Category: Baseball

I started tossing out over/unders for the second half back when the Orioles were in the beginning stages of a rebuild. At the time, it felt like a fun exercise for the fans that remained engaged through all the losing. Eventually, Baltimore broke out. The subjects shifted from draft selection to playoff position. The team gave everyone plenty of confidence to make optimistic predictions, and I made callbacks to the dark times when we focused on Hanser Alberto and Rougned Odor.

The team took a significant step back last season. The topics flipped from trade acquisitions to major league players dealt away. I set a conservative number for players with 20 or more home runs and an outlandish total for the number of catchers used in the season.

That brings us to today. The Orioles entered the All-Star break five games under .500 but only two back from the final wild card. Mike Elias proclaimed last month that the team intended to buy at the trade deadline. O’s fans remained skeptical, but the Birds finally rattled off a four-game winning streak at the end of the first half.

You may not think this team is very good, but the American League isn’t exactly full of juggernauts. It’s a difficult time to make predictions in Birdland, but let’s give it a shot!

Over/Under 6.5 players with an OPS+ above 100

The Orioles entered the break with only five players with an OPS+ greater than 100. OPS+ adjusts a players on-base and slugging percentage to account for the ballpark and league that the player plays in. The number is weighted so that a league-average hitter possesses a 100 OPS+. An OPS+ in the triple digits indicates that the player has been an above-average hitter, while double digits indicates the opposite.

Baltimore’s offense was considered to be among the best in baseball heading into the season, but the team only has five everyday players with an OPS+ north of 100. Pete Alonso (129), Blaze Alexander (127), Samuel Basallo (115), Adley Rutschman (114), and Taylor Ward (113) have done their part, but Gunnar Henderson (95) and Jackson Holliday (98) have been disappointments.

It’s relatively easy to imagine Henderson and Holliday picking up a few more points, but could anyone else? Colton Cowser (83) is harmed by his brutal start to the season. Dylan Beavers (89) could maybe get there with a strong second half, but Leody Taveras (91) feels like he’s already maxed out. Jeremiah Jackson (87) is capable of getting hot, but Coby Mayo (83) would need to only face lefties for the remainder of the season.

Over/Under MLB players traded away 1.5

Over/Under MLB players acquired 1.5

I lumped these two together to let people take a crack at the whole buyers/sellers thing. Trevor Rogers and Taylor Ward will both be free agents at the end of the season and could help a team win games in the postseason. Yennier Cano is off to a great start, and Andrew Kittredge has the experience to help a contender down the stretch.

At the same time, the playoffs remain in reach for a motivated front office. The team has a glaring hole at third base with Blaze Alexander on the IL, and the bullpen needs multiple additions to be taken seriously.

There’s also a chance that the Orioles stand pat at see where the season goes. The organization could receive draft pick compensation if the Rogers and Ward leave in free agency after receiving a qualifying offer, but that’s up in the air with labor negotiations already underway.

Over/Under 4.5 combined saves for Ryan Helsley and Félix Bautista in the second half

Ryan Helsley is expected to avoid surgery despite some inflammation around his UCL. The Orioles signed Helsley to a two-year, $28 million dollar deal to be the their closer, but the former Cardinal has been sidelined multiple times with injuries. There’s no public timetable, but Helsley could return at some point in the second half. The 31-year old has eight saves this season.

The Orioles shared two weeks ago that Félix Bautista was throwing after undergoing surgery on his right labrum and rotator cuff last year. The team said The Mountain was throwing “really, really well” and believes Bautista could return by the end of the season. Whether the Orioles will be motivated to send out the flame-thrower could depend on their place in the standings.

Over/Under 11.5 home runs by Taylor Ward

In case anyone is feeling shy about sharing their picks, I’ll shed some light on my worst pick of the season. When asked for a wild prediction back in March, I said that Taylor Ward would hit more home runs than Pete Alonso this season. Baltimore acquired Ward after he tallied 36 homers for the Angels in 2025. I thought Ward would bring his power to Baltimore, and that Alonso could struggle early in the first year of his new contract. Alonso reached the All-Star break with a team-high 21 home runs. Ward hit six in 439 plate appearances.

Ward has reinvented himself with a team-high 75 walks, but the power is still in there somewhere. The free-agent-to-be should find the seats a little more often, but can he double his total over the final 65 games?

Over/Under 3.5th place in the AL Wild Card

This is an awkward way of asking if you think the Orioles will make the playoffs. The juice would definitely be on the under in this scenario. Fans had mostly given up hope last week, but the team picked up some momentum by winning four straight for the first time this season.

Baltimore will need a few more winning streaks to sneak into the playoffs, but they shouldn’t need to climb much higher than .500 for the season. Some team is going to take the third wild card slot. Why not the Orioles?

Rapid Fire

Over/Under a 2.84 FIP for Yennier Cano

Yennier Cano currently holds a 2.58 FIP. That number is south of his 2.84 FIP from his All-Star rookie season. The Orioles desperately need the reliever to keep it going. Will he?

Over/Under 0.5 players batting below .200

Tyler O’Neill (.195) and Coby Mayo (.193) both entered the All-Star break hitting below the “Mendoza Line.” Jackson Holliday is a lot closer than we’d like to admit at .210.

Over/Under 10.5 games played by Heston Kjerstad and Enrique Bradfield Jr.

This isn’t first time that we’ve wondered how many big league games Heston Kjerstad would play in a season. Kjerstad and Enrique Bradfield Jr. are both healthy and playing at Triple-A Norfolk.

Over/Under 161.5 games played by Pete Alonso

Alonso played 162 in 2024 and 2025. He did not miss a game in the first half.

Over/Under 11.5 wins for Brandon Young

Wins don’t move the needle like they used to, but Brandon Young is 7-2 this season. Does he get to 12 wins?

Over/Under

Thanks for following along. Share your picks in the comments below!

There is nothing more sad or more dangerous than the memory of a great player. Once a player is retired those memories are cherished and should be. We remember the best moments and hold onto those memories like a child holds onto its favorite toy. When a player is still active those memories can be dangerous. They could potentially blind you to what is. Whatever we may think of Jose Altuve, we should come in with eyes wide open.

We have been using bases per out to keep track of where players are in terms of production. The big league average is .676, but as we have seen when looking at catchers and first basemen in the American League that the big league average is hardly ever relevant when looking at specific positions. Altuve is a second baseman and should be compared with other second basemen. It becomes dreadfully important that we see him for who he is and not who he was.

The out is the blood currency of the sport. Pitchers are trying to get them and hitters are trying to avoid them. We measure effectiveness in the amount of damage one accrues or avoids depending on if they are a pitcher or a hitter. Bases per out are calculated by adding total bases, walks, stolen bases, and hit by pitches and dividing them by total outs. Like we said, the big league average is .676, but we will likely see something radically different when looking at American League second basemen. As a reminder, we are taking all players that have played second base and have accrued at least 120 outs.

	Outs	TB	BB	SB	HBP	BPO
Travis Bazzana	185	55	31	12	2	.751
Jazz Chilsohm Jr.	253	123	37	26	1	.739
Ezequiel Duran	220	121	22	7	1	.686
Luke Keaschall	236	104	34	12	10	.678
Richie Palacios	155	67	24	8	3	.658
Chase Meidroff	260	128	37	2	2	.650
Michael Massey	171	95	14	2	0	.649
Ernie Clement	254	150	12	2	0	.646
Vaughn Grissom	145	72	17	0	4	.641
Cole Young	264	134	25	2	7	.636
Jose Altuve	228	110	29	2	1	.623
Oswaldo Peraza	205	98	9	11	6	.605
Ben Williamson	156	62	19	7	1	.571
Jeremiah Jackson	165	81	4	2	1	.527
Maricelo Mayer	168	64	16	3	3	.512
Tristan Gray	131	55	9	2	1	.511
Jeff McNeil	218	80	21	1	4	.486
Mean	200.8	96.4	21.2	5.9	2.8	.629
Median	205	95	21	2	2	.641

Every data set is unique and second base is very different from catcher and first base. In this case, the lower scores are driving the mean down. So, in this case the median is higher than the mean. As per usual, the components of the median don’t match up to the number that is actually in the middle. Unlike the other positions, a majority of the second basemen were close to the mean and median. Mathematicians and statisticians would call that range.

