Category: Baseball

It’s a weird week to look at the Orioles farm system. The trade deadline is now six days away. Perhaps the Orioles will play well enough between now and then that some of the names in this article will be gone a week from now. They may also play poorly enough that there are suddenly new names to start to focus on, beyond just the 2026 draft picks arriving. This all depends on how Mike Elias assesses the situation. His mind is unknowable.

There are a number of prospects, some notable in this series and some not, who will be headed for the next level of the minors starting with this coming week. The Baltimore Banner’s Andy Kostka reported on the following promotions:

• Double-A to Triple-A: LHP Luis De León, RHP Juaron Watts-Brown
• High-A to Double-A: IF Wehiwa Aloy, IF Victor Figueroa, RHP Joe Glassey, RHP Caden Hunter
• Low-A to High-A: RHP Christian Rodriguez

Not headed to Triple-A for reasons unknown to me is Joseph Dzierwa. It’s time! Not headed to Double-A for reasons unfortunately known is Ike Irish. Last year’s first round pick tore the meniscus in his left knee this past week and is out for the season. I think Irish would have absolutely been among these promotions if not for that injury. It’s a bummer.

Here’s how things shook out for the rest of the top prospects this week:

Triple-A Norfolk Tides

• Last week: 1-5 at Charlotte (White Sox)
• Next opponent: vs. Worcester (Red Sox)
• Second half record: 8-17, ninth place (10 GB) in International League East

This is a sad roster and the team’s record continues to reflect it. That’s not going to change much with De León and Watts-Brown arriving, though at least it makes the starting rotation more interesting to have them around. They’ll be joining a rotation that’s already got Nestor German, who remains modestly interesting. German added a start that’s fairly representative of his season: Two runs allowed in 5.1 innings, allowing six hits and a walk while striking out five. That could be useful for the back of the rotation.

The Tides will also be joined this week by Ryan Mountcastle and Chris Bassitt, each of whom is starting a rehab assignment. I would guess each will be pushed close to the maximum number of days for a rehab, 20 for position players and 30 for pitchers.

Creed Willems is back! You might want to see him at the major league level instead of the guys we’ve got catching. The Orioles have other thoughts. Willems did not put together a “force them to promote me” kind of week, collecting just four hits in 19 AB, all singles. Things went slightly better for Enrique Bradfield Jr., who had six hits in 19 AB, all singles. Bradfield stole five bases, giving him 21 steals in 48 games for the Tides.

One guy did not hit nothing but singles. Heston Kjerstad went 10-23 across six games, driving in nine runs in part thanks to hitting three homers and a double. He is OPSing 1.027 in the month of July.

Tides season-to-date stats.

Double-A Chesapeake Baysox

• Last week: 3-3 vs. Erie (Tigers)
• Next opponent: at Altoona (Pirates)
• Second half record: 15-11, second place (3.5 GB) in Eastern League Southwest

With Aloy joining the ranks here and Dzierwa inexplicably remaining, this might now be the most interesting affiliate in the system. They’re playing better in the second half, staying above .500. Keep at it, fellas.

My guy Aron Estrada was a big part over the party over the past week’s worth of games. The infielder racked up eight hits in 19 at-bats, including a double and a homer. Pretty good!

Fellow infielder and in my imagination syrup aficionado Brandon Butterworth matched Estrada with eight hits and three of Butterworth’s were homers. The 23-year-old, acquired in the Padres trade last year, has appeared in 38 games at the level this year; he missed some time with an injury. Things are going well in those games: .270/.377/.496 batting line. Outfielder Tavien Josenberger also hit three homers, and he showed patience in drawing seven walks as well.

De León’s final start here before the promotion was the kind of thing that shows why he’s going up a level. The 23-year-old lefty struck out nine batters while allowing just one run in 6.1 innings. Watts-Brown’s final start, not so good, with three runs allowed on seven hits in 5.1 innings. Also not to be forgotten is Dzierwa, who allowed a run in 4.2 innings with only three strikeouts. Pedestrian by his standards. Dzierwa has a 2.48 ERA and 0.957 WHIP in 11 games at this level.

Also of interest

• LHP Micah Ashman – One might also wonder why this reliever didn’t get a promotion too. One run allowed in three innings, 1.93 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 37.1 innings for the season
• RHP Patrick Reilly – First start back at an appropriate level after recovering from Tommy John surgery, three runs allowed in 5.1 innings, all thanks to solo home runs

Baysox season-to-date stats.

High-A Frederick Keys

• Last week: 4-2 at Rome (Braves)
• Next opponent: vs. Wilmington (Nationals)
• Second half record: 17-12, second place (0.5 GB) in South Atlantic League North
• The Keys are already guaranteed a postseason spot for their first half title

The just-promoted Aloy hit a pair of homers in his final week for Frederick, finishing with a .300/.371/.503 batting line in 84 games, with 15 homers. He’s cut the strikeout rate as the season has gone along, though he finishes with a high number at 25.6%. Not as good among the promoted is Figueroa, 5-17 hitting with no extra-base hits.

Things went well for the promoted pitchers too. Caden Hunter, a lefty starter drafted in the sixth round last year, tossed 5.2 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts. Gotta like that. Hunter began the season with Delmarva, so this is his second promotion. Joe Glassey, a reliever who was an undrafted free agent two years ago, pitched two scoreless innings across two games; he posted a 2.86 ERA with 50 strikeouts in 28.1 innings with the Keys. Crucially, unlike a number of guys in the system, these two are not walking too many dudes.

Not so fun is the injury news. Irish, as mentioned above, is done for the year thanks to the torn meniscus. Pitching prospect Boston Bateman exited his start this week after just one out due to what the team announced as right hip flexor discomfort.

Others of interest

• OF Braylin Tavera – 21-year-old also hit two homers this week. He’s OPSing .760 for the season but it’s a lot of strikeouts, like, a lot (35.9%)
• RHP Twine Palmer – One run allowed in three innings this week. There seem to have been some command issues. He walked three batters.

Keys season-to-date stats.

Low-A Delmarva Shorebirds

• Last week: 3-3 at Hill City (Guardians)
• Next opponent: vs. Hickory (Rangers)
• Second half record: 12-18, fifth place (4 GB) in Carolina League North

Christian Rodriguez, the pitcher who got promoted here, has not gotten a lot of focus from me in these articles because it’s his age 24 season and he’s been at Low-A. If he was two years younger, he’d still be old for this level. If he was at Double-A right now, he’d still be old for that level. That doesn’t make him much of a prospect, but I don’t want to take too much away from his results, which have been very good. He can only face the hitters the organization asks him to face. Rodriguez heads up to Frederick after five innings with just one unearned run allowed, giving him a 2.57 ERA across 19 games.

Among the hitters, the interesting duo continues to be infielders DJ Layton and Jaiden Lo Re, mid-round picks from high schools in the last two consecutive drafts. Although Layton managed to pick up six hits, including three for extra bases, over his 21 at-bats, he struck out 11 times. That’s tough. Lo Re only struck out one time, hitting 5-21 with a double. Lo Re has an .877 OPS through 34 games since getting promoted here.

Shorebirds season-to-date stats.

Florida Complex League Orioles

• Final season record: 34-23
• Qualified for one-game league semifinals (wild card), lost 7-0 to FCL Astros

Now that this team’s season is done, a few players are also going from this level up to Delmarva for the rest of the season. That group, as noted by Orioles On the Verge, is: RHP KK Clark, IF Hector Campusano, LHP Francisco Morao, and IF Jemone Nuel. Campusano and Nuel are in their age 19 seasons, Morao is 20, and Clark is 22. Nuel, who just batted .283/.456/.483 over 50 games in this rookie league, is probably the most interesting of this bunch.

