Category: Baseball

Ah, the 40-man roster. The place that players crave to be as it means making either a full year’s salary by remaining on that roster all season, or a significant prorated portion for each day that player is on the 40-man roster. There might be hesitance from minor leaguers in regards to that particular part of the organization depending on the time of year as it means more money during the season, but a chance to be drafted by another team in the Rule 5 draft in the offseason, therefore offering a clearer path to playing time in a different organization if they are not on that 40-man roster.

Yet at this time of year, the bottom of the 40-man roster sometimes gets thrust into the spotlight. Teams are starting to jockey for position for the playoffs and that means they can no longer wait for the weaker part of their rosters to start to produce. Injuries are taking their toll. Teams are in need of fresh arms, fresh legs, players that can help those margins get a little more positive to maybe scratch out an extra win or two. So, with the Phillies possibly in need of making a few changes to their roster construction, let’s look at the (theoretical) bottom of the 40-man roster to see how they are performing and whether or not they deserve to continue to hang on to that coveted spot.

Garrett Stubbs

Stubbs started a game on Wednesday for the first time since June 2. In his time with the team, he has hit to the tune of a .417 OPS. He has been paraded as someone that can handle positions other than catcher and has at least stood at first base, third base and left field (besides being the position player pitching), yet his continued presence on the roster is baffling.

What purpose does he actually serve?

Sure, now with Adolis Garcia missing the rest of the season, someone is going to have ensnare the role of locker room DJ, but as far as actual on-field production, Stubbs is rather useless. Rafael Marchan has done next to nothing at the plate or at behind it, so if Stubbs is that badly needed, keep him as the backup catcher and move on from Marchan. Put that 26th roster spot to some good use, like maybe a different outfielder into the mix. But continuing to use a roster spot on Stubbs just makes no sense any longer.

Steward Berroa

Berroa was swinging a decent bat in Lehigh Valley before being called up to the Phillies….and playing almost not at all.

The team in the last few years have had this annoying habit of carrying a position player in the 13th spot on the roster and barely playing him at all. Many other teams have been successful at using players up and down their own rosters to wade through the slog of the 162 game schedule, but the Phillies rarely use that final spot. Berroa was the latest one to do so, Stubbs previously mentioned possibly taking that mantle at this point. He’s useful depth for the team to store in Lehigh Valley to call upon in case of emergency, but when called upon, they ignored him.

If that is going to continue to be the case, then what purpose does he actually serve that the team couldn’t simply rotate different freely available players into that spot over the next few weeks? If Berroa or currently Derek Hill are going to occupy a spot, it’s for the best the team finds a role to use, or else find someone else that can fill that spot with better potential results. In the end, Berroa is a AAAA-type player at best, but what exactly have the Phillies to lose by seeing if someone can get hot a few games or weeks at a time?

Nolan Hoffman

These are the places where the Phillies can begin looking to play the game of player roulette. Hoffman has already been called up once to the majors to be an emergency fill in, then summarily sent back down within hours, yet his performance at the minor league level is worth discussing. He’s pitched good enough to the tune of striking 28.7% of batters he’s faced, not allowing a home run yet, walking a few too man batters and generally being an example of the term “fungible reliever”. Every bottom of a 40-man roster is populated with them and Hoffman is really no different. Were the team in need of making someone available to waivers in order to add to their major league team, Hoffman is as good a candidate as any.

Grant Holman

Which brings us to Grant Holman. So far, in the year of our Lord 2026, Holman has been a name that can be seen buried on transaction wires that only the sickos look at with any regularity. He has been:

• designated for assignment by the Athletics
• claimed off waivers by the Diamondbacks
• designated for assignment by the Diamondbacks
• claimed off waivers by the Dodgers
• claimed off waivers by the Tigers
• designated for assignment by the Tigers
• claimed off waivers by the Phillies

Many have ridden this rollercoaster, few have succeeded at sticking with a team. He’s only appeared in a handful of games for the IronPigs, but also has an ERA that starts with a 7. Maybe there is something in underlying stuff that belies that resul— oh wait, his FIP starts with a 7 as well?

Yeah, this is probably the guy that gets moved off the 40-man when a spot is needed.

Jean Cabrera

Perhaps no minor leaguer in the Phillies’ minor league organization has been as disappointing this season than Cabrera. Ranked in the top ten of the team’s list by more than one online group of prospect writers, Cabrera has had a horrid year almost all the way around. Virtually everything has gone wrong for him this year – lowered velocity, striking out fewer hitters, allowing more balls in play. His performance at Lehigh Valley was so bad (9.32 ERA) that it necessitated his going even further down the minor league ladder to Reading, where he has somehow accumulated an even worse ERA.

If push came to shove, with almost no trade value left, does the team cut bait with Cabrera and move on to someone else?

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Friday Junior has arrived, folks. The weekend is basically here, even if we still have to tiptoe through one more day.

I have a few MLB player props from today’s slate that should get things rolling early, and I am really liking spots for guys like Ben Rice and Bobby Witt Jr. this evening.

Best MLB player props today

Player	Pick	Odds
Kody Clemens	Over 1.5 total bases	+117
Ben Rice	Over 1.5 total bases	-112
Bobby Witt Jr.	Over 1.5 total bases	-149

Kody Clemens Over 1.5 total bases (+117)

Certain stats force me into making bets, and Texas Rangers starter Jack Leiter is serving up one of those spots. With Leiter allowing a 76% elevation rate to left-handed hitters over his last 30 batters faced, I have to find a lefty in a favorable matchup. That guy just so happens to be our good friend, Minnesota Twins outfielder Kody Clemens.

If you need a larger sample size, Leiter is still allowing more than a 70% elevation rate to lefties over his last 90 batters faced. During that stretch, he's also surrendered an 11.7% barrel rate, while left-handed hitters own a .300 xBA and .541 xSLG against him.

On the other side, Mr. Clemens has been an absolute rocket, get it? Over his last 30 plate appearances against right-handed pitching, he is batting .429 with a 1.107 SLG and 1.574 OPS, while producing 44% hard contact and a 20% barrel rate.

The Rocket's son also finds himself with an elite rating over at Batters-Box, where he owns the highest arsenal coverage among today's elite-rated hitters, matching up with 94.9% of Leiter's pitch mix.

If you want to lay roughly -105 on his hits + runs + RBI prop, I fully endorse it. Personally, the plus money is doing all the talking for me.

• Time: 2:35 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: RSN, MNNT

Ben Rice Over 1.5 total bases (-112)

Insert the same beginning sentence for this prop too, because New York Yankees young slugger Ben Rice is in a real nice spot against Chicago White Sox starter Sean Burke.

The right-hander has been getting dominated by left-handed hitters. Over the last 30 batters faced, they have produced a 68.8% elevation rate, along with 50% hard contact and a 12.5% barrel rate. Need a larger sample size? Over his last 60 batters faced, lefties are still elevating the baseball nearly 65% of the time while barreling it at a 9.7% clip.

Rice enters today's matchup with an elite rating and has cashed this prop in six of his last 10 elite-rated spots. He also owns a 72.9% arsenal coverage rating against Burke's entire pitch mix.

Not to mention, the young fella has been everything to this Yankees lineup lately, batting .292 with a .667 slugging percentage and a 1.100 OPS. During that stretch, he's generated 52.6% hard contact and a 10.5% barrel rate.

