EASTLAKE, OHIO - MAY 06, 2026: Eduardo Quintero #46 of the Great Lakes Loons bats during the seventh inning against the Lake County Captains at Classic Auto Group Park on May 06, 2026 in Eastlake, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Quintero was getting on base early on in the year and still productive, but only hit three home runs in his first 61 games. But since June 27 the outfielder is hitting .355/.516/.763 with eight home runs, 18 extra-base hits, 26 RBI and 30 runs scored in his last 29 games.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
Ronan Kopp and Jerming Rosario allowed two runs to score in the ninth to tie things up, but the Comets scored in the 10th and held on to beat the Salt Lake Bees (Angels).
James Tibbs extended his hit streak to nine games with a two-run home run, his first home run since all the way back on June 27. He was still productive in the interim, just minus the power, hitting .307/.427/.406 in the 29 games between long balls.
Alex Thomas had three more hits, giving him four multi-hit games during the series, during which he had 13 hits in 31 at-bats (.419) with three doubles, a triple, and 10 RBI.
Catcher Griffin Lockwood-Powell doubled, singled, and drove in three runs.
Double-A Tulsa
Josue De Paula had an RBI single and two-run double in the Drillers’ win over the Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros). The double was De Paula’s team-high 30th of the season, 13 more than his previous career high for doubles in a season. De Paula also stole his 29th base, three shy of his career high set last season.
Patrick Copen struck out seven in five innings, and allowed only an unearned run to earn the win.
High-A Great Lakes
The Loons won a back-and-forth affair thanks to Quintero’s home run to beat the Dayton Dragons (Reds).
Charles Davalan, another top-100 outfield prospect in the system, nearly hit the go-ahead home run himself in the ninth inning right before Quintero, but instead settled for a triple off the right field wall, and scored on Quintero’s homer. Davalan also doubled on Sunday, giving him four straight multi-hit contests.
Mairo Martinus had a rough start in his first week in Triple-A, with just two singles and nine strikeouts in his first 15 at-bats with Great Lakes. But the 21-year-old infielder/outfielder provided extra on Sunday with a home run and triple. Martinus this week has played two games at second base plus one each at first base, third base, and right field for the Loons.
After four weeks on the injured list, Brooks Auger returned to start on the mound for Great Lakes. Sunday was only an abbreviated outing for Auger in his first game back, pulled after 32 pitches and four outs. Auger allowed a walk in the first inning and a double in the second, which scored after his departure. He struck out a pair.
Emil Morales didn’t homer on Sunday, but did walk twice after homering four times in the first five games of the series. The Dayton broadcast mentioned that the eight home runs by Morales against the Dragons are the most in one season by any opposing player against Dayton, dating back to its franchise inception in 2000. Morales this season against Dayton is hitting .323/.400/785 with eight home runs, six doubles, and 27 RBI in 16 games.
Class-A Ontario
The Tower Buzzers came within two outs of finishing off a clean sweep for Dodgers affiliates on Sunday, but gave up two runs in the ninth inning in a loss to the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres).
Jecsua Liborius pitched a perfect eighth inning with two strikeouts, but started the ninth with two walks. Both came around to score despite two more strikeouts in the frame. A throwing error on a double steal brought home the tying run, then a walk-off single scored the game-winner for Lake Elsinore.
Oswaldo Osorio had two hits, including a three-run home run in the first inning, and his first stolen base of the season. The 21-year-old played first base on Sunday but has also played third base and second base for both Ontario and in the Arizona Complex League this season.
Transaction
Class-A: Catcher/infielder Bryan Gonzalez Garcia rejoined Ontario from the Arizona Complex League. He started at third base on Sunday.
Aug 9, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Recaps
[AP] Rodriguez strikes out 9 as Diamondbacks beat struggling Dodgers – Eduardo Rodriguez struck out nine in seven strong innings and the Arizona Diamondbacks clinched their first season series over the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2018 with a 4-2 victory Sunday. The Dodgers snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 2-1 win over Arizona in 10 innings Saturday. Rodriguez (11-4) shut them down most of the afternoon in the series finale, allowing two runs and five hits.Ketel Marte hit a two-run homer off Justin Wrobleski (11-4) in the first inning and Kevin Ginkel worked a perfect ninth for his first save this year, clinching Arizona’s 7-6 win in the season series. The NL West-leading Dodgers have lost three consecutive series for the first time since Aug. 29 to Sept. 7, 2025.
[Dbacks.com] E-Rod’s 115-pitch gem helps D-backs secure season series vs. LA for 1st time since ’18 – There’s more than a month and a half until the playoffs begin, but if the D-backs needed a Game 1 starter, it would almost surely be Eduardo Rodriguez. The 2026 All-Star was again in top form Sunday, stymieing the star-studded Dodgers lineup for the fourth time this season. He yielded just two runs across seven frames and turned in a season-high nine punchouts, throwing 115 pitches, his most in a start since Sept. 9, 2019, as a member of the Red Sox. But this isn’t just any lineup. It’s the Dodgers, who boast the second-highest team OPS (.766) in baseball. Rodriguez gave up eight runs (six earned) against the club in two starts last year, but has completely flipped the script on them in 2026, posting a 1.88 ERA across his four outings.
[Arizona Sports] Diamondbacks win season series vs. Dodgers for 1st time since 2018 – The series was tense. The D-backs outscored the Dodgers 9-7 over three games, winning the first on a walk-off home run from rookie Ryan Waldschmidt and losing the second in extra innings. It was played in front of a packed house for all three games at Chase Field, a split crowd that created a high-stakes atmosphere. “We always play the Dodgers well,” Ketel Marte said via Spanish interpreter. “It’s a tough game. I like that type of adrenaline. We are doing the little things well, this is going to help us out.” In that environment, Arizona’s starting pitchers Merrill Kelly, Brandon Pfaadt and Rodriguez held the Dodgers to three runs over 19.2 innings, and Rodriguez put forth a Herculean effort in the finale.
[AZ Central] Diamondbacks to sign veteran starting pitcher, sources say – The Diamondbacks have agreed to sign veteran right-hander Zack Littell, a source said, in a move that gives them additional rotation depth less than a week after they were unable to land another starting pitcher ahead of the trade deadline. Littell, 30, has a 4.97 ERA in 112 1/3 innings this season for the Washington Nationals. He split time in the rotation and logged bulk innings in relief. He could end up in a similar role with the Diamondbacks. Littell was designated for assignment by the Nationals last week and cleared waivers, ostensibly because he had a $4 million buyout on a 2027 mutual option, thus becoming a free agent. The Diamondbacks will be on the hook only for a prorated portion of the league minimum.
