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Rays Minor League Roundup: Week 21

MONTGOMERY, AL - MAY 14: Xavier Isaac #11 of the Montgomery Biscuits smiles walking to the dugout before the game between the Biloxi Shuckers and the Montgomery Biscuits at Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 in Montgomery, Alabama. (Photo by Natalie Buchanan/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)

This was the 21st week of full minor league play (stats are entering play on Sunday, August 30th).

According to FanGraphs (which factors in age and proximity to the big leagues), prospect Theo Gillen tops the system and might just find himself in the running for Minor League Player of the Year. Gillen ranks 5th among all minor leaguers while Caden Bodine ranks 6th.

Meanwhile, Aidan Cremarosa remains the top hurler in the system despite spending several weeks on the Injured List. Thus far in his first professional season, Cremarosa has a 2.89 ERA | 2.98 FIP with a 30.4 K% & 5.4 BB% over 71.2 IP in Single-A. FanGraphs has ranked the 22-year old as the 30th top prospect in the Rays system.

RUMBLINGS

  • Jhon Diaz, the team’s largest signing from the 2019 international class, had a solid week. The 23-year old launched three homeruns over three consecutive games in High-A.
  • Austin Slater was released.
  • Jared Oliva, a 30-year outfielder, signed a minor league deal with the Rays. He appeared in seven games earlier this season for the Giants and was most recently with the Mets before being designated for assignment on July 9th.
  • Xavier Isaac and Caden Bodine made good impressions for their respective first weeks in Triple-A. Isaac launched a 400+ foot homerun to the opposite field while Caden Bodine had a multi-HR day, going deep from each side of the plate.

TEAM LEADERS

  • Must currently be assigned to that team
  • Baseball America’s top ten prospects are featured below each team they’re currently assigned to.
  • (minimum of 220 TBF & PA)

Tampa Bay Rays

Top 10 Prospects

  • None currently on active roster

Durham Bulls

Team Offensive Leaders:
AVG: .252, Blake Sabol
OBP: .335, Tatem Levins
SLG: .401, Blake Sabol
HR: 12, Logan Davidson
wRC+: 88, Blake Sabol
SB: 35, Homer Bush Jr

Team Pitching Leaders:
ERA: 2.58, Evan Reifert
FIP: 3.33, Ty Johnson
K%: 34.9% Ty Johnson
BB%: 3.9%, Mason Englert
WHIP: 0.95, Ty Johnson
AVG: .167, Ty Johnson
WHIFF%: 16.3%, Ty Johnson

Top 10 Prospects

  • #3 Brody Hopkins
    • AAA: 5.46 ERA | 5.06 FIP | 26.9 K% | 21.6 BB% | .204 AVG | 12.4 WHIFF% | 89 IP
  • #5 Caden Bodine
    • AAA: .533/.500/1.067 | 25.0 K% | 0.0 BB% | 2 HR | 1 SB | 283 wRC+ | 16 PA
    • AA: .316/.397/.447 | 6.7 K% | 11.2 BB% | 5 HR | 4 SB | 128 wRC+ | 179 PA
    • A+: .341/.411/.477 | 6.6 K% | 7.3 BB% | 4 HR | 3 SB | 132 wRC+ | 151 PA
    • A: .379/.433/.614 | 3.9 K% | 9.2 BB% | 5 HR | 1 SB | 175 wRC+ | 152 PA
      • 8/25: Promoted to Triple-A
      • 6/30: Promoted to Double-A
      • 5/19: Promoted to High-A

Montgomery Biscuits

Team Offensive Leaders:
AVG: .309, Austin Overn
OBP: .395, Austin Overn
SLG: .565, Austin Overn
HR: 24, Will Simpson
wRC+: 151, Austin Overn
SB: 48, Austin Overn

Team Pitching Leaders:
ERA: 4.43, Chris Clark
FIP: 4.75, Chris Clark
K%: 25.2%, Jackson Baumeister
BB%:  3.5%, Santiago Suarez
WHIP 1.21, Chris Clark
AVG: .225, Jackson Baumeister
WHIFF%: 14.1%, Jackson Baumeister

Top 10 Prospects

  • #1 Theo Gillen
    • AA: .291/.407/.514 | 20.3 K% | 15.2 BB% | 9 HR | 14 SB | 144 wRC+ | 217 PA
    • A+: .342/.449/.589 | 23.8 K% | 14.3 BB% | 12 HR | 28 SB | 165 wRC+ | 265 PA
      • 6/23: Promoted to Double-A
  • #10 Santiago Suarez
    • AA: 4.82 ERA | 4.92 FIP | 19.0 K% | 3.5 BB% | .270 AVG | 11.3 WHIFF% | 114 IP

Bowling Green Hot Rods

Team Offensive Leaders:
AVG: .287, Tony Santa Maria
OBP: .418, Ryan McCoy
SLG: .544, Ryan McCoy
HR: 21, Nathan Flewelling
wRC+: 147, Ryan McCoy
SB: 52, Tony Santa Maria

Team Pitching Leaders:
ERA: 4.06, Noah Beal
FIP: 4.26, Noah Beal
K%: 28.2%, Trevor Harrison
BB%: 5.2%, Dominic Niman
WHIP: 1.27, Dominic Niman
AVG: .232, Noah Beal
WHIFF%: 17.7%, Noah Beal

Top 10 Prospects

  • #4 Nathan Flewelling
    • A+: .237/.361/.451 | 27.1 K% | 14.8 BB% | 21 HR | 8 SB | 111 wRC+ | 465 PA
  • #9 Anderson Brito
    • A+: 3.34 ERA | 4.50 FIP | 28.8 K% | 14.4 BB% | .240 AVG | 13.4 WHIFF% | 32.1 IP
      • 5/23: Placed on 7-day Injured List

Charleston River Dogs

Team Offensive Leaders:
AVG: .330, Brady Marget
OBP: .429, Brady Marget
SLG: .473, Brady Marget
HR: 10, Cooper Flemming
wRC+: 146, Brady Marget
SB: 37, Alberth Palma

Team Pitching Leaders:
ERA: 2.69, Jacob Kuhn
FIP: 2.98, Aidan Cremarosa
K%: 30.4%, Aidan Cremarosa
BB%: 5.1%, Aidan Haugh
WHIP: 0.85, Aidan Cremarosa
AVG: .176, Aidan Cremarosa
WHIFF%: 15.8%, Aidan Cremarosa

Top 10 Prospects

  • #2 Grady Emerson
    • A: .179/.303/.250 | 18.2 K% | 15.2 BB% | 0 HR | 0 SB | 63 wRC+ | 33 PA
  • #6 Cooper Flemming
    • A: .293/.377/.443 | 17.7 K% | 10.3 BB% | 10 HR | 15 SB | 124 wRC+ | 497 PA
  • #7 Taitn Gray
    • A: .296/.389/.457 | 22.4 K% | 12.6 BB% | 7 HR | 11 SB | 130 wRC+ | 294 PA
    • CPX: .333/.400/.611 | 20.0 K% | 5.0 BB% | 1 HR | 0 SB | 140 wRC+ | 20 PA
      • 6/1: Placed on the 7-day IL
      • 7/14: Began rehab assignment
      • 7/28: Activated from the IL
  • #9 Daniel Pierce
    • A: .252/.336/.390 | 28.6 K% | 7.9 BB% | 4 HR | 6 SB | 101 wRC+ | 140 PA
      • 4/22: Placed on the 7-day IL
      • 5/2: Activated from the IL
      • Hasn’t played since May 30th. Underwent shoulder surgery. Likely out for the year
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What we thought the 2026 Penguins would look like two years ago

PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 31: (EDITOR'S NOTE: Image was created as an Equirectangular Panorama. Import image into a panoramic player to create an interactive 360 degree view.) Fans gather outside of the arena prior to Game Two of the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Final between the Nashville Predators and the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on May 31, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Here’s a fun one, let’s hop back into the time machine to July 2024 for an article titled, “What could the Penguins look like in two years?”

