Category: Baseball

Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Cubs play a four-game series at Citi Field starting on Monday night at 7:10 on SNY...

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5 things to watch

The return of Francisco Lindor

Lindor played rehab games the last few days with Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse, with his return from a calf injury imminent.

The plan is for Lindor to play a simulated game on Monday at Citi Field, after which he could get a day off before being activated.

That puts Wednesday as the most likely day for Lindor's return.

When Lindor is back, it will be just the 12th time that both he andJuan Soto are in the lineup together this season -- with Lindor having suffered his calf injury in the same April game where Soto returned from his. 

Carson Benge is heating back up

The Mets' offense as a whole was an afterthought as the team lost two of three games to the Phillies over the weekend. That's because Freddy Peralta and David Peterson put New York in early holes that were inescapable.

But amid the carnage, Benge had a strong showing, smacking home runs on Saturday and Sunday.

Over his last seven games, spanning 33 plate appearances, Benge is slashing .290/.333/.548 (.882 OPS) with two homers, one triple, and six runs scored.

Dating back to April 23, Benge is hitting .296/.350/.471 (.821 OPS) with eight homers in 53 games.

Looking at his advanced season stats via Baseball Savant, Benge is above average in 10 of 13 key categories, including xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, average exit velocity, barrel percentage, and hard hit percentage.

Playoffs? We're talking playoffs?

Yes, we are, even though it's borderline absurd to be doing so with New York having a record of 34-43.

But despite how bad the Mets have been, they are just 6.0 games back of the third Wild Card spot in the National League with more than half the season to go. The team currently in that spot? The Cubs.

That means if the Mets have a big series this week against Chicago, they can make up serious ground in a theoretical race for one of the final playoff spots in the National League.

The Mets front office has about a month left before they have to decide whether to sell at the trade deadline. At this point -- barring an incredible run in the next few weeks -- buying would seem to be out of the question.

So it will almost certainly come down to standing pat or selling, with the Mets' direction possibly due in large part to how they perform this week at home against Chicago and the Phillies. 

The Jekyll and Hyde Cubs

The Cubs started the year on fire before crashing back to earth.

They were 27-12 ahead of play on May 9 before going on a slide that had them at 34-34 on June 10 -- following a brutal 7-22 clip.

Chicago has righted the ship since, though their 6-3 record over the last week-plus has come against two of the worst teams in baseball, with the Cubs winning five of those games against the Rockies and Giants.

Like the Mets, the Cubs are dealing with rotation issues, with Justin Steele, Cade Horton, Matthew Boyd, and Jameson Taillon all on the IL.

The Cubs are set to send Shota Imanaga, Edward Cabrera, and Javier Assad out against the Mets during this series, with their starting pitcher for Thursday TBD. 

Pete Crow-Armstrong is having a monster year

After struggling badly over the first month of the season (he had a .662 OPS on May 5), Crow-Armstrong has turned it on. 

For the season, Crow-Armstrong is slashing .286/.363/.521 with 16 homers, 12 doubles, four triples, and 18 stolen bases.

He is on a 10-game hitting streak, and has reached base safely in 22 of his last 23 games.

Defensively, Crow-Armstrong has been the best center fielder in the league, with him in the 100th percentile when it comes to outs above average and 99th percentile in arm value. 

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Juan Soto

When in doubt, go with the guy who has a .974 OPS.

Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?

Nolan McLean

McLean has righted the ship after back-to-back rough outings at the end of May, posting a 1.64 ERA in 22.0 innings over his last four starts. 

Which Cubs player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?

Pete Crow-Armstrong

The 24-year-old impacts both sides of the ball like few can. 

Fernando Tatis Jr. came off the bench to pinch-hit to lead off the top of the ninth inning. He laced a single into center field and represented the tying run for the San Diego Padres who trailed the Texas Rangers, 4-3. Xander Bogaerts followed Tatis and pushed him to second base with his own single to center field. The Padres were in prime position to at least tie the game with runners at first and second with no outs and Ty France coming to the plate. France homered twice in the series opener, which included a grand slam, but that was not needed in this case. All he had to do was put the ball in play without hitting into a double play. France failed to execute the fundamentals and struck out giving San Diego their first out with no advancement of the runners. Sung-Mun Song then flied lined out to the outfield, which also did not allow either runner to advance and Rodolfo Duran grounded out to short to end the threat and the game. It was a difficult to end to a promising start to the inning and the result was a 4-3 loss and a series loss for the Padres.

San Diego employed the opener to start the game with Wandy Peralta throwing a scoreless first inning. Luca Giolito came on for the bulk innings role and allowed four runs on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts. The most disappointing aspect of his start was he immediately surrendered the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fourth inning after the Padres scored three runs in the top of the inning to tie the game, 3-3. Giolito allowed back-to-back-to-back one out singles, which allowed the Rangers to take a 4-3 lead when Josh Jung singled to score Wyatt Langford. Neither team added to their run total for the remainder of the game and San Diego finished its three-city road trip with a record of 4-5.

The Padres return home to host the Atlanta Braves today at 7:10 p.m.

Padres News:

• Jhony Brito continued his return to the majors with another solid start for El Paso and currently has an ERA under three with 30 innings pitched.

• Miguel Andujar returned from the injured list and the Padres had to make a corresponding move to make room on the roster. Nick Solak was designated for assignment.

Baseball News:

• Bryce Harper has found magic in his bat. A day after hitting for the cycle, he was a triple shy of doing it again for the Philadelphia Phillies, using the same bat.

• JJ Weatherholt hit two home runs to help the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Kansas City Royals.

• Chase Burns pitched the Cincinnati Reds past the New York Yankees.

• The Milwaukee Brewers used an eight-run inning to beat the Atlanta Braves.