[SI] Torey Lovullo Sends a Message to D-backs Fans After Beating Dodgers – “I want to say something about our fans. They’ve been present, and they’ve been posting up, and it’s been great. This crowd here [Sunday] was very engaged. I always judge the seventh inning stretch [chants] ‘D-backs’ or ‘Dodgers.’ And I think we got them today. I heard more D-backs over Dodgers. So they brought it. I love our fans. We need them. Keep coming.” The energy has been palpable all series, reaching a particularly high volume in game one, thanks to Corbin Carroll’s home run-robbing catch and Ryan Waldschmidt’s eventual walk-off home run. Lovullo said he’s felt the fan support, even when playing in opposing cities. “Even on the road; we go on the road, and there’s a large crowd behind our dugout. Every single city we go into. I haven’t necessarily seen that a lot over the ten years that I’ve been here. I want to say thanks to those fans that come out and rock it for us on the road, too.”
[Arizona Sports] Diamondbacks keep winning while best players are slumping – Carroll’s batting stance looks a bit different, as the perennial workhorse continues to try putting himself in better hitting position.He moved his hands down in an effort to be more streamlined to the baseball.“Just trying to fix my direction, basically,” Carroll said. “That’s what feels good right now, but I’m just trying to make sure that my hands don’t kind of get buried behind me and keep them showing to the pitcher a little bit more. I’d say just working and trying to find the points of emphasis where when I go in the game, it keeps it simple,” he added. “Hopefully things take off from there. … I would say there’s been some positive signs in the games recently, just in terms of hitting a few more balls on a line. Just gotta keep working.”
[Yahoo] Craig Kimbrel signing with 12th MLB team moves veteran reliever closer to history – Once Kimbrel does get on the mound in Kansas City, he will then have pitched for more organizations than all but five pitchers in MLB history. Edwin Jackson and Rich Hill both toed the mound for 14 teams each, while Octavio Dotel and Roosevelt Davis pitched for 13 teams apiece. Kimbrel, a nine-time All-Star, turned 38 back in May and has made 33 Major League appearances in relief this season for the Mets and Rays.
[MLB] How the hot springs in Arkansas became the original Spring Training destination – Although Spring Training has come to be heavily associated with its permanent homes of Florida and Arizona, where this tradition formally began may surprise you. To call Albert Goodwill Spalding an influential baseball figure would be an understatement. As a player, he was an early adopter of the baseball glove and a co-organizer of the NL itself. Within a decade, he was the president of the Chicago White Stockings (later the Cubs), and in that role he stumbled upon another innovation. Ahead of the 1886 season, Spalding decided to find a more suitable preseason training site for his team. He landed, ultimately, on Arkansas.
The Furious (2025)
Rating: B
Dir: Kenji Tanigaki
Star: Miao Xie, Joe Taslim, Yang Enyou, Joey Iwanaga
Yeah, believe the hype. Okay, much of it. This is not quite as good as The Raid: Redemption. But the number of films deserving even of a credible comparison there are few. Simply being in the conversation is high praise, reserved for the very top tier of action cinema. Might be limited to not many more than The Night Comes for Us – and it’s hardly a coincidence both those, like this, starred Taslim. He may be the best, least-known action actor in the world. Make no mistake though: it’s a banger, which likely provoked more audible reactions from Chris and myself than any other film this year. Mostly of the “Oh, shit!” variety – and in a good way at that.
VENICE, FLORIDA - MARCH 16, 2025: Owen Carey #30 of the Atlanta Braves bats during the second inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Detroit Tigers at CoolToday Park on March 16, 2025 in Venice, Florida. (Photo by George Kubas/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
It was a very rough game for the Stripers as the game was first delayed due to rain, and then called due to rain after just five innings.
Cedric De Grandpre got the start and struggled with his control, walking five over just three innings of work. He gave up just two earned runs despite the control problems which was the positive, but ultimately he needed 62 pitches to get through three innings, throwing only 31 strikes (50% strike rate). Cedric was able to work around walks in the first and second inning, but they caught up to him in the third when with two outs he went BB, 1B, HBP, BB to drive in the second run of the game. He was removed from the game after the third inning and was replaced by Ray Kerr (1IP 1H 1ER 0BB 1K) who gave up a solo shot for his run. The recently acquired Bailey Falter made his first appearance for the Stripers, working what ended up being the final inning, and gave up an unearned run following a throwing error by catcher Jair Camargo.
Offensively, there is pretty much nothing to recap as the Stripers were no-hit through those five innings. Patrick Clohisy was the only player to reach base and that came in the first inning via a throwing error. Outside of that one play, the Stripers had the minimum come to plate where they were overmatched by starting pitcher Jace Beck.
In what was a wildly entertaining back-and-forth game the Clingstones were able to strike late to secure the win against an extremely strong Biloxi Shuckers team that features quite a few prominent prospects for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Ian Mejia got the start for Columbus who was strong at the start, facing the minimum through the first three innings. Unfortunately things changed immediately in the third inning where he allowed three extra-base hits including a two run home run. He would allow back-to-back singles to start the fifth inning before he was replaced by Owen Hackman (1IP 2H 2ER 2BB 1K) who struggled, allowing a pair of runs on two walks and two hits. Shay Schanaman (2.2IP 0H 0R 1BB 1K) replaced Owen and provided stability to the Clingstones, getting through 2.2 scoreless innings of work. Samuel Strickland (0.1IP 0H 0R 0BB 0K) came in, in the 8th inning and needed a total of six pitches to face his one batter, ending the eighth. Luis Vargas (1IP 1H 0R 0BB 1K) worked a scoreless ninth inning, picking up his fourth save of the season.
Offensively, this was a wildly entertaining game featuring several big hits and offensive contributions. The Clingstones put up three runs in the first inning including back-to-back home runs by Owen Carey (2R HR), and Jordan Groshans on back-to-back pitches.
This made it back-to-back games with a home run for Owen who is adapting to Double-A pitching quite well. After losing the lead in the top of the fourth, the Clingstones offense responded and took the lead back in the bottom of the fourth when Jordan Groshans tripled in Owen Carey who singled to start the inning. The Clingstones would fall behind again in the fifth inning, Kevin Kilpatrick Jr., responded once again in the bottom half of the inning with a lead off solo home run. They would then close the lead to just one in the bottom of the sixth on a Luke Waddell RBI double. Two innings later in the decisive 8th, the Clingstones would re-take the lead following a Will Verdung two run single, and Kevin Kilpatrick Jr., would add the cherry on top with a run scoring ground out that scored Luke Waddell for the games final run.
A return to form for Aiven Cabral, along with strong offensive contributions from some of the systems top prospects led to the Emperors taking the final game of the series against an extremely strong Grasshoppers squad. The Emperors stadium lost power so there was no MiLB.tv.
Aiven got the start and it was a return to form for him. He utilized tons of weak contact to quickly make his way through the Grasshoppers lineup. Unlike the past couple of starts, he was able to stay away from the long inning by simply inducing weak contact and being in the zone. Jacob Kroeger (2.1IP 2H 2ER 0BB 2K) came in for Aiven and pitched solidly despite the two runs scored. Those runs came on a fly ball that found space and fell for a double – allowing two runs to score. Drew Christo (1.1IP 2H 0R 0BB 1K) recorded the final four outs, picking up his third save of the season – he did so by being aggressive and being in zone with his pitch mix.
