PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 27: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins take the ice against the St. Louis Blues at PPG PAINTS Arena on October 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The subject was broached here earlier in the week, but let’s take another look at the 32 Thoughts lingering question of the offseason for the Penguins.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Can they add a centre before next season?
GM Kyle Dubas has had a tricky job to balance between an aging core that wants to compete with a clear need to bring in some youth and prepare for the next era, whenever it arrives. He’s done pretty well in acquiring some early-to-mid-20s players, with Yegor Chinakhov the shining example last season. The front office will continue looking for those types of players, or to make a big play for someone. They certainly were in conversations with Dallas about trading for Jason Robertson.
One area of the roster we could identify as a need to improve on is down the middle. Evgeni Malkin is a winger now, and while Ben Kindel was a great and surprising story in his rookie year, ideally the Penguins would have another productive veteran to take top-six centre minutes. Centres can be hard to come by, but there have been a few available this off-season. In terms of identifying one available centre who isn’t too old, has a depressed value, but still holds upside: what about Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson?
“Look he’s got to play better in that $11.6 million everyone’s been talking about, but again, the ground has shifted here in a huge way,” Friedman said of Pettersson. “I’ve sat there and I’ve said ‘where could he go that could be good for him?’ I wonder if the Penguins with Crosby and Malkin might be good for him.”
It’s always interesting to see a national-level perspective from an informed source, but at surface level there’s some specifics to address.
Would the Penguins be better off by adding a solid center? Sure. Is it a dire need? I’m not as convinced.
Between Sidney Crosby and Blake Lizotte the top and bottom of the lineup is good. Lizotte is a player who takes a regular shift and plays a lot for a ‘fourth’ liner, Crosby is still leaned on heavily and that alone takes some pressure off the rest of the lineup.
From there, the Pens have numbers to throw at the rest off the issue. Ben Kindel will be in the mix and the other spot can be handled by some combination in rotation of Tommy Novak, Rickard Rakell and perhaps occasionally Evgeni Malkin. Hendrix Lapierre is another player with NHL center experience, though he may or may not be an option moving forward in that spot. If placed in a tough spot due to injuries, Connor Dewar has shown to be a capable fourth line center option in the recent past.
Talk of Elias Pettersson is understandable enough, he’s right in the target demo for what Dubas was looking for as a players in his mid-to-late 20s that has control over where he can be traded. However, there’s no indication that Pettersson is interested in uprooting to an Eastern team, let alone a place like Pittsburgh. He’s also underperforming to his large $11.6 million cap hit. The Canucks surely aren’t going to give up one of their best players for nothing. That’s a lot of hurdles for multiple sides to have to overcome to make a match.
It’s a change, and a jarring one at that, to see the Penguins no longer be so stocked down the middle when over the last 20 years they’ve had players like prime Crosby and Malkin paired with a rotation of others like Jordan Staal, Nick Bonino and Matt Cullen to make the center spot the envy of the league over much of the last two decades. Those days may be over but the extreme urge to boost the spot isn’t exactly there either.
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 13: Major League Baseball Robert D. Manfred announces Gavin Kilen as the thirteenth overall pick by the San Francisco Giants during the 2025 MLB Draft presented by Nike at Coca-Cola Roxy on Sunday, July 13, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
If you like any and all things involving San Francisco Giants baseball, then my goodness is today a good day for you. The Giants play at 1:05 p.m. PT this afternoon, and all seven of their Minor League Baseball affiliates are in action throughout the day.
But the big event? The first day of the 2026 MLB Draft. The draft is split into two days now (as opposed to three in recent years), with the first 10 rounds on Saturday and the next 10 rounds on Sunday. For the first time in a long time, the Giants haven’t sacrificed any picks … in fact, they’ve added picks (a very rare thing in MLB, since only a few picks can be traded), as they picked up a Competitive Balance Round A selection in the Patrick Bailey trade.
That means the Giants have 11 picks today: No. 4, No. 29, No. 55, and the 15th pick in Rounds 3-10. It should be an exciting day! So join us here to enjoy all the action … I’ll have newsers for the various draft picks, but we can talk the day’s action here.
How to watch Day 1 of the draft
What: 2026 MLB Draft, Day 1, rounds 1-10
Where: Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Yawn, just another PCA milestone. Seems like they’re coming every week now.
The only “problem” with PCA’s 20/20 accomplishment is that it somewhat overshadowed Seiya Suzuki’s two games. Wednesday, his three-run home run proved to be the deciding runs in the Cubs’ win. Suzuki couldn’t do it all Thursday, but he tried with a solo homer to tie the game and an RBI-double to take a 2-1 lead before the bullpen blew the game.
Pitchers Colin Rea and David Peterson did their job — kept the Cubs in the game by allowing four runs in 10 1/3 innings (3.60 ERA). Meanwhile, the bullpen tried to lose Wednesday’s game, and succeeded on Thursday.
Looking forward to what new mark that PCA will set or match next. (yawn)
*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.
Matthew Trueblood (Cubbies Crib): Pete Crow-Armstrong and the Signature Single, Which is Sometimes a Double. “The home runs will get the headlines; they should. But Pete Crow-Armstrong’s transformation into a well-rounded offensive superstar would be incomplete without the emergence of his new signature hit: the slugger’s single.”
Trade, Injury and Draft Talk:
Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): The Cubs Have Played Their Way Back to Being Buyers. What Should They Buy? “The Cubs are still under .500 over the last two months, but they’re getting hot at the right time. No longer is it realistic to think they’ll be sellers before the trade deadline. So, what must they buy?”
Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Quantifying Hope: Cubs Hovering Near 75% Playoff Odds. “Since climbing out of the nadir in early June that saw them dip below 40% playoff odds, the Cubs have pretty much been on cruise control.”
Gertrude “Ma” Rainey (nee’ Pridgett; April 26, 1886 – December 22, 1939) was an American blues singer and influential early-blues recording artist. Dubbed the “Mother of the Blues”, she bridged earlier vaudeville and the authentic expression of southern blues, influencing a generation of blues singers. Rainey was known for her powerful vocal abilities, energetic disposition, majestic phrasing, and a “moaning” style of singing. Her qualities are present and most evident in her early recordings “Bo-Weevil Blues” and “Moonshine Blues”.
Gertrude Pridgett began performing as a teenager and became known as “Ma” Rainey after her marriage to Will “Pa” Rainey in 1904. They toured with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels and later formed their own group, Rainey and Rainey, Assassinators of the Blues. Her first recording was made in 1923. In the following five years, she made over 100 recordings. Touring until 1935, she then largely retired from performing and continued as a theater impresario in her hometown of Columbus, Georgia, until her death four years later.“
Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 14, 2026: Victor Vodnik #38 of the Colorado Rockies throws a pitch during the third inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on May 14, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
He still averages 98.5 mph with his four-seam fastball. He produces ground balls at one of the highest rates in baseball. His slider has become a legitimate weapon, and hitters have not spent the year driving everything he throws into the gaps.
Yet through July 9, Vodnik owns a 5.72 ERA in 28.1 innings. He has allowed 31 hits and issued a staggering 19 walks, leaving him with almost as many free passes as strikeouts.
The obvious story is that Vodnik has struggled.
The more useful one is that the shape of those struggles has changed. His recent improvement looks less like a complete fix than a pitcher finding better ways to survive the problems that remain.
Elite velocity, ordinary fastball results
Vodnik’s four-seamer supplies the first contradiction.
Its average velocity ranks in the 96th percentile, but the pitch has generated only a 20.4% whiff rate and a 15.2% strikeout rate. Hitters are batting .333 against it, although a .251 expected average and .386 expected slugging percentage suggest the actual results have been somewhat harsher than the quality of contact.
The movement profile helps explain why velocity alone has not been enough.
Vodnik’s fastball has 12.6 inches of induced vertical break, 3.2 inches below the average of comparable four-seamers. It also has less arm-side movement than similar pitches. This is not a fastball combining elite speed with elite carry.
It has elite speed, but ordinary shape.
That puts more pressure on location and sequencing. When Vodnik commands it, the velocity can still overwhelm hitters. When he does not, they have generally been able to put it in play.
The slider has become the foundation
The best development in Vodnik’s season is the slider.
He has increased its usage from 12.8% in 2025 to 26.9% this year, and hitters have managed a .174 average and .217 slugging percentage against it. The pitch has produced a 36.2% whiff rate, a .179 expected average and a .214 expected slugging percentage.
It is also his only positive pitch by run value.
Vodnik’s slider is not a wide sweeper. At 88.5 mph, it has only 2.3 inches of glove-side movement, less than comparable sliders. Its defining feature is depth: it drops nearly five inches more than similar pitches.
The shape remains compact before falling late beneath the barrel.
This is not an entirely new pitch. Its spin direction, active-spin rate and overall movement were similar last season. It is about one mph harder, but the larger change is trust.
Vodnik has more than doubled its usage and increasingly allowed the slider to organize the at-bat.
That has been especially visible lately. On July 2 against the Miami Marlins, he threw seven sliders and five fastballs, using the breaking ball to generate three harmless balls in play. On July 5 against the San Francisco Giants, he threw the slider 40% of the time and used it for both strikeouts.
Four days later, the fastball produced all three of his strikeouts.
Those are different routes through an inning, which is encouraging for a pitcher who spent much of the first half without a dependable one.
The pitch Vodnik lost
The slider’s emergence has been necessary because Vodnik’s changeup has moved in the opposite direction.
Even across uneven and sometimes limited big-league samples, the changeup had been his most dependable offering. It produced positive run value in each of his first three seasons: +1 in 2023, +5 in 2024 and +4 last year.
In 2025, hitters batted .109 and slugged .130 against it while missing on 44.2% of their swings.
This season, the changeup has fallen to minus-two runs. Hitters are batting .250 and slugging .550 against it, and its whiff rate has dropped to 25.6%.
Vodnik has allowed only three home runs all year. Two have come against the changeup, despite the pitch representing just 17% of his usage.
The pitch itself has been gradually changing.
In 2023, Vodnik’s changeup averaged 88.9 mph with 34.6 inches of total drop. It now averages 92.5 mph and drops 28.5 inches. The velocity gap from his four-seamer has narrowed from 8.2 mph to six.