• The Miami Marlins completed a sweep of the San Francisco Giants with a 2-1 win.

• The Baltimore Orioles scored 12 runs to win the game and the series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

• The Minnesota Twins scored four runs in the final three innings to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks.

One of the most inspirational players in all of sports, former MLB pitcher Jim Abbott will be honored with the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the 2026 ESPY Awards, USA TODAY Sports confirms.

The pitcher will receive the award for being an incredible symbol of resilience. Abbott had a 10-year professional baseball career despite being born without a right hand, and accomplished one of the best moments a pitcher can have by throwing a no-hitter.

From Michigan, Abbott has defied the odds throughout his entire life. With just his left hand, he would pitch by putting his glove on his right forearm, then quickly putting his hand in the glove after throwing. If he fielded a ball, he'd again put the glove against his right forearm so he could grab the ball with his hand and throw it around the diamond.

Abbott caught national attention, as he was a star player at the University of Michigan and then a first round pick by the California Angels in the 1988 MLB Draft.

He immediately jumped to the MLB level without playing in the minors and had a solid rookie season in 1989, finishing fifth in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. His best season came in 1991, when his 2.89 ERA was the fourth-lowest in the AL and he finished third in Cy Young voting.

Abbott's defining moment came as a member of the New York Yankees on Sept. 4, 1993, when he threw a monumental no-hitter. He threw 119 pitches and struck out three batters in what became an iconic moment in baseball history.

More: Shane Gillis roasts Shedeur Sanders over Colorado jersey number retirement during 2025 ESPYS

Abbott's remarkable achievements and longevity paved the way for future athletes with limb differences to succeed in professional sports, including football player Shaquem Griffin, U.S. women's soccer national team member Carson Pickett and MMA fighter Nick Newell.

Earlier in June, an ESPN documentary about Abbott, "Southpaw – The Life and Legacy of Jim Abbott" received a Peabody Award.

"Overcoming obstacles and pushing past traditional limitations on the mound was my way of showing what is possible when you refuse to give up," Abbott said in a statement. "To have my journey and my career recognized with an award that bears Coach Jim Valvano's name is a truly humbling milestone. Receiving the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance is an incredible honor, and I hope it serves as a reminder to the next generation of athletes that our perceived limits do not define our potential."

Abbott will be presented the award at the 2026 ESPY Awards ceremony on Wednesday, July 15 at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: One-handed MLB pitcher Jim Abbott will receive Jimmy V Award at ESPYS

Here’s a bit of history:

West Coast trips:

• 2018: 2-4
• 2022: 3-4
• 2022: 4-4
• 2024: 1-5
• 2025: 0-7
• 2026, SDP and SFG: TBD

Partial West Coast trips:

• 2018: 6-1
• 2019: 6-4
• 2019: 5-2
• 2019: 4-2
• 2021: 2-5
• 2021: 7-3
• 2023: 5-1
• 2023: 3-3
• 2023: 8-2
• 2024: 4-3
• 2024: 6-4
• 2025: 2-4
• 2025: 3-3
• 2026: 4-3
• 2026: 6-3

Basically, the Braves haven’t had a winning West Coast Only road trip from the start of the 2018 run. Where they have fared a lot better are trips that involve a West Coast swing and other games, with just two such losing road trips in that same span.

But, the team is scuffling a bit right now, and they have a Pure Pacific one scheduled, so… hmm.

Are you dreading it?

Most utility players have some sort of deficiency in their game that prevents them from being considered an “everyday” option. But occasionally, those super subs go on a hot streak that makes you wonder if they could make the leap to becoming a vital piece in the daily lineup. Blaze Alexander is doing that right now.

The move to acquire Alexander back in February left most Orioles fans scratching their heads. At a time when the team needed more bullpen arms, they dealt away a controllable and productive one in Kade Strowd, plus two intriguing prospects, for a guy with no position. Sure, he could be a fine backup in a few spots, but that felt like the type of player they would have been able to found on the waiver wire for almost nothing instead of giving up three players.

Well, three months into his Orioles tenure, Alexander is actually looking like decent value for the O’s. The team has needed more help than expected at third base and in the outfield. That has thrust him into action and, while it took him some time to get his feet under him, Alexander has become one of the team’s most productive hitters.

For the season, Alexander owns a .312/.362/.447 batting line with three home runs, 12 doubles, 23 RBI, and eight stolen bases. Much of that production has come in that last five weeks or so. Since May 13, Alexander is hitting .405/.446/.631 with three home runs, 10 doubles, 20 RBI, and five stolen bases. He has also struck out just 12 times in 93 plate appearances and walked five times.

The numbers aren’t a mirage either. Alexander is hitting the ball hard. His 92.5 mph average exit velocity is in the top 10% of MLB, and his .306 expected batting average is the top 2%. He won’t be able to maintain the .405 batting average he’s had over the last five weeks (expect his .394 BABIP to come down a lot!), but his peripherals indicate he should be plenty valuable to play every day.

Alexander has been valuable on the bases as well. His eight steals are second on the team, and his base-running value (per Baseball Savant) is in the top 12% of MLB. He’s a guy that can turn a single into a double or score from first base on a ball in the gap. That is mighty helpful for a lineup that can go quiet on occassion.

The only area where Alexander has disappointed are his defensive metrics. He came to Baltimore with a reputation as being an above-average glove. But so far he has not graded out very well, being worth -3 outs above average overall. However, those numbers aren’t totally fair to Alexander, since the Orioles have asked him to play six different position this year, two of which he did not play at all in 2025. If you take his outfield glove away entirely, Alexander would have much better defensive numbers.

Meanwhile, it doesn’t seem like the Orioles are missing much with Kade Strowd in Arizona. The 28-year-old righty has pitched in one game for the Diamondbacks this season. He has spent most of his time in Triple-A, where he has a 5.87 ERA and 1.783 WHIP over 23 innings. Maybe things would have been different for him in Baltimore, but there were indicators that he was more lucky than good in 2025 anyway.