Spoiler alert: the very active Kyle Dubas changed the picture in ways that couldn’t be forseen. We knew it at the time but you can’t predict the unpredictable. It only took a few weeks from that article for the Brayden Yager for Rutger McGroarty trade to derail a chunk of the outlook, and things only changed further from there.

It is a good piece to look back on, and recognize some of the changes and improvements made over the past couple years as Dubas angles the Pens into being a strong team now while still assembling a large quantity of future picks that could become NHL players down the line.

Top six forward pot: Crosby, Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, Brayden Yager, and longer shots like Ville Koivunen, Tristan Broz

—Imagining top lines without Malkin is a peculiar process. Two years from now, ideally Yager should be able to play on the second line, possibly at center. Rust and Rakell will still be under contract, though they could be moved by then. We’ll have to see what comes from the development of players like Koivunen and Broz as they begin their journeys. Odds are high that at least one, if not two players not currently in the organization will be in key roles for the Pens for 2026-27 as the team turnover rates increase and more talent is sought out.

The biggest surprise of all is that Evgeni Malkin earned a spot on the team for 2026-27. What looked like a potential winding down has been delayed. That’s a positive short-term development, since quite frankly a team can always use a quality scoring forward in the mix no matter the age.

Counting on individual young players to go from prospects to NHL talent is tough to do. Overall though, three holdovers (Crosby, Rakell and Rust) remain in the picture. It’s the other areas that didn’t develop. The Pens added Egor Chinakhov, which is a big win for the organization. Whether or not they can get players like Ben Kindel, Nick Robertson and Andrey Kuzmenko to this level will be one worth watching.

Bottom six forward pot: Who knows! But perhaps and ideally: Vasily Ponomarev, maybe Sam Poulin, maybe even longer-shot of Tanner Howe, other cheap and new players

—As of this moment, Pittsburgh only has two forwards under contract for 2026-27 (Rust and Rakell). That builds in a great deal of flexibility for Kyle Dubas, who will be able to stake out in any number of directions by 24 months from now to construct his team as he sees fit. The Pens’ system isn’t that stocked at the moment with young players who could stick or have long-term futures in the organization. Could Drew O’Connor be extended and figure in here? Sure! Is O’Connor likely to be on the team 24 months from now? Well…probably not.

There is normally lots of movement at the bottom of the roster in the first place, and Dubas loves to swirl players at this level in and out of the team. The only thing to expect is that the future bottom of the lineup is completely unpredictable at this point.

Dubas has had to do a lot of work to scare up bottom-six options, doing a good job in this department. Connor Dewar and Blake Lizotte were added for very low cost and provide excellent fourth line options. McGroarty, Koivunen and Elmer Soderblom may find places here, with Tommy Novak and Justin Brazeau in the picture too.

Others that we thought or hoped a while back that might be in the picture like Ponomarev and Poulin have frittered away. So it goes in the world of frequent player movement and mostly unfulfilled potential that frequently sees prospects fail to stick as NHL regulars.

Overall, this is an area that will continue to have a lot of swirl and mixing with players coming and going off the active roster to either the IR, the AHL or out of the organization altogether.

Top four defense: Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang (?), Ryan Graves

—Will Letang (39 for the start of the 2026-27 season) still be playing? He reportedly had some injuries at the end of this season. Obviously he’ll want to keep the wheels on as long as possible, but old players tend to fall out and unofficially retire with regularity. Letang’s contractual status doesn’t guarantee inclusion in the roster two years from now (and there are only two 39+ defensemen under contract for this upcoming season: Brent Burns and Ryan Suter). Graves we’ll still include here, since he’s under contract and if he’s NOT playing on at least the second pair after three years in Pittsburgh by the start of 2026-27, one would think he would be traded for another bad contract by this point.

Given the question marks here, the Pens have a lot of building to do on the blueline in the next 24 months. It could also really use Owen Pickering getting his development into high gear and finding a big hit there, unless the team makes a move to re-sign Marcus Pettersson the defense looks lacking or at least in need of some real attention and talent infusions in the very near future.

Well, sadly Graves has neither been traded nor justified his massive contract. Just is what it is by 2026, especially with the willingness to waive and demote him to the AHL last year. Otherwise, Letang and Karlsson were hits that are in-place to be matchup level defensemen for the Pens last season.

Bottom end defense: Pickering, Jack St. Ivany

St. Ivany will still be under contract at this point but who knows how much of a hold he will keep on that position over the next two seasons to sink or swim. Defensive depth is another thing that tends to swirl around (no one could have foreseen 24 months ago that St. Ivany, John Ludvig, Sebastian Aho and Ryan Shea would be currently around) and isn’t that big of a concern to have as a hazy question mark at this point.

There hasn’t been a lot of positive stories at the bottom of the lineup. Pickering’s career hasn’t taken off, St. Ivany hung around until getting traded this summer. Young defensive development in the 2020’s has been an issue for the Pens. They haven’t had a lot to work with but players like Pickering and PO Joseph failing to move up the ranks has hurt. They did a good job with John Marino and Marcus Pettersson, but since then there hasn’t been much beyond Ryan Shea. Here’s to hoping that changes in the near future for players like Harrison Brunicke and to an extent newcomers Declan Carlile and Kaeden Korczak that are going to have to grow to pay off.

Goaltending: Tristan Jarry, Joel Blomqvist

Alex Nedeljkovic has a contract through 2025-26, but by this year Blomqvist will surely be up in the big league, and possibly not for the first time. Jarry remains a wild card and will still have two years remaining on his contract in 2026-27. Jarry’s future, on or off the Penguins, might be one of the more interesting storylines over then next couple months/years for how that ends up going for him and the team.

No one really knew in 2024 when Sergei Murashov would enter the organization, his emergence has taken a lot of the shine off Blomqvist. Blomqvist also didn’t take the steps that were expected a few years ago, though he does have a one-way contract in 2027-28 and might require a little more patience.

Dubas’ ability to dump Jarry’s contract has been trumpeted before, and frankly it should be celebrated at every turn. That was a nicely done way to amend for the mistake of giving out that contract to now have Girard (plus a couple of second round picks) to show as a direct result of the Jarry trade.

—

Overall, the Pens remain a difficult team to forecast for in the future. That won’t be changing anytime soon since only six players have contracts for the 2028-29 season at this point. The team has been built for an upcoming turnover, though as we saw with projecting Malkin off by 2026 a couple years ago – nailing exactly when that happens will have to be more of a wait and see.

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Do the Red Sox need to panic after the Yankees Series?

BRONX, NY - AUGUST 30: Ceddanne Rafaela #3 of the Boston Red Sox reacts with Wilyer Abreu #52 during the game against the New York Yankees on August 30, 2026 at Yankee Stadium in the Borough of the Bronx, New York. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Let’s start with what actually happened.

