Category: Baseball

TV: NESN

First Pitch: 3:07 p.m. ET

It’s not time to panic yet. Regression was due, but the Red Sox are on the verge of dropping six consecutive games immediately following a nine-game winning streak. Payton Tolle is the guy the team would love to see put the ballclub back on track as he takes the mound fresh off career-best 14 strikeouts against the Athletics. 

Here’s who the Red Sox will send to the plate behind him Thursday afternoon at Rogers Centre. 

Afternoon baseball today. pic.twitter.com/BOvmaf4QCA

— Red Sox (@RedSox) August 13, 2026

The Blue Jays send the aging Max Scherzer to the hill. While he’s certainly ready for Cooperstown when he hangs up his cleats, he’s never fared well against Boston with a 5.77 ERA in 14 regular season starts against the Red Sox in his career. 

Let's make it FOUR! #BlueJays50pic.twitter.com/bHTJ0OztHZ

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 13, 2026

The Cincinnati Reds were completely shut down by the Chicago White Sox on Thursday night in Guaranteed Rate Field, foiled by their old friend Luis Castillo. The offense was miserable, the bullpen couldn’t keep it within slam range, and from start to finish things just looked like a team simply out of gas.

The beauty of baseball, though, is that there’s another chance the very next day.

Andrew Abbott toes the rubber today in the series finale opposite Chicago righty Davis Martin as the Reds look to get back in the win column and take the series. This game will go off at 1:10 PM ET today due to concerns about weather later in the afternoon, as the original start time was slated for 2:10 PM ET. Make sure you don’t accidentally miss an hour of 2026 Cincinnati Reds baseball, folks!

After all, Ke’Bryan Hayes is in the lineup!

Here’s how both clubs will line up to begin:

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

It was a winning day here yesterday for +1.7 units, and there are plenty of pitcher and MLB player props on tonight's shorter slate. 

Despite a 14-strikeout performance in his last start and numbers that stack up with some of the best in baseball, Payton Tolle's K total still isn't as high as it should be. Jacob deGrom could be dealing with an innings cap, making his Over a tough climb, and Roki Sasaki might finally be turning a corner with his outs market on the rise.

These are my favorite pitcher strikeout props and MLB picks for Thursday, Aug. 13.

Best MLB strikeout props and starting pitcher picks today

Strikeout prop: Payton Tolle Over 5.5 strikeouts (-115)

I hate backing a pitcher after a monster game, and Payton Tolle is coming off a career-best 14-strikeout outing. However, even with his 90-pitch leash, 48% of his outs since June 26 have come via the strikeout. He has the third-highest K/9 over that stretch and the fourth-best K% behind some heavy hitters in Dylan Cease and Jacob Misiorowski.

He has shown he can get to this Over even on abbreviated outings, and the Over is a perfect 6-0 on this total over his last six starts.

The Jays aren't a K-heavy team, but their strikeout rate has climbed of late, and this lineup could have five hitters with a K% of 25% or higher this month.

The juice is moving on this Over despite the projections liking the Under. This could close at -135/-140, and I'd buy it down to -120/-125.

• Time: 3:07 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Sportsnet, NESN

Strikeout prop: Jacob deGrom Under 6.5 strikeouts (+101)

The Texas Rangers are keeping the lid on Jacob deGrom, and getting to seven punchouts is going to be damn hard.

The veteran right-hander might have a 15-out cap on him, as he has not gotten over that number in five straight starts. He was at just 88 pitches after five innings in his last game and didn't come back out. To me, that sounds like a blueprint for an oft-injured pitcher the Rangers need healthy if they are going to make the playoffs.

The throttle started in July, and since then, he has 29 Ks in 23 innings. However, he has gone Over this total just twice in five starts and has thrown 88, 91, 90, 97, and 80 pitches. He's going to have to be mighty efficient to get seven of his 15 outs via the K.

At plus money on the Under, the risk is low to see if he has an innings cap. I'm betting this down to -115.

• Time: 10:07 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ABTV, Rangers Sports Network

Pitcher out prop: Roki Sasaki Over 16.5 outs recorded (+101)

The market is moving heavily toward this Over, and I wouldn't be surprised if it closed at 17.5.

Roki Sasaki, the roller-coaster Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher, has gone four straight starts allowing two or fewer runs, which is his best four-game stretch of the season. He's a K-per-inning guy who doesn't allow many hits. Command can be an issue, but pitching on his own mound is always an advantage.

When Sasaki is on, it's a beautiful thing, and I think the market moving toward the Over, coupled with his recent form, makes this the right side at this price and down to -115. The Milwaukee Brewers offense has hit a lull and ranks in the Bottom 10 this month, which only helps.

Sasaki's arrow is pointing up, and we're taking advantage.

• Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SportsNet LA, Brewers.TV.

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.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

How about another 2-1 SU day for over 10 units last night? The dingers are dinging, and the MLB player props are popping this week. Let's stay hot and get on the good side of zero for the season.

In addition to targeting a pair of bats vs. homer-prone veterans, I'm adding Jake Bauers to go deep in the nightcap against Roki Sasaki and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

These are my favorite MLB home run props for Thursday, Aug. 13. 

MLB home run props for today

Home run prediction: Ceddanne Rafaela (+550)

Max Scherzer has pitched above expectations since returning to the rotation, but he is still giving up plenty of homers and has the second-worst HR/9 among MLB starters with at least 30 innings. His HR/FB rate is also near the basement of the league. The Red Sox have a great long-ball matchup, and my money is going on Ceddanne Rafaela at +550.

The price is the most appetizing thing here, with other top-end bats shorter than +350 today. Rafaela has five of his 16 homers over the last two weeks, is slugging .632 over those 14 days, and handles righties, meaning likely three plate appearances vs. Scherzer near the top of this order. 

Wilyer Abreu and Willson Contreras might be the higher-volume picks on a short slate, but getting more than 200 points with Rafaela is my move, and one I'd play to +450.

• Time: 3:07 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Sportsnet, NESN

Home run prediction: Royce Lewis (+450)

It’s a small slate, but HR bettors get Aaron Nola, who has allowed the most dingers in baseball this year, at a makeshift MLB stadium with short fences and nothing but corn in the outfield. Nola is the best home-run target today, as his fall has been spectacular. He’s allowed 10 homers over his last 33 innings across six games, just took a 105-mph laser beam off his knee in his last start, and today’s setting might not help him.

The Iowa Cubs and St. Paul Saints played on this field Tuesday and ripped four combined dingers — the only extra-base hits of the game. In the other two "Field of Dreams" games, played on a different diamond but with a similar layout, there have been seven total homers.