FCL Orioles full season stats.

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Our last minor league player of the week poll was two weeks ago, since the minor league teams were off during the MLB All-Star break. A majority of voters picked Luis De León as the winner in that poll, making him the tenth different winner chosen since we were able to create polls. Ike Irish is our only two-time winner. Unfortunately, we already know he won’t win a third this year.

Other single week winners that De León joins: Aron Estrada, Victor Figueroa, Payton Eeles, Braylin Tavera, Caden Hunter, Wehiwa Aloy, Jaiden Lo Re, and Joseph Dzierwa. Will there be a repeat winner this week? Three of the choices have won before. The choice is yours.

Yesterday in The Athletic, Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon wrote about Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman’s questionable defensive skills and how they might affect his trade value going forward.

We’ve talked about that quite a bit already, but I just have to say to those executives who want to move Goodman out of the catcher role, “Have you seen his positional splits?” And to those who would consider moving him to another position, “Good luck!”

Ultimately, the piece struck me as part of front office bargaining. Here’s a tell: “The Yankees have a coach who possibly could draw more out of Goodman — Tanner Swanson, their major-league field coordinator and director of catching. Within the industry, Swanson is regarded as a top catching instructor.”

What are we even doing here (besides trying to depress Goodman’s trade value)?

Actually, that’s not what interested me about Rosenthal and Sammon’s article. This did:

As previously reported, the Rockies are telling teams they spent the first part of the season trying to figure out which players can be part of their next 90-win team. Barring an extension for Goodman, they must decide whether they can get to 90 wins with him by 2029, his final year of club control, or whether a trade for multiple prospects might accelerate their timeline.

The first sentence — “which players can be part of their next 90-win team” — caught my attention, and I began to wonder who might be on that next contending team. So today, I’m going to try to begin teasing that out.

A couple of prefatory notes are in order.

First, I’m limiting myself to the current 40-man roster and mostly prospects at Triple-A Albuquerque. Second, I’m going to assume that in terms of hitters, Paul DePodesta and Josh Byrnes are mostly interested in players who can get on base because they see it as a way to mitigate the Coors Effect. Third, based on what we’ve seen, I’m going to assume that the Rockies are looking for pitchers with big arsenals and funky deliveries.

That’s simplifying things — I know — but look at this as a pre-writing exercise rather than the final product.

Catchers

Currently, the Rockies have three catchers on their 40-man roster:

• Hunter Goodman
• Brett Sullivan
• Braxton Fulford

I’ll start with the easy part: I do not believe Sullivan and Fulford are part of the Rockies core. However, I do think Sullivan, the archetypal backup catcher, has a future in coaching. But those two players are not key pieces when considering the Rockies future.

Goodman, though, I think is up for debate.

If the Rockies can get a haul for him that accelerates the team’s timeline to get back into contention, they’ll make the deal — and that haul will have to include significant pitching. If they keep Goodman, that’s fine, too, because the Rockies have a keen sense of his skill set (unlike some teams).

Looking forward, I think probably the Rockies have just drafted their catcher of the future in either Daniel Jackson or Jack Natili. And — file this one away — Jack O’Dowd, in addition to pounding baseballs, is also a catcher.

Infielders

Now things get more challenging. Here’s who’s currently on the 40-man roster:

• Adael Amador
• Willi Castro
• Edouard Julien
• Kyle Karros
• Ryan Ritter
• TJ Rumfield
• Chad Stevens
• Ezequiel Tovar

I do not see Castro, Julien, and Stevens as part of the Rockies core. Castro, I think, will be traded while Julien and Stevens are released to continue the baseball journeys waiting for them.

Ritter and Tovar, I would argue, are placeholders. Despite Tovar’s struggles at the plate, he is the Rockies best option at shortstop in the near term. I suspect the Rockies hope to address his offensive issues and trade him. But Tyler Bell looks to be the future here though he has expressed a willingness to move to second.

Amador, I think, will get his second MLB audition in August. After the front office sees how he does, they’ll will decide his place in the lineup going forward.

Roldy Brito (No. 11 PuRP) and Ethan Holliday (No. 2 PuRP) fit in here somewhere. For Holliday, I am not sure where because I do not believe he’ll stick at short, but given that his season was cut short, we know less about his progress. (Frankly, I expect him to be moved to the outfield.)

So here’s my infield core: Rumfield and Karros with Charlie Condon (No 1 PuRP) providing a RH platoon for first base. Tyler Bell is the future shortstop with second base being up for grabs, and Amador having the first shot — but maybe that’s where they’re hoping for Landyn Vidourek.

Outfielders

Here’s the current 40-man selection:

• Jordan Beck
• Cole Carrigg
• Brenton Doyle
• Tyler Freeman
• Troy Johnston
• Jake McCarthy
• Mickey Moniak
• Sterlin Tompson
• Zac Veen

And on the ‘Topes:

• Drew Avans
• Connor Capel
• Charlie Condon

For me, there are two for-sure names on this list: Cole Carrigg and Charlie Condon.

Veen and Thompson will be given an opportunity to show what they can do after the trade deadline.

And the other players will be used to fill out a roster, as trade chips, or DFA’d when the season ends.

One note on McCarthy. Yes, he’s a model of what the Rockies want to do, but I see him more as an experiment than as part of the future. DePodesta and Byrnes had an idea of what they wanted to see work at Coors Field, and McCarthy showed it can. (Plus, check out his even- and 0dd-year splits.) At this point, McCarthy becomes more valuable as a trade piece.

Starting rotation

This one is fairly straightforward. Here’s the current 40-man:

• Chase Dollander
• Ryan Feltner
• Kyle Freeland
• Gabriel Hughes
• Michael Lorenzen
• José Quintana
• Tomoyuki Sugano
• Sean Sullivan

Of this list, only two are players to build around: Chase Dollander and Gabriel Hughes.

Other starters I expect to be traded or used to finish the season. This is a part of the roster that DePodesta and Byrnes will focus on improving during the trade deadline and offseason.

Feltner, I would argue, is not consistent enough, and Sullivan seems better as a bullpen fit.

Bullpen

Here, things get weird, and I’m hesitant to say much of anything given the volatility of bullpen arms. And there are so many that I’m not going to list them all.

There is one that stands out: Nick Frasso. He may illustrate what the Rockies have in mind going forward. The other bullpen arms I think will either be traded or used as needed. (Hey, you can never have too many arms.) But Frasso and perhaps Juan Mejia strike me as the only two with staying power.

Here’s the thing about Seth Halvorsen: Whatever his talents, the Rockies front office did not see him as part of their core going forward.

We should see more of those kinds of moves before the trade deadline.

Closing thoughts

So that’s where I am in terms of looking to the future. I think DePodesta and Byrnes are eager to get this team in contention, and they will take whatever steps are needed to make that happen.

But with that, I turn the discussion over to the Purple Rowers, who, I’m sure, will have their own strong opinions.

Who do you see the Rockies building around going forward?

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What I’m hearing about the Yankees’ trade deadline pursuit of a catcher | The Athletic ($ — gift link)

Of course, Hunter Goodman receives attention in this one with Chris Kirschner questioning Goodman’s defense skills. Then there’s this line: “During daily meetings between the Yankees’ starting pitcher and catcher, the catcher delivers comprehensive scouting reports detailing the strategy for attacking the opponent’s lineup.” Apparently the conclusion is that the Rockies don’t do game prep on the opposing team? At any rate, the Hunter Goodman articles increasingly seem less an analysis of his skills and more about decreasing his trade value.