Offensively, it was an unfortunate game to miss as there were multiple contributions by some of the organizations top prospects, but it was a strong game for a lot of the team. Colin Burgess drove in the first run of the game in the first inning with a sacrifice fly that drove in Dallas Macias. The Emperors would re-take the lead on a Colby Jones home run in the the fourth inning with a solo shot. Conor Essenburg connected on his first home run as an Emperor and it was a BANG (HR coming at 49 second mark)
The GreenJackets ran into the buzzsaw that is the Hickory Crawdads falling 7-2 on Sunday.
Brody Fowler got the start for the GreenJackets and put together one of his better professional careers. He attacked the zone with his fastball, especially early, setting himself up well later in his start where he sequenced in his breaking pitches a bit more (slider, splitter). He allowed a pair of runs scattered across five innings – including a solo shot in the second inning. After his solid outing, Brody was replaced by Logan Forsythe (2.2IP 1H 2ER 1BB 2K) who kept the game well within reach for the GreenJackets before a disastrous eighth inning did them in. Logan was removed from the game with two outs and runners on first and second and replaced by Styven Paez (0.1IP 4H 3ER 0BB 1K) who simply could not get it done – allowing both inherited runners to score, and allowing three more additional runs to score all before he could secure a single out. He was un-done by his inability to land his breaking pitches in the zone, instead turning into a single pitch pitcher and getting hit hard and continually.
The GreenJackets offense struggled for a majority of the game, collecting just six total hits. They were held scoreless in all but one inning and as a team went just 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position. The lone two runs came in the sixth inning thanks to a first – as Braves 8th round draft pick Jacob Jarrell out of Clemson collected his first professional double, doubling in Parker Brosius for Augusta’s first run of the game.
One batter later Cooper McMurray drove in Jacob on a grounder to right field to tie the game at 2-2 at the time. Matt Scannell would double right after that to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with just one out, but the GreenJackets were unable to drive them in. After that, the GreenJackets failed to really threaten – picking up just a single and a walk in the games final two innings.
Change can be hard to come by in the NHL. The cliche of the “200 hockey men” way of thinking is a cliche for a reason. The NHL is an old boys club, where men who are already connected to the inner circle in one way or another have a massive advantage over everyone else. Not only this, but this insular group also has a band of media allies eager to do their bidding and serve as mouthpieces and shields for them, all to get a little access. This media version of the old boys club has some degree of separation from the group that is actually inside the league, but they are, for the most part, hand-in-glove with one another. Granted this is also the case in many, many industries across the world, but at least as far as sports go, the NHL is among the worst in this regard.
The sons of former NHLers are making it to the league at a crazy rate. The same 35-40 men keep getting all the head coaching jobs. Front offices keep getting staffed with the same candidates too, although I do think there is a little more variety in GM hirings than head coach hirings. The hockey media keeps churning out new, interesting people every year, but the newbies are mostly kept to the fringes unless they toe the company line, so to speak. It’s all so incestuous, and while other sports are guilty of this to a certain degree as I mentioned, the NHL really does feel like they’re behind the rest of them.
But with the Carolina Hurricanes finally getting over the hump and winning their elusive championship in the Rod Brind’Amour era, a question has started to bounce around in my head: Are we, at long last, about to see the Moneyball revolution in the NHL that we have seen in other sports?
The Moneyball Revolution?
I suppose the first thing I should do is define what I mean by the “Moneyball revolution”. For those who don’t follow baseball, Moneyball is a reference to Michael Lewis’ 2003 book, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. The book is about the 2002 Oakland Athletics, and more specifically, their general manager, Billy Beane. Oakland was one of the lowest-revenue teams in MLB back then, and with franchises like the Yankees and Red Sox buying all the best players, including Oakland’s own Jason Giambi and Johnny Damon, Beane and the A’s had to get creative in order to stay competitive. By moving away from traditional baseball thinking and embracing the sabermetrics pioneered by people such as Bill James, Beane and the Athletics were able to find value in places where nobody else in baseball was looking, helping them to yet another monster season in 2002, even if it did end disappointingly in the ALDS.
Granted, while the focus on the market inefficiency of on-base percentage and the diamonds in the rough such as Scott Hatteberg certainly helped, the team was also loaded with big time stars. You wouldn’t know it from watching the movie adaptation of the book, but the A’s also employed these guys named Barry Zito, Mark Mulder, and Tim Hudson back then. Not to mention Miguel Tejada and Eric Chavez. Those guys were pretty good! But I’m getting off on a tangent here. The point is, while the 2002 A’s had their homegrown stars, it was the Moneyball ethos that helped them build depth and give them those all-important edges that can push a team over the top.
As mentioned, those 2002 A’s didn’t win it all, but they perhaps did something even more important: they changed the game. In the wake of Oakland’s embrace of Moneyball, the rest of MLB started to embrace analytics. Now, almost a quarter century later, Major League Baseball is completely unrecognizable from how it was when Beane was signing the Hattebergs of the world. Nowadays, the standard operating procedure for MLB front offices is to hire analytics-minded GMs, build a massive analytics department, and incorporate advanced stats into every decision. Depending on who you talk to, this isn’t necessarily a good thing. But whether it’s good or bad is almost besides the point. The real point is that Moneyball changed the game forever.
Look around MLB today, and you would be hard pressed to find a general manager/president of baseball operations who was a former player or manager. It’s mostly longtime scouts with a specialty in analytics, or Ivy League guys with degrees in data science or something similar. In fact, one of the very few former player GMs, the Texas Rangers’ Chris Young, is a Princeton grad himself. As far as I can tell, only Buster Posey and Jerry Dipoto are leading men in an MLB front office that are former players without an accompanying high-level education. For better or worse, baseball is run by the nerds these days.
Eric Tulsky, Sunny Mehta, And The Value Of Iconoclasm
Thanks to Billy Beane and the Oakland Athletics, Major League Baseball has had it’s Moneyball revolution. But while analytics has certainly become more prominent in the NHL in recent years, it is still a far cry from what baseball has accomplished in this regard. Do that same test of NHL GMs/POHOs, and you will find that the vast majority of the league’s top decision makers were former players, even if only briefly. And that doesn’t even count legacy cases (or nepo-babies, depending on how cynical you’re feeling) such as Stan Bowman or Chris Patrick. Once again, the NHL is very insular and obsessed with not rocking the boat.
Despite this, the reason I wonder if the NHL is on the edge of an analytics upheaval is pretty simple: the recent 1-2 punch of Eric Tulsky winning the Stanley Cup, and our New Jersey Devils hiring Sunny Mehta as their own general manager.
We’ll start with Carolina. Tulsky’s origin story from blogger to GM is a familiar one at this point, so I won’t get into the finer details here. The broad strokes are that he is a brilliant man with degrees in chemistry and physics from Harvard University, who worked in nanotechnology for a decade, and then entered the world of hockey through writing about the NHL for SB Nation. He parlayed those credentials into part-time consulting/analyst work for a few NHL clubs, and then eventually a full-time role with the Carolina Hurricanes. While in Raleigh, he worked his way up from the analytics department to assistant GM to, finally, general manager in the summer of 2024. Two years later, he became the man who brought the Cup back to North Carolina.