The Red Sox went 1-3 against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium over the weekend. They got outscored 26-9 across four games. On Sunday, they lost 16-1. That’s a brutal number to stare at, and nobody should pretend otherwise, even with a bunch of runs coming off of Andruw Monasterio (seriously, do we need position players pitching?). The Yankees are 4 games ahead of Boston now, at 78-59 to the Sox’s 74-63, and the Wild Card lead sits at 5 games. That’s a decent cushion but still feels ominous enough to bungle.

So. Panic?

No. But not everything from this weekend is dismissible either, and the honest conversation sits somewhere in the middle.

The stuff to ignore

The 16-1 loss was ugly. It’s also the type of thing that happens to every team in baseball over the course of a season. Blowouts are part of the game—they’re usually a combination of a pitcher having a bad day (Ranger Suarez was fine until the 5th, but that 5th was an otherworldly level of bad so it makes the whole start bad) and an offense that gets hot at exactly the wrong time for the other team (yes the Yankees are a homer-dependent team, doesn’t mean they can’t score otherwise). One 16-1 loss tells you nothing useful about whether this team can compete in October. Neither does losing 9-2 in a night game after already playing a doubleheader opener. Teams get flat. Bad games can come in clusters.

And Saturday’s first game—the 6-0 shutout win—is at least as instructive as the 16-1 loss. The Red Sox, when right, can go into Yankee Stadium and shut that lineup down completely. That game happened. It’s in the results. This isn’t a team that goes to the Bronx and can’t compete. It’s a team that competed, split a doubleheader, and then had a bad Sunday.

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This team is also 25-11 since the All-Star Break. That’s the best record in baseball over that stretch. One 1-3 series doesn’t erase that. The standings still have Boston in a Wild Card spot with a month to go. The rotation is intact. The bullpen has been outstanding. Roman Anthony is back. The pieces are still there.

The real worries

The offense—and not just from this weekend. The Yankees series was the latest data point, not the first. The Red Sox also didn’t hit in Miami, and the pattern of leaving runners on base and going quiet against quality pitching has been showing up for a few weeks now. The Friday loss—the 1-0 game—is the starkest example: Cam Schlittler walked five Red Sox batters and the offense couldn’t score. Ten men left on base. Was some of it bad luck? Sure. A lot of it was an approach issue, namely from one overzealous baserunner. When a pitcher is handing you free base runners and you can’t cash in, that’s a real conversation about whether this lineup is as dangerous as it looked in July.

Then there’s Trevor Story. He’s finally back from Worcester, where he really struggled with the bat. Which raises a fair and uncomfortable question: if Story wasn’t hitting at Triple-A, what does bringing him back to the major league roster actually solve? The lineup needs run production right now, not a veteran name. Story has earned the benefit of the doubt after everything he’s been through, but Cad Tracy is going to have to make a clear-eyed decision about whether this team is better with him in the lineup or without him. At the very least, Roman Anthony looks more ready and the roster expansion is here right quick to add some depth to the stretch run of September.

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The 9-2 and 16-1 losses also suggest the pitching isn’t airtight. One blowout is an aberration. Two lopsided losses in the same series raises a fair question about depth and durability. Sonny Gray is noticeably absent from the Mariners series. Garrett Crochet isn’t near coming back yet, Ranger Suarez has really imploded over the last month, you can’t rely on Patrick Sandoval on a constant basis. That leaves Peyton Tolle and Jake Bennett to carry a lot of this load, and that’s enormous pressure on two kids who have thrown a lot of innings. Brayan Bello exists, but he wasn’t exactly infallible on Saturday night in Game 2.

And then there’s the managing question. Jen McCarthy had a piece in The Athletic this week arguing that Chad Tracy has been managing like it’s already October—namely the three consecutive pinch hits in Friday’s bout—while it didn’t reap rewards, it’s the aggressive move you see from teams trying everything to win. It’s a fair point, and it’s going to get even more nerve-wracking from here. Tracy’s aggressive approach is part of why this team has won the games it’s won. It’s also the kind of approach that can leave you shorthanded when October actually arrives. That tension isn’t going away.

The Yankees are also just a very good baseball team. At 78-59 they’re playing at a .569 clip and they’re doing it in a ballpark that plays in their favor. Boston is going to have to either catch them or hold off everyone else for the Wild Card, and this weekend was a reminder that neither of those things is going to be easy.

The verdict

Don’t panic. Do pay attention. The Red Sox are still in this thing, still well-positioned in the Wild Card race, and still built around a core that has spent the last two months playing the best baseball in the American League. One bad series in the Bronx doesn’t change the trajectory.

But the offense needs to find its legs again in September, because that 10-LOB performance on Friday is not the version of this team that’s going to make a run in October. This could be the right time to add back these injured players, or it could be the worst time to blow up team chemistry. You just never know. The pitching staff is going to need more than the top of the rotation to carry it through 25 more regular season games and whatever comes after.

The magic at Fenway is real, and so is the 25-11 run. The path to the playoffs is still clearly in front of this squad. What this weekend should do is sharpen the focus, not trigger the alarm. There’s a difference between those two things, and right now, this team needs the former.

September starts now (well, tomorrow). Let’s see what they’re made of.

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Happy 30th Birthday, Cap!

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 18: Jalen Brunson speaks onstage during the Kings of NY panel at Fanatics Fest NYC 2026 at Jacob Javits Center on July 18, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Fanatics) | Getty Images for Fanatics

Another Knick turns 30 this week! Days after Mikal Bridges reached the milestone, Captain Jalen Brunson celebrates his birthday today.

Born August 31, 1996, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, the Knicks captain hits the 30-year mark about 11 weeks after delivering New York its first NBA championship since 1973 and earning Finals MVP. Brunson capped the series with 45 points in the championship-clinching Game Five against the Spurs, a Knicks Finals record. Not a bad year so far, all things considered.

Brunson spent much of his childhood in southern New Jersey, including Cherry Hill, but his father’s basketball career kept the family moving. Rick Brunson played nine NBA seasons before transitioning to coaching, and the family eventually settled in the Chicago area, where Jalen attended Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois. His mother, Sandra, played volleyball at Temple, where she and Rick were both student-athletes.

At Stevenson, Jalen won a state championship and Illinois Mr. Basketball honors. At Villanova, he won national championships in 2016 and 2018, then became the consensus National Player of the Year as a junior. Dallas selected him with the 33rd pick in the 2018 draft, making him the last of four Villanova teammates called—a fact most definitely not lost on the uber-competitive Jalen. Over his first four seasons, he developed from a reserve into a central figure on the Mavs team that reached the 2022 Western Conference Finals.

That summer, Jalen inked a four-year, $104 million contract with the Knickerbockers. The deal drew skepticism at the time, but Brunson quickly became the lead guard New York had spent decades seeking. He has since earned multiple All-Star and All-NBA selections, won the 2025 NBA Cup and its MVP award, and led the Knicks to the 2026 championship. On August 6, 2024, he became the 36th captain in franchise history.

Before Jalen arrived, the Knicks had made the playoffs once in the previous nine seasons. Four years later, they were champions. Rick had played for the 1998–99 Knicks, the franchise’s previous Finals team, and Jalen completed the circle by leading the orange-and-blue past the Spurs, the same team that defeated Rick’s Knicks.

