Category: Baseball

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Happy Monday! Let's kick this week off on a high note!

Join me as I break down three of my favorite MLB player propsfor Monday, Aug. 24, including why I expect Parker Messick to shove this evening in Los Angeles.

Best MLB player props today

Player	Pick	Odds
Parker Messick	Over 6.5 strikeouts	-158
Kody Clemens	Over 1.5 total bases	+115
Ryan Feltner	Under 3.5 strikeouts	+110

Parker Messick Over 6.5 Strikeouts (-158)

The obsession continues with backing Cleveland Guardians left-hander Parker Messick, but he keeps finding himself in shove spots. Tonight, he draws one of baseball's most swing-happy lineups, the Los Angeles Angels.

Messick has been on an absolute tear over his last three starts, posting a 32% strikeout rate. Over his last five outings, he sports a 29% strikeout rate, with 30% of his pitches ending in either a swinging strike or called strike and a near-70% first-pitch strike rate.

The very aggressive southpaw faces an Angels lineup that features eight hitters with at least a 21.7% strikeout rate, including four who strike out 32.8% of the time or more. Overall, the team has a 25.5% strikeout rate against left-handed pitchers. On top of that, they also own a 74% contact rate and 31.5% O-Swing rate.

If you are not in the juice-paying business, take this up to 7.5 for plus money. The near 5-to-1 price for 10 strikeouts is pretty intriguing as well.

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

Kody Clemens Over 1.5 Total Bases (+115)

Oh no, a lefty-on-lefty matchup! Stop crying.

Minnesota Twins first baseman — and son of "The Rocket" — Kody Clemens is in a great spot against Athletics southpaw Jeffrey Springs in Sacramento.

Clemens has a .596 xSLG and a 29.6% ground-ball rate, while generating a 52% hard-hit rate and nearly 15% barrel rate over his last 10 games. Over his last 30 plate appearances against left-handed pitching, the 30-year-old has a .300 BA, .500 SLG and .800 OPS.

Springs has struggled against left-handed hitters, with a 9.82 ERA and 7.16 xFIP while allowing 2.46 HR/9 in his 60 most recent left-on-left matchups. Those lefties have a .285 xBA, .449 xSLG, and .279 ISO.

At +115 for two bases, this is a great price for a guy who is more than capable of a big game. Take this down to +105.

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

Ryan Feltner Under 3.5 Strikeouts (+110)

Colorado Rockies right-hander Ryan Feltner owns the worst average strikeout rate at Batters-Box for today's slate.

Today marks his 27th game with a poorly rated strikeout rate. In the previous 26, he stayed under 3.5 strikeouts 50% of the time. He has also stayed under this prop in eight of his last 10 poorly rated strikeout rates.

Feltner has a much higher strikeout rate on the road, at 15.20% this year. However, in his last three outings, his strikeout rate is below 10%.

The Washington Nationals have only two bats above a 20% strikeout rate in their last 30 at-bats against a right-handed pitcher.

Unders are always sweaty, but snagging this at plus money will make up for it.

• Time: 6:45 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: COLR, NATS

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What a difference a week makes, 168 little hours. After a particularly deflating home series loss the Milwaukee Brewers, the Dodgers haven’t lost since. They took care of business by sweeping a pair of bad teams in the Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Dodgers are back to within a game of the Brewers for the top seed in the National League, and Los Angeles now has a four-game lead on the NL East-leading Braves, with a three-game series in Atlanta next up.

Batter of the week

Max Muncy homered twice and drove in seven runs, putting up a tidy 1.312 OPS.

Honorable mention to Shohei Ohtani, who homered three times and stole two bases, and to Alek Thomas, who was called up to fill in for an injured Andy Pages and has an RBI single in both games with the Dodgers thus far.

Pitcher of the week

Blake Snell allowed one run in his two starts, and has provided more rotation stability with three six-inning starts in three tries since returning from the injured list.

Honorable mention to Tarik Skubal’s best start with the Dodgers to date, and to Yoshinobu Yamamoto with another nine-strikeout start on Friday.

Week 22 results

6-0 record
37 runs scored (6.17 per game)
22 runs allowed (3.67 per game)
.721 pythagorean win percentage

Year to date

80-51 record
653 runs scored (4.98 per game)
502 runs allowed (3.83 per game)
.612 pythagorean win percentage (81-50)

Miscellany

Thirty in threes: On Tuesday at Coors Field in Denver, Shohei Ohtani hit his third home run of the series against the Rockies and his 30th of the season. Coupled with his 54 home runs in 2024 and 55 homers in 2025, Ohtani has at least 30 home runs in all three years with the Dodgers, and six seasons in a row going back to 2021. Ohtani is the seventh Dodger to hit at least 30 home runs three years in a row, and the first since Gary Sheffield from 1999-2001.

Walking the pLAnk: The Dodgers beat the Pirates in all three games over the weekend, continuing a trend. Dodger Stadium has been mostly nightmare fuel for the Pirates for a decade. The Dodgers are 23-5 (.821) against the Pirates in Los Angeles since 2017, with six sweeps and eight series wins at home against the Pirates in nine tries.

Transactions

Tuesday: After struggling for three weeks in his returned from one IL stint, Edwin Díaz landed back on the injured list with neck inflammation. Emmet Sheehan returned to the Dodgers, now in a relief role.

Wednesday: Right-hander Brock Stewart returned to the bullpen after missing three weeks with shoulder discomfort. Jonathan Hernández was designated for assignment for a third time this season.

Friday: The dance continued for Hernández, who cleared waivers and was sent outright to Oklahoma City.

Friday: Another fresh arm came up in the form of Paul Gervase, and Sheehan was optioned back to Oklahoma City after not pitching in his two games active.

Saturday: A 100-mph fastball broke the left hand of Andy Pages, who will miss at least four weeks. Up came Alek Thomas to fill in the bulk of innings in center field.

Game results

• Monday: Dodgers 11, Rockies 5
• Tuesday: Dodgers 7, Rockies 6
• Wednesday: Dodgers 6, Rockies 4 (10 innings)
• Friday: Dodgers 5, Pirates 4 (10 innings)
• Saturday: Dodgers 4, Pirates 3
• Sunday: Dodgers 4, Pirates 0

Previous reviews: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13 | no reviews for Weeks 14-15 | Week 16 | Week 17 | Week 18 | Week 19 | Week 20 | Week 21

Up next

After a brief weekend at home, the Dodgers are back on the road to run the Doyle Alexander gauntlet, hitting the road to face the Atlanta Braves and Detroit Tigers. Tarik Skubal lines up to pitch against his old team on Friday night at Comerica Park. Tyler Glasnow is back off he injured list on Tuesday, and Shohei Ohtani will likely pitch an inning to start Sunday in Detroit if all goes well with his bullpen session in Atlanta.

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With Jose Urquidy coming off a dominant outing, the Chicago White Sox enter tonight's matchup against the Texas Rangers as -126 favorites at Rate Field.  First pitch is scheduled for 7:40 p.m. ET. 

My Rangers vs White Sox predictions have full confidence in Chicago here as it faces the shaky Kumar Rocker. 

Read more in my MLB picks for Monday, August 24. 

Who will win Rangers vs White Sox today: White Sox (-126)

The Texas Rangers hand Kumar Rocker the baseball this evening, and he is not exactly consistent. The right-hander owns a 5.28 FIP across his last two starts while allowing 5.40 BB/9, putting himself in trouble too often.

The Chicago White Sox are showing real promise at the dish, carrying a .209 ISO and 117 wRC+ over their last 13 contests.

Jose Urquidy just came over in a trade, and after a rough debut, he tossed six scoreless innings last week. He was more of a reliever before arriving in Chicago, but the White Sox bullpen profile is promising with a 3.37 FIP over its last 38 1/3 frames.

Chicago has the cleaner full-game profile, and I would take this up to -150. 

COVERS INTEL: Rocker has allowed 1.80 HR/9 across his last five appearances, compared to 1.26 HR/9 overall this season. His homer issues are dangerous against a flourishing Chicago lineup. 

Rangers vs White Sox Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-121)

Chicago’s offense may be swinging it well, but the same cannot be said for Texas. The Rangers have a horrible 77 wRC+ across the last week, and the White Sox bullpen has been solid lately.

Rocker may give up some runs amid his command and homer issues, but Texas’ relief corps can help keep the damage in check once he exits. The Rangers’ bullpen owns a 3.19 FIP over its last 19 2/3 innings of work.

With Texas struggling badly at the dish, this points to a lower-scoring contest where Chicago does most of the damage.

Play this pick up to -140.

Rangers vs White Sox home run prediction: Miguel Vargas (+414)

Miguel Vargas has been a consistent power outlet for the White Sox all season. While he has only gone deep once in his previous seven contests, the underlying metrics suggest he could punish Rocker or potentially a Texas reliever.

The slugger owns a 52.9% hard-hit rate and 17.6% barrel rate over the last week while putting 47.1% of his contact in the air. Rocker’s HR problems are evident, and he has also allowed a 45% fly-ball rate over the last month.