Royce Lewis is the hottest stick in the Minny lineup. He has three homers over the last two weeks and leads the team in slugging (.667), ISO (.278), wOBA (.461), and HardHit% (47.4%). His 76.3-mph swing speed over that stretch is also a Top-25 mark in all of baseball.

Send it to the maize, Royce.

• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Netflix

Home run prediction: Jake Bauers (+450)

The Milwaukee Brewers have only two hitters in their lineup who are actually producing right now: Jake Bauers and Jackson Chourio. I'm avoiding the latter today, as he's dealing with a thumb issue and has been pinch-hit for recently.

That leaves Bauers, who is 100 points longer and gets a good HR matchup against Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki. Sasaki is pitching well, but he's still giving up long balls. 

Much like Shota Imanaga earlier this week, when Sasaki does get hit, he gets hit hard — and Bauers can do damage against righties.

The 10-mph winds blowing out to his pull side are just another layer of confirmation. I'd play this to +420 today.

• Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Brewers.TV, SportsNet LA

Best home run combo for Aug. 13

Want more baseball parlays? Check out our MLB parlay picks page!

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.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Milwaukee Brewers, August 13, 2026, 1:10 p.m. ET

The Pittsburgh Pirates are playing in a Thursday matinee for the series finale against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park.

Getting the start for the Pirates is All-Star Braxton Ashcraft. He is coming off a frustrating game against the Milwaukee Brewers in his last start on August 6th. He gave up four hits and four earned runs in five innings of action as the team lost 5-2 at American Family Field. Now he hopes to get back on track for the Pirates as they close out the road trip.

Countering Ashcraft is Tyler Phillips, who is making his 14th start of the season. Phillip started the season in the bullpen, but he has consistently been part of the rotation since the middle of June. In his last start on August 7, he went four innings, giving up five hits and one earned run in a 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels.

As both teams sit on the outside looking in on the NL wildcard race, games like this could have a lot of weight when the regular season comes to an end. Grabbing wins even when teams are tired at the end of a road trip could be what separates the good from the great.

Location: loanDepot Park, Miami, FL

Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh

Pitching Matchup: Braxton Ashcraft (11-5, 4.08 ERA) vs. Tyler Phillips (3-5, 3.47 ERA)

BD community, this is your gameday thread for today’s game. Chime off in the comments section below.

We knew the news on Hunter Greene’s troublesome right elbow wasn’t likely to be good. The odds were always long that the doctors would get in there and find something, anything to salvage, and that a less-invasive procedure could be put together that would get him back on the mound for the Cincinnati Reds in shorter order (relatively speaking).

Internal bracing was reportedly on the table, at least, following last week’s MRI. But when the surgeons got a better look at things yesterday in California, it was revealed that a full UCL replacement was going to be needed.

So, for the second time since being drafted by the Reds back in 2017, Hunter Greene required Tommy John surgery. Wednesday’s procedure means that he’ll need 12-18 months to recover, per The Enquirer’s Gordon Wittenmyer, and that timeline effectively knocks him out for the entirety of the 2027 Cincinnati Reds season.

Hunter Greene update: Reds All-Star required a second Tommy John surgery yesterday. 12-18 months.

To miss all of next year.

— Gordon Wittenmyer (@GDubMLB) August 13, 2026

It’s a brutal, albeit predictable blow to the Reds at this juncture. We’ve effectively seen what this team looks like without Greene for the entirety of this season, and the results have simply not been anywhere good enough. Turns out it’s hard to replace guys capable of putting up 6.0 WAR seasons, as they just simply do not grow on trees.

Greene’s due a raise up to $15.333 million for the 2027 season. So far, I’ve not seen whether or not the Reds carry insurance on that, or to what amount, so it’s hard to say exactly how much this news decimates their ability to spend to build a team without him. Still, there’s almost no chance they can replace his talent and peak production for just that amount elsewhere, meaning a 2027 roster that already needed copious improvements now must find a way to procure one of the rarest types of players on the planet.

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers are coming off a much-needed series win, sweeping the Kansas City Royals, one of the worst teams in baseball in three close games, but now face one of the best with the Milwaukee Brewers coming to Dodger Stadium.

Starting Thursday the Dodgers host a Brewers team with the best record in the National League, a half-game behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the best in baseball. Milwaukee had the best record in MLB last season and home field advantage in the postseason. That didn’t stop the Dodgers from sweeping them in the National League Championship Series, after the Brewers won all six games against Los Angeles in the regular season.

That was an extreme series of outcomes. This year, the Dodgers took two of three games in Milwaukee from May 22-24. The Brewers come to town having just gotten swept in San Diego, which tightened up the top of the National League standings entering Thursday.

1. Brewers (74-47, +130 run differential)
2. Braves (73-48, +124)
3. Dodgers (73-48, +142)
4. Cubs (71-50, +115)

The division leaders with the two best records get the top two seeds, which comes with a bye directly into the Division Series. That means starting the postseason on Saturday, October 3, having a whole week to set up a pitching staff exactly how you want it.

The third division winner has to play a best-of-three wild card series first, all at their home stadium, from September 29-October 1. Having to play another series makes a postseason run more challenging. The Dodgers saw this firsthand last year, even though they ended it with another championship. In 2024, they had the bye and home field advantage in every series en route to a title.

How the Dodgers play in October will determine how they will fare, though giving themselves every advantage possible is the preferred outcome.

But also they just need to play better, going just 14-17 since July 4, even after the series sweep of Kansas City.

“Thinking about it on the plane [Sunday], we’re a wild card team right now, and we gotta get going, and play with urgency. We’ve got to make sure we don’t get ahead of the playoff situation, and talk about winning now, winning today and winning tomorrow,” manager Dave Roberts said Monday. “That’s the thing we need to get to, and then deal with whatever result. But I think that’s part of the ‘we’re gonna be okay,‘ ‘we’re good.‘ That’s not good enough, and clearly it’s not given how we’ve played in the last month. Across the board we need to play with more urgency, and our guys know that.”

Dodgers vs. Brewers pitching matchups

• Thursday: Roki Sasaki vs. LHP Shane Drohan, 7:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA, MLB Network)
• Friday: Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. LHP Robert Gasser, 7:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA)
• Saturday: Justin Wrobleski vs. Jacob Misiorowski, 4:15 p.m. (Fox)
• Sunday: Tarik Skubal vs. Logan Henderson, 1:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA)

Perhaps it’s a bit early for this, but with the Cubs having crept to within three games of the NL Central lead, I thought it would be worth looking at the teams’ remaining schedules, a good discussion topic.