For the first time in his career, the changeup produces less drop than comparable pitches while generating more arm-side run. In his first three seasons, that relationship was reversed.
The pitch has not lost movement. It has redirected it.
It is harder, runnier and less depth-oriented. The changeup may still follow the fastball convincingly out of Vodnik’s hand, but it no longer creates the same late downward separation.
The contact supports the concern. Average exit velocity against it has increased from 84.1 mph to 91.3, while average launch angle has jumped from minus-15 degrees to 14.
Hitters are no longer rolling it over. They are lifting it.
The misses were not identical. One was extremely firm and centered. The other stayed high and never got beneath the barrel.
Both remained on hittable planes.
The walks explain the innings
The changeup is part of Vodnik’s regression, but it does not explain every poor outing.
He did not throw a changeup during his five-run appearance against the San Diego Padres on April 23. The Padres still put four balls in play, collected four hits and hit three of them hard.
More broadly, Vodnik has not allowed much extra-base damage. Among his 31 hits are six doubles, no triples and three home runs.
The better explanation is 19 walks.
On May 12 in Pittsburgh against the Pirates, Vodnik allowed three singles and a walk while recording two outs. None of the hits went for extra bases, but the inning became crowded, a run scored and he left with the bases loaded.
Six days later against the Texas Rangers, a leadoff double was followed by consecutive walks. Vodnik departed without recording an out, and all three runners eventually scored.
The expected metrics soften his 5.72 ERA, but they do not erase the underlying problem. Vodnik owns a 4.46 xERA and a solid 36% hard-hit rate, but his 5.03 xFIP remains poor.
Major-league pitchers are striking out roughly 22.0% of hitters and walking about 8.9%, a difference of 13.1 percentage points. Vodnik sits at 16.8% and 14.5%, a gap of only 2.3 percentage points.
Ground balls can clean up some traffic. They cannot be expected to clean up all of it.
Surviving the walks
Vodnik’s recent improvement has come since returning from the 15-day injured list on June 15. He had missed nearly a month with right ulnar nerve inflammation and made two scoreless rehab appearances with Triple-A Albuquerque before rejoining the Rockies.
Over his last seven appearances, Vodnik has allowed one earned run on five hits in 9 2/3 innings, good for a 0.93 ERA and 0.93 WHIP.
The walks have not disappeared. He has issued four during that stretch, but he has also struck out six and avoided the clustered contact that buried several of his earlier outings.
On June 22, he opened consecutive innings with walks. The first was erased by a double play. After the second, Vodnik retired three straight hitters on a groundout, flyout and groundout.
On July 5, a two-out walk was followed by a groundout. On July 9, another two-out walk was followed by a strikeout.
That final appearance was his most encouraging. Vodnik struck out three hitters over 1 2/3 scoreless innings, generating four whiffs on 10 fastball swings. For one outing, nearly 99 mph produced the results its velocity promises.
He still needed 34 pitches to record five outs and issued another walk.
That is the difference between stabilization and restoration.
Vodnik is finishing innings better without consistently starting them better. He has limited the multi-run damage, leaned into the slider and occasionally found enough fastball command to create his own exits.
The walk remains waiting for the next single.
A full recovery would require more strikes, fewer free passes and either a restored changeup or a clearer fastball-slider identity that does not depend on it.
For now, Vodnik has found better ways through innings.
The Isotopes fell to 46-45 after being routed 10-0 by the Space Cowboys, who improved to 43-47.
Sugar Land scored all 10 runs in the first three innings, putting up three in the first, four in the second and three in the third. Mason Green, whose ERA rose to 6.02, allowed seven runs over two innings. Eiberson Castellano gave up three runs over four innings and now carries a 4.15 ERA.
Albuquerque managed only four hits, went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and struck out 11 times. Charlie Condon supplied the lone offensive bright spot, going 2-for-4 to raise his average to .289 with a .998 OPS. Victor Juarez finished with two scoreless innings, lowering his ERA to 17.05.
Hartford took control early and never gave Binghamton much room to recover, scoring seven runs between the second and fifth innings on the way to a 7-2 win.
Jack O’Dowd reached three times, going 2-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and two runs scored. Across his first 10 Double-A games, he is hitting .275 with a .912 OPS. Roc Riggio went 1-for-2 with three walks, three runs, two stolen bases and his 21st double, raising his season line to a .256 average and .867 OPS.
Braylen Wimmer led the offense with three hits and two RBI, while Andy Perez also drove in two runs.
On the mound, Jack Mahoney allowed two runs, only one earned, on four hits over 7 2/3 innings, striking out nine and walking one. He improved to 5-1 with a 1.98 ERA.
Hartford improved to 46-38, while Binghamton fell to 31-54. The Yard Goats finished with nine hits, drew seven walks, stole four bases and went 6-for-16 with runners in scoring position.
Eugene buried Spokane with a six-run first inning and never gave up control, handing the Indians a 9-4 loss.
Ethan Hedges provided the main offensive highlight for Spokane, going 2-for-4 with his ninth home run and two RBI. He is now hitting .272 with a .763 OPS. Kelvin Hidalgo also had two hits, including his 11th double, and drove in a run.
The Indians managed only five hits and went 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position. Lebarron Johnson Jr. allowed seven runs, six earned, on nine hits over three innings and fell to 1-4 with a 4.65 ERA.
Eugene finished with 14 hits and went 5-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Dakota Jordan led the way with four hits, three home runs and four RBI.
The Grizzlies improved to 46-39 with a 9-2 win over the Ports, who fell to 37-48.
Fresno jumped ahead with three runs in the first inning and added four more across the final two frames. Wilder Dalis led the offense, going 3-for-4 with his seventh home run, his 14th double, five RBI and two runs scored. He is now hitting .278 with an .862 OPS.
Cameron Nelson also homered, his sixth of the season, while Luis Mendez added his second.
Brady Parker allowed two runs on three hits over six innings, striking out eight and walking four. He improved to 5-3 with a 4.52 ERA.
Fresno finished with seven hits, drew seven walks and struck out nine times. Stockton managed seven hits but went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and struck out 14 times.
In some draft-day reading, Sports Illustrated’s Wesley Dixon makes the case for Tyler Bell at No. 10, citing his polished approach, switch-hitting bat and defensive flexibility. Dixon views Bell as a natural second-base fit who could grow alongside Hunter Goodman, Ethan Holliday, Charlie Condon and Zac Veen.
In MLB Pipeline’s final mock draft, Jonathan Mayo sends Virginia outfielder AJ Gracia to the Rockies at No. 10, while Jim Callis projects Kentucky shortstop Tyler Bell. Both expect Roch Cholowsky to go first overall, with the top four likely falling Cholowsky, Grady Emerson, Vahn Lackey and Jackson Flora before the draft becomes far less predictable.
Purple Row also asked readers who they thought the Rockies would take with the No. 10 pick. The poll is now closed, but the comments are full of draft-day predictions, preferred targets and plenty of debate over what Colorado’s new front office should prioritize.
The 2026 MLB Draft has come and gone, with the two-day event concluding on Sunday night. The Seminoles had seven players taken in this year’s draft, headlined by second-round selections Wes Mendes and Myles Bailey. FSU lost its entire weekend rotation from a season ago, but did not lose RHP John Abraham or OF Brody DeLamielleure, as neither was picked.
On the high school front, two of Florida State’s best high school recruits, Landon Thome and Kaden Waechter, had their names called in the second round, and it would be unlikely that either would make it to campus.
As always, players do not have to sign when they are drafted and can elect to go/return to school. This year’s signing deadline is Monday, July 27.
2026 MLB Draft: Florida State players, prospects selected
Bolded players have signed
No. 34: INF Landon Thome (HS), Chicago White Sox
No. 55: RHP Kaden Waechter (HS), San Francisco Giants
No. 57: LHP Wes Mendes, Houston Astros
No. 75: 1B Myles Bailey, Chicago Cubs
No. 88: OF Brayden Dowd, Arizona Diamondbacks
No. 147: LHP Trey Beard, Miami Marlins
No. 198: RHP Bryson Moore, Pittsburgh Pirates
No. 353 RHP Cole Stokes, Tampa Bay Rays
No. 362 RHP Brodie Purcell, Cincinnati Reds
No. 473: RHP Alex Philpott (Portal), Tampa Bay Rays
2026 MLB Draft: Florida State draft-eligible players
Draft day 2026 has arrived! And it is a big one for the Cardinals. With six picks in the top 100, they are set to provide a huge shot in the arm to an already excellent farm system. Like many of you, I have been consuming an unhealthy amount of mock drafts, scouting reports, and podcasts to make sure I am fully prepared for the big day. Well, the day is here and no one really knows what the Cardinals will do. That’s OK, all part of the fun! I’m going to spend most of this article making the case for why I expect the Cardinals to shock people with their first pick and highlighting some slightly lesser-known prospects that I think they will target. Before we get to the chaos, let’s set the scene.
Details to Know
Day 1 – Rounds 1-4
Time: Saturday, July 11th at 12:00 p.m. CT
Location: Philadelphia, PA
How to watch:
Picks 1-10: NBC/Peacock
Picks 11-40: MLB Network, MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+
Picks: 41-135: MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+
Day 2 – Rounds 5-20
Time: Sunday, July 12th at 10:30 a.m. CT
How to watch:
MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+
Cardinal Considerations
Bonus Pool: $16,612,300 (6th largest)
Day 1 Picks:
Pick 13: $5,661,300
Pick 32: $3,044,600
Pick 50: $1,982,700
Pick 68: $1,285,500
Pick 72: $1,174,300
Pick 86: $943,600
Pick 114: $684,300
That is a lot of talent that will be on the way to joining the organization by days end! The industry consensus is that they will target bats early in the draft. They have also been linked to some of the highest-upside and toolsy players in the class.
Today, I want to quickly walk through the “expected” scenario for how the top of the draft will play out and what the Cardinals are projected to do with the 13th overall pick. The 2026 draft class is seen as extremely deep, particularly with the high school class, but there is less differentiation at the top outside of the top three players.
What are the Cardinals expected to do at pick 13?