The connections that brought Brunson to New York ran deep. Knicks president Leon Rose began his career as Rick’s agent and later represented Jalen. Tom Thibodeau had known Brunson since childhood through Rick’s NBA and coaching career, then hired Rick as an assistant in June 2022.

And the personal connections continue: the front office not only traded for Jalen’s BFF and Villanova teammate, Josh Hart, but also surrounded him with former teammates Bridges, Donte DiVincenzo, and Ryan Arcidiacono. Sometimes it seemed like Leon’s long game was less about Jalen and more about luring Jay Wright to the NBA.

Brunson practices his trade with strength, footwork, and deception. The 6-foot-2 left-hander changes pace, backs down larger defenders, pivots through traffic, and uses his body to create space. He absorbs contact, is a league leader in drawing charges, and is unafraid of smashing his way through much taller trees (especially French ones) or taking the game-winning shot as the clock expires. The steel in his veins and his big-shot chutzpah helped make Captain Clutch the King of New York.

At 30, the mileage from that contact-heavy style will be worth monitoring, and coach Mike Brown may increasingly look for ways to preserve his champion. The injuries start to pile up as the seasons tick by: Jalen has suffered numerous ankle sprains, fractured his left hand during the 2024 playoffs, and played through a left wrist injury during the 2026 championship run before undergoing surgery in July. But his unparalleled craft should age better than a game dependent primarily on vertical explosiveness.

His 2024 extension includes a player option for 2028–29, allowing him to negotiate another contract before his 32nd birthday. By signing early rather than waiting for free agency, Jalen gave the Knicks the financial flexibility to build a championship-caliber roster around him. Reports estimated that decision left hay bales of money on the table, but he has trusted the organization to take care of him in time.

So happy 30th birthday to a man destined for the rafters of MSG and the halls of Springfield. If there is a birthday cake involved, I hear he likes the marble cheesecake at Veniero’s Pasticceria in the East Village.

Go Knicks.

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Atlanta Braves News: Series Sweep of Rockies, Seven Straight Wins for Braves, More

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 30: Matt Olson #28 of the Atlanta Braves reacts with teammates after Olson hit a walk-off single during the tenth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Truist Park on August 30, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images

If there is one thing about the Atlanta Braves, they currently enjoy dramatic baseball. Fortunately, they also enjoy winning baseball. Matt Olson provided the latest chapter with a walk-off hit to earn the Braves a 3-2 victory and a series sweep over the Rockies. Tyler Mahle once again looked fantastic, while both Sean Murphy and Ronald Acuna Jr. continued to return to form over the weekend. Ten days ago, the Braves were badly seeking positive momentum. Now they have plenty of it with seven straight wins as they enter a stretch of games against the NL East this week.

Braves News

Eric Hartman continues to add to his historic season and meteoric rise on the farm.

Mark Bowman looks at how the Braves, though in dramatic fashion, are simply taking care of business with their seventh straight victory.

MLB News

The Rays won a 5-4 game over the Padres that included the potential final out for San Diego being dropped over the wall for a game-tying home run.

Pete Crow-Armstrong continues to solidify his MVP candidacy with another historic performance.

It looks as if Tony Vitello will be back with the Giants in 2o27.

Byron Buxton once again lands on the IL with a hip injury.

The Feed

Another fun prospect to keep tabs on is Dixon Williams, as he is yet another power/speed combo prospect putting up impressive numbers in the minors.

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England ‘not going to ease off the gas’ with 3-0 Pakistan series sweep in sight

  • Interim coach Trescothick hopes for unchanged lineup

  • England secured series win over Pakistan on Sunday

Marcus Trescothick is determined to sign off as England’s interim head coach with a 100% record and has no plans to meddle with a winning formula in next week’s final Test of the summer, despite securing the series win by beating Pakistan at Lord’s.

Two successful games into a series, the most likely cause of a lineup change would be fatigue, but Pakistan have not forced England to toil unduly over their two wins – last summer the average India innings lasted 107.5 overs; this summer Pakistan’s figure is 43.3. Meanwhile winning the second Test on day four means the players have nine clear days before action resumes at Edgbaston.

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Open Thread: Julian Champagnie to host a meet and greet

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - JUNE 13: Julian Champagnie #30 and Keldon Johnson #3 of the San Antonio Spurs look on from the bench during the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks in Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on June 13, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Spurs may still be a few weeks from training camp, but Julian Champagnie is already representing the team. This Saturday, September 5, the Spurs three-point assassin hosts a meet and greet at Physicians Premier Emergency Room at the corner of Potranco and Grosenbacher on San Antonio’s westside.

See the Facebook post:

Physicians Premier Emergency Room

“JULIAN CHAMPAGNIE IS BACK AT PHYSICIANS PREMIER POTRANCO!

We’re excited to welcome back San Antonio Spurs superstar Julian Champagnie to Physicians Premier Potranco for another special Meet & Greet! 

Join us for another opportunity to meet Julian, snap a photo, and grab the autograph of one of your favorite Spurs!

Saturday, September 5th

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Physicians Premier ER– Potranco
12314 Potranco Rd., #102
Corner of Potranco & Grosenbacher

Bring your family, your Spurs spirit and your cameras! 

This is a FREE community event. We can’t wait to see you there!“

Champagnie signed a 3-year/$45M contract this summer. He’s an essential component of the Spurs continued success. He has also bee one of the more visible members of the team, making multiple appearances. His infectious and warm demeanor have endeared him to fans of all ages. This session is a great way to engage Spurs fans and prepare them for the 2026-2027 pandemonium soon to ensue.

Welcome to The Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here

Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, do not troll and watch the language.

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Can Riley improve fast enough to earn playing time with the newly competitive Wizards?

Will Riley has potential. Will he do the work necessary to earn playing time as the Wizards seek to be competitive in 2026-27? | NBAE via Getty Images

The Wizards got a fascinating prospect when they chose Will Riley 21st overall. He’s 6-9, skilled, has a funky tough-to-defend (especially if refs keep letting him use that carry elongated hesi dribble) game, and a good helping of competitive moxey.

He had some good moments last season, though I was less enamored with even “the good stuff” than many others seemed to be. I’m still in the maybe he could be good someday if he works hard camp. As befits a 19-20-year-old rookie, Riley needs to get better at everything.

Will Riley has potential. Will he do the work necessary to earn playing time as the Wizards seek to be competitive in 2026-27? | NBAE via Getty Images

Getting stronger is a given — that’s necessary for virtually every young player, and he’s no exception. I’m not entirely sure he’s done growing yet. Don’t be surprised if he measures at 6-10 when training camp begins. He’s not just young, he looks youthful — like a teenager still developing physically. That’s not criticism of him or the pick, by the way. It’s good that he had some of those positive games last season given where he is physically.

His game has promise, but “not bad for a young guy” doesn’t last long in the NBA, especially when the team is shifting from losing on purpose to competing for wins. Riley last season was average to below average across the board. He shot worse than average on twos and threes, though he did knock down 80% of his free throw attempts. Getting to the line was a relative strength — he was slightly above average in free throw attempts per team possession.

I think there’s some relatively easy fixes on the three-point shooting. Specifically, I’d like to see him stop clicking his heels, kicking a leg forward or back, and generally manage his footwork to give him a more stable shooting platform when possible.