Both teams have 41 games remaining. The Brewers lead the season series with the Cubs four games to two, and the teams play each other seven times — four at Wrigley Field at the end of this month, three in Milwaukee a week later. The Cubs would have to win five of the seven to take the season series and thus have the tiebreaker against the Brewers.

Per Tankathon, the teams have similar strength of their remaining schedules, the Cubs opponents at .527 (second toughest) and the Brewers at .520 (tied for fourth toughest). Both teams have winning records at home and on the road, and the Cubs have four more home games remaining than the Brewers do. The Cubs have also nearly caught up to the Brewers in run differential. Milwaukee is at +130 entering Thursday’s action and the Cubs are +115.

Here are the remaining schedules for the Cubs and Brewers, beginning with today’s games. Home games in boldface.

Cubs, 41 games (22 home, 19 road)

at Nationals (1), Cardinals (3), White Sox (3), at Mariners (3), at Diamondbacks (3), Reds (3), Brewers (4), at Marlins (3), at Brewers (3), Pirates (3), Braves (3), at Reds (3), Marlins (3), at Red Sox (3)

Brewers, 41 games (18 home, 23 road)

at Dodgers (4), Mariners (3), Braves (3), at Mets (3), Rangers (3), at Cubs (4), at Reds (3), Cubs (3), Reds (3), at Pirates (3), at Orioles (3), at Phillies (3), Cardinals (3)

It’s time to reveal the five players who made it the closest to the mid-season 2026 top 30 Purple Row Prospects (PuRPs) list — the Honorable Mention PuRPs — as voted on by the Purple Row community recently. 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 if applicable. I’ll also include where I put each player on my ballot. All ages are as of the day the article is posted.

35. Jack O’Dowd (39.2 points, 8 ballots), 2025 Free Agent, C/1B in Double-A (25)

O’Dowd has taken a non-traditional path to Double-A over the last few years. The lefty-hitting, righty-throwing 25-year-old (yes, he is the son of former Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd) was undrafted out of Texas as a second baseman in 2024 after struggling in college (.257/.330/.423 in four years with only 12 homers combined). O’Dowd spent the summer after his draft year playing for West Virginia in the MLB development league, where he expanded his defensive utility to include both corner infield positions and catcher while producing a .797 OPS offensively.

That was enough for Billings in the independent Pioneer League to sign O’Dowd in 2025, where something big clicked. O’Dowd was dominant offensively, hitting .333/.449/.642 with an impressive 22 homers among his 53 extra-base hits in 395 plate appearances. The Rockies, no doubt familiar with O’Dowd from years past, signed him to a minor league deal this past off-season, and O’Dowd has rewarded them with a big affiliated ball debut.

O’Dowd was assigned to Low-A Fresno to begin the year, where he was 3.9 years older than league average. It’s not too surprising then that O’Dowd raked to the tune of a .345/.385/.702 line with seven homers in 96 plate appearances (155 wRC+). Promoted to High-A Spokane in late May, where he was 2.5 years older than league average, O’Dowd continued his tear with a red-hot .359/.451/.664 batting line that included nine more homers in 153 plate appearances (177 wRC+).

A further promotion to Double-A Hartford was next in late June, where O’Dowd is only 1.3 years older than league average. So far in 121 plate appearances, O’Dowd has held his own in Hartford, hitting .245/.322/.462 with five homers (102 wRC+). Defensively, O’Dowd has split his time evenly between catcher and first base, though it’s been more first base as he moves up the ladder. As a backstop, O’Dowd has only thrown out 5 of 42 would-be base thieves while committing seven errors.

None of the national prospect watchers are ranking O’Dowd yet (and neither am I for the moment due in part to his age relative to level and questionable defensive fit). He’s playing catch-up right now given his delayed prospect launch, but O’Dowd’s performance so far in affiliated ball has been excellent. I would expect him to fit on Hartford’s roster next year, at least initially.

34. Alessander De La Cruz (45.6 points, 8 ballots), 2023 International Free Agent (GER), OF in Complex League (20)

De La Cruz is an international man of mystery for the Rockies. Signed in the 2023 international free agent class out of the Dominican Republic (though he was born in Germany), the righty outfielder earned a $650k signing bonus — second only to Robert Calaz in the Rockies’ class that year.

De La Cruz spent two years in the Dominican Summer League, the second of which was an offensive breakout that got him on prospect radars (149 wRC+). He came stateside in 2025 and was just above league average offensively in the Complex League but didn’t particularly stand out.

This year, De La Cruz repeated the Complex League at a league average age and absolutely laid waste to it, hitting .372/.495/.628 with 15 steals and six homers among his 25 extra base hits in 198 plate appearances, good for a 172 wRC+ while manning right field! De La Cruz improved his batting results across the board, bringing his strikeout % down 12 points to 21% year over year while increasing his walk % from 10 to 19%. He jumped from one to 15 steals and from 11 extra-base-hits to 25.

Despite the success this year, the shadow for De La Cruz is that he will have one more professional season before he is Rule 5 eligible and he has yet to make an appearance in full season ball. Furthermore, the Rockies placed De La Cruz on the 60 day IL shortly with an undisclosed injury before the end of the ACL schedule on July 24th. In other words, De La Cruz doesn’t have as much time to impress as some of the players he’s competing with for a shot at the Show. De La Cruz, despite the injury and timeline concerns, shows enough promise for me to rate him as a 35+ FV player, which in this up cycle for the system means he’s outside list consideration for me right now.

33. Ethan Hedges (52.5 points, 7 ballots), 2025 3rd Round (USC), 3B in High-A (22)

Colorado’s third-round pick in the 2025 draft (77th overall) out of the University of Southern California was Hedges, who was the number 29 pre-season PuRP. The 6’1” 22-year-old righty was a two-way player during his draft year has been a third baseman as a professional. Hedges signed for $950k, about $110k below the slot value for the pick. As a prospect, Hedges boasts an elite arm (as a college pitcher, you’d hope so) and some good athleticism on defense, though there isn’t another standout tool.

Hedges was a three-year starter with USC, accumulating a combined batting line of .308/.413/.488. In 2025 he hit a very strong .346/.462/.619 with 14 HR among his 30 extra-base hits and 10/10 steals in 288 plate appearances, which equates to a 147 wRC+. In addition, he appeared in 15 games as USC’s closer, throwing 15 innings and getting 9 saves with a 2.40 ERA and 1.13 WHIP.