Do not be afraid to pay a little extra juice in this spot. I'd be comfortable taking it up to -120.

• Time: 7:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: YES, CHSN

Bobby Witt Jr. Over 1.5 total bases (-149)

It's always a blast backing one of the most consistent and exhilarating players in baseball, and today is a strong spot to ride Kansas City Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr. Over his total bases prop this evening. The star shortstop carries a strong rating in Batters-Box default grades and an elite mark in the current season dataset.

When graded strongly at home, Witt clears this line 66.67% of the time, while also leaving the yard 20.37% of the time and doubling at a 42.59% clip. Yes, that is also a green light to sprinkle on the extra bases props.

Witt has also been scorching over his last 30 at-bats against left handed pitching, posting a .333 average, .844 OPS, and .375 wOBA, along with 52% hard contact and a 12% barrel rate.

He draws St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Matthew Liberatore, who carries a poorly rated matchup profile in both strikeout and ground ball rates this season. Away from home against right-handed hitters, Liberatore is allowing a 67.6% elevation rate, while opposing righties are hitting .287 with a .476 slugging percentage and a .358 wOBA.

Over his last 30 right-handed hitters faced, he has also allowed a .419 xBA, .660 xSLG, and .372 xwOBA. If you're not in the juice-paying business, the home run or double prop is the cleaner value angle.

• Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ROYL, CARD

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Three separate starting pitchers struggled heavily in a disappointing day across the Dodgers’ minor league system, particularly in the higher levels.

Player of the day

While it wasn’t enough for the win, Zach Ehrhard did his part and then some, recording two home runs and four RBI in what has been an absurd month of June for the twenty-three-year-old.

Ehrhard is batting .345 with eight homers since the start of the month, securing nearly as many walks (12) as he has strikeouts (14), scoring 17 runs, and driving in 18.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

River Ryan dug too big a hole for the Comets to dig themselves out of as the right-hander allowed eight runs in 4.1 innings of work against the River Cats in a 9-6 loss. The deficit could’ve even been larger, but the River Cats left 13 on base against just five from the Comets, whose offense didn’t have a lot going on besides Zach Ehrhard.

The Comets’ leadoff hitter managed his third multi-homer game this month, going deep in both the third and seventh innings to reach 11 homers on the season. Unfortunately, the two hitters behind him, James Tibbs III and Jack Suwinski, didn’t reach base once, combining to strike out five times. The only other standout hitter for the Comets in the game was catcher Eliezer Alfonso, accumulating three hits, all of them doubles.

Double-A Tulsa

Ryan wasn’t the only Dodgers’ minor league starter who struggled on Wednesday, as Patrick Copen also didn’t give his team much of a fighting chance against the Naturals, letting in six of their seven runs in a 7-2 win against Tulsa.

With one of the Drillers’ runs coming on a wild pitch, allowing Mike Sirota to score, their only RBI came from the leadoff spot with Josue De Paula hitting a solo shot in the third. Speaking of Sirota, though, the offense’s issues didn’t go through him, who reached base four times.

High-A Great Lakes

Another game, another starter getting his doors blown off, as Zach Root allowed in 10 hits and seven runs, five of them earned, more than enough for the Captains to handsomely beat the Loons, whose 0 for 11 performance with runners in scoring position proved costly.

Take Charles Davalan, for example. The Loons’ number two hitter went three for four and yet didn’t score a run or drive in one, with the two hitters surrounding him going 0 for 8. All three of the Loons’ runs came from the bottom of the order in sacrifice flies or errors.

There was a second game scheduled between these two clubs, but the doubleheader was postponed for today, June 18th.

Single-A Ontario

At last, a win. Starter Cam Leiter tossed three scoreless innings, recording strikeouts in seven of his nine outs. Even with that, the bullpen didn’t make it easy in this eventual 8-5 affair with reliever Jholbran Herder coughing up a four-spot in the sixth.

Chase Harlan and Ching-Hsien Ko both homered in this one—Ko’s homer was of particular significance, breaking a long streak for a hitter whose last long ball had come nearly a month ago, on May 20th. First baseman Easton Shelton secured a couple of RBI behind those two, and in doing so, he reached 60 on the season.

Wednesday’s scores

• Oklahoma City 6, Sacramento 9
• NW Arkansas 7, Tulsa 2
• Great Lakes 3, Lake County 7
• Ontario 8, Rancho Cucamonga 5

Thursday’s schedule

• 10:05 a.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Christian Romero) vs. Sacramento (John Michael Bertrand)
• 2:35 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Christian Zazueta) at Lake County (Braylon Doughty)
• Game 2: Great Lakes (TBD) at Lake County (TBD)
• 5:05 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Peter Heubeck) at NW Arkansas (Steven Zobac)
• 6:35 p.m. PT: Ontario (Dylan Jordan) vs. Rancho Cucamonga (TBA)

Entering the season, I would guess that Paul Toboni fully anticipated being sellers at the trade deadline. However, year one under this new regime has exceeded all expectations. The Nats are currently 39-36 and tied for the third wild card spot. This could create a conundrum for the Nats new President of Baseball Operations at the August 3rd trade deadline.

Yesterday, Jeff Passan released an article ranking trade candidates and also listed some potential suitors. There were 100 names on the list, but he only gave a suitor list for the first 25. The Nats were listed as a potential fit for Joe Ryan, Reid Detmers, Jose Soriano, Luis Arraez and Matt Chapman. With that news out there, this could turn out to be a very entertaining deadline.

The last time the Nats were buyers was all the way back in 2019, when Mike Rizzo patched up a leaky bullpen. Since then, the Nats have still been very active at trade deadlines, but they have been selling pieces off instead of buying.

We still have a long way to go before August 3rd, but the fact the Nats are listed as potential buyers is exciting. Unsurprisingly, almost all of the names listed as fits for the Nats have team control beyond 2026. The only rental listed is Luis Arraez, who seems like an unlikely target to me.

In my opinion, the cleanest fits for the Nats are either of the two Angels pitchers. Reid Detmers and Jose Soriano would both slide into the top of the Nats rotation alongside Cade Cavalli. Both have premium stuff and are under control for two years after this one. If the Nats want to maximize CJ Abrams, who is on the same timeline, these would be fun fits.

For most of the season, it seemed like Soriano would be the bigger fish. However, despite having a sub-3 ERA, he has really cooled off lately. Soriano has an ERA close to 5 since allowing only 1 run in his first 37.2 innings. Despite the hot and cold results, Soriano has nasty stuff and is going fairly deep into games. His fastball averages 97, and his splitter and curve are nasty. Soriano just needs to clean up his control.

A package with Ronny Cruz, Luke Dickerson, Alex Clemmey and maybe one more smaller piece may be enough. In my opinion, Detmers is likely to cost even more despite having a higher ERA and less velocity. The lefty has a 3.68 ERA, but that is dropping fast and his FIP is under 3. With Detmers, you don’t need to change much about his arsenal or control, you can just plug him in.

For a while, I was a Detmers guy because it seemed like you would be buying low. However, you are certainly not going to be buying low at this point. The Angels will and honestly should be asking for a similar value to what the Nats got back for MacKenzie Gore, maybe a little bit more.

I actually think Soriano is the smarter play of the two. He is likely to cost slightly less and needs to make a couple tweaks. However, his upside is even higher than Detmers, and he would be a fun project for Simon Mathews. Passan even noted that Soriano could be a fun target for teams with savvy development teams.

