Category: Baseball

The first phase of the MLB proposal for the new Collective Bargaining Agreement to the MLB Players Association (MLBPA) included a hard salary cap and a hard salary floor. They also outlined multiple revenue-sharing proposals.

The MLBPA quickly rejected the concept, as they have in past negotiations. The debate between the two sides began in May and will continue intermittently until the current agreement expires on Dec. 1.

The second proposal from MLB to the union included changes to the draft, including the elimination of high school drafting and the institution of an international draft. In response to that proposal, the union requested the elimination of the Qualifying Offer from free agency and the shortening of time it takes for a player to reach free agency.

On Thursday, during their regular negotiation session, the MLB negotiators proposed a minimum salary increase from $780,000 to $1 million for pre-arbitration players with two years of service time.

Those with less than two years would receive $900,000 with a $100,000 bonus at the end of the year if they spend less than 50 percent of the season on the injured list and complete the season with the team.

They agreed to the MLBPA’s request to reduce the free-agent eligibility requirement to five years of service time from the current six years for players 30 and older. They accepted the request for the elimination of the qualifying offer.

The MLB then proposed that all free-agent contracts be capped at five years for players changing teams or six years for those staying with their current team. The maximum dollar amount would be capped based on payroll. The top would be 15 percent of total payroll with a five percent increase per contract year. (Example: six-year/ $265 million under 2025 numbers).

The proposal also included the elimination of deferred money contracts, such as the controversial contract Shohei Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The pre-arbitration pool would increase by 30 percent ($50 million to $65 million) and up to $75 million by the end of the agreement.

The MLB proposed expanding the Prospect Promotion Program with the eligible player yielding up to two draft picks if the player is in the top two or three in Rookie of the Year or four or five in Cy Young voting or MVP voting. The picks would be distributed one for each draft (domestic and international).

MLB released its statement in support of its proposals.

“The biggest issue baseball fans want solved to strengthen the game is fixing the payroll disparity that leaves too many fans without hope of their team competing for a World Series title,” MLB spokesperson Glen Caplin said. “Every other major U.S. sport has tackled this problem, and every year more small-market teams in those leagues have a chance to win. The salary cap and floor proposal levels the playing field, allowing us greater flexibility to address longstanding player priorities while sharing baseball revenue with the players 50/50.

“Today, in addition to proposing the largest-ever increase in the minimum salary, earned by over half of MLB players, we accepted two landmark changes to free agency that have been in place for 50 years. We agreed to both the MLBPA’s proposal to provide earlier access to free agency, and their proposal to eliminate the qualifying offer system, a provision players view as a drag on free agency. We also proposed to eliminate deferred compensation and to create a new ‘Cornerstone Player’ provision similar to the NBA’s ‘Bird rights’ to give every team a fair shot at retaining their fans’ favorite star players. We will continue working with the MLBPA during the bargaining process to improve the game for teams, players and fans.”

The MLBPA had a rapid response to the latest offer from the MLB negotiating team.

“After making a series of proposals to reduce player compensation by billions of dollars, eliminate fundamental rights with a salary cap, and destroy the amateur entry process, Major League Baseball and team owners are now attempting to distract from the true impact their plan would have on baseball,” a statement from the MLBPA said. “These misleading offers are designed to look like ‘improvements’ but are of little or no value, given they are expressly conditioned on agreement to the league’s cap system which eliminates the free market, and ensures gains for one player only come at the expense of another. The league also introduced a litany of additional restrictions on player rights — limiting salaries, contract length, performance, award, and signing bonuses. While MLB claims to be acting in the interest of fans, their proposals thus far are entirely consistent with owners’ long-held goals: suppressing player salaries and maximizing club profits.

“Owners’ attempts to pit players against players are nothing new, but they’ve failed in the past and will fail again now, because PA members remain unified. We are committed to achieving a fair deal that protects the rights of all players, promotes competition, and leaves our game better for future generations.”

The two sides are expected to meet again before the All-Star break in July. There seems to be very little current space for agreement with the initial proposal as the basis for all subsequent proposals by both sides.

With the players staunchly refusing to consider that suggestion, nothing else can be achieved until they find some common ground on the competitive balance issue.

Jacob Misiorowski is having among the most dominant pitching seasons we’ve ever seen. What does he need to do to get it up there with the all-time greats?

In a recent piece I did about the greatest single season pitching seasons, I quickly mentioned in the intro that Misiorowski was on pace for an all-time season if he kept up his current pace before launching into verbose soliloquies about 2018 Jacob deGrom and 1985 Dwight Gooden. But the blueprint was there; if we have some sense of what makes the best pitching seasons, surely we can get The Miz to that level.

Two factors consistently colored my ranking: dominance relative to other pitchers in the same time (why steroid-era Pedro Martinez in 1999-2000 was the greatest pitcher ever) and statistical outliers extended over a full season. Misiorowski needs a true mathematical trump card that will be visible and obvious to everyone for the rest of time. For Misiorowski, that’s currently his ERA: 1.45, the best ever save for 1968 Bob Gibson (number three on my other list) and his patently absurd 1.12 ERA in over 300 innings pitched. That figure is so good it needs additional context, namely that the strike zone was much larger than it is today in 1968, and Gibson’s dominance — along with Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale — led to rule changes that fixed that. Misiorowski would, for all intents and purposes, pass 1985 Dwight Gooden for the best non-“juiced zone” ERA ever.*

(*whenever I say “ever” in this piece, I generally mean since 1945, since I think post-World War II is a good starting point for pitching legacy conversations given many players returned from military service, integration began soon after and pitchers stopped pitching 19 billion innings per year. It just wasn’t the same sport for pitchers before.)

But ERA is a flawed statistic, and not necessarily great at capturing true pitcher performance. I also like ERA estimators like FIP and SIERA, basically ERA-scale stats that try to correct for things pitchers can’t control like defense and balls in play. I only have SIERA data going back to 2002, but Misiorowski would be third all-time in the SIERA club behind 2014 Clayton Kershaw (fourth on my list) and 2002 Curt Schilling (by .01). As for FIP, or fielding independent pitching, good at telling you which pitchers prevent runs by themselves rather than with defensive help, Misiorowski is in hallowed ground. Since 1945, he trails only 2021 Corbin Burnes (FIP god for some reason) and 1999 Pedro Martinez — number one on my list and the undisputed king of pitching seasons.

You may be thinking “what do I care about FIP? I’ve never even heard of that until now!” But I assure you, FIP is a powerful thing, and Misiorowski being a FIP and ERA god is good for other historical markers, namely Wins Above Replacement (WAR), calculated by two websites differently. “bWAR” from Baseball-References relies more on runs allowed, while “fWAR” from FanGraphs is FIP-based. Misiorowski is insane at both, meaning if he keeps this up, his WAR number could go down as an all-timer — he’s already on pace for about 10 WAR right now, a bonkers achievement for a starting pitcher in the age of the reliever. 