After signing, Hedges was assigned to High-A Spokane to begin his professional career. In 20 games with Spokane down the stretch, Hedges struggled with the adjustment to pro ball, hitting .195/.303/.234 with three doubles in 89 plate appearances (just a 50 wRC+). Propping those numbers up was an 11% walk rate, which tracked with his college stats.

In 2026, Hedges is back with Spokane, where he is 0.5 years younger than league average. He his hitting better this year, though still at a below league average clip (91 wRC+) with a line of .267/.333/.427 that includes 13 homers in 423 plate appearances.

MLB Pipeline ranked Hedges 159th overall in the draft (well below where he was picked) and now places him 21st in the system as a 40 FV player with a 65 arm and 55 field grades:

While his time at instructs after the season was cut short because of a concussion, the Rockies are intrigued with what Hedges might bring to the table. He has a good feel to hit from the right side of the plate, with a line-drive approach and a knack for barreling up the baseball. It can be loud contact at times and while it’s more extra-base authority right now, the hope is the jump in the bat the Rockies saw can translate to more over-the-fence pop in the future. 

Hedges moves well enough to play third base capably, though it’s the arm that fired low-90s fastballs as a reliever for the Trojans that really stand out. His instincts help all of his tools play up across the board.

FanGraphs ranked Hedges 109th in the draft class and lists him 37th in the system as a 35+ FV player with a 60 arm:

Despite big numbers at the plate, [Hedges] stands out more with the leather than the bat. On that side of the ball, he’s a plus defender with good range, supple hands, an ability to make plays when leaving his feet, and a 70 arm (he was the Trojans closer last year and touches 95 off the mound). At the plate, he’s quick to the ball with a short but not especially powerful swing. It’s tricky for even great defenders at the hot corner to profile if they’re not thumping at least a little bit. The paths forward are thus either coaxing a little more pop out of the bat or, more likely, working Hedges in at other positions in preparation for a utility role. If all else fails, you could put him back on the bump, though we’re presumably a couple years from needing to seriously revisit that possibility.

Hedges should be able to handle the hot corner defensively, but it’s his offensive projection that’s more of a question for scouts. The potential suggested by the draft pedigree and bonus was enough for me to place Hedges in the 35+ FV player tier. Hedges will likely start 2027 with Hartford where he will be at league average age.

32. Bryant Betancourt (82 points, 14 ballots), 2021 International Free Agent (VZ), C in Triple-A (22)

Betancourt represents a catching prospect with some potential just one step away from The Show. The 5’11” 22-year-old lefty-hitting, righty throwing Venezuelan catcher is a bat-first player with power and good contact ability who also has a strong arm and improving receiving skills. He signed back in 2021 for $80k and has steadily moved up the minor league ladder over six seasons. Betancourt’s first prospect attention came in 2022 when he hit 11 homers in the Dominican Summer League, ranking second in the league as part of a campaign where he had a 1.136 OPS as an 18-year-old. From 2023 to 2025, Betancourt came stateside and advanced a level each year with slightly below average offensive production each season while splitting time between catcher and first base as one of the younger players in the league each season.

In 2026, Betancourt was assigned briefly to Triple-A Albuquerque for two games to start the year, then was sent to repeat back at Double-A Hartford, where he was 1.7 years younger than league average. Serving solely as a catcher defensively, Betancourt hit .269/.337/.513 with 14 homers among his 30 extra-base-hits in 268 plate appearances, good for a 117 wRC+. In late June, Betancourt was promoted back to Albuquerque, where he is nearly five years younger than league average. Despite the offense-friendly environment in Albuquerque, Betancourt has struggled at the level in a small sample as a part-time player, hitting .197/.266/.366 with three homers in 81 plate appearances (41 wRC+). Behind the plate, Betancourt has thrown out 29% of runners this season while committing eight errors and allowing 10 passed balls.

Betancourt is ranked 23rd in the system by MLB Pipeline as a 40 FV player with a 60 arm grade:

A strong left-handed-hitting backstop, Betancourt had shown some early offensive acumen when he reached double digits in home runs in his second season in the Dominican Summer League but hadn’t really put things together consistently at the plate since then until this year. He has a solid overall approach, limiting his swing-and-miss, though he still can chase out of the zone a bit too much. His commitment to his approach, though, has allowed him to tap into that power more in 2026 — especially to his pull side — helping him set a career high in home runs.

Betancourt has always had plus arm strength, and it’s accurate, allowing him to throw out around 33 percent of potential base stealers in his career. His receiving metrics have improved every season, and he has the kind of intangibles behind the plate teams love to see. The Rockies think he could develop into an everyday big league catcher if he keeps trending in this direction.

In Brendan Gawlowski’s system overview for FanGraphs in March, Betancourt was unranked and lumped with Cole Messina into the “Upper Level Depth” section and summarized collectively as potential third or fourth catchers.

Betancourt was left unprotected and un-selected in the Rule 5 draft this past off-season and I suspect a similar fate for him this time around. Before the Rockies drafted two catchers in the top three rounds in this June’s draft, Betancourt was my favorite at what was a weak position for them, but he falls more into the 35 FV bucket than as someone I considered for my ballot. He is still a contender for a big league spot though, given the thinness of production after Hunter Goodman from that position this year.

31. Landyn Vidourek (94 points, 14 ballots), 2026 Trade (LAD), OF in Low-A (22)

To me, Vidourek is the highest upside player the Rockies acquired at the trade deadline — he was one of two players the Rockies received for Seth Halvorsen. The 22-year-old was the Dodgers’ third-round pick last year from the University of Cincinnati, receiving an under-slot $552k bonus as a player with plus raw power, plus speed, and a double-plus arm. Left out of that package of course is a reliable hit tool — Vidourek has a good idea of which pitches to swing at, but he doesn’t make enough contact. Vidourek has struggled with swing and miss as a pro, striking out in more than a third of his plate appearances so far with a passive approach.

This year, Vidourek was sent to repeat in Low-A, where he is about a year older than league average. In the Dodgers’ system, Vidourek struck out in nearly 39% of his plate appearances en route to a walk heavy .170/.332/.311 line including six homers in 256 plate appearances (74 wRC+). Between the walks and the strikeouts, about 58% of Vidourek’s plate appearances ended without a ball in play. After the trade, Vidourek stayed in Low-A and has seen similar results in 18 games, hitting .150/.338/.283 with two homers in 78 plate appearances and a 56% K+BB% (75 wRC+). Defensively, Vidourek has split his time between center and right field, throwing out three runners while committing three errors.