These fancy terms are all very nice, but what do they actually mean? In the case of Jose Altuve, his numbers come in a little below the mean and median. However, he is close enough to the mean and median that a few hot days at the plate would drive him to the median and above. Altuve is essentially in the accumulation portion of his big league career. He is collecting hits, home runs, doubles, runs, and RBI needed to vault him higher on the all-time second base list. We have seen this before. This was Craig Biggio in his last three seasons.

The primary question is how quickly the decline will continue. Right now, Altuve has the appearance of a mediocre second baseman. Will he plateau there or will the decline continue. As philosophers might say, objects in the rearview mirror are clearer than the ones in the windshield. No two players’ career arcs are exactly the same. What we can do is look at the decline in recent seasons and guess what that could mean beyond this season.

	Outs	TB	BB	SB	HBP	BPO
2023	260	188	44	14	5	.965
2024	465	276	47	22	7	.757
2025	465	260	55	10	4	.708
2026	228	110	29	2	1	.623

The 2023 numbers were a bit out of context. It was a shortened season for him due to injury. The other seasons post the pandemic 2020 season were similar to 2024 and 2025. In other words, the decline is here. There is always the possibility for a bounce back season, but that becomes less and less likely with each passing season. If baseball is interrupted or canceled in 2027 then you can bet that such a bounce back is unlikely to happen.

Fortunately, the Astros structured Altuve’s contract in such a way that they anticipated this. He is due 30 million in real dollars this season and next. He will make 13 million in 2028 and 2029. So, when he will likely be at his worst he will be making less money. Give Altuve and the Astros some credit for recognizing that. Still, the future is not necessarily bright.

The 2026 All-Star Game has come and gone, and the American League defeated the National League 4-0. Though the final score was not ideal, the Atlanta Braves had five All-Stars, four of which played. Ozzie Albies, Drake Baldwin, Matt Olson, and Raisel Iglesias each made an appearance. 

Albies and Baldwin earned the starts for the National League but were unable to spark the offense, while Olson went hitless after entering later in the game. Iglesias, meanwhile, turned in one of the better performances of the night for Atlanta, tossing a scoreless inning in his first career All-Star appearance. Chris Sale did not pitch, as the National League managed just three hits in the shutout loss. 

The Braves have just a few days left of the All-Star break before hosting the Texas Rangers.

More Braves News:

Here is everything you need to know about the Braves’ draft picks and their sign-on value. 

From the Feed:

Which prospects make your Top 30 list?

The 2026 All-Star break is upon us, and while a handful of Yankees have enjoyed the festivities in Philadelphia this week, now is a good time to look back on a first half gone by. Through 96 games this season, New York sits three games out of first place in the AL East, and although this season has already proven to be an up-and-down venture, the Yankees haven’t gone without their big moments at the plate.

With the schedule empty until Friday night, let’s take a short stroll down memory lane and look at the biggest Yankee hits from MLB’s designated first half of the 2026 season.

April 7: Rosario’s second homer of the gameputs ’em ahead

By win probability, Amed Rosario’s game-tying blast from early April is the biggest home run of the 2026 season to this point for the Yankees (0.53 per Baseball Reference Stathead), giving the Yankees the lead against the A’s. It was his second of the season, the second of the game, a second-deck blast that snuck inside the foul pole, and the climax of a big eighth inning that led New York to victory. With runners on base late in the game, the bench bat’s swing was among the biggest so far in 2026.

April 13: Grisham’s homer ties it at 10

In a high-scoring thriller against the Angels, Trent Grisham’s game-tying blast in the ninth inning was the most important hit of the evening. Down by two runs with a runner on in the ninth, against Los Angeles closer Jordan Romano, Grisham rocketed a ball into the right field seats, sending the Bronx into a frenzy, and adding to the chaos of this eventual 11-10 victory. The Bombers won later in the ninth, when a wild pitch from Romano allowed the walk-off run to score.

April 15: Cabby’s Walk-Off double

This was a tough series for Jordan Romano, a familiar punching bag for the Yankees. Two days after their first dramatic win, the Yankees were once again trailing in the ninth against the Angels. This time, down by a run with to runners on, Caballero shot a ball into the left-center gap, while both runners went for a hit-and-run. With an aggressive send, in all fairness, Austin Wells just barely scored from first base, locking in yet another dramatic win to grant Caballero one of this season’s most thrilling moments at the plate.

May 24: Judge Walk-Off

Any win against the team you’re looking up at in the standings is a big one. This particular one, with an Aaron Judge walk-off blast sealing the deal, could eventually loom large in a divisional race that may stay close until the end. Stuck in a scoreless tie in the bottom of the ninth on May 24th (a battle between Ryan Weathers and Drew Rasmussen), the Captain stepped up and delivered his fourth career walk-off home run, and gave the Yankees about as important a win as they come. The fact that we know now that Judge did this with a stress fracture in his ribs makes it all the more remarkable.

July 10: Jazz’s game-changing homer in Washington

In a game that easily could have gone down as a disappointment, Jazz Chisholm’s go-ahead homer shifted the tide in the ninth inning. His two-run shot off of Matt Krook turned the Yankees’ deficit into a lead, and set the stage for more big hits throughout the weekend against the Nats. Although Jazz’s season has not gone exactly to plan, the 2025 All-Star is no stranger to providing big moments with the bat.

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Honorable Mentions

July 9: McMahon’s slump-breaker against the Rays

After a 12-pitch at-bat, Ryan McMahon’s RBI double down the line in right changed the vibe for the Yankess in the Trop. Trailing 1-0 at the time, and in the midst of a real offensive slump as a team, McMahon’s double snapped them out of it, and prompted a much-needed six-run inning for New York. Their eventual 12-4 win in this one was a much needed pounding against the rival Rays.

May 31: The 13-run inning

Yes, we are being creative to get this entire inning of 11 hits and 13 runs from that preposterous Yankees vs. A’s game at a minor-league park in West Sacramento. Perhaps most amusingly, the A’s actually pitched well outside of this frame, holding the Yankees to a walk on a baserunner that was quickly erased (and no hits). It’s just that this inning was an utter disaster for Mark Kotsay and company.

Meet the Mets

Danny Abriano listed five storylines to watch for in the second half of the Mets season.

Mike Puma doled out a myriad of Fs on his first-half report card for the New York Mets.

Mets first-round draft pick Carson Wiggins has officially signed with the organization.

The Mets’ ineptitude has made it more difficult for the league and fans to celebrate Juan Soto’s greatness.

Around Major League Baseball

Mike Trout made his long-awaited return to the All-Star Game on his home turf, and it was incredibly meaningful for the veteran outfielder.

MLB owners have given their support for major league players to play in the 2028 Olympics, but there are more factors complicating that possibility.

Jordan Walker hopes his Home Run Derby win inspires black kids to get into baseball.

A 1-of-1 Shohei Ohtani rookie card sold privately at auction for over $3 million.

Willson Contreras has made it clear he would likely reject any trade the Boston Red Sox try to include him in.

The All-Star Game red carpet featured MLB stars dressed to impress, with many of the outfits carrying some personal meaning to the players.

One such outfit was Jacob Misiorowski’s, with the young star’s jacket featuring an image of his beloved dog.

Justin Verlander appeared at his final All-Star Game last night, and his incredible legacy is one to remember.

Junior Caminero came out unscathed after getting hit by a pitch on his hand and having to leave the All-Star Game.

The American League won the game early, with the game-winning run coming in the first inning of a 4-0 shutout against the National League.

All-Star Game MVP Cody Bellinger and Ben Rice became the first Yankees teammates to each have an RBI in the Midsummer Classic since Roger Maris and Tom Tresh in 1962.

Despite being a open-and-shut victory for the American League, there were plenty of wonderful moments from the whole game.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

A Pod of Their Own returned with a new episode.