The inevitable Kyle Karros | Blake Street Banter

Eli Whitney examines what Karros brings to the Rockies.

This rising Rockies prospect just hit over .400 for the second straight season | MLB.com

In case you’re just starting to learn about Cristian Arguelles, the 19-year-old outfielder dominating the ACL, here you go.

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Today’s Reflections

Monday, 2:30 PM MST — Instead of my trashing Jameson Taillon after his latest meltdown as I’ve been doing for a few starts, I was glad to let several writers do that job for me for once. That allowed me to concentrate on all the good things from the past weekend.

I had basically finished this article, left for a couple of hours for an appointment and returned to see if there was any new news to add in. Now, with Taillon being DFA, part of my article has been rewritten/reorganized.

This was quite the move by the Cubs. There was no messing around, but it was definitely needed, and time to move on. And if Jed Hoyer thought the price for SP was high last year, the Cubs are going to be put through the wringer this year.

Back to regularly scheduled comments:

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The Cubs’ offense had multiple strong performances, including six hitters with at least one multi-hit game.

Let’s start with PCA, who posted 5-for-10, three runs, four RBI with two doubles, a triple and a home run. His big day was Saturday, going 4-for-5 with two doubles and a HR. Within that line, he went 2-for-3 against Paul Skenes, including a 400+ foot line drive off the center-field wall for an RBI double. Skenes did give up five runs in 5.1 innings, but rang up 11 strikeouts, so it wasn’t like he was flailing. Pete was a triple short of a cycle with three runs scored and three RBI in the game. PCA only had one hit Sunday, but it was that missing RBI-triple from the game before.

A bit overshadowed by PCA was Michael Busch’s 5-for-10 weekend with a double and walk (something PCA didn’t do), three RBI and a run scored.

Pedro Ramirez and Dansby Swanson had a nearly-duplicate pair of games. They each went 4-for-8 with three runs scored and two RBI. The only difference was Swanson’s RBI-double.

Miguel Amaya made his one game on Saturday count, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI.

Nico Hoerner went 3-for-8 in the pair of games with two runs scored and an RBI.

A big honorable mention goes to Seiya Suzuki. While he only managed going 1-for05 in each of the two games, he had four RBI, including his two-run home run in the ninth inning Sunday that cut the Pirates’ lead to 8-7.

On the mound Saturday, Shota Imanaga tossed six scoreless innings against Skenes, stranding four hits and a walk while striking out four. Imanaga has had one similar game in each April, May and June while having struggles in his other outings. But this is the first time he has had back-to-back scoreless outings this season.

It was almost a perfect three-game series. Almost.

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Sunday’s Game Stories:

• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune {$}): Chicago Cubs face a tough Jameson Taillon decision as veteran doomed again by costly home runs in 8-7 loss. “Jameson Taillon’s future in the Chicago Cubs’ rotation became uncertain Sunday after an 8-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.”

• John Perrtotto (MLB.com): Could Taillon move to Cubs’ bullpen? Veteran righty searching for answers. “Winless in last nine starts, Taillon bit by long ball once again.”

Saturday’s Game Stories:

• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): MVPETE > Cy Skenes? Pete Crow-Armstrong dazzles as Cubs beat up October-type ace Paul Skenes. “Skenes reached a season-high 11 strikeouts, but the Cubs got five runs off the reigning Cy Young winner, with Crow-Armstrong bolstering his MVP candidacy with a four-hit night and a couple wins in showdowns with Skenes.”

• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune {$}): M-V-Pete? Crow-Armstrong adds to his case with 4-hit night — including a HR — in Chicago Cubs’ 11-0 rout. “The M-V-P chants started among Chicago Cubs fans behind the visitors dugout as Pete Crow-Armstrong crossed the plate.”

Trade, Injury and Roster Talk:

• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Cubs DFA Jameson Taillon in middle of rough season, further stressing pitching need ahead of trade deadline. “The Cubs cut their longest-tenured active pitcher loose Monday, with the veteran righty failing produce in a positive way for a team in the thick of a playoff race.”
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Jed Hoyer quietly sent Cubs’ biggest trade deadline message with Jameson Taillon decision. “Monday was an important day for the Cubs front office.”
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib): Latest Cubs rumor from Jeff Passan suggests Jed Hoyer is about to level up at the trade deadline. “The pressure is on for Chicago’s president of baseball operations to deliver.”
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Cubs once again have a path toward popular trade deadline target after Marlins’ skid. “We’re doing this again?”
• Casey McAleer (DaWindyCity): The Cubs cannot afford to ignore a Tarik Skubal blockbuster. “Chicago should pursue the two-time Cy Young winner without recklessly sacrificing its future for a rental.”
• Elias Schuster (Chicago Cubs On SI): Cubs May Hold Key Trade Chip to Landing One of Angels’ Best Starting Arms. “The Cubs need a pitcher.”
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Cubs Injury Update: Hunter Harvey’s surprising timeline, Daniel Palencia’s next step, Shelby Miller. “Hunter Harvey, Daniel Palencia, and Shelby Miller are all tracking to return to the Chicago Cubs before the end of the season.”

Players’ Views/Development RE: Trade Deadline:

• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): The Cubs’ clubhouse believes. As the trade deadline nears, does Chicago’s front office? ““The players that we have in this clubhouse right now,” Matthew Boyd said, “we believe are good enough to win the World Series.”
• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Pete Crow-Armstrong says any trade-deadline adds will only help Cubs, but ‘I love what we’ve got’. “The Cubs’ MVP candidate knows what happens at this time of year and would be happy to welcome any additions the front office makes at the trade deadline. But he’s also thrilled with the current group and ready to chase a championship.”
• Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): Jacob Webb’s New Pitch Softens Cubs’ Need for Reliever at MLB Trade Deadline. “He’s not a traditional relief ace, but Jacob Webb loves his high-leverage role with the Cubs—and the new breaking ball he and the team engineered has made him viable in it.”

Assorted Stories:

• Tom Ley (The Defector): Pete Crow-Armstrong Is Good Enough To Raise The Forbidden Question. “Let’s acknowledge that there is no conversation to be had about who the best player in baseball is, so long as Shohei Ohtani is drawing breath and applying his skills as a two-way player.”
• Tony Andracki (AllChgo.com): Pete Crow-Armstrong is taking a page out of Anthony Rizzo’s book and it’s paying off. “Pete Crow-Armstrong may be on his way to an NL MVP award in 2026 and he has a legendary former Cub to thank for his development.”

PCA walk rate, year-over-year:
4.5% → 11.8% (+7.3%)

That’s the largest increase by any player with a sub-5% walk rate since Al Kaline in 1954-55 (both qualified seasons). pic.twitter.com/6SHmGxplLh

— Paul Hembekides (Hembo) (@PaulHembo) July 22, 2026

• Bill Heyen (Sporting News): Cubs legend Kerry Wood threw mind-blowing behind-the-back pitch for Savannah Bananas. “There’s no way you could do this even if you tried.”
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune {$}): How a new changeup and an extended opportunity have fueled Chicago Cubs reliever Gavin Hollowell’s success. “Chicago Cubs reliever Gavin Hollowell is getting an extended opportunity to show what he can do in the majors.”
• Brian Kelder (North Side Baseball): The Cubs Lineup Isn’t Good Enough to Go All-In. “Go past WAR accumulation. Is the lineup as good as it needs to be to truly contend?”
• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Fueled by NLDS loss to Brewers, Cubs relish chance to turn regular season’s ‘dog days’ into playoff momentum. “The Cubs are hungry to go further than they did last postseason, when they were bounced by the division-rival Brewers, and see the late-summer days of the regular season as part of the exciting road to a deep October run.”

