Category: Baseball

Friday notes…

• KEEPING THE BAD STREAKS AWAY: The Cubs have not lost back-to-back games since July 9-10, at Baltimore and Cincinnati. They are 19-9 since then. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• HOME GAME NOTES: The Cubs are 35-24 at home, but only 4-6 in first games of home stands. They finished 11-2 in such games last season. They are 10-10 in first games of series at home. They finished 19-8 a year ago. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• UNDER NATURAL LIGHT: The Cubs are 26-24 in all day games, but 19-12 at home. They are 11-12 in the second of back-to-back day games at all sites. They finished 24-13 a year ago. But they are 11-7 in such games this year at home; they were 22-12 last season. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• FRIDAY ON MY MIND: The Cubs are 3-6 on Friday at home. Last year, they finished 10-4. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: The Cubs lead the Dodgers 10-7 in the bottom of the ninth of the second game of a doubleheader in Los Angeles, blow that lead, then score two in the 10th on a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch to defeat the eventual pennant-winning Dodgers 12-10. It happened 60 years ago today, Sunday, Aug. 14, 1966.

The Cubs lineup was not available at posting time. Please check BCB social media for the Cubs lineup.

Cardinals lineup:

Clay Holmes, RHP vs. Matthew Liberatore, LHP

Clay Holmes struggled in his first Cubs start — but then, it was also his first start back after he fractured his fibula back in May. He did get a large number of ground ball outs, which is his signature.

He faced the Cardinals March 30 in St. Louis as a member of the Mets, throwing 5.2 innings and allowing four hits and two runs. Nolan Gorman, who the Cardinals sent to Triple-A in June, homered off him.

Hopefully, this will be a better outing.

Matthew Liberatore has had an up-and-down year. In his first August start, Aug. 2 vs. the Blue Jays, he threw six one-hit innings. But then Aug. 8 vs. the Rockies — nine hits and five runs in five innings. (Not the Coors Field effect — that game was in St. Louis.)

He has faced the Cubs three times this year and allowed 14 hits, five walks and six runs in 14 innings. Alex Bregman homered off him July 27 in St. Louis, and of course Bregman’s a hot hitter right now.

Here is the weather forecast for the area around Wrigley Field.

Today’s game is on Apple TV (how to watch).

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Cardinals site Viva el Birdos. If you do go there to interact with Cardinals fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.

You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.

The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.

You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

The Red Sox losing Garrett Crochet after the first month would’ve once seemed to be a season-tanking injury. Given how Boston played the first three months of the season, it certainly appeared as such. 

Then came the 27-3 run of July. 

Among the brightest stars of the turnaround was Payton Tolle. The hype around the 2024 second-round pick (TCU) has always been there after his electrifying MLB debut at Fenway Park last August. His fastball is real, though his brief big-league introduction showed the desperate need to fill out his arsenal with legitimate secondaries. 

That improvement is on full display a year later as he’s emerged as one of the most important players on the roster, especially given the recent timing of his starts. In back-to-back outings, the Red Sox needed innings from the lefty and at times became the stopper of the group. 

His brilliant eight innings yesterday against Toronto followed a career-best 14 strikeouts against the Athletics last time out. Over his last three starts, while shutting down workload concerns, Tolle has allowed just three earned runs in his last 20 innings of work with 25 strikeouts.

Tolle continues to dominate with his big-league personality, a fastball-defined yet improved arsenal, and consistent production when the team needs him most. What’s most encouraging about Tolle’s campaign (2.97 ERA in 20 starts, 10.0 K/9) is answering a key question about a potential October run. 

The Red Sox definitely upgraded the rotation in the offseason, headlined by the additions of Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez, who have been excellent as advertised. But for as deep as Boston’s pitching was at the break of camp and how productive the group still is in-season, the Red Sox still faced a nagging question given Crochet’s uncertain status for the rest of the year: Who would start a decisive Game 3 of a playoff series?  

Tolle has answered that question and, after this stretch, the Red Sox should feel great about this trio in a Wild Card series: 

Game 1: Sonny Gray
Game 2: Ranger Suarez
Game 3: Payton Tolle

If the Red Sox advance, they can reassess Crochet’s health or turn to potential options in Jake Bennett or Brayan Bello.

But that’s a long ways away, so focus on the task at hand. 

The Red Sox are in the thick of a playoff race and Payton Tolle is a massive, massive reason why.

It is funny how things work. Going into the series with the Red Sox, I would have been thrilled with the Jays winning three of four. There is something about losing the last game of the series. If we lost the first game and won the last three, I’d be thrilled. If we just lost the second game, I’d be thrilled. But I convince myself that we should sweep when we win the first three. But it was a good series for us.

We now have a 12.5% chance of making the playoffs. The next nine games will be pretty telling—six against the Yankees, home and away and three on the road against Tampa. Winning five of nine would be a good result. I don’t know if that would be enough to improve our chances of making the playoffs.

Tonight’s game is on Apple TV. We are out with friends tonight, so I spent time this morning making sure I can get the game on my phone. There is a Sun story calling this the ‘most-anticipated game of the season’, which feels a bit like overkill. For me, the most anticipated game is always opening day, after a long winter of staring out the window waiting for baseball to return.

Why is it the most anticipated game?

The latest Apple TV intervention couldn’t come along at a worse time for all kinds of reasons, including the marquee pitching matchup between former Cy Young Award winners Gerrit Cole of the Yankees and Shane Bieber of the Blue Jays.

I don’t know if that is the marquee matchup that it once was. Shane seems to bounce from good start to bad start. A 5.48 ERA doesn’t fill me with a sense of confidence. But he has had some good starts. Cole has been on a nice little run of late, but hasn’t been the ‘Cy Young’ type, coming back from injury.

After today’s start, we have Cam Schlittler against TBD on Saturday. I’d guess it will be SWR. Sunday it is Ryan Weathers against Dylan Cease. No pressure, Cease; we really need that game.

In their first 11 games this month, the Yankees are 6-5.

The plate umpire had a rough day yesterday (as did Brandon Valenzuela, wasting a challenge in the first inning on a pitch that wasn’t all that close). The early miss seemed to cause Brandon to miss out on challenging pretty obvious mistakes later.

I don’t know what a manager can do. Tell the catcher, ‘No challenges in the first inning; I don’t care if the ball was dead center in the strike zone; don’t challenge.‘ You do have to trust your players some, but that first inning….. It would be nice if players could stay away from challenging in low-leverage spots, but I suppose, when you see that a pitch you want to challenge, it would be hard to also think about whether it is a high-leverage spot.

Anyway, the Umpire Scorecard:

The Houston Astros haven’t played the Seattle Mariners since May 14. Seattle won 8-3. It clinched the season series for the Mariners, who have won 7 of the 8 games the two teams have played this season.

That May 14 loss was significant on several fronts. Not only did the Mariners clinch the season series and hold the first tiebreaker between the two teams, but it sent Houston to it’s season low 11 games under .500. Houston was reeling, and in danger of crashing out of the season early.

Embarrassed by their performance, the Astros rallied. They won 2 of 3 in the next series against the Texas Rangers, then took 7 of 10 on a road trip to get back to 6 under and stave off the Grim Reaper for the time being. Slowly but sure, the Astros would chip away at their record, getting closer to .500 without a sustained winning streak through the rest of May and through June.

That Mariners series had a chance to bury the Astros. They were 11 under, losers of 5 of 6 and 7 of 10. The pitching was a wreck. Houston showed their tenacity and toughness, and fought itself out of the hole.

Today, the Astros and Mariners will meet under very different circumstances.

Houston now sits atop the division at 62-60, having gone from -11 to +2 over the three months since these teams last played. Seattle finds itself in 3rd place, 57-65. They are 8 games under and 5 out in the division. They are 6-15 since July 21, when they entered play at 51-50.