But Misiorowski’s greatness goes beyond this numerical soups I’ve just concocted. He’s also super cool because he throws super hard and refuses to throw slower. He threw 47 pitches above 101 mphin a loss to Atlanta, which is the record for a starter. He threw a pitch to strikeout Kyle Schwarber that clocked in at 105 mph, the fastest ever from a starter. In 2026, he ratcheted up his four-seam fastball usage up almost 10 percent from 2025 to a ridiculous 64 percent, the highest in the majors by a lot and the second highest in the Statcast era (since 2015) behind only 2017 Kevin Gausman. MLB has moved away from a lot of fastballs and towards fewer-but-better fastballs, but Misiorowski pulled up to the club and said “nah, I’ll just throw more, better fastballs.”

And why not? Using Baseball Savant’s glorious new swing timing + miss distance data, we can see that 2026 Jacob Misiorowski’s fastball is among the most unhittable pitches since they started tracking in 2023. I would go so far as to say it is the single least hittable pitch since it is a fastball producing a 44 percent whiff rate. That is not something you are supposed to be able to do, and Misiorowski’s fastball is straight-up the best swing-and-miss fastball in the Majors since at least 2023 (probably longer) among both starters and relievers. 

I don’t know if my profuse use of italics is underscoring how impossibly impossible it is that Misiorowski is putting up these kinds of numbers, but even if you don’t like numbers, we also have historical intrigue: Misiorowski is on pace for one of the greatest seasons ever, but he’s actually not the most on pace anyone has ever been. 

That title goes to 2021 Jacob deGrom, who was, if you can believe it, a wildly superior version of 2026 Misiorowski through basically the exact same number of innings pitched. He has a 1.08 ERA (would be the best ever) a 1.24 FIP (would be the best ever) and struck out 14.28 per nine innings (would be the best ever). And that’s where it stands today; deGrom got injured and missed the rest of the season, meaning he pitched by far the greatest half-season ever. This is what Misiorowski needs to avoid.

He throws hard, we all know that, and while it’s commonly debated whether velocity is the real culprit for UCL injuries and tears, it’s obviously a concern that Misiorowski may not be able to sustain this pitching output that’s like he’s the Winter Soldier with a vibranium arm. But I don’t speculate about injuries; I speculate if this is sustainable for the rest of the season.

Looking at expected statistics, Misiorowski is overperforming based on his contact quality, but so is every pitcher who’s ever had a great season in the history of ever. And he’s not actually overperforming by that much — most of his expected numbers are within small enough margins not to take much stock in them, and the discrepancy is mostly because it is not supposed to be possible to create this kind of swing-and-miss with a fastball as a starter. It’s legitimately unprecedented stuff. 

Maybe that will regress, and maybe Misiorowski will start getting barreled later in the year. But I could see a world where we look back on 2026 Misiorowski and think of one of the greatest pitching seasons in the history of baseball. So I suggest we all drink it in while we’ve got it.

After parting ways with manager Carlos Mendoza on Friday morning, the Mets made a flurry of smaller roster moves. Tyrone Taylor has been activated from the injured list and left-handed-pitcher Zach Thornton has been recalled from Triple-A, while MJ Melendez and right-hander Daniel Duarte were optioned to Triple-A.

Taylor spent exactly one month on the IL with a right hip flexor strain. In four rehab games with Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse over the past week, Taylor went 7-for-15 with two homers and six runs batted in. He was slashing .186/.210/.320 before getting injured, and notably posting defensive metrics well below his career norms (-1 Outs Above Average and -1 Arm Value).

A fifth-round pick in the 2023 Draft, and Amazin’ Avenue’s No. 14 preseason prospect, Thornton made his big-league debut at Nationals Park on May 20 – allowing four earned runs in 4.1 innings of work. The 24-year-old holds a 4.25 ERA in 55.0 IP this season between Binghamton and Syracuse.

Duarte has made three appearances with the Mets this year, most recently on June 14 against the Braves. He’s been awfully effective, allowing no runs, one hit, and one walk while striking out three in five innings of work. The 29-year-old was promoted to the Major League roster on Thursday, and spent one day with the team before being sent back to Syracuse.

Melendez started hot for the Mets, posting a 1.024 OPS through his first 16 games after being promoted on April 15. But he’s been mired in a slump since then, batting just .123 with a .495 OPS.

The Mets will look to find a spark with their new roster pieces (and their new interim manager, Andy Green) during a three-game set with the Phillies this weekend at Citi Field. The series opener is Friday night at 7:10 p.m. ET, with the ever-fearsome Zack Wheeler on the mound for Philadelphia.

Former Florida State catcher Hunter Carns has committed to transfer to Georgia, according to College Baseball Central’s Andrew Riedell. The 6-foot, 200-pound sophomore will have at least two years of eligibility remaining in Athens.

Carns had a .289 batting average, six home runs, 11 doubles, one triple, 38 RBI, and 48 runs scored while appearing in 51 games during the 2026 season, including 49 combined starts at both catcher and designated hitter.

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Carns is considered a physical right-handed hitter with plus-power at the plate while also showing rare athleticism behind the plate. He presents a similar profile to the player he’ll likely replace in the Bulldogs’ lineup: Daniel Jackson, who won the SEC’s triple crown with a conference-best .379 average, 32 home runs and 87 RBIs. He joined Mississippi State‘s Brent Rooker and Rafael Palmeiro as the only other SEC players to achieve such a feat.

Jackson, who also became the sixth Division I college baseball player to hit at least 25 home runs and still at least 25 bases, raked in multiple awards in 2026 — the Dick Howser Trophy, the Buster Posey Catcher of the Year Award, the Bobby Bragan Slugger Award, and the D1 National Position Player of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association and Rawlings Sporting Goods. Jackson is widely expected to be a first-round pick in the upcoming 2026 MLB Draft next month.

Carns was originally drafted in the 20th round of the 2024 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, but chose to attend FSU instead. The Jacksonville, Fla. native hit .384 with 28 hits, seven doubles, 27 runs scored, 16 RBI and seven home runs as a senior from First Coast (Jacksonville, Fla.) High.

As a freshman at Florida State, Carns hit .286 with eight doubles, six home runs and 15 RBI in 40 games during the 2025 season, including 39 starts.

Carns becomes Georgia’s sixth transfer addition this offseason joining outfielder Mikey Bell (Gonzaga), shortstop Matthew Farner (North Florida) and right-handed pitchers Cooper Wells (Florida), Christopher Cespedes (Maryland), and Luke Howe (Long Beach State), according to On3’s Baseball Transfer Portal tracker.

Good afternoon everyone, it’s time to dive back into the mailbag and answer some of your questions. Remember to send in your questions for our weekly call by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.

Michael R. asks:What’s going on with Dax Kilby? Is he in a witness protection program? Last I heard it was a hamstring injury. Was there an amputation needed? Surely, if it was just a hamstring issue he should be back by now.

Hamstrings are finnicky muscles, and tweaking them can easily set back a rehabbing player’s progress — look no further than Giancarlo Stanton for a prime example of how long it can take if things go poorly. Kilby did manage to get into a rehab game at the end of May, but reaggravated the injury during the game and has been out again since. We don’t know the full extent to how bad the hamstring was after that game, but the team is going to be cautious with any soft tissue injury like this especially after the rehab attempt went poorly. If we don’t have an update around mid-July then there’d be some valid concern, but for now Kilby is simply going to be on the shelf for a bit longer.

jws85 asks:Why do writers keep talking starting pitchers? I would think the hot topic would be Josh Jung and Higgy from Texas.