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Food For Thought:

The founder of the eponymous Betty Fox Band fills the stage with smoky notes and a sultry presence, energizing crowds with smooth, powerful vocals. Born into a musical family, the Tampa native discovered her passion at an early age. Fox’s grandparents traveled around to churches with their kids, singing gospel hymns. Later, the family gathered around the piano every Sunday to sing harmonies, a tradition they continue now on holidays.

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.

Ceddanne Rafaela’s first career grand slam lifted the Red Sox over the A’s last night in Sacramento in a game that was otherwise a sleepy affair. Peyton Tolle gave up a first-inning solo shot to Tyler Soderstrom in the most anti-Fenway homer there is:

And then the bats on both sides went silent for a while. A’s starter Jack Perkins stymied the Sox despite an ERA over 6, but ran into trouble in the 6th after a Connor Wong leadoff double. Willson Contreras walked, which brought on José Suarez in place of Perkins, but the result was the same for Wilyer Abreu, who also walked. Then Ceddy called game, albeit just barely:

Here is what happens when you hit a grand slam against the A’s, btw:

Yep, that’ll do it. And did it. With the win, the Sox stayed 2 games ahead of the Guardians for the 2d Wild Card spot and kept pace with the repulsive Yankees. As I said in the preview, these are the games you gotta win. Nice to know they read OTM!

The Guardians were rained out yesterday and will play at 1:40 and 7:10. Slade Cecconi and Gavin Williams will both pitch as the Guardians have an off day on Thursday to get the rotation back on track.

The Guardians have five players in FanGraphs’ new Top 100 prospects list. 11. Angel Genao, 37. Braylon Doughty, 38. Ralphy Velazquez, 67. Juneiker Caceres, 96. Aaron Walton. Khal Stephen also snuck on to the 11 players listed just outside the 100 at 111. Get well soon, Khal.

AROUND MLB:

The Tigers and White Sox lost.

Meet the Mets

The Mets had themselves quite the night in the series opener against the Atlanta Braves, crushing their rivals to the tune of 14-3. Zac Thornton continued his run of success with his fourth straight quality start, and the bats slugged four home runs—including two from Francisco Lindor.

Choose your recap: Amazin’ Avenue, NY Post, Daily News

Thornton continues to raise some eyebrows after another impressive outing.

The Mets will not have much to play for in the last couple months of the season, but Juan Soto still intends to return from his calf injury before the year is done.

Luis Robert Jr. expressed a desire to remain with the Mets despite the rampant trade speculation surrounding him.

The 1986 Mets are preparing to come together again to be celebrated at Citi Field this weekend.

Angels starter Reid Detmers could be a sensible target for a Mets team that needs to improve its starting rotation between now and next season.

Christian Scott’s addition of a cutter to his repertoire has helped him find success this year.

Around the National League East

The Braves may have lost last night, but they did celebrate the return of Ronald Acuña Jr. from the injured list.

The Phillies entered the bottom of the ninth against the Marlins with a two-run lead, but Jhoan Durán then allowed six baserunners while recording just one out, culminating in a walk-off single from Griffin Conine to give Philadelphia an 8-7 defeat.

Amidst his recent struggles, Bryce Harper is hoping that the Phillies will add the pieces they need to contend at the deadline.

The Nationals’ bats couldn’t get much going against old friend Max Scherzer and the Blue Jays’ pitching staff, resulting in a 3-2 loss for Washington.

Connelly Early threw his first bullpen as a member of the Nationals following his surprising trade from the Red Sox.

Around Major League Baseball

Fans at Comerica Park got to enjoy some squirrel-related hijinks last night.

In news that could have ramifications on the trade deadline, the Reds have placed Spencer Steer on the injured list due to a wrist strain.

Curtis Mead left his first game with the Red Sox early after getting hit by a pitch in the wrist.

The Red Sox are reportedly on the market for a shortstop addition at the trade deadline.

Giants third baseman Casey Schmitt exited last night’s game due to an apparent leg injury.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Brian Salvatore previewed the series against the NL East-leading Braves.

Linus Lawrence compiled some of the interesting stats from the past week of Mets baseball.

Chris McShane discussed Carlos Beltrán’s Hall of Fame induction speech from this past weekend.

This Date in Mets History

Speaking of Beltrán, it was fifteen years ago today that the Mets traded him to the Giants in exchange for a young pitching prospect named Zack Wheeler.

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While the MLB Gold Glove odds aren't out yet, it's never too early to speculate who baseball's sharpest defenders will be. 

Established in 1957, the Gold Glove honors players who exhibit superior individual fielding performances at each position in the AL and NL. Overall, 18 Gold Gloves are handed out, making the Gold Glove odds a fun bit of speculation – and ultimately a lucrative market to bet.

As I said, we don't have odds, but we can offer a decent projection on potential winners based on Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) as of July 28.

AL Gold Glove Odds & Picks

The AL board is loaded up the middle and in the outfield. Wilyer Abreu's +20 DRS in right field leads all AL fielders on this list, with Cedanne Rafaela (+17) and Cody Bellinger (+19) giving Boston and New York outfield candidates of their own. Taylor Walls (+14) paces infielders at short, while Cole Young's +11 stands out as the clear leader among AL second basemen.

NL Gold Glove Odds & Picks

The NL races center on the outfield and left side of the infield. Andy Pages tops this board at +17 DRS in center, with Matt Chapman's +16 keeping the hot corner competitive for San Francisco. Brice Turang's +14 leads NL second basemen, and Luis Torrens' +12 puts him ahead of every other catcher listed, a strong early marker in a position that's historically hard to grade defensively.

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If you bounce around the majors, you'll find a variety of MLB ballparks, big and small. No two stadiums are alike, and that's a good thing. 

Baseball sharps take note of which parks favor hitters or pitchers. There are betting advantages and disadvantages camouflaged within each venue's towering wall, short porch, dry air or deep alley. Here's everything you need to know about which MLB ballparks are good or bad for dingers.

Homer heaven: Best MLB ballparks for home runs

If you love the value of a home run player prop, take note of the ballparks that can make or break your bet.

All Park Factor sabermetrics courtesy Baseball Savant.

---

UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium (129)

Dodger Stadium remains the best home run environment in baseball, posting a 129 HR factor in the 2024–2026 window. That means the park is playing 29% more homer-friendly than league average, giving it a clear edge over the rest of the field. With dry conditions, limited wind disruption, and a lineup loaded with power, games at Chavez Ravine should stay circled for anyone betting dinger props.

Great American Ball Park (122)

Great American Ball Park has long carried a hitter-friendly reputation, and the latest HR factor data backs it up. Cincinnati checks in second at 122, making it one of the best parks in baseball for balls to leave the yard. The compact dimensions can turn well-struck fly balls into quick home runs, especially when the weather heats up. If you're shopping home run props, this is one of the first venues to check.

Yankee Stadium (117)

Yankee Stadium remains a prime target for home run bettors, especially when left-handed power is involved. The short porch in right field gives hitters a clear path to cheap or pulled home runs, and the park's 117 HR factor puts it third in the majors over the 2024–2026 sample. Matchups in the Bronx deserve extra attention any time a power bat gets a favorable handedness split.

Daikin Park (115)

Daikin Park also sits firmly in homer-friendly territory with a 115 HR factor. Houston's home park rewards hitters who can pull the ball with authority, and the Crawford Boxes can make life uncomfortable for pitchers who miss up or over the plate. It may not always get the same betting attention as Cincinnati or New York, but the park factor says it belongs in the same conversation.