It’s possible the prospects that went the other way still pan out. Wellington Aracena had been pretty impressive after the O’s acquired him at last year’s deadline, and he has been solid in the Diamondbacks organization this year (3.83 ERA, 56 strikeouts, 44.1 IP). José Mejia OPS’d .935 in Low-A this year and earned a promotion to High-A. But both are still so far away from the majors that nothing is guaranteed.

Alexander, on the other hand, is already a bonafide big leaguer that has four more seasons of team control beyond 2026. If he can just be a 1-2 WAR player each of those seasons, he is likely to be more valuable than all of the players dealt to Arizona. If he makes the leap to everyday player, the gulf between the two could be even larger.

The flaws of the 2026 Orioles are something that Mike Elias will need to answer for if they do end up with another losing record. But the President of Baseball Operations does seem to have an eye for talent when it comes to adding around the edges. Alexander isn’t the first fringy hitter to have something click in Baltimore under Elias’ watch. There was Ramón Urías before him. Jorge Mateo had some magical moments. Ryan O’Hearn turned his career around entirely. Aaron Hicks rediscovered his old form for a brief time. Even the addition of Leody Taveras this season also looks like a smart bit of business. This sort of thing is in Elias’ wheelhouse.

2026 MLB Draft Preview: Logan Hughes scouting report.

The 2026 is about a month away — the first round kicks off on July 11, 2026 — so its time to start offering capsule looks at players the Texas Rangers could select with their top picks. The Rangers’ first round pick is at #16, their second round pick is at #54, and their third round pick is at #89.

Leading up to draft day, we will be doing writeups of some of the players who could end up getting selected by the Rangers with one of their first three picks. Today we are looking at Texas Tech outfielder Logan Hughes.

Logan Hughes is a 5’11”, lefthanded hitting and throwing junior outfielder for Texas Tech whose weight is listed anywhere from 185 lbs. to 210 lbs. Undrafted out of high school in Winter Springs, Florida, he went just a half hour away to Stetson for his freshman season. He then transferred to Texas Tech, where he’s played the past two seasons. Hughes turned 21 in April.

Hughes has a quality hit tool with very good contact skills. Keith Law says he has shown he can hit “all pitch types” and can handle velocity. He’s shown good power the last two seasons at Tech, and profiles to have above-average to possibly plus power as a professional. MLB Pipeline notes that he grades out well in the analytical models because of his exit velocities and swing decisions.

Hughes is going to have to hit a lot as a professional because he is limited defensively. He’s played mostly left field in college, and profiles as either a left fielder or first baseman going forward due to his lack of speed and the fact his arm likely won’t play in right field.

As a freshman at Stetson, Hughes hit .292/.398/.515 in 208 plate appearances over 58 games, walking 27 times, striking out 30 times, and hitting 8 home runs while playing both corner positions. As a sophomore at Tech, despite playing in a more challenging conference, Hughes took a step forward, slashing .327/.411/.697 in 246 plate appearances. He walked more often than he struck out (26 to 24), and hit 19 homers. 2026 was Hughes’ best season yet, as he slashed .375/.510/.735, walking 50 times against 33 Ks in 257 plate appearances, and hitting 18 home runs.

Baseball America has Hughes at #42 on their board. MLB Pipeline has Hughes at #47 on their board. Kiley McDaniel puts Hughes at #74 on his top 150 list. Keith Law’s rankings have Hughes at #56 on his board. Fangraphs does not have Hughes on their board. Baseball Prospectus has Hughes at #20 on their top 30 draft board.

MLB Pipeline compares Hughes to Rusty Greer, which is probably enough to have folks rooting for the Rangers to take him in the second round. There are some similarities between Hughes and Aaron Zavala, who the Rangers took with the 38th pick in 2021, though Zavala showed less present power in college and more athleticism than Hughes, and to Dylan Dreiling, who the Rangers took #65 overall in 2024.

Hughes fits the Rangers’ profile for a college bat, and would make sense as a potential second or third round pick, if he makes it that far. He’s not a high ceiling guy, given his lack of speed and athleticism, and how far he makes it in the professional ranks likely depends on how well he can convert his contact ability and exit velocities into playable in-game power.

Previously:

Liam Peterson

Tyler Bell

Aiden Robbins

Jared Grindlinger

Logan Reddemann

Cooper Harris

Justin Lebron

Cameron Flukey

Derek Curiel

Hunter Dietz

A week ago, my wife and I checked out our local independent league team, the Waterloo Bucks. They play in the Northwoods League, a summer wood-bat college league. Friday night was perfect for baseball, 80 degrees and sunny with a slight breeze from the south.

One of Waterloo’s players is MJ Sweeney, son of Royal legend Mike. MJ plays his college ball at Wichita State. He’s a physical specimen, listed at 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds. He has a smooth left-handed swing and he’s athletic. Unfortunately, he went 0-for-5 in this game. He looked like he was a little too anxious, often swinging at the first or second pitch. If he can put everything together, he could turn himself into a real prospect.

The game was a doozy, with the visiting team, the Willmar Stingers, jumping out to comfortable leads only to have Waterloo battle back. Leading the charge for Willmar was Max Buettenback, who plays collegiately at Nebraska. Young Mr. Buettenback came into the game hitting an absurd .455. He didn’t hurt his average as he went 3-for-5 with a walk on the night. The three hits all left the yard, and he ended the night with a cool .500 average for the season. He makes loud contact when he connects. He’s far and away one of the best players I’ve seen in the Northwoods League, and I’d be shocked if he weren’t picked in this year’s or next year’s draft. Some of the players can be a bit timid. Not this kid. He swings the bat like a knight swinging a sword at a dragon threatening his damsel.

