aren’t good enough. Most of us learn to get past, ignore, and get on with life. Some use it to drive them to do better, “I’ll show them.” Colby doesn’t seem to be able to do that. He remembers all the little insults and carries them with him. He still talks about his troubles with Tony LaRussa. It is easy to say he should get past it, but it is harder to do.

He played a couple of seasons with the Astros, started the 2017 season with the Rays before leaving to go home, and did the same with the Orioles in 2018. That time, the decision to step away from baseball became permanent.

I liked Colby. Occasionally, he revealed glimpses of his personality—on the winter tour, for example, he genuinely seemed to enjoy himself. I appreciated those rare moments when he smiled. There was a profile showing his condo and a stop for a chicken hot dog. I wasn’t a fan of his various hairdos, though.

Happy Birthday, Colby. Wishing you a great day.

Today is Melky Cabrera’s 42nd birthday.

Melky spent two of his 15 MLB seasons with the Blue Jays, hitting .293/.340/.421 over 227 games in Toronto.

His play with the Jays was a bit disappointing—he was slow, and his outfield defense left something to be desired. Later, it was revealed that a tumor wrapped around his spine significantly hindered his performance. He also dealt with several injuries during his time in Toronto.

Over his career, Melky hit .285/.334/.417 with 144 home runs across 15 seasons, playing for the Yankees, White Sox, Royals, Jays, Pirates, Giants, Braves, and Cleveland.

Happy Birthday, Melky.

Today, Mike Huff turns 63.

Huff spent the final three seasons of his seven-year MLB career (1994–1996) with the Blue Jays.

He enjoyed one strong season (.304/.382/.449, 3 home runs in 80 games) but struggled in the other two (.232/.337/.333 and .172/.200/.241).

I remember his good year and think of him fondly.

Happy Birthday, Mike.

Drew Storen celebrates his 39th birthday today.

The Blue Jays traded Ben Revere to the Nationals for Storen before the 2016 season, but the move didn’t work out. Storen posted a 6.21 ERA before being dealt to the Mariners for Joaquin Benoit (who didn’t fare much better).

Outside of his brief stint with the Jays, Storen was a quality reliever, earning 99 saves over his eight-year career.

Happy Birthday, Drew.

Brendon Little celebrates his 30th birthday today.

Brendon has spent the past three seasons with the Blue Jays. In 144 games, he has posted a 4.30 ERA, tallying 148 strikeouts and 80 walks over 129.1 innings. He’s having a tough 2026.

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Full-slate Tuesday has arrived, and I have A LOT of thoughts on every game going down this evening. 

Here are my MLB moneyline predictions for tonight's slate, and make sure to check out all of our MLB picks for Aug. 11!

MLB moneyline picks for Aug. 11

Matchup	Pick
Guardians vs Tigers	-120
Pirates vs Marlins	+106
Cubs vs Nationals	-160
Mariners vs Yankees	-122
Red Sox vs Blue Jays	+127
Mets vs Braves	-122
Reds vs White Sox	-147
Orioles vs Twins	+106
Phillies vs Cardinals	+153
Rangers vs Angels	-133
Rockies vs Diamondbacks	-167
Brewers vs Padres	-130
Rays vs Athletics	-163
Astros vs Giants	-183
Royals vs Dodgers	+245

Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of 8-11.

Expert MLB moneyline picks for Aug. 11

Guardians vs Tigers: Tigers (-120)

Tigers win probability: 55%

Sure, Tanner Bibee and Drew Anderson have been solid over their last few outings, but the Tigers’ offense has been on an absolute tear over their last 21 games, posting a 131 wRC+, .355 wOBA and .810 OPS.

Meanwhile, the inconsistent Guardians own a 101 wRC+, .314 wOBA and .125 ISO during that same stretch.

Take the red-hot team against the one that can never seem to get it together.

Pirates vs Marlins: Marlins (+106)

Marlins win probability: 48%

I’m shocked the Marlins aren’t bigger dogs here with Paul Skenes on the mound. However, Skenes has been pretty bad over his last five starts, sporting a 5.40 ERA and 1.43 WHIP. On top of that, he has allowed a 45.76% hard-hit rate and 12% barrel rate to opposing hitters.

With Eury Perez being lights out over his last five starts, the Marlins are a great look this evening.

Until Skenes turns it around, it’s Fade City, USA.

Cubs vs Nationals: Cubs (-160)

Cubs win probability: 62%

I don’t think I have it in me to back the Nationals with Jake Irvin on the mound this evening. The Nationals right-hander has posted some solid underlying metrics, but you and I both know it’s not going to last.

Meanwhile, Shota Imanaga has been lights out on the road this season, where he owns a 2.95 xERA and 0.98 WHIP.

The Cubs’ offense is still white hot, and I have no interest in stepping in front of that train.

Mariners vs Yankees: Yankees (-122)

Yankees win probability: 55%

Bryan Woo cannot pitch on the road. The Mariners right-hander owns a 6.71 road ERA away from T-Mobile Field in 2026.

Not to mention, Seattle has posted a 60 wRC+, .253 wOBA and .556 OPS over its last six games.

Yankees or nothing.

Red Sox vs Blue Jays: Red Sox (+127)

Red Sox win probability: 44%

Getting one of the hottest teams in baseball as an underdog feels like a gift right now.

I know it’s because of AL Cy Young frontrunner Dylan Cease, but those Blue Jays bats are still frozen solid. Meanwhile, the Red Sox have posted a 147 wRC+, .388 wOBA and .897 OPS over their last six games.

Give me the dog!

Mets vs Braves: Braves (-122)

Braves win probability: 55%

Nolan McLean has been pretty serviceable over his last five outings, but he is starting to regress, owning a 4.81 xERA and 1.61 WHIP over his last three starts.

On the other side, Martin Perez has recorded a 2.76 xERA and 0.87 WHIP over his last three starts. At home, the Braves left-hander has been nails.

Expect Atlanta to bounce back after last night’s loss.

Reds vs White Sox: White Sox (-147)

White Sox win probability: 60%

The Cincinnati Reds are walking into a hostile environment this evening.

Rate Field is going to be sold out, and the White Sox are giving out Pope hats in honor of Pope Leo. This could be one of the biggest games of the season based on turnout alone. That stadium is going to be rocking, and the White Sox will have the power of Leo on their side.

Oh, they also have Sean Burke on the mound, owning a 2.87 xERA and 33% strikeout rate over his last five starts.

White Sox or nothing.

Orioles vs Twins: Orioles (+106)

Orioles win probability: 48%

The battle of mid-starting pitchers will be going down at Target Field this evening, as both Brandon Young and Bailey Ober sport ERAs above 4.00 over their last three starts. 

I want to back the hotter offense in this matchup, which happens to be the underdog.

The Orioles have a 115 wRC+, .763 OPS, and .222 ISO over their last six games, while the Twins have an 82 wRC+, .626 OPS, and .124 ISO over the same span.

Phillies vs Cardinals: Cardinals (+153)

Cardinals win probability: 40%

I do not endorse paying the Cristopher Sanchez tax this evening, especially when Andre Pallante has been outstanding over his last five starts, posting a 3.45 xERA and 1.21 WHIP.

Both offenses have been on fire, but the Cardinals are clearly seeing the ball much better right now. I’ll happily take them at +153.

Rangers vs Angels: Rangers (-133)

Rangers win probability: 57%

According to Batters-Box's current season database, Angels right-hander Ryan Johnson finds himself taking on the highest-rated offense on the day, featuring six elite-rated hitters and another with a strong rating.

Johnson has a 7.11 ERA, 5.06 xERA, and 1.60 WHIP on the year, and he has yet to put together a truly dominant start this season.

Trust the data and give me the Rangers.

Rockies vs Diamondbacks: Diamondbacks (-167)

Diamondbacks win probability: 63%

Just pay the juice. It’s Tomoyuki Sugano day for the Rockies, and there is no chance I’ll be backing him on the road in Arizona.

The seasoned sophomore owns a 5.47 ERA, 6.40 xERA and 1.35 WHIP, while allowing a 15.56% barrel rate on the road this season.

The Diamondbacks boast a 119 wRC+, .346 wOBA and .788 OPS over the last week. Meanwhile, the Rockies have an 89 wRC+, a .146 ISO, and are generating only a 34% hard-hit rate during that stretch.

Arizona should roll tonight.

Brewers vs Padres: Brewers (-130)

Brewers win probability: 55%

Kyle Harrison has been too dominant over his last five starts for me to even think about backing Walker Buehler and the Padres.

Harrison is sporting a 1.86 xERA and 0.87 WHIP across those five starts, while Buehler comes in with a 5.06 ERA and 1.73 WHIP.

Both offenses have been very solid over the last week and are seeing the ball well, so I have to lean toward the more efficient arm.

Rays vs Athletics: Rays (-163)

Rays win probability: 62%

After the Rays’ explosive eighth inning on Monday, scoring eight runs to beat the Athletics 10-6, Oakland won't have the juice to turn things around tonight.

Mason Barnett takes the mound for the Athletics this evening, owning a sub-8.00 ERA and 1.64 WHIP over his last five starts.

The Rays are also on fire, posting a 123 wRC+, .780 OPS and .343 wOBA over their last six games. No one's stopping Tampa Bay right now. 

Astros vs Giants: Astros (-183)

Astros win probability: 64%

Despite the heavy juice, backing the Astros is the right side here.

The Astros have not been great against left-handed pitching, but with Hunter Brown sporting a 2.45 xERA and 0.80 WHIP over his last three starts, they should find a way to sneak past an unmotivated Giants team.

Royals vs Dodgers: Royals (+245)

Royals win probability: 29%

I’m not going to back a guy who hasn’t pitched in months, especially with Blake Snell making his return this evening.

I don’t think the Dodgers should be a $2.51 favorite, especially with Michael Wacha pitching well on the road and over his last five starts.

Both offenses have been a bit cold over the last week, so why not take a chance on the big dog?!

