Category: Baseball

Today marks the 59th birthday of Ed Sprague, former third baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Sprague spent eight seasons with the Blue Jays, from 1991 until his trade to the Oakland Athletics on July 31, 1998. In return, the Jays acquired Scott Rivette, who ultimately never reached the major leagues.

During his time in Toronto, Sprague posted a .245 batting average, a .315 on-base percentage, and a .419 slugging percentage, tallying 113 home runs and 418 RBIs over 888 games.

While Sprague may not have been a superstar, he, like his predecessor Kelly Gruber, delivered one standout season that exceeded his usual performance. However, Gruber was known for his stronger defensive skills.

Sprague’s breakout year came in 1996, when he set career highs in runs (88), hits (146), home runs (36), RBIs (101), walks (60), and slugging percentage (.496). It stands among the best single seasons by a Blue Jays third baseman—a true outlier in his career. Notably, this was also during a period when Roger Clemens’ “trainer” was around the team.

Ed later admitted to using steroids, as well as amphetamines—a common practice among players at the time to combat the fatigue of baseball’s long season. Energy drinks like Red Bull weren’t available then, and amphetamines were not banned in baseball until 2006.

One of Sprague’s most unforgettable moments came in Game 2 of the 1992 World Series, when he launched a dramatic, go-ahead two-run homer in the ninth inning off Atlanta closer Jeff Reardon. For a year, it stood as the biggest home run in Blue Jays history until Joe Carter’s iconic walk-off in 1993. Without Sprague’s clutch hit, Toronto might have fallen behind two games to none—a daunting deficit to overcome.

Beyond his standout 1996 campaign, Sprague’s career was solid but unspectacular. He made the National League All-Star team in 1999 as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates, batting .267/.352/.465 with 22 home runs. He later played for San Diego, Boston, returned to San Diego, and finished his career in Seattle.

Over 11 major league seasons, Sprague hit 152 home runs and compiled a .247/.318/.419 career slash line.

Sprague’s father, also named Ed, was a major league pitcher for eight seasons. His wife, Kristen Babb-Sprague, is an Olympic gold medalist in synchronized swimming.

In recent years, Ed Sprague Jr. has served as the Director of Player Development for the Oakland Athletics. He was at the celebration for the World Series winning teams last week.

Happy birthday, Ed!

Grant Holmes’ starts this season are getting to be a bit like a choose-your-adventure book where no matter what choices you make, the story ends up the same.

He hasn’t had a truly disastrous start in terms of putting the team in a hole this season, getting charged with more than three runs just once (five on May 1 at Colorado). In fact, he’s been charged with exactly two or three runs in well more than half of his appearances (13 of his 20).

That’s not bad on its face, but it’s a stat that becomes worse when you realize he’s thrown six innings just three times just once in his last 16 outings after doing so twice in his first three starts of the season.

His last four starts have been exactly five innings, and he didn’t make it through five innings in the four appearances before that. With a depleted rotation and a bullpen that the team treats as taxed due to shorter-than-preferred outings by the rotation, Holmes-as-starter is part of the problem rather than part of the solution.

He’s got a 3.79 ERA (89 ERA-), which is very nice, but a 4.82 FIP (116 FIP-) and a 4.63 xFIP (109 xFIP-), which are both below-average marks. Essentially, he’s been continuing to get away with it, at least to a degree, helped in part by the strong defense behind him. That the Braves have continued to need to rely on him as heavily as they have through the first four months of the season drills home their need to add one, if not two starters before the August 3 Trade Deadline.

In a perfect world where Atlanta had a healthy Spencer Schwellenbach and A.J. Smith-Shawver, Holmes’ role would likely have been different. A rash of in-season starter injuries during the season have only amplified the Braves’ need to consistently throw Holmes out there as a starter every five or six days. But no one who follows the Braves feels any more confident about Holmes being tasked with starting a playoff game than they did at the start of the season.

And yet, pending a few ongoing rehabilitations, that could be the case as things currently stand considering Holmes’ ERA is third-best on the team among starters behind only Chris Sale and Martín Pérez. (In theory, the Braves shouldn’t even consider that given how much worse his peripherals are… but…)

Holmes has served his role this season. He’ll continue to serve a role once the Trade Deadline has passed, But his five-inning outing in Friday’s 7-6 win over Baltimore where he allowed three on six hits was more proof of this critical starter role not being what would best serve the Braves as the stretch run approaches.

The sad thing is, Holmes has been good, if not dominant through nine batters: a 2.98 FIP and 3.92 xFIP. In his starts so far, he’s allowed just two homers to the first nine batters, has a 48/17 K/BB ratio, and has seen four or more of the first nine batters reach base just five times in all of his starts. Even on a pure runs basis, the first nine batters have scored in just six of his starts. There’s a clear role for him that isn’t “take the ball every five days and hope that the game is still within reach by the time the team sees fit to remove him, while trying to balance their chance of winning the game against their desire to rest the bullpen.” The Braves even shunted him in that role for a little bit, before injuries pulled him back into a starting spot.

The starts expected to be made the rest of this series by Bryce Elder and Reynaldo López, who have similar problems with less obvious solutions, are likely to only add more fuel to the fire of the Braves’ need to make a starter move (or two).

Thanks in part to the 3rd wild card and mostly to the bizarre mediocrity of most of the teams in 2026, here we are 9 days before the trading deadline and only 8 of the 30 teams are not at least within 4 games of a wild card spot.