It’s not so much that starting pitching is a need as it is the singular face of the trade market this deadline appears to be Tarik Skubal — and when the reigning two-time Cy Young winner is available, you have to at least consider being the one to make a move for him. Any other starter wouldn’t make sense for the Yankees to pursue when they have one of the strongest rotations in baseball and have some clear holes elsewhere, but Skubal could push them all-in on being perhaps the most dangerous team in the field even with the reigning champion Dodgers looking every bit as strong as they have been the last two years.

Make no mistake though: it would be an all-in move, and it would be costly. Even though the team that lands him would only guarantee Skubal’s services for the remainder of this season, the Tigers can demand a king’s ransom for him and have a number of suitors willing to pony up. Skubal did sit out for a month with an elbow injury that might raise concerns, but he’s recovered in admirable time and the Yankees just got a front-row seat to see how sharp he looks already so I doubt there would be a major discount on account of his arm. Any trade on the Yankees’ ends would start with top prospect George Lombard Jr. and likely include several other top prospects within the organization’s top 10, probably even their top five given their rankings fall off quick from there. That’s going to mortgage the future fairly significantly, but if they don’t push those chips into the pot the Dodgers can definitely outbid them (and possibly still can even if the Yankees leave no one off the table).

Sounds like an awful lot to index everything into a rotation that is already one of the best, and leaves little room to make other upgrades when some are definitely warranted. So why should the Yankees consider this? Well, there’s the opportunity cost of passing on Skubal to consider — if they don’t go and get him, someone else will and the Yankees will likely have to face him on their road to a World Series title, making him a major obstacle instead of a piece of the puzzle. Could anyone compete with the Dodgers if Skubal dons an LA cap this postseason? Will the Yankees’ hopes of walking through a weak American League remain high if say, Seattle doesn’t want to fall just short of making the Fall Classic at long last and throws their arsenal of top 100 prospects at Detroit? Leaving it up to chance that Skubal won’t become the next version of Texas Cliff Lee or Houston Gerrit Cole isn’t ideal for a team whose core is getting dangerously close to old.

Age is the other factor — the Yankees have, outside of their push in 2024 with Juan Soto, danced around the idea of ever going all-in. Now they have a roster with superstars exiting their primes, with Aaron Judge already in his age-34 season and Cole approaching his 36th birthday in September. Both players have now faced mounting injuries in the last few years, and while I’m highly confident in both of them performing in October this year, how many more years will they be able to carry the weight of a title run on their shoulders? The team has gotten a much-needed injection of youth with Ben Rice and Cam Schlittler excelling this year, but they’re facing Father Time down with the contracts still on the books for their superstars. A rental starter would’ve been ideal in past seasons but isn’t this time around, but you could argue that getting picky about which pieces were available to them and at what prices got them into this position in the first place. Now they need to decide if pushing for a championship with their captain is more important than always being in the mix, and act accordingly.

With all this said I truly don’t know if they can even get Skubal or should pursue him if they could, but they have to do their due diligence in considering it. I like Lombard a lot, and he can potentially be the answer to a position that has given the Yankees a lot of headaches over the years. It would take a lot to move him, but the circumstances are undeniably there. We’ll see if they determine it’s worth pulling the trigger or not.

The idiot that said, “Harper is coming” asks:Clarke Schmidt? He’s going to face live batters any day now, so his return this season seems inevitable. What do the Yankees do with him? Do they just ride out the season and if he’s healthy and available keep him in the minors, or bring him up and force him into a bullpen role? Does he have any trade value? How does he rank among Yankee starters for 2027?

Schmidt is in a strange spot, with the rotation blossoming in his absence and nearly all the candidates to hold down a spot ahead of him being under control long-term. Schmidt, meanwhile, will be a free agent after next season and still has a minor league option remaining to toy with, giving the team flexibility now with how they handle his return but forcing the issue next year if they did keep him down. I doubt they would stash him in the minors, to be honest — when healthy he was one of the better starters the Yankees had, pacing out to about three fWAR per season had he played all of 2024 and 2025. The reality is he hasn’t pitched over 100 innings since 2023 though, so easing him back in a multi-inning relief role would be the ideal scenario if he stays and the rotation remains healthy in front of him.

A trade to shake things up in this equation is very much on the table though, as the Yankees have needs around the roster and for once have an extreme excess of starting pitching. Schmidt’s injuries might prevent him from recouping significant value, but he could also serve as a solid fallback option if Will Warren or one of the prospects like Elmer Rodriguez or Brendan Beck gets packaged in a deal. That could allow Schmidt to build back up his arm with a handful of starts this year and then slide back into the rotation as the fifth starter for 2027 should he beat out Ryan Weathers in spring. The only concern is that you truly can’t have too much pitching, and it would be the height of folly to act as if the team had too much pitching in July only to run on empty in October, but if they seriously pursued the Skubal angle perhaps that’s how they could hedge on building a super rotation for this season and still have depth for next year and beyond.

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said he believes he still has the support of owner Steve Cohen after firing manager Carlos Mendoza on Friday.

On the day the manager was let go with the Mets in last place in the NL East with a 34-47 record, Stearns was short when asked if he believed he still had ownership’s support to continue in his position: "Yes."

When asked what makes him think that, Stearns said it came from the conversations that he has with Cohen.

"Steve and I are talking on a regular basis," he said. "And he’s certainly indicated that I have his support."

As far as the decision to fire Mendoza – with the disappointing start to the season following a terrible collapse in last season’s campaign, when they finished the year 38-55 after having the best record in baseball on June 12 – and install Andy Green as the interim manager for the remainder of the season, Stearns said it was made in consultation with ownership.

"Any decision like this, of this magnitude for an organization, is an organizational decision," he said. "And we were aligned that this was the right thing to do."

Asked if the owner approached the front office about firing the manager or if it was the other way around, Stearns declined to get into specifics. 

"I’m not gonna get into the specifics of Steve and my conversations," Stearns said. "We talk pretty much every day about the performance of our team. 

"And we came to the decision that this was the right move."

Stearns said he took responsibility for his role in the Mets’ poor start to the season, but expressed his confidence in the roster he assembled.

"Clearly we’ve fallen short," he said. "I still have confidence in the talent that’s in our room, and believe in the talent that’s in our room, but belief on its own does not lead to results. And I understand that.

"We need better play, we need better production, and my focus now, and, Andy’s focus right now, is going to be doing everything we can to put our guys in the best position to succeed."

Stearns, who has said he considered his job to be done in partnership with Mendoza, said he had not considered stepping down from his role when asked directly.

"I believe that we are building the foundation of an organization that can deliver what we all want," he said in response to a question about stepping down. "I don’t believe that our record on the field this year is indicative of some of the advances we’ve made in the organization. But clearly our record is nowhere good enough."

While he said that he shared and "understood our fans' frustration and anger" in the way things have turned out, Stearns added that he understands their "skepticism" in his ability to turn things around.