The Rangers’ pen is not as vulnerable to the long ball, but it has given up a 15.2% barrel rate over the last week, which hints at some danger.

Play this pick to +300.

Rangers vs White Sox weather

Weather at Rate Field looks cool and clean tonight, with partly cloudy skies and temperatures falling from 71 F to around 68 F. Winds are light around 6–7 mph, and rain chances sit at 0% throughout the game window. Conditions should be neutral overall, with no delay concern.

Rangers vs White Sox odds

• Moneyline: Rangers +114 | White Sox -126
• Run line: Rangers +1.5 (-186) | White Sox -1.5 (+158)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+105) | Under 8.5 (-121)

Rangers vs White Sox trend

The Chicago White Sox have hit the moneyline in 32 of their last 50 games at home (+14.15 Units / 25% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Rangers vs. White Sox.

How to watch Rangers vs White Sox and game info

Rangers vs White Sox latest injuries

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The Chicago White Sox have been the most fun team to watch in Major League Baseball this season, with their 11th walk-off win of the season on Sunday afternoon thanks to a Tristan Peters solo homer in the bottom of the ninth.  It also helped move Chicago’s record to 27-19 in one run games.  

This was also the 21st White Sox comeback win, defined by games where they either were tied, or down by up to three runs, heading into the seventh inning or later before rallying. It shows how resilient this young White Sox team has been throughout this season, with eight different players providing walk-off hits, including both Peters and Edgar Quero as the only ones to do so multiple times.

They have three players in the heart of their lineup in Munetaka Murakami, Miguel Vargas and Colson Montgomery who will all have 30+ home runs by the end of the season.  It is not any of them, but Tristan Peters, who with his walk-off home run on Sunday became the only player on the White Sox to have three walk-off hits, and two of them walk-off home runs.

Peters began his walk-off magic months ago, finishing off the home opener with a GWRBI single in the 10th inning:

Peters has been one of the most unsung players of this Sox team this year, in July also becoming one of only four players this year to hit for the cycle, and just the seventh player in franchise history to do so.

Of all the surprising players to emerge this season for the White Sox, Peters has to be one of the most wholesome surprises.  As the one-time Savannah Bananas player (who also used his old Savannah Bananas bat for Players’ Weekend), Peters has the unique distinction of being their only player to make a jump to the majors. And Peters hasn’t just made the majors, but went to the All-Star Game as a rookie! 

It was impossible to think that a year ago — or even months ago — Peters of all players would be a key piece, starring in center field, as the While Sox make a postseason push.

The seven-day, four-city, three-team road trip ended up nearly turning into a nightmare journey — one where it essentially came down to Sunday’s Little League Classic for the Atlanta Braves to at least salvage something from their series against the Milwaukee Brewers — and also for the whole trip as well. With the Phillies suddenly heating up like crazy and closing a huge amount of ground in a relatively short amount of time, the onus was on Atlanta to break out of their slump and make something happen — particularly at the plate.

We’ll have to see if the offense can carry what they did on Sunday into their next homestand but for now, it’s time to take a look at how this series against the Brewers went. It was always going to be tough considering that the Brewers are currently the pace-setters in baseball right now and it definitely ended up being difficult for Atlanta. How difficult was it? Let’s look and see.

Friday, August 21

Brewers 2, Braves 1

The Chris Sale vs. Jacob Misiorowski pitching matchup lived up to all of the hype, which is to say that runs were always going to be at a premium and sure enough, it was tough sledding for Atlanta at the plate. This was one of those cases where it really didn’t matter if the Braves were slumping or not, this was always going to be a tough assignment against The Miz.

Sure enough, Atlanta couldn’t really muster up much of anything against The Miz, as they only had two runners in scoring position where he was on the mound. Misiorowski finished with six scoreless innings (despite four hit sand two walks) and he left the game with the lead after Milwaukee pushed two runs across the plate back in the third inning. Chris Sale gave it another solid effort with just those two runs allowed across six innings but Milwaukee was able to make something happen with the eight hits that they picked up off of him and that proved to be the difference in this one.

The only run for Atlanta came in the eighth inning, which continued a worrying trend of Atlanta expending an incredible amount of effort in any given rally just to end up with one run at the end of it. Mike Yastrzemski led off with a walk against Antonio Senzatela and then a couple of two-out singles saw the Braves get on the board after Michael Harris II pushed across a run with an RBI single. Ozzie Albies then walked to load up the bases and the right guy came up to the plate in the form of Mauricio Dubón. Dubón’s stats with two men on and runners in scoring position have been truly eye-popping so far this season but unfortunately, he was unable to make any two-out magic happen in this situation and then Atlanta went down quietly for yet another loss during this road trip.

Saturday, August 22

Brewers 4, Braves 1

In a moment of brief brilliance, the Braves actually came out swinging in the first inning and actually took a lead for once! Indeed, Michael Harris II’s RBI double off of Brewers starter Logan Henderson brought home Drake Baldwin and there was maybe a glimmer of hope that Atlanta’s lineup could actually do some damage for the first time in what felt like a long time.

Instead, that was as good as it got for Atlanta as the offense proceeded to flail about for the rest of the game. With the Braves continuing to struggle mightily at the plate, this one came down to the third inning — particularly, a 12-pitch battle between Jake Bauers and Martín Pérez with two outs on the board and the game tied at one run apiece. Pérez got out to a 1-2 count after three pitches and then Bauers proceeded to foul off seen straight pitches before he finally got a fastball in the zone to feast upon. 413 feet later, the Brewers had a 3-1 lead (which started after a leadoff error, mind you) and after they added on a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning, that three-run lead for Milwaukee may as well have been 30.

For the third time in six games, the Braves were held to just one run and for the fifth time in six games on this road trip, the Braves were domed to defeat.

Sunday, August 23

Braves 4, Brewers 2

The two teams switched venues for the Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Hopefully, the idyllic views and fun atmosphere helped to affect a bit of a much-needed vibe shift for Atlanta’s lineup, which was struggling mightily heading into this one. The good news is that the Braves did score runs again and managed to actually keep it going somewhat consistently across the game but at the same time, it was also another case of the Braves needing both a ton of energy and a ton of luck in order to put runs on the board.

The first run was plated by Mauricio Dubón in the second inning, which is when he hit a deep fly ball that just about stayed fair for a ground-rule double in order to bring home Ozzie Albies. Jake Bauers tied it up with an RBI single of his own in the third inning but then the Braves responded in the fourth inning to reclaim the lead.

Again, it took a ton of effort and a lot of work for Atlanta to get this run across the board, despite Drake Baldwin leading off the fourth with a double and Lane Thomas joining him with a single. Following two rough at-bats, Sean Murphy came up to the plate and seemingly made it three rough at-bats in a row. Instead, David Hamilton slipped on the grass while trying to field it from third base and just like that, Atlanta was back in the lead thanks to the lucky break. The sixth inning saw the Braves add onto that lead in similar fashion — a one-out walk and single put ducks on the pond but a seemingly-innocuous grounder from Money Mike sure looked like another scoring opportunity would be wasted. Instead, it was Andrew Vaughn’s turn for a defensive gaffe and as a result of his error, another run scored for Atlanta. It’s lucky but that’s baseball!

Fortunately, the insurance run that the Braves added on after their lead was cut to one following the bottom of the eighth inning didn’t require much luck at all. in fact, it was something that we haven’t seen from the Braves for a few days: A home run! Money Mike deposited one into the night sky in Williamsport for a huge insurance run in the top of the ninth.

While this was going on, Raisel Iglesias was in the midst of a four-out save attempt. As usual whenever Iglesias has to deal with a leadoff runner, things got extremely scary — especially when William Contreras (who had tormented the Braves for this entire series) hit a deep fly ball to center with two men on. Michael Harris II scampered all the way out there to make the catch and then Mauricio Dubón helped turn an impressive double play in order to ensure that the Braves would at least return home with something from this tough series against the Brewers.

So yeah, that was a tough week! It was exacerbated by the fact that the Philadelphia Phillies apparently decided once they were 9.5 games down in the standings to never ever lose again — especially so on Sunday when they somehow managed to turn a 4-0 deficit with two outs (and two strikes, mind you) against the Cardinals into an astonishing 6-4 victory. As such, due to Philadelphia’s rapid ascent and an ill-timed downturn from Atlanta, the Braves are once again having to deal with a green blob in red pinstripes breathing down their necks — right before September begins and they have to play each other seven times. Great.

Anyways, if you had told me before last week’s road trip started that Atlanta would only end up simply avoiding a sweep against the Brewers, I would’ve taken it. As of right now, I’m still thrilled that they didn’t get swept — but that’s only because things got off to such a terrible start when Atlanta’s offensive struggles essentially doomed them to a sweep at the hands of the Twins to start this road trip. The Braves needed to at least salvage a win against Milwaukee if only to sort of stave off the impending sense of doom that has come from the aforementioned downturn in Atlanta’s fortunes and the upturn in Philadelphia’s fortunes.