One final name that intrigues me is Matt Chapman. He is a different sort of target. Chapman is 33 years old and is under contract until 2030. However, acquiring the veteran could be a 3D chess move for Paul Toboni. As we all know, there is a looming CBA battle. There seems like a good chance that some sort of salary floor will be put into place.

Acquiring Chapman and the final 4.5 years of his 6-year $151 million deal would be a good way of getting ahead of that. Chapman still has gas in the tank, with 1.5 fWAR and 2.9 bWAR. Taking on a big chunk of that contract would be a good way to get closer to a potential floor and acquire a good player for not a lot of prospect capital. The Giants seem desperate to clear salary and build around Bryce Eldridge. Meanwhile, the Nats could get a veteran presence and an elite third baseman who still has a lot in the tank.

Another avenue the Nats could explore is to look for bullpen help. As we all know, this Nats bullpen is not very talented. Beyond Brad Lord and Orlando Ribalta, there are a bunch of question marks. One name I like that is actually 36th on Passan’s list is Daniel Lynch IV of the Royals.

While Lynch allowed a 3 run homer to Curtis Mead the other day, he is having a wonderful season. His ERA is 2.61, while his FIP and xERA are in the low 3’s. Lynch is a lefty with swing and miss stuff, which the Nats desperately need. He also has 2.5 years of control left. It would take a solid prospect haul, but the Nats would not have to send out any truly high end prospects either.

However, it is far from a guarantee that the Nats buy. In fact, a soft sell, or some combination of buying and selling feels most likely at this point. Rentals like Foster Griffin, Miles Mikolas and Zack Littell could still be on the block, especially if the Nats fall back in the standings.

There is also the looming question of CJ Abrams, who is 5th on Passan’s big board. However, Passan only gives an Abrams trade a 15% chance of happening right now. Teams would love to have Abrams, but Toboni’s asking price was high in the offseason and is likely even higher with the start Abrams and the team are having.

Abrams also has some warts in his profile that may prevent teams from meeting the sky high asking price. Between his rough defense, his streaky hitting and Toboni’s monster ask, it feels like teams will be scared off. Honestly, they should be scared off because the Nats should hold on to Abrams unless a team gives them an offer they can’t turn down.

The 25 year old has been in the middle of the Nats league leading offense, and why should Toboni break up a good thing. With this team ahead of schedule, they should be looking to compete in 2027 and 2028, rather than keep rebuilding. Toboni may have had plans to trade Abrams at this deadline, but it feels like times have changed.

If the Nats go on some big losing streak in July, we can revisit this, but for now CJ Abrams is a National for the rest of the year. Foster Griffin is a more likely candidate to move, but his future also depends on how the Nats do in these next six weeks. If the Nats remain in a playoff spot, it would be tough to sell off pieces.

This is shaping up to be the most fun Nationals deadline in a long time. Instead of looking at the prospect rankings, I am looking at other teams rosters to find potential targets. Of course, the situation is fluid, but buckle up folks because the next six weeks should be a doozy.

Worcester: W, 7-4 (F/10) (BOX SCORE)

In a bullpen game, the WooSox ended up fending off the IronPigs in extra innings. (Phillies AAA) Just as Nathan Hickey (who homered) and Vinny Capra (who drove in the game’s opening run) helped put some early runs on the board, they helped put plenty of padding on during a tenth inning offensive outburst with a knock apiece. It’s also notable that Kristian Campbell contributed in his own way by drawing three walks. This hefty lead allowed Kyle Keller to come in for a second inning and struck out two to slam the door and increase his total to four.

Portland: L, 4-5 (F/10) (BOX SCORE)

In a Patrick Sandoval rehab apperance in which a homer was his only hit allowed, the Sea Dogs were not as lucky, or rather, skillful at generating offense, in the tenth inning as Worcester was. The Patriots (Yankees AA) scored a run in the tenth off of Cooper Adams and the Sea Dogs couldn’t answer. In fact, the inning was a continuation of a pretty poor night where they struck out 14 times and had just 4 hits… even if one came from a budding Stanley Tucker. Romy Gonzalez would reach on an error and end up scoring. The Sea Dogs giving up walks, eight on the night, to be exact, was also a factor in the loss.

I’m going to be honest: I don’t have much hope for Patrick Sandoval. It was a bad contract with limited upside from the jump. Even if you’re among the last stragglers of belief in the 2026 Red Sox season (I’m not), this is not the place for Sandoval to make a resurgence. It’s great he’s pitching again and that he is about to come back from injury after such a long road. But he likely won’t make an impact on this ball club.

Greenville: L, 2-11 (BOX SCORE)

Greenville has now been outscored 24-6 in three games. Dylan Brown just allowed too many runs while striking out seven BlueClaws (Phillies High-A). The Blue Claws had 16 hits on the night and simply overpowered the Drive, and nothing of substance was happening with just five hits and stranding ten runners.

Salem: L, 0-3 (BOX SCORE)

The RidgeYaks are now losers of ten straight with this shutout loss to the Nationals. Leighton Finley again pitched well in his five-inning start, not letting his four walks or one hit score and striking six out. Salem only struck out four on the night, but also had to fight for hits. And when it was time to score, the offense couldn’t be found; they put their best Red Sox costume on and went hitless in eight attempts with runners in scoring position.

Have a great day!

The Cincinnati Reds are 73 games into their 162 game trek through the 2026 Major League Baseball season. They’re inching closer to being half-done with this latest experiment, and that’s a sample size large enough to begin to make some objective observations.

Some of them stick out like a sore thumb, particularly on the offensive side of things. Two areas in particular, two facets of the game wholly distinct, seem to be defining just who this team is – and, more importantly, why they find themselves sitting at just 35-38 and in last place in the National League Central division.

We’ll start with the positive.

The Reds have stepped to the plate 1540 times, respectively, with nary a runner on base so far this season. In that time, they’ve posted a collective wOBA ove .325, and only four clubs in the sport can boast a better mark. They’re on the heels of both the Chicago Cubs (.326) and the Las Sacoakvegas Athletics (.327), and when I checked this mark prior to yesterday’s series finale against the New York Mets they actually held the #3 mark on this particular leaderboard. In other words, in scenarios in which the bases are empty, only two teams (the Dodgers and Pirates) have been better offensively than the Cincinnati Reds.

The Cincinnati Reds!

Then, there are the scenarios in which the Cincinnati Reds step to the plate with runners on-base.

With runners on, there’s not a team in the sport who owns a lower wRC+ (82) than the Reds. Their .298 wOBA ranks 29th ahead of only the Kansas City Royals (.297), and again, when I checked this mark prior to yesterday’s loss to the Mets the Reds held sole possession of dead last outright. The basement here has been Cincinnati’s pretty much all season long, their .259 BABIP with runners on similarly last by a good margin (with Philadelphia’s .270 mark next-worst).

It isn’t as if the Reds become completely different hitters in these situations, either. With the bases empty, for instance, they own a 39.2% groundball rate, a 41.0% fly ball rate, and pull the ball 38.6% of the time. In these positions, they also own a reasonable .287 BABIP. With runners on, they own a 40.0% grounder rate, 41.1% fly ball rate, and pull the ball 38.1% of the time – again, this time with just a .259 BABIP.