Willmar grabbed a one-run lead in the 8th, thanks to Mr. Buettenback’s third dinger of the night. Waterloo answered with a home run in the bottom of the 9th by Mitchell Iliff to send the game to extras.

With the go-ahead run in scoring position in the 10th, the Bucks wisely gave Buettenback a free pass. The Stingers pushed across a single run to take a 10-9 lead.

Waterloo answered. With one on and two outs, the Bucks’ Nico Newhan, another Nebraska player, put one over the left-center field fence to give the home team an 11-10 victory.

It was an exciting game. I’m always amazed at the commitment shown by these kids who spend the summer living with a host family, hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles away from home, just to play ball. If you get the chance this summer, take in a Northwoods League game. It’s a great value and some solid baseball.

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The Athletic’s most recent Power Rankings have the Royals at #29, just ahead of the Colorado Rockies. If you’ve followed baseball in the last decade, you’re aware of what a dumpster fire the Rockies organization has been. Scouting, drafting, player development, free-agent signings, you name it, the Rockies have found a way to bungle it. It pains me to think the Royals are in the same neighborhood, but here we are. I’ve been a fan, and a die-hard one, since the beginning. I generally try to stay optimistic, but it’s getting more difficult.

The Royals need an organizational reset, like the one they did when they brought in Dayton Moore. They have the best player in the game and not much else. The minor league system, short of a couple of solid pitching prospects in Class A ball, is filled with marginal prospects and players who are already 25 or 26 years old. In short, the farm system is thin on talent, which means little help is on the way—either through prospect promotions or trade chips.

The organization has had a stunning record of blowing first-round picks. Look, I understand that drafting baseball players is the hardest evaluation in any of the major sports and a bit of a crapshoot. I know I couldn’t do it, and it seems the Royals brass can’t either. But the first-round picks should be the easy ones. This is the round where you pick the no-brainer guys. In the past fifteen drafts (not counting 2025—it’s early, they get a pass), the Royals have only gleaned four contributing players: Daniel Lynch, Kris Bubic, Bobby Witt Jr., and Jac. That’s it. They had another with Brady Singer but lost their minds and traded him for a washed-up infielder.

All of this begs a question. Does the problem lie with the scouting process or the player development process? Or, more frighteningly, both? It’s J.J. Picollo’s job to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the organization and make the necessary adjustments. If he can’t, or won’t, do that, it falls on John Sherman to make the necessary changes, starting at the top.

What makes it even more painful is the cross-state rival Cardinals have rebuilt and are in contention. And division-rival Chicago White Sox have quickly retooled (under the eye of former Royal Chris Getz, to boot) and not only have a young and exciting team, they’re in first place in the Central. Ouch.

I figure the Royals would have to win 84 games to secure a wild-card berth. That means they’d need to go 55-33 the rest of the way. That’s a .625 winning percentage. I don’t see that happening.

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Of the 1969 expansion teams, which has drafted or signed the most Hall of Fame players as amateur free agents? That’d be Montreal/Washington with five (Tim Raines, Gary Carter, Vlad Guerrero, Randy Johnson, and Larry Walker). The Padres have three (Tony Gwynn, Dave Winfield, and Ozzie Smith), while Milwaukee/Seattle has two (Robin Yount and Paul Molitor). The Royals were the last car in that parade for years with just George Brett to show for it. Carlos Beltrán’s recent election brings them to two.

This piece of trivia doesn’t mean much other than the Royals have had a shortage of top-end talent to work with. Despite that, they do lead the 1969 teams in the only category that is really important, and that’s the number of World Series titles they have. Milwaukee and San Diego are still looking for their first Series title. Montreal/Washington has one.

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Daily newspapers have all but disappeared, victims of the internet and their own hubris. I do miss having the sports section of a daily, especially during baseball season. There was nothing quite like the feeling of checking the box scores each day to see who had a big game. The paper was also a great way to keep track of the standings and who the statistical leaders were. For some adventurous entrepreneur, maybe there’s still a market for a baseball-only daily? I think I’d be a subscriber.

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Here’s a question for our readers. Which team is your second favorite? Who do you root for besides the Royals and why?

I’ve always been torn between the Red Sox and the Padres. I love going to Fenway. It’s one of the all-time great baseball experiences, one that every die-hard baseball fan should enjoy at least once in their life. Despite that, I probably couldn’t name more than three or four current Red Sox players. Yikes!

I’ve been drawn to the Padres for similar reasons. I usually catch one or two games a year at Petco, which is a fantastic ballpark. The Padres typically have a mixture of veteran and young talent, plus they’ve been a regular trading partner with the Royals and usually have several old friends on the roster. Their GM, A.J. Preller, is a modern-day wheeler and dealer and somehow always seems to put a competitive product on the field. Their fans are some of the best in the sport.

How about you? Who’s your backup team?

A while back, as part of this question of the day series, I asked the question about the Phillies and conceding the NL East. Times were dire then with the team mired in that horrid slump that cost the manager his job and put the Phillies in a huge hole. The question was legitimate with the Braves, at the same time, looking like an actual threat to the Dodgers for National League supremacy.

Since then, the Phillies have managed to cut into the lead a little bit and now sit here today only 6 1/2 games behind the Braves in the division. It has been a steady chipping away at the lead and it still is quite a few games to make up, but let’s try this again: are the Phillies done in the NL East, or is there a chance they can run Atlanta down? They would have to continue playing at this current pace while the Braves slip a little more, but is it within the realm of possibility?

Good morning.

Shawn McFarland writes about what we learned about the Texas Rangers over the last week which is that they continue to be unable to beat bad teams while holding up well against good teams.

MLB dot com’s John Henry writes about Wyatt Langford heating up after a forgettable first couple of months to the season.