Houston now has a chance to do to Seattle what the Mariners failed to do to Houston back in May.

Bury them.

On Hall of Fame Weekend at Daikin Park where the Astros will honor former players Alan Ashby and the late Phil Garner in to the Astros Hall of Fame, Houston can slam the door on the Mariners season. Send them to 11 games under .500, blast them 8 games out of the division with only 37 games left on their schedule. Drop them so far beneath the water it would take an Act of God for them to resurface.

Yes, the Mariners would still be alive in the Wild Card race technically. They are currently 3.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot, but there are also 6 teams in between them and the 3rd Wild Card. Being swept this weekend would likely put the nail in the coffin for them there as well.

It was after that loss to Seattle that the national media really started leaning in heavy to “the Astros are done” and trying to sell off the parts of the team to various contenders with mock trades. They underestimated the Astros resilience.

As the creator of the phrase “No one gets off the mat like the Houston Astros”, I have learned to have nearly unwavering faith in Houston’s ability to rebound from hideous losses, losing streaks, slumps, etc. Even I lost enough faith in the team after they were swept by the Orioles after the All Star break, falling back to 7 games under .500, undoing so much of the hard work and grind the team had put in the previous two months to crawl out of a very dangerous 11 games under .500 hole. It looked like they were running out of gas.

The Astros then went Super Saiyan the next two weeks, going 11-1. It was their first real run like that in a full calendar year. Not since they wrapped a 29-10 stretch with an 11-2 run culminating with a 3-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers in LA to move to a season high 20 games over .500 have the Astros had that kind of run.

Houston had not shown at any time this season they had that kind of performance in them. Yet they found it, and leapfrogged both Seattle and Texas to the top of the AL West. The phrase rang true yet again, even when I thought it couldn’t.

Being 1-7 against the Mariners right now means absolutely nothing for the Astros. Being 3-0 against them this weekend could mean everything, and make the division a two-team race between Houston and the Rangers in which the Astros already have a 2 game lead.

Mariners broadcaster Ryan Rowland-Smith told our Craig Larson Jr. that its now or never for Seattle in his series preview https://www.crawfishboxes.com/houston-astros-analysis/77330/astros-vs-mariners-series-preview-with-seattle-broadcaster-ryan-rowland-smith . He knows that his team is on life support.

Several times this season it has seemed the epitaph on the Astros season could be written. Now they can write it on the Mariners season, chiseled in stone.

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

Friday night action is packed, and the dog-friendly board is screaming value—starting with a sharp play on the Royals at a sweet price tag. 

Check out our expert MLB moneyline predictions and MLB picks for Friday, Aug. 14.

MLB moneyline picks for Aug. 14

Matchup	Pick
Cardinals vs Cubs	+167
Marlins vs Reds	+106
Red Sox  vs Pirates	+117
White Sox vs Tigers	+138
Orioles vs Rays	+150
Nationals vs Mets	+106
Padres  vs Guardians	-122
Yankees vs Blue Jays	-141
Diamondbacks vs Braves	+182
Mariners vs Astros	+113
Royals vs Angels	-104
Rangers vs Athletics	+102
Brewers vs Dodgers	+170
Rockies vs Giants	+120

Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of Aug. 14.

Expert MLB moneyline picks for Aug. 14

Cardinals vs Cubs: Cardinals (+167)

Cardinals win probability: 38%

This is simply a fade on Clay Holmes, who owns a 6.43 ERA, 4.41 xERA and 1.71 WHIP while allowing a 50% hard-hit rate to opposing hitters over his last three starts. Cardinals left-hander Matthew Liberatore has some strong underlying metrics that point toward improvement, which I feel safe leaning on here.

St. Louis' offense has also been pretty decent over its last 12 games, posting a 105 wRC+, .321 wOBA and nearly a 10% walk rate. Chicago has been scorching hot, but if Liberatore can keep the Cubs' offense in check, the Cardinals should be just fine.

Marlins vs Reds: Marlins (+106)

Marlins win probability: 48%

The Marlins as an underdog here feels like a steal!

For starters, their offense has been humming, led by Griffin Conine, who has been barreling the hell out of the ball over his last 10 games. Overall, as a team over their last six games, they own a 122 wRC+, .344 wOBA and .772 OPS. The Reds, during that stretch, have just a 56 wRC+, .255 wOBA and .567 OPS.

Chase Burns has been very impressive this season, but Sandy Alcantara has been just as good. Over his last five starts, the former Cy Young winner has a 1.64 ERA, 2.96 xERA and 0.97 WHIP.

Trust the fish!

Red Sox vs Pirates: Pirates (+117)

Pirates win probability: 46%

Let's take a stab at the Pirates at home as a slight underdog against the cooling-off Red Sox.

Red Sox left-hander Jake Bennett has struggled a tad over his last few outings, but he has some strong expected numbers pointing toward progression. However, as mentioned, the Red Sox offense has gone cold over the last week, posting a 91 wRC+, .675 OPS and .106 ISO over their last six games.

Taking the plus money on the Pirates feels right with the Red Sox coming back to reality.

White Sox vs Tigers: White Sox (+138)

White Sox win probability: 42%

Massive series for both AL Central teams, but this feels bigger for the Chicago White Sox, who have struggled on the road this season. They draw Jackson Jobe, who looks great coming back from injury, while Sean Newcomb takes the mound for Chicago in his second start of the season.

The White Sox luck into taking on the Tigers when their offense has been cold over the last week, posting an 85 wRC+, .287 wOBA and .625 OPS. Meanwhile, the White Sox have a 126 wRC+, .351 wOBA and .794 OPS during that stretch.

At +138, it will be a fun sweat!

Orioles vs Rays: Orioles (+150)

Orioles win probability: 40%

Rays right-hander Jesse Scholtens takes the mound this evening with a 5.54 xERA and 1.44 WHIP while allowing nearly a 20% barrel rate to opposing hitters over his last five outings. The Orioles have started to heat up over their last six games, sporting a .795 OPS and .209 ISO while generating a 47% hard-hit rate and 10.5% barrel rate.

The Rays' offense has been solid for more than a month now, but in terms of price, the Orioles offer a ton at +150.

Nationals vs Mets: Nationals (+106)

Nationals win probability: 48%

I'm not sure how much we can hold Mets starter Robert Stock to his current 10.13 ERA through just eight innings, but the Nationals as an underdog here feel like the side to be on. Even without James Wood, the Nationals' offense has maintained a 134 wRC+, .362 wOBA and .828 OPS over the last week.

The Mets have been very consistent over their last 21 games, but Andrew Alvarez has been very sustainable on the road, posting a 3.10 ERA while limiting hard contact and barrels.

Padres vs Guardians: Guardians (-122)

Guardians win probability: 55%

With how well Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams has been pitching over his last five outings, fading him sounds terrifying. The $1.22 price tag is concerning, but Williams and the Guardians' bullpen should be able to hold down the Padres' bats.

Michael King has looked great over his last five outings, but his 4.19 xERA against left-handed hitters is concerning, especially with the Guardians only having one true right-handed hitter in their lineup.

Yankees vs Blue Jays: Yankees (-141)

Yankees win probability: 58%

It is very hard to trust the Blue Jays even after coming off a pretty solid week against the Red Sox, but they still have a 74 wRC+, .277 wOBA and .619 OPS across their last 12 games. Plus, with Shane Bieber on the mound this evening, owning a 5.48 ERA, 6.26 xERA and 1.66 WHIP on the year, the Yankees have to be the play.