Linus Lawrence took a look at the former Mets participating in this year’s All-Star Game.

Linus also assembled an All-Star team full of former Mets who never made an All-Star team.

Chris McShane delivered this week’s Mets Minor League Players of the Week.

Steve Sypa wrote profiles for two more 2026 Mets draft picks: eleventh-round pick Kuhio Aloy and twelfth-rounder AJ Krodel.

Allison McCague released the Position Player Meter for the last two weeks of Mets baseball.

This Date in Mets History

Mets lefty Jon Matlack had a great day in 1975 at the 46th All-Star Game, but Mets right-hander (and broadcasting legend) Ron Darling wasn’t quite as lucky on this day 35 years ago.

If Red Sox buy at trade deadline, here are five intriguing targets originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Red Sox have given chief baseball officer Craig Breslow much to ponder with the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline looming.

Less than a month ago, they were obvious sellers as the worst team in the American League. They then proceeded to win 14 of 16 games, including nine straight heading into the All-Star break, putting themselves back into the playoff conversation.

Boston will begin the second half just a half-game back of the third AL Wild Card spot. While its 46-48 record doesn’t scream “contender,” the AL is wide open. Only the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Guardians, and Texas Rangers are above .500.

Upcoming series against the Rays, Orioles, and Toronto Blue Jays will likely determine Breslow’s deadline approach. If the Red Sox pick up where they left off and stay hot, Breslow will be urged to invest in this year’s team for a postseason run.

If Boston does indeed buy, here are five potential trade targets who would fit the club’s needs:

Zach Neto, SS, Los Angeles Angels

AP Photo

Undoubtedly the priciest and least realistic trade target on our list, Neto would check several boxes for Boston. Right-handed power? Check. Middle-infield help? Check. Multiple years of control? Check.

The Red Sox reportedly “took several tries” to trade for Neto during the offseason. L.A.’s asking price was understandably high, but there’s a chance it has come down with the club owning the worst record in baseball (38-59). The 25-year-old shortstop is by far the Angels’ most valuable trade chip, and with the organization still not making any progress toward contention, it might be time to cash in.

Neto is slashing .235/.326/.453 with 19 homers and 45 RBI in 94 games this season. He posted WARs of 5.1 and 5.3 in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

Gleyber Torres, 2B, Detroit Tigers

Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

Torres hasn’t played since June 15 due to an oblique strain, but the veteran second baseman is set to return from the injured list shortly after the break. He began his rehab assignment on Monday.

While he wouldn’t be the franchise-altering addition that Neto would be, Torres could still help the Red Sox make a run in the second half. The three-time All-Star would fit in nicely as a power-hitting middle infielder. He has hit at least 24 homers in a season four times in his nine-year career, including a 38-homer campaign in 2019. He had a .790 OPS in 43 games this season before his injury.

Torres’ contract expires at the end of this season, so he should be reasonably affordable as a rental coming off injury for a struggling Tigers club.

Luis Arraez, 2B, San Francisco Giants

Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Arraez has been among the few bright spots for the 41-55 Giants. The four-time All-Star and three-time batting champion has continued as arguably the best contact hitter in baseball after leading MLB in hits the last two seasons.

In addition to his usual success at the plate, Arraez has taken a huge step forward defensively this season at second base. Once considered a terrible defender, the 29-year-old suddenly ranks near the top of the league in Outs Above Average (10) and Defensive Runs Saved (8).

While Arraez wouldn’t be the slugger that most Sox fans covet, he’d still bring a significant boost to Boston’s lackluster offense. He hardly strikes out, consistently gets on base, and comes through with runners in scoring position (.345 avg. with RISP this season).

Like Torres, Arraez is set to hit free agency after this season.

A.J. Minter, RP, New York Mets

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Mets have been a dumpster fire this season, but Minter has been lights out in his 19 relief appearances. The 32-year-old southpaw owns a 1.42 ERA and 0.842 WHIP with 17 strikeouts and just one walk this season.

Contenders can never have enough bullpen help down the stretch, and the Red Sox could use a left-handed reliever after designating offseason addition Danny Coulombe for assignment. Minter would be a rental.

Ryan Jeffers, C, Minnesota Twins

Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

The Twins are only three games back in the AL Central and currently tied for the third Wild Card spot, so it remains to be seen whether they’ll sell off pieces ahead of the deadline. If they do, Jeffers would fit in nicely with Boston as a power-hitting catcher who can also DH when needed.

Carlos Narvaez has taken a significant step back after impressing as a Red Sox rookie last season. Connor Wong has bounced back, but his ceiling is limited. Jeffers would be a strong upgrade over both options, though he’s a free agent after this season.

A broken left hamate has limited Jeffers to 39 games this season. He has looked great when healthy, slashing .292/.404/.538 with seven homers and 29 RBI.

Jordan Walker is a tough subject for Cardinals fans 2024-2025. The outfield, outside of stalwart Lars Nootbaar, had been a barren place. Jordan Walker was to at least partially fill the void from the lack of reinforcements after the tragic death of Oscar Taveras. He impressed with the bat as a rookie, and then went missing in action 2024 – 2025. Walker was expected to do much fron the begining.

Jordan Walker was born in Stone Mountain, GA in 2002. Jordan was selected 21st overall in the 2020 draft and is now 24 years old, signed through 2026. What will happen is anyone’s guess.

Accolades and Accomplishments

• Selected in the first round of the 2020 MLB draft, 21st overall
• 1st player born in 2002 to debut in MLB, making the 2023 Opening Day roster at under 21 years of age
• only Albert Pujols and Joe Medwick hit more home runs in Cardinals franchise history than Jordan Walker during his rookie age 21 season!
• Tallied the first ever Cardinals hit outside of north America, in London vs the Cubs on June 24, 2023!
• the Cardinals top prospect 2022-2023
• 5 hits September 1st, 2024 vs the Yankees
• 17 game hitting streak June 6th through 29th in 2023
• Home Run Derby Champion 2026

After a promising rookie season in 2023 where Walker had a line of .787 OPS and 16 HR in 117 games, while still learning the ropes in right fielder, Jordan began to tank in 2024 where he spent a bulk of the season at AAA and was a below average MLB player over 51 games.

That was not the low, however. In 2025 Jordan Walker would knock through his floor and find himself the worst MLB player with at least 350 PA, worth -1.3 fWAR. There were five worse players somehow, with less plate appearances than Walker. What a year!

Jordan Walker has now matched his total plate appearances of last season, where he was unworthy of playing time. Over that same amount of playing time, it is astonishing to report that Jordan Walker is worth 4 more WAR than last season, already!

Walker’s 143 wRC+ and .380 wOBA are in the top 15 of MLB players, and are the best ratings for hitting among the Cardinals. His 22 home runs is tied with Ohtani crammed into an expanded top 10 MLB home run hitters. And no one really saw this coming. Not this big of a turnaround. The only question is if Jordan will steal 20 bases this year.

Jordan Walker is no longer a liability to strike out, and is the Major League leader in RBI. The 6’ 6” 24 year old has so much history ahead of him, a legend in the making. After just over half of a miraculous turnaround season, Jordan Walker’s career numbers are now above average as far as wRC+ and WAR go.

A work in progress 2026

courtesy baseball savant / statcast info

I think Walker should just let what he is doing this year ride, but if anything he could work on his chase and whiff rates, and improve on striking out, while taking a few more walks. Post-All Star Break tweaks! Of just keep doing what you’re doing…

1992 in Music (Heavy Metal Edition)

As I work my way through the years, researching albums I have both heard and not heard, I have found myself stuck in the year 1992. This third part covering over 50 albums total, will sum up my research and experience in 1993 music releases. In past weeks, i have covered 15 albums a week, 30 albums total, which excluded heavy metal music. But now’s the time to unleash the fury that is heavy metal 1992.