Alright, twelve teams pick before the Cardinals. The consensus options at the top of the draft can be loosely grouped into four tiers.
Tier 1
At this point, it would be a surprise if Roch Cholowsky (Shortstop, UCLA), Grady Emerson (SS, Fort Worth Christian HS), and Vahn Lackey (C, Georgia Tech) were not picked in some combination at the top three spots; none of them will drop to the Cardinals. I suppose the only intrigue would be one of them falling out of the top three picks and creating a more chaotic domino effect that catches teams off guard.
Tier 2
Eric Booth (OF, Oak Grove HS), Jacob Lombard (Gulliver Prep HS), and Jackson Flora (RHP, UC Santa Barbara) are generally considered to be the next tier of players available. It would be a huge surprise if any of these players fell all the way to pick 13.
Tier 3
Drew Burress (OF, Georgia Tech), Tyler Bell (SS, Kentucky), Ryder Helfrick (C, Arkansas), and Derek Curiel (OF, LSU) arguably make up the final distinct tier of players that are most often mocked ahead of the Cardinals.
Tier 4
I think it is entirely possible that one of the players in the top three tiers slides to the 13th pick, but if they don’t things are wide open. The top college hitters on the board would be Justin Lebron (SS, Alabama), Chris Hacopian (2B, Texas A&M), Ace Reese (3B, Mississippi St.), and AJ Gracia (OF, Virginia).
On the college pitching side, Cameron Flukey (RHP, Coastal Carolina), Hunter Dietz (LHP, Arkansas), Liam Peterson (RHP, Florida), Tegan Kuhns (RHP, Tennessee), and Mason Edwards (LHP, USC) are all first-round candidates that the Cardinals could be considering.
If the Cardinals are set on a high school hitter, Trevor Condon (Etowah HS), and Jared Grindlinger (OF/LHP, Huntington Beach) are the two players most often being mocked to the Cardinals.
The Cardinals are not going to take a high school pitcher with their first pick, but for the sake of completeness, Gio Rojas (LHP, Stoneman Douglas HS), Logan Schmidt (RHP, Ganesha HS), and Coleman Borthwick (RHP, South Walton HS) are all potential first-rounders.
Why the Cardinals Might go Off Script
OK, so I trust the Cardinals front office. If one of the above players is the pick at 13, I won’t be upset. BUT, I really think they will go a different direction than the consensus with their first pick. If you are picking at the top of the draft, sure, you take the best player available. This is what the Cardinals have done the last two years with Wetherholt and Doyle. When you get toward the middle of the first round, there are essentially no “sure things,” so there is more incentive to take risks. This dynamic is even more true for the Cardinals this season because this is a deep draft and they have a bevy of extra picks to deploy. They can take a risk-maxing approach because they don’t have to hit on every pick. They need to maximize their chances of finding a superstar.
Just to illustrate my point about the 13th pick not being a sure thing, I pulled in all players drafted between picks 11-15 in the history of the draft, as well as their associated bWAR. About 2% of players picked in this range turn in Hall of Fame-caliber careers (Max Scherzer, Manny Ramirez, Chase Utley, Chris Sale). A 90th percentile outcome is a 20 WAR career. Think Matt Morris, who was picked 12th overall in 1995. Obviously, we would all take that, but we are talking about a one-in-ten chance. An 80th percentile outcome takes us down to players like Khalil Greene and Hunter Renfroe. The median, or 50th percentile, outcome? Zero career WAR. Less than half the players picked between 11-15 have had any impact at the major league level.
All of that is not to diminish the value of the pick, but just to illustrate that even getting a starting-caliber player out of this slot is a huge win.
What would a Risk-On draft look like?
So, if the Cardinals embrace chaos and swing for the metaphorical fences, what might that look like and which players might they target?
We have some good reference points to triangulate what Chaim Bloom and Randy Flores will be targeting in the draft. Looking at Randy Flores’ track record running things, the way the Red Sox ran their drafts when Bloom was in charge, and the types of players the Cardinals have targeted since Bloom arrived (both before and after his official POBA elevation), we can use some deductive reasoning to identify players they will and will not target.
Don’t be surprised if…
The Cardinals do not go after premium high school pitchers
Under Flores, the Cardinals have had 32 picks in the top 100 and have drafted a high school pitcher one time, Tink Hence in 2020. Chaim Bloom drafted zero high school pitchers in the first 100 picks while with the Red Sox and one overall. I know it is supposed to be a banner year for high school pitchers, but I will be shocked if the Cardinals take a high school pitcher within their first six picks.
The Cardinals go under-slot at pick 13
In three of the four Chaim Bloom-led drafts with the Red Sox, players were signed well below slot. Twice, the Sox came completely out of left field to draft players ranked well out of the first-round range. The only time Bloom played it straight was when the Red Sox had the fourth overall pick and selected Marcelo Mayer.
The Cardinals go after multiple high school power bats
Again, referring back to Chaim’s Boston days, the Red Sox had 11 top 100 picks and used eight of them on high school position players. That is 72% of total picks used on this specific demographic when the rest of the league selected this demographic 21% of the time.
The pattern was consistent, the Red Sox used their top selection on a polished high schooler with a relatively high floor (Marcelo Mayer, Nick Yorke, and Mikey Romero), and then turned their attention to high volatility riskier picks further down in the draft. The archetype of the players that were targeted was fairly consistent: Big-time power, strike-zone judgment or the ability to recognize spin, some swing-and-miss concerns, and little attention paid to defensive value.
I would argue that Ryan Mitchell, the Cardinals’ second-round pick last season, reinforces Bloom’s preference for zone discipline. The Cardinals didn’t have the picks and budget last year to pick multiple high schoolers, so they chose to go with a relatively lower risk prospect in Mitchell.
The Cardinals continue to focus on college pitchers with big fastballs
This prediction is pretty obvious and won’t be controversial. Last season, the Cardinals took two of the best fastballs in the draft in Liam Doyle and Tanner Franklin. Without a chance to go after a pitcher of Doyle’s caliber, I would expect the first ten rounds to be full of big fastball college pitchers.
In my opinion, the Cardinals’ central focus for the draft will be prep bats. There are a ton of options out there, but to narrow it down, I focused on players that have great power potential, control the strike zone, and have some projectability remaining. I think traits that are relatively de-emphasized in the high school profile Bloom prefers are pure hitting ability, contact, defense, and speed. Obviously, everyone prefers that a player have all of these tools, but if there are some you think are easier to develop or harder to project, you would certainly weight those a bit lower.
Here is the list of top-100 range prospects that I think most closely fit their target profile.
High School Bats to Watch
Bo Lowrance, 3B, Christ Church Episcopal HS
MLB Pipeline Rank: 21
Why he might be a fit: Power and projectability
Lowrance is listed at 6’5” and 205 pounds and still has a ton of room to fill out. He has the power and projectability that the Cardinals crave as one of the highest-upside players in the draft. The thing that sets Lowrance apart from some of the other power-hitting prepsters is his solid hit tool. He has good control of the strike zone and makes enough contact to project as an average hit tool. Due to his size, he is expected to end up at a corner infield or outfield position.
Lowrance was ranked in the 30s and 40s most of the year, but has been climbing as the draft approaches. FanGraphs ranks him as the seventh best player in the class and multiple mocks have him tied to the Padres at 21, so the Cardinals may have to use their first pick on him if he is their top target.
The top third basemen in the 2026 MLB Draft class:
(Overall rank) • 12) Ace Reese, Miss. State • 38) Bo Lowrance, Christ Church Episcopal HS (🎥) • 97) Daniel Cuvet, Miami • 105) Camden Johnson, Oklahoma • 106) Eric Guevara, Auburn
Clark is seen as one of the best pure hitters in the high school class. He has great command of the strike zone and a good feel for barreling up the baseball. He is not a guarantee to stick at short, but is a good athlete and still has projection remaining. His profile overall comes off as a little boring, but he strikes me as someone that could fit as an under-slot option at 13 or even 32.
VOLUME UP.
St. John Bosco shortstop James Clark (@James_Clark_22) showcasing the bat speed we’ve raved about. One of the buzziest names in SoCal this spring. Pretty clear why. Can play anywhere on the diamond. Very clear first round tools. pic.twitter.com/6PIMUmQ002
Why he might be a fit: Zone control, projectability
Comeau is young for his class as he does not turn 18 until August. At 6’4” and 180 pounds, there is some power projection, but he already has one of the best plate approaches in the draft. He has a gorgeous left-handed swing that looks effortless but has still produced an excellent max exit velocity of around 110 MPH. Comeau is not expected to stick at shortstop, but he is considered a good athlete that should be able to stay on the infield. The Cardinals have long had a preference for players that were young for their class. Despite not having the present power of some of his classmates, the combination of offensive polish and projectability could make Comeau a perfect under-slot option at 13.
Connor Comeau, first-round sleeper?
The Texas prep SS is one of 10 candidates we could see rising draft boards by July.
Yes, Landon is the son of Hall of Famer Jim Thome. Landon has an above-average hit tool to go along with above-average raw power. He is not a lock to stick at shortstop, but he has solid tools across the board. Pretty much every scouting report mentions how fast his hands are and how well he gets to his pull-side power. He has had some issues with swing and miss, but if the Cardinals believe in his power, this might not be a deal breaker. The Cardinals could surely go under-slot if they took Thome at 13, or try to float him to one of their later picks with an over-slot bonus.
— Prep Baseball Illinois (@PrepBaseballIL) June 3, 2026
Blake Bowen, OF, JSerra Catholic HS (CA)
MLB Pipeline Rank: 63
Why he might be a fit: Power and projectability
Bowen is a former football player with massive raw power as evidenced by his 113.8 MPH max EV at the MLB draft combine. Standing from the right side of the plate, he already has the look of a hulking slugger. Despite a 6’3”, 215 pound frame, Bowen also has above-average speed and a chance to stick in center field. His hit tool, both in terms of swing decisions and contact, is not as advanced, so he is an extremely risky profile. Still, this is the exact type of high-upside hitter I would expect the Cardinals to take a shot or two at. He is ranked in the 60 to 70 range by most outlets, so if the Cardinals do like him, they should have multiple opportunities to pick him.