This is what happens when a team can lead the AL West with a record of 52-51 and playing .529 ball gets you sole possession of 1st place in the AL Central. In the National League even the 51-53 Padres sit just 4 games back of WC 3 in a league that has 3 “haves” (Dodgers, Brewers, Braves) and a whole lot of meh.

Some Q’s and A’s around the upcoming flurry of activity, with a note that sadly the Q’s have a better shot at the post-season.

Q: Will There Be 22 “Buyers”?

A: No, there are 22 contenders still in theory, but now is when teams need to take a serious look at themselves and ask, “Do we really have a team that’s likely to beat out a crowded field?”

The reality is that for so many of these teams, not only might they have several teams to pass in the standings or several teams nipping at their heels, their actual record suggests their roster isn’t really all that.

What makes it murky for some teams is that they might be riding a hot streak or bouncing back from a woeful start, but do you mistake momentum or sustained improvement? Teams will have to make hard decisions and while most will probably want to push their chips closer to the middle of the table, some will take a “reality check” and step back.

Q: What domino effects might we see?

A: One that comes to mind is the crucial decision the Detroit Tigers have to make around Tarik Skubal. At the end of May, the Tigers sat at 22-38 and were 2 months away from at least cashing in big on Skubal’s value as a deadline rental. But Detroit has won 16 of its last 21 and suddenly sits just 3.5 back of a wild card spot and 5 games out of 1st place.

This comes with a series of caveats: The Tigers are still 4 games under .500, have 4 teams to pass in the wild card, 3 in the division. And they can’t reasonably to keep winning 75% of their games.

The domino effect comes with Skubal being on or off the market. If on the market the bidding war for him will be fierce but if the Tigers decide to keep Skubal in a quest to make the post-season and go deep into it, attention will turn to the perceived “2nd best SP” on the block and some of the next tier SPs will see their value rise. Those possible names include Freddy Peralta, Clay Holmes, and Robbie Ray.

Q: So Are There Going To Be Serious Discussions Around Shea Langeliers?

A: What’s known about Langeliers is that he is under contract control through 2028 and is regarded around the league as one of the best overall catchers in MLB, albeit with some known flaws.

The A’s public position is, “We have zero interest in trading Langeliers,” which is what they should say if they have zero interest and what they should say if they have lots of interest. Other teams’ stance is, “Well sure we would love to add Langeliers,” which is to say they have a catcher who isn’t as good and buyers tend to want to get better.

So what is reality behind the public smoke? Probably that the A’s aren’t keen to move Langeliers unless they are approached like they were last July by AJ Preller determined to pry away Mason Miller. He offered a deal “too good to pass up” and the A’s felt they had to say yes even though they had not intended to move Miller.

The truth, though, is that while most teams are trying to contend with a primary catcher providing less value there are not very many of them who are going to inquire, seriously, about adding a good catcher at the deadline. If you look at the teams most in need of an upgrade at catcher, they are probably more focused on Skubals and Holmeses and Peraltas and Rays than they are on Langeliers.

Now there are exceptions. The Red Sox (Patrick Sandoval, presumably by season’s end Garrett Crochet) and the Yankees (Max Fried and Gerrit Cole) recently got starting pitchers back and have deep enough rotations that they could prioritize adding a top notch catcher. The Rays also have pitching depth and the White Sox just lost their primary catcher, Kyle Teel, so they could pivot to catcher as a first priority.

The question is whether any of those teams match up well with the A’s — do they have the right controllable pitching/prospects and would they part with them — and would they overpay to make it worth the A’s while? Generally you don’t see controllable catchers moved at the deadline; it’s more of an off-season conversation as it was with Sean Murphy. So I’d bet against it.

Q: How Active Will The A’s Be?

A: Given the unlikelihood of any serious conversations around Langeliers, probably not nearly as active as you might want to see given how many holes have sprung up on the SS Athletico. The A’s don’t have the pitching buyers are seeking, they are not going to offer recently extended core pieces in Tyler Soderstrom and Jacob Wilson, and Lawrence Butler’s poor performance has put his contract squarely under water anyway.

A natural trade chip in Mark Leiter Jr. has been paused by a hip impingement that make take Leiter Jr. entirely off the market, same with Luis Severino’s sore shoulder. Carlos Cortes might have been intriguing to teams when he was hitting well over .300 with a sky high OBP, but lately he has been really into “bouncers to the right side” and his defensive limitations have been exposed greatly. His 5 for 47 June with one extra base hit probably cratered his value to where he won’t bring back much even as a two-way player (6 pitching appearances!).

Most likely to move might be Jonah Heim, the booby prize for teams not getting Langeliers. His right-handed bat has some value to teams looking to get something from their catcher and he is a rental. But Heim was acquired just a couple months ago for cash, and for all his penchant for dramatic hits his time with the A’s has yielded all of a .240/.285/.445 slash line with neutral defensive ratings.

Like it or not it’s probably going to be a “couple of minor deals” type of deadline for the A’s — unless you can think of a big deal you think David Forst and company might be pondering and discussing on the sly. Can you?

The Dodgers have won five of seven games on a road trip that concludes this weekend at Citi Field, with two more games against the New York Mets. But the offense hasn’t been humming along, winning twice while only scoring two runs on the trip.

On Friday the Dodgers were up 2-1 again before Kyle Tucker’s two-run blast game them an actual cushion in the series-opening win. That was Tucker’s first home run in four weeks, and improved his July to a paltry .246/.323/.333.