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 Atlanta Braves lost an incredibly frustrating game one against the Mets yesterday and look to rebound tonight behind Martín Pérez.

Fifteen years into his career and Pérez is quietly putting together the second-best season of his career. He has already accumulated the second most WAR in a season of his career and with his ERA of 3.14, it is also his second best.

Now, he has had some luck on his side. He has an expected ERA (xERA) of 4.32 and that is largely due to a BABIP of .232 which is well below his career .303, and a strand rate of 79.7 percent which is well above his career 71.4 percent. That being said, Pérez has been arguably the best pickup for the Braves this offseason.

Pérez faced the Mets in the first week of July and struggled. In 4.1 innings he only gave up six hits, but they resulted in four earned runs, while only picking up one strikeout to two walks.

In that game A.J. Ewing hit a solo shot off him and the team went five for seven with RISP. There is a chance that Pérez will have better results based on the chances of stranding more runners.

Francisco Lindor is a player to keep an eye out for. He has had twenty-five ABs against Pérez in his career and has maintained an OPS of 1.213. Bo Bichette has also had success with an OPS of 1.100 in fifteen at-bats. Marcus Semien has had an astounding forty-one ABs against Pérez in his career and holds a batting average of .268.

In a twist of fate, Nolan McLean will be facing off against Martín Pérez for a second time in as many outings. In the game mentioned earlier, it was a high scoring affair where the Mets ultimately won 10-9. This was not due to Mclean though who pitched 6.0 innings where he surrendered two earned runs and struck out five to only one walk.

Since the All-Star break, both offenses have been performing close to the same. The Braves scored the seventh most runs, and the Mets scored the tenth most. In terms of team ERA, the teams are fairly close there as well since the break. The Braves have had the twelfth best in MLB with 3.77 and the Mets have been eighth best with 3.55.

Based on team stats alone this game could come down to which team scores early, much like last night. The Braves have the third best SP ERA since the break, but the Mets have the ninth worst. No pressure to Pérez, but this game really could come down to if he can bounce back against the Mets and have a better start than last time.

First pitch is at 7:15 EDT

Game Info

Game Time: Tuesday, August 11th, 7:15 pm EDT

Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA

Watch: BravesVision, Gray TV

Radio/Audio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan

Why did the Diamondbacks acquire him?

Due to injuries, the Diamondbacks need pitchers.  At the trade deadline, the Diamondbacks intended acquisition of Clay Holmes did not happen.  Therefore, after the deadline, they were in the market for free agent pitchers. They signed Dennis Santana to a minor league contract.

Baseball Reference shows Clay Holmes on the list of ten pitchers most similar to Dennis Santana at age 29 (when Clay Holmes was a relief pitcher).  Perhaps Clay Holmes and Dennis Santana have qualities that the Diamondbacks look for when they acquire pitchers.  

Despite being released, the Diamondbacks saw Dennis Santana as a pitcher whose stuff had NOT declined from the level of excellence shown last season.

This season, his Whiff Percentage improved for his slider, 4-seam fastball, and his sinker. This season, batters whiffed at 37.6% of his sliders.

This season, his Got-The-Job-Done (zero earned runs and zero inherited runners scored) was 70%, which was above my demarcation line of 67%.  In other words, he performed excellently in 70% of his appearances.

Dennis Santana had experience with Jeremy Bleich (assistant GM focusing on pitching) that likely indicated that Santana was capable of change (improvement) and would be comfortable changing (improving).

Why might he improve?

Relief Pitcher Volatility.  Relief pitcher performance is volatile.  This season, half the Pirates relievers are better than last season (ERA+) and half are worse per Baseball Reference. 

Reversability.  His expected ERA (xERA) went from 3.22 (84th percentile) in 2024, to 3.51 (72nd percentile) in 2025, to 5.29 (10th percentile) in 2026 per Baseball Savant.  In the absence of injury, such a large change is very likely reversable.  Mike Hazen seems to think it is reversable.

“And we’re looking to make a few tweaks and see if we can’t get him back righted. He was a leverage reliever last year, and he’s still young, and his stuff didn’t decline. So we felt like it was a worthwhile shot.” — Mike Hazen

Improving from 10th percentile to 50th percentile would only be reversing about half way, but 50th percentile performance could be enough to improve the team enough to reach the playoffs.

Pitch Mix.This season he increased his percentage of 4-seam fastballs from 28.6% to 30.3%, and he increased his percentage of changeups from 6.1% to 15.0% per Baseball Savant.  This season, 6 of his 8 HRs allowed were on those two pitch types (which was disproportionately large).  The expected SLG was very high (.535 and .555) for those two pitches.  Perhaps changing his pitch mix would increase his performance.

Why might he be called up?

Three possible reasons:

Improved To Average.  If he has improved his pitching performance to at least the 50th percentile, and can improve the Diamondbacks chances to reach the playoffs.

Improved But Not Yet Average.  When he reaches his opt-out date, the Diamondbacks may call-him up based on optimism that his performance will continue to improve (even if he has not yet reached the 50 th percentile performance.

“Santana has an opt-out in his deal if he’s not in the Major Leagues by a certain point. That is standard for a player of his stature because they don’t want to be caught not being on a roster when Aug. 31 rolls around and eligibility for the postseason becomes a factor.” — Steve Gilbert

Injury Replacement.  If an injury happens, he may the best replacement option.

Why might he remain in the minors?

Two possible reasons:

Another Pitcher Was Signed. After they signed Dennis Santana, the Diamondbacks signed Zack Littell. In July, Zack Littell showed significant improvement, albeit one bad performance in five games. Ignoring his one bad performance, comparing July to June, his ERA improved from 4.26 to 1.37, and his home runs per 9 innings improved from 3.0 to 0.5.

With that type of performance, there is a good chance that Zack Littell will remain on the active roster for the rest of the season.

Worth noting is that although this season he averaged 4.9 innings per game, in 35% of his games he entered the game as a reliever. Perhaps he will be exclusively a long reliever, leaving room for Santana to possibly join the bullpen in a different role.

Improvement Not Seen. If the Diamondbacks do not see improvement in Dennis Santana, it is likely he will remain in the minors, even if he changes teams.

Summary.

The Diamondbacks had several good reasons to acquire Dennis Santana.  He might improve as a Diamondback because relief pitcher volatility, the reversability of this season’s decline in performance, and he could change his pitch mix.

Three reasons he could be called up by 31 August are improvement to average, optimism that his performance will continue to improve at the opt-out date, and injury replacement. 

This week, I go 1-on-1 with the Host of Brewers Daily, David Gasper, to get the Milwaukee perspective on the most impactful deal the Cardinals made at the deadline in 2026, sending away Dustin May and JoJo Romero for Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale.

We talk about the Tarik Skubal impact on the move, the seemingly steep price paid for a pair of rental pitchers, and what the Cardinals are getting in their two new young outfielders with loud tools and promising upside. This abbreviated edition of the podcast will bring you a great alternative perspective and perhaps validate a lot of what has been said on this forum already: the Cardinals did well on deadline day.

Spotify:

YouTube:

Transcript:

Jake Wood (00:23)
Welcome into the Viva El Birdos Podcast. My name is Jake Wood, and I write for VivaElBirdos.com. I am the host of the show, and I am typically joined by fellow co-hosts Gabe Simonds and Scott Plaza. Unfortunately, they were unable to join us tonight. If you enjoy this episode, please be sure to like and subscribe to our channel. We are available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all of your favorite audio streaming platforms.

The Cardinals made three deals at this year’s trade deadline. The most significant of the trio was sending starting pitcher Dustin May and relief pitcher JoJo Romero to the Milwaukee Brewers for double-A outfielder Josiah Ragsdale and low-A outfielder Alexander Frias. Here to help us break this deal down from the Milwaukee perspective. He is the host of the Brewers Daily Podcast and a credentialed member of the Milwaukee media. We’re wading into enemy waters with today’s guest. Welcome, David. Gasper.

Dave Gasper (01:30)
Thanks, Jake. Appreciate you having me. And you know, we get to kind of cross behind enemy lines here as we talk about this very surprising intra-division trade.

Jake Wood (01:42)
You know, they say it’s important to keep your friends close and your enemies closer, so I’m more than happy to have you here.

Dave Gasper (01:49)
Man, I’m more than happy to be here, for sure.

Jake Wood (01:51)
Before we jump into the deal, how long have you been covering Brewers baseball, and kinda give us a just a little bit of your backstory before we jump into the good stuff?

Dave Gasper (02:00)
Yeah, so I mean I’ve been writing about the team for about nine years now. Starting as a writer at Reviewing the Brew, eventually being the editor there for several years. And then, you know, working in local Milwaukee Sports Radio as well. And currently writing for Brew Crew Ball as part of SBnation. And then, of course, the Brewers Daily podcast through FanArch, which is also on YouTube and Spotify and Apple Podcasts and all those various audio platforms.

Jake Wood (02:34)
So let’s get right into it then, Dustin May and Jojo Romero for Alexander Freus and Josiah Ragsdale. How are your fellow Wisconsinites feeling about the deal executed between the NL Central rivals?

Dave Gasper (02:48)
They’re all feeling initially that the Brewers overpaid in this deal because, you know, being a, you know, small market team and you know having the success that this team has had through the farm system, I mean we are prospect huggers over here. Matt Arnold himself is generally a prospect hugger. So when two of our favorite essentially breakout prospects this year, Josiah Ragsdale and Alexander Frias, are both included in the same deal and going to a division rival. That one stings quite a bit because a lot of us over here had our sights set on Tarik Skubal, and you know, that was where the Brewers could go. Everyone’s coming up with packages for Skubal. And then ultimately, of course, he goes to the Dodgers. Where else would he go? And the Brewers have to pivot from there. And it’s like, okay, Dustin May kind of makes sense. You look at his profile, it’s like, okay, that seems like something the Brewers could work with and could enjoy. But the price that they paid to give up, I mean, that was very steep. You think there’s got to be some sort of inter-division tax on it. But the Brewers seem to want May. And you know, Ragsdale and Frias, I mean, those are certainly hurting us over here. I mean, the Cardinals did a great job to get those two pried away from the Brewers’ hands.