2026 California high schooler Blake Bowen launched a walk-off homer last night 💣
Roberts is ranked a little further down the board, but he has some of the best tools in the class with plus power and speed. He is listed at 6’5” and 220 pounds and looks like he could fill out even more. He has touched 94 off the mound, so he could profile as a right fielder if he does not stick in center. As a final bonus, he is one of the younger players in the draft class as he does not turn 18 until the end of July.
The knock on Roberts is that he is incredibly raw and may not hit enough to leverage his otherwise brilliant tools. He is from the same high school as Konnor Griffin, so I thought it would be interesting to compare their strikeout rates. Griffin struck out 6% of the time his senior season while popping nine home runs. Roberts struck out in 17% of his plate appearances while hitting ten home runs.
It might be a stretch to include Roberts in potential Cardinals targets, but his profile is interesting enough that I thought he was worth mentioning.
Kevin Roberts Jr. is arguably the most physically gifted athlete in the 2026 HS Draft Class.
He stands 6'5"/220 and has D1 offers in 4 different sports. The 17-year-old has reached EVs of up to 112 MPH with wood, has hit multiple balls over 450 FT, and runs a 6.35-6.38 60 yd. pic.twitter.com/aqoT0wqpnZ
Martin Shelar, not to be confused with Martin Shkreli, has arguably the best raw power among high schoolers in the draft. The right-handed batter blasted 19 home runs this spring and topped out at 115.5 MPH max exit velocity at the combine. To go with the prodigious power, Shelar has above-average speed and arm strength to project as a good outfield defender. So why does he rank outside the top 100 on most draft boards? Shelar deploys a violent uppercut swing that some scouts worry will not translate to pro ball. Despite the swing, Shelar has not yet struggled to make contact at the high school level. If you believe in the hit tool and contact ability at all, Shelar could land much higher in the draft than currently projected.
I won’t go as deep on the pitching side, but I do want to highlight a handful of the best fastballs in the draft that are not expected to go in the first round. The Cardinals have not been shy about targeting top-tier fastballs, even if there is a high degree of relief risk or injury history.
Hunting Fastballs
Cal Randall, RHP, UCLA (CA)
MLB Pipeline Rank: 218
Randall is like an extreme version of Tanner Franklin. He has worked exclusively out of the bullpen in his three years at UCLA and was second in the nation in strikeout percentage at 44.2%. He racked up these strikeouts by throwing one of the best fastballs in the nation 89% of the time. That is just absurd. Getting that much swing and miss when every batter knows what is coming is just hard to believe. Randall works his riding, high spin fastball in the upper 90s while topping out over 100 MPH. The pitch is delivered from a low release point with induced vertical break that has been over 20 inches at times.
As you probably have guessed, he struggles with control, walking over five per nine each year of his career, and does not have any secondaries that grade out even close to average. At 6’4” and 235 pounds, he has a starter’s build. If the Cardinals, or any team, think they can teach him control and a secondary pitch, he could be a high priority target.
Arguably the best fastball in this year's draft belongs to UCLA's Cal Randall. Sits 98-100, nearly 7 ft extension, above avg carry, low launch (-4.0 VAA)… Hard to draw up a better heater.
Hard slider is underdeveloped but the key to him becoming a shutdown MLB reliever. pic.twitter.com/mJlM59lGoH
If Randall is too safe and boring for you, Wiggins ups the ante even further. He has thrown a total of 14 college innings at Arkansas before an elbow injury and internal brace surgery wiped out the rest of his 2025 season and all of 2026. Despite the obvious warts, Wiggins has one of the best fastballs in the class. He was up to 99 MPH as a high school senior and hit 102 in his brief cameo at Arkansas. MLB pipeline slapped an 80 grade on the pitch. Wiggins was able to get back and throwing for the combine and topped out at 97. Coming out of high school, Wiggins’ slider graded out as above average, but he dealt with spotty command.
Carson Wiggins threw 15 pitches during a mound session at the Draft Combine after missing game action in 2026.
MLB's No. 84 prospect (@RazorbackBSB) dialed up his first three fastballs at 96+ mph — topping out at 97.4 — and averaged 2,719 RPMs on his curveball: pic.twitter.com/GkW83O4LFj
Nachtsheim’s fastball sits in the low-to-mid 90s while topping out at 97 MPH. The fastball velocity is solid, but it is the shape that makes it one of the top pitches in the draft. He cuts and rides the pitch to generate a very unique movement profile that he leaned on to strike out 125 batters in just 85 innings at McNeese State. Nachtsheim started eight games this spring, after pitching in relief for most of the last two years. None of his secondaries are even average, but he does have a slider, curveball, and changeup. Beyond the excellent fastball, another reason to keep an eye on Nachtsheim is that he is one of the top college seniors in the draft. If the Cardinals really like his fastball and/or need to go under-slot on an early pick, he could be an excellent choice.
Alright, so if I am going to be wrong in my prediction, I might as well get super specific.
I think the Cardinals are going to prioritize and target both Blake Bowen and Martin Shelar on the hitter side between picks 50 and 86. This would give the Cardinals two of the highest-ceiling power bats in the draft and give them multiple shots on goal for a middle-of-the-order hitter.
We are committed now, so we might as well keep shooting for the moon and we need to take a shot at an elite arm. Carson Wiggins is our guy. He gives the Cardinals a Doyle/Franklin tier fastball without having to use a top pick. Sure he has an insanely risky profile, but the Cardinals essentially paid the Red Sox $20M for Brandon Clarke last offseason, so don’t put it past them!
Wiggins is a draft-eligible sophomore and Bowen and Shelar will require big signing bonuses as high schoolers, so this is going to be expensive… The best route is to take an under-slot college player at 13 to save some money, right? WRONG! We still need one more prep bat on Day 1. We can knock out both the savings and the prep bat objective with…
Pick 13: Connor Comeau, SS, L. C. Anderson HS (TX)
The Cardinals will turn to a high floor and under-slot prep bat. Comeau is the best of both worlds with a relatively polished profile, but also a ton of projection left. With more of a second-round projection, I would think he could be signed for close to the maximum 25% discount and give the Cardinals an additional $1.4M to take a real risk later on.
So, at this point, we are looking at something like:
Pick 13: Connor Comeau, SS, L. C. Anderson HS (TX)
Pick 32: $3,044,600
Pick 50: Blake Bowen, OF, JSerra Catholic HS (CA)
Pick 68: $1,285,500
Pick 72: Martin Shelar, OF, Marist School (GA)
Pick 86: Carson Wiggins, RHP, Arkansas (AR)
Pick 114: $684,300
From here, you still have three top picks to fill in with your favorite college bat or college arm to do a little derisking at picks 32, 68, and 114.
There you have it! I hope everyone has a solid six hours carved out today to follow the draft and celebrate the next iterations of Cardinals prospects to dream on. Go Cards!
Could this be the week that "The Decision 2.0" comes to an end? The entire NBA world is waiting with bated breath to see where LeBron James will sign in free agency — a decision that is expected to come sometime this week.
After closing the door on his eight-year run with the Los Angeles Lakers, the latest LeBron James next team odds have the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat — his only two stops prior to L.A. — as the clear favorites to bring back The King for what could be his final NBA season. But there's smoke around the Golden State Warriors and Philadelphia 76ers, too, while the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets loom as long shots with over $100 million in trading volume on the NBA's hottest market.
While the internet sleuths latch onto every word in this ever-changing saga, I donned my investigative journalist cap and went to work gathering and decoding all of the various clues dropped by LeBron, agent Rich Paul, and the various power brokers at play to nail down where he'll play next season.
Where will LeBron James play next year? Latest odds & favorites
Pricing provided by Kalshi - accurate as of July 13
With four rings and countless records under his belt, James' priorities aren't the same now as they were eight years ago when he left Cleveland a second time to chase another title.
As his agent laid out earlier this month, "happiness" is the driving force for James ahead of what sure feels like his last dance. He's already signaled that he's willing to be a supporting piece, per ESPN's Brian Windhorst, while taking a massive paycut to sign for a minimum contract or within a cap exception.
That's why the Cavaliers are the clear favorites to lure LeBron back for a second homecoming after he returned in 2014 and led them to their lone title in 2016. But the Heat briefly overtook the Cavs as market favorites this weekend after rumors casting doubt on the Cleveland reunion, and there are a whole host of suitors who still think they're in the mix for the NBA's top remaining free agent.
Another interesting note: NBA reporter Marc Stein said last Friday that LeBron is "looking at Eastern Conference destinations with much more seriousness" for his next home, which would put the focus squarely on Cleveland, Miami, and Philadelphia. Still, with so many different reports in every direction, it's too early to truly rule anyone out.
Pricing provided by Kalshi - accurate as of July 13
Unlike in previous years, when James' free-agent decision was the first major domino of the offseason, this one could be the last of the summer. Last Thursday, Stein said that most around the league "do not expect a resolution this week" and expect this free-agent saga to last deep into Summer League (July 9-19).
Because James is expected to sign for the minimum or thereabouts, he can theoretically wait for all of the dust to settle in free agency and pick his final destination based on which team is in the best shape before his arrival. That said, he already has a "favorite in his head" according to Windhorst ... which makes it even more intriguing to read the tea leaves while we wait for his final decision.
The latest reporting suggests James could drop the news during a live podcast recording at Fanatics Fest NYC, a massive event in New York focused around sports cards and other events. That news has moved the market with a decision now expected by this weekend.
Where will LeBron James sign in free agency?
While we technically don't yet know where LeBron will sign this summer, the evidence is mounting for each of the favorites in this free agency sweepstakes. So we constructed our own virtual corkboard and rated every clue on a 1-to-5 scale in terms of how convincing it is to a jury of NBA prognosticators (me). Let the reckless speculation begin.
