Category: Baseball

The Mets open a three-game series against the Brewers at American Family Field on Friday at 8:10 p.m. on SNY.

Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...

Mets Notes

• Kodai Senga has allowed three or more runs in three of his four starts since returning from the IL
• Pete Alonso is hitting .308 with 10 RBI and a 1.052 OPS over his last seven games
• Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff has pitched to a stellar 2.22 ERA and 0.64 WHIP across five starts since returning from an injury of his own
• Woodruff has recorded four quality starts over that span, and he's struck out 8+ batters three times
• The Mets enter play 2.5 games behind the Phillies in the NL East 

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Ex-Giants prospect James Tibbs III reflects on stressful 2025 after traded twice originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Former Giants prospect James Tibbs III has had quite the introduction to professional baseball.

Selected No. 13 overall out of Florida State by San Francisco in the 2024 MLB Draft, Tibbs was traded to the Boston Red Sox in the blockbuster deal for All-Star slugger Rafael Devers on June 15, and later to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for starting pitcher Dustin May on July 31.

Tibbs discussed his journey of being traded twice in 46 days with MLB.com’s Cole Weintraub in an article published Thursday.

“I will say it’s been very stressful,” Tibbs told Weintraub. “It’s been probably the hardest year of my life from a baseball perspective. And, you know, I think most people look at a hitter and they say, ‘Oh man, they’re struggling,’ and whatever. It’s like, well, there’s typically a lot more going on than people seem to realize.”

Tibbs is settling in with the Dodgers, having collected five hits — with a pair of homers — over his first five games with their Double-A Tulsa. 

Though he first had 51 hits in 57 games with the Giants’ High-A Eugene and later 24 hits in 30 games with the Red Sox’s Double-A Portland.

Baseball is a game of consistent failure and working out kinks — Tibbs knows what he signed up for. But what fans often don’t see is the human element of ballplayers. Living in three places over 46 days and saying goodbye to friends you just made isn’t easy.

“When I got traded the first time, you know, it was bittersweet because I was leaving a bunch of guys that I’d been really close with, an organization that I felt comfortable with,” Tibbs told Weintraub. “And then getting traded again, it was kind of the same way. I loved being there.”

And, despite understanding how the business side of baseball works, Tibbs still can’t help but wonder why he might be deemed flawed by one organization and promising by another, or two.

“Obviously, getting traded is kind of a two-part story,” Tibbs told Weintraub. “On one hand, I’m excited because somebody wants me. But on the other hand, I’m like, what am I doing wrong? You know, there’s a human element to that that fans and people don’t necessarily understand. It’s definitely been a wild year.”

Tibbs is far removed from his Giants chapter, and soon the same will be said for his Red Sox one. A lot has changed since he was San Francisco’s last top draft choice of the Farhan Zaidi era. But since Zaidi now works in Los Angeles’ front office, perhaps Tibbs is where he was supposed to be all along.

“I’ve never lost confidence in my ability to play the game,” Tibbs told Weintraub. “It was just a matter of figuring out the kinks and getting back to me. The Dodgers told me, ‘We love what you do, and we just want you to get back to that.’ That was a breath of fresh air for me. I just want to finish strong and be the best baseball player I can be.”

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• Rangers are unbeaten in their past 17 meetings with Dundee in all competitions (W14 D3) since a 2-1 league defeat in November 2017 under Graeme Murty.
• Dundee have lost each of their past 19 away games at Rangers in all competitions, a run that began in 2001. Only against five sides have Rangers ever won 20+ consecutive home matches in their history, most recently an ongoing run of 21 against Dunfermline from 1999 to 2021.
• Rangers drew 1-1 with Motherwell on matchday one but haven't failed to win both of their opening two matches of a Scottish Premiership campaign since 1989-90 under Graeme Souness (lost to St Mirren and Hibernian).
• In their opening-day defeat to Hibs, Dundee managed just two shots, their fewest in a Scottish Premiership home game since October 2018 vs Celtic (2). The Dark Blues did, however, win three of their final five away league games last term (L2), as many as across their 17 matches prior.
• Joe Rothwell has recorded three assists across his past eight league appearances, with each assist coming from a set-piece (2 for Leeds, 1 for Rangers) – the midfelder created the joint most chances (3) of any Rangers player against Motherwell, including his assist via a corner for James Tavernier.

Spencer Jones is the hottest name in the Yankees' farm system at the moment, and the outfielder showed what he can do at the plate, without the need of his prodigious power. 