Diamondbacks vs Braves: Diamondbacks (+182)

Diamondbacks win probability: 36%

Are we not aware of how well Brandon Pfaadt has been pitching over his last five starts? The Diamondbacks right-hander has a 1.13 ERA and 1.00 WHIP over that span. All while the offense has been on fire, as Arizona has a 122 wRC+, .349 wOBA and .793 OPS over its last 21 games.

The Braves, on the other hand, do send out Chris Sale, but their offense is the concern, posting just a 94 wRC+, .304 wOBA and .691 OPS over that same stretch.

Price-wise, the Diamondbacks are the move.

Mariners vs Astros: Mariners (+113)

Mariners win probability: 47%

Short and sweet, both offenses have been abysmal. Why pay juice for a team that has a .127 ISO, 61 wRC+ and a 36% hard-hit rate over its last six games? Take the plus money!

Royals vs Angels: Royals (-104)

Royals win probability: 51%

Angels right-hander Grayson Rodriguez has been pretty decent over his last three starts, owning a sub-4.00 ERA, but his expected numbers are still brutal. On the other side, Seth Lugo has maintained a 3.88 xERA over his last five starts.

Neither team's offense has been great over the past week, but the Royals do not strike out nearly as often as the Angels, plus they draw more walks. Take the Royals.

Rangers vs Athletics: Athletics (+102)

Athletics win probability: 50%

Fade Kumar Rocker day!

The Rangers right-hander enters Friday with a 6.08 ERA over his last five starts, along with a Rangers offense that has regressed as the days go by. Over their last 21 games, Texas has an 83 wRC+, 75 over its last 12 and 63 over its last six, along with a .259 wOBA and .076 ISO.

The Athletics have been slightly better, and Gage Jump has been pretty serviceable for them. Take the home dog.

Brewers vs Dodgers: Brewers (+170)

Brewers win probability: 37%

Do not force yourself to back the Dodgers and pay the Yoshinobu Yamamoto tax.

Sure, the Brewers have not been too hot as of late, but neither have the Dodgers' bats. Over their last 12 games, they have a .145 ISO and .691 OPS.

Getting one of the more well-rounded teams in baseball at +170 is worth dabbling on.

Rockies vs Giants: Rockies (+120)

Rockies win probability: 46%

It is shocking to see the Rockies as underdogs in San Francisco when they have been playing some great ball as of late. Over their last 12 games, they have posted a .787 OPS, .190 ISO and .342 wOBA. On top of that, veteran left-hander Kyle Freeland has a 3.27 xERA over his last five starts. Meanwhile, Giants right-hander Landen Roupp has a 6.59 ERA, 4.40 xERA and 1.76 WHIP over his last three.

San Francisco's offense has been pretty lifeless as of late, and I would not advise trusting them.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

If you build it, they will come. And Royals fans may be headed to Iowa next year.

MLB announced today that the Royals will face the Red Sox in the “Field of Dreams” game in Dyersville, Iowa on August 12, 2027. The Phillies defeated Twins in this year’s event, held last night. The game will air exclusively on NBC Sports, with the Royals serving as the home team. Next year will be the fourth year MLB has hosted the event, commemorating the 1989 baseball film Field of Dreams starring Kevin Costner.

Past Field of Dreams contests

2021 – White Sox 9 Yankees 8

2022 – Cubs 4 Reds 2

2026 – Phillies 7 Twins 1

“We are thrilled to showcase our athletes through one of Major League Baseball’s most cherished events and help to grow the game to a worldwide audience,” Royals President of Business Operations Cullen Maxey said. “Royals territory already covers the Midwest, including Dyersville, so this is a natural fit that provides Royals fans a chance to cheer on the home team in a magical setting.

The Royals will play the game on a Thursday, followed by a Friday off-day, before they resume their series against the Red Sox on Saturday and Sunday at Kauffman Stadium.

A permanent Field of Dreams ballpark opened this year featuring 3,000 seats that can expand to 8,000 seats temporarily. The dimensions are 335 down the lines, 380 to the alleys, and 400 to center with any ballpark references to old Comiskey Park in Chicago. In the past, tickets have been subject to a lottery with registration available only for Iowa residents, with some ticket allotments to each participating team.

According to Royals historian Curt Nelson, this is the third neutral site game played in club history. They played the White Sox at Milwaukee County Stadium in 1969, and the Tigers at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha in 2019.

After a huge momentum building series victory over the West leading Los Angeles Dodgers, the Dbacks looked to build upon not only their momentum but also their Wild Card lead over the Padres by taking advantage of a matchup against one of the weaker teams in baseball in the Colorado Rockies. The fellas and I discussed last episode that sweeping the series would be the most ideal outcome, but sweeping even the worst teams in baseball is no guarantee (they are still professional ball clubs so they aren’t just automatic wins) but a series win over the Rockies would be the minimum requirement since they are starting to run out of “easy” opponents on their schedule.

Merrill’s Rocky Road

The Diamondbacks went into the Mainstays start on Wednesday needing him to continue his stretch of solid outings and bring home a series victory for the snakes and end the homestand on a high note, unfortunately that would not be the case as Merrill surrendered 6 earned runs across 5 innings of work with most of the damage coming from Brett Sullivan’s 3-R bomb in the 2nd and Zac Veen’s 2-R pool shot in the 5th for the 24th and 25th home runs surrendered by Merrill in 2026 (most since allowing 29 HR in his rookie season in 2019).

Gabe, Brandon and I all agreed that the biggest issue that we saw from Kelly in this outing was mostly the lack of control on most if not all of his pitches. Merrill is the kind of pitcher who won’t blow the doors off many hitters, so location being as pinpoint as possible is always the best recipe for success for Kelly. When he is missing either over the heart of the plate or so far outside that the hitters can spit on it right out of the hand, leading to a lack of swing and miss and weak contact.

The Dbacks will need the Mainstay to get back to the kind of pitcher he was in July if they want to have any hope of making this push for October a success.

When Does Noot Get the Boot?

The Dbacks lone move from the deadline has been talked about endlessly by not only us here at Dbacks Dispatch, but by other writers and twitter accounts, and for understandable reasons. We all knew that we wouldn’t be getting a big power bat in lars Nootbar and that his best quality at the dish would be his plate discipline and ability to work the count and work walks. WHile that part has been as advertised in the first 8 games of his Dbacks tenure (7 walks to only 4 K’s so far), the lack of hits from the Noot has had us and other fans start to get frustrated and maybe even a bit worrisome with what we’ve been seeing.

It’s no secret that the Snakes have had a lack of offensive production from some key areas in their lineup, mostly at 1st base (.609 OPS, worst in baseball) and at DH (.621 OPS, 2nd worst in baseball) and it’s mostly why the fan base was so frustrated with the lack of moves to address those areas at the deadline. Lars wouldn’t have been the option first 1st base, but seeing as he has seen a majority of his starts in the desert as the Designated hitter it makes his .120/.313/.160 slash even more frustrating to watch, especially when the offense puts up a performance like they did in Wednesday’s loss.

The fellas and I discussed just how long of a leash we should give Nootbar and when we should really start to worry about what we are seeing. Granted its only been 8 games and just 25 AB’s, but this isn’t like an early season struggle like what we saw from Nolan Arenado where we at least have time to see him work his way out of it, this is a critical part of the season and having a black hole in the lineup as the DH isn’t the best plan for success in the tight Wild Card race. 

Gabe brought up the similar numbers that Lars Nootbar (.240 AVG and a .738 OPS in 1800+ career AB’s) and Pavin Smith (.241 AVG and .719 OPS in 1400+ career AB’s)  have career wise in saying that we moved on from Pavin (another black hole in the lineup during his time in 2026) just to trade our #5 prospect for a different version of Pavin Smith. Even just using their numbers as Diamondbacks in 2026 (Yes Lars has about 1/3rd the amount of AB’s Pavin did so not a 1 to 1 comp), Lars has even worse numbers than what we saw from Pavin (.141/.236/192 slash in 78 AB’s) before his eventual DFA, so it doesn’t seem unfair from us or other fans to say that our frustrations could start to reach a boiling point and start to ask if there is any other options we have over Noot Noot.