McFarland writes that a healthy and productive Langford changes the dynamic for the Rangers and their oftentimes threatless lineup.

Jeff Wilson writes that the Rangers made it nearly half a season before a starting pitcher hit the IL, with an injury from late April finally doing Jack Leiter in.

Henry writes that with Leiter on the shelf, the Rangers are bringing up right-handed prospect Jose Corniell to potentially make the start on Tuesday.

McFarland notes that Corey Seager is making progress on a potential return from landing on the concussion injured list, but the Rangers still don’t know when he’ll play.

Jim Bowden calls Jake Burger a potential under-the-radar trade target with the trade deadline around a month away.

And, yesterday was Father’s Day so McFarland was tasked with writing about the fact that Skip Schumaker reproduced.

Have a nice day!

6 runs in 3 games! That’s all the Red Sox pitching staff surrendered over the weekend, as the Sox bounced back from a grim homestand to take a late-night west coast series. Granted, the Mariners are no one’s idea of an offensive juggernaut, and T-Mobile is no one’s idea of a lyric little bandbox. But that pitching wasn’t a mirage. The 2026 Red Sox genuinely do have a championship-level starting staff.

And, unfortunately, that’s what makes this upcoming trade deadline so tricky. . .

When looking ahead to the forthcoming trading frenzy, I believe in two things resolutely:

(1) The Red Sox should not remotely consider giving up any assets in any kind of “win now,” move. Yes, the American League is so bad that Cape Verde would be a Wild Card contender this year. And, yes, the Red Sox have the 6th-best run-differential in the league, indicating that they have the true talent-level of a playoff contender. But this roster is so poorly constructed that any kind of late playoff run would only distract from the real work that needs to be done to rebuild the roster and turn the team into a genuine contender. They are legitimately running out quad-A lineups on a nightly basis, and that’s not going to be easy to fix.

However…

(2) The Red Sox should plan and aim to be a genuine contender as soon as next season. When you have a pitching staff this good, you simply cannot let that go to waste.

And there’s the rub vis-a-vis the deadline. It’s easy enough to sell-off big league assets for far-away prospects. And it’s easy enough to sell-off prospects for win-now relievers. But the Red Sox need to do something a little more delicate: they need to sell-off pieces of their team who won’t be contributors in 2027 for players who will be.

This is not going to be easy, and I don’t trust Craig Breslow to pull it off. But that’s the challenge ahead.

Use this space to talk about whatever you want, be good to one another, and go Sox.

After a promising start to the three-game set at home, the Yankees are coming off of a disappointing couple of games against the Reds. The last two days saw the Bombers plate just three runs in total, while giving up double digits on Saturday. But, they are right back on the horse, as they hit the road for a trio of contests in Detroit. The Tigers have had their flaws in 2026, but the Yanks will see the best of their pitching, likely having their hands full without the “A” lineup.

The Tigers have struggled mightily for much of the season, though they are on high note at the moment, coming off of a sweep of a better-than-expected White Sox squad at home. Despite that, they still have a 7.5-game deficit in the AL Central (trailing all but the Royals), and remain five games out of a Wild Card spot. The Cats will be fighting for everything the rest of the way if they want to return to the postseason — or at least make the case to ownership that nonpareil ace Tarik Skubal shouldn’t yet be traded ahead of free agency.

They’re currently missing two All-Stars from their 2026 club, Javier Báez and old friend Gleyber Torres, who are both on the IL. But rookie shortstop Kevin McGonigle is back on track in June with an .894 OPS following a bumpy second month in the big leagues. Riley Greene and Dillon Dingler are building their own cases for the Midsummer Classic, too. Detroit can absolutely punch a team in the nose, so the Yankees must be on their guard in enemy territory.

Monday: Gerrit Cole vs. Framber Valdez (6:10 pm ET)

After a red-hot start to his return from the injured list, Gerrit Cole has settled into a nice groove, and will be making his sixth start of the season to kick off this series. Since his return, the veteran has completed five innings in all but one of his outings, and the same rang true in his most recent start. On Tuesday against the White Sox, Cole struck out six in as many innings, while allowing a pair of runs. While he’s been very good on the whole, he’ll look for a classic Cole gem to start the week off right.

In the first season of a nine-figure deal, erstwhile Houston standout Framber Valdez has not quite had the start he or the Tigers likely hoped for. Despite ERA and FIP numbers that would be his worst since becoming a full-time starter, the lefty is coming off one of his better outings of the year. Against his old team last week, Valdez allowed just a single unearned run, while striking out six in a half-dozen innings. He last faced the Yankees in September of last year, when he allowed six runs and a pair of homers in five innings of work.

Tuesday: Carlos Rodón vs. Casey Mize (6:40 pm ET)

Following a strong start to his return from injury, Carlos Rodón has stuttered a bit in his more recent outings. Across his last two starts, the veteran lefty has allowed six earned runs in 11 innings against the Guardians and White Sox. The K’s are still there, as he notched seven in each of those starts, but he’ll look to limit hard contact to a greater degree in Detroit on Tuesday niht.

In his age-29 season, the Tigers are seeing the very best of their former number one overall pick in 2026. In what has been an undisputable career-year to this point, Casey Mize is boasting a 2.58 ERA and 2.66 FIP in 52.1 innings of work this year. After missing the first couple weeks of June, however, the 2025 All-Star struggled in his return, when he allowed three runs on six hits over 4.2 innings last week against the Astros. The righty should be back in full health now, however, and is sure to give the Yankees plenty of work to do come Tuesday.

