Category: Sports News

Tacoma Rainiers

The Rainiers have been rolling as of late, taking five of six against Reno this week in what was one of their best series all season. This offense has been firing on all cylinders and finally looks like it’s capable of carrying a team. It’s unfortunately too late for the Rainiers to have any realistic hope of a playoff run, but a strong end to the season would give the fans some good baseball they’ve been deprived of for much of the year.

Lazaro Montes is on another planet right now. The 21 year old slugger launched three more homers on the week (including one of the inside-the-park variety) and raised his season total to 35 on the season, breaking his career high of 32 from last season. In the month of August, Montes is slashing .340/.417/.792 with seven homers; he’s got a great chance of getting to the 40 homer mark on the year, putting him amongst the most formidable power hitters in all of minor league baseball. Laz’s extreme offensive approach makes him a bit of a polarizing prospect, but at some point, the results have to speak for themselves; given his track record of dominance, Montes is a strong candidate to contribute to the major league roster at some point next season.

Arkansas Travelers

It was a major let down for the Travs this week, taking just one of the six games against the always tough Tulsa Drillers. This was a real test between two of the best Double-A teams in the minors, and unfortunately for the Travs, they didn’t have any answers to this Drillers roster. Once in the thick of the playoff hunt, a postseason berth is now looking like more of a pipedream than a possibility, as they now sit seven games out of position.

Despite the disappointing results from the series, both Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan did their part in taking down the Drillers. Anderson (5.2 IP, 2H, 0R, 1BB, 7K) dazzled under the Friday night lights and tormented opposing batters all game, and Sloan (5.2 IP, 5H, 1R, 1BB, 9K), who’s had a magical year himself, shut down one of the best lineups in MiLB as a 20 year old. How the M’s choose to navigate the development of these two arms will likely play a large part in how they go about constructing the roster for next season, but from a performance perspective, they’ve certainly held up their end of the bargain. Hopefully the M’s can clear a pathway to the majors for the pair of hurlers and let them show off their lights out stuff against big league competition.

Everett AquaSox

The AquaSox took the series this week by a score of four to two, taking down a Spokane squad that’s struggled to get things going in the second half. The Frogs remain in the playoff race, standing just 2.5 games out of first place; Eugene, who won the first half title, is leading the second half standings as well, so as long as Everett can catch Vancouver and finish second behind the Emeralds, they’d get the chance at taking the title.

Korbyn Dickerson has adjusted well to High-A and looks more than comfortable at the plate right now. The speedy outfielder raised his OPS up to .876 this week, and his 31 stolen bases on the year puts him near the top of the system on the basepaths. Dickerson’s blend of speed and power make him a very fun prospect that should be on people’s radar as a breakout candidate next season. If he can find a bit more consistency with the bat-to-ball skills, he’s going to be a really special talent.

Inland Empire 66ers

IE managed a split this week, unfortunately unable to make up ground in the standings against Lake Elsinore. The 66ers have had the best run differential of any team in the California League this second half, and given their strong upward trajectory since the recent additions from the draft, it feels like a good bet that we’ll see the 66ers in the postseason. This team rakes.

First rounder Ace Reese has made mincemeat of the Cal League in his first go at professional baseball. The former Mississippi State slugger is rocking a .522 batting average across his first seven games, and his 1.272 OPS underscores just how dominant he’s been at the plate. A-ball is probably a step down from where Reese was in the SEC this past season, so to see him utterly dominate in his first handful of games is a great sight to see and puts him on the shortlist for players to monitor through the end of this 2026 season.

Not to be outdone by SEC rival Reese, fifth rounder Hayden Yost has provided a jolt atop this IE lineup and looks like an absolute steal through his first three weeks of pro ball. Yost, an outfielder out of Florida, was one of the hottest hitters in college baseball to close out the season, and he’s carried that level of production into the California League. Slashing .368/.405/.737 so far, look for Yost to finish this season strong; he’s absolutely crushing the baseball right now and has shown few, if any, holes in his game thus far.

DSL Mariners

For all the attention that Gregory Pio and Juan Rijo have (deservedly) received this season, Jarvis Gomez might just be the best hitter of the three. Now up to a .996 OPS on the year with more walks than strikeouts, Gomez has tacked on 15 stolen bases and looks like a rather complete player at the plate. Getting to see him compete stateside next year is going to be a ton of fun.