Homer Hell: worst MLB ballparks For home runs

Maybe you love old-timey small ball? Maybe you're scanning daily picks and want to fade a team with tons of sluggers? Either way, this will help inform your next move.

Oracle Park (77)

Oracle Park sits at the bottom of the home run park factor rankings, posting a 77 mark in the 2024–2026 window. The cold air, deep right-center gap, and bay-side conditions continue to knock down fly balls that might carry elsewhere. If you're fading power props or looking for a reason to lean under on a slugging market, San Francisco is one of the first places to start.

PNC Park (78)

PNC Park remains one of baseball's toughest home run environments, checking in just ahead of Oracle Park with a 78 HR factor. The deep left-center gap can swallow fly balls, and the park rarely gives hitters the same cheap power boost they might find in Cincinnati, New York or Los Angeles. For bettors, Pittsburgh is still a strong fade spot for homer-heavy profiles.

Busch Stadium (81)

Busch Stadium also lands near the bottom of the list with an 81 HR factor. St. Louis has not played as a friendly home run park in this sample, which can matter when evaluating power props or game totals. The venue does not erase offense entirely, but it makes hitters earn their damage more than most parks on the board.

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.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders: Off-day

Double-A Somerset Patriots: Off-day

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades: Off-day

Low-A Tampa Tarpons: Off-day

Florida Complex League Yankees: Season over

Dominican Summer League Yankees:W, 9-8 vs. DSL Miami

CF Isaias Castillo 0-2, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, 3 SB — 20th stolen base of the year in 37 games with a major leap in power, a strong second season surge
SS Stiven Marinez 0-3, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 K
2B Juan Torres 1-3, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 R, 2 BB — second straight year tearing up the DSL with a 1.075 OPS at just 18 years old, could potentially see time stateside next year
C Cesar Lopez 2-4, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K
DH Poly Ojeda 0-2, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K
RF Manuel Aguilar 0-2, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K
3B Abrahan Pichardo 0-1, 1 R, 3 BB, 1 K
1B John Rosillo 0-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K
LF Kendry Diaz 0-2, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 2 SB

Hector Moreno 2 IP, 5 R, 4 H, 5 BB, 2 K, pickoff error — 10.06 ERA after eight starts, yeesh
Fredy Penuelas 5 IP, 3 R, 5 H, 3 K, 1 HR (win)

Dominican Summer League Bombers:W, 7-5 at DSL Rangers Blue

CF Ruben Castillo 1-4, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 CS
SS Dariel Santana 1-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K
C Alessandro Rodriguez 1-5, 1 R, 2 K
DH Carlos Bello 0-4, 2 K
RF David Carrera 0-2, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K
1B Kenneth Melendez 2-4, 1 RBI, 1 R, 2 K — capped off a 7-0 run with an RBI single in the eighth
3B Germayhoni Beltre 2-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 SB, throwing error — got the scoring started with an RBI double in the second
LF Sebastian Pinto 1-4, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 K
2B Alfred Ciriaco 1-4, 2 RBI, 1 K, 1 CS, throwing error

Andre Avila 3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 5 K
Randy Angomas 4.2 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 4 BB, 1 K (win)
Oscar Vasquez 0.2 IP, 4 R, 2 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 2 K — an error, a wild pitch, and a passed ball combined to allow three runs through in the eighth
Ronald Tejada 0.2 IP, 0 R, 1 BB (save)

Welcome back to the Minor League Roundup!

For the second week in a row, this week’s roundup is going to look a little different. This time, it’s because MLB Pipeline released its first midseason update to their Brewers’ Top 30 prospects list, and a lot has changed — including some major shakeups within the top half of the list.

Like last week, I’ll still include the week’s standout performances, but instead of the usual affiliate-by-affiliate breakdown, the rest of this roundup will focus on the new landscape: the system’s biggest risers, a couple of fallers, and a few prospects I think should have made the list.

Standout Performances:

Luke Adams: 8-for-19, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 4 BB, 2 K
Lyon Richardson: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Coleman Crow: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
Thomas Pannone: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Tyson Hardin: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K

Blake Burke: 9-for-21, 1 2B, 5 HR, 11 RBI, 5 BB, 5 K
Josiah Ragsdale: 7-for-24, 4 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 10 K
Jesús Made: 6-for-24, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 4 K
Andrew Fischer: 6-for-25, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 2 BB, 9 K
Yorman Galindez: 5.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

Braylon Payne: 8-for-23, 3 2B, 1 RBI, 4 BB, 9 K
Luis Castillo: 7-for-21, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K
Luis Peña: 6-for-20, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K
Chandler Welch: 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
Garrett Hodges: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K

Daniel Corniel: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
Josh Knoth: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 2 K
Brady Ebel: 8-for-21, 2 RBI, 6 BB, 4 K
Carlos Carra: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Hayden Robinson: 8.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 9 K

Miqueas Mercedes: 7.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 5 K
Diustin Mayorquin: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

The Top 10:

Most who follow the Brewers probably know who the organization’s consensus top four prospects are: SS Jesús Made, INF Luis Peña, SS Cooper Pratt, and OF Luis Lara.

Made is the consensus top prospect in baseball. He has a beautiful swing, great numbers, and a five-tool ceiling, while Peña (No. 18 overall) may have just as high a ceiling but has missed weeks at a time this season due to what have been reported as heat-related health issues. Lara and Pratt aren’t quite in the same tier as Made or Peña, but both have star potential. Both have already debuted, signed long-term extensions, and played well in limited time with Milwaukee.

You simply cannot stop Luis Lara pic.twitter.com/k2CkompYVk

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) July 26, 2026

Since so much ink has already been spilled on those four — along with Andrew Fischer (No. 7) — I wanted to focus on a few players I’ve been especially excited about over the last year and a half. It’s awesome to finally see three prospects I really believe in — Braylon Payne (No. 8), Josh Adamczewski (No. 6), and Tyson Hardin (No. 9) — ranked among the Brewers’ top 10 prospects.

When I started writing for BrewCrewBall, Adamczewski and Hardin weren’t on the Brewers’ Top 30 at all. Neither prospect is especially young, flashy, or toolsy, but both have been remarkably steady producers throughout their minor league careers.

The 24-year-old Hardin is a great story. He attended junior college out of high school before transferring to Mississippi State, where he posted an ERA over 5.00 out of the bullpen in his first season. He improved enough in his second year (3.22 ERA over 23 relief appearances and two starts) for the Brewers to select him in the 12th round of the 2024 draft.

Where were you when Tyson Hardin collected his 2⃣0⃣0⃣th career strikeout. pic.twitter.com/7vKwHLpo4T

— Nashville Sounds (@nashvillesounds) July 25, 2026

Hardin is exactly what you’d expect from a Brewers pitching prospect who’s climbed the rankings through consistent production. He doesn’t throw especially hard, but he has a low release point, a flat approach angle, good extension, and a slider that’s become his best pitch. His fastball and cutter have both shown promise, and—most importantly—he gets results.

Last year, his first full professional season, Hardin posted a 2.72 ERA between High-A and Double-A. This year, he’s put up a 3.48 ERA in 12 Triple-A starts while striking out exactly nine batters per nine innings. Milwaukee has found another pitcher it can develop, and we’re seeing the results.

While their ace is throwing harder than any starting pitcher ever has before, the Brewers continue to churn out another type of pitching prospect: command-first starters with average velocity who consistently miss bats and get outs. Logan Henderson, Chad Patrick, and Coleman Crow have all pitched well for the Brewers this year, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Hardin was next.