Ups and Downs

While the Snakes were unfortunately unable to even win the series over the Rockies, mostly due to a lack of clutch hitting in the two defeats (especially Wednesday’s historically bad performance), there were still some positive moments that the crew wanted to highlight from this final series of the homestand.

Gabe was yet again impressed from what he saw from the bullpen, as the lone run the pen allowed in their 11.2 innings of work was off of Kevin GInkel in the 7th inning of Tuesday’s 3-2 defeat. Zack Littell provided some much needed length in relief of Soroka on Monday, leading to his first win as Snake, and Gerardo Carrillo continues to impress with his disgusting arsenal of pitches as he had 4 K’s in his 2 shutout innings on Wednesday thus lowering his ERA to 0.71. Adding Justin Martinez to the mixture of available arms out of the pen could make this bullpen one to truly fear come October (as long as we get there that is).

Brandon wanted to give his praise to the performance that Mitch Bratt turned in on Tuesday. Yes it ended up a no decision and a 2-R HR from Kyle Karros ended his impressive scoreless inning streak, it was back to back starts of Bratt going 6+ innings which is something that the 3 of us agreed is very important to see more of as he continues to adjust to Major League hitters and develop as the big league level.

All 3 of us also wanted to make sure Corbin Carroll got his praise as well for what he did in Wednesday’s frustrating loss. Corbin not only added another triple to his tally (14 on the season) but also continued to smash left handed pitching, sending a Brandon Bernardino sinker the opposite way for his 18th home run on the season, and the 100th of his young career. With that homer in the 8th Corbin became just the 2nd player in MLB history to have 50+ Triples, 100+ HR and 100+ SB within 650 games, joining the legend WIllie Mays.

Heading to Hotlanta

The Diamondbacks head into Atlanta to face the 2nd best team in the NL record wise in the East leading Braves for the first time these teams since their series split back in early April. Brandon, Gabe and I were all in agreement that this is a series where you really have to pick your poison whether its Drake Baldwin, Ronald Acuna Jr, Ozzie Albies, Matt Olson or even Austin Riley, there is a lot of names in the lineup that can do some damage and put up crooked numbers.

This series is the start to a pretty tough stretch of ball clubs the Snakes will have in their way for the rest of the month of August, so getting a series win and starting off the last half of August on a high note is very crucial to this team regaining momentum and keeping up with the Phillies, Padres and even Cubs for 1 of the 3 NL WIld Card spots.

Now that we’ve looked at the players who were on a single ballot, those receiving multiple votes (2-5 ballot players and PuRPs 43-36), plus the Honorable Mention PuRPs for mid-season 2026, it’s time to examine the players that made the list. As a reminder, in this edition of the PuRPs poll, 29 qualifying ballots were cast, with 30 points granted for a first place vote, 29 for second, etc.

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

Remember that the statistics pages are not the end-all, be-all when evaluating these players. Context is hugely important (such as the player’s age relative to the league’s average or the league average offensive numbers), as is the fact that injuries to prospects can affect both their tools and their stats. I’ll make sure and note where this is the case.

30. Ashly Andujar (113 points, 17 ballots) — Preseason Ranking: 20 — High Ballot 17, Mode Ballot 28

How did he enter the organization?

2024 International Free Agent, Dominican Republic

Why did he make the PuRPs list?

Andujar was the headliner of Colorado’s international free agent class in January 2024, earning a $1.7 million bonus as the 18th ranked international prospect at MLB.com as a well-rounded offensive and defensive player with good bat to ball skills who was likely to stay as an up the middle defender.

The 19-year-old 6’1” switch-hitting shortstop spent his first professional season in the Dominican Summer League as expected (since he was one of the youngest players in his signing class) and was above average offensively (105 wRC+). The Rockies liked what they saw enough to bring Andujar stateside to the Arizona Complex League in 2025, where he was 2.6 years younger than average, and he looked like a natural on a strong ACL Rockies team. In 217 plate appearances, Andujar again had good contact numbers without much power, hitting .319/.370/.356 with seven doubles and seven steals (which is a 97 wRC+).

In 2026, Andujar began the season back in the Complex League in May, hitting .260/.339/.300 in 62 plate appearances across 15 games before Ethan Holliday’s season-ending injury opened up a spot at shortstop in Low-A Fresno. Andujar moved up to Low-A, where he is 3.1 years younger than league average, in late May and he’s looked young for the level. In 273 plate appearances with Fresno, Andujar has a .247/.306/.344 batting line, including his first three homers as a professional (a below average 69 wRC+). Defensively, he has committed 13 errors at shortstop in 52 games at the position with Fresno.

This year Andujar was younger than the pitcher facing him in over 97% of his plate appearances. That’s one of the reasons Andujar’s offensive performance, despite a lack of thump, isn’t a disaster (another is a strikeout % around 18% with a walk % of 8%). The trajectory of his season was encouraging as well: he went from a .593 OPS in June to .677 in July and .712 so far in August.

Here is a recent slo-mo look at Andujar’s left-handed swing:

Here is some video of Andujar before he signed with the Rockies, including some looks at him at shortstop and his swing from both sides of the plate:

What do the scouts say?

Keith Law of the Athletic wrote this about Andujar in February while ranking him 13th in the system:

Andujar is a switch-hitting shortstop with plus defense and maybe 20 power right now. He hasn’t hit a home run as a pro yet in 104 games and his career ISO is .049, with that boosted a little by his above-average speed. He does have good bat-to-ball skills, and if he can gain enough strength to hit some hard line drives, he could end up a regular in five years or so. It’s more likely he ends up a utility guy who can offer plus defense all over the infield but doesn’t hit enough to stick as an everyday player anywhere. He only turned 18 in July, so even if he keeps running back to the dugout after most of his at-bats, time is on his side.

FanGraphs ranks Andujar 18th in the system as a 40+ FV prospect with a plus run grade and a 55 future hit and field tool evaluation:

Andujar signed for $1.7 million as part of Colorado’s 2024 international class. International scouts liked his glove and feel to hit, and both of those have translated to pro ball. Last year, he hit .319 and ran an 80% contact rate as one of the youngest players in the ACL. Defensively, he has above-average range at short and a strong arm.

How much power can Andujar develop? Physical projection looms large for every teenage prospect, but the gap between where he is now (thin with 20 pop) and where could go (he’s a projectable 6-foot-1 who could grow into anything from 30 power to 50) makes him a prospect of extreme variance. Presently, his lack of strength is apparent from the way he needs extra hand movement to generate the modest bat speed he has, and his flat swing produces plenty of singles but not much else. There’s real upside here if he grows into even fringy power, though, and even some of the messier parts of his offensive game, like the indirect start to his bat path, may fall into place as he gets stronger. And in any case, with his contact skill, speed, and defensive chops, he doesn’t have to do much damage to profile as an everyday bat. Were I scouting for a team, I’d put a low-conviction 50 on him, with nods to a volatile offensive future and the long developmental timeline ahead. For us, he belongs in this FV tier as a slow-burn person of interest.

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

As an up-the-middle player who was a seven-figure international signee, Andujar is joining a recent tradition of PuRPs, including Adael Amador and Robert Calaz. Also fitting that category is Dyan Jorge, whose all-around game except a lack of power is reminiscent of Andujar’s batting lines so far. Then again, Jorge didn’t even sign until he was 19 and didn’t make it to the ACL until he was 20, so Andujar has more runway ahead of him.