Wednesday: Ryan Weathers vs. Tarik Skubal (6:40 pm ET)

The series finale finds Ryan Weathers taking the bump for New York. In what will be his 15th start of 2026, the 26-year-old will look to build on his bounce-back effort against Chicago last week, when he struck out eight across 6.1 innings of one-run ball. Prior to that, Weathers had allowed at least five earned runs in four of his previous five starts. He has also allowed eight home runs over his last four outings, a habit he’d certainly like to buck for the end of this series.

This three-game set wraps up with a lefty-lefty matchup, as the Tigers are set to send Skubal to the mound on Wednesday. At his best, the reigning two-time Cy Young Award winner is perhaps the best pitcher in the game, though he hasn’t quite been himself since returning from the IL on June 13th. He’s allowed five earned runs over his last two starts (10.1 IP), but that is also coming fresh off of a month-and-a-half layoff — and a groundbreaking elbow surgery that saw a pretty quick comeback from the ace despite the removal of loose bodies (well, body). His talent is nearly unmatched around the league, and he will undoubtedly present a challenge for the Yankees bats to close out the series.

Welcome to week 13 of our 2026 NL Central Power Rankings — let’s rank some teams!

1. Milwaukee Brewers (46-29); 3-3 this week; 95.6% chance to make postseason (FanGraphs)

The Brewers played .500 baseball this week, taking two of three against the Guardians in Milwaukee before dropping two of three in Atlanta over the weekend.

William Contreras led the offense with seven hits this week, including a four-hit day on Sunday. For the week, he batted .350/.435/.500. Cooper Pratt also had a nice start to his MLB career, going 7-for-19 with three steals as he has a five-game hit streak through just six games played. Christian Yelich, Brice Turang, Garrett Mitchell, and Jackson Chourio all homered.

Robert Gasser led the pitching staff with 12 strikeouts over 11 2/3 innings in his two starts this week, allowing two runs (1.54 ERA). Chad Patrick picked up a save and a win in two appearances to bounce back from a rough week, while Jacob Misiorowski and Kyle Harrison both turned in quality starts, though the Crew had no wins to show for it. Trevor Megill, Drew Rom, and Craig Yoho all had scoreless weeks for the bullpen.

The Crew is now headed to Cincinnati for three games with the Reds before an off day on Thursday. They’ll then return home to host the Cubs for the weekend.

2. St. Louis Cardinals (41-34); 3-3 this week; 47.2% chance to make postseason

The Cardinals took two of three at home against the Padres before dropping two of three to the Royals over the weekend for a 3-3 week.

JJ Wetherholt led the offense with 10 hits this week, including a pair of homers and a double. Masyn Winn also had 10 hits, including a homer and two doubles. Alec Burleson and Lars Nootbaar each added seven hits, and Jordan Walker picked up six hits, with Iván Herrera adding the only other homer for the Redbirds.

Dustin May made a pair of strats, and they could not have been more different. He tossed a complete-game shutout against the Padres on Monday, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out nine, but he was roughed up for six runs in just two-plus innings in Sunday’s series finale against the Royals, though his offense backed him to pull out the win. Andre Pallante went seven quality innings with two runs allowed and six strikeouts, while Ryne Stanek and Matt Svanson both had scoreless weeks for the bullpen.

St. Louis doesn’t have to travel far from Kansas City, as they’ll now play host to the D-backs and Marlins this week.

3. Pittsburgh Pirates (39-39); 3-3 this week; 37.9% chance to make postseason

The Pirates took two of three in Sacramento against the A’s but dropped two of three against the Rockies in Denver this weekend for a .500 week.

Bryan Reynolds turned in a huge week offensively, leading the team with 11 hits, including three homers and two doubles, driving in nine. Six other players added a homer apiece, including Spencer Horwitz, Brandon Lowe, and Ryan O’Hearn, who tied with Jake Mangum for second on the team with seven hits each.

Mitch Keller had a bit of an odd line in his appearance, as five runs scored over 5 1/3 innings, but just one of those was earned. He also struck out seven. Paul Skenes took the loss but had a quality start, allowing two runs over six innings with eight strikeouts. Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler also had quality starts, while Yohan Ramírez led the bullpen with four scoreless innings over three appearances.

After an off day on Monday, Pittsburgh will host the Mariners and Reds over the next week.

4. Chicago Cubs (40-37); 3-2 this week; 45.8% chance to make postseason

The Cubs took two of three against the Rockies at home before splitting two games with the Blue Jays, with Sunday’s series finale rained out and rescheduled for early August.

Pete Crow-Armstrong went off with four homers as part of an 11-hit week, including hitting for the cycle. Carson Kelly went 4-for-8 in limited chances, adding a homer and seven RBIs. Matt Shaw and Dansby Swanson also homered, while Ian Happ added six hits and Seiya Suzuki added eight, including three doubles.

Ben Brown went six innings with two runs allowed and four strikeouts, and Shota Imanaga and Javier Assad also turned in solid starts, going 5 2/3 innings with Imanaga allowing one run and Assad allowing two. Colin Rea went 5 1/3 scoreless innings in his start, and Ryan Rolison, Daniel Palencia, Hoby Milner, Phil Maton, and Gavin Hollowell combined for 8 2/3 scoreless innings for the bullpen.

The Cubs now head back on the road to face the Mets for four games before a visit to the Brewers over the weekend.

5. Cincinnati Reds (37-39); 4-2 this week; 7.6% chance to make postseason

The Reds had a nice week after a disappointing stretch, as they took two of three against the Mets at home before winning two of three against the Yankees in the Bronx over the weekend.

Spencer Steer and Eugenio Suárez each had two homers this week, while JJ Bleday, Tyler Stephenson, and Sal Stewart added a homer each. Stewart drove in a whopping 11 runs this week as part of a seven-hit week, including three doubles. Blake Dunn led the Reds with eight hits, and Edwin Arroyo added six hits.