Vidourek ranks 34th in the system according to FanGraphs as a 35+ FV player with the aforementioned 60 grades on raw power/speed and a 70 on his arm, balanced by a 30 present hit tool:

Somewhere between James Outman and Jeren Kendall is the Dodgers’ most recent lefty-swinging outfielder with superb physical tools stacked around big-time whiffs. Broader and longer-levered than even his 6-foot-1 frame would suggest, Vidourek flashed his easy above-average raw power at the MLB Draft combine and racked up a 51% hard-hit rate in a tiny sample at Low-A Rancho Cucamonga. He also struck out a third of the time there despite below-average chase and signs of good spin recognition. Vidourek’s hands are busy in his load, and his lower and upper halves are often out of sync with each other, rarely allowing him to make mid-flight adjustments.

Vidourek’s plate approach is as polished as his barrel control is unrefined, and while he’s speedy enough to cover center for now, he’s best in the right field corner where his huge throwing arm is a true weapon. As a college hitter, even one this tooled up, he could probably be dismissed for such protracted hit tool issues in a lesser player development operation. But players who post 90th-percentile exit velocities in their pro debut merit watching for what their swing looks like in the spring, and Vidourek looks strong enough to swing hard with a quieter operation. Even a 40 hit tool could be enough to make him a regular. Outman and Kendall remind us that’s more than an idle notion.

Keith Law of the Athletic wrote this about Vidourek after last year’s draft:

Cincinnati outfielder Landyn Vidourek (3) struck out too often this spring, especially for someone in a mid-major conference, with an in-zone whiff rate well below the Division 1 median. He needs a better two-strike approach as well, as he expands too much and gets himself out, rather than trying to make more contact and let his strength come into play. He’s a plus runner with some of the best batted-ball data in the class, including a hard-hit rate of 55 percent and a dozen balls hit into play at 110 mph+ this year. It’s a reach in the third round, but this is the Dodgers’ sort of upside play. 

Vidourek hasn’t been a pro for very long and has some excellent athletic clay. If the Rockies can make some adjustments to his bat control, Vidourek could be an impact big leaguer. Much easier said than done of course, which is why he ranks as an Honorable Mention instead of on the big list. Vidourek is a 40 FV player for me and was one of my final cuts from my list because so much of a big leaguer’s profile is already present. We’ll see how Vidourek performs next year, likely in High-A, after a full off-season in the Rockies’ program.

To see the players that did make the cut, check back over the next couple weeks as I unveil the mid-season 2026 PuRPs list five at a time!

---

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

During our weekly preview post, I very politely asked the Atlanta Braves to beat the New York Mets in their final series matchup of the season. In addition to the benefits that come from continuing to win ballgames at this point in the season, it just would’ve been plain nice to see the Braves actually take care of business against New York for once.

It certainly wasn’t going to be the easiest of tasks, considering how well New York had been hitting since the All-Star break and how the rest of the season series had gone up until this particular point in time. As such, the ask seemed more like a polite request instead of a demand. Either way, the Braves granted our wish and now it’s time to discuss just how things went during this series in Cobb County.

---

Monday, August 10

Mets 8, Braves 5

The first inning nearly proved to be decisive and it also proved to be strange as well. Bryce Elder got tagged for a double by leadoff hitter A.J. Ewing and it took replay officials a ton of time to figure out that a ground-rule double was because of the umpire and not because the ball was lodged under the right-field wall. Once it was 1-0 Mets, there was further controversy when Bryce Elder seemingly signaled for a challenge on a 3-2 pitch that was ruled a walk. Instead of a strike-em-out throw-em-out to end the inning, the inning continued and that set the stage for Elder to tee one up for Brett Baty to crush and make it 5-0 in the eighth inning.

From that point forward, the Braves were busy trying to scratch-and-claw their way back into the contest and for a while, it seemed like it was possible. Even though New York canceled out the two runs that the Braves snatched back in their half of the first inning, the Braves scored three across the fourth and fifth inning to get to within two runs. Drake Baldwin and Ronald Acuña Jr. delivered RBI singles in the fourth inning and then Michael Harris II scored on a wild pitch from Jonathan Pintaro to make it a two-run game in the fifth inning. It was game on!

Unfortunately, the offense came to a screeching halt from the sixth inning onwards. Atlanta had a runner in scoring position in both the seventh and the ninth inning but they couldn’t scratch a run across and once the ninth inning rolled around, they were down three after Jared Young’s sacrifice fly in New York’s half of the ninth gave them an insurance run. The game ended 8-5 and the Mets had clinched the season series against the Braves for the first time since 2017. Woof.

Tuesday, August 11

Braves 4, Mets 0

How about Martín Pérez, y’all? The unheralded hero of this Atlanta rotation is now sitting on a scoreless innings streak of 18 innings after he added six more to that tally on Tuesday night. It certainly wasn’t easy and it definitely required a huge inning-ending double play in the top of the sixth with runners on the corners but Pérez was able to get that ground ball for a defense that has been very adept at getting grounders and turning them for two.

The double play ball helped keep the Braves up 1-0 on the Mets after Ozzie Albies bopped one out at Nolan McLean’s expense in the fifth inning. For seven full innings, that was actually the only hit that the Braves had — and yet they went into the eighth inning up 2-0 after Mauricio Dubón’s sacrifice fly gave Atlanta a precious insurance run.

While fans of Weird Baseball probably would’ve preferred to see the Braves figure out a way to win a game 2-0 with only one hit, fans of the Braves in general were probably very pleased to see Matt Olson absolutely crack one into the Chop House for his 35th dinger of the season. Just like that, the Braves were comfortably ahead and thanks to the combination of Didier Fuentes, Dylan Lee and Raisel Iglesias all throwing perfect innings, Atlanta’s pitching completed a dominant night and the Braves sauntered to victory.

Wednesday, August 12

Braves 6, Mets 3

You know, Tyler Mahle was probably thinking “Hey man, the Braves did get a starting pitcher at the deadline,” while everybody was upset about how Atlanta handled business during this year’s trade deadline. Mahle was impressive in the Bronx and he picked up where he left off there in his Truist Park debut. He tossed another six innings where he struck out seven Mets batters and only gave up one run while he was out there. So far, so good for the jewel of Atlanta’s trade deadline.

Speaking of the deadline, Mahle had himself some run support thanks to fellow deadline acquisition Lane Thomas. Thomas swatted his first dinger as a Braves player in the second inning to put the Braves in front and that’s where Atlanta would stay for the entire contest. Atlanta was up 3-0 after five innings before Luis Torrens threatened to ruin things in the sixth inning with a solo shot that ended the shutout bid. Luis Robert Jr. smacked one out in the seventh inning to make it 3-2 and just like that, New York had life the game was on a knife-edge again.