If he was on another team, I’d likely be annoyed by the ball handling, which is heavy on what the rulebook would say are egregious carries. Since he’s on the Wizards, I’m more worried about how he’ll adapt if the league office tells officials to start calling carries in a manner resembling the actual rule.

Specifically, Rule No. 10, Section II-d:

A player who is dribbling may not put any part of his hand under the ball and (1) carry it from one point to another or (2) bring it to a pause and then continue to dribble again.

Perhaps a bigger issue for Riley is increased competition for minutes. He’s a forward who can play traditional SF or PF roles (depending on the opponent’s size, strength, and athleticism). At forward, the Wizards will have Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr, AJ Dybantsa, Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly, and Justin Champagnie in the mix. Possibly Khris Middleton too, unless he’s taking over for Anthony Gill in the Team Dad role.

Even if Coulibaly, George or Dybantsa pick up some guard minutes (perhaps cutting into Tre Johnson’s or Bub Carrington’s time), Riley’s going to be in a battle for playing time. Hopefully he’s using the summer to prepare for it.

Let’s talk doppelgangers. This is the latest installment of the annual dog days tradition of running Wizards players through my Statistical Doppelganger Machine. The Machine compares the player’s performance across 14 categories and tells me which NBA player seasons since 1977-78 are “most similar.”

The Machine includes age as a factor, but not height or position. Despite that, players tend to get comps from the same position group.

  1. Shaedon Sharpe | 2022-23 | Portland Trail Blazers | Age: 19 — This was Sharpe’s rookie year, and it wasn’t bad for a teenager (PPA: 64). He was “about the same” in year two before improving to close to average the past couple seasons. One potentially important difference: Sharpe is a plus athlete with an array of stunning highlights. I think Riley had more craft in his game as a rookie than Sharpe did in year four, however.
  2. Malaki Branham | 2022-23 | San Antonio Spurs | Age: 19 — Branham’s age 20 season is next on the list, which is somewhat disconcerting because he didn’t get better. His 275 minutes with the Wizards last season was probably the best stretch of his career, and he managed just a 57 PPA — exactly what Riley posted last season. Branham’s rookie PPA was 53. Keep in mind, replacement level is 45.
  3. J.R. Smith | 2004-05 | New Orleans Hornets | Age: 19 — Smith was an athletic wing with some questionable decision-making. His most famous NBA moment was probably getting yelled at by LeBron James for dribbling out the clock in a tie game of the NBA Finals instead of initiating an action to attempt a potentially game-winning shot. That said, Smith wasn’t bad — he played 16 seasons, eight of which were in the average-plus range.
  4. Ja’Kobe Walter | 2024-25 | Toronto Raptors | Age: 20 — I’m sure I’ve seen Walter play, though I don’t have a distinct memory. The numbers say he improved in his second season — shooting a lot less but much better.
  5. Kevin Porter Jr. | 2019-20 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Age 19 — I think Porter’s name showed up as a comp for one Riley’s teammates. Porter’s talent was undeniable. His maturity and on-court decision-making were challenges, however. He’s on his fourth team in six seasons, and he’s actually been good for the Milwaukee Bucks. It seems improbable that Riley would have the kinds of off-court issues Porter did, and the Wizards are surely hoping he can make faster on-court progress.

Some of the honorable mentions are interesting, like Peja Stojakovic and Stephen Jackson. Riley doesn’t shoot it like Stojakovic, and he’s not a maniacal competitor like Jackson (at least not so far).

Next up: Tre Johnson

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Phillies news: Front office, baserunning, Ketel Marte

Aug 30, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (10) watches his solo home run during the third inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Sweeping the Angels was needed, particularly as they head on to Arizona. We all know how well they play once there, so getting these three wins was a must.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

MLB news:

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Yankees prospects: Can Yostin Pena be stopped?

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders: L, 13-10 Worcester Red Sox — fell behind 10-3, rallied to make it 10-9 but ultimately fell

CF Jarred Kelenic 1-5, 2B, 2 K
3B Anthony Volpe 3-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI, BB, K — homered in consecutive at-bats
LF Jasson Domínguez 3-5, 2B
2B Marco Luciano 2-5, HR, 2 RBI, 3 K — 424-foot bomb brought Scranton within one
C J.C. Escarra 2-5, 2B, RBI, K
SS Max Schuemann 3-4, RBI, BB
RF Yanquiel Fernández 0-4, BB
1B Tyler Hardman 2-5, HR, 3 RBI
DH Ernesto Martinez Jr. 1-5, HR, RBI, K

Kyle Carr 2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR (loss) — just the second start for Carr off the IL
Xavier Rivas 4 IP, 9H, 9 R, 3 BB, 4 K, 1 HR — Triple-A has just gone terribly for Rivas
Travis MacGregor 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
Carson Coleman 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 2 HR

Double-A Somerset Patriots: L, 7-4 vs. Akron RubberDucks

DH Jace Avina 1-5, SB
SS Core Jackson 1-5, 2B, K
2B Roderick Arias 0-3, BB
C Omar Alfonzo 1-4, RBI, K — roped a 105-mph single
RF DJ Gladney 0-1, 2 BB, K
3B Coby Morales 1-3, RBI, K, SF
1B Josh Moylan 0-2, BB, K
CF Cole Gabrielson 0-3, RBI, BB, K
LF Jackson Castillo 1-4, K

Bryce Cunningham 6 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 0 BB, 7 K, 3 HR (loss) — quite a strange line for Cunningham
Geoffrey Gilbert 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R 0 BB, 1 K
Yerry Rodríguez 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Hueston Morrill 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades: L, 5-2 vs. Brooklyn Cyclones

DH Eric Genther 2-3, RBI, K, HBP
SS Jackson Lovich 1-4, 2B, 2 K
1B Kyle West 0-4, 3 K
CF Maika Niu 0-3, BB, K, SB
C David McCann 0-4, 2 K
RF Dean Toigo 1-4, RBI, K
2B Enmanuel Tejeda 1-2, BB
3B Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 0-3
LF Robbie Burnett 0-3, K, fielding error

Danny Flatt 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Bryce Warrecker 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Jose M. Rodriguez 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 K (loss, blown save)
Hansel Rincon 1.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K
Brady Kirtner 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Low-A Tampa Tarpons: W, 7-3 at Jupiter Hammerheads

SS Dax Kilby 0-2, 3 BB
CF Yostin Pena 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, BB, K — his fifth at the level, remains on a crazy upward trajectory
RF Wilberson De Pena 0-4, 2 K
LF Diego Castellanos 1-4, BB, SB, CS
C Luis Puello 0-3, 2 BB, throwing error
1B Tyce Armstrong 3-5, 2B, HR, 2 RBI
3B Anthony Potestio 1-3, BB, K, SB, CS, fielding eror
DH Luke Pettitte 0-3, BB, 2 K
2B Blake Schaaf 0-1, RBI, 2 BB, K, CS

Wyatt Parliament 3.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K
Pedro Rodriguez 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K (win)
Antonio Gomez 0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 K (hold) — another bump in Gomez’s catcher-to-pitcher switch
Justin West 4.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 9 K (save) — old-fashioned 13-out save

Florida Complex League Yankees: Season over

Dominican Summer League Yankees: Season over

Dominican Summer League Bombers: Season over

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2026 Brewers Week in Review: Week 23