• Sleep – ‘Holy Mountain’ one of the best heavy metal albums of all time, despite it being a vintage throwback to 70’s Sabbath… it is done so well on every level that it is my heavy metal album of 1992. The precursor to bands High On Fire and OM, and Sleep’s best album by several light years.
• Brutal Truth – ‘Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses’ the early grindcore classic! masterpiece of extreme metal, and yet they’d get even better after… pioneers.
• Melvins – ’name redacted’ (excerpt from album) the Melvins most sludgy album of all and perhaps their most exemplary release, named after a popular cleaning product that made them remove the name from the release, or sometimes calling it “Lice All” …full of epic heaviness and avalanches of sound, perhaps my favorite Melvins of all!
• Nocturnus – ‘Thresholds’ one of those bands that were so ahead of their time but made it sound classic at the same time, defining a new subgenre: progressive death metal with keyboards! Masterpiece.
• Eyehategod – ‘In The Name of Suffering’ New Orleans legends melding roasted southern Black Sabbath sounds with hardcore punk and whatever you want to call what the Melvins did in the late 80’s. I find this more punk than metal, but it’s up to the ear of the beholder. Some call it sludge.
• Morpheus Descends – ‘Ritual of Infinity’ my big find that I had never heard before, magnificent!
• Sinister – ‘Cross The Styx’
• Seance – ‘Forever Laid To Rest’
• Atrocity – ‘Todessehnsucht’
• Purtenance – ‘Member Of Immortal Damnation’
• Mercyless – ‘Abject Offerings’
• Eternal Dirge – ‘Morbus Ascendit’
• Napalm Death – ‘Utopia Banished’
• Chemical Breath – ‘Fatal Exposure’
• Massacra – ‘Signs of the Divine’
• Epidemic – ‘Decameron’
• Arachnid – ‘Arachnid’
• Nuclear Death – ‘All Creatures Great and Eaten’
• Solstice – ‘Solstice’
• Fleshcrawl – ‘Descend Into The Absurd’
• Altar / Cartilage – ‘Ex Oblivione / The Fragile Concept of Affection’
• Cemetary – ‘An Evil Shade of Grey’
• Cenotaph – ‘The Gloomy Reflection of Our Hidden Sorrows’
• Sadus – ‘A Vision of Misery’
• Miasma – ‘Changes’

As you can tell, death metal was all the rage in 1992. What an absolutely stacked year full of unending amounts of awesomeness. I ran out of time this week, so I couldn’t really describe all of that, but you just have to hear it anyway. Nothing out there like heavy metal from 1992.

Thanks for reading! I wish I had more this week but I have been busy watching the home run derby and all star game for the first time in years!

The Boston Red Sox, for lack of a better term, have been pitching their dicks off. You know this is typed and not a live performance, right? Like, you could ask someone for a better term or at least think on it for a little while, Jake. Fine. I lied. It’s not because I lack a better term. In fact, I could think of countless. I just think pitching their dicks off sounds funny, so it’s staying in. Lay off. Stop talking to yourself and get to the point. Fair enough, let’s talk pitching.

Despite injuries ravaging the staff (Sonny Gray is the only pitcher from the opening day rotation still on the active roster) the starting pitcher seemingly works into the sixth inning or later every night, giving the team a chance to win the game. The latest pitcher to join the rotation is Patrick Sandoval.

Last Thursday, Sandoval made his first appearance in two years against the White Sox, throwing 4.1 innings, surrendering one run on five hits while striking out five and walking one. The outing was short, but for a first start in two years, I’d give him passing marks. Plus, the way the rest of the rotation has thrown the ball makes it easier on the bullpen, who were able to give the final 14 outs to secure the victory.

The question, as always, is: was the outing legit, or was it a case of good luck? Last week, I broke down Sandoval’s arsenal and was skeptical about how effective he would be. My major concerns were his changeup shape and the walks that have plagued him throughout his career. Those walks, in large part, are due to a four-seam fastball that doesn’t miss bats and is punished when thrown over the plate. On Thursday, he walked only one man and featured his four-seam 25% of the time, making it his third most-used pitch.

It worked in his first outing, for a few reasons. One of which was his fastball command.

For the most part, he kept his fastball at the top of the zone and above. A few leaked down over the plate, two of which went for hits, but he was largely near the top of the zone. The velocity was a pleasant surprise as well, reaching 96 mph a few times. Extra velocity is never a bad thing, but first-start-in-two-years-adrenaline might have had something to do with the extra oomph.

While the pitch worked in his first outing, it’s not a plus offering. The velocity helps, but if it settles in closer to 93 mph as expected, the location becomes that much more important. Even on Thursday with good location and higher velocity, it only returned 1 whiff on 12 swings. Because of that, he’ll need to find ways to keep hitters off of it, which means throwing strikes with his other pitches.

Wow, Jake, what a great segue. It’s almost as if you thought about the flow of the article and the order in which you’d relay the important information. What a nice thing to say, thank you. Here’s a look at his slider, which was his most-used pitch.

Unlike the fastball location, this isn’t what we’re looking for. The zone rate is low at 35%, and hitters weren’t expanding the zone either. Those factors, along with the one swing and miss returned, combined for a 50% strike rate. For a pitch leading his arsenal, that isn’t going to cut it. During his best years, the strike rate sat between 65 and 70%, though the swinging strike numbers were much higher.

If you’re looking for a reason to believe in his slider, allow me to give you one. Of the pitches he showcased on Thursday, the slider looked the most different from his previous seasons. The current shape has more lift and presents closer to a cutter. Hopefully, with time, he finds the feel for the pitch and can better locate on the glove side. The shape and velocity should allow it to play against both sides of the plate, but location will ultimately determine its effectiveness.

I’d like to talk about his changeup now, but I don’t have a natural way into it as I did above. That’s okay, Jake. We knew that was coming because we’re educated baseball fans. You’re right. You are smart fans. There’s no need for handholding.

The slow ball has always been Sandoval’s best pitch, and it continued to be on Thursday. He threw 18 of them, getting four whiffs, four called strikes, and two outs on three balls in play. He kept the ball down and away, and hitters couldn’t lay off. While a changeup alone can’t carry his whole arsenal, a changeup of Sandoval’s quality can do a lot of the heavy lifting. He can throw it in the zone for called strikes, but needs chases and whiffs to continue to be effective, which requires his other pitches going for strikes. The fastball managed to be good enough in his season debut, but it’s something to monitor going forward.

Here’s an example of what his changeup can do for him. Sandoval only got to four 3-ball counts on Thursday, but didn’t give in by throwing a fastball over the plate in three of them. In the bottom of the fourth, with a runner on first and nobody out, Sandoval went to 3-2 against Junior Perez. Sandoval doesn’t want to give Perez a free pass and put a runner in scoring position, but he still turned to his changeup rather than his fastball. Perez is looking for something hard and swings over it for strike three.

Sandoval’s changeup is his best pitch, and his ability and willingness to throw the pitch for a strike in any count is key in keeping hitters off his other pitches.

One sample is hardly enough to making a sweeping determination on how Sandoval’s season will go, but it did give us a look at what he’s trying to accomplish. I’m skeptical about his ability to locate his fastball and slider consistently to take some of the burden off the changeup. Given the mixture of injuries and young arms on the roster, they’ll need Sandoval to provide a few starts down the stretch to keep arms fresh if they continue to push for the postseason, so he’ll continue to get opportunities and try to earn himself some money in 2027.

The 2026 All-Star Game festivities have come and gone. The dust has settled, and for the first time since 2024, the American League came away victorious by shutting out the National League 4-0 at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday.

Scoring was scarce on Tuesday, as the four runs the AL scored came in only two innings. Former Dodgers MVP Cody Bellinger had the deciding hit in his first All-Star Game since 2019, driving in two against Cristopher Sánchez. As a result of him driving in half of Tuesday’s final score, Bellinger was awarded with the All-Star Game MVP honors, becoming the first Yankee to do so since his teammate Giancarlo Stanton in 2022.

From being atop the baseball summit, to the pitfalls he experienced with the Dodgers in 2021-22, to reviving his career with the same organization his father played for, Tuesday marked a full-circle moment for Bellinger, as he envisioned being in the All-Star game regularly following his first three big league seasons, writes Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.