Corner outfielders have been practically nonexistent in July for the Dodgers, as Tesocar Hernández has just eight hits, batting .145/.217/.236 in 60 plate appearances. Fill-in outfielder Alex Call has one hit this month in 12 at-bats, plus two walks.

Shohei Ohtani leads the Dodgers with four home runs in July, one two-run shot and three solos to lead off games, hitting just .239/.297/.463. Max Muncy has three home runs this month, which moved him past Ron Cey for fifth place in franchise history with 229 home runs. No other Dodger has more than two home runs in July, a month in which they have hit only 17 runs as a team in 18 games.

Tommy Edman leads the team with an .846 OPS in July, and he has the only two sacrifice bunts for the team. Muncy is the only other with an OPS that begins with an eight (.843), though Freddie Freeman (.799) and Dalton Rushing (.798) are close.

The Dodgers in July have scored three runs or fewer 10 times in 18 games, including two runs or fewer six times. As a team they are hitting only .236/.311/.382 this month and their 90 wRC+ ranks 23rd in the majors. On the season, their 113 wRC+ is tops in the league. Yet despite the offensive struggles they are 10-8 in July, the lead in the division just as secure as at the start of the month, dropping from 12 games up to now 11 ahead of second-place Arizona.

On Saturday the Dodgers face Mets rookie Nolan McLean, who has only allowed 12 earned runs in his last nine starts, and has lasted at least six innings in each of his last six starts.

The Dodgers turn to their ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, coming off a complete-game win last Sunday at Yankee Stadium and leads the majors averaging 6.65 innings per start. In three career starts against the Mets, Yamamoto has a 3.00 ERA in 18 innings, with 24 strikeouts against only two walks.

Saturday game info

• Teams: Dodgers at Mets
• Ballpark: Citi Field, Queens
• Start time: 4:15 p.m. PT
• TV: Fox
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Hickory played a pair.

In Game One, Hickory starter Mason McConnaughey threw four shutout innings, striking out one.

Jay McQueen had a hit and a walk. Pablo Guerrero had a hit and a stolen base. Paulino Santana had a hit and a pair of walks. Curley Martha and Yolfran Castillo each had a hit.

In Game Two, Evan Siary allowed one run in 4.1 IP, striking out five and walking one. Louis Marinaro walked one and struck out three.

Yolfran Castillo had a hit and a stolen base. Jay McQueen had a hit. Paulino Santana had a hit and a walk. Daniel Flames and Pablo Guerrero each had a hit.

Hickory Game One box score

Hickory Game Two box score

Hub City played a pair.

In Game One, starter Caden Scarborough struck out six and walked one while allowing one run in 4.1 IP. Case Matter struck out three and walked one in 1.1 IP, allowing a solo homer.

Gleider Figuereo was 2 for 4 with a homer and a stolen base. Casey Cook had a double and a walk. Eduardo Mejia was 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. Marcos Torres had a pair of hits and a stolen base. Maxton Martin had a hit.

Kamdyn Perry started Game Two, allowing a run in four innings, striking out five and walking three.

Chander Pollard doubled. Maxton Martin had a hit.

Hub City Game One box score

Hub City Game Two box score

Cody Bradford made his latest rehab appearance for Frisco, throwing three shutout innings with 39 strikes out of 48 pitches, striking out four and walking none. Aidan Curry struck out six and walked three in 5.2 scoreless innings. Thomas Ireland struck out the one batter he faced.

Sebastian Walcott was 4 for 5 with a double and a stolen base. Dylan Dreiling was 2 for 4 with a double and a stolen base. Arturo Disla was 2 for 4 with a double. Yeison Morrobel had a double.

Frisco box score

Round Rock, with Jordan Montgomery scheduled to make a rehab start, was rained out.

DSL Rangers Red box score

DSL Rangers Blue box score

The Yankees’ catching situation is one of the worst in baseball. Austin Wells has developed into an excellent framer and a solid defensive player overall, but he just can’t seem to produce anything offensively. It’s incredibly frustrating how one of the most promising prospects in the early 2020s and a Rookie of the Year finalist in 2024 has posted a 50 wRC+ so far in 2026.

This week, The Athletic suggested that the Yankees, in their quest for a catcher, could potentially look at Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson as an alternative. The soon-to-be-30 backstop has been an above-average hitter throughout his career with a 104 wRC+ and is at 92 in 2026. Stephenson has been connected to New York in rumors, but is he an option that the team should consider? Well, it’s not an easy answer.

The offensive floor seems to be significantly higher than Wells: his worst offensive season came in 2023, when he posted an 85 wRC+. He has been over 90 in every other year, and has cleared the 100-wRC+ threshold three times. It’s important to note that though Wells’ ceiling is as high as Stephenson or possibly even higher, the Reds’ catcher did have a 3.1-fWAR season back in 2024, when he homered 19 times and posted a 113 wRC+.

There are two main issues with Stephenson, though.

One is that he hasn’t really been great against left-handed pitchers this year, which is kind of the point of acquiring a platoon partner for Wells. Stephenson boasts a 70 wRC+ versus southpaws and a 99 mark against righties. In case you were wondering, the split for his career is 111 vs. lefties and 101 vs. righties, so his 2026 sample might be a bit fluke-ish. It’s a bit of a risk, but it could be one worth taking from that point of view, at least. The other situation regarding Stephenson, however, is more problematic and it has to do with his work behind the plate.