Texas Rangers righthanded pitcher David Davalillo has been named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week for the week of August 11-16, it was announced today.

In addition, the Rangers are reportedly promoting two-way players Josh Owens and Seong-Jun Kim from the Arizona Complex League to low-A Hickory.

Davalillo was added to the 40 man roster this past winter after a breakout 2025 campaign. He started the year at AA Frisco and did okay, allowing a 3.86 ERA in 23.1 innings over five starts, with 36 Ks against eight walks. Things went south for him in AAA, however, as he allowed a 7.59 ERA in 21.1 IP over six appearances. Most alarmingly, given Davalillo’s history of being a control artist, he allowed 21 walks and hit 6 batters during that time.

Davalillo went to Arizona for a few weeks to work on things, after which he made a start for the ACL Rangers, a start for high-A Hub City, another start for the ACL Rangers, and then went back to Frisco. After two starts for the Roughriders, in which he struck out 8 and walked three in nine innings, he returned to Round Rock, making a solid three inning relief appearance and a not-so-great 4.1 inning start in the first two weeks of August.

On Friday, August 14, Davalillo had what was easily his best outing of the season, facing the minimum over six innings and allowing just one baserunner, on a single, while striking out seven and throwing 52 of his 76 pitches for strikes. This effort is what earned him the PCL Pitcher of the Week nod, and it was definitely deserved.

This is the second week in a row an Express pitcher has earned those honors. Dalton Pence was named the PCL Pitcher of the Week a week ago.

Owens, a 19 year old who hits lefty and throws righty, was the Rangers’ third round pick in 2025 out of Johnson City, Tennessee. He has been utilized as a two-way player in the complex league this year, hitting .255/.345/.469 in 168 plate appearances with 62 Ks against 16 walks, and putting up a 3.48 ERA in 20.2 innings over 12 appearances with 24 Ks against 7 walks. When Owens has not been pitching, he’s split his time between DH, shortstop and second base.

Kim, a 19 year old signed out of South Korea in May, 2025, throws and hits righthanded. In 160 plate appearances he slashed .303/.419/.546 in the complex league, with 51 Ks against 24 walks. He put up a 1.04 ERA in 8.2 innings over five appearances, with 10 Ks against 5 walks. He played shortstop and DH when he wasn’t pitching.

With ACL play completed, Owens and Kim will get a taste of full season ball to finish out the 2026 season, and likely will start the 2027 season with Hickory. Owens is ranked #3 on the latest Baseball America top 30 prospect list for the Rangers, while Kim is #20.

The Milwaukee Brewers, in possession of the best record in baseball at 77-48, are set to return home and host the Seattle Mariners for three games this week. The Brewers are coming off a 3-4 West Coast road trip, as they bounced back from a sweep at the hands of the Padres to take three of four against the mighty Dodgers. On the other side, the Mariners sit at 59-66 but are just 2.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot in what has been a very week American League overall. Seattle is coming off a series win over the Astros in Houston, their first series win since the trade deadline.

The Brewers injured list currently features outfielder Sal Frelick (on rehab assignment), shortstop Cooper Pratt (late August return), and second baseman Brice Turang (day to day but hoping to return on Tuesday). Injured pitchers include reliever Abner Uribe (late August), JoJo Romero (close to a rehab assignment), Joel Kuhnel (August), Rob Zastryzny (TBD), Brandon Woodruff (out for season), Quinn Priester (out for season), Brian Fitzpatrick (out for season), and Angel Zerpa (out for season).

Seattle is without outfielders Victor Robles and Taylor Ward (both considered day to day), shortstop Colt Emerson (TBD), shortstop/third baseman J.P. Crawford (late August), and outfielder Luke Raley (out for season). Pitchers Logan Evans (out for season), Cooper Criswell (late August or early September), Cole Wilcox (TBD), Carlos Vargas (on rehab assignment), and Matt Brash (late August or early September) are also out.

Milwaukee’s offense is led by Jake Bauers, who is having a career year as he’s hitting .275/.384/.500 with a team-leading 21 homers. Jackson Chourio has 17 homers, and Brice Turang has added 16 homers. William Contreras had hits on both Saturday and Sunday to (hopefully) break out of his months-long slump, and Christian Yelich appears to be the victim of bad luck, as he’s hitting just .226/.307/.364. Joey Ortiz has been one of the best hitters in baseball over the last month and a half, and Andrew Vaughn is still hitting .300 through 80 games. Garrett Mitchell, Luis Lara, Gary Sánchez, David Hamilton, Brandon Lockridge, and newest addition Jonathan Ornelas round out the squad. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .250/.335/.392 (.727 OPS ranks tied for 11th), with 113 homers (last), 608 runs (fifth), and 122 steals (fifth).