Brady Singer turned in a solid five-inning outing with one run allowed and five strikeouts, while Chase Burns got a pair of wins, totaling 10 innings with just one run allowed and 14 strikeouts. Andrew Abbott also picked up the win, going five innings with one run allowed and six strikeouts. Tony Santillan went 2-for-2 in save opportunities with no runs allowed over three innings, and Chase Petty, Caleb Ferguson, and Tejay Antone combined for 9 2/3 scoreless innings for the bullpen.

Cincinnati now plays host to the Brewers for three games before an off day on Thursday. They’ll then take a road trip that begins in Pittsburgh for three games over the weekend.

Meet the Mets

Loser! You’re a loser! Are you feeling sorry for yourself? Well, you should be, cause you’re dirt! You make me sick! You big baby! Baby want a bottle? A big dirt bottle?

Choose your recap: Amazin’ Avenue, Faith and Fear in Flushing, MLB.com, Newsday, New York Daily News, New York Post

Francisco Lindor played his second rehab game with Triple-A Syracuse and should be back this week, but probably not before Wednesday.

It’s hard to win baseball games, but it becomes almost impossible when your starting pitching is consistently, let’s say, rubbish.

Kodai Senga still believes that he can dominate and return to his past form, so there’s at least one person who does.

Around the National League East

Bryce Elder’s ERA went up 56 points in one game as he gave up eight runs in his second inning of work to the Milwaukee Brewers in the Braves’ weekend-ending 9-4 loss.

Johnny DeLuca hit the decisive home run against the Nationals as Tampa Bay eked out a 4-3 win over the Nationals on Sunday.

Logan Webb pitched an eight-inning complete game, but five Marlins pitchers combined to do a slightly better job, giving Miami a 2-1 win.

Going into the new week, the Phillies are designating Bryse Wilson for assignment, demoting Max Lazar, and promoting Kyle Backhus and Alan Rangel in their places.

Sandy Leon cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A by the Braves days after designating him for assignment in favor of newly-acquired Joey Bart.

Around Major League Baseball

For Father’s Day, the Tampa Bay Rays surprised the fathers on the team by having their children decorate their locker room name plates.

An ankle impingement has sent Jack Leiter to the injured list for the Rangers, putting a pause on what has been a disappointing season for the Mets-adjacent righty.

The face of home run robberies for the 2026 season, Jo Adell suddenly ended up on the wrong side of the highlight reel, losing a homer of his own to the Athletics’ Colby Thomas.

Jared Jones left Sunday’s game after taking a liner to the elbow, but X-rays were negative and outside of some personal annoyance, Jones should be fine.

I can’t tell you who will be in the Home Run Derby, but I can tell you that Yordan Alvarez won’t be.

Just in case you thought things were going too well for the Giants, Rafael Devers was reluctant to leave Sunday’s game for a pinch runner and avoided handshakes and rump smacks in the dugout after submitting.

Teoscar Hernandez is starting his rehab assignment tomorrow and it wouldn’t be out of the question for him to return to the big league Dodgers lineup by the end of the month.

This Date in Mets History

On this date in 1987, Tom Seaver abandoned his comeback attempt and retired as a member of the New York Mets.

We continue our series on possible areas where the Astros could add at the deadline. As a reminder, I am not recommending any addition at this point. This is more devil’s advocate. The Astros have been playing better of late and the race in the AL West is tightening. So, there will be more pressure to try to make that one key addition to get the team over the top. The problem is that there is probably only room for one addition given their proximity to the tax threshold and depleted minor league farm system.

Last Friday, we looked at the starting pitcher market. However, more important than the market itself is the expressed need for additions in that area. We can’t put the cart before the horse. We have to first look at the current roster and establish a need. Certainly you want to get good players to add to your roster, but it is that much better if those good players can actually be in a position of need. The question for Dana Brown and the Astros is which of those positions is the most acute need.

Anyone that has watched the offense knows that it is improved overall based on what we saw in 2025. However, Brown kept talking about adding to outfield offense all season in addition to adding left handed bats in general. Obviously, he failed to do that in general. So, you could really make a compelling argument that an outfielder is the most pressing need.

	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	BPO
LF	.199	.281	.367	.648	.610
CF	.231	.291	.348	.639	.580
RF	.239	.319	.380	.699	.695
Total	.224	.298	.365	.663	.628

These are all standard numbers except for bases per out. As we saw earlier in the year, the league average for bases per out is .663. That is an entire league average, so it actually is worse than it appears. That league average includes catchers, shortstops, and second basemen who typically bring that overall average. In particular, when you look at the corner outfield positions, first base, and third base the league average is closer to .700.

The league average slash line at all positions is .243/.320/.400. So, when we compare the overall outfield production across the board we notice that the average hitter is considerably better than all of the Astros outfielders. If you take Yordan Alvarez out of the equation it gets particularly anemic. When you remove Alvarez from the totals, this is the worst Astros outfield offensively in franchise history. That is particularly true when you compare them with the league average.

So, when we look at the landscape, there are a number of outfielders that spotrac.com have listed as being available in trade. Again, I’m not necessarily advocating any of these and I have no idea whether the Astros are interested or not. We will look at two sets of numbers. We will look at the current slash statistics (AVG/OBP/SLG) and the Statcast estimates of where the player should be based on the level of contact (xAVG/xOBP/xSLG).

Jarren Durran

	AVG	OBP	SLG	xAVG	xOBP	xSLG
2026	.210	.269	.388	.229	.288	.390

This is what we would call a buy low candidate. Durran was long rumored to be coming to Houston for Isaac Paredes but the deal never quite worked out. I’d have to imagine that some reasonable version of the deal is still on the table. The upside is clear on him as he was a nine win player just a couple of years ago. A large part of that comes on the defensive end. He is a Gold Glove level defender in both center field and left field, so the Astros could continue to play Cam Smith in right field and have at least two Gold Glove level defenders there. The bad news is that he might not be an offensive upgrade.