Adamczewski has one of the prettiest swings in the farm system, and he’s hit .315 or better in each of his first three professional seasons. His power numbers — and his prospect stock — have risen after he lowered his hands to produce more line drives. Questions remain about his long-term defensive home (probably left field, maybe designated hitter), but the bat has played at every level.

Josh Adamczewski (@Brewers) ups his system-leading batting average to .328 with his 13th homer of the year!

MLB's No. 90 prospect has reached base in all but one game since his promotion to the Double-A @BiloxiShuckers on June 15. pic.twitter.com/NJA68YvmGQ

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 22, 2026

While Adamczewski had already posted an OPS above .900 in each of the previous two seasons, Payne didn’t necessarily need to hit like that to justify his place among the organization’s top prospects. Milwaukee’s first-round pick in 2025 was drafted primarily for his speed, giving him a high defensive ceiling and making him a weapon on the bases. Scouts believed he could eventually grow into home-run power, and after showing flashes with 22 extra-base hits (nine home runs) in Single-A, he’s taken a huge step forward this season. In High-A, Payne has already hit 15 doubles and 18 home runs.

Payne’s profile isn’t perfect. He strikes out too much, is still somewhat unrefined defensively, and uses a leg kick that can throw off his timing, meaning a swing or approach adjustment could come at some point. Still, it’s hard not to be excited about a 19-year-old budding power hitter with 70-grade speed, and Payne has given the Brewers every reason to believe he’ll someday be an impact player.

Braylon Payne 110 MPH line shot for his 17th HR of the season pic.twitter.com/0tVoOm5MNK

— Spencer Michaelis (@smichaelis234) July 10, 2026

INF/OF Jett Williams (No. 5) drops a spot after an underwhelming season at the plate (.726 OPS). Williams entered the year looking like a possible option at third base or a replacement if Milwaukee suffered injuries in either the infield or outfield. Instead, he watched both Pratt and Lara outperform him and earn the call before he did. He’ll be fine, and he’s picked things up lately, but it makes sense that he’s now behind both of them.

The Biggest Risers:

Even with Payne, Adamczewski, and Hardin all climbing into the top 10, the biggest jumps on the list belonged to Alexander Frias, Josiah Ragsdale, Josh Knoth, and Ricki Moneys.

Frias (No. 29 —> No. 12) has quietly put together one of the better seasons in the farm system. The 18-year-old outfielder, signed as an international prospect out of the Dominican Republic, hit .441 in Rookie ball before earning a promotion to High-A. With Wilson, he’s already collected eight extra-base hits in his first 92 at-bats. Frias boasts a 60-grade arm and an enormous ceiling thanks to his athleticism. There’s still plenty of development ahead of him, but it’s easy to see why MLB Pipeline is buying in. If he ends the year hot, he’ll be in the top-10 going into next year.

Alexander Frias just hit a go-ahead solo HR in the 8th inning.

He hit it off of Milwaukee native Jacob Hartlaub (Martin Luther HS) pic.twitter.com/CwrtktaS4e

— Spencer Michaelis (@smichaelis234) July 26, 2026

Ragsdale (No. 30 —> No. 14), a seventh-round pick last year, was drafted at 21 and was 22 by the start of this season, so he was expected to be a relatively developed prospect coming into this season. I don’t think many people expected a combined slash line of .319/.446/.554 through eighty games. Between his bat, his glove, and his 70-grade speed, he suddenly looks much more like a legitimate major league prospect than an organizational depth piece.

Knoth’s (No. 22 —> No. 11) rise is slightly surprising, even though he has some of the best pure stuff in the organization. Knoth debuted with the organization in 2024 and showed up on end-of-year prospect lists due to his filthy stuff and despite his 4.48 ERA. Unfortunately, he ended up missing all of last season due to Tommy John surgery.

The stuff — headlined by his 60-grade curveball and slider — is still there, but so is the high ERA, Knoth’s ERA is now at 5.49 through over 40 innings this year, although he’s striking out almost exactly a batter an inning and still has his 60-grade curveball and slider after surgery. Ranking him here could honestly look bad in a year —either way — but I’m willing to bet on the young prospect to bounce back and keep doing stuff like this.

So Josh Knoth threw a 3,518 RPM curveball in the Complex League today

No MLB pitcher has thrown one over 3,500 in 2026

Only 33 total pitches since 2022 (sticky stuff crackdown had begun)

Been a little more common in the minor leagues, but still only 22 such pitches this year. pic.twitter.com/jRMjF4rzrk

— Spencer Michaelis (@smichaelis234) May 9, 2026

A Few Notable Fallers:

On the bright side, most of the Brewers that fell more than a couple spots had more to do with the talent around them. Jeferson Quero’s arm isn’t yet what it used to be, but he has a .757 OPS and plays good defense. There’s also not a spot on the major league roster right now, and several younger prospects have taken big steps in the meantime. Because of his arm, Quero probably won’t be what the Brewers thought he would after 2023, but it wouldn’t be unexpected to see him end up as a solid starter when given a shot

The same is true for Marco Dinges. Dinges’ numbers (.838 OPS) are good, but they’re not quite as good as last year, and he’s not a standout defensive prospect, so he’s dropped a couple spots. Nothing to see here has continued to show the offensive approach that made him an intriguing prospect after last year’s draft, but other players have simply passed him on the list. Another player that fits this mold is Luke Adams, who has a .965 OPS in Triple-A, but dropped three spots to No. 16.

Finally, JD Thompson, picked in the second round last year, fell from No. 14 down to No. 26. Thompson’s stuff has looked as expected, with 25 strikeouts in 21 innings pitched. He’s also allowed 15 hits and walked 15 batters in those 21 innings. That’s a walk rate of 71.4%, which is about as bad as it can get. With that being said, Thompson still has the stuff to strike out more than a batter an inning while seemingly unable to find the zone, and he had great command in college. I have a feeling he’ll figure things out and end up closer to 14 by the end of the season.

Honorable Mentions:

— Matthew Wood, who’s quietly been great at the plate for Double-A Biloxi and, like Ragsdale, has played his way into being considered a legitimate prospect

— Mike Boeve, who’s had a bounce-back season at the plate (.289, .792 OPS) and nobody cares, maybe because he kinda reminds some people of Tyler Black.

— Daniel Dickinson, who fell off the list entirely after a rough start but has bounced back recently. The 22-year-old infielder now sports a .411 OBP and an OPS inching closer to .800 (.774). I wouldn’t write off the LSU alum after a slow start to his professional career.

#Brewers C Matthew Wood (#36) is one of five prospects that BA lists as outperforming their stats despite his already strong results. “His bat looks like a surefire major leaguer” with an expected OPS nearing 1.000, almost .100 higher than his actual OPS (.896)#BrewersFarmhttps://t.co/mAvBkRDwU7

— Brewers Farm (@thebrewersfarm) July 27, 2026

The Detroit Tigers opened up the back leg of their current homestand with an 8-5 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. Keider Montero was far from his usual self, surrendering six runs in four-plus innings, while the offense just did not have enough to dig out of the hole.

Taking the mound for Game 2 of the three-game series for the Motor City Kitties is right-hander Troy Melton, who has held his opponents to two runs or less over his last six games. The 25-year-old has posted a 1.31 ERA and 3.08 FIP over the past 34 1/3 innings, allowing 18 hits (three home runs) and 13 walks while striking out 41.

Melton faced Baltimore at Camden Yards in his first start of the 2026 campaign back on May 24 in the second game of a doubleheader, allowing just one run on two hits and three walks while striking out three over 5 2/3 frames for the win in a 4-1 final.