Dominic Canzone is enjoying a breakout season with Seattle, slugging 19 homers to tie for the team lead with Julio Rodríguez, who also has 16 steals. Randy Arozarena has 17 homers and 20 steals, while surprisingly nimble Josh Naylor leads the team with 24 steals. Cole Young has been solid at second base, and Cal Raleigh has had a truly dismal season, hitting just .158/.268/.300 over 91 games. Trade deadline acquisition Taylor Ward has also struggled, with just five hits in 32 at-bats. Former Cardinal Brendan Donovan mans the hot corner, with Leo Rivas at second to round out the regulars. Robles, Weston Wilson, Brock Rodden, and Jhonny Pereda round things out. As a team, the Mariners are hitting .230/.309/.378 (.687 OPS ranks 27th), with 145 homers (16th), 489 runs (last), and 88 steals (13th).

In the absence of Uribe, the Brewer bullpen is led by closer Trevor Megill and set-up arms in Aaron Ashby, Chad Patrick, and DL Hall. Grant Anderson, Bryse Wilson, and Antonio Senzatela round the group out as Milwaukee continues to roll with a six-man rotation. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.50 team ERA (second), including a 3.51 starter ERA (fifth) and a 3.48 bullpen ERA (third). They’ve struck out 1,211 batters (second) over 1,117 1/3 innings.

Eduard Bazardo leads Seattle’s bullpen with 59 appearances, turning in a 3.05 ERA across 56 innings. José A. Ferrer has a 3.71 ERA over 51 innings, Gabe Speier has a 2.78 ERA over 32 1/3 innings, and Andrés Muñoz leads the team with 22 saves, though he’s blown seven opportunities and has a 4.37 ERA over 45 1/3 innings. Seranthony Domínguez is another deadline acquisition, and he’s been roughed up to the tune of a 9.64 ERA over 4 2/3 innings. Michael Rucker (4.91 ERA over 25 2/3 IP), Nick Davila (4.01 ERA over 24 2/3 IP), and Josh Simpson (4.05 ERA over 6 2/3 IP) round things out. As a staff, the Mariners have a 3.85 team ERA (ninth), including a 3.78 starter ERA (eighth) and a 3.97 bullpen ERA (14th). They’ve struck out 1,060 batters (12th) over 1,104 innings.

Probable Pitchers

Tuesday, August 18 @ 6:40 p.m.: LHP Kyle Harrison (9-3, 3.47 ERA, 3.35 FIP) vs. RHP Bryce Miller (4-6, 3.39 ERA, 3.85 FIP)

Harrison has shown flashes of being a star (5 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 10 K on August 5 vs. Pirates) but he’s also had a few really rough outings (4 2/3 IP, 8 R, 10 H, 3 BB, 3 K on August 11 @ Padres). Overall, it’s balanced out as he has a 3.47 ERA, 3.35 FIP, and 114 strikeouts across 93 1/3 innings in what has easily been his best season has a pro. Of note: Harrison has been really good at home, with a 6-1 record, 1.38 ERA, and 70 strikeouts in 52 innings over 10 starts. This will mark Harrison’s first career appearance against Seattle.

Miller, 27, is in his fourth season with the Mariners. After a rough 2025 campaign where he had a 5.68 ERA and 5.17 FIP over 90 1/3 innings, he’s bounced back nicely this year, with a 3.39 ERA, 3.85 FIP, and 84 strikeouts over 85 innings. Miller hasn’t been great over the last month, though, as he has a 6.12 ERA, 5.65 FIP, and 22 strikeouts over his last 32 1/3 innings, spanning six starts, all of which the Mariners lost. Millers’ only start against the Brewers was a good one, as he went seven scoreless frames with seven strikeouts to pick up the win in Milwaukee back in 2024.