Aug 28, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Logan Henderson (43) throws out Texas Rangers center fielder Evan Carter (32) in the fifth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last Week’s Results:

  • Tuesday: Mets 3, Brewers 2
  • Wednesday: Brewers 8, Mets 1
  • Thursday: Brewers 8, Mets 2
  • Friday: Brewers 6, Rangers 1
  • Saturday: Brewers 5, Rangers 3
  • Sunday: Rangers 7, Brewers 4

Division Standings:

  • Brewers 85-52
  • Cubs 77-60 (8 GB)
  • Cardinals 68-70 (17.5 GB)
  • Pirates 67-71 (18.5 GB)
  • Reds 65-72 (20 GB)

Last Week:

  • Brewers: 4-2
  • Cubs: 2-4
  • Cardinals: 2-4
  • Pirates: 4-2
  • Reds: 3-3

Top Pitching Performance of the Week

Four Brewers pitchers made starts of at least five innings with just one run allowed this week… and none of them was Jacob Misiorowski. So if you’re wondering if the Milwaukee rotation had a good week, yes, yes they did. But with a nod to Kyle Harrison, Robert Gasser, and Shane Drohan, this award must go to Logan Henderson, who pitched seven stellar innings on Friday night en route to a 6-1 Brewers win in the series opener with the Rangers. Henderson was just one over the minimum (his sole blemish was a solo homer to Danny Jansen) while striking out seven in what was, by game score, the best outing of his career.

Top Hitting Performance of the Week

There were several Brewers who swung the bat well this week. Could we be seeing a Christian Yelich renaissance? He was 7-for-17 with three doubles. Joey Ortiz continues to swing the bat and hit .375 with a triple in 16 at-bats. In his return to the lineup, Sal Frelick was 5-for-14 (.357) with a couple of RBIs. William Contreras was big: he hit .350/.417/.600 with a homer, two doubles, and five RBIs. Luis Lara hit .353 and felt like he had good at-bats almost every time up.

But let’s give some space here to Jackson Chourio. After an awful game on Tuesday, Chourio was benched on Wednesday… only to return to the lineup with a vengeance on Thursday. From Thursday through Sunday, Chourio was 7-for-18 with three homers, two of which came on a 4-for-5 night on Thursday. Chourio is up to 20 homers on the season, and as a guy obsessed with baseball history, this is notable to me and worth highlighting quickly. With three 20-homer seasons through his age-22 season, Chourio added his name to a remarkable list:

  • Mel Ott (511 career HR, in the Hall of Fame)
  • Ted Williams (521 career HR, in the HOF, arguably the greatest hitter of all time)
  • Eddie Mathews (512 career HR, in the HOF)
  • Mickey Mantle (536 career HR, in the HOF)
  • Al Kaline (399 career HR, in the HOF)
  • Frank Robinson (586 career HR, in the HOF)
  • Orlando Cepeda (379 career HR, in the HOF)
  • Ken Griffey Jr. (630 career HR, in the HOF)
  • Tony Conigliaro (166 career HR, hit in face by baseball that ruined his career when he was 22)
  • Bob Horner (218 career HR, basically done at age 28 because of injuries and collusion)
  • Alex Rodriguez (696 career HR, would be in the HOF if not for *gestures*)
  • Giancarlo Stanton (456 career HR, an MVP, outside shot at the HOF)
  • Mike Trout (424 career HR, a HOF lock)
  • Bryce Harper (390 career HR, two MVPs, a HOF near-lock)
  • Carlos Correa (203 career HR, would have a solid HOF case if not for injuries)
  • Juan Soto (265 career HR, still only 27, essentially a HOF lock)

Pretty good stuff.

Injury Notes & Roster Moves

  • Sal Frelick is back. After missing over a month, Frelick returned to the lineup on Thursday and had a pretty nice weekend. To make room on the roster, Jonathan Ornelas was designated for assignment, cleared waivers, and was assigned to Triple-A Nashville.
  • The big bullpen news this week: Abner Uribe and JoJo Romero both pitched twice with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on rehab assignments. Uribe’s return is presumably imminent, and Romero shouldn’t be far behind. Plus, their time in Appleton gave us this picture:
  • Besides that, not much to report, which is good news at this point in the season!

On Deck

  • Monday: @ Cubs (6:40 p.m.)
  • Tuesday: @ Cubs (6:40 p.m.)
  • Wednesday: @ Cubs (6:40 p.m.)
  • Thursday: @ Cubs (6:15 p.m.)
  • Friday: @ Reds (5:10 p.m.)
  • Saturday: @ Reds (5:40 p.m.)
  • Sunday: @ Reds (11:10 a.m.)
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Tigers hit the road to take on the Twins this week

The Detroit Tigers played things close with the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers for most of the weekend, but came away with just one win in the three-game series after a 6-1 defeat on Sunday afternoon. Framber Valdez gave his team five frames of one-run ball, but a hung changeup in the sixth broke a 1-1 tie and opened things up for the eventual loss.

Next up for the Motor City Kitties is a six-game road trip against a pair of American League Central rivals starting on Monday night against the Minnesota Twins.

Opening the three-game series for the Olde English D is right-hander Jackson Jobe, who is still getting his feel back after returning from Tommy John surgery earlier this month. The 24-year-old has kept his team in the thick of things over his last two starts, posting a 1.86 ERA and 3.81 FIP across 9 2/3 innings, allowing eight hits and six walks while striking out seven and hitting a batter.

For the Twinkies, fellow righty Taj Bradley will take the mound looking to end a rough month of August on a high note. The 25-year-old put up a subpar 5.40 ERA but a decent 3.98 FIP over his last five starts stretching across 26 2/3 innings, allowing 28 hits (three home runs) and a whopping 14 walks while striking out 30, hitting a batter and uncorking a wild pitch, earning a pair of losses along the way.

Bradley has faced the Tigers twice this year already with very different results between the two. On April 7 in Minneapolis, he threw 6 1/3 frames of one-run ball on six hits, no walks and 10 strikeouts for his second win of the season; on June 9 in Detroit, he coughed up five runs on seven hits (three home runs) and three walks while striking out three for his third loss of the summer.

Take a look below at how the two match up for the AL Central battle starting on Monday night.

Detroit Tigers (63-73) vs. Minnesota Twins (65-72)

Time (ET): 7:40 p.m.
Place: Target Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota
SB Nation Site:Twinkie Town
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 137: RHP Jackson Jobe (1-1, 3.93 ERA) vs. RHP Taj Bradley (9-6, 3.97 ER)

PlayerGIPK%BB%GB%FIPfWAR
Jobe418.118.810.055.64.660.1
Bradley26147.127.010.034.63.902.1

JOBE

BRADLEY

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Orioles news: O’s sweep A’s, pull within a game of .500

Aug 30, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Baltimore Orioles players celebrate their 8-5 victory over the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

The Orioles, for all their trials and tribulations throughout this 2026 campaign, are on the brink of being a .500 team again. The Birds’ sweep in Sacramento has pushed them to a 68-69 record, the first time since April 30 that they’ve been within a game of .500. On six other occasions since then, they’ve climbed to two games under, only to immediately lose. This time the O’s got over the hump thanks to yesterday’s comeback win against the Athletics. Check out Alex Church’s recap of the exciting finale, which featured a vintage Gunnar Henderson performance and more lefty-mashing Coby Mayo magic.