They managed to do so but now it’s time to figure out if the offense can come back to life at some point. The pitching staff came up huge throughout this entire road trip and if there’s an solace that you can take from this road trip, it’s the fact that none of these games were blowouts and that’s largely down to the Braves continuing to pitch really well as a staff. Tyler Mahle’s performance during the Little League Classic was very solid and it’s hard to lay the blame at anybody who was throwing a baseball from a mound during this week.

Instead, the offense has to recover if this team is going to get back on track. Sure, they’re still in first place but with a tough schedule staring them down for the rest of the season, the lineup has to get back on track. It’ll definitely be tough with the Dodgers coming to town to start this week’s homestand but hey, as a blond man who wore a bunch of fancy robes used to say, “To be The Man, you gotta beat The Man,” and that’s what Atlanta’s going to have to do if they want to get back on track. The toughest road trip of the season ended up being very tough and now the Braves have no choice but to figure out a way how to bounce back.

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The Tampa Bay Rays are priced as a -137 moneyline favorite for tonight's series opener at Comerica Park against the Detroit Tigers, with first pitch scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET. 

Behind the very consistent Drew Rasmussen, my Rays vs. Tigers predictions back Tampa to win this contest. 

Read more in my MLB picks for Monday, August 24. 

Who will win Rays vs Tigers today: Rays (-137)

The Tampa Bay Rays send Drew Rasmussen to the hill, and while he has given up more runs than usual lately, the underlying numbers are still solid. The right-hander owns a 3.98 FIP over his previous two outings and a 2.41 xERA over the last month.

During that span, Rasmussen has held opponents to a 28.6% hard-hit rate and 2.9% barrel rate. He also faces a Detroit Tigers lineup with just an 87 wRC+ over its last six games.

As for Framber Valdez, he is in poor form. The left-hander has surrendered 7.15 BB/9 across his last two starts while allowing a 51.4% hard-hit rate and posting a 5.47 FIP. 

Tampa Bay has the edge.

Play up to -150.

COVERS INTEL: The Rays have an 111 wRC+ across their last 13 games, a tad higher than their season average of 105 wRC+. They're in good enough offensive form to punish the struggling Valdez. 

Rays vs Tigers Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 runs (-112)

It’s a modest 7.5 total, and the Over has value given the possibility of late-game runs. Both of these bullpens are extremely vulnerable right now.

Detroit’s relief corps has a 5.48 FIP across the last week while allowing an alarming 2.49 HR/9. Tampa Bay’s pen isn’t much better, compiling a 5.16 FIP during that same span while giving up 2.00 HR/9.

Even if Rasmussen deals as I expect, Detroit has a real opportunity to score late. As for Tampa Bay, Valdez’s command issues and the Tigers’ shaky bullpen give the Rays a clear path to tack on runs.

Play this pick up to -140.

Rays vs Tigers home run prediction: Kevin McGonigle (+510)

Kevin McGonigle is an intriguing home run option tonight because he's putting the ball in the air. The youngster has two bombs in his last six games with a ridiculous 69.6% fly-ball rate during that span.

Additionally, McGonigle owns a 47.8% hard-hit rate and 17.4% barrel rate over the last week. While Rasmussen does not give up many homers, the Rays’ pen, as previously discussed, is struggling to keep opponents in the ballpark.

With McGonigle hot and consistently lifting the ball, he has a path to punish a mistake.

Rays vs Tigers weather

Weather at Comerica Park looks pretty clean tonight, with partly cloudy skies and temperatures sitting in the mid-70s before dipping to around 73°F by 9 p.m. ET. Winds are moderate early, around 10–12 mph, before easing later, and rain chances are extremely low. Overall, conditions look playable with minimal delay risk.

Rays vs Tigers odds

• Moneyline: Rays -137 | Tigers +124
• Run line: Rays -1.5 (+129) | Tigers +1.5 (-142)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-112)| Under 7.5 (-103)

Rays vs Tigers trend

The Tampa Bay Rays have hit the Moneyline in 13 of their last 16 away games (+10.15 Units / 47% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Rays vs. Tigers.

How to watch Rays vs Tigers and game info

Rays vs Tigers latest injuries

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In the process of Purple Row Prospects (PuRPs) voting, there were two names that stood above the rest — Colorado’s first rounders in 2024 and 2025, plus a sleeper international free agent breakout. Ultimately, Holliday took 15 of the 29 qualifying first place votes to earn the number one PuRP designation. So who are these top three prospects? Read on!

For each player on the PuRPs list, I’ll include a link to individual stats and contract status (via Baseball-Reference), PuRPs voting stats, a note on the 2026 season to date, and a scouting report from a national prospect writer where possible. I’ll also include where I put each player on my personal ballot. All ages are as of the date the article is posted.

3. Roldy Brito (791 points, 29 ballots) — Preseason Ranking: 11 — High Ballot 1 (1); Mode Ballot 3

How did he enter the organization?

2024 International Free Agent, Dominican Republic

Why did he make the PuRPs list?

Brito was easily the breakout prospect in the Rockies system in 2025 and he made another leap onto top 100 lists in 2026. The 19-year-old 5’11” Dominican switch-hitting up-the-middle defender (he played both second base and center field frequently in 2025 and 2026, plus some shortstop in 2024) was a member of Colorado’s 2024 international signing class (which included fellow PuRPs Ashly Andujar and Cristian Arguelles), but his $420k bonus was only the fifth-highest among those signing with the Rockies that year. Two and a half years later, the speedy Brito has reached the highest on the minor league ladder all the way up to High-A Spokane.

After signing, Brito spent 2024 with the Dominican Summer League team, where his .254/.360/.314 line with 24/27 steals (89 wRC+) frankly didn’t stand out much. The Rockies saw enough though to bring Brito stateside to the Arizona Complex League team in 2025, where he was 1.6 years younger than league average. Brito rose to the challenge, hitting a scalding .368/.445/.555 with three homers and 22/29 steals in 209 plate appearances, good for a 159 wRC+. Brito was second in the league in OPS and hits, 3rd in slugging, batting average, and steals, 4th in runs, and he was sixth in OBP and doubles. For that performance, Brito took home MVP honors for the ACL.

That impressive performance led the Rockies to jump Brito up to Low-A Fresno after the ACL season ended in late July, where he was 3.2 years younger than league average. Brito didn’t miss a beat in his full-season debut. In 33 games with Fresno, Brito hit .375/.442/.463 with a homer, a triple, seven doubles and 13 steals in 156 plate appearances, which was good for a 156 wRC+.

Brito didn’t face many lefties and therefore didn’t hit right-handed that often, but in 56 PA from that side in 2025 he posted a 1.129 OPS (his OPS was .927 hitting from the left side). He struck out in 17% of Low-A plate appearances while walking in 9% of them, while his speed led to a ridiculous .459 BABIP. In the field, Brito played 36 games at second base (ten errors, eight in the ACL) and 41 in center field (two errors with six outfield assists).

Purple Row’s own Evan Lang chronicled Brito’s magical 2025 throughout the season in the weekly Pebble Reports and got a chance to interview Brito as he entered fall instructs in October. Brito was named the 2025 Rockies minor league player of the year in March.

In 2026, Brito returned to Fresno, where he was two years younger than average, for a longer look. In 378 plate appearances, Brito continued to play well, hitting .327/.390/.506 with eight homers among his 36 extra-base hits along with 18 steals, walking in 8% of PA and striking out in 17% of them. That equates to a 127 wRC+ and got Brito named (along with fellow PuRP Charlie Condon) to the prestigious Futures Game at the All-Star Break, going 0-for-2 during the game.

Brendan Gawlowski of FanGraphs noted this about Brito’s Futures Game experience:

Brito is a high-motor player. He turned in the best home-to-first time of the day (I had him at 4.03, while Statcast had 4.09, which lines up better than it sounds) and was a busy presence during outfield work. He also unsuccessfully tried to execute a delayed steal. He was another guy with an impressive BP, as he lined one ball off the facade and in general showed that, even though he isn’t huge, he has plenty of juice.

After the Futures Game, Brito got promoted to High-A Spokane, where he is 3.5 years younger than league average. The step up in competition has led to dampened production in 113 plate appearances so far, as Brito has produced a .305/.333/.424 line with two homers and eight doubles, along with 20 steals in 21 attempts. Brito has walked less in Spokane (4% of PA) while striking out more (24%), one of the reasons he’s currently running an 89 wRC+ at the level.

To be clear though, a teenager playing in High-A is a feat in and of itself. After all, only 10 of his 501 plate appearances so far have come against younger pitching. On the year, Brito has been much stronger hitting lefty (.932 OPS) than right-handed (.649 OPS) in a smaller sample size. Defensively this year, Brito has played more in center field than second base. He has committed six errors each at second base and center field while adding four outfield assists.

Here are some of Brito’s 2026 highlights.

Here’s some video of Brito from his stint with Fresno late last season, including some slo-mo looks at swings from both sides of the plate:

Here’s another slo-mo view of his swing from the ACL:

What do the scouts say?