The scouts are consistent — Andujar needs to build more strength for his offensive game to translate to the big leagues. He’s a long ways away, but his athleticism provides a good foundation for him as a potential regular, so long as he doesn’t end up a Punch-and-Judy hitter. The potential and performance so far were enough for me to rank Andujar 25th on my list in the 40 FV tier.

29. Roynier Hernandez (115 points, 10 ballots) — Preseason Ranking: NR — High Ballot 13, Mode Ballot 13, 17

How did he enter the organization?

2022 International Free Agent, Venezuela

Why did he make the PuRPs list?

Hernandez signed for a $100k bonus out of Venezuela in 2022. Hernandez possesses a compact, line-drive swing that is built for contact — he relies on finding holes and using his 5-foot-10 frame to stay short to the ball. After hitting .339 in rookie ball in 2023 and .305 in the ACL in 2024, the 21-year-old lefty-batting, righty-throwing second baseman made his full-season debut with Low-A Fresno in 2025 and continued to hit well with a .293/.358/.366 line (106 wRC+).

This year, Hernandez was promoted to High-A Spokane, where he is 1.5 years younger than league average, and has stayed there outside of a weeklong visit back to Low-A Fresno in late July. Hernandez entered this year with zero professional homers, but he’s changed that in a big way this season with seven long balls among his 26 extra-base-hits en route to a .294/.406/.417 overall line in 402 plate appearances, good for a 115 wRC+). Notably, Hernandez has walked more times this year (64) than he’s struck out (59) — he’s about even in those categories across his entire professional career. On defense, he has committed 11 errors in 73 games at second base.

Here is some video of Hernandez in Fresno last year, including some slo mo looks at his swing near the end:

What do the scouts say?

FanGraphs ranks Hernandez 38th in the system as a 35+ FV player, highlighted by future 55 hit and field tools:

Of all the interesting infielders Colorado had at the lower levels last year, Hernandez has a case for the best hit tool of the group. He hit .293/.358/.366 with an 85% contact rate as a 20-year-old at Low-A Fresno, good for a 106 wRC+, with strong pitch recognition and bat-to-ball skills. For a guy who hasn’t homered in more than 1,000 career plate appearances, he’s not completely punchless either, as his 30% hard-hit rate and 101 mph EV90 attest. But his swing is flat and the path is long in a way that directs a lot of his contact into short left field. Singles hitters have a pretty low ceiling if they’re not complete freaks in the Luis Arraez mold, and it’s taking nothing away from Hernandez to take the under on that.

Defensively, Hernandez is a smooth fielder at second and has dabbled at third as well. If he could play short, he’d grade out as a traditional 40 utility infielder. His arm is light, though, which makes this a tricky skill set to fit onto a roster. His ability to hit and cover a middle infield spot should carry him to the upper levels, where he projects as an up-down guy, with paths for more if he finds a way to get to more power.

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

Hernandez offers something that has been all too rare among Rockies prospects: high-level bat-to-ball skills and a disciplined eye. He’s a reliable glove with high baseball IQ, though his lack of elite twitch means his long-term fit is likely as a utility infielder and as a 35+ FV player for me, off my top 30 list. Hernandez will be Rule 5 eligible after the season, the Rockies will need to decide if that profile is worthy of a 40-man roster spot.

28. Konner Eaton (128 points, 18 ballots) — Preseason Ranking: 28 — High Ballot 21, Mode Ballot 24

How did he enter the organization?

2024 6th Round, George Mason University

Why did he make the PuRPs list?

Eaton — a 23-year-old lefty pitcher who signed for a full-slot bonus of $378.9k after getting drafted in the sixth round in 2024 — has intriguing size and athleticism. He throws in the lower half of the 90s and boasts a slider whose late horizontal movement is effective against hitters from both sides of the plate. Eaton has a durable frame (6’3”, 210 pounds) that projects well as a traditional starting pitcher. His delivery is athletic, though he has worked on simplifying his mechanics since turning professional to improve his overall strike-throwing ability.

After seeing some action in his draft year up to High-A Spokane, Eaton was assigned back to High-A Spokane in 2025. The left-hander was a rotation stalwart for Spokane, starting 23 games and throwing 121.1 innings with a 3.56 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 9.3 K/9 rate, and 3.1 BB/9 rate. That includes quality starts in seven of eight starts between mid-June and early August. In mid-August, Eaton was promoted to Double-A Hartford, where he was 2.7 years younger than league average. He took the mound for another four starts in the Eastern League, throwing 18.2 innings with a nice 11.6 K/9 rate, albeit a 5.30 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and 4.8 BB/9 rate.

This year, Eaton returned to Hartford, where he is 1.9 years younger than league average. He’s made 18 starts and thrown 80 innings with a 4.73 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 9.0 K/9 rate, and 5.2 BB/9 rate. Eaton has struggled of late though, with five of his last six starts not lasting past three innings, including a nine run shelling last week. That streak notwithstanding, Eaton has five quality starts on the year and has held his own against more advanced hitting.

Here’s a look at Eaton’s 2025 highlights:

What do the scouts say?

Eaton is currently ranked 19th in the system by MLB Pipeline as a 45 FV prospect with a 55 grade on his slider and 50s on the fastball and changeup:

Eaton is now showing an ability to throw three pitches for strikes and that, along with showing acumen for finishing hitters, gives him a chance to start. His fastball sits around 93 mph and he can reach back for 95-96. He’ll carry his velocity deep into starts, and the pitch has occasional cut or tail to it. His mid-80s slider is his best pitch, eliciting a miss rate north of 40 percent last year. He’ll manipulate its shape, sometimes throwing it with sweep, sometimes with the tilt and depth of a more traditional slider. A big reason for his success thus far has been his conviction in throwing his low-80s changeup more.

The big left-hander struggled with the strike zone throughout his college career, a big reason why the Rockies weren’t the only ones thinking he belonged in a bullpen. It’s not pinpoint command, but he’s around the zone enough where the organization thinks he might have the ability to stick in a rotation for a long time. 

FanGraphs ranks Eaton 27th in the system as a 40 FV prospect, highlighted by 50 grades on the slider and change-up:

Eaton has a well-rounded mix of average stuff and strike-throwing. He has both fastballs, and while he touches 96 mph with the four-seamer, both have round-down shape limits their utility. His change and slider are both average and play a little ahead of that grade due to his ability to move them around the plate. The southpaw is also good at some of the old school stuff, like sequencing and changing speeds. In my looks, his control tended to be great right until it fell apart completely, and between that and the lack of an out pitch, he looks like more of a one-time-through guy than a reliable starter. There’s also a chance everything plays a half-grade better than this projection in short stints.

Keith Law of the Athletic listed Eaton as a player of note back in February:

Lefty Konner Eaton misses bats with a plus slider, sitting 91-94, probably ending up in the bullpen because the slider is really his only weapon right now. He was excellent in High A and then struggled with his command and control in a brief stint in Double A. He does have a good delivery and may have more in the tank.

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

Eaton has proven so far in his professional career to be able to soak up innings, while his improving control has made staying in a starting rotation much more likely than it appeared when he was drafted. His profile is one of a back-end rotation pitcher from the left side, which to me is a 40 FV player who just missed my top 30. Eaton has fit well in Double-A and I could see him as a big league candidate by the end of next season.

27. Welinton Herrera (134 points, 17 ballots) — Preseason Ranking: 17 — High Ballot 15, Mode Ballot 25

How did he enter the organization?

2021 International Free Agent, Dominican Republic

Why did he make the PuRPs list?

Herrera is probably the Rockies’ top relief prospect, though he will miss a large chunk of time after tearing his UCL in early June with the big league club. The 22-year-old 6’0” Dominican lefty boasts a plus to plus-plus mid-90s fastball coming from an uphill angle and will again contend for a Major League bullpen slot once he returns from injury. Herrera, who signed in January 2021 for $200k, was a pop-up arm in 2024 in his first taste of full season ball after two years in the DSL and a season in the ACL.