Tulsky’s existence is almost a direct affront to the 200 hockey men that uphold NHL orthodoxy. I know I sound like a broken record, but it really does bear a lot of repeating: these men do NOT like outsiders coming in and changing things. The 200 hockey men are very, very, VERY concerned with making sure nobody rocks the boat, lest there be significant consequences. And yet, Tulsky was able to break through the firewall and reach the NHL mountaintop. Obviously there have been front offices in recent years that have relied significantly on analytics to build championship rosters, but they were usually fronted by much more traditional hockey men. Think Colorado with Joe Sakic. But Tulsky is the first person that truly embodies the Moneyball spirit to be the leading figure of a club that won the last game of their season in June.
And now, as Tulsky hoists the Cup, in comes Sunny Mehta. A native son of New Jersey, Mehta is cut from the same cloth as Tulsky as a brilliant outsider of sorts. Much like Tulsky, I won’t go deep into Mehta’s biography here since everyone is probably familiar with it. Suffice to say, Mehta’s unique path from musician to poker player to hockey analytics firebrand has landed him the top job with his childhood team, and with his hiring comes a heavy emphasis on analytics. Once again, this does not mean the New Jersey Devils organization was devoid of any sort of analytics prior to Mehta’s arrival. In fact, the franchise employs one of the bigger analytics departments in the league, running seven employees deep with Matt Cane at the top as Vice President, Hockey Analytics and Strategy according to the Devils front office directory.
That being said, that analytics department used to be led by Tom Fitzgerald, who was the epitome of the stale, cowardly hockey mind who was scared of taking even the tiniest risk in his later years as Devils GM. I’m not going to say that Fitzgerald made zero good moves, because that would be unfair and inaccurate. I’m also not going to say that he took zero risks either, because that also wouldn’t be true. But after the team’s magical 2022-23 season, Fitzgerald definitely became way more risk-averse. He was a conformist who was already inclined to lean into his hockey man instincts, and after the failures of 2023-24, he fully retreated into the safe, bland, traditional way of doing things in his last few seasons at the helm. The Devils might have had a relatively large analytics department, but with Fitzgerald running things, it was sort of like giving a trained jiu jitsu fighter a sniper rifle and expecting him to know how to use it.
By the end, Devils fans, myself included, were so unbelievably sick of Fitzgerald’s complete aversion to doing anything. We were desperate for change, and tons of us wanted the Devils to bring Mehta home. To be fair, it wasn’t just because he was an analytics guy. No, it was mostly because Mehta proved that his data-based approach was extremely effective in Florida, where he helped lead the Panthers to back-t0-back championships as Bill Zito’s assistant general manager. And it wasn’t just Devils fans who wanted him. Every team that was in the market for a new GM this offseason seemed to have Mehta at or near the top of their wish list. I seem to recall the Toronto Maple Leafs fanbase especially clamoring for him before he signed on with the Devils. Leafs fans were in a very similar situation as Devils fans, having suffered through the unbelievably stale, traditional tenure of Brad Treliving. They wanted a fresh mind with new ideas. They wanted winning analytics. They wanted Mehta.
So now Mehta has secured the top job in New Jersey. And before his team has played a single game with him at the wheel, he’s already shown a willingness to spit in the eye of the traditional way of doing things. Offer sheets are very rare in the NHL. We have seen a slight uptick in offer sheets in recent years, such as the Sebastian Aho-Jesperi Kotkaniemi saga from a few years back, and the dual St. Louis Blues offer sheets of 2024 for Dylan Hollaway and Philip Broberg. But by and large, they are still an underutilized tool, largely because traditional hockey lifers view them as some sort of significant breach of decorum. But Mehta didn’t care one bit about that, signing Utah’s Barrett Hayton to an offer sheet after Bill Armstrong backed out of a trade that would’ve sent Hayton to New Jersey at the draft. To be fair, this offer sheet failed, and even if it didn’t, it’s not like this alone would be proof that Mehta is doing a great job. But it’s just so refreshing to see a GM think outside the box while seeming to lean on his data to make smart player acquisition moves. Mehta didn’t care that there was decorum to uphold or that he was the new kid on the block. He came in and immediately tried to improve his club by whatever means necessary.
But of course, this was a slap in the face to the old ways of doing things. And as a result, a couple of those 200 hockey men found it necessary to wag their fingers at Mehta:
Meanwhile, those same media insiders laughed at Tulsky and the Hurricanes for shipping Mikko Rantanen out just a handful of games after they traded for him from the Colorado Avalanche during the 2024-25 season. But Tulsky didn’t care what the stuffy old hockey media thought, he did what was best for his team. Once he learned that he wouldn’t be able to sign Rantanen long-term, Tulsky pivoted, took the PR hit, and acquired a ton of draft capital and a player in Logan Stankoven that became absolutely indispensable to the Hurricanes run to a championship this spring.
This is the value of being an iconoclast. Like Beane with on-base percentage, Tulsky and Mehta are looking for market inefficiencies wherever they can find them, without worrying about decorum or tradition or being mocked by those in and around the game. Mind you, being different just for the sake of being different is not a great approach. There’s a difference between being an effective iconoclast and a shallow contrarian. It’s not enough to go against tradition, you have to actually have a plan. Tulsky did, and his reward was 16 playoff victories in 2026. Despite being brand new to the job, I feel confident in saying that Mehta has a solid plan. By his own admission, the roster still needs some work. But The Rock wasn’t built in a day after all, and I have faith that Mehta can play the long game well.
Time Will Tell
For as hostile as the NHL can be to change, the NHL is also a copycat league. This paradoxically makes the league one filled with people who don’t want anything to change, yet who constantly change some things in order to chase the latest winning trend. It happens with styles of play, it happens with which player archetypes are valued, and it happens with front office structure.
Before Eric Tulsky was promoted to GM in Carolina, there was another sort of shift taking place in front offices: the rise of the former agents. Entering this upcoming season, you could argue that the two best general managers in the league are Bill Zito and Kent Hughes, two former player agents. In Edmonton, Jeff Jackson, another former agent, is the CEO and President of Hockey Operations. This isn’t anywhere close to the level of upheaval as the arrival of the analytics nerds, as agents occupy some of the same space in the inner circle as those 200 hockey men. But it’s at least a little different than normal.
So the NHL was already on its way to changing who runs things, and Tulsky was the first one to successfully kick in the door as a true outsider. I use the word “successfully” very deliberately there, as I would argue the then-Arizona Coyotes hiring John Chayka was an analytics-oriented move that predated Tulsky. The problem was, that hire didn’t work out all that much, and Chayka was fired and left the game before returning this offseason in Toronto. But whereas Chayka didn’t really have much of a track record to justify his hiring, Tulsky did, and he backed it up by winning a championship. Now Mehta comes in with a pretty sparkling resume of his own. I’m not going to say that a Moneyball revolution is riding on whether Mehta sinks or swims. That would be reductive and shortsighted, especially considering the analytics movement didn’t die with Chayka. But I will say this: If Mehta succeeds in the same way Tulsky did, I think even the 200 hockey men are going to be way more inclined to believe in analytics. For now, they have the luxury of viewing Tulsky as a one-off anomaly since no one else with his type of background has achieved anything in the NHL. But if Mehta succeeds, people would be forced to see this as a viable, repeatable, dependable option, not just a passing fad or a lucky outlier.