Opposite him for the Orioles is fellow righty Dean Kremer, who has struggled a bit over his last three starts. The 30-year-old has put up a 7.20 ERA and 6.58 FIP stretching across his last 15 innings, surrendering 18 hits (five home runs) and five walks while striking out 14, taking losses in two of those three appearances.

Kremer missed more than two months from the end of May to the beginning of July due to a right quad strain. His first game back was a beauty, throwing six innings of one-run ball on three hits — including a solo homer — and a walk while striking out four. However, it has been since then that he has hit that aforementioned rough patch.

Here is a look at how the two hurlers match up on Tuesday night in the D.

Detroit Tigers (50-57) vs. Baltimore Orioles (52-55)

Time (ET): 6:40 p.m.
Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
SB Nation Site:Camden Chat
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 108: RHP Troy Melton (5-1, 1.95 ERA) vs. RHP Dean Kremer (1-3, 5.06 ERA)

Player	G	IP	K%	BB%	GB%	FIP	fWAR
Melton	10	60.0	23.3	8.1	43.1	4.06	0.8
Kremer	6	32.0	26.2	6.2	34.5	5.79	-0.2

MELTON

KREMER

Phillies News:

• What are the Phillies biggest needs in the trade market?
• Speaking of, Phillies are getting linked to Kevin Gausman and Robbie Ray
• Taking some stock of the Phillies top trade pieces
• Alec Bohm sets a record, and not a bad one this time!

MLB News:

• The MLB Rumor Mill is in full churn with updates on the Mets, Foster Griffin and Tarik Skubal
• Uh Oh, Ronald Acuna is back for the Braves
• Pirates Top Pitching Prospect, and one of the best in the minors, is heading to the IL

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

The Orioles have less than a week to decide whether they’ll be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline. Their two series before that Aug. 3 date, a three-game trip to Detroit and three at home against the Phillies, could be critically important for deciding the near-term direction of the club.

Last night, the O’s looked like a team that plans to stay in the postseason race, winning the opener against the Tigers in a series with big wild card implications. Even with ace Kyle Bradish suffering a rare bad outing, the Birds used a 12-hit, three-homer offensive explosion and a superb combined effort from four relievers to secure an 8-5 victory. Check out Alex Church’s recap of the high-scoring affair.

With so many teams jostling for position on the fringes of the wild card race, we’re at the point where every win (and every loss) shuffles the Orioles’ status in the pecking order. Their victory last night pulled them back within two games of the rained-out Guardians for the final wild card spot, and inched them a game behind the idle Twins. The O’s also pulled even with the Mariners, who lost yesterday, and possibly a half game ahead of the Astros, who were trailing in Anaheim at the time of this writing. (Morning update: the Astros overcame a two-run deficit in the ninth to win, because the Angels are useless.)

When you see the standings laid out like that, it’s more than reasonable to think that the Orioles have a good shot at earning a postseason spot. But all it takes is another losing streak and suddenly the O’s could find themselves in a lousy position again. Two days from now, they could be four games out of wild card position and languishing behind three or four other teams once more. The margin for error at this point is incredibly slim, even with so many other AL teams struggling to get hot.

For now, the O’s have put two games of distance between themselves and the Tigers. Another Orioles win tonight would deal a further blow to Detroit’s fading playoff hopes. In fact, I think the Tigers might as well just call it a season and trade Tarik Skubal today. No need to let him face the Orioles in the series finale tomorrow. It’s the responsible thing to do.

Tonight, it’ll be Dean Kremer on the mound for the Orioles, hoping to bounce back from his six-run outing in Boston last week, while the O’s offense will hope to greet the Tigers’ Troy Melton with the same offensive firepower they brought yesterday.

Links

O’s continue to build Deadline case with big win in Detroit – MLB.com

Jackson Holliday had four hits, Coby Mayo homered against a righty, and even Tyler O’Neill had a pinch-hit dinger. It was a big night for some of the most-maligned Orioles hitters.

Mountcastle and Bassitt beginning rehab assignments, Rodríguez traded, latest on draft signings – School of Roch

Some might say that getting Ryan Mountcastle and Chris Bassitt back is just like making trade acquisitions. They would be wrong, but they might say it anyway.

Will Orioles extend Trevor Rogers? | MAILBAG – BaltimoreBaseball.com

I didn’t expect the Orioles to extend even one starting pitcher this year, and they’ve already done two. But three? No chance.

Kyle Goon: How can David Rubenstein be ‘very pleased’ when the Orioles are this disappointing? – The Baltimore Banner

Kyle Goon is flummoxed about the Orioles owner’s recent vote of confidence for his GM. Is it possible that Rubenstein was just being so dryly sarcastic that we all missed it?

A squirrel on the loose at Comerica Park steals the show during Orioles-Tigers – The Baltimore Banner

Craig Albernaz says, “The whole squirrel thing was nuts.” Alby’s got puns!

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Three former Orioles were born on this day: outfielder Drew Jackson (33) and right-handers Chad Paronto (51) and Bob Milacki (62).

A lot of stuff has happened on this date in Orioles history. In 1971, 16-time Gold Glover Brooks Robinson committed three errors in one game for the first — and only — time in the Hall of Famer’s 2,896-game career. The miscues led to two unearned runs against the Athletics, who took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth. But it turned out okay anyway when fellow Hall of Famer Frank Robinson hit a walkoff three-run homer against yet another Hall of Famer, Rollie Fingers.

In 1978, Rich Dauer set an Orioles record with his 10th consecutive multi-hit game, giving him a .583 average over those 10 games. It was a remarkable hot streak for a hitter who batted just .257 in 10 career seasons.

In 1990, Cal Ripken’s MLB-record 95 consecutive errorless games as a shortstop came to an end when he flubbed a grounder from the Royals’ Jeff Schulz in the sixth. It was Cal’s first error since April 13, the third game of the season.

The O’s have also made a bunch of trades on July 28. In 1995, they made a splash by acquiring slugger Bobby Bonilla from the Mets for outfielders Damon Buford and Alex Ochoa. Bonilla provided a big boost to the O’s lineup, batting .300 with an .877 OPS and 39 homers for the Birds from 1995-96. And he is still to this day getting paid by both the Orioles and Mets, thanks to a deferred-payment arrangement he made with each club. He’ll receive $1.19 million annually from the Mets through 2035 and $500,000 from the Orioles through 2028.

In 2000, the Orioles made another trade with the Mets, the only one of GM Syd Thrift’s fire-sale deals that season that paid any dividends for the Birds. They sent shortstop Mike Bordick to New York for three players, including 28-year-old utility man Melvin Mora. Mora blossomed in Baltimore, emerging as a versatile OBP machine with power over the next decade, and was inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame after hitting .280/.355/.438 with 158 homers for the club.

And in 2017, the Orioles made a useless trade, sending fan-favorite outfielder Hyun Soo Kim and minor league southpaw Garrett Cleavinger to the Phillies for washed-up starter Jeremy Hellickson, who spoke openly about how much he disliked pitching at Camden Yards. Hellickson bombed to a 6.97 ERA in 10 starts for the Birds, while Cleavinger has since emerged as a solid lefty reliever, currently with the Rays.

Sunday afternoon, Kyle Leahy pitched yet another great performance, going 6 innings, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits, while striking out a career-high 9 batters and only walking 1. On June 17th, Kyle Leahy entered his start against the San Diego Padres with a 4.64 ERA, and I, among many others, questioned whether or not this experiment of converting Leahy back into a starter at the big league level was plausible and if he was capable of giving the Cardinals a fighting chance on his turn. Since then, Leahy has made 7 starts, pitching to a 1.69 ERA in 37.1 IP. This drops his full-season ERA to 3.55.