Wednesday, August 19 @ 6:40 p.m.: RHP Dustin May (6-7, 4.13 ERA, 3.30 FIP) vs. RHP Logan Gilbert (9-7, 3.28 ERA, 3.47 FIP)

May has gotten off to a solid start in a Brewer uniform. In a pair of starts (against the Pirates and Padres), May has totaled 13 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and five walks while striking out 11. For the season, he has a 4.13 ERA, 3.30 FIP, and 117 strikeouts over 122 innings. The right-hander has faced the Mariners once in his career, back in 2021 while with the Dodgers. He took the loss in that game, allowing four runs (three earned) and striking out eight over five frames.

Gilbert, 29, is in year No. 6 and has been a reliable presence in Seattle’s rotation, with an ERA between 3.20 and 3.75 each of the last five years. This season is no different, with a 3.28 ERA, 3.47 FIP, and 152 strikeouts across 145 1/3 innings thus far. He went six scoreless innings in his last outing against the Yankees, allowing four hits and a walk while striking out seven to pick up his ninth win of the season. Gilbert has started against Milwaukee each of the last three seasons, totaling 18 innings with a 4.00 ERA and 25 strikeouts. The Brewers have won two of those three games, with their only loss coming in a 1-0 game last year.

Thursday, August 20 @ 1:10 p.m.: LHP Robert Gasser (3-5, 4.54 ERA, 4.59 FIP) vs. RHP George Kirby (8-9, 3.89 ERA, 3.78 FIP)

Gasser has been solid in his last several appearances, allowing no more than three runs in an outing since getting roughed up for seven runs in his last start before the All-Star break. Since then, he’s made five starts, totaling 27 innings with 10 runs allowed (3.33 ERA) and 25 strikeouts, as the Brewers have gone 4-1 in those appearances (his last time out against the Dodgers was a 3-1 loss). This marks Gasser’s first career appearance against Seattle.

Kirby, 28, is in his fifth season with the Mariners, and after a somewhat rough 2025 (4.21 ERA, though a still solid 3.37 FIP), he’s bounced back for a 3.89 ERA, 3.78 FIP, and 114 strikeouts this season. He’s allowed an AL-worst 148 hits over 136 2/3 innings, and he was the worst in the league in that stat in 2024 allowing 181 hits over 191 innings. He went 4 2/3 innings his last time out, allowing five runs on eight hits and three walks, striking out two in an extra-innings loss to the Astros. Kirby’s only start against Milwaukee came last year, when he took the loss after allowing four runs and striking out three across six innings.

How to Watch & Listen

Tuesday, August 18: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Wednesday, August 19: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Thursday, August 20: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Prediction

This is a matchup featuring a pair of teams who finished one step away from the World Series a year ago; one team has had a lot more success than the other in 2026, though. Give me the Crew to take two of three.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cubs fans and fans across the country.

Edward Cabrera’s start against the Cardinals Sunday was, in a word, awful.

This, you know. You also know that Cabrera said he had another blister issue during the game and that’s what led to his loss of command and three walks in the Cardinals’ six-run fourth.

After the game, manager Craig Counsell said they’d have to “talk about” whether Cabrera would make his next scheduled start, which likely would come up Saturday in Seattle.

I think you’re probably in agreement with me that Cabrera should not make that start.

And honestly, if it were me? I’d put Cabrera in the bullpen instead of David Peterson, who the Cubs announced was heading to the pen to make room for Cabrera in the rotation. If Cabrera has blister issues, wouldn’t they be lessened by throwing only one inning at a time? He might make a very good leverage reliever with that velocity and changeup (when they’re working).

So that’s what I’m asking you in this week’s SB Nation Reacts survey. Who should take that Saturday start? Or should it just be skipped, given that there’s an off day for the team Thursday (and another off day a week from Thursday)?

Vote in the survey below and we’ll have the final results later in the week.

The White Sox launched a stretch of 16 games in 16 days. Over the last seven days, the pitching staff posted a 4.11 ERA, 16th in the league, and their 50 strikeouts ranked 13th. On the offensive side, they tied with the Padres for the most home runs with 12 and hit .285, ranking just below Tampa Bay. With that in mind, the 4-2 record to end the week might feel good, but let’s take a better look under the hood.

Chicago started the week in the Windy City facing the Reds. Tuesday was the highly anticipated Pope Hat Night, and this team got no divine intervention. The game felt like an easy win from the start. The White Sox had an early 4-0 lead, and Sean Burke surrendered only one run and fanned eight batters in his seven innings of work.

Brenton Doyle, Edgar Quero and Miguel Vargas all launched home runs in the first half of the game to get fans excited, but the thrill would not last.