"If I were sitting in the fan seat, I would share that," he said of the skepticism. "From my perspective, what I can do and what I will do, is for as long as I’m sitting in this seat, work as hard as I can with the people around me to do everything we can to push this organization forward. And I think we’re gonna be able to do that."

The Baseball Gods are so often cruel and unrelenting.

The Cincinnati Reds battled the Milwaukee Brewers in a three-game series in Great American Ball Park earlier this week, and they battled them pretty well. Twice they got near perfect starts from starters only for their offense to similarly be stifled, and once they battled back after they once looked buried.

Losses are losses, plain and simple, but they went toe to toe with the best team in the league and lost 2-1 (in extras), 2-0, and 6-5. They were close, but close simply doesn’t count in the sport of baseball.

They’ve fallen 5 games under .500 for the first time all season, and that’s after peaking at 9 games over .500 at the start of May. They’re an abysmal 2-15 vs. NL Central foes so far, too, showing just how far they’ve fallen down the pecking order of baseball’s most competitive division.

You’d think the Gods might throw them a bone here or there. Instead, their next foe on the schedule is none other than NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes, who’ll start Friday’s series opener between the Reds and his Pittsburgh Pirates.

Skenes has actually been better in 2026 than he was during his award-winning 2025 in many ways. He’s sporting a 0.93 WHIP that’s better than his 0.95 mark from last season, and his 5.94 K/BB is improved from his 5.14 mark in ’25. So, the Reds have that going for them this evening. You may also recall that in 6 career starts against the Reds, he has held them to an abysmal .474 OPS and 0.53 ERA across 34.0 IP, with an absurd 45/4 K/BB.

Yikes!

The Reds will roll out lefty Andrew Abbott and hope he can keep the team in the game until the point where Skenes hands the ball over to the bullpen (should that ever actually have to occur). First pitch is set for 6:40 PM ET as the Reds try desperately to rescue their season after dropping it into the porta potty.

Here’s the order in which the Reds will be retired by Skenes to start:

First of three in Pittsburgh.

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— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) June 26, 2026

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The weekend here here, as is a fresh set of games filled with a ton of nuke missile opportunities!

My MLB player props are backing a couple of smaller names to go deep in my favorite home run predictions for Friday, June 26. 

Best MLB home run props today

Home run pick: Travis Bazzana (+578)

Cleveland Guardians rookie second baseman Travis Bazzana has been one of the few bright spots in this lineup as of late, owning a .769 SLG and a 1.202 OPS, while generating a 45% hard-hit rate and a 15% barrel rate over his last 30 plate appearances against right-handed pitching.

The young Aussie draws Seattle Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo, whose entire pitch mix is valued below league average, per FanGraphs. Bazzana owns a 68.5% arsenal coverage against Castillo’s full mix.

Castillo is nearly 50% fastballs, a pitch type the young second baseman has handled well this season, posting a .921 OPS while generating nearly a 42% hard-hit rate.

Beyond the below-average arsenal, Castillo has been getting tagged by left-handed hitters on the road, allowing a 71.4% elevation rate and a 43.7% hard-hit rate. Over his last 60 lefties faced, opponents have produced a 48% hard-hit rate, a 12% barrel rate, a 66% elevation rate, along with a .490 xSLG and .357 xwOBA.

For those who read my MLB player props for today, we are also on Kyle Manzardo to leave the yard as well.

• Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: CLEG, SEAM

Home run pick: TJ Rumfield (+640)

Colorado Rockies first baseman TJ Rumfield enters Friday night with not only an elite rating on Batters-Box, but also a 76% arsenal coverage against Twins right hander Taj Bradley.

Rumfield has been on fire lately, posting a .692 SLG, 1.092 OPS, .365 ISO, and just a 13% strikeout rate over his last 60 at bats against right-handed pitching.

The Twins right hander, on the other hand, has been getting torched by left-handed hitters.

Over the last 30 lefties he has faced, opponents are generating a 60% hard-hit rate, 25% barrel rate, and 75% elevation rate.

Even if you zoom out to the last 60 left-handed hitters, the numbers are nearly identical, with opponents owning a .708 xSLG and .418 xwOBA. Looking at his last three starts overall, Bradley owns a 6.19 xERA while allowing a 54% hard-hit rate and 16% barrel rate to opposing hitters.

This should be a fun one. I fully expect Rumfield to produce something above 105 mph off the bat this evening, whether it stays inside the ballpark, leaves it, or ends up in someone's glove.

• Time: 8:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MNNT, COLR

Home run pick: Owen Caissie (+640)

Miami Marlins outfielder Owen Caissie has been on an absolute tear and tonight, he draws St. Louis Cardinals right hander Michael McGreevy.

The young slugger owns 74% arsenal coverage against McGreevy's entire pitch mix. As of late, Caissie has been eyeing up everything. Over his last 30 plate appearances against right-handed pitching, Caissie has produced a 55.6% hard-hit rate, 27.8% barrel rate, .430 wOBA, .679 SLG, and a 1.012 OPS.

McGreevy has had some issues against lefties this season, posting a 5.67 xERA and just a 10% strikeout rate over the last 60 left-handed batters he has faced. During that stretch, lefties have posted a .358 xBA, .569 xSLG, and .382 xwOBA against him. 

It is going to be a sweaty one with Caissie hitting toward the bottom of the order, but he has been seeing the ball extremely well, consistently producing loud contact. McGreevy has also been allowing plenty of hard contact, with opponents elevating the baseball against him.

• Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: CARD, MIAM

Today’s HR parlay

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The Cubs enter this series trailing the Brewers by 6.5 games in the NL Central. With half a season to go, that’s not an insurmountable lead.

And yet, the Cubs were swept by the Brewers last month at Wrigley Field and outscored 19-5 in the three games. They’ll need to make some sort of better statement in this series.

At the end of the weekend, the Cubs will trail by either 3.5, 5.5, 7.5 or 9.5 games. So… winning one or two would be a useful result, and an unlikely Cubs sweep would make the division race really interesting. The Cubs are the hottest team in MLB right now, on a 10-3 run. So… you never know.

For more on the Brewers, here’s Harrison Freuck, manager of our SB Nation Brewers site Brew Crew Ball.

The Milwaukee Brewers have found their groove over the last month-plus. After getting out to a slow, injury-riddled start, they’ve gone 33-15 since the beginning of May to expand their NL Central lead.

Jake Bauers currently leads the small-ball offense with 14 homers and 48 RBI on the year, with Brice Turang at 11 homers and Jackson Chourio at 10. William Contreras, Gary Sánchez, Christian Yelich, Andrew Vaughn, and Garrett Mitchell have also played key roles offensively, with Cooper Pratt, Sal Frelick, David Hamilton, and Joey Ortiz rounding out the position player group. Pratt, whom the Brewers signed to an eight-year extension before he even set foot in the majors, has looked solid in his first week-plus with Milwaukee, as he’s picked up seven hits in nine games and stolen four bases while providing above-average defense. After all, it couldn’t get much worse than the recently released Luis Rengifo (.205/.280/.254 with no homers and below-average defense over 57 games).