FanGraphs had Brito 99th on their top 100 before the season began and last month updated his ranking to 48th overall in their “Potential Five Tool Players” group. That ranked third in the system as a 50 FV player, highlighted by a 60 future grade on his speed, arm, and defense, along with 55 future raw power (emphasis mine):

Brito is my favorite player in the minors, a talented, versatile, and projectable spark plug on both sides of the ball. Every generation has a super utility player or two who produce enough to warrant a 50 FV grade (or higher) even absent a consistent defensive home: Chone Figgins, Ben Zobrist, Tommy Edman, etc. It’s early in his career, but if you had to pick a single minor leaguer to follow in those footsteps, you might choose Brito. He’s a switch-hitter with projectable power, 70 speed, and already a nuanced feel for two middle-of-the-diamond positions. He crushed the complex last summer and then hit .375/.442/.463 in 33 games following a promotion to Low-A Fresno.

Brito is a medium-framed plus athlete, twitchy with deceptive strength. At the plate, he has a lovely trigger on both sides and is a line drive shooter to all fields. He’s a threat to do everything. He’ll flash the short game, he’ll fake bunt and swing, he can take a walk, he’ll shorten up with two strikes, he can drive a ball to the gap — if variety is your thing, this is your guy. There is some risk in his approach, and not just with respect to his swing decisions, which are aggressive. On his best swings, Brito incorporates his lower half well and is direct to the ball. His swing can get pushy, though, and particularly from the left side, he’ll pull off the plate, almost like a softball player already thinking of beating out a groundball. There’s some swing-and-miss to his game, and he hasn’t yet translated his raw power into over-the-fence damage. For better and worse, he’s a very aggressive hitter, and he’ll need to dial it back a little, particularly with two strikes.

Defensively, Brito projects above average in center field and at second base. His jumps in center are good, and while he’s still learning the finer points of the job, he looks like he’ll have the speed and tracking skills to be good out there. He’s also shown solid instincts and range at the keystone: In one standout sequence, he raced far to his right on a chopper up the middle, backhanded a short hop, and flipped accurately behind his back to second. He’s also got a very quick transfer and enough arm strength to at least think about whether he could play short as well.

This is an aggressive valuation. There are markers in the data — a 74% contact rate, 47% chase with two strikes, an unsustainable BABIP that is obviously floating his topline production in a way that won’t translate like this to the higher levels — that justify skepticism, and we wouldn’t argue with evaluators inclined to pump the brakes a little bit. But while every 18-year-old has warts, few can do as many things as well as Brito can. This is an absurdly well-rounded collection of tools, and he already has a few skills to go with them. Brito projects as an everyday guy in some capacity, and has several ways to be useful in a reserve role if the bat falls a little short of projection.

MLB Pipeline ranks Brito 55th overall as a 55 FV player with a 60 run and 55 hit grade:

A 5-foot-11 switch-hitter, Brito is impressive from both sides of the plate, consistently hitting the ball hard. There’s sneaky pop and he helps himself by keeping the swing-and-miss in check, though he will have to learn to cut down on the chase out of the zone as he advances. He has a strong sense of where his contact point should be, but he can occasionally get a bit jumpy at the dish. The next step in his hitting development will be for him to not get too quick into his front side, which could be exploited by pitchers at higher levels who are better at getting hitters to chase.

A plus runner who can steal bags, Brito was signed as a middle infielder and the plan is for him to still get reps on the dirt at second base. But the Rockies felt he looked more comfortable roaming around in center field, where his plus athleticism is an asset. He took people by surprise in 2025, and then largely cleared the expectation bar that had been raised after his stateside debut.

Keith Law of the Athletic ranked Brito third on his Rockies system list in February and slotted Brito just outside his top 100 overall prospects list at that time:

Brito led the Arizona Complex League in batting average last year by one point over the Dodgers’ Ching-Hsien Ko, finishing second in OBP and third in slugging. He then moved up to Low A and hit .375/.442/.463 in 33 games. Those numbers are a little misleading about his hit tool; he’s at least a 70 runner who legged out some ground-ball hits, and likes to bunt for hits as well, picking up 29 points of average in Low A just from bunt singles.

He’s a switch-hitter who can hit from both sides, with maybe a touch more bat speed right-handed, and he’s gotten much stronger already since he signed so that he can impact the ball and maybe come into average power. He played mostly second base with some shortstop in the DSL in 2024, after which the Rockies tried him in center field, giving him almost equal time in center and at the keystone in 2025. He gets mixed reviews at both positions, although he’s 18 and doesn’t have a ton of experience at either spot. If he keeps raking like this in his return to Low A this year, and even shows he can play average defense at one of those two positions, he’ll be in the top 100 a year from now.

Baseball America ranked Brito fifth in the system before the season and listed him as the starting second baseman on the 2029 Rockies while calling him the best athlete in the system (also, the best hit tool and base-running skill):

Brito shows above-average bat-to-ball skills and power with the ability to consistently find the barrel. … There are some red flags in Brito’s profile, however, including subpar angles and a swing-happy approach prone to expanding the zone. Despite this, Brito had very good expected outcomes this season due to his combination of contact and power.

When’s he going to get to the Rockies and how good will he be once he’s there?

Brito has consolidated his 2025 breakout with a showing that has gotten him noticed across the minor leagues. Brito clearly has a strong enough hit tool for lower minors pitching and provides speed and flexibility with his up the middle defense, though a star ceiling is less obvious. He’s got great numbers and now has the scouting reports to match, which is why I ranked him fourth on my list as a 50 FV player. He will probably begin 2027 back in Spokane with another mid-season promotion a possibility.

2. Charlie Condon (825 points, 29 ballots) — Preseason Ranking: 1 — High Ballot 1 (10); Mode Ballot 2

How did he enter the organization?

2024 First Round, University of Georgia

Why did he make the PuRPs list?

Condon received a MLB record-tying $9.25 million bonus (at the time) as the third-overall pick in the 2024 draft (about $180k over slot) because of his huge offensive ceiling. The 23-year-old righty, who has split his time defensively between first base and right field this year, can translate his immense power into games, he hits for average, and has rare defensive ability for his size.

Condon was a one-man wrecking crew in 2024 for Georgia, as the 6’6”, 216-pound hitter smashed 37 homers — a record in the NCAA’s “BBCOR” bats era — and won the prestigious Golden Spikes award as the top amateur baseball player in the country. Given that success, it’s hard to believe that Condon (who played first, third, and all three outfield positions for Georgia) not only went undrafted as a high schooler but also was a walk-on who redshirted in 2022. Once he got in the lineup though, he was an immediate success, swatting 25 homers in 2023 and 37 of them in 2024 en route to a cartoonish .433/.556/1.009 batting line that season.

The Rockies assigned Condon straight to High-A Spokane, as befits a player many tabbed to move very quickly through the system. Unfortunately, Condon was downright bad for Spokane, hitting an anemic .180/.248/.270 (48 wRC+) with 34 strikeouts compared with four walks in 109 plate appearances while dealing with a bruised thumb. Condon did have six extra-base hits, including a homer, and four stolen bases (which is more than his entire collegiate total in two years at Georgia). That performance soured many on Condon, but he still entered 2025 on many top 100 lists.

The 2025 season didn’t get off to a good start for Condon, who suffered a non-displaced left wrist fracture in his very first minor league spring training game. The injury kept Condon out until mid-May (after a nine-game rehab stint with the complex league team) when the Rockies sent Condon back to Spokane. Condon was much more successful in his return engagement, hitting .312/.431/.420 in 167 plate appearances across 35 games with three homers and six doubles (134 wRC+). The Rockies promoted Condon to Double-A Hartford on July 1st, where he was 1.5 years younger than league average — and not long after, Condon was selected to the MLB Futures Game (he started at first base and went 0-for-3).

In 237 plate appearances with Hartford, Condon had a .235/.342/.465 batting line with 11 homers among his 21 extra-base hits, which equated to an impressive 132 wRC+. There were still warts on the profile — Condon struck out in 28% of his plate appearances in Double-A (walking in 11%) and he seemingly slid down the defensive spectrum from a third baseman/outfielder to primarily a first baseman. Fans expecting the monstrous power Condon showed at Georgia no doubt expect more too, but at the end of the day a 132 wRC+ in Condon’s initial exposure to Double-A was pretty encouraging.

Condon finished the season in the Arizona Fall League to replace some of the at-bats he lost with his delayed start to the year. Against a less polished set of pitchers, Condon feasted with a .337/.439/.434 line in 98 plate appearances, including a homer, two triples, and a double. He was also named as a Fall Star.

This spring, Condon received a big league spring training invite, where the Rockies played Condon in the outfield corners as well to lean into his defensive versatility and he discussed some of his goals with Purple Row’s Sam Bradfield.

Condon was assigned to Triple-A Albuquerque after spring training, where he has stayed all year. In the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, Condon’s power stroke has returned. Condon has hit .268/.386/.511 with 22 homers among his 48 extra-base-hits, all while dropping his strikeout rate by three points year over year (to 25%) and increasing his walk rate by three points (to 13%), which equates to a 113 wRC+ in the PCL.