When he turned the game over to Bryan Hudson in the eighth inning, the wheels quickly fell off. The lefty reliever failed to record an out, but he did let three runs score to tie the game. The game went to extras, where the Reds got the ghost runner across the plate, but the Good Guys could not do the same.

Luis Castillo faced his former team on Wednesday, and the pitching staff shut the Reds’ offense out. In his second appearance with his new team, Castillo earned a quality start, tossing seven scoreless innings, allowing just two walks while striking out 10. Both Drew Romo and Chase Meidroth had two RBIs in the win. The catcher hit his sixth dinger in the third inning, and Meidroth followed up with a two-run shot of his own in the sixth.

Thursday was a game of catch-up the White Sox could never quite finish, losing 9-8. Down to their final out in the bottom of the ninth, Sam Antonacci hit a laser up the middle that would have extended the inning. Elly De La Cruz was simply too tall, too fast, and too well positioned to let the single through, and the game ended. Quero had a 3-for-5 day with two RBIs and a run scored. Do you know how he was rewarded? With a plane ticket back to Charlotte.

I understand the team had to make a roster move at catcher. The front office picked up Jake Rogers late in the week after the veteran backstop’s most recent DFA from the Red Sox. Why they sent Quero down instead of Romo is beyond me. Romo has only nine more at-bats than Quero in August, and Edgar has four more hits than his counterpart. This feels awfully familiar to a Danny Mendick shuttle situation from a handful of years back. I don’t wish ill will on Romo, but something has got to give for Quero to get his shot at staying with the team more consistently.

Friday also marked the start of a long-awaited rematch with the Tigers in Detroit. Flash back to June 19-21, and you’ll see highlights of the Motor City team kicking our butts. This time, it was the Second City’s turn.

After Davis Martin got ejected in Thursday’s matchup (just know it was an incredibly unfair toss, which is why I didn’t mention it sooner), the bullpen was already taxed. The series opener in Detroit seemed like the perfect opportunity to stretch them even further! Sean Newcomb opened the game before turning things over to one of the team’s newest arrivals, José Urquidy. The righthander, who played the 2025 season in the birthplace of Motown, allowed three earned runs in 3 2/3 innings.

His offense came to the rescue with a five-run fourth inning, putting the White Sox back in front and paving the way for the bulk reliever to earn his first win of the season. Tristan Peters and Munetaka Murakami both homered in the inning to account for three of the five runs. Vargas later took a ball for a spin out of the park in the sixth inning to add to the homer trifecta. This wasn’t the first time the third baseman and first baseman hit long balls in the same game during the weekend (OMG besties).

Saturday was a much tighter game. Chicago jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first, and they added on two additional runs in the third. The Tigers spent the fourth and fifth innings clawing back. An Andrew Benintendi single in the top of the seventh pinned the Felines down and kept the threat at bay.

Anthony Kay was on the hook for all three runs Detroit scored on the day. If he had gotten two more outs to complete the sixth inning, he would have earned the quality start and the win. Instead, Jordan Hicks and his 1 2/3 innings of shutout pitching earned him the W. Grant Taylor notched his 10th hold of the year, and Hudson picked up his fifth save.

The Pale Hose completed the sweep on Sunday with another comeback victory. Burke had a less-than-stellar 4 1/3 innings, giving up four earned runs, walking three and striking out just two. Hagen Smith came in for cleanup duty and held Detroit scoreless. His 1 2/3 innings of work were enough to earn him a second MLB victory. Newcomb, who opened the series on Friday, was also there to close it out, working the final 2 1/3 innings of the series finale, blanking the Tigers and earning the save.

Romo’s third hit of the month came in the form of a long ball in the fifth inning off Drew Anderson. Mune and Vargas each smacked their 28th dinger of the year in the seventh and ninth innings, respectively. They are the first pair to hit at least 28 home runs in a season for the White Sox since José Abreu and Eloy Jiménez in 2019.

The sweep gives the Chicago club a 5 1/2-game division lead heading into the second half of the Crosstown Classic. After things wrap up on the North Side, the White Sox will head back to Bridgeport to make up for their rainout against Atlanta before the Mets arrive in town for a weekend series.

I don’t want to jinx anything, but we are halfway through August. If they can make it through this week alive, they can make it through anything. I sincerely apologize to Steve Stone for not enjoying the ride before. I am having a great time now.