Fortunately, the Braves responded immediately with a three-run flurry in their half of the second. Mike Yastrzemski and Austin Riley went back-to-back with solo homers in order to get both of those runs back and then they got an extra run for good measure after Drake Baldwin cashed in a double from Ronald Acuña Jr. with an RBI single off of Jefry Yan. Yan did get a strikeout but he only did the shimmy part of his celebration instead of jumping out of the gym like the Migos in 2012.

New York gave Braves Country one last heart palpitation in the ninth inning, which is when Bo Bichette homered off of Raisel Iglesias to lead off the frame. Carson Benge doubled right after that and then Iggy walked Luis Robert Jr. in order to bring the tying run to the plate with nobody out. Iglesias clamped down from that point forward and the Braves won but hoo boy, things have been getting a bit too interesting with Iggy lately. Also, you knew the Mets weren’t just going to roll over quietly so the drama wasn’t a huge surprise. I am not going to miss seeing this Mets team this year!

---

So while the Braves had to suffer the ignominy of losing seven whole entire ballgames to the New York Mets here in 2026, they can at least take some solace in the fact that they were able to take care of business in this series and at least pick up a series win. If anything, it proves that this is truly one of those rivalries where you can throw out the records whenever these two teams play. Even during that streak of season series wins dating back to 2017, a series against the Mets usually ended up being tough. You have to give credit to New York for continuing to bring the intensity even in a season where they struggled against nearly everybody else.

Still, the Braves absolutely needed to take care of business and they got the job done. It was certainly encouraging to see Martín Pérez continue to roll on the mound and Tyler Mahle could end up being a true deadline day revelation if he keeps on performing like this. Additionally, Matt Olson swinging his way into a four-way tie at the top of the home run leaderboard has definitely been fun to watch and it would absolutely be great to see him continue to keep swinging at a high level. He’s on track to exceed what he did last season at the plate and it’s great to see him do it for a team that has the Postseason firmly in its sights instead of last year’s team that flailed around for the most part.

Speaking of the Postseason, this was a productive series for Atlanta since Philadelphia dropped a series in St. Louis and the divisional lead is now back up to 9.5 games — just one game behind what was originally their largest lead of the season which came back on May 22 when they were up by 10.5 games. The Braves have been playing some good baseball since the All-Star Break while the Phillies have slowed down from the furious pace that they were setting once Don Mattingly took the reins and now the Braves are back in full control of the division.

These two teams still have seven games to play against each other down the stretch and the Braves are going to have a tough schedule down the stretch but as long as Atlanta can keep it steady, they’ll have the upper hand moving forward. Taking care of business against this Mets team was crucial and hopefully we’ll continue to see the Braves keep it moving in the right direction as they prepare for a tough Diamondbacks squad this weekend.

Worcester: W, 2-1 (BOX SCORE)

Things shouldn’t have gone in the WooSox’s favor. They started 8-year MLB veteran in John Brebbia, who’s in the waning phases of his career. Their bullpen is thin; given the fatigue the Major League club is putting it through lately; they had to turn to Hobie Harris for three innings. The Bison shouldn’t have had that much trouble scoring runs, but they did, stranding ten. The WooSox also had just one hit with runners in scoring position, but Jason Delay’s grounder into left field was bar none the most important hit of the night, giving them the lead for good and boosting the WooSox’s winning percentage to over 80 percent. Franklin Arias also sported a sacrifice grounder that scored Delay in the WooSox’s other run on the night.

Portland: L, 13-5 (BOX SCORE)

The Sea Dogs have now allowed 29 runs in the last two days to the Rumble Ponies (Mets AA). Overall, it was just a rough start for Jeremy Wu-Yelland, but I’m not sure if too many other pitchers would be able to stop this red-hot Binghamton lineup this week. Joe Vogatsky and Morgan McSweeney also fell victim to this onslaught. The Sea Dogs weren’t completely stagnant offensively, as Yoelin Cespedes is now up in Double-A and introduced himself with a home run, and Nelly Taylor left the yard, as well.

Greenville, Game 1: W, 7-6 (BOX SCORE)

After starting this one in the third up 5-0 in Spartanburg (Astros High-A) the Drive were outscored 6-2, but they were saved by the bell as “Hub City” simply ran out of time. Jake Schaffner had a two hit day after going 2-for-2 Tuesday … er, I mean BEFORE THE DELAY WEDNESDAY. Silly rain postponement logic! Also busy at the plate was Marcelo Mayer acquisition piece Carlos Guiterriez. I think Craig Breslow may have won the trade simply by acquiring Erik Miller, so this outfielder is additionally one to watch.

Greenville, Game 2: L, 2-3 (BOX SCORE)

Marcus Phillips did his job in this one, striking out six and allowing just three hits, and even went all but three innings. Let’s not discuss how the game was only seven innings, though… and let’s also not discuss how Isaiah Jackson, the return for Vaughn Grissom, technically hit one of his two home runs last night on Tuesday before the delay. The former Arizona Sun Devil (as pictured!) left the yard in two consecutive games nonetheless, and for the sixth time in five weeks. The Drive did enough to win the game, but still got walked off.

Salem: W, 10-3 (BOX SCORE)

In the decisive win in Delmarva (Orioles A) Franklin Primera had another convincingly good day at the plate. The 19-year-old catcher is slugging .652 in the month of August, and added onto his impressive month with a four-hit night. Primera is known for his power and got a triple Wednesday. And, hey! Remember that ancient trade that sent Alex Verdugo to the Yankees and logged the Red Sox Richard Fitts (so technically Sonny Gray, if you want to be optimistic, or pedantic, unsure which) and Greg Weissert? The other piece of that is back from a lengthy elbow injury. Nicholas Judice got the decision win after Christian Foutch didn’t go five innings, but the 6’8” righty’s fastball touched 100 before his injury and he can go multiple innings. This lands him squarely in the “watch him too” category.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

Thursday has arrived! It's a super small slate tonight, but there are still a ton of guys in great spots to boom. 

Join me as I break down why I expect a big day at the dish from Wilyer Abreu against an old-timer and Kyle Schwarber in my three favorite MLB player props for Aug. 13.

Best MLB player props today

Wilyer Abreu Over 1.5 Hits+Runs+RBI (-114)

I am finding it very hard to pass up backing a guy who is not only slugging .824, but also owns a .500 ISO while generating a 64.5% hard-hit rate and 19.4% barrel rate over his last 10 games. That guy is Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu, who enters with the fifth-highest matchup rating on Batters-Box and covers more than 80% of Toronto Blue Jays starter Max Scherzer’s pitch mix.