In 2024 in Low-A Fresno, Herrera, employing a low arm slot from the left side and mid-90s velocity, was immediately dominant. He struck out an absurd 62 hitters (against only nine walks) in just 34 innings (16.4 K/9 rate) with a 2.38 ERA and 1.00 WHIP across 23 appearances at Fresno. Herrera was promoted to High-A Spokane in late June. Against higher-level opposition, Herrera’s rate stats were less strong (4.76 ERA, 3.75 xFIP, 1.41 WHIP, 9.5 K/9, 4.4 BB/9) in 23 appearances totaling 28.1 innings.

In 2025, Herrera went back to Spokane, where he quickly showed he had mastered the level. In 15 appearances and 18.1 innings, Herrera collected 10 saves with a sparkly 0.49 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, 14.2 K/9 rate, and 2.9 BB/9 rate. The Rockies promoted him to Double-A Hartford in mid-May, where he was 3.7 years younger than league average. In 37 appearances totaling 46.1 innings with Hartford, Herrera added seven more saves with a 3.50 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 13.6 K/9 rate, and 3.7 BB/9 rate against upper minors hitters. He also represented the Rockies at the prestigious Futures Game in July, where he got the final out to record the save for the NL squad. Herrera finished his 2025 with a strong stint in the prestigious Arizona Fall League and Herrera was added to Colorado’s 40-man roster shortly thereafter.

In 2026, Herrera was jumped up to Triple-A Albuquerque, where he faced hitters who were on average 5.6 years older than him in a tough pitching environment. He made 16 appearances totaling 22.2 innings with a 5.16 ERA, 1.72 WHIP, 13.5 K/9 rate, and 5.6 BB/9 rate. Herrera was called up to the Rockies in late May, where he seemed poised to stick in the bullpen long term after three scoreless appearances where he allowed only two hits and one walk in 2 1/3 innings. Unfortunately, Herrera suffered the UCL injury and now faces a long way back.

Here’s some video of Herrera from the Arizona Fall League last year:

What do the scouts say?

Herrera was ranked 10th in the system by Baseball America before the season and was listed as having the best fastball in the system.

Keith Law of the Athletic ranked Herrera 14th in the system in February:

Herrera’s fastball is 97-100 and he lived off the pitch in High A until the Rockies told him he had to throw his slider more, after which he was a little more balanced and dominated through the rest of the year in Double A. His profile is straight relief, probably the one-inning variety only, but he throws plenty of strikes and it’s a pretty easy delivery for that velocity. He could easily help the Rockies this year.

FanGraphs ranks Herrera as a 40+ FV player, 19th overall in the system, putting a 70 grade on his fastball’s future effectiveness with 55 future grades on the slider and change-up:

Herrera is a six-foot, three-pitch lefty. After years at the lower levels, his dominant 2025 season put him on the prospect radar. Herrera posted a 2.64 ERA with a 36.4% strikeout rate and a 4:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, mostly at Double-A Hartford. His dominance earned him a spot in the Futures Game and the AFL, where he was wild. Control is a big question: Herrera is athletic and powerful for his stature, but he’s close to a max-effort guy with an unbalanced finish and a long stroke with recoil at the end. If he can stay around the plate, he’ll generate plenty of misses and chases, because the stuff is good. His tailing fastball has late life, and the slider either has very tight depth or runs away from lefty bats when he locates low and away. Even the change, which he rarely uses, looks nifty at its best, with bat-missing sink when he isn’t missing badly. He has late-inning ceiling if his command exceeds this projection; more likely, he settles in as a solid lefty reliever.

Herrera is ranked 23rd in the system by MLB Pipeline as a 40 FV prospect with a plus grade on both the fastball and the slider:

When you combine a funky delivery with velocity, you might get a very valuable left-handed reliever. Herrera cranked his fastball up to 99 mph in 2025, averaging around 95 and he throws it from a low three-quarters slot that allows it to carry above barrels, resulting in a lot of misses and chases. He leans on the heater, sometimes too much, and will have to keep using his slider more, because it has the chance to really have teeth. He threw it around 86 mph across all stops last year with depth to it when he finishes it and it missed bats at a 44-percent rate, according to Synergy. He actually has an upper-80s changeup that could be useful against right-handed hitters, but it’s not as consistent.

Herrera will still only be 23 for all of the 2027 season, when he’ll hopefully be able to return to the mound post-injury. If he can continue to hone his craft in areas like holding runners and fielding his position, not to mention committing to throwing that slider, he still has high-leverage reliever upside when healthy.

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

The overall value that can be added by a relief arm is limited, but Herrera seems like a potential late-inning reliever (and he’s a lefty to boot) once he returns from his injury next year. That performance and proximity, tempered by the injury, is why I have Herrera as a 40 FV player who was the last cut from my list.

26. Robert Calaz (163 points, 16 ballots) — Preseason Ranking: 6 — High Ballot 10, Mode Ballot 24, 26, 28

How did he enter the organization?

2023 International Free Agent, Dominican Republic

Why did he make the PuRPs list?

At the end of 2024, Calaz seemed to be on a rocket ship toward the big leagues after a season in which he was named the MVP of the Arizona Complex League and tore up the Low-A California league in a small sample. The next two seasons haven’t quite gone as planned for the the 6’2” toolsy right-handed 20-year-old Dominican outfielder, who has struggled mightily as one of the youngest players in High-A this year. Calaz, who was 24th on MLB.com’s international amateur free agent prospect rankings for 2023, received Colorado’s top international signing bonus in the 2023 January period at $1.7 million, which is similar to what fellow PuRP Sean Sullivan received as a second-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft.

Calaz began his professional career with a bang in the Dominican Summer League, producing a 149 wRC+ and playing center field with a bit of right field mixed in. In 2024, Calaz came stateside to play with the Arizona Complex League and flat-out murdered the ball with a monster .349/.462/.651 line, good for a 172 wRC+ in 210 plate appearances. He led the ACL in several major offensive categories (AVG/OBP/SLG/OPS/HR/RBI/TB) en route to a well-deserved league MVP award. The Rockies promoted Calaz to Low-A Fresno after the ACL season in early August, where he was 3.1 years younger than league average. That didn’t stop Calaz — he hit .327/.386/.571 with two homers, two triples, two doubles, and three steals in 57 plate appearances (147 wRC+).

In 2025, the Rockies chose to send Calaz back to Fresno for a longer run, where he was still 2.2 years younger than league average. The season started inauspiciously, as Calaz suffered an injury in the first game of the season that knocked him out for three weeks. In 424 plate appearances, Calaz hit .259/.338/.399 with ten homers among his 29 extra-base hits. He performed above average offensively (105 wRC+), but not nearly as high as Rockies fans were expecting considering his performance in 2024 at the same level. Additionally, Calaz struck out in 26% of plate appearances (9% walks), which is pretty high for low minors pitching (though he improved his contact % from 66% to 70% year over year).

This year, Calaz moved up to High-A Spokane, where he is 2.5 years younger than league average, and has really struggled. In 349 plate appearances so far, he is hitting just .205/.284/.301 with four homers and 10 steals — just a 48 wRC+. He has struck out in 31.5% of plate appearances against 8.6% walks while contact % dropped back to 67%. It is of course important to remember that Calaz has only faced a younger pitcher than him in 2.5% of plate appearances this year, but at some point he will need to figure out how to beat pitching that can execute a scouting report. In the field, Calaz split time between all three outfield positions, totaling two outfield assists and three errors.

Here is a look at Calaz from 2025 in Fresno, including some slow-mo looks at his swing:

What do the scouts say?