Cleveland Cavaliers (43% chance)
National insiders close to LeBron think he's going to Cleveland. Windhorst, who has been as plugged in with James as anyone over the last two decades, said last week that LeBron "knows what he's going to do" and that the "vibes are pointing toward Cleveland" — a pretty damning 1-2 punch for the rest of the league. That same day, Stein also reported that the rest of the league views Cleveland as "the scenario to beat" in free agency. Consider me convinced on that bit alone. 🔍🔍🔍🔍🔍
Bill Simmons said LeBron to Cleveland is "done." Nearly an hour into his podcast last Thursday, Simmons declared that "the Cleveland thing is done" and argued Golden State was only ever used as leverage to get Draymond Green and Anthony Davis — two fellow Klutch clients — paid top dollar on their ensuing extensions. The news was swiftly reported as fact and led to sharp movement in the market toward the Cavs, though I'm skeptical this is truly reporting rather than his own take. Still, there's clearly smoke here. 🔍🔍🔍🔍
His childhood best friend runs the Cavs' front office. Brandon Weems — whom Paul called "basically LeBron's brother" — is Cleveland's assistant GM, and Paul called him out as a "big, big X-factor" in the Cavaliers' pitch to bring James back home. He's seen as the favorite to replace Mike Gansey as general manager after he left for the 76ers. 🔍🔍🔍🔍
Cleveland is clearing the way for his return. While the Cavs invested $273 million in a Donovan Mitchell extension this summer, that didn't block LeBron's return to Cleveland — if anything, it locked in a clear succession plan. But the Cavs letting Dean Wade and Keon Ellis walk without any notable additions indicates that they're retaining maximum flexibility for LeBron ... and possibly for Bronny James, too. 🔍🔍🔍
Kenny Atkinson is openly pitching the reunion. It's not often that you see active NBA head coaches talking openly about their team's free-agent pursuits, but Atkinson seemed to have no issue spilling the beans on a recent appearance on SiriusXM Radio — saying it's "exciting" for his team to be "in the mix for the greatest player of all time." It's not exactly a secret that the Cavs are pursuing LeBron, but it did shock me to hear Atkinson speak so candidly about it. Does he know something we don't? 🔍🔍🔍
He spent his free-agency week in Akron. Sure, LeBron can return home to golf and catch up with old friends without suspicion. But he was photographed with his high school teammates and Weems as part of a very public trip back home earlier this month that also saw him enjoying a night out at House Three Thirty in Akron and posting on Instagram about his trip. For most players, it'd likely be a coincidence, but James always has a penchant for telegraphing his next move with intention. 🔍🔍🔍
He's dropping obvious hints on Instagram. As far as social media speculation goes, it's hard to beat this one: James liked an Instagram post openly calling for him to "come home" before later posting an Instagram video of him "enjoying a nice cruise thru my city" in Cleveland. You can never read too much into social media activity, hence the three-glass rating, but this feels like a smoking gun if there ever was one. 🔍🔍🔍
He may already be filming the ending. If reports are true that James could be documenting his 24th season for a film or series, that would add another point in Cleveland's favor for a true storybook ending fit for a documentary. Of course, LeBron can record his last act in any city, but this would make too much sense. 🔍🔍
What's the case for Cleveland? Nobody needs to explain the allure of LeBron returning home one last time: he left Miami to return to Cleveland in 2014 and promptly carried the Cavs to their first-ever title to complete the prophecy foretold for the Akron kid. Knowing how much legacy matters to LeBron, closing the final chapter of his career back home would be almost too sweet to turn down ... which is apparently how rival teams feel, too. Assuming James truly is willing to take a steep pay cut to facilitate a return to his hometown — which remains disputed among NBA insiders — it would take one heck of a pitch from a competing team to lure him away.
Golden State Warriors (26% chance)
The Warriors' surge felt real for a moment. It's been weeks since Golden State peaked at 65% on Kalshi following multiple reports that the Warriors were making a play at LeBron, and that early momentum still seems to be dragging the Dubs into this race — even if it seems far less likely now that the Anthony Davis trade rumors have died down. Still, Draymond Green declined his $27.7 million player option in part to free up space for a potential James signing, so this doesn't feel entirely like a false signal. 🔍🔍🔍
LeBron and Draymond are openly hanging out. Speaking of Green, the Warriors forward (and fellow Klutch client) was seen golfing with LeBron in Puerto Rico last week, which fueled rumors that the two might play together in either Golden State or Cleveland. Green has previously said that he's "always wanted" to play with James — though if you believe the "leaked" post from Poke Fresh Ohio, that reunion will be in Ohio. 🔍🔍
Stephen Curry is joining in on the fun. While attending a celebrity golf event in Tahoe, Curry made his own pitch for James to join him in the Bay and called it a "unique story in NBA history" if they were able to team up. His quote about playing golf with LeBron drew headlines, but him saying that "we obviously would love to play together" certainly caught my attention ... even if it's likely media speak. 🔍🔍
Even his own podcast is teasing a LeBron-Curry reunion. The most recent upload on the "Mind the Game" YouTube channel is a clip of James and Curry gushing over their Team USA chemistry for 10 minutes, touting the "perfect basketball" they played together and reminiscing about their on-court exploits in their brief time as teammates. It's probably nothing, but with LeBron, you truly can't rule anything out. 🔍
What's the case for Golden State? Playing alongside Curry might be the single biggest draw that any team can offer on the court, and joining a Warriors organization known for its commitment to joy and cerebral basketball is a quintessential fit for LeBron in his final year(s). The issue is whether they can make a strong enough case without prying Davis out of Washington, which looks to be a nigh-impossible challenge. Simmons could be right that Golden State is purely a leverage play for James' Klutch teammates; I'm not quite ready to rule out LeBron's greatest career adversary, but momentum is certainly fading.
Miami Heat (20% chance)
Miami is the only other team that can sell a homecoming. Windhorst lumped the Heat in with the Cavs as a "category of their own" last week — the only two suitors where James wouldn't be dogged by ring-chasing narratives because he's already hung banners in both buildings. Windhorst added that LeBron still "repeats Miami Heat mantras" and that the organization is "part of his basketball DNA." I'm certainly listening. 🔍🔍🔍🔍
One source swears it's a "done deal" ... somewhere other than Cleveland. Last Friday, Windhorst threw a Molotov cocktail into the cauldron when he said on ESPN Cleveland radio that a "good source" told him that "it's a done deal in another city." Windhorst wouldn't name the team and didn't confirm the report himself, but The Athletic's Sam Amick reported the same day that a rival team believed Miami had moved into the lead — which briefly vaulted the Heat to the top spot across prediction markets before the board settled back. I personally don't buy it, but I wouldn't ignore it, either. 🔍🔍🔍
His organizational bridges remain intact. ESPN's Shams Charania reported last week that there's no lingering tension with Pat Riley, and James has a close relationship with former coach Erik Spoelstra and current Heat star Bam Adebayo, both of whom united with James at the 2024 Olympics. With no state income tax and past ties to Miami, it's easy to see LeBron talking himself into a return to the place he won his first two titles. 🔍🔍🔍
The Heat already swung a massive superstar deal. While the trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo isn't explicitly a pitch for LeBron, it does match the organization's penchant for acquiring stars in bunches - much like they did in 2010 signing James and Chris Bosh to join Dwyane Wade in South Beach. Windhorst has been adamant that teams chasing LeBron need to take big swings to attract him — could that be enough? 🔍🔍🔍
Miami's newest star wants to "win today." Speaking of Giannis, the newest Heat star posted a potentially cryptic message on Instagram last week, captioning a video with "win today" a day after free agent Bradley Beal posted "Win the Day!!" on Twitter/X. That alone wouldn't be all that suspicious if it wasn't a phrase that LeBron uttered just a few weeks ago on his podcast. Antetokounmpo also stirred the pot when he said he likes to watch James play on a recent live stream. This definitely falls under the "reckless social media speculation" category ... but it has my attention nonetheless. 🔍🔍🔍
There's room for Bronny, too. Much like the Cavs, the Heat are reportedly open to signing Bronny James if they ink a deal with his dad in free agency. I have to imagine any team in the league would agree to that for James, but the direct reporting here is worth noting. 🔍
What's the case for Miami? It's the mirror image of Cleveland's pitch with more championship pedigree: James led the Heat to two titles under Spoelstra in 2011-12 and 2012-13, and they're set up to make another run in the Eastern Conference this year with Antetokounmpo and Adebayo in place. The Heat saw their odds spike last Friday after various reports that cast doubt on Cleveland's commanding lead — if LeBron-to-Ohio falls through and he still wants to "return home," there's a clear option waiting for him.
Philadelphia 76ers (10% chance)
"Everything changed" after the Jaylen Brown trade. Those were Paul's opening words in his now-famous whiteboard breakdown, declaring that "everything changed" once the Sixers landed Brown. Charania backed that report by saying the 76ers were "not in the picture" until trading for Brown changed James' perspective. If true, that could shake LeBron's preference toward an early favorite and lead him to a basketball-centric decision for a team that is arguably a floor-spacing power forward away from contention. 🔍🔍🔍🔍🔍
Tyrese Maxey's name had a literal star on the whiteboard. This might be the biggest smoking gun this side of Cleveland. When Paul revealed the famous whiteboard to Max Kellerman, Maxey was the only player on the entire board with any sort of symbol (save for a minus sign for the Cavs trading away Darius Garland). Maxey is a Klutch client who has worked out with James since his pre-draft process back in 2020, and Windhorst reported last week that Maxey is the "biggest factor" pulling LeBron to Philly. Paul said that LeBron "loves Maxey, so we don't even need to talk about that." Say no more. 🔍🔍🔍🔍🔍
There's a familiar face in Philly's front office. Mike Gansey, who recently left his post as Cavaliers GM to run the 76ers' basketball operations, played against James in high school and spent more than a decade in the Cavaliers organization. He said last week that he's "known LeBron for a long time" and "would love to have him" in Philly. Those comments weren't groundbreaking, obviously, but the off-court connection could help swing the tides toward the Sixers if James is compelled by the on-court fit. 🔍🔍🔍
Sixers ownership pitched LeBron on Paul's own podcast. Team president Bob Myers hopped on "Game Over" this month and made his pitch directly: if LeBron wants to win, he can win in Philadelphia. The pitch itself says less than his presence on the podcast, which could be Paul drumming up headlines or signal the 76ers' gravity in this race. 🔍
What's the case for Philadelphia? The 76ers were clear long shots entering this offseason, but hiring the Cavs' former general manager and then pulling off perhaps the biggest heist of the summer clearly has LeBron's attention. The Sixers pulled out all the stops to recruit James in 2018, and the Maxey appeal seems legitimate. I'm not sure there's enough here to overtake the favorites, but the smoke keeps billowing out of Philly.