For now, I don’t think Devils fans, myself included, care all that much about leading a revolution in how the game of hockey is managed. We just want to win. Still, it might be worth at least a passing thought on what Mehta’s hire means in the larger context of hockey history. If Mehta really does go on to become a general manager who, dare I say, brings some Stanley Cups to New Jersey and builds himself a hall of fame career as a builder, I think there’s a real possibility that his hiring is looked back on as the spark that ignited the Moneyball revolution in the NHL. And wouldn’t that just be the coolest thing ever to know that it was our guy who revolutionized the game we all know and love?
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 08: Andrés Chaparro #87 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with Abimelec Ortiz #81 after scoring in the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Nationals Park on August 08, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When the Nats traded Luis Garcia Jr. to the Yankees, they were losing the NL leader in slugging and one of the more unique hitters in the game. Garcia’s combination of contact skills and power was thrilling to watch. However, the Nats decision to move Garcia might have made them a better team this season.
This is no knock on Garcia at all. He was having a great season and is a very good hitter. However, the Nats got multiple bullpen arms for Garcia while having an in-house replacement at first base. Right now, the Abimelec Ortiz and Andres Chaparro duo is making sure the Nats aren’t losing any production at first base.
As you can see, both Ortiz and Chaparro are heavy hitters at first base. Both of them have the power and bat speed you want to see from that position. There is a high barrier for entry offensively at the first base position. However, both of these guys have the tools to mash.
Chaparro’s offensive explosion in the second half has been equal parts surprising and exhilarating. Even in the first half when Chaparro was not producing at all, some of his underlying numbers were still solid. However, seeing him mash the way he has is still shocking for a guy with a .167 average and .586 OPS in the first half.
In the second half, Chaparro is hitting .318 with 5 homers and a 1.173 OPS in 18 games. With three righties on the mound this weekend, Chaparro did not make any starts, but he still had a huge impact. He pinch hit on Saturday and Sunday, driving in five runs on the weekend. These hits helped the Nats blow games open and secure comfortable victories.
While Chaparro has gotten the vast majority of his reps against lefties, he has looked comfortable against right handed pitching when given the opportunity. He is 7 for 17 with 2 homers and 12 RBI against righties and came up with a big knock against Tejay Antone yesterday. After missing a home run by inches, Chaparro ripped a 2-run double in the gap to put the nail in the Reds coffin.
However, Chaparro has been around for a while now and is the weak side of the platoon. Rookie slugger Abimelec Ortiz is the first baseman against righties, and he has been mashing. The Nats received Ortiz as part of the MacKenzie Gore trade, and the former Rangers farmhand has mashed in AAA this year. Despite an underwhelming .244 average, Ortiz had an .845 OPS and 18 home runs. Importantly, Ortiz also struck out under 20% of the time.
His skills are likely a reason why the Nats pulled the trigger on the Garcia trade. With the bullpen help they received and Ortiz waiting in the wings, the idea was that the Garcia trade would not really hurt them this season. So far, that theory is looking smart. Yovanny Cruz and Jake Bird both made impacts out of the bullpen while Ortiz had great at bats all weekend.
Ortiz is known for his power, but his pure hitting ability has been very impressive. He fell behind Chase Burns 0-2 before guiding a single the other way to drive in two runners. Against a strikeout artist like Burns, staying in that AB is so impressive, especially for a young hitter. The 24 year old is hitting .273 with an .895 OPS in 8 games so far.
We saw the pure hitting ability on Saturday, but yesterday we got to see some of that big power. Ortiz drove a well placed sweeper to the opposite field for a home run off of Brady Singer. It was a pitch that was executed well, but Ortiz was able to drive it out of the ballpark anyways.
The results have been there, but the overall quality of the at bats have been even more impressive for me. He has not looked overmatched at any point in his big league career so far, even when he had to pinch hit against Jhoan Duran. It is too soon to say if he can completely make up for Garcia’s loss, but at the very least, he should be a solid piece in the Nats lineup.
When you think of elite first baseman, you envision the likes of Matt Olson, Pete Alonso or Freddie Freeman. However, the Nats have gotten that kind of production from the position without having a star player like that. The Nats have done a lot of platooning this season, but it has worked the best at first base. With Luis Garcia, and now Abimelec Ortiz hitting against righties while Andres Chaparro mashes lefties, it is a great formula.
Seeing that platoon not really miss a beat with Ortiz thrown in the fire has also been great to see. If Ortiz stays hot, that Garcia trade could honestly help us this season. Yovanny Cruz looks like an electric arm and has helped stabilize the bullpen. Also, Jake Bird looked good in his first outing. He struggled with the Yankees, but he had some solid seasons with the Rockies and there are plenty of examples of players who just can’t make it work in pinstripes.
The Luis Garcia Jr. trade looked like a huge blow for the offense, but right now the machine is rolling on. They are not household names, and were never really big name prospects, but the duo of Abimelec Ortiz and Andres Chaparro looks like a productive first base platoon. Those two certainly played a massive role in the Nats first sweep since April.
The Red Sox (64-53) open a four-game series at Rogers Centre against the Blue Jays (56-63) tonight looking to get back on track after losing two in a row over the weekend to the Athletics. The Jays return home after taking two of three in Philadelphia against the Philles.
Despite dropping their last two games, the Red Sox have still won 27 of their last 32 contests and remain firmly in the American League postseason hunt. Toronto sits 3.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot.
Boston's weekend series against the Athletics was an unusual stumble for one of baseball's hottest teams. After routing Oakland 13-1 on Friday, the Red Sox dropped the final two games of the series, losing 7-3 on Saturday before falling 4-3 yesterday. The Saturday defeat snapped a nine-game winning streak, and Sunday's loss marked the first time since July 1 that Boston had lost back-to-back games. Toronto spent the weekend in Philadelphia and nearly came away with a sweep. The Blue Jays won Friday's opener 5-4 and followed with an 11-inning, 7-5 victory on Saturday. Yesterday, however, Toronto fell 7-6 in 12 innings.
Tonight, the Red Sox will hand the ball to veteran right-hander Sonny Gray (14-2, 2.78 ERA). Few are talking about his season, but Gray has been outstanding for the Sox. His most recent outing came on August 5 against the White Sox, when he tossed six scoreless innings, allowed just three hits, walked two, and struck out eight in a 4-0 Boston victory. Prior to that, he beat the Athletics despite allowing four runs over seven innings. Gray has faced Toronto twice this season and owns an 0-1 record with a 6.00 ERA against the Blue Jays.