The Yankees value framing and solid defensive contributions from their catchers more than anything else, perhaps even more than offense itself. Stephenson, however, ranks in the first percentile in Framing Runs with -10. He is an amazing blocker behind the dish, but the framing is just abysmal. He is also not great at throwing out runners.

Of course, it helps that he’s such a good blocker, giving the pitching staff more confidence when the time comes to throw some breaking balls in the dirt. The overall package is not overly enticing, though, not defensively at least.

So, should the Yankees pursue Stephenson? It depends on how much defense they want to sacrifice in order to avoid the catcher spot being an offensive black hole. Knowing how the front office thinks and operates, however, the Reds’ veteran will probably not be their preferred choice. Another name connected to the Yankees, Ryan Jeffers, is also not a very solid defensive catcher, although he is an above-average framer. He is below-average everywhere else besides, well, offense.

Stephenson is a solid offensive player, and that has been the case for years. He isn’t the most consistent of hitters, but right now, he looks like prime Jorge Posada next to Wells. The two could complement each other well at the plate, but it all depends on how the Yankees view him defensively and if they think they can work with him to improve, not to mention on the organization meeting the Reds’ own valuation of Stephenson. It’s a distinct possibility, particularly if deals for Jeffers, Hunter Goodman, and Shea Langeliers don’t work out for one reason or another.

Detroit Tigers (50-54) vs. Kansas City Royals (43-62)

Time/Place: 1:10 p.m., Comerica Park
SB Nation Site:Royals Review
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: RHP Casey Mize (4-6, 2.79 ERA) vs. RHP Michael Wacha (5-7, 3.66 ERA)

A trade! A trade with Kansas City!

If you were here expecting a bigger deadline deal with the Royals, I have some bad news for you. Misner is likely no more than better organizational depth than what Steward Berroa was. Once a compensation pick for the Marlins, Misner is now floating in between the majors and minors with regularity.

That said, in Omaha, Misner put up a solid .289/.378/.563 line with 14 home runs, 54 RBI and 14 stolen bases. He’s walking at a solid rate, even if his strike out rate is kind of high in the minors. No matter, the team is likely bringing him aboard so that if something happens to a major league outfielder, what they would be bringing up in Misner is better than anything else they have to promote.

The 40-man roster is still full after this trade.

It’s another day, so another game against the Tigers. Can the Royals win this one? Your guess is as good as mine, but if history proves accurate, I wouldn’t bet on it.

Michael Wacha will take the mound for the Royals. It might be his final start for the boys in blue. I wouldn’t hold your breath on that either, but I’d put the odds at least as good that he is traded before the deadline as that he leads KC to victory today.

Casey Mize gets the start for the bad guys. He has a five-pitch mix featuring a four-seam fastball, a slider, a splitter, a sinker, and the occasional slurve. All of his pitches have performed well this season. The Royals will have their work cut out for them.

Lineups

Jac Caglianone, after pinch-hitting last night, is back in the starting nine. Unfortunately, so is Andrew Velazquez. The Royals continue to bat Salvador Perez fourth and Vinnie Pasquantino fifth. I should be done complaining about it by now, but it sure seems like the numbers would tell you that Nick Loftin and Michael Massey should be batting ahead of them. And, honestly, Collins, too. I know it doesn’t matter anymore, but it still irks me.

Anyway, play ball.

This is the second in an occasional series about starting pitchers the Cubs might want to target in a trade.

I didn’t expect to write this one, but from the same Ken Rosenthal/Will Sammon article in The Athletic that mentioned Reid Detmers, who I profiled yesterday, they also mention Mariners right-hander Emerson Hancock:

In their search for a right-handed hitter, the Mariners are telling teams they also are open to moving righty Emerson Hancock, according to people briefed on their discussions.

Well. Emerson Hancock is the same age as Detmers (turned 27 in May), and he has something that would likely be very attractive to the Cubs front office: four years of team control after this year! Yes, that’s right, the Cubs could possibly get Hancock for four and a half seasons, if they could put together the right deal. In addition, Hancock isn’t even arb-eligible (based on the current CBA) until 2028.

Hancock was the Mariners’ No. 1 pick (sixth overall) in the 2020 Draft out of Georgia. He was in the major leagues three years later and was an occasional starter over the last two seasons.

He’s had a breakout year in 2026 — 19 starts with a 3.16 ERA, 1.006 WHIP and good walk, strikeout and home run rates. All that is good for 2.4 bWAR (1.7 fWAR).

Here’s Hancock’s pitch selection chart:

The article mentions the Mariners looking for a right-handed hitter.

Matt Shaw would be the obvious choice here, but Shaw’s on the IL and as of Friday, here’s his status (Bluesky link):

So it doesn’t seem likely he could be traded, unless the Mariners would like to take a chance he’ll be ready sometime shortly after the deadline, which is nine days from now.

Many of the Mariners are having down years, and it’s entirely possible they miss the postseason altogether, after being in the ALCS last year and one game from their first World Series. Could they be re-tooling for 2027 and beyond?

Or would you be willing to send Moisés Ballesteros to Seattle for Hancock? Yes, I know. They’re looking for a right-handed hitter. What about Ballesteros and Kevin Alcántara?

Remember, you’re getting a starter who is good now, is 27, and is under team control through 2030.

What would you do?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Kansas City Royals fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Earlier this week, we asked how you felt about Jim Bowden’s proposed Michael Wacha trade.