Minnesota Timberwolves (4% chance)
Nobody is pushing harder than Minnesota. The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski reported last week that the Wolves have "ramped up" their pursuit and taken a pitch straight to LeBron's camp, operating with "full belief" that they belong in this race. Unrequited love doesn't spell a lasting union, but for a franchise that has never landed a marquee free agent, it's a rather bold stance that certainly has my attention ... even if LeBron's interest remains fuzzy. 🔍🔍🔍
The Timberwolves are making moves with James in mind. Minnesota traded Julius Randle and Naz Reid this summer, conveniently leaving the starting power forward spot open next to Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels, and Rudy Gobert. LeBron has already signaled that he wants to play a supporting role for his next team, and the T-Wolves don't seem eager to fill out their lineup without first seeing if he slots into it. 🔍🔍🔍
LeBron and Anthony Edwards have real history. James drafted Edwards first overall in the 2023 All-Star draft, and he lavished praise on the former top pick earlier this season, saying he loves "everything about him" and that he has "a fan in me and a friend in me for life." Edwards has made no secret of his admiration for King James, and helping shape a future face of the league could be enough to compel James to move north. 🔍🔍
What's the case for Minnesota? The best case for the Timberwolves is similar to that for the Cavaliers in 2014: join a team that has never won it all and put your stamp on NBA history as a leader on and off the court for a talented young squad. The Timberwolves were the only team on Paul's whiteboard without a championship, and LeBron could help snap the state's 35-year title drought across all major sports. This would be a true long shot given the lack of tangible connections to the franchise, but it'd be a heck of a fit on the court.
Denver Nuggets (2% chance)
Denver made the whiteboard's inner circle. For all of the talk that the Nuggets are out of the race, Paul placed them directly in the heart of the famous whiteboard as one of the five teams with a real chance to sign him. Paul was adamant that Denver was a "legitimate destination" for James this summer - that alone keeps them in the mix. 🔍🔍🔍
LeBron has history with Nuggets ownership. James has a genuine friendship with Josh Kroenke, the team's CEO/president and co-owner, that dates back years — Kroenke famously mailed LeBron a throwback Nuggets jersey when he was last a free agent in 2018. Paul also added Kroenke's name as a parenthetical note on the whiteboard, which is either another meaningless diversion or a real signal about Denver's chances in this race. 🔍🔍
Windhorst highlighted Denver as a dark horse to watch. Early in free agency, before reports swirled about favorites and shortlists, Windhorst said he "long believed" that Denver was a compelling outlier in the LeBron sweepstakes — especially given his "overly effusive" praise for Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, a fellow basketball genius and all-time passer alongside James. 🔍🔍
What's the case for Denver? If this decision is about basketball, few teams offer a more compelling on-court environment than the Nuggets, who already feature a heliocentric offensive star and could desperately use a high-IQ power forward to play off Jokic and Murray. Given the desperation in Denver to improve the roster without increasing payroll, James on the minimum would be a dream scenario ... but only if LeBron agrees.
Long shots to sign LeBron James
It feels like a near-certainty that James will sign with one of the teams listed above, as all other options have less than a 1% chance on Kalshi, with no strong reporting to back them. Here are the top teams on the outside looking in:
New York Knicks: Paul delivered a rather shocking admission when he said that LeBron would be "going to the Knicks" if they hadn't won the title. But they did win it all behind franchise star Jalen Brunson, whom Paul suggested would need to offer his blessing for any sort of move. We can effectively rule this one out, though the alternate history is fascinating to consider if you believe Paul's candor.
Dallas Mavericks: Paul listed the Mavericks on the whiteboard with "oil, golf, Macau, Africa" scribbled in the margins — presumably a nod to the off-court business opportunities he'd have in Dallas. But there simply isn't enough connecting LeBron to Big D, especially not with the roster seemingly years away from contention.
Boston Celtics: One of James' biggest career rivals made the whiteboard, but the Celtics are somewhere between rebuilding and reloading after shipping Brown to Philly. I couldn't find any real connective tissue here (believe me, I looked).
San Antonio Spurs: Victor Wembanyama is a bigger draw than potentially anyone in the league, but the Spurs using their mid-level exception to sign Tobias Harris for $31 million says everything I need to know about their interest in pursuing LeBron.
Which team will sign LeBron James?
Back in 2014, fresh off four straight Finals appearances in Miami, James shocked the world and returned home with unfinished business. He wouldn't surprise anyone by re-signing with Cleveland this time around, but the stakes are also different this summer.
If the NBA's all-time leading scorer truly values burnishing his resume with another ring (or two), he'd sign with a team like the Timberwolves or Nuggets - or even the Spurs or Thunder, though he'd never duck the ring-chasing narratives if he went to either spot. But if he was serious about chasing a fifth championship, why did he spend the first week of free agency palling around Akron with the Cavs' assistant GM and posting Instagram stories of the hottest spots in northeast Ohio?
LeBron has proven to be a Hall of Fame sentimentalist, which is why I firmly believe that he'll sign with the Cavaliers for one final ride with his hometown team. Cleveland is the only place that can truly offer a clean ending to an illustrious career with an outside chance to compete for another title, too. And if happiness is what he seeks ahead of his 24th season, the relationships he's built within the organization should help close the deal.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 10: Khaman Maluach #10 of the Phoenix Suns dunks the ball during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on July 10, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Stephen Greathouse/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It was nice to have Phoenix Suns basketball back as the team debuted in the 2026 Summer League, opening their schedule against the Portland Trail Blazers. There are plenty of reasons to be excited, seeing as a youth movement is occurring in Phoenix and these are the foundational steps necessary to fan the flames of their development. So, as we do, we got excited.
And then, like the Suns typically do, they fell completely on their face.
Phoenix made eight total field goals in the first half, scored only 24 points, and looked completely discombobulated. Add in the fact that they went 0-of-9 from beyond the arc, and you had to ask yourself, what am I watching?
Then the second half arrived, and it was thoroughly enjoyable. The Suns used their defense as the catalyst for their offense, something the big league club did time and again last season. One thing you can get away with in Summer League is being physical. The penalty comes in the form of fouls, but they’re unlimited. Ask rookie Koa Peat, who finished his professional debut with 8 fouls. He also finished with 17 points.
Alongside sophomore Khaman Maluach, the Suns looked much more physical and effective offensively in the second half. You don’t put much weight into the final result of a Summer League game, but you can certainly take notice of how they got there.
24 points in the first half. 57 in the second. And a win in their first Summer League game. It was nice to see.
Summer Bright Side Baller Nominees
Game 1 against the Blazers. Here are your nominees:
Jun 29, 2026; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Maverick Cooper Flagg listens during an introductory press conference for new head coach Dusty May at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
The six-team trade is official, and Dallas quietly attacked its biggest weakness without touching its young core or its largest trade exception.
Santi Aldama is a Maverick. Marcus Sasser is a Maverick. Tarik Biberovic, the Turkish league sharpshooter whose draft rights sat in a Memphis drawer for three years, is signing a two-year deal to finally cross the ocean. Ten players and a small mountain of picks changed hands across six franchises, and Dallas walked away from the table with exactly what it came for.
I understand if you didn’t feel the dopamine hit. That’s kind of the point.
A few days ago, I wrote that the relief of this offseason was in what Dallas had not done. Fans carrying decades of scar tissue, from the DeAndre Jordan saga to the worst trade in franchise history, watched the Sasser and Aldama reports sit unfinalized for days and started bracing for the other shoe. It never dropped. The deal didn’t fall apart. It got better. Now that the full architecture is public, we can see what the front office was doing instead of chasing splashes.
What Dallas Actually Got
Start with the problem. Last season’s Mavericks were one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the league. When defenses know they can sag off your role players, the lane clogs, rotations cheat, and your star wears multiple defenders for 40 minutes a night.
Max Christie was the best catch-and-shoot option on the roster early, and he started the year scorching. Then he faded, the way young players sometimes do. Strong starts, strong middles, strong finishes; most young careers only get one of the three in a given season. As Christie’s shooting slid and the injuries piled up, the offense tilted more and more toward the Cooper Flagg Show. Some of that was Flagg’s maturation, and the box scores down the stretch were spectacular. But some of it was that the Mavericks simply didn’t have anything else. That’s not a sustainable formula, and this front office clearly knew it.
Now look at the bets they placed. Brandon Williams remains unsigned, and Dallas may yet bring him back. But Sasser represents a different offensive wager: less paint pressure, more willingness to fire. In an injury-shortened season he shot 41.5 percent from three, and 60 percent of his field goal attempts came from behind the line. It’s a small sample, but it’s a clear signal of the shot profile Dallas is buying. “Willing shooter” is not a vibe in his case. It’s a shot chart. He spent his Detroit years buried in a crowded backcourt behind Cade Cunningham and a surging Daniss Jenkins, on a team that never quite figured out how to use him. Dallas has a role and a green light waiting.
In comes Aldama, a 25-year-old combo forward who shot 35 percent from three on real volume last season and can play the four or the five.
And in comes Biberovic, who might be the jewel of the entire offseason alongside Morez Johnson Jr.
The Biberovic Bet
Let me paint you a picture. A 6’7″ wing, 25 years old, coming off a EuroLeague season where he shot 41.9 percent from three on more than five attempts a game and 95.2 percent from the free throw line. That free throw number is not a typo. He shot nearly 49 percent from deep in Turkish league play. And this is not a one-season heater: across eight professional seasons in Europe, his career EuroLeague three-point mark is 42.3 percent. He won a EuroLeague title with Fenerbahce in 2025 and starred on the Turkish stage for years. Memphis drafted him 56th overall in 2023 and let his rights gather dust for three seasons.
His stroke is a thing of beauty. He leans away into the release like a man settling into a recliner, creating separation without ever speeding up the mechanics.
Now imagine that exact player as a 27-year-old NBA free agent with two seasons of elite shooting on an NBA roster. What does that contract look like? Go find the comparable shooters from the last few free agency cycles and check the price tags. It’s a bidding war, and it ends in eight figures a year.