“I was like, ‘Oh, I’ll be here every year,’” Bellinger said. “It took a long time to get back. It’s such a competitive league. It’s hard to be an All-Star. Health, performance, it all has to come together.”

Another former Dodger, though lacking the hardware Bellinger earned in Los Angeles, added the exclamation mark for this year’s Midsummer Classic. Miguel Vargas tattooed a 433 foot home run into the second deck of the left field bleachers against Justin Wrobleski, bringing the score to its final mark. With his home run, Vargas now joins Frank Thomas and Magglio Ordoñez as the only White Sox with a home run in the All-Star Game.

Vargas spoke with Tom Verducci of FOX Sports following the game, noting how making his All-Star debut felt just like his big league debut with the Dodgers back in 2022.

“It’s an unbelievable experience. I have no words to describe it, but I’m glad to be here and be around all these superstars.”

Last year, I noted that Andy Pages was a noticeable snub from last year’s All-Star Game. The situation was rectified this year with Pages being an actual starter, but it seems I wasn’t alone in my assessment last year. Freddie Freeman noted prior to Tuesday’s game that Pages should have been an All-Star last year as well, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com.

“It should be his second. I think he should have had it last year,” said Freddie Freeman, who will be in the NL’s starting lineup alongside Pages at his 10th All-Star Game. “Andy has been great for a couple years now. So I’m glad he’s getting the recognition. I’m glad the fans are gonna get to see him in Philadelphia.”

Great minds think alike, Freddie.

Good morning, baseball fans!

We are officially in the dead zone of the All-Star break, so I thought today we could discuss some of our favorite All-Star Game related memories. They don’t have to be specific to the San Francisco Giants, goodness knows the pickings have been slim on that front for a while. But mine is, at least.

I think my favorite All-Star memory is from the 2016 season, when Brandon Belt was in the running for the last fan vote (or whatever they were calling it back then). Myself and several other members of the McCoven were working overtime to solicit votes from the wider baseball community. This was back when you used to be able to vote with hashtags on social media, so every post mattered.

The winner was expected to be announced on a Saturday, when I already had tickets to the Giants game that day. It was also the NBA Finals, if I remember correctly, so it was a crazy time to be coming back to the bay for a visit.

The night before, I had scheduled an obnoxious amount of social media posts to publish throughout the morning, because I wasn’t going to be around to do it manually and I needed to get those precious, precious votes cast any way I could.

I had actually just boarded the ferry in Vallejo when Belt was announced as the winner of that vote for the National League. Man, there was no better place to be than on the water, beer in hand, and surrounded by celebrating Giants fans. And getting to be there in person for that game, where they announced that Belt would be on the All-Star team for the first and only time, will always be one of my favorite memories.

What are your favorite All-Star Game memories?

The Tampa Bay Rays — rightfully so, given their dominance in the American League thus far — had a strong showing at the All-Star Game this week, chief among them Junior Caminero.

Home Run Derby

At still 23-years young, which I feel the broadcasts should have mentioned even more often than they frequently did, returned to the Home Run Derby he placed second in last year, and in the opening round belted 13 homeruns — only 12 of which counted after some umpiring worthy of the FIFA World Cup when his final belted longball was not recognized of having wrapped around the foul pole down the left field line — as the Rays third baseman boasted the quickest and clearly strongest swing of the Derby, per the HitFX making the rounds on twitter throughout the Netflix live event. Nine of his homeruns travelled over 420 feet, and he maxed out his exit velocity as an astonishing 116 mph.

Caminero was easily on to the second round in a Derby full of new limiting rules that seemed destined to shorten the Derby to an hour long affair with just 20 swings allowed per athlete in the opening round, and with that number decreasing in later rounds, but like many under pundits I shouldn’t have worried. It was a strong showing for MLB.

Despite being one of the last players to hit in the opening round, Caminero was perplexingly asked to step up first in the second round when other players benefitting from an hour’s rest, a decision so strange I suspected the cameras to cut to Gianni Infantino sitting between Rob Manfred and Mohammed bin Salman.

The Home Run Derby is a test of endurance, and Caminero stepped up courageously despite the lack of rest, and proceeded to belt 5 of 15 over the fence in Philadelphia, including a 491 foot moonshot that would be the longest longball of the night.

It was not enough to stave off eventual winner, St. Louis’s Jordan Walker, whose winnings from the tournament purse would outweigh his own annual salary, and who also benefitted from some good fortune ripped from the World Cup headlines, as his pitcher mistakenly grabbed one of the regular baseballs — as opposed to the infamous magenta magic balls that represent the final opportunity for competitors — on his Derby winning blast.

All-Star Game

Caminero was the starting third baseman on the following night in a night full of pomp and circumstance to honor America’s 250th birthday, my favorite being a giant document mirroring the Declaration of Independence that each starter signed as they were announced on the field. In the DRB slack chat during the game, Brett Rutherford  agreed on the hilarity given the document was being signed by, “a bunch of dudes who aren’t American,” to which I responded: “Neither were any of the signatories at that moment if you think about it.”

Caminero would bat the runners around in his first plate appearance, and then suffer another cruel twist of fate in his second at bat when National League pitcher Pat O’Brien — a relatively surprising pitcher to be selected in the first hour given the notoriety up and down Dave Roberts’s bench — ran a fastball up and in on Caminero, striking him in the hand.

Good news for Junior Caminero! X-rays came back negative for the Rays slugger pic.twitter.com/TrmD1GCvag

— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 15, 2026

Caminero held his composure well, then sprinted to the dugout where x-rays were announced as negative for any fractures. Per Enrique Rojas of ESPN, translated from Spanish, “Junior Caminero said he’s fine, that he had a big scare, that the pitcher called him to apologize, and that he plans to play on Friday, when the Rays’ season resumes.”

Two Rays pitchers would be called upon later in the Classic, starting with Nick Martinez — making his first All-Star Game appearance just shy of his 36th birthday, a well earned honor for a veteran who has stepped in as a leader in the Rays clubhouse.

Martinez’s clean appearance helped the American League rack up 15 strikeouts on the night, a feat that was not missed by Martinez postgame:

“Obviously not easy to do,” said Rays starter Nick Martinez, who threw a 1-2-3 fifth. “Hat’s off to these guys, and I’ve got a lot of guys to thank for speeding them up so that I could use my changeup.” [mlb.com]

Rays closer Bryan Baker would be called upon to close out the four-nil victory worthy yet again of a World Cup result, facing the final two batters of the game, and who’d quipped previously that he was accustomed to spending his time on the beach during the All-Star Break.

I would be remiss to not mention the joy I felt seeing any Rays pitcher find success in this stadium, which has haunted me since 2008’s painful World Series loss that hurt all the more for the sting of unfairness and poor weather that haunted those games in Pennsylvania.

Baker’s battery mate was former teammate Adley Rutschman, which led to some appreciative perspective from the Rays reliever post game, and which adds necessary perspective. For some of the players in this game it’s yet another honor for one of the game’s best (it was Mike Trout’s 12th appearance this summer), but for others it’s a once-in-a-lifetime honor. Both are moments to be savored.

Bryan Baker: “We were both saying how much we miss each other and how fun it is to get to work with each other. I said, this could possibly be my last All-Star Game. He’s probably going to come to a lot more, so I’m really going to enjoy this one." https://t.co/MfRH7eI0EE

— Andy Kostka (@afkostka) July 15, 2026

Post game, Rays co-owner and CEO Ken Babby took to twitter to add fuel to the fire building for a new Rays stadium, which must be a requirement for the Rays to someday host the All-Star Game, given that this franchise remains the only one to never receive that honor.

With all eyes on the @MLB All-Star game tonight, all of us @RaysBaseball are committed to bring this moment to Tampa Bay. Let’s make this dream our reality. Let’s make this happen! pic.twitter.com/kBTzqMG7ki

— Ken Babby (@kenbabby) July 15, 2026

As Darby Robinson quipped in the slack chat, “It’s coming home (and I’m not talking about England and the World Cup).”