On the pitching side, the Brewers have their top three starters in Jacob Misiorowski, Kyle Harrison, and Brandon Woodruff set to pitch this weekend. Miz has been simply incredible, with a 1.45 ERA and 138 strikeouts over 93 innings, while Harrison is also pitching at an All-Star level with a 2.50 ERA and 87 strikeouts over 72 innings. Woodruff missed the last month and a half, but he came back with a great start against the Reds on Monday, allowing just one hit and striking out 10 over six frames. The bullpen is anchored by Aaron Ashby, Trevor Megill, Abner Uribe, and Chad Patrick, with Grant Anderson, Craig Yoho, and Joel Kuhnel rounding things out.

This should be a fun weekend series in Milwaukee. Give me the Brewers to take two of three.

Fun facts

Here we are, halfway through the season and already the Cubs are playing a second series against the division-leading Brewers.

They lost all three when the teams met at Wrigley Field on May 18-20. Those were the third through fifth of the 10 straight losses that saw the Cubs tumble from first place, ahead by 2.5 games, to fourth place, 4.5 behind.

The teams have played 459 games, with the Brewers leading, 233-226. They have outscored the Cubs by just 12 runs, 2,077-2,065.

The Cubs are 107-120 at Milwaukee. They split six games last season, winning two of three in May and losing two of three in July.

They are 2-11-1 in series at Wisconsin since 2021, including being swept in three games the first year. Their last sweep visiting the Brewers was in the final three games of 2015. This will be their 26th series at Milwaukee since then.

(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)

Probable pitching matchups

Friday: Colin Rea, RHP (5-5, 4.99 ERA, 1.399 WHIP, 4.83 FIP) vs. Jacob Misiorowski, RHP (8-3, 1.45 ERA, 0.753 WHIP, 1.66 FIP)

Saturday: TBD vs. Kyle Harrison, RHP (8-1, 2.50 ERA, 1.056 WHIP, 3.05 FIP)

Sunday: TBD vs. Brandon Woodruff, RHP (2-1, 3.00 ERA, 0.889 WHIP, 3.27 FIP)

NOTE: One of the TBD games is likely to be started by new acquisition David Peterson, though at publication time the team had not announced which one. The other is likely going to be a bullpen game, though perhaps the team will surprise us. As always, we await developments.

Times & TV channels

Friday: 6:45 p.m. CT, Apple TV (how to watch). Announcers: Alex Faust (play-by-play), Ryan Spilborghs (analyst), and Tricia Whitaker (reporter).

Saturday: 6:10 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Sunday: 1:10 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Prediction

Don’t get swept.

Seriously, though, despite pitching matchups that appear to favor the Brewers, I do think the Cubs should be able to win at least one of these games.

Up next

The Cubs return to Wrigley Field for a three-game series against the San Diego Padres beginning Monday evening.

In case your head has been under a rock lately, you would know that the Nationals bullpen is god awful. It feels like we are at the point where Paul Toboni needs to just throw stuff at the wall and hope something sticks. Along those lines, I am taking a look at a few even remotely interesting AAA arms.

Carson Palmquist got sent down yesterday, so we can’t see him for a couple weeks, unless there is an injury. However, I would be very surprised if Palmquist is not given a shot very quickly once he is eligible. He was the opener on Wednesday, and did a very nice job. The funky lefty got through 3.1 innings, allowing just one run.

Carson Palmquist almost through a quality start, I understand he's supposed to be the opener, but let the hot hand cook. The Nats finished that inning blowing the lead and a move to the bullpen again could come soon.

Hats off to Carson Palmquist in his Nationals debut. 🧢

📸:… pic.twitter.com/vOMTzr879L

— Nationals Advisory (@nats_advisory) June 25, 2026

Unlike so many guys in this bullpen, Palmquist did not look scared out there. Maybe it was because it was early in the game, but I loved how he attacked hitters. Palmquist does not throw hard, but he has a super funky motion and a really low arm slot. The Nats have given him a sinker, and that pitch was very effective for him.

With Palmquist not being available for a few days after he threw 3.1 innings, I get why he got sent down. However, once he is eligible, slotting him into the role they are using Mitchell Parker in feels like a no brainer. Since joining the Nats organization, Palmquist has posted a 3.27 ERA in AAA and had a good big league outing. That already should place him above Parker in the pecking order.

The next guy I want to talk about is Eddy Yean, who is a bit of a wild card, but has good stuff. Yean is not on the 40-man roster, but that should not be a huge issue, since there is no shortage of DFA candidates. What I like about Yean is that he brings much needed velocity to the table. He averages 97 with a heavy sinker that gets a ton of ground balls.

The Pirates are cooking with their pitching prospects right now. Eddy Yean looks flat-out nasty. pic.twitter.com/exLFuupNLv

— Pitch Profiler (@pitchprofiler) September 10, 2025

This data is from last year, but the 25 year old has pretty much the same mix. His ERA of 3.50 in AAA is good, not great. However, we are in such a dire situation that it is worth giving him a shot. Yean is striking out 25% of hitters and his 4.50 walks per nine innings is not good, but it is also not a complete disaster. 

Yean is extremely fastball heavy, but he does have a slider and changeup. Those pitches can be nasty, but the heater is his bread and butter. I am not going to sit here and say Eddy Yean is going to be some huge answer, but he has better stuff than the likes of Lovelady and Parker.

There are also a couple relievers down in the minors that have already shown they are not great big league answers, but may get a shot anyway because the situation is so dark. The first one is Zak Kent, who got called up today for Gus Varland. While Kent posted an ERA over 6 with the Nats in his four outings, his WHIP was only 1.06. 

Kent has an interesting 4-seam fastball that moves more like a cutter. Interestingly, his velocity has been up since being sent to the minors. His heater went from 92.2 MPH in the MLB to 93.4 in the minors. Kent also has a slider and curveball which can generate whiffs. I don’t think he has closer stuff or anything, but he has a more interesting and diverse arsenal than Varland.

Another pitcher in this retread category is Cole Henry. Last year, Henry showed a ton of promise, especially in the first half. Coming off of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome surgery, he was a great story. However, he faded down the stretch last year and was rough in the MLB this year.

Cole Henry might be my favorite storyline of the Nats season. Guy is a certified stud. pic.twitter.com/0pw6mkeNhK

— Talkin Nats (@TalkinNats) May 23, 2025

With the state of this bullpen though, he should get another shot at some point. Since going back to AAA, Henry has been effective, with a 2.45 ERA in 11 outings. He has been pounding the zone, only walking 1 batter in 11 innings. That is a good sign, since control had been an issue for Henry. However, the righty has not been getting a ton of whiffs in AAA, only striking out 7 in 11 innings. If he can find more whiffs, Henry could get back into the mix soon.

The last group of guys I want to talk about are the wild cards. A lot of these guys are unlikely to be up that soon, but could make an impact at some point. One pitcher who could be up soon though is Riley Cornelio. Right now, the Nats are using Cornelio as a multi-inning relief arm. However, I think he should be a one inning pitcher.

This is due to the fact that he is exclusively a 2 pitch guy. Cornelio only throws a fastball and a slider. With a mix that shallow, I want him letting both pitches rip and making them as nasty as possible. That means having him throw in shorter spurts. Cornelio may be up again soon, but I don’t think he is fully maximized as a bulk arm.