Those are two profiles that sure seem similar enough to maybe, just maybe, suggest it’s merely some bad luck that’s in play for the Reds with runners on base. At least, that’s got to be the hope for them right now, seeing as their lack of timely hitting has cost them over and over again already during this season’s first half. And given how beat up and broken their bullpen is, it’s impossible to ignore that they’ll be tasked with playing in games with razor-thin margins for the rest of the 2026 season, scenarios that will inevitably beg them to get big hits with runners on if they’re going to win more games than they lose.

To date, though, they’ve been just about as opposite of one another as they can be in these very defined situations. Hopefully, the regression to the mean between the two is of the positive variety.

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The Los Angeles Angels have been dreadful on the road this season, posting a 13-25 record to date.

With the Athletics only priced at -135 on the moneyline, my Angels vs. A's prediction and MLB picks see value in backing Los Angeles' road woes to continue.

Who will win Angels vs A's today: Athletics (-135)

Jose Soriano has recorded a 3.62 ERA over the last 30 days despite a 4.68 SIERA and 5.15 FIP. That’s a strong indicator that regression is coming.

The Athletics are certainly capable of forcing the issue. They rank Top-5 in wOBA, OPS, and hard-hit rate against right-handed pitching at home. They also sit seventh in walk rate, which could highlight Soriano’s control issues.

Gage Jump has allowed a 3% barrel rate and 29% hard-hit rate. He should be able to limit power, putting the Athletics in a good spot to win. Back the Athletics to -145.

COVERS INTEL:Jose Soriano's FIP is 1.78 runs higher than his ERA on the road this season, the third-highest differential among today's starters. 

Angels vs A's Over/Under pick: Over 10.5 (-105)

This one has real potential for fireworks. Soriano has posted a 5.56 ERA over four starts against teams ranking in the Top 10 in both OPS and OBP vs. right-handed pitching.

The Athletics are Top-7 in both categories, and the wind is blowing out in a ballpark that is already conducive to scoring runs.

The Los Angeles Angels have hit .275 against righties in June while leading the majors in doubles. They are capable of chipping in a few runs as well.

I’m expecting plenty of offense in this game, and would play Over 10.5 to -110.

Angels vs A's weather

Temperatures in the mid-70s are expected throughout this game with winds of 10 miles per hour blowing out. The bats should see a boost.

Angels vs A's odds

• Moneyline: Angels +115 | A's -135
• Run line: Angels +1.5 (-160) | A's -1.5 (+140)
• Over/Under: Over 10.5 (-105) | Under 10.5 (-115)

Angels vs A's trend

The Athletics have cashed the Over in 26 of their last 45 home games for +7.2 units and a 15% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Angels vs. A's.

How to watch Angels vs A's and game info

Angels vs A's latest injuries

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch expressed significant concern with an eye injury suffered by utilityman Wenceel Perez in a training room accident.

Perez was doing an exercise with a training band slung from a hook in the training room, and the band "snapped off the hook and hit him just below the left eye," Hinch told reporters Wednesday, June 17 in Houston. The accident occurred Tuesday.

"We have a battery of tests to check out his face, his eye. We're pretty concerned about it."

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 (31-38) won 21-8 (BOX SCORE)

Sugar Land got on the board in the first inning scoring 3 runs on an Alexander RBI double and Price 2 run home run. Gordon got the start and went 5.1 innings allowing 4 runs, 3 earned. Price added another 2 run homer in the 3rd. In the 4th the offense scored 5 runs on a Ferreras RBI double, Brooks RBI double, Biggio 2 run home run and Alexander solo home run. They scored 3 more runs in the 5th on a Ferreras RBI double, Brooks RBI single and Sacco groundout. In the 6th, Sugar Land got solo home runs from Dezenzo and Cole to extend the lead. The offense continued to add on with a Ferreras sac fly and Sacco 2 run triple in the 8th. In the 9th they scored 3 runs on a Cole groundout, Ferreras RBI single and Cole Sacco single. The pen allowed a few runs but the offense did more than enough for the 21-8 win.

Note: Ferreras is hitting .465 in Triple-A.

• Cavan Biggio, 2B: 3-for-5, 2 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, BB
• CJ Alexander, DH: 4-for-6, 4 R, 2 2B, 3B, HR, 2 RBI
• Collin Price, C: 4-for-6, 4 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI
• Zach Dezenzo, RF: 3-for-6, 3 R, HR, RBI
• Zach Cole, CF: 3-for-5, 4 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB
• Pascanel Ferreras, SS: 3-for-5, 3 R, 2 2B, 4 RBI
• Trenton Brooks, 1B: 2-for-5, R, 2B, 2 RBI, BB
• Tommy Sacco, 3B: 2-for-6, 3B, 4 RBI

• Colton Gordon, LHP: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (WIN)
• J.P. France, RHP: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• Roddery Munoz, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Jose Fleury, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (30-35)

Game One – lost 4-3 (BOX SCORE)

Nezuh started game one of the doubleheader and went 4 innings allowing 3 runs, which all came in the first inning. He struck out 8 batters. The Hooks tied it in the second inning scoring 3 runs on a wild pitch, a Whitaker groundout and Guillemette sac fly. Santos tossed 2 scoreless and Rodriguez allowed a run in the 7th as the Missions took the lead. The offense was unable to respond as the Hooks dropped game one 4-3.

Note: Brutcher is hitting .362 in Double-A.

• Lucas Spence, CF: 1-for-3, 2B
• Drew Brutcher, LF: 1-for-3, R
• Tyler Whitaker, RF: o-for-3, RBI
• Garret Guillemette, 1B: 0-for-1, RBI

• Jackson Nezuh, RHP: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 8 K
• Alex Santos, RHP: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• Julio Rodriguez, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K

Game Two – won 7-4 (BOX SCORE)

Mayer started game two for the Hooks and ran into trouble early but ended up allowing 3 runs, all in the 2nd, over 4.2 innings while striking out 6. The Hooks responded with 2 runs in the 2nd inning on a Whitaker sac fly and a run on a wild pitch. They scored 2 more in the 4th on a Spence 2 run double. In the 5th, the Hooks extended their lead 2 runs on an error and a run on a wild pitch. The Missions scored one more run but the Hooks held on for the 7-4 win.

Note: Sullivan is hitting .348 in June.

• Lucas Spence, DH: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI
• Drew Brutcher, 1B: 1-for-2, R, BB
• Joseph Sullivan, CF: 1-for-2, 2 R, BB, SB
• Max Holy, SS: 1-for-2, R, BB, SB
• Jax Biggers, 2B: 1-for-2, 2 R, RBI, BB, SB
• Tyler Whitaker, LF: 0-for-1, R, RBI, BB

• Bryce Mayer, RHP: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB 6 K
• Amilcar Chirinos, RHP: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K (WIN)
• Nic Swanson, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (SAVE

A+: Asheville Tourists (17-47) lost 13-8 (BOX SCORE)

Santos started for Asheville but really struggled allowing 9 runs over just 1.2 innings. Bowling Green got 2 more runs in the 4th to make it 11-0. Asheville got on the board in the bottom of the 4th on an Ochoa 2 run home run. Asheville would rally for 5 runs in the 7th inning on a Powell RBI single, Ochoa groundout, Nunez RBI double, Hernandez RBI double and Moss RBI single. The pen allowed a couple more runs as Bowling Green extended the lead. Asheville would get one more in the 9th on a Nunez solo home run but that was it as Asheville fell 13-8.