Condon was again named to the Futures Game (along with Brito), where he was 0-for-2 with a strikeout. Here’s what Gawlowski of FanGraphs wrote about Condon after the game:

Condon’s age and recent barrage of long balls in Albuquerque made him feel a little overqualified for the game. He took one of the day’s most impressive BPs, lining several balls into the seats and a couple very far out to left. After battling injuries in the early part of his pro career, he looks fully healthy and ready for the next adventure.

Condon didn’t win the player of the month award in June (that went to fellow PuRP Zac Veen), but his .337/.462/.814 line with ten homers in that month had to have been in serious contention. Condon has faded since that hot June, hitting for a .766 OPS in July and a .629 OPS so far in August with just four homers over those two months as he has faced an older pitcher over 97% of the time. In the field, Condon has played a nearly even amount of games at first base (four errors) and right field (one error, six outfield assists), a position Condon hadn’t played since college.

Here’s some looks at Condon during the Arizona Fall League last year (including an absolute bomb of a grand slam at the 2:15 mark):

Here are some of Condon’s 2026 highlights.

What do the scouts say?

Multiple outlets ranked Condon atop their 2024 draft rankings and some of them still have Condon in their top 100.

FanGraphs ranked Condon 67th overall as a 50 FV player before the season and updated that to 41st overall last month (in the “Corner Mashers” group of players. That ranked first in the system (after ranking him fourth among draft prospects in 2024), with 70 raw power and 60 future game power grades to go along with a 60 arm:

[Condon] was considered by many the top prospect in [the 2024] draft, and when he fell to the third overall pick, Colorado seemed a perfect match of offensive upside and future park.

It may still prove to be. Eric was (and remains) skeptical of Condon even while he was riding roughshod over the SEC, and his first year-and-a-half of pro at-bats have only validated pre-draft concerns about a grooved bat path and trouble recognizing spin. You can wave away a rough pro debut, as post-draft cameos are kind of awkward, and he was battling through a bone spur in his finger at the time anyway. But even as a wrist fracture last spring complicates the evaluation of his 2025 performance, it’s becoming fair to wonder how much pop Condon will bring into games.

There’s little doubt about his raw impact. Condon is a big guy with plus bat speed and a powerful swing that produces data commensurate with the visual evaluation. His 90th-percentile exit velocity was nearly 106 mph last year and his max was over 112, both of which are plus. He also had a 44% hard-hit rate and a 13 degree average launch angle that looks, well, like a match for a guy who bashed 60 homers in college. Still, he only homered 14 times in 99 games while running a 131 wRC+ across High- and Double-A, which are both fine in the aggregate, but underwhelming for a player with this skill set. This coincided with a move to first base — perhaps just to protect the wrist, perhaps not. We’ll see what Colorado’s new regime decides to do here, because Condon has played elsewhere and looked like a perfectly fine corner outfielder as a pro.

Ultimately, the power potential here is too great to ignore despite everything else. There’s enough noise and hand injuries lurking to think that there’s some small chance of a big breakout coming, but even if there’s not, Condon projects as a 2-3 WAR player with 35-plus homer potential, even if he’s flawed elsewhere.

Keith Law of the Athletic had Condon as the number one player in the draft, then ranked Condon 46th on his top 100 (number two in the system) before the season:

Condon has electric bat speed and hammers fastballs, showing at least 70 power in college, but he moved his hands back up in 2025 after dropping them in his draft year, and I think that’s one of the reasons he’s not reacting to breaking pitches or changeups that well. (There are, unfortunately, rumors that while he was at Georgia, the Dogs were stealing signs, so their hitters might have known what was coming.) He did bounce back a little in the AFL, reaching 111.6 mph and showing better swing decisions, although the pitching out there was not close to what he saw nightly in Double A.

Condon is a good enough athlete to handle an outfield corner, though the Rockies played him primarily at first base last year, as it’s a position of real need for them and he has experience on the dirt at third base. He has 30-plus homer upside, easily, and the patience and zone awareness to be a valuable hitter even if he hits .240-.250. The new regime in Denver should have a clear plan for helping him get back to the hitter he was in 2024 when he was the No. 3 pick in the draft.

MLB Pipeline (who had him second among draft prospects) ranks Condon 58th overall as a 55 FV player (third in the system) with a 55 grade on his power, hit, and arm tools:

The 6-foot-6 right-handed hitter still uses the largely upright stance, bent at the knees, lower hands and simple mechanics that brought him so much success at Georgia, but until this season, it had been without the same impact. With the Bulldogs, he showed he could hit the ball out of the park to all fields with plenty of bat speed and leverage. While he’s continued to draw walks, his overall approach has suffered as a pro, though some strides against softer stuff in 2026 and a better overall approach helped him get to his raw power more.

In college, Condon played all over the outfield (where his arm plays well) and at third base, but since joining the Rockies, it had been almost all first with a little corner outfield mixed in and a lot more right field with Albuquerque in ’26. The corner-infield spot is his most likely home long-term, which puts more pressure on the power to show up. The Rockies, for their part, aren’t as concerned, thinking that his all-around hitting is coming around and the pop will continue to follow.

When’s he going to get to the Rockies and how good will he be once he’s there?

Multiple scouts have drawn comparisons between Condon and Kris Bryant. While, of course, Bryant’s tough tenure with the Rockies (just over two more years!) have left a sour taste in the mind of fans, he deservedly won the Rookie of the Year and NL MVP awards in his first two years as a big leaguer and has been an All-Star four times. Condon has the kind of offensive potential and defensive utility that could make him a star in the league for several years (especially if he is able to get his power into games), so he deservedly ranks in this range in the PuRPs poll — he was number three on my list as a 50 FV player.

Condon’s 2026 results haven’t been problem-free (strikeouts and his fade down the stretch), but I’m encouraged by the right-field defensive utility and that he’s getting that raw power into games more often. Condon is likely ready to be a big league contributor, but he doesn’t need to be added to the 40 man roster this offseason. Given the looming labor strife portended soon, any players on the 40-man roster would be ineligible to play games next season in the event of a work stoppage, so the Rockies are undoubtedly weighing that consideration.

1. Ethan Holliday (847 points, 29 ballots) — Preseason Ranking: 2 — High Ballot 1 (15); Mode Ballot 1

How did he enter the organization?

2025 First Round, Stillwater HS (OK)

Why did he make the PuRPs list?

Ethan Holliday is a name that has been well-known to Rockies fans for a long time, if only from the connection to his father, Rockies great Matt — not to mention his brother, 2022 number one overall pick Jackson. Those connections made it extremely likely the Rockies would call Ethan’s name on draft day if he were available at pick number four, but the 6’4”, 19-year-old lefty-hitting shortstop from Oklahoma is much more than just a famous name.

Holliday was the number four pick and received a high school draftee record $9 million signing bonus because he has plus raw power that should translate into games and good pitch selection while playing a premium defensive position very well. Scouts are concerned that Holliday’s size might limit his range at shortstop in the long-term as well as the swing-and-miss in Holliday’s game that accompanies his long, powerful swing.

Scouts are also concerned that Holliday wasn’t more of an elite performer in the summer showcase circuit where many highly regarded prospects travel to play each other. In high school though, Holliday was monster, producing a cartoonish 2.038 OPS, with 19 homers and 64 RBI. He was named the Gatorade Oklahoma Baseball Player of the Year and Baseball America’s High School Player of the Year. In both of those awards, he beat out number one overall pick and fellow Oklahoma prep shortstop Eli Willits.

After signing in 2025, Holliday was assigned to Low-A Fresno, where he was 3.2 years younger than league average. In 84 plate appearances (all against older pitchers), Holliday hit .239/.357/.380 with two homers and four doubles (an above average 108 wRC+) with four errors in 17 games at shortstop. It’s a small sample size, but Holliday struck out in a worrying 39% of his plate appearances, though he did also walk in 14% of them. Skyler Timmins of Purple Row broke down Holliday’s professional debut season last September, and Sam Bradfield caught up with him during spring training.

This year, Holliday headed back to Fresno, where he is still two years younger than league average. Holliday served as the primary shortstop there and was hitting very well through 33 games when he suffered a stress fracture in his left foot that necessitated surgery that knocked him out for the rest of the season in late May. In 152 plate appearances, Holliday hit .262/.395/.557 with nine homers among his 15 extra-base hits, equaling a 136 wRC+.

Holliday walked in over 15% of plate appearances while striking out in about 28% of them — a high number but down quite a bit from 2025, and he has still yet to face a pitcher younger than him as a professional. Holliday was heating up too, hitting for a 1.083 OPS and six homers in May. He feasted on right-handed pitching, producing a 1.054 OPS against them with six of his nine homers (he had a .745 OPS against lefties). On defense, Holliday committed eight errors in 32 games at shortstop.

Here’s some pre-draft video of Holliday at a Perfect Game showcase last year with looks at him taking grounders and batting practice:

Here are some of Holliday’s 2026 highlights, including some slick defensive plays.

What do the scouts say?