During Leahy’s start, I was curious and wondered what his performance numbers looked like over this stretch, and when I looked at his profile on MLB.com, I noticed that Leahy was drafted in the 17th round of the 2018 MLB Amateur Draft. This, to me, is even more unbelievable to witness the results the Cardinals are getting from a late-round draft pick. Surely, this has to be one of the best 17th-round picks in Cardinals history? So, I researched because I’m a deranged baseball fan. I went over to the baseball almanac, which has listed every player drafted by the Cardinals since 1965; here’s what I found:

17th Round Picks since 1965

1965 – Bruce Hinkel
1966 – Dale Reed
1967 – John Carroll
1968 – George Greer
1969 – Andres Frank
1970 – Joe Ford
1971 – John Park
1972 – Gary Hernandez
1973 – Ronald Aront
1974 – Michael Murphy
1975 – Randy Rhodes
1976 – Frank Marsalan
1977 – Richard Murray – Debuted for Giants in 1980, played in 57 Games
1978 – Mark Smith – Debuted for Athletics in 1983, pitched in 8 games
1979 – Tony Hudson
1980 – Paul Cherry
1981 – Keith Gilliam
1982 – Ted Carson
1983 – Chuck McGrath
1984 – Joe Murtagh
1985 – Jim Puzey
1986 – Scott Hamilton
1987 – Kevin Robinson
1988 – David Richardson
1989 – Danny Davis
1990 – Ricky Kimball
1991 – Ron Warner
1992 – Scott Lair
1993 – Travis Welch
1994 – Mark Roettgen
1995 – Britt Reames – Debuted for Cardinals in 2000, pitched 6 seasons for STL, MTL, OAK, PIT. 101 GP 5.28 ERA
1996 – Keith Gallagher
1997 – Tim Davis
1998 – Michael Gargano
1999 – Michael Perkins
2000 – Kaulana Kuhaulua
2001 – Josh Merrigan
2002 – Chad Clark
2003 – Kevin House
2004 – Chris Noonan
2005 – Michael Cooper
2006 – Nathan Southard
2007 – Matt Arburr
2008 – Joshua Hester
2009 – Jonathan Rodriguez
2010 – Corderius Dodd
2011 – Dutch Deol
2012 – Christopher Perry
2013 – Richie Pedroza
2014 – Dustin Beggs
2015 – Chris Chinea
2016 – Matthew Ellis
2017 – Will Latcham
2018 – Kyle Leahy – Debuted for Cardinals in 2023, 117 GP, 3.62 ERA
2019 – Michael YaSenka
2020 – N/A
2021 – Elijah Cabell
2022 – Brody Moore
2023 – Trey Paige
2024 – Brandt Thompson
2025 – Cameron Nickens

Only 4 players in Cardinals history drafted in the 17th round have made an MLB debut. Kyle Leahy is only the 2nd player in Cardinals history to debut for St. Louis from that round, joining pitcher Britt Reames from the 1995 draft (the year I was born).

What Kyle Leahy is doing from a talent standpoint isn’t all that unusual; we’ve seen the arm talent for the last couple of seasons. To get the value of a potential mid-rotation starter out of the 17th round is an incredible coup for the Cardinals, considering that before the 2024 season the Cardinals paid 20+ million dollars for Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson to get this type of production. From how St. Louis was able to bring Leahy into the organization, these are the types of marginal wins that can have long-term payoffs that will be cost-effective and allow the DeWitt ownership group to focus their financial resources on more valuable assets. Another Randy Flores win- who could have seen that coming?

How many 17th-rounders’ names do you recognize? I was at 7. Let me know in the comments!

-thanks for reading

The Yankees won their fourth game in five tries on Monday as they opened their White Sox series up with a bang, Ali Sánchez collecting his first career home run to put the game out of reach despite some late antics in the ninth making it closer than it should’ve been. Max Fried only lasted three innings, but the Yankee bullpen was largely up to the task of surviving six innings without worsening an early deficit and the team rallied for two big innings to take the game.

As fun as the outburst was to see, overall the Yankee offense has been struggling their way through most of their games and the absence of two-thirds of the starting outfield plays no small part in it. Cody Bellinger was the latest to fall victim to an injury scare, straining his hamstring on Saturday night, and Aaron Boone had an update on Monday that wasn’t promising: Bellinger sustained a grade 2 strain and will be out for four-six weeks. That means that the Yankees will be without him and Aaron Judge until the final stretch of the regular season at best, and there’s the real potential that the team will miss them both until the postseason. There’s been a heavy emphasis on upgrading at catcher to help the lineup regain some life, but now the question has to be raised whether they should look for an additional outfielder as well to help bridge the gap left behind by their All-Star bats being on the shelf.

To start, we have to look at the current options for the Yankees. Jasson Domínguez was already slotted in with Judge’s injury as one of their starting outfielders, and he’s had a rough go of it. Domínguez has cut down on his strikeout rate by over eight percent but at the cost of his lowest walk rate of his career, a measly four percent that has brought his on-base percentage down to a terrible .261 mark. Max Schuemann has been the utility man of the outfield, playing the most games he’s ever ventured out of the infield this year with 29 of them compared to the over 200 games he’s spent across the diamond when he was with the A’s. Despite being a light-hitting backup Schuemann has held his own at the plate working walks at a 15.2 percent rate, giving him a 114 wRC+ for the year, but he’s playing out of position and it tends to show. Finally, the team called Spencer Jones back up after Bellinger went down and likely will give him some runtime if all stays the same, the rookie working his fair share of walks while also owning a gaudy 39.3 percent strikeout rate. Jones is the best defender of the three, but that’s not a high bar as he also hasn’t exactly flashed Gold Glove defense.

That’s not an outfield corps that inspires much confidence, and its emphasized by the rumors floating that the organization is willing to include Domínguez and Jones in potential deadline deals this year after holding fast on them in previous conversations. Perhaps that gets dashed now that the team is down another outfielder, but even still bringing in a stopgap solution could be the best play to revitalize the offense and keep the team as close to the top of the standings as possible. Since they only need the reinforcements for another month or two, a rental would be the best option, but with Trent Grisham on the qualifying offer deal he received over the offseason it’s not impossible for the team to consider adding a bat that could carry over into 2027 as a flexible candidate to fill the gap or slide into a fourth outfielder role. Names like Lane Thomas, Jo Adell, and Spencer Steer all carry inexpensive contracts and are playing on dead last teams looking to sell, and could be the types of outfielders the team looks into if they go this route.

The Yankees will look into every avenue available to them over the course of this next week with the deadline approaching fast, but does the outfield now shift to the top of the queue? Is the priority still getting a catcher to support Austin Wells and some bullpen arms to solidify what has quietly turned into one of the team’s strengths? Personally, I think it slots right in the middle in terms of importance, but let us know what you think of the whole situation.

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Today on the site, we’ll lead off with Jeff considering a reunion with an old friend in Luke Weaver as a bullpen upgrade. Sam will be up next with the Rivalry Roundup, Jonathan reminisces on the first Yankee to ever take an at-bat in a World Series on Elmer Miller’s birthday, Michael walks us through the last week down in the minor leagues, and then Peter gives Domínguez the At-Bat of the Week treatment.

Today’s Matchup:

New York Yankees at Chicago White Sox

Time: 7:40 p.m. EST

TV: YES Network, Chicago Sports Network

Venue: Rate Field, Chicago, IL