Jake Wood (04:07)
You know, you mentioned Tarik Skubal, and you know, from like a St. Louis perspective, this is gonna sound completely ass backwards, but like I wanted you guys to be the ones to land Tarik Skubal. I don’t think there’s anyone across baseball outside of Los Angeles that wanted to see Tarik Skubal, you know, in a Dodgers uniform and, you know, when you’re thinking about like the broader scope of baseball, right? And the potential of a lockout looming. And you think about, well, okay, so what other teams across the league can kind of build up to potentially, you know, lessen the blow leading into these labor negotiations that are seemingly centered around mostly, you know, the LA Dodgers and what they’re doing and their ruining of baseball and such, like if you could imagine a starting rotation with Tarik Skubal and MIZ and Kyle Harrison, like that I know it it gives you that that what if what what could have been Yeah, man, I

Dave Gasper (05:06)
Yeah. Gives you the goosebumps. Yeah.

Jake Wood (05:10)
Like, even from a Cardinals perspective, like I was rooting ’cause I wanted to see just how good that could be, as much as we’re all really sick of getting our asses kicked by the Brewers.

Dave Gasper (05:26)
Yeah, I mean, I think that’s one where, as much as you guys are sick of the Brewers beating you, I think everyone’s also sick of the Dodgers just running through everybody and everything and getting every single player that they want. And it’s just like, we’re just going to, you know, win the World Series, and now we’re gonna sign Kyle Tucker too and you know, give him sixty million dollars a year because why not? And it’s just it it’s insane what they’re doing over there and how they’re saying, like, we’re just smarter than everyone else, because it’s so smart to want to target Tarik Skubal. They are just absolute geniuses over there. No one else thought of that idea. But yeah, and then like you see all these national reporters come out blasting the Brewers for not trying enough, and it’s like, anyone can do this kind of deal. Why didn’t the Brewers try? Well, and then my friend Adam McCalvey of MLB.com puts out there basically what the Brewers’ offer was. And it’s like they’re putting in Luis Peña, another top 100 prospect, and then another fringe top 100 prospect. I mean, like that was a very, very strong offer that the Brewers gave.

Jake Wood (06:34)
Certainly.

Dave Gasper (06:35)
Now they were all hitters; that was the deal. The Tigers, if they wanted an MLB-ready pitcher that they could

Jake Wood (06:43)
Right.

Dave Gasper (06:43)
put in. Basically, they were targeting Logan Henderson. And the Brewers were like, we are not going to put Logan Henderson into this deal. I kind of wish they would have maybe thrown in, like, maybe a Robert Gasser, a Coleman Crowe, a Brandon Sprout, you know, one of those other guys that’s not Henderson. And maybe then you could have maybe been a bit closer, but the Brewers still put, I think, the stronger overall prospect package together. I mean, River Ryan’s 28 years old. Like Brady Smith is in like High-A with like a five-something ERA. Like the Brewers put together the better overall prospect package. You know, even though there wasn’t a pitcher in there, like that’s also where you can negotiate versus just calling

Jake Wood (07:25)
Right.

Dave Gasper (07:26)
The Dodgers and saying, Hey, let’s just get this done right away.

Jake Wood (07:29)
Right.

Dave Gasper (07:29)
And just ruin all of your leverage. So that whole thing just stinks to me. You know, how it went about. And like I wonder too, if maybe Alexander Frias was that third piece in that deal because Frias has been starting to populate on some of those top 100 lists.

Jake Wood (07:46)
Yeah.

Dave Gasper (07:47)
And you know, for him being kind of that fringe 100 guy and the fact that the Brewers ultimately did include him in a trade for a rental starting pitcher, that makes me wonder if he was potentially that third piece in that deal. And the Brewers were willing to move on from him, so you know that that’s where the Cardinals can kind of swoop in, being that pivot, as the Brewers had to pivot

Jake Wood (08:09)
Yeah.

Dave Gasper (08:10)
to Dustin May, and they end up getting one of those pieces that the Brewers were maybe thinking again- this is just pure speculation on my part that it’s him. But maybe one of those pieces that they were willing to include for Skubal, they end up sending to the Cardinals for May.

Jake Wood (08:26)
Yeah, and that’s there. There have been certain talking points as, you know, local St. Louis media has kind of talked about, you know, that’s kind of their read of the situation too, was that the Brewers were eyes set on Tarik Skubal, and whenever that didn’t happen, they were like, crap, you know, what’s what’s next? What’s plan B? And the Cardinals were just kind of sitting there like, Hey, you know, we’ve got Dustin May, you want you want a little piece of Dustin

Dave Gasper (08:52)
Yeah.

Jake Wood (08:52)
May? And Matt Arnold, like, you know, that doesn’t sound too bad. And so, like, jumped in that direction instead. And, you know, I can tell you that there were a lot, a lot of apprehensive Cardinals fans here in St. Louis, because it wasn’t until about like two o’clock Monday afternoon before this deal was consummated, and up until that point the Cardinals had done absolutely nothing, and so all of the fans were sitting here crying out, you know, Chaim, make a move, make a move, do something and our knight in shining armor, Matt Arnold, to the rescue.

Dave Gasper (09:26)
Yeah. Dude, it was the same kind of thing over here. I mean, like we like Brewers lose out on Tark Skubal. All they had done was get Bo Naylor from the Guardians and Cody Huer, who they ended up, you know, trading away. You know, like

Jake Wood (09:39)
Flipping. Yeah.

Dave Gasper (09:40)
They didn’t even want to keep Cody Huer. So all they ended up getting was Bo Naylor. And it’s like, Matt Arnold, are you gonna wake up? Are you gonna do something? You just let Skubal go. Like, like, come on. And so then it’s like, okay, yeah, you know, you get Dustin May and

It’s like, alright, hey, you know, there you go. I like him. He’s got a sinker. The Brewers love pitchers with sinkers. And then it’s like, you know, and then there was that time, ’cause there was still like an hour or so where we knew it was May and Romero. We did not know what the return was. And then when it comes

Jake Wood (10:09)
Yeah.

Dave Gasper (10:10)
out that it’s Ragsdale and Frias, everyone’s just like, no, what are we doing? Like

Jake Wood (10:14)
Ha ha ha ha.

Dave Gasper (10:16)
That is way too much. So yeah, that cost him a bit, and of course, like everyone begs him to do something and then he does something, and they’re like, Not that. Don’t do that. Trade prospects

Jake Wood (10:27)
Yeah.

Dave Gasper (10:28)
to get someone. Not THOSE prospects. Like it’s fun to see that play out.

Jake Wood (10:31)
Yeah. We want you to fleece somebody. Don’t give away the farm. Yeah. Well

Dave Gasper (10:36)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Trade prospects. The prospects we hate. You know, like, don’t trade the good ones. Well Yeah. Yeah.

Jake Wood (10:41)
Yeah. Well, that’s that’s every fan base, so I mean what do you what do you expect?

But you know, I do, I wanna kinda turn our attention to Dustin May just a little bit because I do think that even though he’s not Tarik Skubal, the Brewers are still getting a guy who can be a number three in that rotation, assuming health. Because I don’t know what the Brewers can take from how the Cardinals handled him, but the Cardinals were able to get, you know, the most healthy, most effective version of Dustin May so far. And you know, i we this season we saw a return of the top-end stuff that he’s able to generate. And even I know this is not the most pleasant memory for us in different circumstances, but Dustin May no-hit the Brewers through the first seven innings in a start back at the end of May. And I have to think that that memory kind of stuck in the back of the mind of Brewer’s front office members whenever thinking, okay, maybe Dustin May might be, you know, he may not be the top of the rotation arm we were looking to pair with Miz, but he’s still gonna give us you know, really good quality you know, in the middle of our rotation instead. And then I also think it’s really interesting that JoJo Romero was included in this package as well. Because whenever I look at the Brewers’ bullpen, now you can tell me I haven’t been paying as close attention to the Brewers’ roster. I know they have Aaron Ashby at the back end of games, but I also thought they had D L Hall back there, which was another lefty. Is he still injured, or is he active and returned?

Dave Gasper (12:15)
He’s back now. He just came back. Yeah, he had like a peck issue like a month or so ago, like tightened up on him. But yeah, he just came back the other day, and you know didn’t go super well. Came in for the seventh inning and ended up giving up a two-run homer to Endy Rodriguez, I believe,

Jake Wood (12:33)
Mm.

Dave Gasper (12:33)
and then ended up getting yanked for Antonio Sanzatella, the other Brewers trade deadline edition. So yeah, but yeah, you got DL Hall there, you got Aaron Ashby, and then you have Uribe, Abner Uribe, and Trevor McGill kinda locking down the eighth and ninth innings. So yeah, it’s a good bullpen, but one that could use some reinforcements. They have ridden their horses pretty hard. Aaron Ashby’s been used a ton. You know, Grant Anderson’s kind of been used a ton. Eurebay’s been used a ton. So they could use kind of some fresh arms back there.

Jake Wood (13:09)
And the good news is that, you know, Jojo’s not on the IL because of an arm issue. His appendix literally burst. And that was

Dave Gasper (13:17)
Yep. Yeah.

Jake Wood (13:18)
Actually, the surprising thing here in St. Louis for most of us was the fact that JoJo’s appendix bursting was the single giant death nail to the Cardinals’ wildcard hopes, and the Cardinals really had nobody to fill that leverage lefty role

Dave Gasper (13:35)
Mm-hmm.