The St. Louis Cardinals begin a brutal week where they’ll play 8 games in 7 days as they play a day/night doubleheader Monday in Cincinnati. The first game is scheduled to start at 12:40pm central time as the Reds will start RHP Rhett Lowder. Quinn Mathews makes the game 1 start for the Cardinals. Game broadcast will be available through Cardinals.tv.

I think we are all reaching the acceptance portion of the grieving process for the Guardians 2026 season. This is a bad baseball team. What’s next?

It is still possible, of course, that the Guardians pull it all together in their remaining 37 games, primarily because these are their remaining opponents: Giants for 3, Rockies for 3, Angels for 3, Royals for 3, Blue Jays for 3, Tigers for 4, Orioles for 3, Twins for 3, White Sox for 3, Athletics for 3, Red Sox for 3 and Royals for 3. That’s a very favorable schedule. Does this team look like a team that can go 25-12 over these remaining games and get to 85 wins? ABSOLUTELY NOT. But, I can’t say I saw them playing .570 ball over the end of the last season, either.

If I had to guess, I can see the Guardians finding their way to something like 19-18, finishing at 78 wins, their lowest total since 2023’s total of 76 where they absolutely went through the motions to end Tito Francona’s time here. That resulted in, needless to say, the biggest changes the organization had endured for a decade. I am desperate for them to make some changes on the coaching staff, specifically poaching some hitting coaches from a successful organization, but also considering some dugout changes, whether it’s bench coach, field coordinator, or third base coach. I am still a Stephen Vogt believer but something is awry with the current coaching group… and something has been off with the hitting group since 2019 during which time the Guardians have put up the 22nd worst wRC+ in MLB at 95. That has to change, period.

So, aside from rooting for the Guardians to pull off some last minute miracle, again, to rescue the season, what else is there to root for?

A Nice Draft Pick:

-A 78—86 record will give the Guardians a strong chance at a top-10 pick in the 2027 MLB draft. They are set for a pretty big bonus pool in what is supposed to be a deeper draft after failing to sign Logan Schmidt. Yipee. This will not cause me to root for losses (dumb), or be happy when they lose (evil), but it will give me a chance to sleep a little easier at night.

Rooting for Further Hitter Development:

-Obviously, we are watching looking for Travis Bazzana, Angel Genao, Angel Martinez, Brayan Rocchio, and a hopefully healthy Chase DeLauter to figure things out/continue strong performances at the plate over the last 35 games. Of course, if 3-4 of them DO perform well, they’ll also win baseball games. Bazzana, also, needs to show some development as a defender, as well.

DeLauter has been such a joy this season and the one reason for hope for our crop of young hitters. If his mild hamstring tenderness turns into something worse… someone hold me. He’s the primary reason to watch every night, right now.

This front office has been pleasingly aggressive with promotion of prospects and I hope that will continue. If the Guardians should have an absolutel collapse to end August, the team should waive Nathaniel Lowe prior to September 1st to let him find his way to a contender to qualify for a playoff roster and bring either Kyle Manzardo or Cooper Ingle back for a further look to end the year. TOMORROW, the team should DFA Rhys Hoskins and let Kody Huff come up and have his at-bats. Some of these bats have to progress before you will have a chance to be a different team offensively. I would keep Ralphy Velazquez in Columbus because of the potential of the lockout causing some 2027 games to be missed so he can continue to hit and develop until the major league team is through labor strife (he’s not Rule-5 eligible until 2027).

Enjoy Jose:

Jose Ramirez will start to show signs of being his old self. Every day he is in a Cleveland uniform is a good day and I plan to set myself to enjoy every moment of him.

Enjoy Steven Kwan:

I don’t know if the team will trade Kwan in November prior to his last season here or keep him and try for a comp pick if he leaves or try to extend him. I can’t even tell you which of those choices is right. But, Kwan’s comeback since the All-Star break has been great and the fact he has been an excellent centerfielder is such a joy. He’s a fun player and I am very glad he has been a Guardian and trying to appreciate him while he is.

Enjoy Jo Adell:

After a rough first week after being traded, Adell has put up a 126 wRC+ in Cleveland. He is clearly excited to be on a team that even has a CHANCE to sniff the playoffs. I’d love to see the team make that feeling last if only to give the former Angel a little more joy. Who knows if we will have a 2027 season to enjoy Adell or if the team will approach him about an extension? It’s time to appreciate that we have a legit right-handed slugger for a minute before it’s gone.