MLB Pipeline ranked Holliday as their top draft prospect and currently lists him atop the system and 25th overall as a 55 FV player with a 65 power grade and a 50 or better on the other tools:

Holliday might have as much raw and usable power as anyone from the class of ‘25. When at his best, the 6-foot-4 left-handed hitter can get to it without a ton of effort. He already has strength, bat speed and leverage in his swing while continuing to add physicality to his frame. Worries about swing-and-miss cropped up when he was on the summer showcase circuit, and he expanded the zone too much, and there were a lot of whiffs during his brief pro debut, but he has the chance to be a solid all-around hitter with big home run totals. 

A shortstop in high school like his brother, Holliday is agile for his size with average speed. His arm works from the position, and he has decent actions, but he’s unlikely going to be able to stay there because of his range. A move to third base would make the most sense, where his power-hitting profile should fit well.

Keith Law of the Athletic (who ranked Holliday atop his draft rankings) put Holliday first in the system and 39th overall in MLB before the season and recently bumped him up to 37th overall:

Holliday was the No. 4 pick in the 2025 draft and probably the most famous name selected, thanks to his dad, his brother Jackson and years of hype around Ethan’s easy power and potential to be more of an impact hitter than Jackson. He’s a shortstop now, with really good hands and a plus arm, but he has no chance to stay there given his size and lack of lateral range, with third base the best-case scenario and right field a realistic outcome.

As a hitter, he has plenty of bat speed and the raw power is probably a 70, but last spring, he seemed to be trying too hard to launch the ball to his pull side, so his front side was flying open and he had a hole on the outer third as a result. Holliday struggled mightily in his pro debut, as the Rockies sent him to Low A and he struck out 33 times in 84 PA (39.3 percent), even having trouble against good fastballs and looking stiffer and slower in the box. While that doesn’t undo everything he did before the draft, it’s very concerning for someone picked that high, and at the very least, he’s going to need more time to develop than the typical high school hitter taken in the top few picks of any draft class. He knows the strike zone well, and even in that stint in Low A didn’t chase pitches out of the zone excessively (25 percent overall, 16 percent on pitches well out of the zone), consistent with what he showed as an amateur.

I had Holliday ranked at the top of the 2025 draft class, which was a weak one at its uppermost echelon, based on the 30-homer upside and good instincts all around, but the near-universal sentiment after his pro debut is that he’s a much higher-risk prospect than it seemed a year ago.

FanGraphs ranked Holliday 47th overall as a 50 FV player before the season after slotting him as number two among draft prospects, then listed him 45th overall in their “Helium Group” last month. Holliday ranks second in the system with a 70 future raw power grade, a 60 future game power and arm grade, and a 55 grade on his pitch selection:

In a draft light on high-upside position players, Holliday was perhaps the singular exception. He’s been tooled up since his days as an underclassman at Stillwater High, when crosscheckers coming in to see his brother Jackson left almost more impressed with the freshman manning the hot corner. Colorado, understandably desperate for a franchise player, selected Holliday fourth overall and paid him $9 million to sign, the highest bonus in last year’s draft.

Holliday’s physicality stands out immediately. Four inches taller and a few dozen pounds of muscle bigger than his brother, Ethan has the strength and the build of a player in his mid-20s. He’s no stiff either, a fluid mover who looked great defensively this spring, and may even have a chance to stay at short. He has a fast bat and there’s loft in the path, which feeds the immense power projection listed above. He even shows a little feel for manipulating the bat head and using the whole field.

But while Holliday hammers the ball when he does connect, it’s the lack of contact that looks most worrisome here. His numbers weren’t particularly good on the showcase circuit, and anybody who hoped that a cameo at Low-A would render that moot will have to keep waiting. Holliday’s .239/.357/.380 line in 18 games at Fresno is more than fine on its own, but 33 strikeouts in 84 plate appearances suggests that there’s a long path ahead. Speaking of long paths: Holliday’s bat travels a considerable distance from the time his hands get going. He has a long and deep load with a hand loop, and then long levers on top of that. Once he starts, there’s real venom in the swing, but right now pitchers are throwing pedestrian velo right past him.

Holliday will likely need to make an adjustment, either to the length of his path or to his load; in his current form, he just looks too vulnerable to velocity. The bet here is that Holliday finds a way to make it work. He’s so strong and talented in other ways in the box that we’re in on him as a potential star, even with the red flags lurking. Consider this grade more of a reflection on his upside than our conviction in his likelihood to reach it.

Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com (who ranked Holliday second among draft prospects) rated Holliday in January as a 50 FV player, 66th overall in MLB and tops in the system.

Type: A polarizing player who could be an All-Star or not hit much at all

Some teams/scouts/readers didn’t look past Ethan Holliday’s solid glove, 65-grade power, pretty swing, and last name and penciled him in at No. 1 on their board. Other teams told me his profile “terrified” them and didn’t have him in the mix for their picks in the top 10.

With the amount of information we have on every top draftee and the similarity of most teams’ analytical models, this isn’t common at all. I wrote about this multiple times and more in depth, but the short version is Holliday didn’t hit well in the summer against top pitching then fixed a swing flaw but didn’t face good pitching after it. Teams don’t like having to take performance against good pitching on faith while some others are fine if the other pieces of the puzzle are present.

After signing, Holliday posted a 39% strikeout rate in 18 games, which is a small sample but also is what the analytical teams would tell you is the risk of ignoring his summer performance. If Holliday follows the path he did last year, he’ll dial in his mechanics to adjust for velocity at this new level — this is something Braves star Austin Riley once told me he had to do at each level of the minors — and hit in 2026 like he did in 2025, but the velocity he faces will be much better than high school ball in Oklahoma. As such, Holliday could either be a top-10 prospect in the sport or not in the top 200 quite easily at this time next year.

Holliday was up to number 27 overall and a 55 FV grade earlier this month for McDaniel.

When’s he going to get to the Rockies and how good will he be once he’s there?

Holliday has a superstar ceiling, combining raw power, strike zone control, and defense at a premium position (he’s probably going to end up as a long-term starter at third base, but he can still play shortstop). That defensive utility combined with the offensive upside is the reason I ranked Holliday atop my personal list as a 55 Future Value player.

Much is expected of Holliday by fans and scouts — let’s see if he can pass the trials to come as he ascends the minor league ladder. Now that 2026 first rounder and fellow PuRP Tyler Bell has entered the system, Holliday will need to fight more for shortstop reps if they find themselves at the same level, which is possible in 2027 at High-A. I expect Holliday to push his way up the system quickly, especially if he can adjust to polished upper minors pitching.

Thanks to everyone who has read along with me through this PuRPs series! Check back soon for a complete list with full voting results for the mid-season 2026 Purple Row Prospect list and then my view on the state of the system.

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

43 Years Ago

This game stands out vividly in my memory—and I’m certain everyone who watched it remembers it just as well.

Orioles left-handed reliever Tippy Martinez famously picked off three Blue Jays in the top of the tenth inning.

There was a bit of backstory. The Jays were up 3-1 in the bottom of the ninth. The Jays scored a run in the third on a Garth Iorg sac fly. In the fifth, Lloyd Moseby scored on an error by Orioles’ third baseman Todd Cruz. And, in the top of the eighth, Barry Bonnell scored on a Buck Martinez sac fly.

As the bottom of the ninth began, starter Jim Clancy was still on the mound. These days, a starting pitcher going that deep into a game feels almost mythical. Clancy started 34 games that year, completed 11, and pitched 223 innings. He retired the first batter, then allowed a bunt single to John Shelby. Pinch hitter Gary Roenicke struck out, and Lenn Sakata walked, putting the tying run on base.

Bobby Cox brought in lefty reliever Dave Geisel. That season, the team lacked a true shutdown closer. Randy Moffitt led with 10 saves, and three other pitchers recorded between five and nine. Geisel finished with five saves. Having a reliable closer would have made a difference that year.

The Orioles pinch-hit for their catcher, Joe Nolan, with Benny Ayala. Ayala, a bat-first player without a true position, had struggled in 1983, hitting just .221/.287/.404 with four home runs. The move was surprising—Nolan had already pinch-hit for starting catcher Rick Dempsey, leaving the team without a backup. But with two outs and down by two runs, manager Joe Altobelli gambled on Ayala’s right-handed bat against a lefty. These days, no manager would risk removing their last catcher for a pinch-hitter.

Ayala singled, Shelby scored, and the tying run advanced to second. Left-handed hitter Al Bumbry followed, singling home the tying run. Geisel was then replaced by Joey McLaughlin, who finally ended the inning.

So, heading into the tenth inning, the Orioles found themselves without a catcher. Lenn Sakata, who had an 11-year career and had never played the position before—or since—was pressed into service behind the plate.

Cliff Johnson led the top of the tenth with a home run off Orioles reliever Tim Stoddard. We were up 4-3. Barry Bonnell followed with a single. Out goes Stoddard, and in comes lefty Tippy Martinez.

Martinez was known for his excellent pickoff move to first, but the Jays were eager to run on Sakata. Before Martinez even delivered a pitch, Bonnell broke for second. Martinez threw to first, then an easy toss to second caught Bonnell in a rundown. Out. Pick-off, caught stealing.

Dave Collins drew a walk—he had 31 steals that season. Before Martinez even threw a second pitch to Willie Upshaw, he picked Collins off first base.