Jake Wood (13:35)
out of their pen, which right out of the break, they were blowing games left and right. And, you know, I do wanna say that surface level numbers, JoJo Romero is not all that like impressive, but whenever he comes into games, into high leverage situations, you can count on that dude as nails to get you important like high leverage, high stress outs ninety-five percent of the time. And and I think that Brewer fans are gonna come to really like seeing JoJo Romero come out of that bullpen down the stretch, and especially as you guys get into October and you’re facing Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Schwarber and Matt Olson potentially and all of those those big lefties that perhaps you know Pat Murphy is gonna wanna go to earlier in a high leverage situation early if a if a starter just doesn’t have it that night in the playoffs, I think that JoJo Romero could be a a a very unheralded piece, a part of this. But, you know, you referenced it before, but what are the Cardinals and their organization getting in an Alexander Frias and a Josiah Ragsdale? Obviously, you know, they aren’t the very tippy top of the Brewers farm, but, you know, they both still come very highly regarded from a very deep Brewers system.

Dave Gasper (14:53)
Yeah, I mean, Frias, I mean, he’s got as much upside as anyone really. I mean, he’s got the potential to put it all together to maybe be like, you know, a top ten, top twenty prospect in all of baseball. If he continues on the trajectory that he’s been on. I mean, he lit up the complex league. Hasn’t been maybe quite as dominant in Low A Wilson, but still incredible tools, incredible talent there with him, power, you know. Contact ability, good speed. So lots of great stuff there with Frias. A little bit further away, but I mean, a teenager with some incredible, you know, raw talent, raw upside. Josiah Ragsdale, I mean, really a breakout prospect. He was a seventh-round pick out of Boston College. And has just, you know, lit up the minor leagues this year. I mean, him and Andrew Fisher and Josh Adamshewski and all those guys down in Appleton and then Biloxi on Double-A. I mean, they have just been raking all season, putting up monster numbers. Ragsdale, I mean, he was not expected to be this good. I mean, he’s expected to be solid.

Jake Wood (15:58)
Yeah.

Dave Gasper (16:00)
The power wasn’t necessarily expected to be there that much. But I mean, he’s got like a 20-20-30 season now, like 20 doubles, 20 homers, 30 steals, something like that. So, like the power has really kind of shown up quite a bit. The steals are there. But also you gotta watch out for that strikeout rate. I mean, even with his home runs and his success there in Double-A. The strikeout rate of near thirty percent with Double-A Biloxi. So, you know, there might be some question as to whether or not he’s gonna be able to make enough contact as he goes up the chain. But still a very talented player. You know, I think at the very least a pretty high floor of a fourth outfielder.

Jake Wood (16:38)
Yeah, that seems to be what the Cardinals’ new brain trust is targeting, especially, you know, specifically in like a Josiah Ragsdale, you know, their Double-A hitting coach, had talked to one of the St. Louis reporters and talked about how, you know, this this new front office, this new regime is looking for hitters who who pull the ball in the air, who can lift and separate to their pull side. And, you know, by all accounts, that’s something that Josiah Ragsdale and the Brewers development team kind of unlocked for him in that set that next level of his development. And I think that’s kind of what made him so appealing to the Cardinals as they’re kind of shifting their mindset and their approach to more of what the Brewers tend to feature, not so much from the offensive side, but from the pitching side. Guys with big stuff, guys that play, you know, at the top of the zone and can just overpower their opponents essentially, and then, you know, from an offensive sp perspective, big exit velocity, big tools, lots of moldable clay, if you will.

David, real quickly, where can fans find you on your socials? And can you give a quick plug to your show?

Dave Gasper (17:46)
Yeah, you can find me on X or Twitter, however you want to call it still, at @DGasper24. Got lots of content like you know from the clubhouse, covering the team out there. And then the show is Brewers Daily. It is on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, all those places. Just search Brewers Daily, and you’ll find it. So yeah, it’s plenty of places. And then you know, where I do all my writing is at brewcrewball.com.

Jake Wood (18:16)
And for Cardinals fans, David’s show is very similar to what we have here in St. Louis, and B-Schaeff Daily, Brendan Schaefer, who’s the writer for MLB.com locally. So it’s very similar to what his he’s is, and if you want to keep up to date on, you know, some of the Cardinals’ near-division foes, David does excellent work. You can stay as informed as you possibly could want to be following the Brewers. It’s been a wonderful follow for me ever since David and I kind of connected a few years ago before Viva El Birdos, back whenever it was still Rambling Redbirds and that whole spiel kind of

Dave Gasper (18:52)
yeah.

Jake Wood (18:53)
was my own mind creation. But I’m so glad to finally have been able to get you on the show and be able to talk to you. David, thank you so much for your time today. We sincerely appreciate it. Hopefully we can catch up after the season and a deep Milwaukee postseason run and do kind of a post-mortem on the NL Central.

Dave Gasper (19:12)
Yeah, absolutely appreciate it, man. Appreciate you having me on, and yeah, glad we were finally able to get something on the schedule and get something done here. So this was a lot of fun, happy to do it.

Jake Wood (19:22)
Absolutely. Thank you so much. And thank YOU so much for joining us for this episode of the Viva El Birdos Podcast. Don’t forget to rate, review, and hit that subscribe button so that you’re notified every Monday morning. For my fellow writers, Gabe Simonds and Scott Plaza, who were not with us physically tonight, but in spirit, my name is Jake Wood, and we’ll talk to you all next week and bring you more great Cardinals content. Have a great day, St. Louis, and let’s go Cards!

The San Diego Padres promoted their top prospect, catcher Ethan Salas, to Triple-A El Paso on July 29. He has had 43 plate appearances over nine games since joining the Chihuahuas. The Pacific Coast League is notorious for inflated offense and is a challenge for pitchers trying to maintain a reasonable ERA. The air is dry and hot, and there is frequently elevation to deal with.

Salas had been on a plateau in Double-A, especially with extra-base hits over his past several weeks with San Antonio.

The move to El Paso could be viewed as an opportunity to boost his confidence while providing him an opportunity to hone his swing for more power.

It seems to have worked with Salas hitting .333/.419/.667 in his first two series with his new team. He has four doubles, a triple, two home runs, and 12 RBI. 

His catching skills have always been viewed as advanced for his years, and he has only 53 innings of catching El Paso’s pitchers to this point. He has two passed balls, one throwing error, and has a 20% caught stealing rate for his early return.

It can be debated whether it would be a wise move to bring Salas up in September when MLB teams can expand their rosters to 28 players. It might be better to add pitching for the Friars and leave Salas at Triple-A to finish the season. With a pending labor dispute at the MLB level, promoting Salas to the major league roster would put his further development at risk should a lockout occur later this year. He would be unable to work with the minor league players if unrest should linger into the 2027 season.

The Padres have a decision to make, but the promotion of their prized prospect is something that many fans are hoping they will move on.

Multiple roster moves

The Padres brass had decisions to make and made minor-league accommodations to add some of their most recent signings. The players signed after the draft have been in Arizona being evaluated, and a few were added to Single-A Lake Elsinore’s roster this past week.

Many more remain in Arizona playing in the games going on in the bridge league. Bridge league games are played on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday (info per Jerry Espinoza on X). The league allows rehabbing and players in development to work on skills and be evaluated after the ACL concludes.

Padres utility player Samad Taylor is rehabbing with the bridge league before a formal rehab assignment.

To work the new Padres into the system, the organization made multiple cuts and adjustments to their minor league rosters.

With only 165 players allowed in the minor league system, many roster moves are needed to fold the new talent into competition. 

El Paso Chihuahuas (47-66 record, last in PCL East)

The Chihuahuas played in Reno this past week. The 4,500 feet of elevation helps the batted ball to fly but also decreases movement on thrown pitches. Padres rehabbing starter Joe Musgrove moved his rehab to the Chihuahuas on Sunday, throwing 3.1 innings of one-run ball on 6 hits and 2 strikeouts with no walks. His fastball hung between 94-96 mph, and he threw all his pitches. Musgrove relied heavily on his sinker and his fastball but also mixed in a curve, a sweeper, a cutter, and a slider. He had 42 strikes in his 53 pitches and left the game after hitting his pitch count.

Padres reliever, David Morgan, continued his rehab with El Paso this past week. Throwing twice during the week for 3.1 innings with three walks and an earned run. His velocity is back to 96-98 mph on his sinker, but he has no strikeouts with the walks.

The Padres signed minor league free agent pitchers JP France and Hans Crouse, adding them to the El Paso roster.

First baseman Romeo Sanabria, who was promoted in July, appeared in 21 games and was hitting .200 with a .575 OPS. Sanabria was sent back to San Antonio on Aug. 7.

With catcher Rudolfo Durán rejoining El Paso, catcher Anthony Vilar was sent to San Antonio. Outfielder Dustin Harris and RHP Michael Flynn were released, but Harris was resigned three days later. Infielder Nate Mondou was released.

RHSP Andrew Thurman was promoted from San Antonio to El Paso. RHP Andrew Moore was traded, and RHP Hunter Stratton was acquired.

LHP Jackson Wolf left the system via trade. 

RHP Eli Villalobos, RHP Ryan Och and outfielder Kavares Tears transferred to the 60-day injured list.

San Antonio Missions (49-59 record, last in Texas League South)

Undrafted free agent outfielder Jake Cunningham, who signed with the Padres on a minor league deal this past offseason, has thrived with the Padres after being released by the Orioles. He leads the team with a .294 average and .819 OPS. Over his 95 games between Fort Wayne and San Antonio, Cunningham has 19 home runs and 60 RBI, the most HR’s in the Padres minor league system.

Corner IF/OF Jack Costello and catcher Oswaldo Linares were promoted to San Antonio from Fort Wayne.

Outfielder Kai Murphy (son of MLB manager Pat Murphy) was moved to the development list.

Catchers Chris Sargent, Colton Vincent and RHP Andrew Dalquist were released.

LHSP Luis Gutierrez, who currently sits as the No. 14 prospect in the system, continues his rehab with San Antonio.

Fort Wayne TinCaps (46-60 record, last in Midwest League East)

LHP Kash Mayfield and RHP Miguel Mendez were traded off the roster. RHP Isaiah Lowe, RHP Sean Barnett and RHP Jeferson Villabona were promoted from Lake Elsinore.