Toronto counters with Jameson Taillon (2-6, 5.96 ERA), who is making just his second start since being acquired from the Cubs. In his Blue Jays debut on August 5 against Houston, Taillon allowed three runs on six hits over four innings, walking two and striking out four. He threw 80 pitches and was fortunate to escape with a no-decision as Toronto rallied for a 5-4 extra-inning win. Despite his struggles this season, Taillon has historically pitched well against Boston, posting a career 3-1 record and 2.59 ERA in eight starts against the Red Sox.
Lets dive further into tonight’s game and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch: Red Sox vs. White Sox
Date: Monday, August 10, 2026
Time: 7:07PM EST
Site: Rogers Centre
City: Toronto, ONT
Network/Streaming: MLB.TV, NESN, Sportsnet
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
The Latest Odds: Red Sox vs. Blue Jays
The latest odds as of Monday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Boston Red Sox (-164), Toronto Blue Jays (+153)
Spread: Red Sox -1.5 (+102), Blue Jays +1.5 (-122)
Total: 8.5 runs
Probable Starting Pitchers – Red Sox vs. Blue Jays for August 10
Red Sox: Sonny Gray Season Totals: 119.2 IP, 14-2, 2.78 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 106K, 32 BB
Blue Jays: Jameson Taillon Season Totals: 80.0 IP, 2-6, 5.96 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 72K, 29 BB
Who’s Hot? Who’s Not! Red Sox vs. Blue Jays
Ernie Clement has hit safely in 4 of his last 5 games (6-24)
Caleb Durbin is just 2-9 in his career against Jameson Taillon but 1 of the 2 hits is a HR
Andres Gimenez is riding a 4-game hitting streak (7-17)
Kazuma Okamoto has struck out at least once in 10 straight games
George Springer is 10-32 with 2 HRs in his career against Sonny Gray
Ceddanne Rafaela is 10-37 in August with 3 HRs
Jarren Duran is 1-16 over his last 4 games
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top Betting Trends & Insights: Red Sox vs. Blue Jays
The Blue Jays are an MLB-best 67-46 on the Run Line this season
The Red Sox are 57-56 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed 59 times in Toronto’s 119 games this season (59-56-4)
The OVER has cashed 52 times in Boston’s 117 games this season (52-61-4)
Expert picks & predictions: Red Sox vs. White Sox for August 10
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s game between the Blue Jays and the Red Sox:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Red Sox on the Moneyline.
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Red Sox on the Run Line.
Total: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 8.5
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SEATTLE, WA - AUGUST 09: Ian Seymour #61 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches during the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Sunday, August 9, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Eric Hiller/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Rays swept the Seattle Mariners with death by a thousand cuts on Sunday, dominating the Mariners who had the look of a team ready to go home, tallying 14 hits on a sunny day in the pacific northwest.
Hicks proved his worth when the Rays had runners on the corners in the sixth inning and the Mariners opted to intentionally walk Junior Caminero to load the bases and hope for an easy groundball. Normally this might expose the small-ball elements of the Rays offense, but with Hicks hitting fourth there is protection in a way the AL leaders in wins did not have before the deadline.
Hicks sliced it the other way, scoring two as former Rays star Randy Arozarena seemingly jogged over to the ball.
Ian Seymour, in his fourteenth career start, settled in against the Mariners, allowing one early run but otherwise cruising through six full innings, taking the burden off the bullpen that had to cover for Griffin Jax’s elbow injury before yesterday’s game, and allowing him to overcome the blemish from July 12 where hi allowed six runs and only picked up ten outs.
With those demons excised, Seymour struck out seven:
Since stretching into a starter’s workload on June 20, Seymour has a 3.46 ERA and 3.09 FIP with a 31.1% strikeout rate and 5.3% walk rate. That amounts to a contribution of 1.3 fWAR, which is 15th highest among all pitchers as of that same date, and his K-BB% ranks ninth.
Cam Booser, Casey Legumina and veteran Steven Matz — who picked up the save! — cruised through the final nine outs, allowing just one hit combined. Matz worked his sinker more than 70% of the ninth, needing only an occasional change to cruise through his second day of relief work in a row on 14 pitches.
Other Notes:
Yandy Diaz had his fourteenth career four-hit game, listen to his post-game interview here.
Rays No. 14 Chandler Simpson also picked up four hits on the day, with his only missed opportunity to get on base coming just before Caminero’s intentional walk in the sixth
Your moment of zen: Simpson lives rent free
Josh Naylor, doing headsy stuff again to get the speedy Chandler Simpson off the bases. pic.twitter.com/BtqPN1F0x1
Aug 9, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers second baseman Nicky Lopez (33) hits a triple during the ninth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Good morning.
Shawn McFarland writes about what we’ve learned about the Texas Rangers over the last week as they climbed their way back to .500.
Jeff Wilson writes that the Rangers couldn’t complete a sweep of Baltimore on Sunday but they enjoyed a successful homestand to remain contenders.
Evan Grant writes that it was a mental lapse that started Kumar Rocker on the path to a bad outing in Sunday’s finale loss.
Kennedi Landry writes that the Rangers are hoping to ride more positive vibes as they take on a couple of AL West rivals this week.
Aug 9, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk (30) tags out Philadelphia Phillies catcher Garrett Stubbs (21) at home during the eleventh inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Phillies found themselves in two extra innings games over the weekend, and they seemed to deploy a new strategy. Multiple times in yesterday’s contest, Don Mattingly elected to have his players attempt to bunt the ghost runner over to give the Phillies a chance to score the run without needing a base hit.
The first attempt came in the bottom of the tenth, when Bryson Stott successfully bunted what would have been the winning run in J.T. Realmuto to third base after the Blue Jays stranded their ghost runner in the top half of the inning. This is despite Stott coming into the game as one of the hottest Phillies hitters, hitting .409 since the start of August with a 1.185 OPS. He did his job moving the runner over with the bunt, but Toronto then elected to intentionally walk Brandon Marsh to face Alec Bohm who has struggled with hitting into double plays. He didn’t do that here, but he didn’t get the run in either, as Bohm popped out to foul territory. Then with two outs, Derek Hill lined out to strand the runners.
The Phillies attempted another bunt in the 11th inning in a similar situation. Their bullpen held the Blue Jays scoreless in the top half of the inning again and gave them another chance to win the game by scoring the ghost runner. Kyle Schwarber was intentionally walked to begin the inning to put runners on first and second and Trea Turner attempted a bunt. His was not as successful as Stott’s, as it was popped back to the pitcher Braydon Fisher. However, Fisher dropped the ball but recovered enough to throw Hill out at third, essentially having the Phillies waste an out to have the same scenario they had before the bunt but with one out. Bryce Harper then drew a walk to load the bases before Luis Arraez hit a shallow fly ball to right fielder Jesús Sánchez who gunned down the pinch runner Garrett Stubbs at home for a double play to end the inning.
Finally, the Phillies bunted again to lead off the 12th, this time down a run after their bullpen could not keep Toronto’s ghost runner off the board. This was the most successful of the three, as Realmuto’s bunt ended up being a base hit that put runners on the corners with no outs. Stott then singled in the tying run before Hill drove in the game winning run three batters later.