Baseball America ranked Calaz 9th in the system before the season:

Calaz stands 6-foot-2 with room to add more strength to an already-mature frame. He brings explosive raw power to the plate, though his game remains a bit unrefined. Swing-and-miss concerns have followed him since signing—a common caveat with young, power-first hitters—but they’ve become more pronounced. Calaz’s swing starts with an extremely high hand-set, and he sometimes rests the bat on his shoulder before using a waggle to start his trigger.

Keith Law of the Athletic ranked Calaz 11th in the system in February:

Calaz got a lot of attention after he hit .349/.462/.651 in the Arizona Complex League in 2024, but he did so mostly on physical ability rather than a feel for the game, and that deficiency caught up to him in Low A last year. Still just 19, he hit .259/.338/.399 in Fresno with a 26 percent strikeout rate driven by high whiff and chase rates, including a 34 percent swing-and-miss rate just on fastballs. He wasn’t ready for the level and probably needed short-season ball — he would have put up stupid numbers in Grand Junction — so take some of that with a grain of salt, but his baseball instincts just aren’t that advanced yet. He’s going to be big and strong with 30-homer upside in an outfield corner, with a lot of work to do on approach to get there.

MLB Pipeline ranks Calaz 24th in the system as a 40 Future Value player, highlighted by a 55 power grade and 50 grades on the arm and fielding:

Just 20 for all of the 2026 season, there’s still plenty of time for Calaz to figure things out at the plate. He’s a strong, right-handed hitter with a ton of raw power, but he needs to figure out a gameplan to stick with in order to get to it. He likes to attack pitches early in the count and showed he could still do damage if he got a pitch to hit in the first two or three offerings, but if he chased early and fell behind, he was done. He needs to learn he can have impact in all counts and cut down his chase because when he does connect, he still registers elite-level exit velocities.

While Calaz saw considerable time in center field at the outset of his career, he’s starting to slow down as he fills out his frame. He’s working on his conditioning and nutrition, but it’s looking like right field, where he saw a lot of time in 2025, is the best spot for him long-term. He has the power potential to profile there if he can find a bit more discipline at the plate. 

FanGraphs ranks Calaz as a 35+ FV player (35th in the system), highlighted by a plus-plus future grade on his raw power and a plus arm:

Calaz was a big-bonus prospect in the 2023 international class, signing for $1.7 million thanks to a powerful frame and the chance to grow into 70 raw. He had a great debut season in the DSL, ripped through the ACL in 2024, and after a great two-week cameo in Low-A to round out that season, he entered 2025 with no small amount of hype. On the surface, his .259/.338/.399 line, good for a 105 wRC+, is perhaps a tad disappointing but not especially illuminating. Beneath the surface, red flags lurk everywhere.

While Calaz held his own in the Cal League, his lack of feel in the box looms as a real problem. He’s an aggressive swinger with poor pitch recognition and strike zone judgement. His contact rate was just 66% last year, and he whiffed more than 30% of the time on both fastballs and breaking balls. He’s a see-ball, hit-ball hitter, and across several looks over the two seasons, he’s shown no growth in his ability to make adjustments mid-at-bat. His uphill swing is powerful, but also stiff and grooved; he’ll hammer a mistake in his wheelhouse to the moon, but there are a lot of ways to get him out.

While Calaz saw time in center field again last year, he’s slowed considerably in pro ball, and is ticketed for right. He’s presently poor there, as he often struggles to field bouncing or rolling balls, much less track stuff adeptly in the air. He has a cannon for an arm and a shot to be playable overall with a lot of reps, but as with his bat, he’s a long way off. Overall, his power and arm strength give him paths to help, most likely in a bench role. On both sides, though, his feel for the game is very raw and needs significant growth if he’s to have any chance of tapping into his power.

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

Calaz is much more likely to be in a corner outfield role and has some big plate approach and contact rate questions. Calaz is clearly a high-ceiling player who seems increasingly unlikely to actualize it absent an overhaul to his offensive approach. Still though, plus right-handed power is tough to come by, and the big signing bonus Calaz got is proof positive of its market value. Calaz is still young and has time to make corrections, but 2027 will bring a Rule 5 decision and he’ll no doubt be back at Spokane until he can prove some level of mastery there. I ranked Calaz 28th on my list as a 40 FV player because the ingredients are there for a monster but the recipe is yet to be found.

Stay tuned for the next installment of the mid-season 2026 PuRPs list!

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

Your 2026 New York Mets: It might look like [the Mets] are taking a step back, but [they’re] not.

“Every season that you lose a lot of games, it might look like you are taking a step back, but we’re not because there’s other things happening around it or behind it that are propelling us forward.” -Francisco Lindor [MLB]

Do you think the ‘bad times’ and this season has changed Francisco ‘Mr. Smile’ Lindor’s vibe…

“When I signed up here, it was to be in the good times and bad times and to win.” -Francisco Lindor [MLB]

…of course not…

“We have the right guys. Stearns is the right guy. That is No. 1. We have one of the best owners in sports history, because [Cohen] is going to go always with the energy that needs to be put into the team. When you are in a big market there is not such a thing as rebuilding. There is a little bit of transition, that is it. You can’t afford to rebuild in big markets, so I think we are working toward the right place. We have not taken a step backwards.” -Francisco Lindor [MLB]

…so to follow Lindor’s optimistic outlook on life, it’s Silver Linings Week…

The Mets have pitchers on the roster; some that are young, some that are old.

“You have the players you want to build around. You have the young pitching staff, along with a couple of pitchers that are a little bit older. -Francisco Lindor [MLB]

Also, it is accurate that Marcus Semien literally has two more years of his contract.

“You have got Marcus [Semien], who has still got a couple of years.” -Francisco Lindor [MLB]

The Mets do still have a Minor League system and Bo Bichette.

“You have Bo [Bichette, who can opt out after this season] — it’s going to be up to him if he stays. You have the young players, and then you look at the Minor League system, and you feel that we got better [at the Trade Deadline], so I believe that we are working forward.” -Francisco Lindor [MLB]

You know what, winter is long and full of no Mets baseball so enjoy getting to watch Nolan McLean starts…

“It was fairly executed [McLean said of the home run pitch.] I wasn’t trying to really punch him by any means for the strikeout there, but I would have liked it slightly more elevated. He made a good swing on a pitch that was pretty close to the outside corner, so I tip my cap.” -Nolan McLean [MLB]

…Carson Benge’s arm [Per Baseball Savant: 96th percentile arm value and 98th percentile arm strength]…

“I’ve always been blessed with an above-average arm, and it really helped that I also pitched in college to build up more arm strength. Having a strong arm makes a difference, and I think it’s really helped me this season to help get adjusted to the big leagues.” -Carson Benge [MLB]

…having new names to care about while drinking coffee and reading the Mets Daily Prospect Report…

“I just want to thank the organization for the opportunity. It’s been great with the guys. I’ve been getting along with everybody and I just feel like this right here is just a great opportunity.” -Jefferson Rojas [MLB] [I have to note that this quote cited that the quote was via “translator/Binghamton catcher” Chris Suero which makes me want to root for Suero to make it to the bigs one day even more]

…basically, enjoy what’s left of Hot Girl Bat Summer…

“The boys are swinging some hot bats, the bullpen is doing their thing, and the starters are always going to do their thing. It’s been fun, we’re rallying around each other, and we’ve just been playing some really good ball.” -Brett Baty [SNY]

…and, sure, enjoy the excitement of Luis Robert Jr…uh, um… being here.

“[Unable to sell Luis Robert Jr., president of baseball operations David Stearns spoke on Deadline day about] the excitement of still having him here for the next two months of the season.” -Anthony DiComo [MLB]

Let’s hear from Interim Manager Andy Green for some more Silver Linings

/Bandit Heller voice/ I agree, he has been doing great.