If you want to look way down the road, Robert Cranz is a name to watch. Cranz was fantastic in High-A and Double-A, but has had an ugly first 3 outings in Rochester. Despite the abysmal results, he does have good stuff. His fastball is extremely unique, and he has some nice secondary pitches to go with that.

Let’s take a look at the recently promoted Robert Cranz and the recently moved to the bullpen Riley Cornelio, for no reason whatsoever. pic.twitter.com/54E9LVJAcf

— Aaron Lichstrahl (@AJ_Lich) June 26, 2026

However, he still needs a lot more seasoning in AAA. If he can go on a run in these next couple months, he could be in the show by the end of the season though. Cranz is more of a guy to keep an eye on for 2027 though.

The guys I have already discussed are probably the primary options I like the most. None are very great, but it is worth trying. We truly have nothing to lose here because it cannot get a whole lot worse. 

Some other names worth monitoring are converted position player Erick Mejia, Luke Young, who has good results and stuff, but not great strikeout or walk numbers and Jack Sinclair. Max Kranick is also on the mend from an injury and will step into the bullpen at some point. If the Nats are somehow in a playoff race down the stretch, Jarlin Susana and Luis Perales are two flamethrowers who could be unleashed.

As we go through the internal options, it is clear the situation is not pretty. Maybe a couple of these guys can step up and be upgrades, but there are no easy answers. At some point, Paul Toboni is going to have to make a big splash for a true alpha in the bullpen. The 2027 bullpen simply has to be much better, or else things will start to get real awkward for this new regime.

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My MLB moneyline picks for June 26 contain all of my favorite looks and leans for tonight’s full slate.

See why my free MLB picks are topped by the Angels.

MLB moneyline picks for June 26

Expert MLB moneyline picks for June 26

Astros vs Tigers: Tigers (-106)

Tigers win probability: 52%

Neither team has been killing it offensively, both sitting under a 100 wRC+ over their last 12 games. However, for the Tigers, Keider Montero has been very serviceable over his last five outings.

The right hander owns a 2.81 ERA, a 0.86 WHIP, and just a 2% walk rate during that stretch.

On the other side, Spencer Arrighetti has been struggling, posting a 5.79 ERA over his last five starts.

With both offenses looking pretty lifeless, I will ride with the Tigers.

Reds vs Pirates: Pirates (-174)

Pirates win probability: 64%

Real simple, Paul Skenes versus a Reds offense that has been frozen solid. Over their last 21 games, Cincinnati owns just an 86 wRC+, a .298 wOBA, and a .666 OPS. Yikes.

Meanwhile, the Pirates play their best ball at home and the offense has been humming. Parlay it with something else or take the run line. It is the Pirates.

Nationals vs Orioles: Orioles (-127)

Orioles win probability: 56%

Despite the Nationals’ hot offense, Trevor Rogers has hit his stride over his last five outings, posting a sub 3.00 ERA, a sub 1.00 WHIP, and a sub 6% walk rate. He has been much more in control lately and pitching with confidence.

On the other side, Andrew Alvarez has been allowing a lot of hard contact over his last few outings, and with the Orioles’ bats starting to heat up, this could get ugly.

Rangers vs Blue Jays: Rangers (-104)

Rangers win probability: 51%

I have a hard time trusting the Rangers offense, but they have been on fire as of late.

Over their last 21 games, they own a 112 wRC+, a .330 wOBA, and a .747 OPS. They draw Patrick Corbin, who is back to his old form, posting a 6.64 ERA, 5.21 xERA, and a 1.75 WHIP over his last five outings.

I expect Joc Pederson and Jake Burger to lead the way for the Rangers tonight.

Mariners vs Guardians: Guardians (-102)

Guardians win probability: 50%

I already like a lot of Guardians bats this evening against Luis Castillo, who has been inconsistent all season long.

Both offenses have been ice cold recently, but the few bright spots in that Cleveland lineup, namely Travis Bazzana and Kyle Manzardo, should be enough to swing this spot against a struggling right hander.

Castillo has really struggled with left-handed hitters, and over his last 60 lefties faced, opponents have posted a 48% hard-hit rate, a 12% barrel rate, and a 66% fly ball rate.

Give me the Guardians.

Diamondbacks vs Rays: Rays (-130)

Rays win probability: 56%

I do not care that the Rays hung two touchdowns on the Royals Thursday afternoon, they now draw Zac Gallen, who has been nothing short of rough all season. The right hander enters today with a 7.68 road ERA, 6.00 xERA, and a 1.84 WHIP, while allowing nearly a 48% hard hit rate and a 12% barrel rate.

Those are loud contact issues showing up consistently, not noise.

Give me the hot Rays in this spot.

Phillies vs Mets: Mets (+150)

Mets win probability: 40%

This is an interesting spot with the Mets, who recently made a coaching change, putting the classic “fired coach bump” into play. Getting +150 here adds to the appeal.

"Vibes" play of the day.

Yankees vs Red Sox: Red Sox (+106)

Red Sox win probability: 48%

Some would say there is no way the Yankees go into Fenway and lose to this Red Sox team, but they did last night. Now Payton Tolle takes the mound for Boston, a pitcher who brings real grit and tenacity to the mound.

This is the type of spot a guy like Tolle tends to show up for.

The Yankees offense has gone cold, posting an 80 wRC+, a 30% K rate, a .644 OPS, and a .143 ISO over their last six games. Meanwhile, Boston has been just a bit better on the other side.

Royals vs White Sox: White Sox (-125)

White Sox win probability: 56%

I am not a big narrative guy when it comes to baseball, but a lot of White Sox players have been snubbed for the All-Star Game. I think the team gets some frustration out against Royals’ Mitch Spence, who has already been a punching bag this season.

Plus, the White Sox have just been playing far better at home than anywhere else. Get your revenge, fellas.

Bonus: Colson Montgomery Over 1.5 H+R+RBI (EVEN), and sprinkle the HR

Cubs vs Brewers: Brewers (-223)

Brewers win probability: 69%

If you want value on a hot team, take the Cubs, but Jacob Misiorowski is the truth.

The Cubs come in with four poorly-rated hitters in this matchup, and this feels like a spot where their hot streak cools off. Minimal thoughts here, just based on how dominant Misiorowski has been.

Colin Rea is on the bump for Chicago, carrying a 7.19 road ERA and a 1.60 road WHIP.

Give me the Brew Crew.

Rockies vs Twins: Rockies (+153)

Rockies win probability: 40%

I get it, Tomoyuki Sugano is on the mound for Colorado, but Taj Bradley has been just as inconsistent. Both offenses have been swinging it well lately, and neither pitcher has shown much stability.

You are essentially getting two hot lineups against two arms you cannot fully trust right now, which opens the door for value. At this price, I will take a shot on the Rockies.

Marlins vs Cardinals: Marlins (-100)

Marlin win probability: 50%

I am already riding Owen Caissie in this matchup, so why not ride the entire Fighting Fish train?

Michael McGreevy for the Cardinals has been abysmal over his last five outings, posting a 5.33 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP. Meanwhile, the Marlins have been the hottest team in baseball this month.

At near even money, I will take a shot on the Fish.