Back in March, if you’d told me that we would finish August by celebrating the Orioles almost being a .500 team, well…that would have been my first clue that the 2026 season didn’t quite go as planned. Indeed it hasn’t, for reasons that we probably don’t need to rehash. At times the Orioles have appeared to be light years away from contention, sinking to a season-worst nine games under .500 by the of June. But they’ve shown plenty of gumption since then to rally back to where they are now. They’re not exactly steamrolling the league, and plenty of flaws on the roster still remain, but the O’s have been playing a better brand of baseball for nearly two months.

This road trip is a good example. The Birds haven’t been dominant, with their starting rotation in particular showing some cracks, but they’ve managed to get their offense clicking and tighten up their often-shaky defense. The bullpen is a perpetual enigma, constantly working themselves both into and out of jams, but they’ve gotten the job done more often than not.

The O’s absolutely needed to have a winning road trip against three teams that they should be able to beat, and at 5-1, they’ve already clinched that. They took the series in St. Louis and swept the atrocious A’s in three games decided by one or two runs. But the Birds can’t take their foot off the gas pedal now. Three games remain against the Rockies, who are tied with the Angels for the worst record in baseball, and it’s a chance for the Orioles to stack up two or three more wins if they stay focused. The Orioles avoided a letdown in Sacramento and will need to do the same in Colorado. A victory in tonight’s opener would get them back to .500 for the first time in four months.

Yesterday’s win didn’t gain the Orioles any ground in the wild card race but allowed them to keep pace with the Guardians, who routed the Royals earlier in the day. The O’s remain a game behind Cleveland for the third wild card spot. They’re also trying to hold off the Blue Jays, who are a half game back of the Birds, and the Rangers, who are one game behind Baltimore. The Twins, Mariners, and Tigers seem to be falling off the pace, each of them at least four games behind the Guardians, but none of them can be completely ruled out yet in this thoroughly mediocre American League.

The Orioles’ job is simple. Keep playing good baseball and, most likely, good things will happen.

Links

Gunnar Henderson dazzles in dominant performance as Orioles sweep Athletics – The Baltimore Banner

I don’t particularly care for Gunnar’s new beard, but if it proves to be a good-luck charm for his hitting, then I hope he keeps that monstrosity on his face for the rest of the year.

Using critical September games as starting points for Orioles’ 2027 decisions – BaltimoreBaseball.com

Rich Dubroff names some of the players who are auditioning for 2027 roster spots, including Carlos Narváez. Watching Narváez hit, I’m at a loss as to how this guy hit 15 home runs last year.

Alonso avoids serious injury after being hit on brim of helmet – MLB.com

The Polar Bear fortunately seems to be OK after a scary HBP off the helmet yesterday. If he weren’t, you could kiss goodbye to the Orioles’ playoff hopes.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Today would have been the 91st birthday of Orioles legend and Hall of Famer Frank Robinson (b. 1935, d. 2019). The Birds’ acquisition of Robinson from the Reds before the 1966 season was the single most impactful transaction the franchise has ever made. Frank famously won the Triple Crown and was named AL MVP in his debut season with the Orioles, launching them to their first World Series championship in 1966 (and a second in 1970) with his on-field excellence and clubhouse leadership. His legacy in Baltimore will never be forgotten.

Other former Orioles born on this day are outfielder Tim Raines Jr. (47) and five right-handed pitchers: Armando Gabino (43), Ramón Ramírez (45), Mike Hartley (65), Tom Dukes (84), and the Baltimore-born Steve Johnson (39).

Aug. 31 used to be the waiver trade deadline, so the O’s have made a bunch of deals on this date in history:

In 1987, the Orioles traded lefty Mike Flanagan, who’d spent his first 13 years with the Orioles and won the 1979 AL Cy Young Award, to the Blue Jays for righty Oswaldo Peraza and a player to be named. Peraza pitched only one season in the majors, but the PTBNL turned out to be José Mesa, who went on to a 19-year MLB career with 321 saves. Flanagan spent parts of four seasons in Toronto before returning to the Orioles to finish his career.

In 1988, the O’s made a fantastic trade, dealing veteran outfielder Fred Lynn to the Tigers for minor league catcher Chris Hoiles. Hoiles reached the majors a year later and became the best offensive catcher in Orioles history, hitting 151 homers and posting an .833 OPS while spending his entire 10-year career in Baltimore. He was inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame in 2006.

And in 2011, the Orioles made another nifty deadline deal, jettisoning failed closer Mike Gonzalez to the Rangers for reliever Pedro Strop. Strop became the top setup man for the Orioles’ dominant bullpen during their breakout 2012 season, posting a 2.44 ERA in 70 games, and went on to plenty more years of success with the Cubs after the O’s traded him in 2013.

Random Orioles game of the day

On Aug. 31, 1986, the Orioles dropped the finale of a rare six-game series in Oakland, 7-0. The series, originally scheduled as a four-gamer, featured two makeup games for a pair of postponements in Baltimore a couple of weeks earlier, which were shifted to Oakland as back-to-back doubleheaders. The Birds lost five of six, getting shut out in the finale by right-hander Joaquín Andújar. The Orioles managed only four hits against him, two by Eddie Murray, while starter Mike Boddicker gave up five runs in five innings. Dave Kingman and José Canseco homered for the A’s, dropping the Orioles to a .500 record at 65-65.

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Chicago Cubs history unpacked — August 31

Free of charge for the discerning reader.

Happy birthday to Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, and a mighty host of others.

Today in baseball history, in 1960 – The Pirates come from behind yet again, defeating the Giants, 7-4. Roberto Clemente hits a two-out, two-run homer and Roy Face closes the game. For the Giants, Willie Mays does his best with a single, double and near-homer his first time up, but falls victim to Face in his final at-bat, a seventh-inning strikeout, representing the tying run at the plate, and other stories as well.

Today in baseball history:

Today in Cubs history:

Cubs Birthdays:Boots Day, Ramon Webster, Ramón Hernández, Cleo James, Ray Mack, Duke Farrell. Also notable: Frank Robinson HOF. Ray Dandridge HOF. Eddie Plank HOF.

Today in history:

  • 1837 – Ralph Waldo Emerson gives his famous “The American Scholar” speech to Phi Beta Kappa Society at Harvard College, Cambridge, Massachusetts, declares American literary independence from Europe.
  • 1888 – The body of Jack the Ripper’s first victim, Mary Ann Nichols, is found in Whitechapel in London’s East End.
  • 1897 – Thomas Edison patents the Kinetoscope (Kinetographic camera), a device that produces moving pictures.
  • 1971 – Beatle John Lennon leaves England for the final time, moving to New York City.
  • 1972 – Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut wins balance beam and floor exercise gold medals at the Munich Olympics; follows gold in the teams all-round.
  • 1978 – Emily and William Harris plead guilty to 1974 kidnapping of American publishing heiress Patty Hearst.
  • 1997 – Diana, Princess of Wales, dies in a car crash in a road tunnel in Paris.
  • 2006 – Stolen on August 22, 2004, Edvard Munch‘s famous painting “The Scream” is recovered from a raid by Norwegian police; the painting was said to be in a better-than-expected condition.

*pictured.

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Mets Daily Prospect Report, 8/31/26: This is fine (no really!)