“[McLean’s] doing great. Eighty-five pitches, six innings and one run and one hit? That’s a good day’s work for him in August in his first year.” -Interim Manager Andy Green [MLB]

He will keep grinding.

“Some pitches in the heart of the plate have gotten hit pretty hard. [Dedniel Núñez] is going to be fine. The opportunity to get out there and continue to pitch, he’s going to get that. When we look forward to next year, he’s going to be a big part of what we do. He has good stuff. He has kind of paid for middle-middle mistakes right now. He will keep grinding and get it right.” -Interim Manager Andy Green [New York Post]

That was not his best stuff but he did continue to grind.

“It was a gritty performance for [Zac Thornton]. That was not his best stuff. It wasn’t his best strikes and he continued to grind.” -Interim Manager Andy Green [New York Post]

This game does not define him.

“I appreciate what [Robert Stock] has done to get here, and this game does not define him. It’s a rough outing, and it happens to pitchers all across the game all the time. He has talent. He earned a right to a second start.” -Interim Manager Andy Green [New York Post]

He does know he’s a part of the organization and that he’s going to be out there consistently, but not…umm…not that consistently but…uhh… yeah, that opportunity to play consistently, there is a ton of talent…umm…there. [It wasn’t Andy’s best quote and he didn’t quite stick the landing but he continued to grind and this quote DOES NOT define him]

“[Luis Robert Jr.] knows he’s a part of our organization. He knows he’s going to be out there consistently — not quite every day, but he’s going to be out there really consistently. And that opportunity to play consistently, there’s a ton of talent there.” -Interim Manager Andy Green [MLB]

/Count Rugen voice/ Get some rest, if you haven’t got your health, you haven’t got anything.

“When it comes to the numbers, sometimes you can’t really control all of that. But I think if I can stay healthy, the rest will take care of itself.” -Luis Robert Jr. [MLB]

“There has been good and bad from this whole process. I think when you have been out as long as I was it kind of takes a little longer to find your rhythm, to kind of find that execution. I haven’t been executing my fastballs as well as I wanted to.” -Dedniel Núñez [New York Post]

“It’s a great environment for myself. First of all, my body feels great. I’m able to go out and perform even in short innings, regardless of the situation.” -Kodai Senga [MLB]

I’m going to follow Kodai Senga’s example. Like Lindor, he’s finding the positive during a year that hasn’t quite gone the way he would’ve liked.

“Whenever it’s a first for anything, you don’t really think much of it in the moment or while you’re still playing. But when you skip ahead in years and retire, then I think it has a lot more meaning. So I wanted to have [the baseball from his 1st career save].” -Kodai Senga [MLB]

When I first met Blake Butera, we were in his small Spring Training office in West Palm Beach. The main thing I remember is the scented candles, a sign of his youth.

Over the last few weeks, through a series of questions before and after games, I’ve tried to get a better sense of how Butera thinks about the job.

Butera has become a more seasoned and experienced manager since arriving in Jupiter, Florida for Spring Training, but fundamentally, he is still the same person. He still has the same goals and mentality, but Butera, who turned 34 last week, has learned about the realities of managing a big league club.

As Butera put it, he has “been able to see things through a different lens” as he has gained experience. From bullpen management to knowing when to pull starters, Butera feels like he is learning something every game.

For this whole organization, they are constantly thinking about the process. That is something being done from the top down, and something Butera is constantly trying to do.

But it can be challenging for him. His head knows that he needs to be process oriented, but his heart lives and dies with every result.

With how the Nats season has gone, that has surely been on his mind often. There have been plenty of meltdowns this year, but Butera said, “As long as the process is good, you can live with the outcome, at least that is what I tell myself.”

That last part was telling. Butera may be the same person every day, but losing is something that clearly pushes him to the edge.

That combination of consistency and competitiveness is part of what has endeared him to his players. Jake Irvin told me that Butera is “very focused and diligent in his work.” He also mentioned that his new manager is the same guy every day.

But more importantly, Irvin pointed to the trust Butera has built. “The best managers I have had put trust in their players and communicate well,” Irvin said. “Blake has done both those things.”

Butera is a hands-on presence in a clubhouse that desperately needed that. He is constantly asking how to put his players in the best position to have success. That can even mean delivering hard truths to players. Irvin told me that Butera “tells you the truth whether you want to hear it or not.”

Butera is someone you would firmly characterize as a new school manager. However, Thursday revealed an old-school side of him that still matches with his player-first mentality.

He told me that if Cade Cavalli still had a no-hitter going, he would have been out for the ninth inning even if he was above 100 pitches.

For a few years now there have been a lot of debates about whether to let guys throw well over 100 pitches in pursuit of history. Earlier this season, the Marlins pulled Eury Perez after seven perfect innings.

Butera made it clear that was not his philosophy.

“If there was still a no-hitter, Cade would be pitching until he said he could not pitch anymore.”

Despite being a young, analytically minded manager, Butera appreciates the history of the game. He made it clear that he was not the type of manager to stand in the way of a no-hitter.

There have been times where Butera’s bullpen management has been questionable. It is something where he may even second guess himself. He is constantly thinking about the process and how he can get better. But there is another side to that.

You could see how desperate he was to get a victory during the team’s recent seven-game losing skid. That frustration boiled over when the normally even-keeled Butera got his first ejection as an MLB manager.

In a presser, Butera told a story about how his wife was upset that there wasn’t anything “juicier” that led to the ejection. She asked him what the umpire said that made him so mad, and Butera explained that he was just yelling at the dugout.

His wife was confused about how that made him so mad.“You don’t get it,” Butera told her. That angry side of Butera is not the norm. Most of the time he is calm and calculating. But it gets at the tension that has become more apparent as his first season has gone along.

Butera may not cut the most imposing figure and still looks at least five years younger than your average 34-year-old, but the competitive fire is burning.

He is a fresh-faced 34-year-old who loves talking about cutting-edge analytics in his office with scented candles. However, he is not the type to pull someone from a no-hitter and had the loud endorsement of a Hall of Famer in Mike Piazza.

Blake Butera is a process-oriented manager, or at least he tries to be. In a 162 game season, you can’t live or die by every result. But that can be tough for Butera, who leaves no stone unturned in his goal of winning as many games as possible.

Maybe that is why the most revealing thing Butera said was not that he can live with a bad outcome when the process is good. It was what he added afterward. “At least that is what I tell myself.”

The Kansas City Royals dropped a series to the Los Angeles Dodgers, but Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco find plenty worth discussing in both the struggles and the small victories along the way.

Jac Caglianone remains the most compelling storyline on the roster right now. He is hitting for average and looking increasingly comfortable at the player while playing first base, and Jacob and Jeremy dig into the ongoing debate about which position actually maximizes his value to this team. It is a conversation about more than just defense but where he plays affects the entire lineup construction moving forward.

Carson Roccaforte is making waves with legitimate home run power, and Sean Gamble continues to impress in his second-half turnaround. The headline name, though, is Angeibel Gomez at just 17 years old and already drawing comparisons to Juan Soto. Jacob and Jeremy place his early performance in the context of the Royals’ historically uneven track record developing outfielders, while acknowledging that the depth and quality of this farm system feel different than in years past.

Injury updates round out the roster conversation, with Vinnie Pasquantino back from injury and Maikel Garcia’s status also addressed. Statistical trends across the roster get a look as well, including the team’s surprising leader in OPS.

Need your Royals fix? Head to royalsreview.com for news, analysis, and to engage with Royals fans around the world! Follow us online:

BlueSky
– Jeremy Greco: @hokius.fromthehawkseye.com
– Jacob Milham: @jacobmilhkc.bsky.social

Twitter / X
– Podcast: @RoyalRundownPod