Note: Thomas has a .957 OPS this season.

• Kyle Walker, SS: 2-for-5, R, 2B, BB, SB
• Justin Thomas, LF: 2-for-4, R, 2B, BB, SB
• Caden Powell, CF: 2-for-5, 2 R, RBI
• Nehomar Ochoa, DH: 1-for-5, R, HR, 3 RBI
• Alejandro Nunez, 3B: 2-for-5, 2 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI
• Jack Moss, 1B: 4-for-5, 2 2B, RBI

• Yeriel Santos, RHP: 1.2 IP, 5 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 5 BB, 4 K
• Raimy Rodriguez, RHP: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
• Conor Steinbaugh, RHP: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
• Michael Cuevas, RHP: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• Francisco Frias, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (31-33) lost 8-1 (BOX SCORE)

Potter started for the Woodpeckers and pitched really well striking out 4 over 5 scoreless innings. He was relieved by Varela but he struggled walking 4 and allowing 4 runs while retiring just 2 batters. The Woodpeckers got on the board in the bottom of the 6th inning scoring a run on a wild pitch. The pen continued to struggle allowing another 4 runs and the offense was unable to get anything going as they fell 8-1.

Note: Potter has a 1.89 ERA this season.

• Anthony Huezo, CF: 0-for-2, R, BB
• Xavier Neyens, 3B: 0-for-2, 2 BB
• Waner Luciano, RF: 1-for-4
• Arturo Flores, 1B: 1-for-4
• Camilo Diaz, 2B: 1-for-4, R

• Nick Potter, RHP: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
• Jose Varela, RHP: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 1 K
• Ryan Verdugo, RHP: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 5 K
• Leomar Rosario, RHP: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: Ethan Pecko – 1:05 CT

CC: James Hicks – 6:35 CT

AV: Kellan Oakes – 5:35 CT

FV: TBD – 5:35 CT

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (35-36)

NORFOLK 6, SYRACUSE 5 (BOX)

Syracuse and Norfolk traded leads early and often. The Mets got out to a 1-0 lead on a Cristian Pache steal and throwing error, but surrendered two runs in the second to go down 2-1. Ji Hwan Bae tied it with a sacrifice fly in the third, and Norfolk took the lead back with two in the fourth. Bae and Pache tied it up with RBI singles in the fifth, and Yonny Hernandez gave the Mets the lead back with a bases loaded walk. Norfolk answered again, for the final time, in the eighth, as Jud Fabian hit a two run home run to give them a 6-5 lead.

• LF Ji Hwan Bae: 1-4, R, 2 RBI, K, SB (24)
• CF Nick Morabito: 1-3, 2 R, 2B, 2 BB, 2 K, SB (20)
• 1B Ryan Clifford: 0-3, 2 BB, 2 K
• RF Cristian Pache: 2-4, RBI, BB, 2 SB (10, 11)
• 3B Yonny Hernández: 0-4, RBI, BB, 3 K
• SS Grae Kessinger: 0-4, K
• C Ben Rortvedt: 0-3, K, E (3)
• PH-C Hayden Senger: 0-1, K
• DH Kevin Parada: 0-2, 2 BB, 2 K, SB (1)
• 2B Jackson Cluff: 1-2, 2 R, 3B, 2 BB, K, 2 SB (13, 14)
• RHP Jack Wenninger: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
• RHP Joey Gerber: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
• RHP Dylan Ross: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, H (2)
• RHP Ben Simon: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, L (1-2), BS (1)

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (24-41)

NEW HAMPSHIRE 5, BINGHAMTON 4 (BOX)

Bimghamton had leads of 1-0 (on a Vincent Perozo solo home run), and 3-1 (on a Nick Lorusso two run double), but they could not hold it through the middle innings. The Fisher Cats scored one in the fourth and three in the fifth, giving them a 5-3 lead that would hold. JT Schwartz added an RBI single in the fifth, but the offense dried up after that.

• 3B Jacob Reimer: 1-3, K
• PR-2B Jaylen Palmer: 0-2, R, K, E (1)
• RF Matt Rudick: 1-5, R, 2B
• CF Jose Ramos: 3-4, R, K
• DH Nick Lorusso: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI
• 1B JT Schwartz: 1-4, RBI, K
• C Vincent Perozo: 1-4, R, HR (6), RBI
• SS Wyatt Young: 1-3, BB, 3 SB (8, 9 , 10)
• 2B Diego Mosquera: 0-2
• 2B-3B Kevin Villavicencio: 0-2, K, E (2)
• LF Nick Lucky: 0-4, 2 K
• RHP Bryce Conley: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, L (1-2)
• RHP Zach Peek: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
• RHP Saul Garcia: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• RHP Brian Metoyer: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HBP

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (25-39)

WILMINGTON 6, BROOKLYN 0 (BOX)

Well, Brooklyn surrendered three runs in the bottom of the first and that was (mostly) that. They sprinkled five hits across the game (two of which were by Mitch Voit, which is nice to see him continue to rebound after his rough start to 2026), went 0-7 with runners in scoring position, and left eleven on base. Simply put, you are not winning with that little offense.

• SS Mitch Voit: 2-5, 2B, K
• C Ronald Hernandez: 0-4, BB, K
• 1B Corey Collins: 0-3, BB, 3 K
• DH Daiverson Gutierrez: 1-3, 2B, BB
• 2B Yonatan Henriquez: 1-4, SB (9), E (5)
• CF John Bay: 0-3, BB, 2 K
• 3B Colin Houck: 0-4, 3 K
• LF Trace Willhoite: 1-4, 2 K
• RF Sam Biller: 0-2, BB, K
• LHP Nicolas Carreno: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 2 HBP, L (0-1)
• RHP Ryan Dollar: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 WP
• RHP Juan Arnaud: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• RHP Cristofer Gomez: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets (32-33)

ST. LUCIE 8, DAYTONA 2 (BOX)

St. Lucie scored two in the third and never looked back. Julio Zayas and Branny De Oleo drove in both runs in that frame, on a single and double respectively. Trey Snyder added one in the third with a double of his own, making it 3-0. Daytona got one back in the next inning, but a five run sixth put the game away for the Mets. They homered three times in the inning, with Francisco Toledo, Antonio Jimenez and Yohairo Cuevas doing the damage.