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 4: Mark Vientos #27 of the New York Mets celebrates after hitting a two run home run during the sixth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on July 4, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Casey Sykes/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (38-37/30-26)

SYRACUSE 8, LEHIGH VALLEY 0 (BOX)

Everything clicked for Syracuse in this one. On the offensive side, the rehabbing Mark Vientos went yard not just once, not just twice, but three times, driving in five runs, and Ronny Mauricio and MJ Melendez both had multi-hit games with extra base hits. On the pitching side, Kevin Herget, Saul Garcia, Tobias Myers, Chayce McDermott, Joe Jacques, and Zach Franklin combined to throw a no-hitter, Syracuse’s first since 2018, their 5th shutout in their last 10 games, and the 176th no-hitter in International League history.

·  RF Nick Morabito: 1-3, 3 R, BB, SB (42)

·  REHAB ALERT 1B Mark Vientos: 4-5, 3 R, 3 HR (3, 4, 5), 5 RBI

·  1B Nick Lorusso: 0-0

·  SS Ronny Mauricio: 2-5, R, 2B, RBI

·  LF MJ Melendez: 2-5, R, 2B, HR (17), 2 RBI, 2 K

·  DH Eric Wagaman: 1-4, BB, K

·  3B Billy Amick: 1-4, BB, 2 K

·  CF Jose Ramos: 1-4

·  C Shawn Ross: 0-4, K

·  2B Zack Short: 0-4, 3 K

·  RHP Kevin Herget: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

·  RHP Saul Garcia: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

·  RHP Tobias Myers: 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, W (3-1)

·  RHP Chayce McDermott: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

·  LHP Joe Jacques: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

·  RHP Zach Franklin: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

ROSTER ALERT: Syracuse Mets activated RHP Chayce McDermott.

ROSTER ALERT: Syracuse Mets transferred RHP Ofreidy Gómez to the Development List.

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (27-42/29-28)

BINGHAMTON 14, READING 5 (BOX)

Having come into this series with the potential to upset the Reading Fightin’ Phils, the Rumble Ponies tripped over their hooves, dropping four of the five games leading to Sunday’s finale, giving Reading a 5.5 game lead over Binghamton for first place in the Northeast Division with 13 games to go. Both teams fought tooth-and-nail, with Binghamton taking the lead and Reading catching up and tying things up twice, but the Rumble Ponies finally jumped out to a four-run lead in the seventh that Reading wasn’t able to catch up to. The top of the Binghamton line-up remained hot, with Mitch Voit, Marco Vargas, and Jefferson Rojas going a combined 10-16 with four doubles and a pair of homers

·  2B Mitch Voit: 3-4, 3 R, 2B, HR (2), 3 RBI, 2 BB, K

·  SS Marco Vargas: 4-6, 2 R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K, 3 SB (21, 22, 23)

·  3B Jefferson Rojas: 3-6, 2 R, 2B, HR (7), 4 RBI, 2 K, CS (1)

·  DH Jacob Reimer: 1-6, R, 2B, 2 K

·  CF Chris Suero: 0-3, 2 R, 2 BB, K, SB (34), E (15)

·  RF Eli Serrano III: 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K

·  LF Corey Collins: 1-4, R, 2B, RBI, BB, 3 K

·  C Kevin Parada: 2-5, R

·  1B Jamari Baylor: 0-2, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB

·  RHP Gabe Davis: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 2 K

·  RHP Cristofer Gomez: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

·  LHP Felipe De La Cruz: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, BLK

·  RHP Brendan Girton: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, H (5)

·  RHP Bryce Jenkins: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, W (4-0), BS (1)

·  RHP Bryce Conley: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

·  LHP Gabriel Rodriguez: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (25-40/31-28)

BROOKLYN 5, HUDSON VALLEY 2 (BOX)

The top half of the Cyclones order went 6-20 with two doubles, two homers, and three walks, while the bottom of the order went 0-13 with 3 walks. No one Cyclones pitcher looked particularly great, nor was anybody particularly terrible. With the win, Brooklyn moved to 5.5 games behind the first place Frederick Keys, the very same team they will be playing to close out the regular season this upcoming week. While I wouldn’t put money down on anything, never say never, either.

·  SS Sammy Stafura: 2-4, 2 R, 2 HR (20, 21), 3 RBI, BB, K, SB (18)

·  DH Elian Peña: 1-5, 2B, 2 K

·  RF Trey Snyder: 1-5, R, K, 2 SB (8, 9)

·  LF Yonatan Henriquez: 1-3, R, BB, 2 SB (26, 27)

·  CF John Spikerman: 1-3, 2B, RBI, BB, SB (26)

·  2B Colin Houck: 0-2, 2 BB

·  3B Antonio Jimenez: 0-4, K

·  C Chase Meggers: 0-4, K

·  1B Eddinson Paulino: 0-3, R, BB, K

·  LHP Conner Ware: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, WP

·  RHP Elwis Mijares: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, W (2-0)

·  RHP Ryan Dollar: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, H (3)

·  LHP Gregori Louis: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HBP, H (3)

·  RHP Juan Arnaud: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, S (4)

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets (33-33/21-38)

ST. LUCIE 13, DAYTONA 5 (BOX)

St. Lucie split their series with the Tortugas, closing things out almost identical to the way the series started, scoring double-digit runs against Daytona. The Mets’ pitchers were solid-if-unspectacular, with Christian Rodriguez, Ernesto Mercedes, and Jean Brito combining to allow 5 runs over six-plus innings and the rest of the bullpen limiting the Tortugas to three baserunners. Early on, the game was competitive, with the score tied 2-2 going into the fifth, but in the top of the inning, St. Lucie erupted for seven runs, with 2026 additions Ryan Tayman, Kuhio Aloy, Jack Toomey, Jake Ogden, and Aiden Robbins all driving in runs.

·  SS Jake Ogden: 1-4, R, RBI, HBP, BB, E (2)

·  CF Aiden Robbins: 2-5, R, 4 RBI, BB, 2 K

·  C Ryan Tayman: 3-5, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI, K, HBP

·  RF Kuhio Aloy: 1-6, R, 2B, RBI, K

·  DH Jack Toomey: 1-4, R, RBI, BB, 3 K

·  1B Julio Zayas: 2-5, 2 R, HR (11), 3 RBI

·  LF Branny De Oleo: 1-4, R, 2B, BB, 2 K

·  2B Vladi Gomez: 1-3, 2 R, 2 BB, E (10), CS (2)

·  3B Jeremy Rodriguez: 2-4, 2 R, BB, K

·  RHP Christian Rodriguez: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HBP

·  RHP Ernesto Mercedes: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, W (3-3)

·  RHP Jean Brito: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 0 K

·  LHP Luis Sotillo: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K

·  RHP Brett Banks: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

ROSTER ALERT: RHP Jean Brito assigned to St. Lucie Mets from FCL Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: St. Lucie Mets activated LHP Luis Sotillo from the Development List.

ROSTER ALERT: St. Lucie Mets transferred RHP Jose Guevara to the Development List.

ROSTER ALERT: St. Lucie Mets placed RHP Jose Lopez on the 7-day injured list.

Rookie: FCL Mets (24-33)

NO GAME (SEASON OVER)

STAR OF THE NIGHT

Kevin Herget, Saul Garcia, Tobias Myers, Chayce McDermott, Joe Jacques, and Zach Franklin

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

None; System sweep!