Bunting with the ghost runner has its own positives and negatives. If you are successful, it allows you to score the run without a base hit. However, even if you are successful in sacrificing, it essentially gives you one less chance to score because you are giving away an out. So, what do you think about bunting the ghost runner over in extra innings?
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 11: Michael Harris II #23 of the Atlanta Braves bunts during extra innings of the MLB game between the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies on April 11, 2025 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
I don’t know if this weekend actually had an unusual volume of extra-inning games, but with the Braves engaged in two, it sure felt like it.
The free runner extra inning rules have never sat all that well with me. To the extent that long extra-inning games were a problem, there were more than a handful of other solutions I’d have preferred. But, I think everyone involved generally prefers this form of aggressive shortening, so it’s probably not going anywhere in the near term. That creates its own weird discontinuity given that the rule suddenly disappears in the playoffs, but this doesn’t seem to perturb MLB, so it is what it is.
My question is whether you think that we’ll ever get to a point where the current extra-inning “rule” goes away. On the one hand, never say never. On the other hand, I’m not really sure what would force anyone’s hand regarding extra innings. What do you think?
The road to the MLB playoffs is more crowded than ever as the sprint to October picks up.
While division leaders continue to jockey for position, the biggest drama is unfolding in the wild card races, where contenders are fighting for the last of the postseason berths. Several clubs remain separated by only a handful of games, which makes every series crucial.
Here's the latest playoff picture, updated with MLB wild card standings and the teams on each side of the postseason cut line heading into action on Monday, Aug. 10.
MLB playoff picture: Who would make playoffs if season ended today?
Last half of intraleague games: These are the records from intraleague games after the All-Star break.
Last half of intraleague games plus one: Previous intraleague game on the schedule before All-Star break is used and process is repeated until tie is resolved.
When do MLB playoffs start?
The first day of the MLB postseason is expected to be Tuesday, Sept. 29, two days after the regular season ends. The dates for the division series and championship series have yet to be determined, but the World Series is set to begin Friday, Oct. 23. If necessary, Game 7 of the World Series will be on Halloween (Saturday, Oct. 31).
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 09: Kumar Rocker #80 of the Texas Rangers throws a pitch during a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Globe Life Field on August 09, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Orioles 10, Rangers 5
Well that was unpleasant.
Kumar Rocker had an outing that felt very 2025 from Rocker.
A mental error leading to runs, a pair of homers allowed, the hook coming out early in the game.
Its so frustrating, because every time you think Rocker has turned the corner, one of these games occurs.
Rocker should have been out of the first with no runs allowed.
After a Pete Alonso single and Jackson Holliday double put runners at second and third with one out in the first, Rocker got Tyler O’Neill swinging. Dylan Beavers followed with a hard hit grounder down the line at first that Jake Burger made a nice play on.
It should have been an inning-ending 3-1 putout…only Rocker, once again, did not cover first. So instead of being out of the inning it was an RBI infield single, with Leody Taveras following with a double to make it 2-0 Baltimore.
Two homers the next inning, accounting for five runs, made the game somewhat lopsided and un-fun from then on.
We did get to see the 2026 debut of Jordan Montgomery. The concerns about his velocity continue to be borne out, as Montgomery averaged 90.4 mph with his fastball and 89.5 mph with his sinker in the 79 pitch appearance. As a point of reference, he averaged 92.1 mph and 91.8 mph on his fastball and sinker, respectively, in 2024, and 93.2 mph and 93.3 mph in 2023.
I want Jordan Montgomery to make it back and succeed, but if he’s throwing 3 mph slower than he was in 2023, he’s got questionable value even as a long man.
Montgomery gave up three runs in four innings of work, including a pair of homers, one of which scored the Kumar Rocker walk that Montgomery inherited. Honestly, it felt a little fortunate Montgomery only allowed three.
Cole Winn pitched the final two innings and didn’t do much to make you feel good about how he’s going, as he walked three and allowed two hits, walking in a run, and avoiding more damage by getting two Ks and a fly out to escape further damage in a bases loaded, no one out situation in the ninth.
Texas had some chances early — there were two on with one out in the second, and a Brandon Nimmo two out, three run homer in the third shifted momentum and seemingly got the team back into it before Baltimore piled on more runs. They put a pair on in the fourth and in the sixth but didn’t score, until finally scraping across a couple of runs in the ninth on a Cam Cauley walk, a Nicky Lopez triple, and an RBI groundout.
Too little, too late, with too many wasted opportunities. 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one being the Nimmo homer.
Unfortunate.
On the plus side, Houston lost, so Texas is just a half game back in the West. Cleveland and Minnesota also lost, keeping them 1.5 games back in the Wild Card chase, though Detroit won, and so the Tigers are now just a game back of Texas.
Kumar Rocker hit 96.8 mph with his fastball, averaging 95.1 mph. Jordan Montgomery’s fastball hit 91.6 mph. Cole Winn touched 97.2 mph with his fastball.
Brandon Nimmo had a 107.1 mph home run. Justin Foscue had a 104.1 mph single. Ezequiel Duran had a 102.4 mph groundout. Jake Burger had a 100.8 mph single.
There has been a lot of talk about Dana Brown over the last week and rightfully so. He is on the chopping block and what was done or not done at the deadline will go a long way in determining whether he will be back in 2027 or not. I already commented about the issues he had to deal with at the deadline. However, I have tried to remain as even-handed as possible.
All trades have to be evaluated on a number of different levels. We now know that the Astros also got 1.7 million dollars in addition to getting Daulton Varsho. Essentially, that kept them from surpassing the tax threshold and depending on how you feel about Spencer Arrighetti’s future, the deal looks like a win. If you believe that Arrighetti had no real future in the organization then you were getting something for nothing. Those are always wins in the strictest sense.
However, that is not the only way to evaluate a trade. Another way to evaluate a trade is to ask what could have been possible at the same price. Supposedly, the Astros could have had Dylan Cease for Arrighetti and three prospects the previous season. How good were those prospects? Would that have been a better haul? Could Arrighetti been involved in another deal for another outfielder this season? We will never know the answer to those questions.
One of the charges that we did not address in the last piece was Brown’s preoccupation with specific players and specific profiles. His crusade for a lefty bat has been long documented, but it could also be said that he targets specific players. He admitted to scouting Lamont Wade Jr. for three years. He also alluded to the fact that he had been in on Varsho for awhile as well. Sometimes, we can be blinded when we become obsessed with certain players. In both cases, you could claim that their best days were behind them. Obviously, Wade has done some good things in Houston and the book has not been written yet on Varsho.
However, in this piece we will look at the obsession with getting a lefty bat. Is that really what the Astros outfield needed? We know Yordan Alvarez famously hits both righties and lefties. Those hitters are rare and they are paid top dollar for that ability. Most hitters struggle against one or the other. We can look at splits for this season and for their career. There are positives and negatives to focusing on one over the other.