Byron Buxton

	AVG	OBP	SLG	xAVG	xOBP	xSLG
2026	.273	.334	.588	.247	.308	.516

When you look at the Statcast numbers it feels like you are looking at Christian Walker. So, imagine adding a Walker level bat to a lineup that already features Alvarez and Walker. Of course, he is about the best asset the Twins have, so they will make you pay dearly for him. Assuming he can stay healthy he might be the best impact bat on the trade market. Like most of these guys, he is ready for free agency, so it would be a pure rental.

Bryan Reynolds

	AVG	OBP	SLG	xAVG	xOBP	xSLG
2026	.285	.402	.474	.265	.382	.457

I’m down with OBP (yeah you know me), I’m down with OBP (yeah you know me). I’ve been a Reynolds fan for awhile, but there are some issues that come with getting him. He is signed through 2030 with an option for 2031. Second, this is his best season in awhile, so you will tied down to a guy that will be in his mid thirties that is likely to decline. A bet on Reynolds is a bet on a guy you want to play well now for this season and will just live with the contract from here on out.

Oneil Cruz

	AVG	OBP	SLG	xAVG	xOBP	xSLG
2026	.264	.350	.472	.255	.341	.490

Spotrac lists him as a trade candidate. I am a little skeptical of that considering that he can’t become a free agent until 2029. Cruz came up as a shortstop and was converted to center field. It has been a troubling adjustment. He is sitting on -9 defensive runs saved as I write this. So, maybe you try him in left field if you acquire him. He adds 21 steals to these numbers and led the National League in stolen bases. A bet on Cruz is a bet on the awesome athleticism that is obviously present.

Taylor Ward

	AVG	OBP	SLG	xAVG	xOBP	xSLG
2026	.253	.393	.345	.257	.397	.381

The Orioles season is in the crapper. Ward hasn’t been exactly what the Orioles had hoped, but he hasn’t been bad. His .737 OPS would be considerably better than anything the Astros are putting out there and Statcast shows he might be somewhat unlucky. Camden Yards has become a difficult place to hit home runs, so maybe he would be luckier in Daikan Park. Like Buxton, he will be a free agent at the end of the season, so hopefully would be cheaper in terms of player capital.

Putting it all together

The general idea would be to upgrade either center field or left field for the stretch drive. The Astros offense is generally average once you leave the warm embrace of March and April. So, you could make an argument that an upgrade in the outfield would be more meaningful than any other addition the Astros could make. Keep in mind that this is just the second article in a series. I’m not arguing for making any deal. It is just a glimpse into what might be possible if the Astros want to move in that direction.

Three out of four Dodgers minor league affiliates won on Sunday.

Player of the day

Chris Newell had two singles in his last 30 at-bats before hitting two home runs to deliver a win on Saturday. Then the Tulsa outfielder hit two more home runs on Sunday, part of a three-hit day that also included a walk.

Are you kidding me 🤯

Chris Newell has homered in FOUR consecutive plate appearances 💣 pic.twitter.com/hW5XcloJuv

— Tulsa Drillers (@TulsaDrillers) June 21, 2026

Triple-A Oklahoma City

The Comets played catch-up all day, then scored twice in the ninth inning but left the tying run on second base in a loss to the Sacramento River Cats (Giants).

Austin Gathier had three hits. Noah Miller tripled and singled.

Jackson Ferris allowed three runs (two earned) in his 3 2/3 innings, and had more walks (four) than strikeouts (three) for the fourth time in 11 starts this season.

Double-A Tulsa

Down two runs in the ninth inning, the Drillers rallied for three runs for a road win over the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals). Newell hit the first of five singles in the ninth-inning rally. Elijah Hainline’s single scored the winning run.

DRILLERS ARE ON TOP 💪

Hainline singles to send Gilliland home and the Drillers are up 5-4 🔥 pic.twitter.com/eB1oJaYgUI

— Tulsa Drillers (@TulsaDrillers) June 21, 2026

High-A Great Lakes

Two games after coming off the injured list, third baseman Logan Wagner hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning that provided just enough insurance for the Loons to hold for a one-run win over the Lake County Captains (Guardians).

Brooks Auger struck out a career-high nine in his four-inning start, and allowed just one run. He has 52 strikeouts against 15 walks to go with his 2.30 ERA in 31 1/3 innings, and a 39.7-percent strikeout rate.

Shortstop Emil Morales also homered for Great Lakes.

Class-A Ontario

Ching-Hsien Ko hit a two-run home run in the second inning that held up in the Tower Buzzers’ win over the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Angels).

Tyler Gough allowed one run in 4 2/3 innings in his start for Ontario, and Will Gagnon followed with three scoreless innings to keep the Quakes at bay.

Transaction

No actual roster moves on Sunday, but pitcher Christian Zazueta is getting promoted from Great Lakes to Double-A Tulsa, per Kiley McDaniel at ESPN and Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic. Zazueta, the reigning Branch Rickey Award winner as the Dodgers minor league pitcher of the year in 2025, has a 3.88 ERA in 11 appearances this year with 66 strikeouts against only 12 walks in 48 2/3 innings. The 21-year-old’s 28.4-percent strikeout-minus-walk rate ranks fifth-best among all minor league pitchers with at least 40 innings this season.

Sunday scores

• Sacramento 6, Oklahoma City 5
• Tulsa 5, NW Arkansas 4
• Great Lakes 5, Lake County 4
• Ontario 3, Rancho Cucamonga 1

The week ahead

• Oklahoma City at Reno (D-backs)
• Tulsa vs. Corpus Christi (Astros)
• Great Lakes at Lansing (A’s)
• Ontario at Visalia (D-backs)