• SS Elian Peña: 3-5, 2 R, 2B
• DH Trey Snyder: 1-5, 2B, RBI, K
• 3B Antonio Jimenez: 1-4, R, HR (2), 3 RBI, BB, 2 K
• RF Yohairo Cuevas: 1-2, 2 R, HR (2), RBI, 2 BB
• 1B Julio Zayas: 1-3, RBI, BB, K
• CF Branny De Oleo: 1-4, 2B, RBI, 2 K
• C Francisco Toledo: 1-4, R, HR (3), RBI
• LF Simon Juan: 1-4, R, K
• 2B Jeremy Rodriguez: 0-3, R, BB, K
• RHP Emilio Obispo: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 1 WP, W (3-1)
• RHP Miguel Mejias: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, H (3)
• RHP Franyel Diaz: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 2 K, 1 WP
• RHP Tyler McLoughlin: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

Rookie: FCL Mets (12-18)

FCL METS 9, FCL CARDINALS 3 (BOX)

• RF Wyatt Vincent: 1-4, R, K
• CF Bohan Adderley: 2-3, 3 R, BB, 2 SB (20, 21)
• C Yovanny Rodriguez: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI
• 3B Roybert Herrera: 2-4, 2 R, RBI, K, SB (1)
• SS Anthony Frobose: 2-4, R, HR (3), 5 RBI
• DH Vladi Gomez: 1-3, RBI, BB, SB (18)
• 2B Diover De Aza: 1-3, 3B, 2 K
• LF Heriberto Rincon: 1-3, K
• 1B Yeider Mindiola: 0-2, BB, K, E (5)
• RHP Calvin Ziegler: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• RHP Jose Lopez: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
• LHP Luis Sotillo: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
• RHP Omar Victorino: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

STAR OF THE NIGHT

Anthony Frobose

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

Nicolas Carreno

I’m not breaking news by telling you that Jacob Misiorowski is having a good season. He has made 14 starts (a little less than half of a full season), and here are his numbers, with bolds indicating he leads the NL and bold plus italic indicating he leads the majors:

• 8-2, 1.34 ERA, 307 ERA+, 1.68 FIP, 0.736 WHIP, 4.3 H/9, 0.4 HR/9, 131 K, 13.6 K/9, 5.95 K/BB

I want to look a bit deeper into those numbers, and contextualize them within the long history of baseball.

ERA and ERA+

18 qualified starters (meaning they threw at least one inning per team game) have finished a season with an ERA better than 1.34 in AL/NL history. 16 of those happened in the era we know as “Deadball,” between 1900 and 1919. Of the remaining two, one was in 1880 and shouldn’t count: Tim Keefe of the Troy Trojans technically qualified for the ERA title with just 105 innings pitched, in which he had a 0.86 ERA… but Keefe’s teammate, Mickey Welch, threw 574 innings that season, so you understand why I don’t think 105 innings should count as “qualifying.” Both Keefe and Welch are in the Hall of Fame, by the way.

The one pitcher remaining is, as you know if you’re at all a baseball history buff, Bob Gibson in 1968, when he had a 1.12 ERA.

Of course, Gibson’s 1.12 ERA in 1968 was not the same as a 1.12 (or 1.34) ERA in 2026. Let’s take the same parameters—qualified AL/NL pitchers—and sort by ERA+, which includes adjustments for league-wide offense of the era and the ballpark. When we do that, most of the Deadball guys drop out—the top 19, instead of including 16 Deadballers, includes only four.

Gibson is still on the list, at number 10. Keefe is there too, but we discussed him. Guess who jumps to number one in this set? Yes, that would be Misiorowski in 2026. His 307 ERA+ would be the best by any qualified starting pitcher… ever.

The season that should be considered the all-time record for ERA+ by a starter is one that many of you witnessed: Pedro Martínez in 2000. Martínez had a 1.74 ERA in 2000, which ranks “just” 104^th all time. But since offense was so jacked up during the Steroid Era, Martínez comes in with a 291 ERA+, the highest single-season mark ever for a qualified pitcher who threw more than 105 innings.

Also near the top is another incredible Steroid-Era accomplishment. Greg Maddux doesn’t just hold the number seven spot on this list, but he holds the number eight spot, too—in back-to-back years. Maddux had a 271 ERA+ in 202 innings in 1994 and a 260 ERA+ in 209 innings in 1995.

Misiorowski, right now, has a better ERA+ than all of them.

FIP and FIP-

Misiorowski’s 1.68 FIP would rank 15^th all time, but again let’s get rid of those pesky Deadball pitchers. Do that, and only two pitchers rank ahead of where Misiorowski is right now: Martínez, again, but this time in 1999, and one you’ll enjoy: Corbin Burnes, with a 1.63 FIP in his Cy Young campaign in 2021.

FIP- is FanGraphs’ answer to ERA+ but for FIP and in reverse (lower is better). I’m going to filter out the 1800s because things are weird there, so the record for FIP- after 1900 belongs to Martínez in 1999 at 30. Next is Burnes in 2021 at 38. Third would be Misiorowski, whose FIP- this season is 40.

WHIP, H/9, and HR/9

Misiorowski’s 0.736 WHIP would be the best ever for a qualified starter, a fraction ahead of Martínez in 2000 (0.737). The next-lowest in a post-Deadball, non-2020 season is Justin Verlander at 0.803 in 2019.

Likewise, Misiorowski’s 4.3 hits allowed per nine innings would be a record by far. The lowest total in a non-2020 season is Nolan Ryan’s mark of 5.3 in 1972, which is percentage points ahead of Luis Tiant in 1968, Martínez in 2000, Ed Reulbach in 1906, and… Ryan in 1991. (That Ryan has two of the top five, 19 years apart, is wild.)

For homers allowed per nine, it is important to note that we live in a high-home-run era, so this isn’t approaching any history. But to give a little more context, Misiorowski’s mark of 0.4/9 would be beaten only by Burnes in 2021 and Sonny Gray in 2023 among seasons since 2020.

Strikeouts

Misiorowski probably isn’t going to threaten any strikeout records—Ryan can feel safe that his 383 strikeouts in 1973 will continue to stand as the post-1900 record. (A quick shout to Old Hoss Radbourn and his 441 strikeouts in 1884, the AL/NL record. Of course, he did that in 678 2/3 innings, so his 5.8 K/9 that season are slightly worse than what Jose Quintana had as a Brewer in 2025.)

However, Misiorowski has an outside chance at becoming the first pitcher since Gerrit Cole in 2019 to strike out 300 batters, something that’s happened only nine times this century (Verlander in 2019, Max Scherzer in 2018, Clayton Kershaw in 2015, Chris Sale in 2017, Curt Schilling in 2002, Cole in 2019, and Randy Johnson each year from 2000-02).

But those guys all threw way more innings than Misiorowski will throw this year. Cole’s 212 1/3 innings pitched in ’19 are the least ever for a player who struck out 300 batters. If we sort by strikeouts per nine, Cole jumps to the top (again ignoring 2020) at 13.8 per nine innings, a remarkable number. After Cole, it’s another pitcher this season, Dylan Cease, who is tied with (technically slightly ahead of) Misiorowski at 13.6. Only three other qualified starters have ever finished a season with 13 or more strikeouts per nine: Martínez in 1999, Johnson in 2001, and Spencer Strider in 2023.

Since Misiorowski is merely “good” rather than “historic” at preventing walks, his 5.95 strikeout-to-walk ratio will have to live with being merely excellent; that would rank 80^th all time among qualified starters.

But those are whole seasons. What about 14-game spans?

It would be fair to point out that Misiorowski is unlikely to keep this pace all season. So how good, really, are these 14 games, if they’re only 14 games?

There are 42 instances in baseball history of a player striking out 131 batters with an ERA of 1.34 or lower over 14 starts, but many of those are tied up in the same streak; for example, when sorted by strikeouts, eight of the top nine on this list of 42 14-game stretches are all between August 3^rd, 1999 and May 17^th, 2000 by Martínez, all within the same span.