Is there translation risk? Of course. The NBA is faster and longer than the EuroLeague, and not every great European shooter survives the jump. But when you don’t control your own first-round picks and you’re rebuilding without a net, these are precisely the asymmetrical bets you have to find. The downside is a modest flyer you can walk away from in a year. The upside is a starting-caliber floor spacer at a fraction of his potential open-market cost.
And here’s the question that hangs over the whole acquisition: would the previous front office have even known who Memphis held draft rights to? A regime that shed its European connective tissue and never once went looking for more, that treated the international scouting trail like it was optional? Biberovic would have retired in Istanbul before that front office learned to spell his name.
Adding a Class, Not a Player
Zoom out and count. Four draft picks in June: Morez Johnson Jr., Sergio de Larrea, Tobi Lawal, Vsevolod Ishchenko. Three more players 25 or younger inbound on this trade: Aldama, Sasser, Biberovic. That’s seven new additions to the under-26 talent pool in a span of three weeks, stacked on top of Flagg, Lively, Christie, and Nembhard.
They didn’t add a player. They added a class.
A word on Lively, because it matters here. He’s roughly seven months removed from foot surgery, out of the boot, walking and lifting, but as of his late-June update not yet cleared to run or jump. He says the foot will decide the timeline, not the calendar, and he’s taking more time than he needs to make sure he never deals with this again. That’s the right approach and I’m rooting for him. He’s also apparently a serious Lego guy, and so is Morez Johnson Jr., which means the Mavericks frontcourt room may soon feature two large men comparing Millennium Falcon builds. The vibes, at least, are structurally sound.
But this is why the Morez pick made sense at nine, whatever the draft-night grumbling said. Lively has not yet reached 100 regular-season games through three seasons. You cannot pencil him in. You plan for the roster you might actually have.
Building for the Star You Have, Not the One You Had
Here’s the part of this offseason I find most encouraging, and it’s about theory, not transactions.
When this franchise built around Luka, the blueprint was 3-and-D wings and rim-runners. PJ Washington and Derrick Jones Jr. spacing the corners, Lively and Gafford protecting the paint and catching lobs. That construction fit that star: a supernova distributor who drew doubles no matter what, needed vertical finishers, and needed defensive cover behind him.
Flagg is not a lead guard, whatever the “he’ll start at point” crowd projects. He’s a dynamic three-four who operates in the post, on the wing, and off the drive, and he’s a gifted secondary distributor. What a player like that needs is not lob targets. It’s space. Clean driving lanes. A floor where defenses can’t load up and send two bodies at him on every touch, because there’s a shooter in every direction who will make them pay.
Sasser. Aldama. Biberovic. De Larrea. That’s a spacing package assembled for a specific superstar’s specific needs. Last year, defenses could say “all we have to do is stop Cooper.” The front office spent this trade making that sentence much harder to say.
The Under the Radar Cap Move
Now for the piece of this deal that elevates it from good to better than it first appeared.
The assumption when the Aldama trade was first reported was that Dallas would absorb his salary into the traded player exception left over from the Anthony Davis deal. Simple, clean, obvious. And an ordinary front office would have done exactly that. A bad one might have sat on the TPE all the way to the deadline and let it quietly expire unused, which the rules fully allow and which incompetent front offices have done plenty of times before. Nothing forces you to capitalize on your tools. They just sit there, available, waiting for someone smart enough to use them.
Instead, the final six-team construction did something that made cap watchers sit up. By routing Khris Middleton to Washington via sign-and-trade and aggregating his outgoing money with AJ Johnson’s, Dallas met the salary-matching requirement for Aldama without spending the Davis exception at all. Sasser was absorbed through a separate bi-annual exception created just for him. Marc Stein laid it out plainly: the Mavericks brought in both Aldama and Sasser without touching either the roughly $20 million Davis trade exception or their mid-level exception, then signed Biberovic once the deal was official.
Read that again. They attacked the shooting problem, added three young players who can compete for rotation minutes, and their two biggest tools for adding another contributor are still on the shelf. The Davis exception is good deep into the season. If a Peyton Watson-type restricted free agent shakes loose, or the next player whose market unexpectedly shifts becomes available in February, Dallas has a lever most of the league has already spent.
The deal was structured better than anyone initially understood. That is craft, and it showed up in the fine print where nobody was looking.
The Crevice
This front office does not conduct its business through public courtship. The individual pieces surfaced in reports, but the full six-team architecture was not apparent until the work was done, and none of it arrived through trial balloons or self-serving narration. After years of a franchise that felt like it was run in public, through leaks and vibes and loyalty networks, the quiet is its own kind of statement.
And the quiet competence matters more here than it would almost anywhere else, because of the degree of difficulty. Dallas doesn’t control its own first-round picks. The cupboard was left nearly bare. Anyone can run a rebuild from a loaded treasure chest. This front office signed up to do it the hard way, and there’s a physical difference between the two jobs. One is waltzing down a wide hallway. The other is turning your body sideways and pushing through a crevice at its narrowest point.
Masai Ujiri knew that when he took the job. His answer was to hire up: Mike Schmitz, a talent evaluator by trade, as his right hand, and a coaching staff built around development. At his introductory press conference, Ujiri promised that every decision would be future-based, that the job was finding nuance in every avenue available, whether free agency, the draft, or elsewhere. Two months of evidence later, he’s doing what he said. If you were waiting on free agency to deliver the big splash, it was likely never coming, because that’s not the philosophy. The philosophy is nooks and crannies. It’s Memphis’s forgotten draft rights and Detroit’s buried guard and a twenty-million-dollar exception and a full mid-level, both preserved for the right moment.
The perfect long-term lead guard next to Flagg may not materialize this offseason. That’s fine. This front office is almost certainly not done, but it also will not force a move in July that serves the team better in January. The trade market in-season is a different animal: teams fall out of races, contracts become expendable, and front offices holding a twenty-million-dollar exception get very popular phone numbers. Don’t be shocked if Klay Thompson, Daniel Gafford, or others are moved somewhere down the line. And if they all open the season in Dallas, that isn’t inaction either. It’s patience, which is just inaction that knows what it’s waiting for.
The rebuild isn’t a weekend project, and anyone declaring the summer a failure because the roster is not finished may be grading a construction site as a completed house.
Sections of the Rangers support have long called on the club to recruit the Scottish Premiership's best talent, and the Ibrox hierarchy appear to be acting on that this summer.
Both Lawrence Shankland and Cammy Devlin were among Hearts' standout players as they came within minutes of a historic Scottish top-flight triumph.
The Ibrox club have signed both without needing to pay a transfer fee and have also plucked manager Derek McInnes from Tynecastle.
"Cammy is obviously a player I know, and I am well aware of what he will offer to Rangers," McInnes said.
"His levels of consistency for me were superb, and he is the type of player that every manager wants in his team."
Devlin made the most tackles per 90 minutes in the Premiership last season, and among midfielders he ranked second for interceptions, second for defensive contributions and third for recoveries.
Some Rangers fans have expressed concerns about his work on the ball while playing for a team that will dominate possession in most domestic games.
But there were only four Premiership midfielders who completed more accurate passes per 90 minutes than Devlin last season. One of those was Rangers' Nicolas Raskin.
"He is someone who knows the Scottish league, and nothing will surprise him with what lies ahead," manager McInnes added.
"I am looking forward to welcoming Cammy to Rangers and working with him again after he returns from his holiday."
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 09: Caleb Durbin #5 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates with Romy Gonzalez #23 after hitting a two-run home run against the Chicago White Sox during the fourth inning at Rate Field on July 09, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2026 Boston Red Sox are somehow just 1.5 games out of a playoff spot entering the final two games before the All-Star break. Just three teams sit ahead of them in between the final wild card spot with the Toronto Blue Jays, the Houston Astros and the Minnesota Twins.
That field has shrunk in recent weeks, making the idea of the Red Sox leapfrogging them a more realistic possibility. As we wrote about a few months ago, the American League is bad. It’s been bad before, but this year is in a realm of its own.
Boston is not good, but the team still could find a way to October this year. Isn’t that crazy? Because they’re really not a contender and should still sell at the deadline. But the open nature and brutal mediocrity of the AL leaves the door to the playoffs open far longer than this installment of the Red Sox deserves.
That’s not to say there aren’t bright spots, because that’s the reason we’re having this conversation at all. The rotation is beyond exceptional with a multitude of quality arms, even in a season where multiple went down, headlined by the extended absence of Garrett Crochet. The Red Sox also earned two initial All-Star selections in Aroldis Chapman and Ranger Suarez. Willson Contreras joined the party as a replacement and (for now) snub Sonny Gray should be next in line if another injury need comes up to head to Philadelphia next week.
The Red Sox have the necessary pitching for October. The problem, as has been the case all season, is the offense, though the group has put together solid outings consistently in a six-game winning streak against questionable competition. If the conversation is to stick around this summer about whether or not Boston should still have playoff aspirations this season, a real conversation needs to be had about what the lineup can truly be down the stretch.
Obviously, they still need to get healthy. With that said, here’s the best possible lineup construction the Red Sox can get to with the players they currently have in the organization.
Roman Anthony, LF/DH
Ceddanne Rafaela, CF
Willson Contreras, 1B
Wilyer Abreu, RF
Romy Gonzalez, 2B
Trevor Story, SS
Jarren Duran, LF/DH
Caleb Durbin, 3B (probably has real argument to be higher)
Carlos Narvaez, C
That gets them close to what the group looked like on Opening Day healthy. If the Red Sox get back to this standard, they’d still probably need another impact guy externally to make a real playoff push.
That’s where the trade deadline gets so complicated as of this time, because Boston should still probably sell given the assets they have. But if they get serious about trying to play for October, another bat is a necessity.
The fit is interesting because an infielder makes the most sense, particularly up the middle. That rental market isn’t great, unless they deal from pitching depth and swing for Ketel Marte again with young pitching going to Arizona.
The idea of Boston riding its pitching staff through a remarkable season turnaround to the postseason isn’t too crazy at this point. But if the Red Sox cannot get enough of a consistent lineup together – both in production and health – to support the arms, the pros of buying may not even be worth it by season’s end.