Upshaw singled—he’d already stolen a base in the game, but with ten steals and seven times caught that season, he was hardly a sure thing. In hindsight, we would have preferred he stayed put. From the dugout, Bobby Cox bellowed, “Don’t take a leadoff! Keep a foot on first base!” and even threatened to fire the first base coach if Upshaw got picked off. Predictably, Upshaw was picked off moments later.

In the bottom half, Cal Ripken and Lenn Sakata both homered, delivering the Orioles an improbable victory. The defeat dropped the Jays to 70-56, fourth place and 2.5 games behind the division-leading Brewers. The Orioles improved to 70-52, just half a game out of first. Had the Jays held on, there would have been a three-way tie for second. The race was tight: the Yankees sat in fifth at 68-56. We ultimately finished fourth at 89-73, nine games behind the Orioles—who went on to win the World Series that year.

1983 was our first season as a legitimate contender. The year before, we’d gone 78-84, so this was an 11-game improvement. Our first playoff appearance would come two years later, in 1985.

Buck Martinez talks about the inning here:

1901
The White Sox signed Wiley Piatt, who had been released by the Philadelphia A’s in July. The left-handed starter pitched well down the stretch for the first-place White Sox, going 4-2 with a 2.79 ERA and 1.084 WHIP, good for 0.4 WAR over seven games (six starts). The 1902 season was more of a setback for Piatt, going 12-12 with a sub-league average ERA of 3.51 and a 1.337 WHIP, good for 1.0 WAR.

Piatt jumped to the National League’s Boston club for 1903, his final season in the majors.

1910
It was a noteworthy publicity stunt. With the White Sox in Washington, D.C., catcher Billy Sullivan caught a ball tossed off of the top of the Washington Monument from pitcher Ed Walsh. Sullivan caught three balls in 11 attempts, with each ball whistling down 555 feet at faster than 100 mph.

Two months later, Sullivan opted out of a challenge to catch a baseball tossed from an airplane flying at a thousand feet. According to the Associated Press, the backstop said, “I might as well try to stop a bullet as be on the receiving end of [a baseball] from an airplane.”  

1919
A thrown World Series makes it tempting to disregard the accomplishments of the 1919 club, who at 88-52 and a .629 winning percentage remain the second-best in White Sox history. On this day, a 4-1 victory over the Yankees ran Chicago’s winning streak to a season-high 10 games, landing the team at 72-39 — on pace to sneak ahead of 1917 as the best-ever Sox club. The win kept the future Black Sox six games on top of the American League, and while that lead would melt to 3 1⁄2 by season’s end, this hot streak essentially assured the Pale Hose a second pennant in three seasons.

1985
One day after he had put the seventh and last-ever home run into the center-field bleachers at Comiskey Park, George Bell crushed a sixth-inning pitch from Tom Seaver over the roof as part of a 6-3 Toronto win. Seaver had thrown five scoreless innings with just three singles before Bell’s solo blow opened scoring. The Blue Jays battered Tom Terrific for two more in the seventh and three in the eighth to ice the game.

The White Sox made a last-ditch effort to get back in the game, however, which resulted in another oddity: They led off the bottom of the ninth, down 6-0, with three straight solo shots, from Rudy Law, Bryan Little and Harold Baines.

2008
One thing White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski had going for him was his brain. A.J. was always thinking, always trying to get into the heads of the opposition, and always willing to try something to gain an advantage. 

On this day, his quick thinking directly led to the Sox winning a game — in the middle of a pennant race — that perhaps they shouldn’t have.

The Sox were tied with Tampa Bay, 5-5, in the bottom of the 10th inning when A.J. led off with a single. He was on second when Jermaine Dye hit a ground ball to Tampa’s Jason Bartlett. Pierzynski made a poor read and broke on contact, only to be caught in a rundown. However, obstruction was called on third baseman Willy Aybar by umpire Doug Eddings when A.J., caught in a pickle, stuck his arm out and made contact with Aybar after Aybar had already made a throw. The ruling was that even though Pierzynski initiated the contact, it was the responsibility of Aybar to get out of A.J’s way. 

A.J. was awarded third base, and eventually scored the winning run on a single by Alexei Ramírez.

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The short slate for MLB tonight has us eyeing the later-evening matchups out west.

Chief among them, the Arizona Diamondbacks measure up well against Chicago Cubs right-hander Kevin Gausman as the clubs kick off a series in the desert.

Our MLB expert picks break down a trio of moneyline predictions below on Monday, Aug. 24.

MLB expert picks for today

Pick	Odds
Jon Metler: AZ ML	+127
Dustin Saracini: SD ML	-104
Jason Wilson: A's ML	+144

Prices courtesy of Polymarket.

Jon Metler's expert pick: Diamondbacks moneyline

Price: 44¢ (+127) at Polymarket

Kevin Gausman starts for the Chicago Cubs, and the Arizona Diamondbacks are a difficult matchup for him.

Gausman relies heavily on his four-seam fastball at the top of the zone before deploying his splitter below the knees as his primary put-away pitch. Corbin Carroll and Lars Nootbaar, who hit near the top of Arizona's lineup, are disciplined hitters who won't likely chase splitters at the bottom of the zone or in the dirt. If they lay off that pitch, Gausman will challenge them with fastballs in the zone.

Gausman is also vulnerable to speed on the basepaths and has a history of allowing stolen bases. Arizona's combination of plate discipline and aggressive baserunning could put pressure on the veteran righty throughout.

The Diamondbacks are trading at 44 cents on Polymarket, but I price them closer to 47 cents, giving us an edge at the current price.

Todd Cordell has a different take in his Cubs vs. Diamondbacks predictions.

• Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
• How to watch: Marquee, Diamondbacks.TV

Dustin Saracini's expert pick: Padres moneyline

Price: 51¢ (-104) at Polymarket

The San Diego Padres are on an absolute tear, winning 11 of their last 14 games after sweeping the Twins over the weekend.

The offense has been the driving force, as the Friars have scored 21 runs across their last three games.

Robbie Ray goes for San Diego tonight, and he's owned this Pittsburgh Pirates lineup throughout his career, punching them out at a 33% clip while holding them to a .147 xBA and .208 xwOBA.  

Yes, Braxton Ashcraft has been stellar, but I'm giving the Padres the edge, and would play it up to 54 cents at Polymarket.

• Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
• How to watch: SportsNet Pittsburgh, Padres.TV

Jason Wilson's expert pick: A's moneyline

Price: 41¢ (+144) at Polymarket

This prediction largely comes down to the Minnesota Twins being favored too heavily over the Athletics.

A's starter Jeffrey Springs hasn't been good this season, and these same Twins bludgeoned him to the tune of four earned runs in just 1 1/3 innings on July 26. However, a spell on the injured list may have helped, as he performed better against the Royals in his most recent start.

But Twins starter Zebby Matthews shouldn't be widening the gap here. The right-hander still has potential, but he's been absolutely dragged by the long ball, allowing 19 home runs in 96 2/3 innings. His 1.77 HR/9 is 12th-highest among starters who have thrown at least 90 innings.

Granted, Springs' 2.30 is the highest. So, if you're hesitant to invest in the A's and their homer-prone southpaw from a value perspective, the Over 10.5 at 54 cents is your next best option.

• Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
• How to watch: Twins.TV, NBC Sports California

More MLB best bets for today

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.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cubs fans and fans across the country.

The Cubs have 31 games remaining in the 2026 regular season.

They enter Monday’s action six games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. So while catching the Brewers is still mathematically possible, it’s seeming more and more of a longshot with each passing day.

Thus we turn our attention to a potential Wild Card Series matchup. The Cubs currently are the top Wild Card team and if they can hold that spot, they’d host a Wild Card series, as they did last year against the Padres.

The three teams closest to the Cubs in the wild card race are the Phillies (two games back), Padres (four games back) and Diamondbacks (six games back).

So today’s question is: Which of these teams would you most want the Cubs to face in a Wild Card Series? Of course, having home field for such a series is important and the Cubs currently hold the tiebreaker over Philadelphia and San Diego, and one win vs. the D-backs this week would clinch that tiebreaker as well.

Vote in the survey and I’ll post the final results here later this week.

“If I was a coach, I’d be like, ‘This kid’s not going to cut it.’” So said Brett Gardner, thinking back on when he tried out for the baseball team at the College of Charleston. Perhaps because he could not hit the ball out of the infield.

But in an archetypal underdog success story, Gardner went on to play in the major leagues, for the New York Yankees of all teams, for 14 years. Over the course of his career he earned an All-Star nod, notched a Gold Glove, and most importantly, won a World Series. Kevin from 2009 never would’ve expected he’d be sitting here 17 years later waiting for another Yankee title.

Name: Brett Gardner
Born: August 24, 1983 (Holly Hill, SC)
Yankees Tenure: 2008-2021

There really were legitimate questions about whether Gardner would ever hit enough to keep him in the lineup on a regular basis. He debuted with the Yankees in 2008, three years after they drafted him in the Amateur Draft. For a more robust look at Gardner’s career check out his entry in the Top 100 Yankees of All-Time.