There are essentially 11 different pitching runs that can match up with Misiorowski’s:

• Jacob deGrom in 19 starts from 9/16/2020 to 8/8/2022 (this wraps around a season-ending injury in 2021)
• Martínez in 23 starts from 8/3/99 to 6/8/2000
• Martínez again, partially overlapping the other: 14 starts from 4/30/2000 to 7/28/2000
• Kershaw in 19 starts from 6/6/2015 to 9/19/2015
• Kershaw again in 14 starts from 6/18/2014 to 9/2/2014
• J.R. Richard in 20 starts from 7/25/1979 to 4/30/1980
• Dwight Gooden in 16 starts from 8/11/1984 to 5/10/1985 (the end of his rookie season into his sophomore season)
• Ryan in 15 starts from 8/18/1972 to 4/18/1973
• Bob Gibson in two overlapping 14-game stretches from 7/21/1968 to 9/22/1968 and 8/9/1968 to 4/19/69
• Finally, Rube Waddell in 14 starts from 7/9/1904 to 8/29/1904

A lot of these occur over more than one season, which could allow pitchers to benefit from pitching to batters from non-contending teams who’ve checked out down the stretch.

With that in mind, I want to talk about the season that reminds me most of Misiorowski’s 2026 season thus far, and it is the year in which I have been in the most awe during my fandom: deGrom’s 2021 season.

deGrom didn’t finish 2021 healthy, and I’m going to knock on all the wood right now to ensure that part of his 2021 season does not align with Misiorowski’s 2026. When 2021 started, deGrom was considered the most dominant pitcher in the majors; over the previous two seasons, he’d collected 58 of 60 first-place NL Cy Young votes, and his 2018 season in particular was one of the best of this century. He was third in Cy Young voting in the shortened 2020 season, but he struck out 13.8 batters per nine innings that year, which matches Cole’s record for strikeouts per nine in a full season.

But in 2021, deGrom hit a different level. In 15 starts and 92 innings, he had a 1.08 ERA, which translated to an unbelievable 373 ERA+. He struck out 146 batters, or 14.3 per nine innings. Almost more remarkably, he walked only 11 batters. His 13.27 K/BB wouldn’t just be a record—it would blow away the previous record. Under modern walk rules, no starting pitcher has finished with more than 11.63 K/BB in a season.* Heck, only seven relievers have ever finished a season with a K/BB ratio that high.**

*This is a great trivia question: the record holder for K/BB by a starter is…Phil Hughes, pitching for the Twins in 2014.
**One other all-timer actually bettered deGrom’s 13.27 K/BB in another injury-shortened season: Kershaw, in 149 innings in 2016, had 172 strikeouts to 11 walks.

deGrom had a 1.08 ERA, 1.24 FIP, 0.554 WHIP, and a microscopic 3.9 hits allowed per nine innings in those 15 games in 2021. I’d never seen anything like it. He was essentially pitching like the league’s best high-leverage reliever, except he was a starting pitcher. Unfortunately, that took a physical toll, and he managed only 20 starts over the next three years.

I don’t mean to be speculating on Misiorowski’s future health at all, so don’t read into that. The point is, deGrom’s 15-start 2021 season is the closest comparison that I can come up with for what Misiorowski has done in these 14 games, and when deGrom was pitching in 2021, I thought I was watching the most dominant starting pitcher in the history of the game.

What does it all mean?

We have no idea what the future holds for Misiorowski. Maybe he’ll pitch 20 years. Maybe he’ll get hurt. We have no idea.

But right now—not next year, not three years from now, but right now—Misiorowski is pitching like one of the best pitchers ever. And 14 games is a long time; I brought up those nine different pitchers who have had 14-game runs as good as Misiorowski for a reason. Martínez, Ryan, Waddell, and Gibson are in the Hall of Fame. Kershaw will be a near-unanimous selection. deGrom could yet make it, even if his status as a late bloomer and injury issues will make it a complicated case from an innings-pitched perspective. Only Gooden and Richard aren’t major Hall candidates, but there are extenuating circumstances in both cases. Richard’s career was cut short by a stroke suffered during his prime, mere weeks after his aforementioned streak ended. Gooden was considered one of the most talented players ever, but his career was derailed by substance abuse problems. (I could still make a Hall of Fame case, too.)

Misiorowski is a Hall-of-Fame talent. He is pitching at a Hall-of-Fame level, and the only players in the history of the game who’ve been as effective as him over a span this long are all either Hall of Famers or guys who make people say “you should’ve seen ______.”  

We have no way of knowing how long this will last, but right now, we are not living in a hypothetical world where Jacob Misiorowski could pitch like Randy Johnson someday. Right now, the only difference between Miz and Johnson is that Johnson pitched for 20 years.

No matter how long it lasts, we should all revel in this, because someday we will say: “you should’ve seen Miz.”

Civic pride, sure. But what is it really worth to the city of Anaheim to have its name on the hometown baseball team?

Hundreds of millions of dollars, the city has said. As the Angels’ stadium lease approaches its end, and as Anaheim prepares for negotiations either with Arte Moreno or a potential new owner, it’s worth keeping in mind.

So too is a concept floating around City Hall in Anaheim: What if we could put a new stadium and a youth sports complex next to one another?

Nothing is imminent, and even a bill winding its way through the state legislature would not necessarily require the Angels to return Anaheim to the team name.

Read more:Shaikin: As Angels fans urge Arte Moreno to sell the team, the least he can do is try to win

It’s leverage: If the Angels’ owner wants to build atop the stadium parking lots, the city can pursue an exemption to a state law that currently restricts what can be built there, which could mean more money for the team and its development partners. In exchange for the exemption, the team name would revert to the Anaheim Angels.

If that’s the carrot, this is the stick: The city would have to approve the zoning changes that could make the land “two to three times more valuable than it is as a parking lot,” Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken said.

Said Aitken: “There are no gifts. For an ownership to truly be a partner to the city in what that property could be, there is going to have to be some realization that Anaheim is not Los Angeles.”

The Angels’ stadium lease expires in 2032, and the team can extend it through 2038. A new owner could move the Angels — or at least leverage the threat of a move — but Anaheim offers a 150-acre site with what every owner in pro sports covets: land around the venue to turn the property into a year-round money-making operation.

The standard ballpark villages include restaurants, shops, hotels, homes, offices and entertainment venues. The Ducks are launching one, called OC Vibe, around Honda Center, and within walking distance of Angel Stadium.

What intrigues the city, for at least part of the parking lots around Angel Stadium: a youth sports park for all those travel ball teams. Ontario is building a 199-acre one around a minor league ballpark; Irvine has a 194-acre one up and running at its Great Park.

Katie Wright, who books sports events for Anaheim’s tourism bureau, said there would be a market if her city built a sports park.

“The demand for, specifically, soccer, baseball and softball is tremendous,” Wright told the Anaheim City Council in April. “They would be filled every single weekend, I think.”

What Anaheim has that Ontario and Irvine do not: Disneyland down the street for visiting families, a variety of restaurants within walking distance, and hotel rooms aplenty. In Anaheim, 40% of the city’s general fund comes from taxes on hotel rooms.

“With Angels baseball right next to a youth sports facility, to have the synergy of hotels and restaurants, and players interacting with the Little League kids and soccer fields,” Aitken said, “I just think it’s a unique opportunity.”

Everything old is new again: In 1996, Anaheim pitched a youth sports center called the “Little A” in part of the stadium parking lots as part of a ballpark village that never materialized.