80% of you would give the trade a passing grade. I find that result fascinating given the comments I saw on both the poll and the article, suggesting people are very over both Matt Shaw and Kevin Alcántara as prospects. I’m divided in my own mind, believing the deal should be either an A if you believe in both of those guys or a C if you think they’re a bit overrated. But the plurality of you split the difference, with 33% voting that such a trade would result in a B from you.

Now I find myself wishing I’d asked instead which prospect you’d be more excited about if the Royals made such a deal. I think that could have interesting results because it seems clear to me that Alcántara has the higher upside, but Shaw has the higher floor. Let me know in the comments below: which do you prioritize?

I also find it amusing that fully 40% of people graded this a C or lower, even knowing that Jim Bowden would consider this a pretty hefty overpay by the Cubs. That’s something Baseball Trade Values agrees with, calling it a $20 million value overpay by the Cubs. Also of note to me is that both of these players are still being tied to the Royals for a starting pitcher one year after they and Owen Caissie were being suggested as potential trade candidates for Seth Lugo. Caissie, of course, ended up going to the Cubs as one piece in the deal to acquire Edward Cabrera. Looked at a certain way, Alcántara and Shaw for Wacha makes sense in that context. Wacha was much better than Cabrera last year, and both players are under club control through the end of 2028. Maybe it’s not so far-fetched after all?

These survey results are sponsored by FanDuel.

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The New York Yankees are short road favorites against the Philadelphia Phillies, and I’m laying the small moneyline price.

Philadelphia is undecided who will start tonight's ballgame, while Ryan Weathers brings enough home-run risk to keep the total pointed Over.

Here are my Yankees vs Phillies predictions and MLB picks for July 25.

Who will win Yankees vs Phillies today: Yankees moneyline (-126)

The road to the majors for 32-year-old Brian Keller is admirable, but I’m fading the spot. It is unclear whether Keller will open or work as the bulk reliever, but either way, this is his first MLB appearance against a New York Yankees lineup built around power.

New York enters with an MLB-best 135 home runs, giving it a clear edge against an unproven, fastball-heavy arm likely to cover real innings. Ryan Weathers is not easy to trust, but the Yankees get the better look against an uncertain Philadelphia Phillies pitching plan.

Play this to -140.

COVERS INTEL: Ryan Weathers’ four-seamer has allowed a .678 xSLG and 55.6% hard-hit rate this season, giving Philadelphia a clear fastball damage path.

Yankees vs Phillies Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-131) 

I'd play the Over 8.5 to -150. Both pitching setups have obvious stress points. Keller’s minor league numbers are strong, but a debuting pitcher or bullpen-bulk plan against the Yankees is still a difficult ask.

The Philadelphia Phillies have their own scoring path against Weathers, whose history against this lineup is ugly. He owns a 9.53 ERA in three career appearances against Philadelphia, and it's easy to see why. 

His barrel and hard-hit rate have always been an issue, and this year is no different, with his barrel rate sitting in the bottom 9% of baseball. That's always going to be an issue against a lineup with the likes of Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber. 

                                                                               Chris Hatfield's 2026 Transparency Record

Yankees vs Phillies weather

Sunny skies and slight winds blowing in toward left-centerfield tonight. 

Yankees vs Phillies odds

• Moneyline: Yankees -121 | Phillies +109
• Run line: Yankees -1.5 | Phillies +1.5
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5

Yankees vs Phillies trend

The New York Yankees have covered the Run Line in 9 of their last 11 games (+7.10 Units / 49% ROI).  Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Phillies.

How to watch Yankees vs Phillies and game info

Yankees vs Phillies latest injuries

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Each week, The California Post will power rank MLB’s 30 teams and check in on one intriguing awards race.Records as ofSaturday morning.

1) Dodgers (66-38)

This time last year, the Dodgers were mired in an incomprehensible slump. This year? They’ve recovered from a temporary blip (getting swept going into the All-Star break) by winning back-to-back series against the Yankees and Phillies. (Last week: 1st)

2) Brewers (64-39)

Brandon Woodruff is done for the year. But Jacob Misiorowski returned quickly from some pre-All-Star-break arm fatigue. Keeping him healthy the rest of the year has become more important than ever. (Last week: 2nd)

3) Rays (60-43)

Tampa Bay continues to pace a mediocre American League and could be on track for a No. 1 playoff seed for the first time since 2021. (Last week: 3rd)

4) Braves (61-42)

After slumping through most of June and early July, the Braves have steadied themselves, winning six of eight coming out of the All-Star break. They’re also close to finally getting Ronald Acuña Jr. back. Now if they can add some pitching at the deadline … (Last week: 7th)

5) Cubs (58-45)

Two months ago, Pete Crow-Armstrong was batting in the .220s with an OPS below .700. Now? He’s the MLB leader in wins above replacement, according to FanGraphs, more valuable than even Shohei Ohtani in his two-way role. (Last week: 6th)

6) Yankees (58-45)

We always knew the Yankees were Aaron Judge-dependent. But in his continued absence, the offense struggling this badly — they have scored more than three runs just once since the All-Star break and more than five just twice in the last month — has nonetheless been a surprise. (Last week: 5th)

7) Phillies (56-48)

The Phillies’ sustained midseason turnaround has finally hit a little bit of a snag, after post-All-Star-break series losses to the Mets and Dodgers. Of all the league’s true contenders (basically, the first seven teams in these rankings), they might have the most to do at the deadline still. (Last week: 4th)

8) Red Sox (53-49)