RHP Clark Candiotti, RHP Luis German and infielder Zach Evans were released.

Infielder Bradley Frye, C/1B Yoiber Ocopio and outfielder Connor Westenberg were promoted from Lake Elsinore.

The Fort Wayne offense is still struggling, losing 5 of 6 games this past week. Outfielder Ryan Wideman leads the team with a .284 average but still has a .304 slugging percentage. 

The best overall player is first baseman Luke Cantwell with a .271 average and .906 OPS.

RHP Carson Montgomery is the leading starter after all the changes but has a 4.46 ERA in 74.2 innings pitched. RHP Abraham Parra has the most strikeouts with 73 in 77.1 innings with a 6.17 ERA.

Reliever Tucker Musgrove, who has 40 strikeouts in 19 innings pitched, has taken advantage of a new opportunity and has two saves with a 3.79 ERA.

Lake Elsinore Storm (58-50 record, first in Cal League South)

With a 4-2 record in the series against the former first-place Ontario Tower Buzzers, the Storm resumed the lead in their division. After winning the first half championship, Lake Elsinore is trying to wrap up second half honors as well. Their regular season ends on Sept. 6.

RHP Michael Salina, who had Tommy John surgery before being drafted by the Padres in the 4th round of the 2025 draft, finally began his rehab and was removed after one inning due to injury. He allowed a hit and had a strikeout before leaving the game.

LHP Ryan Reed, another 2025 draftee coming off injury, and LHP Joseph Herrera both arrived from the Arizona development list. Catchers Jake Bold and Augie Lopez (10th round draft pick) were added to the Lake Elsinore roster.

Outfielder Alex Conover (supplemental round four, 2026 draft) and third baseman Nu’u Contrades (6th round, 2026 draft) were both added to the Lake Elsinore roster.

Outfielder Jesmaylin Arias, who played 47 games in the ACL this year, was added to the Storm roster.

Infielder Dawson Willis was reinstated off the injured list.

Outfielder George Bilecki (12th round, 2025 draft), relievers Vicarte Domingo, Cal Riehl, and Carson Swilling were released.

LHP Kruz Schoolcraft was skipped over for his start this past week and the Storm used a bullpen game instead with LHP Adler Cecil making the start and LHP Ryan Reed making his debut.

DSL Padres Brown (9-38 record, last in West Division)

IF/OF Gabriel Teran has played in 21 games with a .377 average and 1.109 OPS. He leads the team with three home runs.  Third baseman and DH Osmy Osorio has 21 RBI while hitting .206, while C/IF/OF Sebastian Maldonado has 22 RBI while hitting .196.

DSL Padres Gold (35-14 record, first in Northwest Division)
Infielder Sebastian Nadales is hitting .442  with a 1.281 OPS in 13 games. OF/IF Endy Rios is hitting .404 with a 1.075 OPS in 15 games. C/IF/OF Dayquer Alfonzo it hitting .338 with a 1.025 OPS with four home runs and 47 RBI, tops on the team.

LHSP Carlos Alvarez has 10 starts and 39.1 innings pitched with a 3.66 ERA while LHSP Yunny Tovar has eight games started and 35 innings pitched with a 3.34 ERA.

Clay Holmes made his Cubs debut against the Royals on Saturday. It probably wasn’t the box score line he was looking for, but seeing as it was his first start since taking a comebacker that broke his leg in mid-May, it was perfectly fine. He threw four innings, giving up four runs (all earned) on six hits while walking two and striking out one. Here’s more about that outing directly from Holmes:

Even if there are a few starts where Holmes needs to shake the rust off like his first outing, the Cubs clearly see something in his arsenal that should work well with their elite defense. Today let’s dive into the numbers behind this trade that sent one of their top prospects back to the Mets in Jefferson Rojas.

The arsenal

Holmes is your classic sinker ball pitcher. He throws his sinker, which averages 94 miles per hour, about 50 percent of the time. You know what that means: ground balls. You don’t even really have to squint to see what the Cubs front office sees in this move: ground balls with an elite defense are more likely to be outs. You can see all of Holmes’ pitches along with their velocity in this screengrab from Baseball Savant:

This is a pitcher who tinkers a bit. There have been changes to his arsenal over the last few years, but it’s mainly in how much he throws a certain pitch. The biggest thing to look at in Holmes’ pitches is that his role shifted considerably from 2024, when he was an elite reliever with the Yankees to 2025 when he became a credible starter with the Mets. You can see how Holmes’ pitch mix has changed over time below:

The stats

Holmes can tinker all he wants if he winds up with ground ball rates like the ones he’s had over the past few seasons for the Cubs. These numbers were truly eye-popping to me. I ran a FanGraphs leaderboard for every pitcher’s ground ball rates since 2021 split by season for pitchers with at least 50 innings a season. Holmes has four of the top 15 seasons out of 1961 total seasons (yes, really). His worst ground ball rate (2025 with the Mets) is still in the top 10 percent, ranking 119th. There is elite in a single season and then there is elite over time. Holmes is elite over time, and I am dreaming on the double plays he’s going to have turned behind him already. You can see key stats from his last six seasons below:

Holmes isn’t going to strike out a large number of batters (although he’ll probably strike out more than one every four innings like his Cubs debut) but he also isn’t going to walk a bunch of batters. His hard hit rate was up to 44.8 percent before the injury with the Mets, which is certainly something to keep an eye on going forward. He did give up eight hard hit balls against the Royals, but honestly more than half of that was Jac Caglianone having the game of his life, so I’m not terribly worried about that as a trend going forward. The Cubs are banking on Holmes limiting the walks and and turning those ground balls, hard hit or not, into outs.

The return

This was the most groan-inducing return in what was generally a great trade deadline for the Cubs front office. Pitching was expensive, and admittedly, the Cubs also got Tyrone Taylor (more on him later this week) in this deal. However, Jefferson Rojas was a top prospect in the Cubs system for a reason. Don’t just take it from me, here’s what FanGraphs most recent write-up of the 21-year-old says:

Rojas had a monster half-season at High-A in 2025, walking nearly as often as he struck out and slashing 278/.379/.492. While it was his second spin through the level, his look on both sides of the ball was enough for us to elevate him into the Top 100 in the middle of the year and hold him there through the offseason despite a really rough late-season performance at Double-A Knoxville.

Back with the Smokies to start 2026, Rojas has produced a great early-season statline but has been striking out much more than is usual for him, albeit in a very small sample made all the smaller by time off for a minor thumb issue for which he was not placed on the IL. In the days preceding his shutdown, he was very error-prone on defense (flubs, throwing inaccuracy). While Rojas isn’t going to win any Gold Gloves (his range and hands are only fair), he has the body control and arm strength to make up for his shortcomings, and he projects to stay at shortstop.

On offense, Rojas has tended to be an above-average contact hitter with excellent plate coverage. He’s frequently geared to pull and was swinging inside a lot of sliders in the lead up to list publication, but this wasn’t an issue for him last year, when he had roughly average chase and miss rates against righty slide pieces. While he’ll occasionally get extended on a pitch away from him and drive it to right field, most of Rojas’ contact is directed toward the left field foul pole, where he hooks lots of doubles and potential homers. Though he’s young, Rojas is already a pretty physical guy, and he isn’t likely to add substantial strength without it nerfing some of his mobility on defense. Here he projects to have an average hit/power combo seasoned by plus plate discipline, which should be enough for him to play every day at shortstop. His timeline — we’re looking at a post-2026 40-man addition and (slow playing it) a 2028 debut — overlaps with the team’s other infielders enough that Rojas should be considered a prime trade candidate, especially if the Cubs’ hot start is a true indication of their contender status.

Takeaways

As I said in my grading the trade deadline article, the problem isn’t that the Cubs moved Rojas, it’s that the return for a prospect of Rojas’ caliber used to be controllable starting pitching rather than rentals. To put this in perspective, Rojas was immediately FanGraphs’ top prospect in the Mets organization and while prospects aren’t promises this could be a kid we all watch in the All-Star Game someday and bemoan the Cubs front office giving him up for rentals. The flip side of that is that the Cubs have a shot to win it all now, and those seasons are precious. Props to Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins for going for it this trade deadline. I think we’d all rather sigh watching Rojas slug against the Cubs in 2028 than sigh watching the Cubs fall one pitcher and a right-handed bat short of winning the NLCS in 2026.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing hasn’t played in a game since August 1 because of a “slightly torn UCL” in his right throwing arm.

There’s currently no timeline on Rushing’s return, as it will depend on whether the 25-year-old backstop will need to get surgery to fix the elbow tear.

If Rushing does need surgery, it will mean his 2026 season is over. But he doesn’t believe that will be necessary, which he made very clear on Monday.

“I don’t have to go lay on a table and get my arm cut open. That’s a good thing. That’s where we’re at right now,” Rushing said on Monday night, per The Athletic.

He added that doctors are, “not worried about anything structurally right now,” which is a big reason why he’s optimistic about not needing surgery.

Any degree of torn UCL in their throwing arms almost certainly means surgery and a nine to 12-month recovery for a pitcher. But because position players aren’t so dependent on throwing (especially when it comes to velocity), they can sometimes play through the injury, or at least delay when they need to get surgery and return to the field.

Los Angeles could use Rushing back in their lineup as soon as possible, given that their starting catcher, Will Smith, has been on the 60-day injured list since June with an inflamed disc in his neck. But it seems that Smith close be nearing a return in the relatively near future.

The Dodgers have lose eight of their past 10 games but still hold a commanding 7.5 game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West.

LOS ANGELES — For the third consecutive season, Blake Snell is returning from an injury in the second half of the season. He’ll be activated off the 60-day injured list on Tuesday to start against the Kansas City Royals, and the Dodgers are looking for another strong finishing kick, which has become the norm for Snell.