In Thursday's game against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Jones went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Jones' first hit came in the fourth inning after striking out in his first at-bat. Leading off, Jones smacked an 81 mph knuckleball in the dirt into center field. He would score on T.J. Rumfield's homer to put the RailRiders up 2-0.  

Jones was called out on strikes in his third at-bat in the fifth inning but made up for it in the eighth. With the RailRiders still up just two runs, Jones came up with Jorbit Vivas on second and no out. Jones to a 2-0 hanging curveball and deposited it into right field to drive in the RailRiders' third run of the game. Some much-needed for the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate. Jones would steal second base and eventually score on a J.C. Escarra sacrifice fly.

Jones has really picked it up since being promoted to Triple-A earlier this season. In 29 games, he's slashing .348/.426/.750 with an OPS of 1.176 to go along with his 13 home runs, 29 RBI and 14 stolen bases. 

Now, while he hasn't homered since returning from a sore back in late July, he's still 7-for-32 with a double, four RBI and eight stolen bases in that span.

Other notable hitters from this game include Vivas going 2-for-4 with a run scored and Escarra going 1-for-2 with a walk and his lone RBI.

But all of that was in support of Allan Winans. Winans, who has had only a handful of appearances with the Yankees this season, pitched six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out seven batters. He now boasts an impressive 10-o record and a 1.16 ERA this season with Triple-A.

Spencer Jones provides some late-game insurance. 🤩#WhereLegendsRise#RepBXpic.twitter.com/Vf2W5d87Uy

— SWB RailRiders (@swbrailriders) August 8, 2025

Down with the Somerset Patriots and George Lombard Jr. continues to excel. The Yankees' No. 1 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, showed off his power in Thursday's 5-4 loss to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. 

Lombard's homer came in the first inning when he launched a R.J. Gordon pitch over the right field wall to give the Patriots an early 1-0 lead. It would be Lombard's only hit of the night (1-4) 

In 75 games in Double-A, Lombard is hitting only .208 with six home runs, 23 RBI and 16 stolen bases as the 20-year-old continues to make his way through the Yankees system.

ORDER UP 🛎️

George Lombard Jr. (@Yankees No. 1 prospect) serves up a solo home run to give the Diners a 1-0 lead! pic.twitter.com/eVNeeKMxn9

— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) August 7, 2025

Fresh off being named International League Pitcher of the Month for his incredible July, Mets top pitching prospect Brandon Sproat kept things going by starting his August with another terrific performance.

Facing the Charlotte Knights, the Triple-A affiliate for the Chicago White Sox, Sproat began his outing by filling up the strike zone and pitching a quick 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout. He went back out for the second inning and kept pumping strikes while getting around a two-out double.

Sproat needed just nine pitches (all strikes) to get through the third inning. In fact, in the first three innings he threw just five balls.

The right-hander's command got away from him a little bit as he walked his first batter of the game on four pitches leading off the fourth. He got to three-ball counts on his next two hitters, but retired them both on groundouts before ending the frame with another ball on the ground.

In the bottom half of the inning, Syracuse's offense erupted for six runs while batting around. The Mets began the inning with eight straight hitters reaching base, including seven consecutive hits against reliever Chase Plymell.

Having spent so much time in the dugout during the big inning, Sproat looked a little off in the fifth and was dinged for three runs after a walk, wild pitch, double and two-run homer.

The 24-year-old righted the ship the following inning and only needed 11 pitches in a clean sixth that ended his night.

Overall, Sproat went six innings and allowed three earned runs on three hits and two walks while striking out four on 84 pitches (53 strikes).

After clearing 100 innings (he now sits at 101 IP), Sproat's season ERA rose a tick from 4.07 to 4.10, but it was still another impressive start for the Mets' No. 5 prospect, per SNY's Joe DeMayo, as he continues to try and earn a big league promotion this season from his club.

Red Sox prospects update: Roman Anthony graduation means new face tops list originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The farm looks different these days.

The Red Sox no longer have the top prospect in baseball after Roman Anthony earned an early-June call-up and performed so well that Boston signed him an eight-year extension. They no longer have Marcelo Mayer nor Kristian Campbell headlining their list either, despite the fact neither are currently taking the field in Boston. Even the top prospect Boston acquired in the Rafael Devers trade, James Tibbs III, no longer has his sights set on Fenway Park after being traded before the July 31 deadline.

There’s been quite a bit of turnover at the top, to say the least.