What a couple weeks it’s been in Boston, where a Red Sox team that once seemed left for dead has suddenly regained October-contending life with its 15-game winning streak. This was already shaping up as one of the strangest seasons in club history. Now, it has come with one of the more joyous plot twists, too. (Last week: 17th)

9) Diamondbacks (55-49)

They haven’t done quite the same thing as the Red Sox, but the Dbacks are in the midst of their own late-July surge (wins in 8 of 10) that could have massive ramifications. Without it, the team might have had a quiet trade deadline. Now, their front office could attempt to make them more of an actual playoff threat. (Last week: 18th)

10) White Sox (54-48)

The White Sox’s feel-good season keeps on rolling, but it would feel better if Munetaka Murakami hadn’t started so slowly since returning from injury: 6-for-34 with no home runs. (Last week: 10th)

11) Guardians (54-51)

José Ramírez is back. Rookies Travis Bazzana and Chase DeLauter continue to have productive campaigns. And Steven Kwan has finally started to break out of his first-half slump. Don’t be surprised to see the Guardians back in first in the AL Central before long. (Last week: 11th)

12) Pirates (53-51)

Things you may not have known: The Pirates rank second in scoring this year (behind only the Nationals) and third in team batting average (trailing only the Dodgers and Rays). If their Paul Skenes-led pitching staff can get hot, maybe they can be a dark horse in the NL. (Last week: 14th)

13) Cardinals (52-51)

A critical couple weeks lie ahead for the Cardinals, who have started to slip in the standings (now 2 ½ games back of a wild-card spot) and find themselves firmly on the fence of buying and selling at the deadline. (Last week: 9th)

14) Rangers (52-51)

On MLB’s official standings page, there is a stat for each team’s “expected record” based on its run differential. The Rangers, by that metric, should be seven games under .500. Instead, they remain in first place in the AL West, despite having given up 29 more runs than they’ve scored. (Last week: 12th)

15) Mariners (51-53)

It’s difficult to overstate just how drastic Cal Raleigh’s regression has been from last year’s 60-homer season, with the catcher having hit just 10 home runs this term with an MLB-worst .165 average (Last week: 13th)

16) Astros (51-54)

Slowly but surely, the Astros continue to claw their way back up the standings, having pulled within two games of first place in the AL West behind Yordan Alvarez’s MVP-caliber campaign. (Last week: 16th)

17) Padres (51-53)

Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado are finally playing more consistently. Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta are making progress in returns from injuries. Will that be enough to convince general manager A.J. Preller he can be a buyer? (Last week: 19th)

18) Tigers (50-54)

Speaking of teams trying to figure out a deadline approach, the Tigers are chipping away bit by bit at their wild-card deficit, back within 3 ½ games thanks to a 15-5 surge. A key reason: the return of Tarik Skubal, who is 4-1 with a 1.48 ERA and 44 strikeouts in his last five starts. Whether he stays or goes will be the biggest story in baseball over the next week. (Last week: 20th)

19) Nationals (52-52)

Attn Nationals ownership: Instead of letting CJ Abrams’ name continue to linger in trade rumors, either commit to locking him up long term or getting competitive before he becomes a free agent after 2028. Otherwise, what a waste of a potentially exciting young core this would be in DC. (Last week: 15th)

20) Marlins (52-52)

We should’ve known better than to get Fish Fever. Stunningly, the Marlins have followed up their sudden resurgence in June and early July with a 10-game losing streak that has dropped them immediately back to .500 and (for now) derailed what was shaping up to be an intriguing playoff push. (Last week: 8th)

21) Orioles (50-54)

Another team that has needed just a couple decent weeks to get back in the playoff picture, the Orioles continue to hang around — though still don’t feel like a serious threat in a crowded wild-card race. (Last week: 23rd)

22) Twins (51-54)

The Twins are finally starting to drop down the standings as long expected — just in time to begin selling pieces off at the deadline, as has also been long expected. (Last week: 22nd)

23) Reds (48-54)

After an eight-run clunker in his long-awaited return from injury, Hunter Greene has looked more like himself (including seven shutout innings with 12 strikeouts against the Cubs a couple weeks ago). But it’s almost certainly too late to save the Reds’ lost season. (Last week: 25th)

24) Blue Jays (47-57)

This Blue Jays’ season has been equal parts disappointing and disheartening, turning the good vibes from last year’s World Series run into foreboding dread that a large reset might be in order, starting with a likely sell-off of popular players this coming week. (Last week: 21st)

25) Athletics (44-59)

In a year the Athletics were once looking to take a step forward, they instead have the worst run differential in the majors. (Last week: 24th)

26) Giants (43-60)

It took Tony Vitello seven years at the University of Tennessee before he lost 100 total games. In an abject Year 1 with the Giants, he can only hope he doesn’t reach that mark by the end of this season. (Last week: 28th)

27) Royals (43-62)

There’s been little to laugh about in Kansas City this year. So shoutout to the fan who jumped in the Kauffman Stadium fountains to retrieve Salvador Perez’s home run ball — then had Perez making public pleas to have his arrest for trespassing undone. (Last week: 27th)

28) Mets (43-61)

One silver lining ahead of what will be the Mets’ biggest deadline sell-off since 2023: The season after that disappointing campaign, they made a surprise run to the 2024 NLCS. Then again, they never maintained the momentum from that October, either, winding up right back where they started now. (Last week: 26th)

29) Rockies (42-63)

For a Rockies team trying to identify pieces for the future, it wouldn’t make much sense to trade an obvious one in catcher Hunter Goodman, who has been the subject of deadline rumors. Keep him in Denver and see if he can be a core piece moving forward. (Last week: 29th)

30) Angels (41-63)

Unlike the Rockies, the Angels will need to tear things down to build up again. Thus, maybe now is the time to deal someone like Zach Neto. With or without him, the Angels are not going anywhere anytime soon. (Last week: 30th)

Award Tracker: National League MVP

1) Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers (.286 average, 22 home runs, 61 RBIs as hitter; 8-2 record, 1.79 ERA as pitcher)

Ohtani’s knee-injury-induced break from pitching has added the slightest bit of intrigue to the MVP race, allowing Pete Crow-Armstrong to jump him in WAR. Still, for now, it’s hard to imagine Ohtani not winding up with his fifth career MVP this season, especially because his pitching absence appears to be shorter term.

2) Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs (.285 average, 22 home runs, 56 RBIs)

As noted in the Cubs’ blurb above, Crow-Armstrong’s turnaround has been critical to his team’s playoff push this season. If he can keep this MVP race even somewhat close, prepare to hear plenty of hot takes about how he has been more “valuable” (aka, irreplaceable) to his club than any other player.

3) James Wood, Nationals (.270 average, 28 home runs, 69 RBIs)

A tip of the cap to the Nationals’ youngster, who has validated the substantial hype that has surrounded him since he (and Abrams) were the centerpiece prospects in the Juan Soto trade. The 23-year-old is second in the NL in OPS, third in home runs and third in WAR. 

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Worcester: W, 6-5 (BOX SCORE)

The WooSox now have 45 hits in their last three games. Although this game was close and the Jumbo Shrimp (Marlins AAA) were resilient, tagging every relief pitcher for runs in a bullpen game after Tyler Uberstine opened things up with a scoreless first, the WooSox simply just stayed one step ahead of them. Kristian Campbell continued his hot streak with his fourth home run of the season in the sixth amidst a raucous stage of the game where teams were trading runs for three consecutive innings, and the WooSox also enjoyed a three-hit night out of Mickey Gasper. And don’t count out Tyler McDonough batting out of the nine spot, as his bat continues to stay hot following his promotion. Friday, it was the patience at the plate that made a difference, as he waited out three walks and really extended those innings despite not actually crossing home plate.

Portland: W, 8-1 (BOX SCORE)

No Arias, no problem. Well, not exactly, as the Sea Dogs struggled to put a solid offense inning together against the RumblePonies (Mets AA) but Brooks Brannon, the home run machine, is still on the roster, and he essentially called game in the sixth with his 17th home run of 2026.

No one was getting past this impenetrable wall on the mound. Dalton Rogers, Jesse Wu-Yelland and Max Carlson were all extremely solid in their three innings a piece. Rogers walked six but allowed just one hit. Binghamton would have just one baserunner after the fourth and they’d fall to strikes fifteen times against this Portland pitching staff. I also want to be realistic: while it’s easy for many in the “trade everything who’s not bolted down or named Franklin Arias” camp to look at these performances and say “yay, more trade fuel to buy next week!” the reality is that these are guys who all had a great night against a demonstratively rough season and are unlikely to capture much value. I’d also warn folks that one or two “trade everything” phases put us in the position we’re arguably in now, where we look at these minor lines and lament about how our starters organization-wide are getting thrashed on a weekly basis and how no one outside of about five guys can hit. Unless these guys somehow reach a stage of their development where they truly shine in 2027 and then they’re ours anyway!

Greenville, Game 1: L, 4-10 (BOX SCORE)

Marcus Phillips and Griffin Killander did not have it against Spartanburg (Astros High-A) yesterday afternoon; the most graceful thing about Game 1 was that it was only 7 innings, as Greenville allowed ten runs and only got some relief from getting shelled by Enddy Azocar’s 9th home run and Stanley Tucker’s 2-RBI double. Aside from that, it was all Hub City.

Greenville, Game 2: W, 2-1 (BOX SCORE)

Night and day from game 1. Greenville was patient, drawing seven walks and though they stranded ten runners, some of those walks came back to bite Spartanburg with two separate Ronny Hernandez RBI knocks. Pitching wise, Greenville had nothing to worry about, as Devin Futrell had one of his better nights on the mound. He was one out from capturing a perfect game in the abbreviated contest and struck out nine. Steven Brooks came in when Futrell ran into a bit of trouble in the seventh and slammed the door. All in a day’s work.

Salem: W, 5-3 (BOX SCORE)

We have reached the first player I can recall seeing who was born in 2008. Fresh off the Gulf Coast league, Sadbiel Delzine made his first start in A-ball. At 18, his fastball is at 94 miles per hour and he has a four-pitch repertoire. This was Salem’s first look at him, and although he didn’t go far into the game and got taken yard, he struck six out and overall looked promisingm. Brady Tygart took this the rest of the way and struck five additional Green Jackets (Braves A) out. Catchers had their day on the farm Friday, and Adonys Guzman was no exception, as his fifth-inning shot turned a 3-2 game into a 5-2 game, shifted the tone, and made it possible for Tygart to shove through fifteen outs, as did Skylar King’s three knock night.

Good news: the Yankees acquired a future Cy Young Award winner as the Player To Be Named Later in a deal in 1984 that sent their 31-year-old veteran first baseman to the Chicago White Sox.

Bad news: the Yankees traded said Cy Young winner away long before he won the greatest accolade of his career.