What might be in the best interest of the city now might not be in that of the developer, whether that turns out to be the Angels or a real estate partner. While a sports park might drive tax revenues to the city, a developer might pay the most for land used for hotel and retail properties, said Louis Tomaselli, the Irvine-based executive managing director at JLL, a nationally prominent commercial real estate brokerage.

“A youth sports complex would likely be at or near the bottom from a land value perspective,” Tomaselli said.

Read more:Plaschke: Memo to Arte Moreno: Sell your fallen Angels

That’s all part of the negotiation, and for now the city of Anaheim has no party with which to negotiate. That leaves room for all sorts of brainstorming, including Aitken’s curiosity about flanking the development with high-rise residential buildings, similar to the condominiums that have risen next to Petco Park in San Diego. In some of them, you can watch the game from your balcony.

But let’s get back to the value of the Anaheim name on the baseball team.

“A lot of times, we get the question, ‘Exactly where is Anaheim?’” Wright, the Anaheim tourism official, told the City Council. “We’re always fighting to say, ‘We’re not L.A.’”

In 2005, when Anaheim sued the Angels after Moreno slapped the Los Angeles label on the team, the city commissioned experts that testified the name change would cost Anaheim nearly $200 million over the following decade and close to $400 million through 2029. The Angels dismissed both numbers as wildly high, but that is what the city presented in court.

I asked Sean Moran of Los Angeles-based Innovative Partnerships Group for an update. Moran estimated the worth of the Anaheim name at $26.5 million per year — or more than $500 million over the life of a 20-year deal — based on the value of references to the city on game broadcasts, digital and social media, highlight clips, betting sites, in fantasy leagues, and more.

“I don’t think you can put a monetary value on civic pride and respecting your fan base,” Aitken said. “So, if a new owner wants to come in and start fresh and really respect the fan base in Orange County, the name should not even be a negotiating point.

“It should be the first thing you do, out of respect for where this team is located, and the fan base that is so loyal in good times and bad.”

Perhaps. But, if I’m the new owner of the Angels and the city is on record saying its name on the team is worth hundreds of millions of dollars, the first thing I say to the city in negotiations is: You can get your name on the team for that $500 million, which would help me build a new ballpark that could cost $1.5 billion.

Who else could benefit from that? Moreno, as the need for a new owner to pay for a ballpark could lower the sale price.

Even without that exemption from state law, a new owner could pursue a fair amount of development on land Anaheim has failed to develop for 60 years, on a site the city’s own land use plan envisions as “an exciting mix of high energy uses while providing additional housing.” Or a new owner could simply inherit the existing lease and deal with potential development later.

Read more:Shaikin: As MLB proposes salary cap, Sacramento pursues team it might not be able to afford

You can start to get the shape of what the bargaining might look like. Avelino Valencia (D-Anaheim), the assembly member who introduced the bill in Sacramento intended to spur the return of the Anaheim Angels name, included a provision that says resolution would take precedence over legislation.

“If there is another outcome that takes place, in negotiations or deal-wise, there would be no need for this, right?” Valencia said.

All of that could be years down the road, so no sense arguing all the finer points now. Aitken promises a series of community meetings first, so that Anaheim residents can share how they envision the future of the Angel Stadium property, with or without a baseball stadium.

This should come up for discussion too: The Anaheim Angels name might be ideal for the city, but what, if anything, should the city give up to get it? The last time the city asked, Moreno just said no. If a new owner would be willing, should the taxpayers of Anaheim consider subsidizing the name?

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders: Postponed due to rain, doubleheader scheduled for Friday

Double-A Somerset Patriots:W, 5-4 (10) at Portland Sea Dogs

LF Jackson Castillo 1-4, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 SB
CF Garrett Martin 2-4, 1 HR, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB — solo shot in the fourth, two-run double in the ninth
DH Jace Avina 1-3, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 SB
1B Nicholas Torres 0-5, 2 K, throwing error
RF DJ Gladney 0-4, 1 BB, 2 K
3B Coby Morales 0-4, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K
C Manuel Palencia 0-5
2B Connor McGinnis 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K
SS Owen Cobb 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB

Xavier Rivas 5.2 IP, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K — his longest outing of the year, and second-most strikeouts
Michael Arias 0.1 IP, 3 R, 2 H, 1 BB (blown save)
Will Brian 1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 3 K
Hayden Merda 1 IP, 0 R
Ben Grable 1.2 IP, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K (win)
Chris Kean 0.1 IP, 0 R (save)

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades:L, 1-2 at Rome Emperors

2B Kaeden Kent 1-3, 1 CS
SS Core Jackson 0-4, 1 K
C Eric Genther 0-4, 1 K
1B Kyle West 0-4, 1 K
RF Wilson Rodriguez 0-3, 1 R, 1 BB
DH Roderick Arias 0-3, 1 BB, 2 K
3B Enmanuel Tejeda 1-2, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 SB
LF Josh Moylan 0-3
LF Luis Durango 0-0
CF Camden Troyer 1-3, 1 K

Luis Serna 7 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HR — back-to-back quality starts, rebounding from a bad first start in June
Wilmy Sanchez 1 IP, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
Luis Velasquez 0.2 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K (loss)
Thomas Balboni Jr. 0 IP, 0 R, 1 H

Low-A Tampa Tarpons:L, 7-9 vs. Fort Myers Mighty Mussels

SS Jackson Lovich 0-4, 3 K
3B Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 1-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K, two fielding errors
2B Hans Montero 0-4, 2 K, missed catch
LF Logan Maxwell 1-3, 1 2B, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 SB
RF JoJo Jackson 3-4, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 K
CF Willy Montero 0-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K
C Engelth Urena 1-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB, fielding error
DH Ediel Rivera 0-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K
1B Austin Green 1-4, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 K

Thatcher Hurd 4.1 IP, 3 R, 1 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 8 K
Pedro Rodriguez 1.2 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 1 BB, 1 K
Matthew Tippie 0.2 IP, 4 R, 0 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 1 K (blown save, loss) — an error kept the inning alive for all four runs, but he didn’t do himself any favors with two walks and a run-scoring wild pitch post-error
Jose Martinez 2.1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K

Florida Complex League Yankees: Off-day

Dominican Summer League Yankees: Off-day

Dominican Summer League Bombers: Off-day

The Phillies simply couldn’t wait anymore. After another disastrous outing yesterday afternoon, the Phillies finally decided they’d seen enough and sent the struggling Andrew Painter to Triple-A. It’s been a rocky start to a career for the young right hander to say the least, as he owns a 7.06 ERA across his first 14 big league appearances. He will now try to find his command in Lehigh Valley in the hopes of possibly returning to the rotation later this year.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• More on the Phillies decision to demote Andrew Painter. ($)
• Jonathan Bowlan is primed to step into a bigger role thanks to the injury to Brad Keller. ($)
• Shane Victorino and Larry Bowa have been named the managers for the All-Star Futures Game to be held at Citizens Bank Park on All-Star weekend.

MLB News:

• Max Scherzer is headed back to the injured list, this time with back spasms.
• The injuries continue to mount for the Guardians, as outfielder Chase DeLauter was placed on the injured list with a fractured rib.
• It’s officially trade deadline season, so here’s your breakdown of who needs what and how much they need it. ($)
• Speaking of trades, last year’s Rafael Devers trade isn’t looking so good.
• Remember that time the Phillies had the number one overall pick in 2016? Well now you can also remember just how bad that first round turned out to be. ($)