Promote the Parker Messick Rookie-of-the-Year Campaign:

Probably the Tigers’ Kevin McGonigle is going to need to have a very bad last six weeks for Messick to have a legitimate shot at the award, but the chance is there. Messick is the staff ace, no doubt, and has repeatedly come up big for the team when they have needed him the most. I can’t even imagine how bleak things would be without Messick’s amazing year, given all the pitching injuries the organization has sustained in the minors.

Believe that This is Likely the Last of Tim Herrin:

The Cleveland bullpen has finally showed the effects of Emmanuel Clase’s and Luis Ortiz’s absences (assuming Ortiz would have either pushed Cecconi to the pen or gone there himself). Nowhere has it been more clear than in Herrin’s 5.00 FIP. He’s just such an unreliable and often terrible pitcher. I don’t think Herrin will return in 2027. Why? Because I need that to be true for my mental health.

Root for Gavin Williams to get 200 strikeouts:

Williams has potentially 7 starts remaining and needs 51 strikeouts to hit 200. This isn’t likely, but it is plausible. I am right now, personally, miffed at Williams for his bad start against the Tigers, but he has been absolutely dominant for most of his starts and he and Messick will have to be great again in 2027 for the Guardians to have some playoff hopes. I enjoy his personality and demeanor and want to see him end the year extremely strongly.

Root for Cade Smith:

Could Cade Smith get 17 more saves? Unlikely, sure. But, if he does, he will have more saves this season than Emmanuel Clase ever did in one season and that would mean something to me. I believe so much in Smith and his durability and would love to see the Guardians extend him. If he hits 48 saves, it will also mean that Colin Holderman, Hunter Gaddis and Erik Sabrowski finished strong which would be great to see in a bullpen that has struggled way more than what we have been used to. But, it’s Smith and his ability to step up for this team when they lost the best closer in baseball that makes me feel most proud of this team, so I am rooting for him to have a strong ending to the season above everyone else.

There are still a variety of things to look for even if the Guardians don’t manage to make a playoff run. It’s not quite time to tune out and focus in on football with some young players trying to put together strong finishes to give fans optimism about the future. I can’t say I’m optimistic about the team’s ability to pull off a salvage miracle as they did last season, but I’m rooting for them to prove me wrong.

Cardinals outfielder Joshua Báez was called up to play in his first MLB game on Saturday. He homered three times, and by the end he was receiving applause from the Wrigley faithful. That’s right, Cubs fans were congratulating a Cardinals player.

His performance may have been the best MLB debut ever, which got me thinking about Royals hitters playing in their first big league game. Who had the best MLB debut in Royals history?

Honorable mention: Kevin Koslofski, 1992

Koslofski grew very familiar with I-29, the highway between Kansas City and Omaha. The outfielder was a leading hitter for the top Royals minor league affiliate, and found himself shuttling between the minors and the big leagues for several years. He never really stuck, but in his first game, he definitely looked like a big leaguer. He hit leadoff and collected three hits against the Orioles, including an RBI single. He is just one of four Royals hitters ever to get three hits in their first MLB game.

10. Brian McRae, 1990

Mac had a lot to live up to, being a former first-round pick and the son of Royals legend Hal McRae. The Royals called him up in early August and hit him ninth. But Brian McRae was unlike his dad in that he was more of a speedster than a power hitter. And he showed off that asset immediately. He drilled a pitch from White Sox hurler Alex Fernandez down the right-field line and legged out a triple in his very first MLB at-bat. He would later single and score his first MLB run, giving him a 2-for-4 debut.

9. Paulo Orlando, 2015

Orlando was just the third Brazilian-born player to ever make the big leagues, a notable achievement on its own. But he really made a name for himself with Royals fans thanks to the blazing speed he developed as a track athlete in his younger days. He tripled in the fifth inning of that first game, part of a 1-for-3 day, but it was his second game that he became “Paulo Triplo” with two more triples.

8. Ryan O’Hearn, 2018

The Royals called up O’Hearn after the trade deadline in 2018, and he arrived in Chicago jet-lagged. After a few innings to gain his bearings, the left-handed slugger came up in the fifth against former Royals pitcher James Shields. He smacked it 359 feet for a two-run home run, in what would be a 4-2 Royals win.

“I’m just at a loss for words,” said O’Hearn. “I’m excited to be here and today was the most fun I had at a baseball field — once I settled down a little bit — ever.”