With that said, here’s a look at the ballclub’s current top 10 prospects, courtesy of MLB Pipeline:

1. Franklin Arias, SS/2B

2025 stats: .346/.407/.397, 0 HR, 9 RBI, 6 BB, 12 SO (19 games at Single-A Salem); .269/.316/.394, 5 HR, 40 RBI, 18 BB, 26 SO (67 games at High-A Greenville)

MLB ETA: 2027

The 19-year-old infielder, who ranked No. 76 in Baseball America’s top 100 before the 2025 campaign, was elevated from Single-A Salem to High-A Greenville in late April. Arias recorded a .804 OPS in 78 at-bats against Single-A competition before the promotion.  

2. Jhostynxon Garcia, OF

2025 stats: .256/.355/.393, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 18 BB, 29 SO (33 games at Double-A Portland); .305/.375/.587, 15 HR, 44 RBI, 22 BB, 65 SO (54 games at Triple-A Worcester). 

MLB ETA: 2026

Garcia, also known as “The Password,” has upped his character count since he arrived in Triple-A Worcester on May 20. The 22-year-old outfielder looks like the club’s next big bat, and represents a potential late-season call-up.

3. Payton Tolle, LHP

2025 stats: 1-3, 3.62 ERA, 1.168 WHIP, 14 BB, 79 SO (11 games, 10 starts at High-A Greenville); 1-1, 2.67 ERA, 0.741 WHIP, 7 BB, 37 SO (6 games, 5 starts at Double-A Portland)

MLB ETA: 2026

Tolle’s rapid ascension continued with his promotion to Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday. The 22-year-old left-hander is widely considered the top pitching prospect in the organization, and arguably the top prospect in the entire farm system. Red Sox manager Alex Cora has been impressed by his rise.

4. Brandon Clarke, LHP

2025 stats: 0-2, 4.85 ERA, 0.414 WHIP, 2 BB, 17 SO (3 games at Single-A Salem); 4.85 ERA, 1.346 WHIP, 22 BB, 40 SO (10 games at High-A Greenville)

MLB ETA: 2028

The hard-throwing left-hander is creating early excitement after he was viewed as one of the top JUCO prospects in the 2024 MLB Draft. Clarke was not listed among the team’s top-10 rankings in late June. MLB Pipeline had him ranked 30th in late April.

5. Connelly Early, LHP

2025 stats: 7-2, 2.51 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 29 BB, 96 SO (15 games, 12 starts at Double-A Portland); 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.91 WHIP, 5 BB, 2 SO (1 game at Triple-A Worcester)

MLB ETA: 2026

Promoted to Triple-A Worcester in early August, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow name-dropped Early as a potential late-season elevation. Early, the team’s No. 10 prospect in late June, carved up Portland during a three-month period before he made the jump to Worcester.

6. Justin Gonzalez, 1B/OF

2025 stats: 0.00/0.00/0.00, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 BB, 2 SO (1 game with FCL Red Sox); .285/.375/.402, 3 HR, 24 RBI, 30 BB, 43 SO (65 games with Single-A Salem);

MLB ETA: 2029

The 18-year-old, who recently earned the organization’s Latin Program Player of the Year award, possesses raw power as a product of 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame. He’s making his first appearance in the top 10 after a strong stretch in Single-A Salem.

7. Mikey Romero, SS/2B

2025 stats: .254/.315/.440, 8 HR, 40 RBI, 23 BB, 74 SO (66 games at Double-A Portland); .200/.200/.500, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 0 BB, 5 SO (5 games at Triple-A Worcester)

MLB ETA: 2026

A first-round pick in 2022, Romero is looking healthy again. He was granted a well-earned call-up in early August and proceeded to hit a pair of home runs and record six RBIs in a single game for Triple-A Worcester.

8. Luis Perales, RHP

2025 stats: N/A

MLB ETA: 2027

The 22-year-old has dropped down the rankings a bit with the emergence of other healthy hurlers. Perales, who had Tommy John surgery in June, will miss the entire 2025 campaign.

9. Yoeilin Cespedes, SS/2B

2025 stats: .228/.363/..642, 6 HR, 42 RBI, 25 BB, 77 SO (84 games at Single-A Salem)

MLB ETA: 2028

The 19-year-old Cespedes is one of the few prospects on this list who has spent the season in one place. His numbers are down across the board since starting the season in Single-A Salem.