Snell made four rehab starts on his latest minor league rehab assignment, topping out at four innings, and lasted 3 2/3 innings last Tuesday for Triple-A Oklahoma City. While his first start back might not be too long, he’ll be expected to fill innings once he gets his legs under him.

“The goal is five and 75, but to get him through five innings would be great,” manager Dave Roberts said Monday. “I think if we could get him through five [Tuesday], which would be great and which he expects, we should be able to treat him like a normal starter, given that he has an extra day or two between those starts.”

Snell’s talent has been evident for his entire career, but staying on the field hasn’t been his hallmark. Of his 11 major league season he’s reached 130 innings twice, and won a Cy Young Award in both seasons — 2018 with the Tampa Bay Rays and 2023 with the San Diego Padres.

In 2025, the first season of Snell’s five-year, $182 million contract with the Dodgers, he only made 11 regular season starts, and won’t quite reach that number this year. But the Dodgers are more concerned about Snell being one of their postseason rotation anchors, as he was last year with three Game 1 starts, a 3.18 ERA and a Dodgers postseason record with 41 strikeouts.

Strong finishes have been an annual tradition for Snell of late, usually after returning from injury. In 2024 with the San Francisco Giants Snell was sidelined by a left groin strain, last year with the Dodgers was shoulder inflammation, and this year the last three months were spent rehabbing from May arthroscopic surgery on his left elbow to remove loose bodies.

“It’s been a long season for me. I can’t wait to getting back to pitching and figuring everything out again, just seeing how good I can be,” Snell told Kirsten Watson on SportsNet LA over the weekend in Arizona. “I only have so many games to see that, so I’m excited to get good really quickly and help the team win.”

Here are Snell’s finishing kicks for those seasons, plus his 2023 Cy Young Award season:

• 2023 (Padres): final 23 starts, 19 runs allowed, 1.20 ERA, 3.12 xERA
• 2024 (Giants): final 14 starts, 12 runs allowed, 1.23 ERA, 1.89 xERA
• 2025* (Dodgers): final 14 starts, 26 runs allowed, 2.71 ERA, 2.56 xERA

*including postseason

“I feel very confident. I had a good conversation with him [Sunday], and he’s on a mission,” Roberts said of Snell. “I like when great, talented players have that mindset. He hasn’t unfortunately been a part of this whole season, but from here on out it’s a sprint, and he’s very focused.”

The latest news and notes about the Houston Astros:

Josh Hader pitched more than 1 inning for the first time this season, something that at the beginning of the year, Astros manager Joe Espada said he would not do this season:

Cam Smith is on fire:

Yordan Alvarez continues to climb the Astros record books (he would go on to pass Gurriel with a single in the 6th):

Some more Astros draft picks are headed to Single-A Fayetteville:

Isaac Paredes, after struggling through April and May, has rebounded to look much like he did a year ago since June 1:

Jimmy Price of Astros Future lists the Astros new Top 30 Prospects after the draft:

Taylor Trammell is having the best season of his career:

Not only are his overall numbers the best they have been, his platoon splits show him to be a quality platoon player with an OPS near .800 vs RHP

His second half numbers not only show an increase in power, but a tremendous drop in strikeout rate, with an equal increase in walk rate:

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Full slate Tuesday is here, and my favorite plays include a fade of Los Angeles Angels starter Ryan Johnson.

Join me as I dive into why I'm also expecting big nights from Griffin Conine and Junior Caminero in my three favorite MLB player props for Aug. 11.

Best MLB player props today

Player	Pick	Odds
Ryan Johnson	Over 2.5 earned runs	-118
Griffin Conine	Over 0.5 hits + runs + RBI	-143
Junior Caminero	Over 1.5 total bases	-127

Ryan Johnson Over 2.5 earned runs (-118)

I find it hard to overlook the amount of data pointing toward Los Angeles Angels right-hander Ryan Johnson getting shelled this evening against the Texas Rangers.

According to Batters-Box’s current-season dataset, Johnson draws a Rangers lineup featuring six elite-rated hitters and one with a strong rating, making Texas the highest-rated offense and the only elite-rated team on today’s slate.

The Angels starter has posted a 7.25 ERA, 6.34 xERA and 1.66 WHIP over his last five starts. During that span, opposing hitters have also generated a 14.5% barrel rate against him.

In 198 games with a rating of at least 0.445, the Rangers have scored 4+ runs 56.1% of the time dating back to 2024. While that number covers an entire game, the underlying data starts with the opposing starting pitcher.

Playable to -125.

• Time: 9:38 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ABTV, RSN

Griffin Conine Over 0.5 hits + runs + RBI (-143)

Miami Marlins outfielder and son of Mr. Marlin, Griffin Conine, enters Tuesday in a great spot against Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes.

The superstar pitcher has struggled a ton against left-handed hitters. Over the last 60 lefties Skenes has faced, they are generating a 52% hard-hit rate, 14% barrel rate, and 65.5% elevation rate. During that stretch, those lefties have posted a .386 xBA, .670 xSLG, and .399 wOBA. Over the last 30 he has faced, those numbers are even worse.

Conine has been swinging it well over his last 10 games, posting a .257 ISO, 45% hard-hit rate, 15% barrel rate, and 80% elevation rate.

The young outfielder enters with an elite rating on Batters-Box while also covering over 77% of Skenes' pitches. In 20 games with an elite rating this season, he has surpassed this prop 60% of the time.

Win or lose, this is a great bet. Play this to -150, or bet Conine's hit prop down to -120.

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MIAM, SNP

Junior Caminero Over 1.5 total bases (-127)

Tampa Bay Rays slugger Junior Caminero is set to have himself an evening in Sacramento.

The superstar enters tonight with an elite rating on Batters-Box, while also covering over 60% of Athletics right-hander Mason Barnett’s pitch mix. Over his last 25 elite ratings on the road, Caminero has surpassed this prop 60% of the time.

Barnett has allowed a 50% hard-hit rate and 66.7% elevation rate to right-handed hitters at home this season. Over his last 60 batters faced, those hitters are producing a 44% hard-hit rate, 16.7% barrel rate and 66.7% elevation rate. They also own a .333 xBA, .559 xSLG and .278 ISO during that stretch.

Meanwhile, Caminero has posted a .632 SLG and .395 ISO, while generating a 57% hard-hit rate and 21.4% barrel rate over his last 10 games.

I'd play this down to -130 if you're willing to pay the juice, or bet his home run and double props individually.

• Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: RAYS, NBCSCA

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After revealing the players who appeared on a single ballot yesterday, it’s time to write about some players that were named on multiple ballots but fell short from Honorable Mention Purple Row Prospect (HM PuRP) status in the pre-season 2026 voting. Today, I’ll reveal players who got support on anywhere from two and five ballots of the 29 cast in this edition of PuRPs voting. As you’ll see, it’s a group that’s littered with pre-season PuRPs who have been crowded out by newcomers to the system.

For each player, I’ll include a link to individual stats and contract status (via Baseball-Reference), as well as notes on their 2026 season. For the sake of full disclosure, I’ll also include where I put each player on my personal ballot. All ages are as of the day the article is posted.

Multi-Ballot Players

56. Michael Prosecky(0.6 points, 2 ballots) — The 25-year-old lefty pitcher was the pre-season number 25 PuRP but he barely got consideration in the mid-season vote during a year in which he missed two months due to injury. Prosecky was a reliever in college for Louisville but transitioned to the rotation after signing for a $300k bonus in 2022 as a 6th rounder. As a prospect, Prosecky pairs a deceptive low to mid-90s fastball with a high spin rate curveball, slider, and change-up.

This season, Prosecky has largely been back in the bullpen in a return engagement with Double-A Hartford, where he is league-average age. He made three April relief appearances before spending two months on the shelf with an injury. After a short rehab with the ACL team, Prosecky has been back with Hartford, often pitching in multi-inning spurts. In all, Prosecky has made 12 appearances this year with Hartford, totaling 20.2 innings with a 3.92 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, 6.1 K/9 rate, and 5.7 BB/9 rate. That’s not going to stand out in a year in which Prosecky will again be exposed to the Rule 5 draft.

Prosecky is currently ranked 39th in the system by FanGraphs as a 35+ FV player:

Prosecky is a fun watch. He’s a high-slot guy with a Bugs Bunny sinking change and a slow curve that practically takes a nap on its way to the plate. Arm strength is an ongoing concern here, as he touched 95 at times but was sitting in the upper 80s by the end of last season. His fastball doesn’t have bat-missing shape, but he does hide the ball well, so it’s a viable weapon if he can just keep it in the 90s. While his command isn’t bad, it isn’t sharp either, and the result is a lot of nibbling and more fastballs leaking over the heart of the plate than he can afford. It’s the skill set of a crafty lefty who isn’t quite crafty enough to start. He projects as a spot starter or swingman, roles Prosecky will likely be ready for by 2027.

Thus far in 2026, the strikeouts and command that make the above profile work just haven’t been there in the results, plus he’s not currently in the starting rotation. I still have Prosecky hanging around in my 35+ FV tier, but he didn’t make my list.

52. Oscar Pujols (2.2 points, 2 ballots) — The 19-year-old right-handed pitcher drops here after being the number 30 PuRP in the pre-season. Pujols was Colorado’s top international free agent pitcher signing in the 2024 period, receiving a $600k bonus. The 6’2”, 165-pound starter is in the upper 80s/low 90s now and boasts a promising curveball when he is healthy. In 2026, that hasn’t been the case, as Pujols just made his first appearance of the season earlier this week with a scoreless inning in the Dominican Summer League.

Pujols has been excellent in the DSL but only really registered close to a full season in 2024. In total, he has just 36 innings as a professional across three years, with a 1.75 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 10.3 K/9 rate, and 1.8 BB/9 rate. I’m glad Pujols has made it back onto the mound in 2026, but I’ll need to see more before he’s back in consideration for my list in the off-season.