If you liked pitching and strikeouts, it was a fun night of baseball and celebration in the city of brotherly love.

This is absolutely perfect. Beautifully done by @MLB. ❤️⚾️ pic.twitter.com/NkSZ1Y4ucG

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 15, 2026

Free of charge for the discerning reader.

Happy birthday to Chris Denorfia, and a mighty host of others.

Today in baseball history, in 1973,California Angels ace Nolan Ryan hurls his second no-hitter of the season in taming the Detroit Tigers, 6-0. Ryan fans 17 batters, the most ever in a nine-inning no-hitter, including eight straight, but only one over the last two innings. Nolan’s arm stiffens while watching his team rally for five runs in the top of the eighth. With two outs in the ninth, Norm Cash, who struck out his three other times at bat, comes to bat wielding a piano leg. Umpire Ron Luciano points out the illegality and Cash then pops out using a regulation bat. Ryan’s eight strikeouts in a row ties the American League record he set last year, and other stories as well.

Today in baseball history:

• 1901 – Christy Mathewson, 22 years old, of the New York Giants pitches a no-hitter, blanking the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-0, at League Park. Matty saves his own no-hitter in the sixth when an Otto Krueger hit caroms off 1B John Ganzel‘s glove to Mathewson, who throws back to first base for a 3-1-3 putout.
• 1909 – Ty Cobb has two inside-the-park homers to lead the Detroit Tigers to a sweep of the Washington Nationals.
• 1920 – Babe Ruth ties his 1919 record of 29 home runs with a game-winner in the 13th to beat the St. Louis Browns, 13-10. Two days later, he will break it by hitting two off Chicago White Sox P Dickie Kerr.
• 1921 – NY Yankees slugger Babe Ruth ties MLB record of 138 career home runs (held by Roger Connor since 1895) in a 7-2 win over St. Louis Browns at Sportsman’s Park, St. Louis.
• 1960 – San Francisco Giants first baseman Willie McCovey‘s “invisible triple” causes umpire Frank Dascoli to call a twenty-four minute fog delay at Candlestick Park, but the Los Angeles Dodgers go on to win, 5-3.
• 1960 – Brooks Robinson goes 5 for 5, hitting for the cycle, to lead the Baltimore Orioles to a 5-2 win over the Chicago White Sox. With three hits yesterday, Robinson has eight straight hits. His ninth-inning triple off reliever Turk Lown seals the win for Milt Pappas over starter Billy Pierce.
• 1973 – MLB San Francisco Giant Willie McCovey becomes 15th to hit 400 home runs, this one at Candlestick Park against Pittsburgh Pirate’s Bob Moose.
• 1980 – In an 11-7 Cincinnati Reds win over the Montreal Expos, Johnny Bench belts homer No. 314, establishing a new mark for home runs by a catcher, and No. 347 overall. The round tripper comes off David Palmer. Bench breaks Yogi Berra‘s record and will hold the mark until surpassed by Mike Piazza.
• 1993 – Breaking Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Ernie Banks‘ previous record of 277, Cal Ripken hits his 278th homer as a shortstop, the most ever hit by a major leaguer playing that position.
• 2022 – In his last start before the All-Star break, veteran Clayton Kershaw is better than ever, taking a perfect game into the eighth inning against the Angels before Luis Rengifo breaks up the bid with a lead-off double. It is already the second time this season that the Dodgers’ ace has been perfect through seven innings, the other coming in his first start on April 13th. Kershaw completes the 8th inning without allowing another hit to earn his seventh win, 9-1, after Reyes Moronta allows a meaningless run in the 9th.

Cubs Birthdays:Chris Denorfia*, Bob Will, Bruce Edwards, Bubbles Hargrave.

Today in history:

• 1501 – Portuguese explorer Pedro Cabral arrives back in Lisbon from his voyage to India, having lost six ships, during which he accidently discovered Brazil.
• 1869 – Margarine is patented by Hippolyte Mège-Mouriès for use by the French Navy.
• 1912 – American athlete Jim Thorpe places in the top 4 in all 10 events, achieving an Olympic record of 8,413 points to win the Decathlon gold medal at the Stockholm Olympics; his medal is stripped in 1913 (played pro baseball) and reinstated in 1982.
• 1933 – Wiley Post begins the first solo flight around the world, completing the journey in 7 days and 19 hours.
• 1941 – Howard Florey and Norman Heatley present freeze-dried mold cultures of penicillin.
• 1978 – British Open Men’s Golf at St Andrews: Jack Nicklaus completes his third career Grand Slam, winning by two strokes over Ben Crenshaw and Ray Floyd.
• 2018 – Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao stops WBA welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse in the seventh round in Kuala Lumpur for his first knockout in 9 years and 60th career victory.

Today in music history:

• 1960 – Chubby Checker releases his version of “The Twist” in the US (date approximate).
• 1972 – “Honky Chateau” becomes Elton John‘s first No. 1 album in the US, includes hit “Rocket Man”.
• 1973 – Ray Davies announces his retirement from The Kinks, then attempts suicide; neither effort successful.
• 1987 – Boy George is barred from a British TV show because he may be a bad influence.
• 2012 – Korean pop singer Psy releases single “Gangnam Style,” it becomes a worldwide hit, topping the charts in over 36 countries.
• 2022 – Elton John kicks off the North American leg of his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road: The Final Tour” at Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

*pictured.

Man, what a boring game.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• This whole story really needs to be put to bed, but Rob Manfred admitted that Bryce Harper did nothing wrong with his Cameo video.
• Citizens Bank Park was on full display during the Home Run Derby, an event unlike anything else in the ballpark’s history ($).
• Maybe you noticed, maybe you didn’t, but there was a banner urging the Phillies to cut ties with Citizens Bank.

MLB news:

• Roch Cholowsky is reportedly already a member of the White Sox organization, agreeing to a whopping $10.35 million bonus with Chicago.
• Tarik Skubal continues to be a popular trade target, this time, his name being mentioned with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Team MVP

Paul Dietrich: Brice Turang

The correct answer here is Jacob Misiorowski but given that he’s going to get the Cy Young award below, I’ll choose a position player for variety’s sake. And while there are several important contributors among that group, the player most worthy of recognition here is also the one who leads the team in WAR: Brice Turang.

Though he has slumped at times (as all hitters do), Turang has still been excellent. He’s had a nice bounce back defensively after the metrics last season weren’t as kind as in previous years. He’s 15-for-18 in stolen base attempts. And the offense that miraculously appeared last summer has mostly sustained — Turang’s 126 OPS+ is right there amongst a cluster of Brewers for tops on the team behind the first-base platoon of Jake Bauers and Andrew Vaughn. He’s first on the team in games played and second in home runs. The combination of all of these things makes him the most valuable Brewer position player, and it’s not all that close. And it’s a joke that he isn’t an All-Star.

Harrison Freuck: Brice Turang

Turang has only gotten better from last season, when he exploded for 18 homers after displaying virtually no in-game power in his first two seasons. This year, he’s already posted 4.0 bWAR, putting him well on track to outpace his 5.5 mark from last year, and part of that is due to the return of his strong defensive metrics. It seems silly to go with anyone besides the fourth-year second baseman here.

Dave Gasper: Brice Turang

Turang has continued his progression into a star player this year with the power surge that began last year. He’s up to 14 homers already, just four shy of last year’s total and is close to being on pace for a 30-30 season. Turang is already up to a 4.0 bWAR. He’s an anchor in the heart of the lineup and he continues to provide stellar defense up the middle.

Jackson Heiden: Jake Bauers

Much like the real-life MVP, it typically goes to the best offensive player, and although that’s certainly not the case with this year’s Brewers, that’s what I’m going to do today. Jake “Light Tower Power” Bauers is taking home my midseason MVP honors. Through all of the ups and downs with this season’s offense so far, Bauers has been the most consistent. Bauers is currently having the best season of his career, with his batting average currently over 30 points higher than his second best, which came last year. Most impactfully, his long ball is what stands out to me, with his ability to come in through the clutch. Furthermore, his interview with the Baseball is Dead podcast makes this season that much more magical for him and fans alike.