In Abreu’s last 30 at-bats vs. right-handed pitchers, he's batting .476 with a 1.238 SLG and 1.805 OPS while producing a 66.7% hard-hit rate and 23.8% barrel rate. He is so hot that the -114 price tag has me completely blind to the falling knife that is him eventually cooling off.

However, Scherzer has struggled against left-handed hitters this season, allowing them to own a .309 BA, .574 SLG, and .412 wOBA. On top of that, those left-handed hitters have generated a 32% hard-hit rate and 70.4% elevation rate. The last 30 he's faced have posted a .394 xBA, .673 xSLG, and .332 xwOBA.

This is a fantastic price for an elite-rated hitter to go over his HRR prop. I would take this down to -120 at the most, or pivot to his bases at around +120.

• Time: 3:07 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Sportsnet, NESN

Kyle Schwarber Over 1.5 Hits+Runs+RBI (-118)

The guy we have all been waiting on to get back to destroying baseballs is Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber, and he has started heating back up. Over his last 10 games, he owns a .500 SLG and .235 ISO while generating a 47.6% hard-hit rate and 14.3% barrel rate.

On top of that, Schwarber owns the No. 1 matchup rating on Batters-Box tonight while covering more than 90% of Minnesota Twins right-hander Taj Bradley’s entire pitch mix. Over the last three seasons, the big fella has recorded at least a hit 61.13% of the time, hit a home run 26.5% of the time, and gone over this prop 52.3% in a sample size of 283 elite-rated games.

Bradley has done a great job reviving his career in Minnesota, but he has struggled against left-handed hitters. Overall, he has allowed a 45.2% hard-hit rate, 13.7% barrel rate, and 33% ground-ball rate.

This is a great spot for the slugger to show off at the "Field of Dreams" game. Take this prop down to -120, but if you can find his hit prop better than -150, take that instead.

• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Netflix

Teoscar Hernadez to record 1+ hits (-150)

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez has an elite rating on Batters-Box and a great opportunity to do the bare minimum for us this evening. The veteran slugger draws Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Shane Drohan, against whom Hernandez covers nearly 75% of his pitch mix.

Over the last 60 right-handed hitters faced, Drohan owns a 7.43 ERA while allowing a 12.5% barrel rate and a 70% elevation rate. On the other side, Hernandez is batting .310 with a .552 SLG and .242 ISO over his last 30 plate appearances against southpaws.

In 115 elite-rated games over the last three seasons, Hernandez has recorded at least a hit nearly 67% of the time. At -150, this is a price worth paying the juice. If you are not in the juice-paying business, take his hits, runs, and RBI prop at +119.

• Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SNLA, BREW

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.

Today marks Randal Grichuk’s 35th birthday.

Across five seasons as a Blue Jay, Grichuk played 479 games and slashed .243/.289/.461, belting 90 home runs—good for 26th on the franchise’s all-time list. He was worth 4.2 bWAR during that time, providing solid offensive power and stretches of exciting play.

The Blue Jays acquired Grichuk from the Cardinals in May 2019, trading Conner Greene and Dominic Leone to St. Louis. Greene went on to appear in 24 major league games and is currently pitching in the Astros’ minor league system. Leone, now with the White Sox—his seventh team since leaving Toronto—continues to pitch in the majors.

Grichuk was a polarizing player in Toronto. He often started seasons strong, prompting optimism that he had adjusted his approach at the plate. However, after his hot streaks faded, he typically settled into a level of performance just below what was needed for a regular outfield role.

He played four seasons with the Jays. In 2022, he played 128 games, hitting .243/.289/.461 with 90 home runs before departing as a free agent at season’s end.

Grichuk was later traded to the Rockies for Adrian Pinto and Raimel Tapia. Tapia hit .265/.292/.380 in 128 games for Toronto before leaving as a free agent. Since then, he’s played for the Red Sox, Brewers and Rays. He’s playing in Mexico now.

Pinto is currently playing for the Fisher Cats, hes’s hitting .243/.345/.427 with 2 home runs in 29 games. He’s only 23, so he still has time to make it to the majors.

Since leaving the Blue Jays after the 2020 season, Grichuk has played for the Rockies, Angels, Diamondbacks, Royals, Yankees and now the White Sox. He’s having a very nice career.

For some reason I often confuse him with Kevin Pillar.

Happy birthday, Randal.

Today is Corey Patterson’s 47th birthday. I have a hard time believing he’s that old.

Patterson played 89 games for the Blue Jays in 2011, hitting .252/.287/.379 with six home runs and 13 stolen bases (caught eight times).

He played the outfield in a style reminiscent of Gurriel, though without the benefit of a strong arm.

At the plate, Patterson was known for chasing high pitches, and when he managed to connect, it was always entertaining—perhaps encouraging him to keep trying.

He had a costly habit of attempting to steal third base, going 0-for-3 in those attempts despite a solid success rate when stealing second.

Patterson was traded to the Cardinals as part of the Colby Rasmus deal at the 2011 deadline. He hit .157/.189/.235 in 44 games for St. Louis, marking the end of his MLB career.

In total, Patterson played 11 MLB seasons across seven teams, compiling a .252/.290/.400 line with 34 home runs and 218 stolen bases. His best season came in 2006 with the Orioles, when he hit .276/.314/.443 and stole 45 bases.

Patterson profiled as a capable fourth outfielder: a left-handed hitter with some power and speed, able to handle all three outfield positions. By the time he joined Toronto, however, he had lost some speed, which had previously helped compensate for his unconventional routes to fly balls.

Patterson did, however, make a memorable catch for Toronto:

Today is Taijuan Walker’s 34th birthday.

Walker joined the Blue Jays in 2020 via a trade with the Mariners for Alberto Rodriguez, who is now in the Royals system.

Walker made six starts for Toronto, helping the team secure a Wild Card berth that season.

He posted a 2-1 record with a 1.37 ERA in 26.1 innings.

Following that season, Walker signed with the Mets as a free agent and spent two years in New York. He was with the Phillies for four seasons, posting a 5.12 ERA in 89 games, 67 starts. They released him this seasons. He was signed by the Angels (twice) and released (twice) but never played with them.

Over 14 MLB seasons, Walker has compiled a 78-75 record with a 4.27 ERA in 256 games.

Happy birthday, Taijuan.