51. Douglas Veliz(2.2 points, 2 ballots) — The 17-year-old Venezuelan righty catcher wasn’t a heralded signing this off-season at just $50k, but he’s made the most of his opportunities so far in the DSL this year. In 110 plate appearances split between Colorado’s two DSL teams, Veliz has shown excellent patience en route to a .307/.527/.467 line that includes a homer (163 wRC+). The 5’10” slugger walks in nearly 23% of his PA so far against a 14% strikeout rate. Even in a league where command is difficult to find, Veliz’s plate discipline numbers are encouraging and he’s thrown out nearly a third of would-be base stealers from behind the plate.

Given the lack of scouting love that is implied by the lower signing bonus, I’m going to see if Veliz can continue his offensive tear a longer time (and ideally at a higher level) before I put him on my list. Regardless, Veliz has gotten a lot of attention so far with his sterling start.

50. Jordy Vargas (6.0 points, 5 ballots) — The 22-year-old Dominican right-handed pitcher is another pre-season PuRP, coming in at No. 21 in January. Vargas boasts a pitch mix that includes a mid-90s fastball, a potential plus curveball, a promising change, and the ability to throw them for strikes consistently. At least, he did before Tommy John surgery wiped out half of 2023 and all of 2024.

An uneven and abbreviated 2025 didn’t fully answer the question of if the arsenal was back and Vargas was unprotected and unselected in the 2025 Rule 5 Draft. Thomas Harding picks up the story from there in his profile of Vargas from early November 2025. Per that piece, Vargas spent time in the Rockies’ pitching performance lab in Arizona and worked on his form. By the time fall instructs rolled around, he seemed to be rounding back into form. 

This year, Vargas has stayed healthy all season and at times has gotten some strong results in High-A Spokane, where he is 1.2 years younger than league average. It hasn’t been a smooth ride though, as Vargas has a 5.48 ERA with a 1.61 WHIP, 10.0 K/9 rate, and 5.6 BB/9 rate in 88.2 innings across 20 starts.

Vargas is ranked 46th in the system by FanGraphs as a 35+ FV player:

Three years ago, Vargas was one of the top teenage pitching prospects in baseball. With a mid-to-upper-90s fastball, a hammer curve, and an athletic frame, he had the arm strength and physical projection of a mid-rotation starter with a chance for more. Unfortunately, he blew out that summer in the Cal League, didn’t return until 2025, and hasn’t looked like his old self since getting back on the mound. His velocity is down a few ticks, and the corresponding decrease in sharpness on his breaking stuff has rendered what were once plus offerings fringy or average. Once a great strike-thrower, his control collapsed at High-A last year, and he’s been hit around on the backfields this spring. There are enough ingredients — athleticism, feel for spin, vague hopes of a bounce back — to keep Vargas on the radar, but the arrow is down substantially here.

It’s been good to see Vargas stay healthy and get some High-A hitters out, but it’s not the kind of unambiguous success that will secure him a 40-man roster spot this off-season in his second exposure to the Rule 5 draft. He’s still a 40 FV arm for me, but the system is deep right now and he didn’t make my list.

49. Yujanyer Herrera (6.9 points, 3 ballots) — The 22-year-old Venezuelan right-handed pitcher, who was a trade acquisition in 2024 for Nick Mears after getting signed for only $10k in 2019 by the Brewers, was the No. 22 PuRP in the pre-season list. Like Vargas above him, Herrera was on his way to a breakout year, only to be felled by Tommy John surgery (his was after the 2024 season) and then struggle this year for High-A Spokane, where he is about 1.2 years younger than league average.

In 64.1 frames across 18 games, Herrera has a 6.02 ERA, 1.79 WHIP, 9.5 K/9 rate, and 5.7 BB/9 rate with 12 homers allowed — though his 5.06 xFIP suggests he’s been a bit unlucky to get those results.

Keith Law of the Athletic ranked Herrera 19th in the system before the season:

[Herrera is] still throwing hard [after TJ surgery] with a sinker/slider mix and a good starter’s delivery. Herrera was on track to be one of the team’s better pitching prospects, and if the stuff and control he showed before the injury are still there in the spring, he’s a sleeper to watch.

MLB Pipeline ranks Herrera 24th in the system as a 40 FV player, highlighted by a 55 slider grade:

Herrera did return in time for instructional league play and was providing some optimism by dialing his fastball up to 97-98 mph in shorter stints. Before the injury, he was usually in the 92-94 mph range, getting groundball outs when he sinks it, but relying on his hard slider as his main out pitch. His feel to spin also helps him land a slightly slower curve and he has a changeup that he hadn’t committed to before he got hurt.

The new pitching group with the Rockies are excited about working with Herrera because of his ability to shape different pitches, all coming out of the same slot. He got in some competitive innings in winter ball and he’ll pitch most of the 2026 season at age 22, trying to show he has the stuff and command to stick in a rotation.

Herrera is ranked 44th in the system by FanGraphs as a 35+ FV player:

Herrera is listed at 175 pounds, but he looks more like 250. He’s a slow-twitch, below-average athlete who has struggled to throw strikes at various points during his career. Even though he has mostly started, his effort level and the way he falls and spins off the mound have made him scattered in a way that’s almost always better suited for the bullpen. His stuff looks down a tick or two this spring, but in shorter stints, he could have two 60’s in the holster, as he touched the upper 90s and his slider missed a ton of bats back in 2024, even though visually it looks more average or 55 than plus. He has experimented with a change but hasn’t used it a ton, and neither the action nor the arm speed scream “projectable.” He’s a middle relief prospect who could move quickly if he’s moved to the bullpen.

Herrera is approaching minor league free agency if the Rockies don’t add him to the 40-man roster, so one way or another some action will be required if both parties want to continue on together in 2027. He’s another one of the 35+ FV arm brigade that the Rockies will need to sort through over the next couple of months as they make Rule 5 decisions.

48. Carlos Vielma (8.1 points, 3 ballots) — The 5’10” lefty hitting, righty throwing Venezuelan third baseman, who turns 17 tomorrow, was acquired from the White Sox in the Brenton Doyle trade earlier this month. The Rockies targeted Vielma in large part due to a scalding professional debut since signing earlier this year to a $400k bonus with Chicago. Playing in the DSL, Vielma has a fantastic .368/.519/.500 batting line with a homer in 156 plate appearances between Chicago and Colorado’s teams, including a 10-17 mark so far with the Rockies org, good for an overall 150 wRC+.

Here’s what Michael Baumann of FanGraphs mentioned about Vielma at trade time:

Vielma is a stocky 5-foot-10 infielder who played every infield position except shortstop in the DSL, looking slick (at least for the time being) at both second and third base. There’s not much power now, and Eric Longenhagen’s scouting report indicates that we shouldn’t hold our breath waiting for Vielma to develop corner infield-worthy power down the line. But what he does have excellent hand-eye coordination and bat control.

Vielma is far enough away that the range of outcomes is wide, but if he can continue to produce at this level offensively once he comes stateside, that will be worth paying attention to. He’s an infielder in the 35+ FV tier for me.

47. Derek Bernard(11.5 points, 5 ballots) — The just-turned 21-year-old Dominican is a lefty-hitting, righty-throwing corner outfielder who is repeating at Low-A Fresno, where he is 1.1 years younger than league average. Bernard was signed as an infielder for a $185k signing bonus in 2022 that was structured in a way such that it was advantageous tax-wise for him to spend multiple seasons in the DSL (because he was largely raised in Brooklyn). He has produced an above average offensive line at every level so far as a pro.

This year, Bernard has hit .271/.368/.423 in 334 plate appearances in Fresno (he had a three week IL stint in June with a short ACL rehab stint) with eight homers among his 25 extra base hits, good for a 105 wRC+. He’s walking in over 13% of plate appearances while striking out in about 25% of them.

Brendan Gawlowski of FanGraphs ranks Bernard 20th in the system as a 40+ FV player, including a plus future raw power grade:

Bernard is a volatile prospect with a mix of big tools and significant hit risk. At the plate, he’s a compact, explosive athlete with an enticing blend of short arms and above-average raw power. For better or worse, the 20-year-old swings very hard. He produces big exit velocities when he squares one up (his max was just shy of 113 mph last year), but the effort level involved seems to limit his barrel accuracy. It’s a steep swing, and Bernard doesn’t manipulate the path much, though plus bat speed lets him get away with it and stay competitive on fastballs up. He’s an aggressive hitter and will expand the zone, but he seems to recognize spin okay and can adjust off the fastball. He isn’t awful against lefties, but he has run noticeable platoon splits thus far.

All of these competing traits played to a truce at Low-A Fresno last year, as he managed to hit .302, though with just six homers. His 24.4% strikeout rate and 67% contact rate are both concerning, but were also improvements over his marks on the complex in 2024 (32% and 65%). Even if directionally positive, it’s tough to project a player with that much swing and miss as a regular, particularly since Bernard is more of a doubles hitter at this point. Defensively, he’s faster than most players already confined to a corner, and his speed, arm, and average instincts should get him to a 55 on that side of the ball. Add it up, and you have the makings of a good platoon outfielder.

Bernard has shown enough to be ranked 27th on my list as a 40 FV player because of the power/walks/athleticism combo, plus excellent exit velocity numbers. He’ll be Rule 5 eligible this off-season and hasn’t yet made it to High-A, so the Rockies will need to consider if he requires a 40-man roster spot soon.

46. Eiberson Castellano (12.8 points, 4 ballots) — The 25-year-old right-handed Venezuelan pitcher was signed by the Rockies this off-season as a free agent. Castellano was signed for just $10k back in 2018 by the Phillies, though he didn’t get into any professional games until 2021. He was a Rule 5 pick in late 2024 by the Twins but was returned to the Phillies before the season began. Castellano left the Phillies organization after 2025 in search of a big league role, which he (briefly) found this year with the Rockies.