Today’s birthday honoree, Doug Drabek, was drafted twice and then traded before ever making his MLB debut. His tenure in the Bronx was brief, but he went on to have a long and successful career and the Yankees almost brought him back when he hit free agency in the early 1990s. It all goes down as a miss for the Yanks.

Douglas Dean Drabek
Born: July 25, 1962 (Victoria, TX)
Yankees Tenure: 1986

A Texas native, Drabek attended St. Joseph High School in Victoria where he excelled as a multi-sport athlete, playing football and baseball. The right-handed hurler caught the eyes of major league scouts, and in the 1980 MLB Draft Cleveland drafted the teenager in the fourth round.

Drabek, however, opted to head to school and hone his craft there rather than toil in the minor leagues. So off he went to the University of Houston, where he was nothing short of spectacular. Drabek set a Cougars record with 27 wins in 268 career innings (including six shutouts). Twelve of those wins came in 1983, and one was a no-hitter. Drabek is a Southwest Conference Hall of Famer and a member of the Houston Athletics Hall of Honor; his No. 16 is now retired.

Three years after choosing the University of Houston over Cleveland, Drabek’s name was again called during the Amateur Draft. This time, the Chicago White Sox chose Drabek in the 11th round of the 1983 edition, and he signed.

Drabek reported to the Niagara Falls Sox of the New York-Pennsylvania League, the White Sox’s Low-A affiliate. The 20-year-old made 16 appearances for Niagara, primarily pitching out of the rotation, with sporadic relief appearances. The following season, he began at A-Ball but after only one start Chicago promoted him to Double-A, where he pitched for Glens Falls in the Eastern League. Before long, however, he found himself on the move again, this time to a new organization. On July 18th, the Yankees sent first baseman Roy Smalley to Chicago for two players to be named later. On August 14th, those two PTBNLs were made public: southpaw Kevin Hickey and Drabek were headed to the Bronx.

New York’s brass immediately assigned Drabek to Nashville, the club’s Double-A affiliate. Drabek pitched the remainder of the 1984 and ‘85 seasons at Double-A, though he was evidently promoted to the Triple-A Columbus Clippers for the International League playoffs.

Unfortunately, Drabek was on the losing end of the ‘85 International League Championship. The Tidewater Tides, the Triple-A affiliate of the crosstown rival Mets, beat Columbus three games to one. The fourth and final game was scoreless into the sixth inning until Drabek walked a batter, then surrendered hits to future major leaguers Dave Magadan and Kevin Mitchell, the latter of whom went on to win the 1989 NL MVP Award.

Heading into 1986, Drabek was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 5 Yankees prospect. New York skipper Lou Piniella signaled that Drabek would get a serious look in spring training to see if the young hurler, who’d excelled the past two seasons in the minors, could force his way into the big league rotation. Alas. Drabek was sent back to Triple-A to start the ‘86 campaign, where he struggled mightily.

Despite his struggles, New York called Drabek up to The Show, where he debuted on on May 3rd in Oakland. Entering the game in relief, Drabek hurled 4.1 frames of one-run ball in his initial taste of the big leagues. Two weeks later, he made his first start in Baltimore where he authored four shutout innings. All told, Drabek pitched well for the ‘86 Yanks, who went on to win 90 games, finishing 5.5 games back of eventual AL pennant winner Boston. Maybe he pitched too well.

That offseason, veteran pitcher Rick Rhoden expressed his desire to get out of Pittsburgh. Rhoden was coming off a career season in the Steel City and to get him, the Yankees evidently had to include Drabek in the trade package. The full damage: Drabek, Logan Easley, and Brian Fisher to the Steel City in exchange for Rhoden, Pat Clements, and Cecilio Guante. Rhoden pitched well for New York in ‘87, though he never came close to his lofty 1986 season. He pitched one more year in the Bronx before finishing his career in Houston in 1989.

Drabek, meanwhile, went directly into the Pirates’ rotation in 1987 and began an eight-year streak with an ERA+ above 100. The following year, he won 15 games and kicked off a six-year stretch of throwing at least 219 innings each season.

1990 was the height of Drabek’s career from a personal standpoint. The righty won 22 games en route to an eighth place finish in NL MVP voting and his first and only NL Cy Young Award. That year also started a three-year stretch of Drabek and the Pirates reaching the NLCS only to go down in defeat each time.

After the 1992 season when the Pirates bowed out to the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS, Drabek reached free agency. The Yankees, where he’d gotten his professional start, were among the interested suitors. But after making an offer to Drabek, along with David Cone and Jose Guzman, general manager Gene Michael pulled all the offers from consideration and started looking elsewhere for starting pitching.

“I tried to get answers quickly from the three,” Michael told the New York Times. “I didn’t want them to take a week and then shop it around to get other clubs to meet it or top it.”

Whether Drabek ever seriously considered the Yankees or not, the path back to the Bronx was gone. Ultimately, he ended up signing with the Houston Astros on a four-year deal. His first two seasons in Houston were up to par, though through some hard luck he led the Senior Circuit in losses in 1993 with 18. Drabek’s 1994 was more conventionally effective, as he went 12-6 with a 2.84 ERA and 140 ERA+, making the NL All-Star team and finishing fourth in Cy Young voting during the strike-shortened campaign.

But Drabek’s final two Houston campaigns were disasters. He departed in free agency and pitched two more seasons—1997 with the White Sox and 1998 with the Orioles—before retiring. Now 64 years old, Drabek is currently the pitching coach for the Reno Aces, Arizona’s Triple-A affiliate.

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