And the risk of not getting the capable return of their assets as sellers matters too much in the decision.
Jul 7, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Hurston Waldrep (64) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Braves made yet another roster move on Friday, and this time, right-hander Hurston Waldrep was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett while lefty Tyler Kinley was reinstated from the paternity list.
The #Braves today reinstated RHP Tyler Kinley from the paternity list and optioned RHP Hurston Waldrep to Triple-A Gwinnett.
Waldrep has appeared in three games this season after recovering from elbow surgery. In 10.2 frames, he’s logged an 8.44 ERA and recorded nine strikeouts.
Kinley returned on Friday night, where he threw a scoreless inning, recording one strikeout and surrendering a walk.
With Kinley back in the bullpen, Waldrep will return to Gwinnett to continue refining his game and await his next opportunity in Atlanta.
Tate Southisene tripled on Thursday for the Rome Emperors. More in the minor league recap. Grant McAuley caught up with Southisene to discuss his road to the show.
Shohei Ohtani is dealing with a left knee issue and will miss the All-Star Game. He will continue to DH this weekend but will not make his scheduled start on the mound.
From the Feed:
After the Shohei Ohtani news, Ivan Herrera has been called to take his spot on the All-Star Game roster.
Imagine having an opportunity to go back in time and watch a baseball game featuring stars such as Bobby Witt Jr., Julio Rodriguez, Adley Rutschman, Riley Greene, Michael Harris II, Michael Busch and Cole Ragans ... BEFORE they'd ever played a game in the majors.
That's the allure of Major League Baseball's annual showcase of top prospects – the All-Star Futures Game. Each of those players mentioned were part of the Futures Game just five years ago in Coors Field.
Which players in this year's game will go on to make their mark in the majors? We'll get a look at them when the American League and National League squads take the field for the 2026 Futures Game on Sunday, July 12, as part of MLB's All-Star Week festivities.
How to watch MLB Futures Game
The 27th annual All-Star Futures Game will be played at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
Announcers: Melanie Newman (play-by-play), Yonder Alonso (analyst), Sam Dykstra (analyst), Sande Charles (reporter)
Prospects to watch at 2026 MLB Futures Game
Each of the top six overall minor league prospects in MLB Pipeline's latest rankings will be in attendance at this year's Futures Game. Here's a look at them and what makes them potential major leaguers.
SS Jesus Made, Brewers. Just 19 years old and playing at Class AA Biloxi (Mississippi), Made is hitting .277/.347/.420 with seven homers and 25 stolen bases in 31 attempts. A switch-hitting shortstop with elite bat speed and athleticism in the field, Made has more than held his own against much older competition.
SS Leo De Vries, Athletics. Another 19-year-old Dominican shortstop, De Vries was the centerpiece of the 2025 trade that sent closer Mason Miller to San Diego. In his first full season at Double-A Midland (Texas), he's hitting .276/.369/.420 with 10 homers and 30 steals in 35 attempts.
SS Eli Willits, Nationals. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft out of high school, the son of former major leaguer Reggie Willits has blazing speed and plays excellent defense. His hit tool is developing as an 18-year-old, and he was recently promoted to High-A Wilmington (Delaware). Over two minor league levels, he's slashing .282/.416/.498 with 12 homers while going 38-for-50 in stolen base attempts.
OF Josue De Paula, Dodgers. Compared to the top three, the 21-year-old De Paula has tons of experience. In fact, this will be his second appearance in the Futures Game, after he won MVP honors a year ago in Atlanta for his go-ahead, three-run homer. He's destroyed pitchers at Double-A Tulsa (Oklahoma), hitting .320/.417/.549 with 15 home runs and 25 steals in 30 attempts.
SP Kade Anderson, Mariners. The most exciting pitching prospect in the minors, Anderson has dominated hitters ever since being drafted third overall out of LSU in 2025, two spots behind Willits. In his first pro season, the 22-year-old Anderson has posted a microscopic 1.36 ERA over 72⅔ innings (14 starts) with a 108/10 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
SP Seth Hernandez, Pirates. Taken three spots after Anderson, Hernandez is a rare high school pitcher to go that early in the first round. The Pirates clearly believe in his powerful right arm, one that can touch triple digits. But his best pitch may be his changeup. Over 16 starts at Class A and High-A, the 20-year-old has a 2.61 ERA with 111 strikeouts and 30 walks in 69 total innings.
May 20, 2026; Hoover, AL, USA; Mississippi State third baseman Ace Reese fields a ball and throws to first for an out in the SEC Tournament game between Georgia and Mississippi State at the Hoover Met. | Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The 2026 MLB Draft gets underway today. Over the next two days, the Milwaukee Brewers will select 20 players to add to their organization and be part of that next wave of young talent.
MLB’s Draft is notoriously difficult to predict, especially the later the Draft goes on. Picks aren’t necessarily about who is the best on the board; it’s about who is there for the best price, so the slot money can be spread around to get the maximum amount of talent. The Brewers have been one of the best teams at spreading out their available bonus money over the past several years.
This year, the Crew has one of their lowest bonus pool totals in a long time — they have a lack of compensatory picks (including trading away the No. 67 pick to acquire Kyle Harrison) and had the best record in baseball last year, pushing their picks toward the end of each round.
The Brewers have their first pick at No. 25 overall, which is the last selection in the first round. Where could they go? Let’s take a look at who the experts have Milwaukee taking in their mock drafts.
The Brewers took a starting pitcher from Coastal Carolina last year with Jacob Morrison in the third round. Carlos Collazo at Baseball America has the Crew going back to the Chanticleers rotation again this year with Cameron Flukey.
Flukey’s success is no fluke. He sits in the mid-90s on his fastball and can reach 98 mph with movement. His curveball is his best secondary and is a high-spin pitch, which is a quality the Brewers have targeted consistently in their pitching selections. Flukey stands 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds, so there’s a starter’s frame with room to add on more weight if needed.
Back-to-back Flukey selections here; he should be going off the board right around this range, so it does make sense. However, the Brewers have selected a pitcher in the first round just once in the past decade. That pick was Ethan Small in 2019, and Small didn’t exactly work out very well for the Brewers. There’s a reason they don’t go there often. But could they buck the trend this year?
The Brewers have drafted corner infielders a lot in recent years, so why not go back to that well again with an SEC third baseman? Ace Reese has big-time power, slugging 24 bombs this year for the Bulldogs while hitting .336. Classic left-handed power bat with a solid feel to hit. The big question will be his defensive home and if he can stick at the hot corner.
CBS Sports – Cole Prosek, SS/C, Magnolia Heights (MS) HS
The nephew of Brewers third base coach Matt Erickson, Prosek has been a heavily connected name to the Brewers through this process. He’s also from the same high school as the Crew’s current shortstop, Cooper Pratt, and plays with Pratt’s younger brother on the team. Prosek is an athletic player who can play both infield and behind the plate. He has a strong feel to hit, with some giving him plus grades, and some pretty good pop as well. He’s committed to Ole Miss, but there’s strong momentum for him in the first round, and the Brewers feel like a great landing spot if he’s there.
MLB Pipeline’s most recent mock draft came back on July 2, and they had the Crew going with a college bat yet again. This is not much of a surprise. Rose is generally above average across the board offensively, and though they may need to work on pitch selection with him, Rose has a pretty good ceiling to work with.
Another Prosek pick. The connection is certainly strong. The Brewers do have a history of selecting players who have the potential to stick behind the plate even if they haven’t primarily played there as an amateur. If the Brewers like his catching potential, they could take him and send him out there. Marco Dinges was one such player a few years ago.
For many years, the Brewers avoided corner infielders like the plague. They focused on up-the-middle athletes only. Recently, they’ve taken Brock Wilken, Blake Burke, and Andrew Fischer with early selections each of the last three years. They seem to have plenty of future possibilities on the corners, but can you ever really have enough?
Prospects Live – Cole Prosek, SS/C, Magnolia Heights (MS) HS
A very popular pick here. Could it be because of the Matt Erickson connection? Could it be legitimate interest? Could it also be a smokescreen? If too many prognosticators think the Brewers are taking someone, the Brewers generally do something else. They keep things largely tight to the vest.
Back to the college bats, Sawyer Strosnider is another name that has popped up quite a bit with the Brewers. Strosnider is a left-handed bat with a big-time power-speed combination, earning plus grades on both tools. He does have a little bit of a strikeout problem, which is somewhat concerning with any hitter. But in terms of tools and athleticism, few in this draft have more, which makes him a name to watch.
Other names connected
Throughout all these mock drafts, the writers do include other names they considered or names they have heard connected to the Brewers at No. 25. That group includes:
James Clark, SS, St. John Bosco (CA) HS Tegan Kuhns, RHP, Tennessee Taj Marchand, SS, James Island (SC) HS Trey Ebel, SS, Corona (CA) HS Eric Becker, SS, Virginia Logan Reddemann, RHP, UCLA
The 2026 MLB Draft gets started this afternoon. We shall see which, if any, of these mock drafters were correct in their selections.
Jul 10, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Tim Mayza (37) reacts after being called for a balk which resulted in the Detroit Tigers scoring a run in the sixth inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
I do at least appreciate that when the Phillies lose a game like that, I can at least focus my attention on something else and not be dialed into every single pitch like normal. It lets me get some things done around the house for the evening.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Golden State Warriors
Miami Heat
Philadelphia 76ers
Minnesota Timberwolves
Denver Nuggets
Philadelphia 76ers (10% chance)
Minnesota Timberwolves (4% chance)
Denver Nuggets (2% chance)
New York Knicks: Paul delivered a rather shocking admission when he said that LeBron would be "
Dallas Mavericks: Paul listed the Mavericks on the whiteboard with "
Boston Celtics: One of James' biggest career rivals made the whiteboard, but the Celtics are somewhere between rebuilding and reloading after shipping Brown to Philly. I couldn't find any real connective tissue here (believe me, I looked).
San Antonio Spurs: Victor Wembanyama is a bigger draw than potentially anyone in the league, but the Spurs using their mid-level exception to sign Tobias Harris for $31 million says everything I need to know about their interest in pursuing LeBron.