“Never give up.”
— John Cena
— Jake Bauers pic.twitter.com/sZ1Weomgud

— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) June 22, 2026

Jason Paczkowski: Jacob Misiorowski

There’s always a discussion about whether or not a pitcher should be a team MVP or not. When it comes to a starting pitcher, they only pitch once every five (or so) days, so they have a lower overall contribution to the team. However, even though he’s only pitched in 18 of the Brewers’ 96 games this season, Misiorowski has had the biggest contribution to this team. At 4.4 fWAR, his value not only is the best of any Brewer, it’s also the highest fWAR of any pitcher in the majors this season. He had a sub-1.00 ERA in both May and June, and the Brewers lost only two games he pitched in those months. Whenever he pitches, the Brewers’ chance to win the game increases significantly. There’s not a more valuable player on this team right now.

Adam Zimmer: Brice Turang

There are several Brewers with legitimate cases here. Jackson Chourio, Misiorowski, William Contreras, Jake Bauers, Garrett Mitchell, and even Aaron Ashby have all played valuable roles this season. Ultimately, though, Turang gets the nod. His 4.0 WAR entering the break is nearly double that of Milwaukee’s next-most valuable position player, a testament to just how impactful he’s been on both sides of the ball. Offensively, he’s hitting .266 with an .826 OPS, 14 home runs, and a 126 OPS+, while also totaling 10 Defensive Runs Saved. It’s hard to believe he wasn’t named an All-Star, but an extra week of rest and a little added motivation heading into the second half might not be the worst thing for Turang and the Brewers.

Cy Young

Paul Dietrich: Jacob Misiorowski

Jacob Misiorowski isn’t just the best pitcher on the Brewers — he’s the best pitcher in baseball this season, I think. Enough digital ink has been spilled (by me and others) that I don’t feel I need to spend a whole lot of time justifying this decision, but yeah, Miz is the best.

Harrison Freuck: Jacob Misiorowski

I don’t think there’s much more that I can say about Milwaukee’s ace — all I do now is talk about how good is Misiorowski is. Loads of strikeouts? Check. Low(er) walk numbers? Check. Best WHIP in baseball? Check. Enough said.

Dave Gasper: Jacob Misiorowski

Is there really any other candidate for this award? Aaron Ashby is making a push with his win total, but this is not the Cy Young voting of yesteryear. It’s Miz and it’s not close.

Jackson Heiden: Jacob Misiorowski

As I’m sure many people across baseball will determine, Miz is my Cy Young at this year’s halfway mark. Having only missed one start this season, Misiorowski has a 1.62 ERA with a league-leading 167 strikeouts. As of right now, he leads in two of the three categories needed to win the pitching crown, which was last done in 2024 by both Tarik Skubal and Chris Sale. Entering the second half, the arm fatigue is something to be concerned about, but the first half was one to remember, most notably his complete-game shutout where he faced the minimum under 100 pitches, striking out 15.

Jason Paczkowski: Jacob Misiorowski

While there is a discussion to be had around the team MVP, Misiorowski is a clear favorite for the team Cy Young award. Not only is he leading the majors in fWAR, he’s putting up incredible numbers in ERA (1.62), FIP (2.09), and strikeouts (167). He will easily break the 200-strikeout mark this season and has a chance to set the team record for strikeouts in a season. The biggest concern for him is the innings count, since he is already at 111 IP and is closing in on the 141 1/3 pitched last season. An additional 20% for innings would be around 170 IP, which he could hit in roughly 10 more starts in the second half. It will be something to watch, especially with the extra rest he’s getting during the All-Star break.

Adam Zimmer: Jacob Misiorowski

Misiorowski is the no-brainer pick here as the current odds-on favorite to win the actual Cy Young Award. Miz leads baseball with a 1.62 ERA and is the only qualified pitcher under 2.00. He also leads the league in WHIP (0.76), strikeouts (167), and is tied with Dylan Cease for the MLB lead in strikeouts per nine innings (13.5). Many expected the right-hander to take a step forward in his first full major league season, but I’d guess almost nobody expected him to become the most dominant pitcher in baseball. Milwaukee needed someone to step up in the wake of Freddy Peralta’s departure, and Misiorowski has done far more than that. He’s emerged not just as a legitimate front-of-the-rotation starter, but as one of the best pitchers in the game.

Newcomer

Paul Dietrich: Kyle Harrison

This is pretty obviously Kyle Harrison, who came to the Brewers (along with David Hamilton and Shane Drohan) when they traded Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, and Anthony Seigler to the Red Sox in the offseason. All three of those players have contributed to the Red Sox turnaround over the last few weeks, so this trade looks a little bit less like the fleecing that it looked like a couple months ago, but Harrison has still been by far the best player in the trade and looks like he’ll be a staple of the Brewers’ rotation for several years to come. Let’s just get him healthy and to the end of the season.

A couple others to quickly shout out here: Cooper Pratt, by moving Joey Ortiz out of everyday shortstop duties and relieving Luis Rengifo of his duties, has looked good on defense and has held his own offensively. It has been a huge boon to the Brewers’ team defense, and Ortiz has even perked up with the bat. Also give it up for Drohan, who came over with Harrison, and has been a crucial part of the team in his first major league season.

Harrison Freuck: Kyle Harrison

Have to go with the guy with the same name as me, right? While Harrison hasn’t been quite as good the last month or so, he’s still been Milwaukee’s No. 2 starter this season. He has a solid 8-2 record with a 3.01 ERA and 101 strikeouts, putting him on pace to approach the 200-strikeout mark if he’s able to stay healthy after what is hopefully a short IL stint. The lefty also turns just 25 in a few weeks, meaning there’s still plenty of potential. Shoutout to Shane Drohan and Cooper Pratt.

Dave Gasper: Kyle Harrison

I debated going with Luis Rengifo here (kidding) but it’s clear Kyle Harrison is the best newcomer of the first half. Brandon Sproat has flashed signs, but Harrison hit the ground running. Through 17 starts, he has a 3.01 ERA. Even though he’s on the IL right now, it was a dominant first half.

Jackson Heiden: Kyle Harrison

So few teams are lucky to have a two-headed monster at the front of the rotation like the Brewers have found. Not many people were expecting to see what Kyle Harrison has provided for the Brewers this season, being a perfect replacement for Freddy Peralta. Though he has stumbled a little bit down the stretch, he has been a phenomenal No. 2 pitcher in the rotation. Entering the All-Star break, he is currently having the best season of his career and is on pace to break his inning workload by roughly mid-August, assuming he is healthy. Once again, for what feels like the millionth time, the Brewers’ pitching lab is working wonders.

Jason Paczkowski: Cooper Pratt

If we’re looking at total contribution over the season so far, the newcomer should be Kyle Harrison. However, I’m going to give a vote to Pratt. He is fixing one of the biggest weaknesses that this Brewers team has had so far. Since making his debut on June 16, he has already matched Joey Ortiz’s full season value (0.6 fWAR) and surpassed David Hamilton (0.3 fWAR) and Luis Rengifo (-0.7 fWAR). In addition, we’re already starting to see him adjust to major league pitching. Since the start of July, he’s batting .306/.422/.417 with a 138 wRC+. It may be early for him, but he’s already showing why the Brewers signed him to a long-term deal before he even played a game in the majors.

Adam Zimmer: Kyle Harrison

Like Misiorowski, I expected Harrison to be good. I just didn’t expect him to be this good. Through his first 17 starts with the Brewers, Harrison owns a 3.01 ERA and a 1.076 WHIP while giving Milwaukee exactly what it needed after acquiring him over the winter. Shane Drohan, David Hamilton, and Gary Sánchez have all made valuable contributions in their first seasons with the club, but Harrison has separated himself from the rest of the newcomers. He’s pitched like a legitimate top-of-the-rotation starter, helping stabilize one of baseball’s youngest pitching staffs and playing a major role in the Brewers’ 100-win pace.