10. Dorian Soto, SS

2025 stats: .319/.366/.457, 2 HR, 18 RBI, 12 BB, 22 SO (38 games DSL Red Sox Red)

MLB ETA: 2030

The 17-year-old is a switch-hitting infielder who’s played second base, shortstop and third base during his campaign in the Dominican Summer League. He’s tearing it up at the plate since arriving in early June, too.

The trade deadline has passed, but the Mets still need help. I’m here with some suggestions that may fit the bill.

But first, let’s spell out how badly Carlos Mendoza’s team is playing, to the point where he called out his hitters after Wednesday’s near no-hitter by Gavin Williams for not making the necessary in-game adjustments to the way they were being pitched.

Here are some key stats:

• Since June 13, the Mets are 18-28, even with a seven-game winning streak during that time, so at this point it feels like more than simply a bad stretch.
• For the season, their .231 team batting average with runners in scoring position ranks 27th in MLB, and if you’ve watched closely, that number probably even feels too high.
• Since the All-Star break, their team OPS is .639, dead last in MLB, and their .213 batting average ranks 29th.
• Their .225 batting average against left-handed pitching ranks 25th in MLB.

And lest we think it’s all about the offense, since June 14, their starting pitchers are averaging 4.7 innings per start, which is why they’ve almost certainly spent more money than any team in baseball shuttling relievers back and forth from Triple-A to replenish the bullpen on a daily basis.

Yep, it’s bad, and in truth, the only way out of this extended run of bad baseball is if their stars start playing like stars, above all Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso on the hitting side, and Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga on the pitching side.

But it doesn’t mean a few changes wouldn’t help.

With that in mind, I offer these ideas...

1. Hire J.D. Martinez as a sounding board/troubleshooter of sorts for the Mets’ hitters

The Mets can use this as a way to address the problems of making the in-game adjustments that Mendoza brought up Wednesday.

Why not take a shot with the retired Martinez as some form of supplemental hitting coach? The guy was known throughout baseball as a hitting savant during his career, after all, and he seemed to have a positive effect on the Mets’ clubhouse last season, even if age seemed to catch up with him as a DH late in the year.

Ideally, the current hitting coaches, Eric Chavez and Jeremy Barnes, would welcome the knowledge Martinez would bring. If not, well, they don’t have much room for complaint after Mendonza, unwittingly or not, essentially raised questions about whether they’re doing what’s necessary to help players make the in-game adjustments the manager deemed as lacking.

Maybe Steve Cohen could be convinced to make it worthwhile for Martinez to put his burgeoning pickleball career (he signed a deal in July to play professionally) on hold for a couple of months in pursuit of a World Series ring.

2. Bring back Luisangel Acuña from the minors

Brett Baty’s not hitting (again) and for a team struggling to score runs, Acuña offers more ways to help win low-scoring games, coming off the bench as a base-stealer and quality defender.

Hey, it’s not like there are other obvious solutions for this offense. At this point, it’s nothing short of mystifying as to why Lindor, Alonso, Soto and others have been so streaky and worse, shrinking at big moments this season.

This is largely the same offense that thrived in clutch situations when it counted most last September and October. The addition of the great Soto was supposed to be the final piece, yet he hasn’t hit in the clutch, and lately he’s slumping the way he did early in the season, even chasing pitches out of the strike zone, negating his biggest strength.

And so, with no assurance these Mets will break out in a big way, recalling Acuña could be a way of trying to win on the margins.

As one small example, had Acuña been pinch-running in the ninth inning on Monday night, and not Tyrone Taylor, there’s a good chance the Mets would have won the game. Taylor is fast, but not as fast as Acuña, and that likely would have been enough for third base coach Mike Sarbaugh to send him home on Lindor’s double, rather than hold Taylor as he did.

Baty offers more offensive potential than Acuña, but he’s slumping lately, continuing his pattern of running hot and cold with the bat, so why not take advantage of Acuña’s baserunning and superior defense to help win close games?

3. Get Brandon Sproat or Nolan McLean up here pronto and put Frankie Montas in the bullpen as a multi-inning reliever

Then, maybe sooner than later, make room for the second of the kid pitchers, either as a starter or a bulk reliever, depending on whether Clay Holmes can build on his good start on Tuesday, albeit only five innings.

As for the pitching, there were opportunities for McLean and/or Sproat to make spot starts in recent weeks, but now it’s different. It’s August, both have pitched well in Triple-A, with Sproat on Wednesday being named International League Pitcher of the Month for July, and Montas has a 6.68 ERA in seven starts.