In his first exposure to big league pitching, he was completely overmatched. Neither his OBP nor his SLG topped .300 by the end of the season. Despite that, his speed and defense (1.3 dWAR in 42 games) strongly hinted that at the very least, Gardy would kick around the big leagues for a while. Speed and defense never go out of style. By the summer of 2009, it was apparent that his defense really played, along with his wheels. Dave Cameron at FanGraphs noted:

“If Gardner really does have one of the best throwing arms in baseball, then there’s really no way that New York can justify keeping him out of the starting line-up on a regular basis. He’s already one of the best base stealers in the game (30 for 33), and his +10.6 range runs 600 innings as a major league center fielder suggest he might be an elite defensive player even without the crazy throwing.”

That fall, Gardy and the Yanks won the only championship of Gardner’s career, knocking off the Phillies in six games. After Melky Cabrera hurt his hamstring in the Fall Classic, Gardner stepped into a starting role for the final two games.

From 2010 on, you could pencil Gardner into the lineup. Outside of 2012 (injury) and 2020 (COVID), he played at least 140 games every season for the rest of his career. The 2010 season saw him rack up 7.4 bWAR (thanks to an AL-leading 3.4 dWAR) and stole 47 bags. The next season, he paced the AL with 49 thefts. Gardner could absolutely fly in his younger years. If you’re a visual learner, here’s Gardy stealing five bags in a 2010 doubleheader against Boston.

Gardner was there in those muddled years in the early-to-mid-2010s, an important part of the Yankee roster every year. By the time the “Baby Bomber” era arrived in 2017, Gardy was already a grizzled vet (he turned 34 that August). Alas, though the Yanks made deep playoff runs in 2017 and 2019, Gardner never returned to the World Series after 2009. In 2017, however, one of my personal favorite Gardner moments occured, his dramatic ninth inning three-run home run at Wrigley Field with the Yankees down to their final strike.

Gardner last played for the Yankees in 2021. Other teams checked in with him about his interest, but Gardy only wanted to play for the Yankees. He’s one of the most elite defensive players in the history of the franchise and, sitting at third on the leaderboard, one of its most prolific base stealers.

Unfortunately, Gardner’s post-playing days have been marred by tragedy. His son Miller died of carbon monoxide poisoning in March 2025 in Costa Rica. The Yankees held a moment of silence for Miller prior to Opening Day 2025.

I have fond memories of Gardner’s career, in no small part because I saw him win a World Series. And when he was on, the Yankees were on. From my Gardner entry for the Top 100:

“When Gardy was hitting, the Yankees were winning. In the 981 games the Yanks won during his career, he smashed 100 of his 139 home runs, hit .284 compared to .218 in 707 losses, and posted an OPS more than 200 points higher in victory (.825 to .621).”

Happy birthday, Brett Gardner. It turns out you did cut it, after all.

The Little League World Series is taking place in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, with the championship to be played this Sunday. Long before many of us became Royals fans, most of us were probably Little Leaguers ourselves. For many of us, this was the extent of our baseball careers. It may have been when you had your greatest athletic achievement. You may have met your best friend on your team. Or maybe it was a miserable experience!

Experiences differ, but there are some common features to Little League. Uniforms emblazoned with corporate logos of local businesses. Orange slices after games. The big kid that seems three years too old to be in the league.

With the Little League World Series in full swing, on this Royals off day, I thought I’d ask about something a little more nostalgic – what do you remember about playing Little League?

I played in Blue Springs at Pink Hill Park and Blue Springs Park. I came to baseball a bit late at age 10, and its hard to catch onto a team at that point, so my dad coached me and a team of cast-offs. We won one game in 16 tries. The next year I caught on with another team (no, my dad did not designate me for assignment). We won one game in 16 tries. TCBY was our sponsor. They had The Country’s Best Yogurt, but also The City’s Worst Baseball Team.

But being on a terrible team meant that I got a lot of playing time, particularly at pitcher and catcher. And I got pretty good! Eventually I got picked up by a decent team (Stone Container!) and we would beat every team in the league except the travel teams, who would beat our brains in.

I was once one out away from throwing an no-hitter when a kid reached on a bunt single (we did not have the unwritten rules back then). That was the apex of my athletic achievement! It was all downhill from there when I got to high school and realized everyone could hit my curveball. But the memories of playing as a kid will last a lifetime.

Tell us about your team, your coaches, your teammates, your field, and, most importantly, the stories you still remember decades later. Any teammates you remember? Did you play against anyone that went on to notoriety (I once looked up at the opposing third base coach’s box and saw John Wathan, who had been fired as Royals manager the year before). Who sponsored your uniforms? Were there any amazing moments? Sage advice from coaches?

What was Little League like for you?

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

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (66-59) lost 1-0 (BOX SCORE)

Mayer started for Sugar Land and pitched really well tossing 5.1 scoreless innings with 7 strikeouts. The pen pitched well as the game went to extras and in the 10th, the Comets got a run to take the lead. The Sugar Land offense was unable to get anything going as they fell 1-0 in the series finale.

Note: Mayer has 112 K over 83.1 innings this season.

• Cavan Biggio, 2B: 0-for-3, BB, SB
• Collin Price, DH: 2-for-3, 2B, BB, SB

• Bryce Mayer, RHP: 5.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
• Bryan King, LHP: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• Alex Santos II, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Christian Roa, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Roddery Munoz, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Michael Knorr, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (57-63) won 3-1 (BOX SCORE)

The Hooks got on the board in the first inning on a Bush RBI single. Hicks started for the Hooks and went 5 innings allowing 1 run while striking out 5. The game stayed tied until the 8th inning with Thomas connected on a 2 run home run. The pen was great tossing 4 scoreless innings as they closed out the 3-1 win.

Note: Thomas has 19 HR/36 SB this season.

• Justin Thomas, RF: 1-for-3, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, SB
• Will Bush, C: 1-for-4, RBI
• Alejandro Nunez, 3B: 1-for-3, R, SB

• James Hicks, RHP: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
• Andrew Marrero, RHP: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• Colby Langford, LHP: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• Joey Mancini, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Amilcar Chirinos, RHP: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (WIN)

A+: Asheville Tourists (41-77) lost 12-1 (BOX SCORE)

Howard started for Asheville and went 5.1 innings allowing 3 runs, 1 earned, while striking out 7 batters. Asheville got on the board in the 6th scoring a run on an error. The pen struggled allowing 9 runs over the final two innings and the offense was unable to score again as Asheville fell 12-1.

Note: Howard has 77 K over 88 innings this season.

• Kyle Walker, 2B: 2-for-4, 2B, BB
• Kenni Gomez, LF: 1-for-4, R, SB
• Nick Monistere, DH: 0-for-2, 2 BB, SB
• DJ Newman, RF: 1-for-4

• Dylan Howard, RHP: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 7 K
• Grayson Saunier, RHP: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
• Francisco Frias, RHP: 0.1 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
• Jose Varela, RHP: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (62-53)

Game One – won 6-2 (BOX SCORE)

Ardines got the start and tossed 4 innings allowing 2 runs while striking out 5. The offense got on the board in the 4th on a Piasecki 2 run single. In the 5th, the offense added 2 more runs on a Hughes bases loaded hit by pitch and a De Leon steal of home. The offense got 2 more runs in the 7th inning on a Hughes RBI double and Nowak RBI single. Carrera tossed 3 scoreless innings as he closed out the 6-2 win.

Note: Ardines has 74 K in 64.1 innings this season.

• Kam Durnin, SS: 0-for-1, 2 R, 2 BB, SB
• Logan Hughes, RF: 1-for-2, R, 2B, 2 RBI, BB
• Owen Nowak, CF: 2-for-4, R, SB
• Aaron Piasecki, 2B: 1-for-4, 2 RBI
• Rashawn Galloway, DH: 0-for-2, R
• Luis De Leon, C: 1-for-3, R

• Adrian Ardines, RHP: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 5 K
• Jesus Carrera, RHP: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 1 K (WIN)

Game Two – won 6-1 (BOX SCORE)

The Woodpeckers got the scoring started in the first inning on a Cauro sac fly. Weber started for the Woodpeckers and pitched well allowing 1 run over 4 innings while striking out 5. In the 4th inning, Alvarez connected on a solo home run. The offense would break it open a bit in the 6th inning scoring 4 runs on a Hughes solo home run, run on a wild pitch and a Soto 2 run double. The bullpen pitched well tossing 3 scoreless innings as they closed out the

Note: Hughes is hitting .360 this season.

• Logan Hughes, 1B: 2-for-4, 2 R, HR, RBI
• Kevin Alvarez, CF: 2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, HR, RBI, BB, SB
• Carlos Cauro, C: 0-for-1, R, RBI, BB, SB
• Owen Nowak, RF: 1-for-3, 3B
• German Ramirez, 3B: 0-for-2, R, BB
• Petey Soto, 2B: 1-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI

• Charlie Weber, RHP: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
• Brady Thomas, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K (WIN)
• Jank Pichardo, RHP: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: OFF

CC: OFF

AV: OFF

FV: OFF