Athletics vs Angels: Angels (+113)

Angels win probability: 46%

The Athletics offense has cooled off this week, while the Angels have started to heat back up. Over their last six games, the A’s sit below a 100 wRC+, while the Angels have posted a 129 wRC+, along with a .353 wOBA and .811 OPS.

I also like what I have seen from Walbert Urena in recent outings, carrying a 2.41 ERA on the year while not allowing much hard contact. 

Dodgers vs Padres: Dodgers (-133)

Dodgers win probability: 57%

Braves vs Giants: Braves (-117)

Braves win probability: 54%

This is the game the Atlanta Braves bats wake up.

With Trevor McDonald on the mound for San Francisco, this sets up as a prime rebound spot for an ice cold Braves lineup. McDonald over his last three outings owns a 6.17 ERA, 5.59 xERA, a 1.89 WHIP, and nearly a 15% walk rate.

The Giants offense has not exactly been scorching either, but I am willing to trust the better lineup in a spot where the opposing arm has been consistently shaky. Give me Atlanta here.

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.

It is very likely that, for the rest of your life, no matter how long you may live, you will never see a week of Phillies baseball like the one you witnessed over the last seven days.

There was a cycle. A three-home run game. Three legendary comebacks never before pulled off in the history of the sport.

Were these things to happen during an entire season, it would be a curiosity. For them all to happen in the same week?

Bonkers.

Let’s recap a memory-making week by the Philadelphia Phillies.

Saturday, June 20: Phillies 15, Mets 3

Back in early May, the idea of the Phillies scoring 15 runs in a week, let alone a single game, seemed ludicrous.

But the offense has been much better since the start of June. Their 129 runs scored entering this weekend’s series against in New York, are tied for 2nd-most in MLB. Their 35 home runs are tied for 4th, their .266 batting average is tied for 6th, and their .787 OPS is 8th.

However, the Phils are suddenly excelling in an area that has historically been their biggest bugaboo — hitting with runners in scoring position. In June, their .337 average and 1.030 OPS are 1st in baseball. They’ve hit 10 homers with RISP, which is tied for 3rd.

And while most of that damage wasn’t necessarily done last Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park, a healthy chunk of it was.

Kyle Schwarber hit three home runs, including two in the same inning, both of which went 450+ feet.

It was the fifth time in his career he’s hit at least three dingers in a game, tied for the 2nd-most games with at least three bombs in MLB history.

If that had been the only storyline, that would have been enough. But, oh no, there was more.

Bryce Harper also made history by becoming the 11th player in Phillies history to hit for the cycle.

Oh, and he had it all wrapped up by the end of the 5th inning.

How often does a player hit for the cycle and his teammate hit three blasts in the same game? Not too often!

The @Phillies are the second team in MLB history to have a player hit for the cycle (Bryce Harper) and a player hit 3 homers (Kyle Schwarber) in the same game.

The other was the Yankees on June 3, 1932 (Tony Lazzeri cycle, Lou Gehrig 4 homers). pic.twitter.com/PxG7mhZF61

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) June 21, 2026

It was one of those games that 200,000 people will say they attended over the course of their lives. A generational game.

Sunday, June 21: Phillies 6, Dodgers 2

There’s always a little juice when your team is playing on Sunday Night Baseball, especially at Citizens Bank Park.

Zack Wheeler continued his remarkable recovery from thoracic outlet syndrome with a stellar start against the flailing Mets: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K. His ERA fell to 2.11.

Harper, swinging the same 35-ounce bat that helped him slug for the cycle the night before, piled up three more hits, including another homer, and finished a triple shy of a second straight cycle.

How often has a player hit for the cycle and then come within one hit of a second straight cycle the following game? Not often!

Bryce Harper finished tonight's game a triple short of a cycle after hitting for the cycle in his last game. The last player to finish one element short of a cycle the game after hitting for a cycle was teammate, Trea Turner, when they were Nationals teammates in April 2017. pic.twitter.com/BXsNyB9A9E

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) June 22, 2026

Oh, and Schwarber went deep again, his league-leading 29th of the season.

Things haven’t even begun to get weird yet.

Monday, June 22: Nationals 4, Phillies 1

There wasn’t much to write home about in this “scheduled” loss, as the Phils started lefty reliever Tim Mayza and followed up with new No. 5 starter Alan Rangel.

Rangel was actually pretty good: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 Ks. You’ll take that every time.

Brandon Marsh hit a solo home run, a portent of more to come in what would be a ridiculous series for the Phils’ outfielder.

Let’s just consider this game the “eye” of the storm.

Tuesday, June 23: Phillies 14, Nationals 9

In what will likely go down as their craziest win of the season, the Phils fell behind 5-0 after Jesus Luzardo got dinked and dunked in the early innings. Although he compiled 13 strikeouts and didn’t give up an extra base hit, he did allow five runs in his first four innings.

But the Phillies started to chip away.

Edmundo Sosa, inserted into the DH spot minutes before first pitch after Schwarber announced he was dealing with lower back stiffness, hit a two-run shot in the 5th to get the Phillies on the board. He followed that up with an RBI fielder’s choice in the 7th to make it 5-3.

In the 8th, J.T. Realmuto, who was hitting just above .200 when he came to the plate, smacked a liner to right field with the bases loaded.

J.T. Realmuto gives the @Phillies an 8th-inning lead! pic.twitter.com/kpd8tQxd4v

— MLB (@MLB) June 24, 2026

Wood came as close to catching that ball as a human can without actually catching it, didn’t he? Suddenly, the Phils had a 6-5 lead. It felt like it was going to be a garden variety late-game comeback victory!

But Nats second baseman Jorbit Vivas shocked Orion Kerkering with a three-run blast just moments later to suddenly put the Nationals back on top 8-6.

In the 9th, the Sosa and Justin Crawford both struck out. With two outs and no one on, Trea Turner was down to his final strike before lining a single to left-center field. Then, Brandon Marsh shocked the world.

Brandon Marsh ties the game with 2 outs in the 9th! pic.twitter.com/2auPPm09cl

— MLB (@MLB) June 24, 2026

A shell-shocked Brad Lord then completely fell apart. Two more Phils reached base before Bryson Stott blew everyone’s mind with this three-run blast that somehow stayed inside the right field foul pole.

Stott it RIGHT NOW

🗳️ https://t.co/cdVTjmanhFpic.twitter.com/4tGQUGQ5XJ

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 24, 2026

The Phillies still were not done. In all, the Phils would score 8 runs in the 9th inning, and it all started with no one on base, two outs, and two strikes on Turner.

Before the Phillies tonight, no team had trailed with 2 outs in the 9th and then scored 8 runs to win in almost 40 years.

How long ago was it? The 1988 Royals were the last team to do it. And who was pitching against them?

Mitch Williams!

You can’t make this stuff up.

(That…

— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) June 24, 2026

Oh, but the Phillies were not done.

Wednesday, June 24: Phillies 5, Nationals 4

You never seek a folk hero coming.

Matt Stairs became a Phillies legend because no one in their right minds every would have thought he would author one of the biggest postseason home runs in franchise history.

While newly acquired outfielder Derek Hill clearly hasn’t reached that level of notoriety, his heroics in the 9th inning of Wednesday night’s game at the very least earned him a prominent spot in the team’s video yearbook.