Either one is likely a better option and even if they wouldn’t necessarily solve the problem of length for Mets’ starters, as their innings likely would be limited, either or both could present an opportunity for Montas and even Holmes to slide into roles as bulk relievers. And that is very much needed since the Mets now have a bullpen full of high-leverage relievers, which these days means primarily one-inning relievers.

David Stearns himself indicated the looming presence of Sproat and McLean was the reason he wasn’t willing to pay the high prices being asked for starting pitchers at the trade deadline, so the Mets must feel they’re about ready.

If their success in Triple-A translates to the big league level, it would eventually give the Mets the flexibility to create those quality bulk relievers they need. If a spot in the pen needs to be opened, the Mets could certainly live without Ryne Stanek and his inconsistency.

All in all, why not? It’s time to try something different. 

Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees and Houston Astros play a three-game series at Yankee Stadium starting on Friday night...

Preview

Can Aaron Judge return to form and right field?

Judge has played two games since returning from the IL and hasn't looked like himself at the plate. In those games, Judge went 1-for-6 with three strikeouts. His season batting average has dropped to .339 and the Yankees' offense has suffered for it. But there's nothing like a little home cooking to get you back on track. 

Judge is slashing .333/.445/712 with a 1.157 OPS in 50 games this season to go along with 17 home runs and 40 RBI. While the Astros will have tough pitchers on the mound this weekend, the homestand could be the turnaround Judge needs.

There's also how Judge handles his throwing program. Will we see Judge in right field in this series? There's a distinct possibility it happens, which would also open up Giancarlo Stanton -- who was the Yankees' hottest hitter before Judge returned -- to return to the lineup.

Astros starters could be a problem

The Astros are having a great season even though many predicted they'd take a step back, and a big part of that is the starting rotation. That rotation could give the Yankees fits this weekend.

Hunter Brown (9-5, 2.47 ERA) will take the mound in the series opener and Framber Valdez (11-5, 2.83 ERA) follows on Saturday. While the Astros haven't announced a starter for Sunday's series finale, those two arms are enough to win a series. 

Interestingly enough, Judge is 2-for-3 with a home run against Brown but is just 2-for-10 against Valdez. The Yankees who have the best track record against Valdez are Stanton (5-14, HR, 2B) and Jose Caballero (4-10, HR). Ryan McMahon (2-4) is the only other Yankee who has more than one hit against the Astros' southpaw.

Can Luis Gil bounce back?

Gil had a tough season debut last weekend. He allowed five runs across 3.1 innings against the Marlins, but it was good to see the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year get back on the mound. His home/road splits from a year ago were very similar, so it's not necessarily an advantage to pitch at Yankee Stadium but like Judge, it could benefit the young rookie as he prepares for his biggest test since last October. 

Gil does have a start against the Astros in his career. In one start, he allowed just one run across six innings. He's starting Saturday's game opposite Valdez, and it'll be one to watch, if for nothing else, to see if Gil can be a viable starter for this team down the stretch.

Who will be closing?

Devin Williams should not see a save opportunity anytime soon. 

David Bednar's five-out save in Wednesday's series finale against the Rangers likely won him the job, but Aaron Boone could try and be cute in this series. He does have options, as Luke Weaver and Camilo Doval both have experience closing games, so how Boone deploys his relievers is something to watch; it'll give a good indication of how it will be in the final months. 

But if Bednar is successful, it'll be his job to lose.

Win and stay in

The Yankees avoided the unthinkable, falling out of the playoff picture, with Wednesday's win. 

If they were swept by the Rangers, the Yankees would have been 0.5 games behind Texas for the final wild card spot. Now that that was avoided, it's time for the Yankees to stack wins and prepare for October. While the Astros are a tough opponent, it's a good test to see if they can take the series against a playoff team. 

If the Yankees can take care of business, they can root for some teams to give them some help in the standings. The Guardians and Rangers, two teams that trail the Yankees, take on the White Sox and Phillies, respectively. The two teams the Yankees are chasing, the Mariners and the Red Sox, take on the Rays and the Padres, respectively.

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Anthony Volpe

Volpe has been sneaky good since the All-Star break. Over his last 15 games, Volpe is hitting .264 with five home runs and eight RBI.

Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?

Luis Gil 

Gil needed his first start to get into the flow of the major leagues. Second time's the charm for the young righty.

Which Astros player will be a thorn in Yankees' side?

Jose Altuve

There's a reason he gets the Bronx cheers. In his career, Altuve is hitting .269 with 13 home runs against the Yankees.