This season, Castellano was initially assigned to Double-A Hartford, where in ten starts and 53 innings he showed well, producing a 2.72 ERA with a 1.45 WHIP, 9.0 K/9 rate, and 4.6 BB/9 rate. He was promoted to Triple-A Albuquerque in early June, where he promptly threw six scoreless innings of one hit ball with two walks and seven strikeouts in his debut there. That was enough for the Rockies to add Castellano to the 40-man roster on June 13th and bring him up for his Major League debut the next day, where he threw three scoreless innings in relief in Colorado’s blowout 23-9 win in a hitter’s haven in Las Vegas to get a save (and produce 0.1 rWAR).

The Rockies sent Castellano down the next day, where he has since operated as a de facto starter after an opener. In ten total appearances in Triple-A, Castellano has a 5.30 ERA with a 1.39 WHIP, 8.4 K/9 rate, and 5.3 BB/9 rate in 37.1 innings in a Pacific Coast League that is an offensive paradise. He’s a candidate to get some more work at the big league level down the stretch if needed.

Castellano is ranked 24th in the org by FanGraphs as a 40 FV player, highlighted by plus future grades on his slider and curveball:

[Castellano] got some run with the big league club this spring, where he flashed his usual mix of sharp breaking balls as well as an improved change with sink and tail. It’s somewhat unusual for a pitcher to generate sharp break in both directions, but the Venezuelan righty is able to do it, and his curve in particular has aesthetically pleasing late bite. While he has average arm strength, Castellano’s fastballs don’t really play and he sometimes has trouble setting up his secondaries. That and below-average command likely ticket him for the bullpen in the long run, though he has the arsenal depth to start and Colorado has used him in a length role thus far. If starting is what he wants to do, he’s certainly found the right org to get an opportunity. He has the ceiling of a no. 4 or 5, and regardless of role, he has a shot to debut in the back half of 2026.

Castellano represents good starter depth and has two intriguing breaking pitches that give him a good bullpen fallback, which is worth a 40 FV designation and a place just off my main ballot.

45. Cole Messina (13.2 points, 4 ballots) — The 23-year-old righty catcher was the No. 26 PuRP in the pre-season list. The 6’0”, 230-pound Messina, who signed for a slot bonus of just over $1 million after getting picked 77th overall in 2024, came to the Rockies after two-straight successful years in the toughest conference in NCAA baseball at South Carolina. As a prospect, Messina combines decent plate discipline with good power potential and leadership qualities behind the dish. Unfortunately, the bat just hasn’t produced consistently as a pro.

This year, Messina was assigned to Double-A Hartford, where he is 0.7 years younger than league average. In 284 plate appearances, his .212/.317/.327 line with four homers represents a 75 wRC+. Behind the dish, he’s committed eight errors, allowed three passed balls, and has thrown out 26% of 49 would-be base stealers this year.

MLB Pipeline ranks Messina 25th in the system as a 40 FV player:

It’s a power-over-hit profile for Messina, with more strength than bat speed in his right-handed swing. He can punish mistakes, though he didn’t get to much power in 2025, and he did limit his strikeouts while drawing walks. There are a lot of moving parts to his swing with a leg kick, and at times, a bat wrap to go along with questions about his ability to make adjustments. 

Because of his catch-and-throw skills, Messina has a high floor as a future backup at the big league level. More athletic than you’d think — he stole 14 bases in 2025 — pitchers love throwing to him. He’s an excellent receiver who calls a good game and has an arm that threw out 40 percent of potential basestealers last year. If he can iron out his swing and his approach to improve the offensive part of his game, he could be a glove-first regular.

Brendan Gawlowski of FanGraphs relegated Messina to the “Upper Level Depth” section back in March:

Messina is making a lot of contact with below-average bat speed, a tightrope that will narrow further at every level. He can really throw, and caught 40% of base stealers last year. Those skills together give him the tool set of a club’s third or fourth catcher.

Messina hasn’t yet manifested the skill set that got him noticed as a collegian, which is why he wasn’t in consideration for my list. With that written, Messina’s defensive floor and leadership skills could certainly see him to an up and down reserve big league role in the future.

44. Sebastian Blanco (14 points, 5 ballots) — The 18-year-old Venezuelan shortstop was one of the Rockies’ top targets in the 2025 international free agent class, signing for a $600k bonus. After signing, the 6’1” righty hitter tore up the DSL (143 wRC+) and got moved stateside for 2026.

Blanco was a key piece to Colorado’s championship ACL team this year, where his .293/.388/.432 batting line with three homers was worth 105 wRC+, not bad for a player who was 1.6 years younger than league average. After the ACL season concluded a few weeks ago, Blanco was one of the few prospects who moved straight to full season ball at Low-A Fresno, where he is 3.1 years younger than league average. Blanco has understandably struggled in a small sample but has shown some plate discipline, hitting .167/.364/.167 in 34 plate appearances so far (67 wRC+) while playing second and third base in deference to Ashly Andujar and Wilder Dalis.

FanGraphs ranks Blanco 17th in the system as a 40+ FV player, highlighting his future hit tool with a 55 grade:

At the plate, [Blanco] makes a ton of contact, 82% last year, with feel for the barrel and advanced pitch recognition skills. He hasn’t grown into much power or bat speed yet, but he has time on his side and some physical development left. Defensively, he has quick hands, clean actions, and a strong arm; he looked solid at short in my brief look, and scouts I sourced expect him to stay there. There’s everyday upside if he has enough growth ahead of him to add meaningfully more power, with a utility projection if he winds up with a lighter bat. He’s among the more intriguing hitters in the ACL this year.

Blanco is ranked 30th in the org by MLB Pipeline as a 40 FV player with 50s on every tool except power:

Blanco is a 6-foot-1, solidly built middle infielder who has already shown a solid approach and feel for hitting. He walked nearly as often as he struck out during his debut, really limiting his swing-and-miss. He has bat speed with a short right-handed swing and has already displayed some ability to drive the ball with carry off his bat. He made good swing decisions during his debut which led to a ton of quality contact, and there could be more power to come as he fills out.

The infielder, who will play all of 2026 at age 18, manned shortstop almost exclusively last year and has a chance to stay there with average speed and excellent instincts. He likely could handle moving anywhere on the infield in the future because of his feel for the game.

Blanco is an arrow-up player after 2026 and I ranked him 24th on my list as a 40 FV player. He should be back at Fresno next season and is a clear player to watch among what is an exciting wave of Latin American signees in the lower minors for the Rockies.

42. Griffin Herring (14 points, 5 ballots) — The 23-year-old lefty pitcher hasn’t had the 2026 we hoped for. Acquired as part of the Ryan McMahon trade last year from the Yankees, Herring had a wonderful debut pro season last year, rising all the way to High-A with very strong numbers. It was so good that Herring was the No. 10 PuRP in the pre-season list. So why is he off the list entirely at mid-season? It’s been an odd season for the 6’2” pitcher, who got nearly $800k as a 6th rounder from the Yankees in 2024.

Herring was assigned to Double-A Hartford (where he is 1.9 years younger than league average) to begin the year. He made one appearance, getting knocked around for four runs in three innings, then was absent for a month for what has to be injury reasons, though he didn’t go to the IL. A month later, Herring resurfaced in the ACL, where he made four relatively short appearances in May. He returned to Hartford in late May, where he worked mostly as a reliever and struggled with his command.

In total, Herring made 12 appearances for Hartford this year with a 8.87 ERA, 2.10 WHIP, 12.3 K/9 rate, and a 9.6 BB/9 rate in 23.1 innings. The latest twist is that Herring was assigned to the ACL team (after their season was done) two weeks ago, no doubt to get some attention in Colorado’s pitching lab. Herring wasn’t known for his wildness leading into this year (though there were some command concerns) and still has his strikeout stuff, so let’s hope this move helps unlock his 2025 form.

In February, Keith Law of the Athletic ranked Herring 10th in the system:

Herring struck out 31.4 percent of batters he faced last year, the seventh-best strikeout rate among all qualifying starters in the minors. He sits 90-92 from a very high slot that gives him a ton of deception, working with a short slider that generates a ton of whiffs and an average changeup. He’s almost certainly a reliever between the slot and the below-average fastball, but could get there quickly and be valuable in any kind of once-through-the-order role. I wish he’d been traded to the Reds; I’m worried in Denver, he’ll get smoked.

FanGraphs ranks Herring 28th in the system as a 40 FV player with a 55 future grade on the slider:

Herring came over to Colorado in the Ryan McMahon deal. The southpaw does his best to give hitters a weird look, and to be clear, that’s intended as high praise. He works on the extreme third base side of the rubber, where, like a swimmer testing the water on a cool day, he barely dips his big toe on to the slab. He has a big crossfire that helps him hide the ball, and there’s a little hitch at the top of his release to further challenge a hitter’s timing. He gets down the mound well and has plus extension; a very high release adds one more wrinkle to the puzzle.

All of that deception seems to be helping, as Herring mowed over Low- and High-A hitters with mostly average stuff last year. His fastball sits 89-92 and barely touches higher, but it generates plenty of whiffs and chases despite the velocity. His best sliders are above average, with tight shape and spin that makes the break come late. His changeups have good fade, but he has to lower his slot to generate the movement; we’ll see if better hitters notice and spit on it.

We’d feel better about Herring’s prospects if he was able to locate this mix surgically, as command and deception together can compensate for below-average arm strength. His control is ahead of his command, though, as he often misses the target even when he’s hitting the plate, and he’s prone to missing badly. The whole package is more intriguing than convincing — though to be fair, it is very intriguing — but if you’re inclined, you can talk yourself into projecting the command to arrive late, as he may still be acclimating to the adjustments he’s made in pro ball (he’s changed his placement on the rubber, raised his slot, and is throwing more breaking balls). He projects as a no. 5, with more variance than your typical soft-tossing lefty.

Herring has taken a big step back this year, but he’s still a 40 FV pitcher in my eyes, ranking 29th on my list. Let’s hope he unlocks something over the off-season or at least before the Rockies need to make a 40-man roster decision after the 2027 season.

Tune back in tomorrow to see more multi-ballot players!

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