It is also Mason Fluharty’s 25th Birthday

At 25 he’s pitched in 118 games (and, at the moment leads the league in appearances this season at 63). He has a 4.20 career ERA. In his two seasons, he’s held lefties to a .536 OPS (right-handers .769).

Chase Lee turns 28 today

Chase has pitched in 6 Jays games this year. Last year he pitched in 32 games for the Tigers.

The Royals spent the first half of the season trying to figure out how to win in 2026. With the team far back in the standings and the season effectively lost, the final two months should be about figuring out how to win in 2027.

The team still has nearly 40 games left to play, and they aren’t totally meaningless. These games will help the Royals determine what course of action they need to take to truly compete in 2027. They are an extended audition for young players, an opportunity to answer questions about this roster, and a chance to identify which problems can be fixed internally and which will require outside help.

So what should the Royals be evaluating over the final two months?

Cobbling together a bullpen

Royals relievers have a 5.31 ERA, second-worst in baseball, giving them perhaps the worst bullpen in club history. This comes despite the front office spending a lot of resources on the pen, both in salary and in trade assets. Owner John Sherman said this week he thinks the team can “cobble” together a bullpen without spending too much money. This will mean identifying and developing pitchers who could improve their performance with a move to the bullpen or through tweaking their arsenal.

The Royals have already begun implementing this plan, perhaps in desperation, by acquiring any cheaply available arm they can find. Pitchers like Connor Seabold, Jose Cuas, Easton McGee, Nate Pearson have already gotten opportunities in the bullpen, and you could see recently acquired pitchers like Carlos Duran and Luke Little called up soon.

More puzzling however, is the decision to bring in 38-year-old Craig Kimbrel. Desperate times call for desperate measures, but there are pitchers under the age of 35 available all the time – Cody Lawyerson, Matt Sauer, Konnor Pilkington, Elieser Hernández, and Ron Marinaccio are just some of the pitchers let go in the last week.

The point isn’t that any of these pitchers would necessarily be a good addition. It’s that the Royals should be constantly searching for talent, rather than assuming the only way to improve the bullpen is to add established veterans. Cade Smith, Brent Headrick, Juan Morillo, Paul Blackburn, and Michael Petersen have all been among the best relievers in baseball this year, and all were picked up by their teams after someone else let them go. The Royals need to go shopping in the bargain bin to see if they can find a hidden gem.

Can young players help out?

The Royals are playing games that aren’t meaningful in terms of winning a pennant, but could be very valuable to evaluate talent. The farm system may not be top-ranked and what talent they do have is mostly in the low minors, but baseball is full of non-prospects – guys like former Royals All-Star Whit Merrifield – exceeding expectations when given playing time.

And yet, the Royals are squandering some of their available playing time to a player who is not part of the future. The hitting equivalent of Craig Kimbrel is 37-year old outfielder Starling Marte, who is batting just .247/.303/.320 with poor defense. Why give him playing time when you could evaluate 25-year-old Matthew Lugo, who was picked up off waivers and is hitting .263/.320/.532 with 11 home runs in 48 games for Omaha? Why not see if the hot streak by former first-round pick Gavin Cross is for real before you have to make a decision on whether or not to protect him from the Rule 5 draft? Why not call up Carson Roccaforte, whose 29 home runs are more than all but eight players in all of the minors? The Royals need to find out if any of these players might be useful pieces before they spend money or trade prospects to fill those same roster spots.

Are there redundancies on the roster?

Putting together a roster means putting pieces that will fit on a baseball diamond. Having several players who can do roughly the same thing isn’t necessarily a bad problem to have, but the Royals need to figure out whether some of their players are competing for the same roster spot rather than filling different needs.

The final two months should give them a chance to sort through some of those redundancies. Is Jac Caglianone the better option at first base, or should they stick with Vinnie Pasquantino with Cags in right? At second, is Michael Massey the guy going forward, or does Nick Loftin deserve more of a look? Is Kyle Isbel entrenched as a starter or is Tyler Tolbert an option for centerfield?

Players like Massey and Isbel are at pivotal points in their career where their salaries will begin to be more expensive, so they will need to do more to justify their spot on the roster. Even Pasquantino, who is under contract for next year, could become a trade piece if the Royals want to turn to Caglianone at first. One goal for the final two months should be to figure out which combination of players makes the most sense together.

Who is the leadoff hitter in 2027?

Royals leadoff hitters have a .305 on-base percentage, fourth-worst in baseball. Maikel Garcia opened the season in the leadoff spot, but when he slumped, the Royals turned to Carter Jensen, who has a .299 on-base percentage. The table-setter has been a problem for the Royals the last few years, and it doesn’t appear they have found the answer. They spend considerable resources to bring in Jonathan India, only to see it blow up in their face. Before they go out and seek another external option, they need to exhaust their in-house possibilities.

The last stretch of games could be an opportunity to see if someone like Isaac Collins – whose .332 on-base percentage is second on the team only to Bobby Witt Jr. – can handle leadoff duties. And if not, it could signal that the team needs to look outside the organization to find a better option.

Can the Royals rebuild their starting pitching depth?

The team came into this season thinking their starting pitching depth was a strength. By mid-season, injuries had depleted their pitching staff. Now, Kris Bubic is with the Dodgers, Cole Ragans is likely out at least the first half of next season, and Luinder Avila, Ryan Bergert, and Stephen Kolek are all likely to miss most of next season.

The team held onto Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo, for better or for worse, and they will anchor next year’s rotation. Noah Cameron has turned his season around after calling his own pitches. But the Royals will have to figure out not just how to fill the final two spots in next year’s rotation, but finding another 4-5 pitchers that can serve as depth when pitchers inevitably get hurt.

Randy Dobnak has gotten off to a sensational start with the Royals with a 2.00 ERA in his first seven games. The Royals will get an extended look at him to see if his low strikeout rate (12.4%) and high xERA (4.79) mean he’s doing it with smoke and mirrors, or if he is able to exceed expectations.

The Royals are also making the right call to see if Daniel Lynch IV can transition back to being a starting pitcher after a successful run the last two years in the bullpen. The 29-year-old lefty is posting a career-high 49 percent groundball rate, and he has made some notable adjustments this year that may give him better success than when he was a starter to begin his career.

The team should also be on the lookout for more available young starting pitchers. Newly acquired Lucas Braun could get some starts down the stretch, and if there other opportunities to pick up arms as depth, the Royals need to seize upon them.

The Royals have a lot of questions to answer before they can figure out how to fix this roster. The final two months won’t provide all the answers, but they should give the front office enough information to know which problems it can solve from within and where it needs to go shopping this winter.