Trailing 4-3 in the 9th inning, the first two batters to come to the plate failed to reach base. Schwarber, who did not start for the second straight game due to his stiff back, felt well enough to pinch hit in the 9th and worked a 9-pitch walk to put the tying run on first.

Hill had not made much of an impression in his four weeks with the team, good or bad. But once again, down to their final out, a Phillie hit a go-ahead home run in the 9th inning, this time an improbable opposite-field dinger off the bat of Hill.

DO YOU GET DÉJÁ VU pic.twitter.com/aElNGZfYqS

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 25, 2026

How unusual is it for a team to start a 9th inning trailing, have their first two hitters make outs and come within one strike of losing and still win the game? Glad you asked.

The @Phillies are the only MLB team in the modern era to be down to their last strike with nobody on base in the 9th inning 2 games in a row but win both. pic.twitter.com/VvyHwxa65k

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) June 25, 2026

And yet… there would be more.

Thursday, June 25: Phillies 10, Nationals 5

For the second time in this four-game series, the Phils trailed the Nationals 5-0, this time after the third inning. Cristopher Sanchez uncharacteristically just didn’t have it at the start of this one, and it felt like the Nats were finally going to pull out a victory.

Honestly, they should have been on the verge of a four-game sweep. Unfortunately, bullpens are still a real and important need for every baseball team, and they don’t have one.

Once again, the Phils started chipping away. Marsh hit another homer, this time a two-run shot in the 6th to make it 5-2. The Nats’ ‘pen melted down in the 7th, walking in two runs and allowing the Phils to tie the score 5-5.

Enter, the 9th inning. No, the Phillies weren’t trailing this time, nor were they down to their final strike. Instead, the former National, Harper, who had been listening to taunts from fans all game, stamped an exclamation point on this improbable week of baseball.

9TH INNING MAGIC! pic.twitter.com/CZIIRY50pK

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 26, 2026

The Phils tacked on three more runs for insurance, including another home run by Hill, his second in as many nights.

It’s hard to believe. Three straight games. Three straight 9th inning, go-ahead home runs by the Phillies.

Had this every been done before? You already know the answer, don’t you?

The Phillies are the first team in MLB history to hit a go-ahead HR in the ninth inning of three consecutive games

!!!

h/t @EliasSportshttps://t.co/nctmUd3qqT

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) June 26, 2026

In all, this will go down as one of the most bonkers series in franchise history.

The @Phillies hit 4 game-tying or go-ahead homers in the 9th inning in their series against the Nationals.

That's the most by any team in a single series in MLB history. pic.twitter.com/VZmUiebDTn

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) June 26, 2026

The last three nights in the Phillies-Nationals series.

Look away, Nats fans. 🫣 pic.twitter.com/g8iNW9LBRP

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) June 26, 2026

The Phils enter their weekend series against a Mets team that fired manager Carlos Mendoza on Friday trailing the Atlanta Braves by just four games in the NL East.

What an insanely fun week, the likes of which we will never see again.

An old friend’s making good in a division rival is usually the start of a tenuous relationship, but especially given the sizeable gap between the Dodgers and Padres, and more importantly, all that Walker Buehler did for the Dodgers, one can’t help but feel glad, even excited, for Walker Buehler’s 2026 rebound campaign. The right-hander who’ll face his former club for the second time in his career is simply not the pitcher he once was, which hasn’t stopped him from being damn near one of the more consistent starters for the Padres this season—that probably tells you a lot about why they haven’t been able to keep pace in the race for the NL West.

Buehler’s 3.28 FIP is the best mark among Padres’ starters this season, a result of keeping the ball in the park. Through his last six starts, Buehler has allowed just one home run, and if we take the Dodgers’ starter on this Friday night matchup, for instance, Rok Saaki has an HR/9 of 1.7, which is more than double that of Buehler’s (0.6). Any assessment of Sasaki has to take into account the ups and downs of his 2026 campaign, although that particular difference is the reason Sasaki has been more heavily punished in his worst outings than Buehler.

Focusing on Sasaki, the young right-hander has another crack at carrying the improvements he’s shown at home on the road this season. As evidenced by his last start away from Dodger Stadium, allowing seven earned runs against the White Sox, Sasaki has been lit up on the road this season, owning a 6.19 ERA across 32 innings.

Friday’s game info

• Teams: Dodgers at Padres
• Ballpark: Petco Park, San Diego
• Start time: 6:45 p.m. PT
• TV: Apple TV
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Angels fans are no strangers to needing to drown their sorrows.

The team finds itself in the AL West basement at 34-48 heading into Friday’s home game against the Athletics.

This franchise has spent a lot of time looking up at its AL West opponents during the past few decades, so this is a familiar feeling for the Angels’ faithful.

And it appears that this persistent mediocrity has driven Angels fans to alcohol more than nearly any other MLB franchise. Action Network analyzed a survey from nearly 3,500 U.S. MLB fans to find out which fan bases drink the most before and during games, and Angels fans had the third-highest heavy in-game drinking rate in MLB.

The survey found that 15.8% of Angels fans consume five or more drinks during a game, behind only White Sox fans (18.5%) and Nationals fans (16%).

Angels fans also average 2.3 drinks per game, third most in MLB, and 71% of Angels fans have at least one drink while at their games.

It isn’t just alcohol that Angels fans are indulging in during games. The study found that they consume 1.7 hot dogs per game, tied for third most.

And Angels fans are known to be prolific pre-gamers. The 1.5 drinks they consume before games begin is tied for second most in MLB, and the study found that 45% of fans have at least one drink before games. The study reported 11.10% of fans have at least five drinks before first pitch.

Perhaps the Angels will turn things around this season, and fans are drinking to celebrate rather than to commiserate. Perhaps not.

Two teams hanging around .500 and the top of their respective divisions meet at Progressive Field tonight.

The Mariners are 41-41 with a +4 run differential, 16th in wRC+ at 101, 26th in Baserunning runs above average at -3.7, last in Defense at -31.4, sixth in starting pitcher ERA at 3.78 (3.56 FIP) and eighth in bullpen ERA at 3.59 (3.54 FIP).

The Guardians are 42-39 with -8 run differential, 24th in wRC+ at 92, 14th in baserunning runs above average at 1, 11th in Defense at -5, fifth in starting pitcher ERA at 3.73 (4.07 FIP) and 14th in bullpen ERA at 3.88 (3.82 FIP).

Put the ball in play! That’s my advice.

MATCHUPS:

Game One, Friday 7:10PM ET Luis Castillo, RHP 5.22 ERA vs. Joey Cantillo, LHP 4.05 ERA

Game Two, Saturday 7:10PM ET Logan Gilbert, RHP 3.29 ERA vs. Slade Cecconi, RHP 4.48 ERA

Game Three, Sunday, 1:40PM ET George Kirby, RHP 3.94 ERA vs. Gavin Williams, RHP 3.82 ERA

Watch out for Dominic Canzone 154 wRC+, Randy Arozarena 134 wRC+, Luke Raley 122 wRC+ and J.P. Crawford 115 wRC+ from the Mariners.