7. Kyle Isbel, 2021

Isbel has made his name with his glove, but in his first MLB game, it was his bat that did the talking. The Royals battered Rangers starter Kyle Gibson, batting around in a five-run first. Isbel did his part with an RBI single in his first at-bat of the game. He would finish with three hits and 2 RBI in the 14-10 win. He followed that up with another multi-hit game in his second MLB game, making him 5-for-9 (.556) to start his career.

6. Salvador Perez, 2011

Salvy never made any prospect lists, but from day one in the big leagues, he looked like something special. His offensive game was good, but nothing remarkable – an RBI sac fly, a single. But the 21-year-old was a defensive stud behind the plate, throwing out two runners on the basepaths, showing off the arm that would earn him five Gold Gloves.

5. Johnny Damon, 1995

The hype around Damon was enormous when he made his MLB debut in 1995. The Royals would eventually have an ad campaign where he wrestled a remote control with the legendary George Brett, a not-so-subtle sign of the expectations the franchise had of him. Damon hit .343 at Double-A Wichita before getting the call to the show at age 21 in August. Hitting leadoff, the Mariners retired him in his first two at-bats. But in the fifth, he laced a grounder down the line and showed off his blazing speed. He ended a third with a triple, the first of his three hits that night.

“It was Johnny Damon night,” remarked teammate Michael Tucker. “The first couple of times up it’s like he is just trying to figure out the pitching. He had three hits before you know it.”

4. Bobby Witt Jr., 2022

Bobby was one of the most heralded prospects in club history, and there was a lot of buzz on Opening Day of 2022 when he made his debut. He flashed some good leather at third base, but was hitless going into the eighth inning. With the game tied 1-1, Witt came up with a runner at second. He laced a double to left to give the Royals the lead, later scoring his first MLB run on a single.

The crowd was chanting “BOB-BY, BOB-BY!” after the game, the first of many times they would cheer his name.

3. Samad Taylor, 2023

The 2023 Royals were pretty crummy, but one highlight came in a wild, back-and-forth game against the Angels in June. The Angels led 8-2 going into the seventh inning stretch, but the Royals stormed back with three in the seventh and three in the eighth to tie it. The Angels reclaimed the lead in the ninth, but Maikel Garcia tied it up in the bottom of the inning. That brough up Taylor, who had been 0-for-2 with two walks in his MLB debut thus far. He drilled a pitch over Mike Trout’s head in center to score the winning run, a walk-off hit in his first game.

2. Kevin Seitzer, 1986

Seitzer finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in 1987, but he actually made his debut with a splash in 1986. After hitting .319 at Omaha, he was a September callup and made his debut in left field. He went hitless in his first three at-bats, but rose to the occasion with the game on the line. With the Royals trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the ninth, he singled off Joe Cowley to lead off the inning. Steve Balboni doubled him home to tie the game and send it to extras. In the tenth, Seitzer came up with Willie Wilson at third, 90 feet away from winning the game. Seitz chopped one high off the turf at Royals Stadium, allowing Wilson to score and win the game.

Seitzer credited veteran reliever Dan Quisenberry for settling his nerves.

“I was scared to death. I had never been on the 40-man roster before, so I wasn’t in big-league camp in spring training, and I didn’t really know anybody. I was petrified, but if it wasn’t for Quiz, I don’t know if I would have been able to do what I did. He talked to me and calmed me down.”

1. Mark Quinn, 1999

Only four players in Royals history have homered in their first MLB game – Clint Hurdle (1977), Ryan O’Hearn (2018), Nate Eaton (2022), and Mark Quinn, who did it not once, but twice. Quinn was an enigma. He was brash, but his bat backed it up in the minors. He hit .349 at Double-A, then won a batting title in Triple-A the next year, earning him a September callup.

Quinn doubled in the fourth against the Angels, but he was just getting started. He smashed a two-run home run in the sixth, then gave the Royals the lead in the eighth with another two-run home run. He became just the fourth MLB hitter ever to homer twice in his debut.

“I had fun tonight. That was probably the best night of my life.”

It would be the best night of his career. After a solid season in 2000 that earned him Rookie of the Year votes, his free-swinging approach (he once went 242 plate appearances without a walk) took its toll and he quickly washed out. By 2003, he was out of the big leagues, and by 2008 he was out of pro baseball entirely.