Team Grade

Paul Dietrich: A

I don’t see how you could give them anything else. The Brewers yet again traded away a franchise centerpiece and yet again came out of it as a better team. They have the second-best record in baseball in a season when essentially everyone thought they’d be worse. Yes, they scuffled into the break and yes, the Cubs are making a charge, but they’ve positioned themselves as well as they possibly could for the second half of the season.

Harrison Freuck: A

This was honestly kinda hard for me to decide on, because while there’s still room for improvement, the Brewers had such a great first half that it’s hard to complain. After the late April struggles, the team has really put things together since Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn returned in May, and Jacob Misiorowski has seemingly figured out at least some of the issues that plagued him last season. Milwaukee once again looks like the team to beat in the Central, and if it weren’t for the money machine of the Dodgers, I’d say they look like the team to beat in the NL, too.

Dave Gasper: A

At no point has it really felt like this team has fully hit their stride, yet they still have a franchise record for first-half wins and are in control in the NL Central. They lost Chourio and Vaughn for a month to start the season, they got nothing from the bottom three spots in the lineup for months, and they have not had Quinn Priester at all and missed other various starters throughout. Despite all that, being able to win that many games is an easy A grade. They haven’t fired on all cylinders, but you are what your record says you are, and the record says they had a great first half.

Jackson Heiden: A-

It feels almost cliché to give the Brewers an A- at the halfway mark. Despite having the second-best record in baseball and falling one win short of becoming the 21st team in baseball to hit 60 wins before the All-Star break, there are some glaring issues that will need to be addressed at the trade deadline if the Brewers want to make a run come October. The Brewers’ pitching staff has been the backbone, but with a roller coaster of injuries spread throughout, another arm wouldn’t hurt to help support the rotation. Offensively, despite seeing better production as of late from the left side of the infield, it’s still an area that could use some veteran leadership to really boost this lineup. Overall, the Brewers are in a great spot. In fact, the best spot they have ever been to this point in the season. Arms will get healthier, the bats will figure it out, and with a favorable stretch of schedule coming out of the break, it could be a good “get hot” time for the Crew.

Jason Paczkowski: A

A lot has gone right for the Brewers this season. Even though they did spend a few days in last place early in the season, they have never had a losing record this season. They’ve been in sole possession of first place since May 19 and have held a lead as large as 7.5 games. The young rotation has been a strength of the team, and the bullpen has also been as strong as last year. New additions to the position players are fixing some of the issues that the team has had so far. There are a few concerns as the team comes out of the All-Star break, with the rotation facing some injuries and the Brewers on a three-game losing streak. However, they’re still set up to finish the season strong.

Adam Zimmer: A

At the All-Star break, the Brewers have 59 wins, the second-best record in baseball, the Cy Young frontrunner, the best farm system in the sport, and a front office that keeps plugging holes with talented young players. Sure, you can point to the bullpen’s occasional struggles, the inconsistent production with runners in scoring position, or the lack of elite power, but none of that changes the bigger picture: the Brewers are winning games. They’re just a game and a half behind the Dodgers for the best record in the majors. If that doesn’t deserve an A, what does?

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders: Offday

Double-A Somerset Patriots: Offday

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades: Offday

Low-A Tampa Tarpons: Offday

Florida Complex League Yankees:L, 8-13 at FCL Blue Jays

1B-3B Richard Matic 0-4, BB, 2 K
SS George Lombard Jr. 1-1, HR, 2 BB, RBI — another rehab game, another homer
PH-1B Diego Flores 0-1, BB
CF Wilberson De Pena 3-4, 2B, HR, BB, 3 RBI, K, CS — 16th homer, continues to lay waste to Rookie ball (1.085 OPS in 51 games); also a new FCL record for single-season homers!
DH Queni Pineda 0-4, BB, 2 K
3B-2B Leni Done 0-4, SB
RF Jose Castro 2-3, BB, RBI, K, 2 SB
LF Francisco Vilorio 1-4, RBI
2B-SS Dexters Peralta 0-2, 2 BB, GIDP, CS, picked off
C Justin Capellan 1-3, 2B
C Carlos Rondon 0-1, K

Danny Flatt 2.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R (4 ER), 3 BB, 4 K, HR, WP (loss)
Marco Manzano 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, WP
Brian Hendry 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Hueston Morrill 0.2 IP, 2 H, 4 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 2 K — on a rehab assignment of his own, but yike
Brian Arias 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R (3 ER), 2 BB, HR, HBP
Stanly Alcantara 1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 2 K, HBP

Solo homer to left field by George Lombard Jr. for the FCL Yankees on rehab.

383 feet distance, 103.2 MPH exit velo, 24⁰ launch angle. pic.twitter.com/4n9qb9pjEx

— John Brophy (@jbrophybaseball) July 14, 2026

Dominican Summer League Yankees:L, 10-13 and W, 8-6 (7) vs. DSL Rockies

Game 1 — completion of July 9th game suspended in the third

CF Isaias Castillo 2-2, 2B
RF Manuel Aguilar 1-2, 2 BB, K
SS Stiven Marinez 1-4, BB, SB, HBP
RF-CF Yostin Pena 3-5, 2 2B, BB, 4 RBI, SB — three run-scoring hits in four innings
DH Juan Torres 3-5, 3 RBI, SB
1B Juan Martinez 1-3, K
1B John Rosillo 1-2, HR, 2 RBI — first pro homer
C Cesar Lopez 0-2, 2 BB, K, SB, HBP, passed ball
LF Kendry Diaz 0-5, K
3B Abrahan Pichardo 1-2, CS, throwing error
3B Adrian Feliz 0-2, BB, K, CS
2B Emmanuel Orozco 1-5, 2 K, SB

Jhosneyker Colina 1 IP, 4 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 2 K
Dariel Chalas 1.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R (1 ER), 3 BB, 0 K, 2 HBP
Dalvin Taveras 1 IP, 2 H, 5 R (5 ER), 4 BB, 2 K, WP, HBP
Angel Salazar 3.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 4 K, WP — DSL Rockies scored five in the eighth to come back
Luis Rodriguez 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 0 K (loss)

Game 2

SS Stiven Marinez 1-3, BB
C Juan Martinez 2-3, BB, SB, throwing error
CF Yostin Pena 3-4, 3B, HR, 4 RBI, K — launched go-ahead homer in the sixth; six hits and eight RBI in the doubleheader, pretty good!
2B Juan Torres 1-4, 2B, RBI, SB
RF Manuel Aguilar 1-4, 2 K
LF Eliezer Adames 0-2, BB, K
DH Edgar Jimenez 0-3
1B Jose Peralta 0-2, BB
3B Emmanuel Orozco 0-2, BB, K, fielding error

Jhosneyker Colina 4.2 IP, 7 H, 6 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 4 K, HR, HBP, fielding error — starting both ends of a doubleheader! wow! (yes I know he actually started the first one on July 9th)
Varis Villarreal 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K (win)
Emanuel Vargas 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K, WP (save)

Dominican Summer League Bombers:L, 6-8 (10) at DSL Colorado

2B Dariel Santana 2-5, 2B, 3B, K — scored on a fielder’s choice to briefly put Bombers ahead in 10th
3B Carlos Bello 0-3, BB, 2 K
C Kenneth Melendez 1-5, K, SB, passed ball
C Jesus Guerrero 0-0
RF David Carrera 3-4, BB, 2 RBI, SB, outfield assist
DH Poly Ojeda 1-5, HR, 4 RBI — three-run blast in the eighth
SS Germayhoni Beltre 0-4, BB, K, SB, CS
1B Stalen Ramirez 0-4, fielding error
LF Sebastian Pinto 0-3, BB
CF Alfiery Matos 0-4, K

Junior Tavera 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 5 K, HR
Higor Requena 4 IP, 6 H, 3 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 4 K, HR, HBP — allowed game-tying homer in the eighth
Diego Carrillo 0 IP, 2 H, 3 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 0 K, HR (loss) — gave up walk-off three-run bomb in the 10th