When we look at this season we are looking at the here and now. One of the points I have made is that I start to look at numbers around Memorial Day. Each season exists on its own as a living and breathing thing and managers get burned when they focus on the “back of the baseball card.” Yet, some of these players have limited plate appearances. For instance, Wade has fewer than ten plate appearances against lefties this season. So, looking at those splits for him should be taken with a grain of salt. So, we will focus on career numbers. We will start against righties and then move to lefties. Pay close to attention to what these numbers say.
SLASH numbers against righties
AVG
OBP
SLG
OPS
Cam Smith
.227
.293
.348
.641
Jake Meyers
.227
.296
.341
.637
Taylor Trammel
.256
.343
.442
.785
Daulton Varsho
.220
.294
.436
.730
Brice Matthews
.204
.261
.358
.619
Zach Dezenzo
.204
.250
.265
.515
Joey Loperfido
.249
.308
.406
.714
Laont Wade Jr
.241
.349
.409
.758
The Astros have no shortage of outfielders and most of their outfielders are capable of playing multiple positions. The good news is that this allows them to mix and match to put the optimum group out there both offensively and defensively. Obviously, some of it works both ways. Smith is a Gold Glove level right fielder, so even though his OPS against righties is worse than most, you do get some positive value from putting him in the game. Still, if the league average OPS is .720 (as it is this season) then the Astros are capable of putting four guys out there that are close to or above the league average in OPS.
Wade cannot play in center, but the other three can play all three outfield positions. Wade can play in left field, right field, or first base. So, if you are looking strictly for offense then some combination of those four outfielders should be in the game against right handed pitching. Naturally, that means sitting Cam Smith on most nights, but every team has these choices. It represents the difference between perception and reality and it goes to evaluating whether a manager is really putting his best nine out there often enough. Let’s see what happens against lefties.
SLASH numbers against lefties
AVG
OBP
SLG
OPS
Cam Smith
.236
.333
.444
.777
Jake Meyers
.257
.312
.407
.719
Taylor Trammel
.115
.207
.192
.399
Daulton Varsho
.256
.308
.372
.680
Brice Matthews
.171
.215
.341
.556
Zach Dezenzo
.196
.286
.304
.590
Joey Loperfido
.203
.267
.253
.520
Lamont Wade
.195
.292
.252
.544
So, you have two guys here producing at a league average clip or better in their careers against lefties. Varsho isn’t terrible considering he is left-handed, but it seems like the Astros outfield is a little heavily slanted to the left side already. So why were we continuing to look for left handed hitters? I mentioned the concept of opportunity costs earlier. Maybe you cannot acquire multiple guys with the assets you had. Maybe you were only able to acquire one outfielder. Let’s compare Varsho above with Taylor Ward that went from the Orioles to the Mariners.
The Mariners traded two prospects and a relief pitcher. Both prospects were outside of the Mariners top 30 according to MLB.com. Obviously, we have no way of knowing whether they would have had any interest in Arrighetti. However, if we assume he is more valuable than the reliever that went the other way then we could surmise that the Astros could have made such a deal while throwing in one prospect outside their top 30. Let’s look at the career numbers for Ward.
AVG
OBP
SLG
OPS
Against RHP
.235
.326
.412
.738
Against LHP
.280
.363
.462
.825
The numbers aren’t quite as good this season against righties, but has been as good against lefties as the career numbers would indicate. Plus, he leads the league in walks so he would be a more appropriate player to put towards the top of the order than Varsho. However, Brown had to get his white whale. He had to get his lefty bat even if that wasn’t what the Astros really needed.
The best way to characterize the criticism of Brown is not to criticize what he did. The vast majority of his moves either worked out or made overwhelming sense at the time they were made. Varsho is likely more positive than negative as well. However, he clearly has failed to do things he said himself that he wanted to do. He also has failed to address deficiencies because he has been hyper-focused on the wrong things. This outfield needed a righty bat to balance it and the numbers above demonstrate that.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have 52 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today we look at the history of jersey #52. Almost every player on this list has a bad reputation of some sort.
Let's take a look.
Adam Foote - 2006-08 - Foote was the first player to wear #52 for the Blue Jackets in their history. In August of 2005, Adam Foote signed a 3-year contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets. At the time, it seemed like a wonderful thing. A long-time star chose to sign with a young expansion team, and things were looking up. He would be joining a team with guys like Rick Nash, Sergei Federov, Todd Marchant, and Geoff Sanderson. After just a few months, Foote was given the C after Luke Richardson stepped down as the captain.
In his first season with Columbus, he would play in 65 games. He scored six goals and had 22 points, which was good enough for third among defensemen on the team. The 2006-07 season saw him play 59 games. Foote only scored three goals and had 12 points. His first two seasons in Columbus weren’t going too well. In the third and final year of his contract, he would play in 63 games for the CBJ, scoring one goal and totaling 15 points. He was actually on pace to have his best year in a CBJ uniform.
On February 26th of 2008, Adam Foote was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a pair of draft picks. The rumor was that Columbus was trying to re-sign Foote, but Foote was pricing himself out of Columbus. The rumors back then were that Foote and his agent set their contract demands so high because they knew Columbus wouldn’t accept them, essentially forcing his way out of Columbus.
He ended his tenure with Columbus by playing in 187 games and totaling 49 points. He would play until 2011, and then he decided to retire. He was hired by the Vancouver Canucks to coach the 25-26 season, but was fired shortly after the season ended. He is now an asst. coach for the Utah Mammoth.
Craig Rivet - 2011 - Originally drafted by Montreal in 1992, where he played the first 12 years of his career, he came to the Jackets at the end of his career in 2004. Rivet, who was the captain of the Buffalo Sabres at the time, was waived by Buffalo on February 23, 2011. On February 26, 2011, Rivet was claimed on re-entry waivers by the Jackets, where he played in 14 games and totaled 1 point. After announcing his retirement in October of 2011, he signed with the ECHL's Elmira Jackals. It was later discovered that he signed the contract to obtain his United States permanent residency.
Kerby Rychel - 2015 - Rychel was drafted by Columbus in the first round of the 2013 draft and is the son of former NHL enforcer Warren Rychel. Unfortunately, the book on Kerby Rychel is really short. After playing just 37 games over two seasons, Rychel was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for defenseman Scott Harrington. Rychel would go on to play only 6 more NHL games in his career.
He spent two seasons playing for Columbus' AHL affiliate, the Springfield Falcons, and the Lake Erie Monsters. He would help the Monsters win the 2016 Calder Cup by totaling 27 points in 37 games.
In 2019, he would leave for Swedish club Örebro HK of the Swedish Hockey League. He would quickly terminate that contract when KHL club HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk offered him a deal on September 3, 2019. The team would terminate his contract after only seven games when he failed to score a single point.
Rychel is officially retired.
Emil Bemström - 2020-24 - The Blue Jackets drafted Emil Bemström in 2017, #117 overall. Although he wasn’t a high draft pick, many draft experts thought the CBJ had found a decent player—a shifty skater with a very good shot who would score.
Bemström made his NHL debut during the 19-20 season. He would play in 56 games that season, scoring 10 goals and 20 points. Additionally, he played five playoff games in the bubble in 2020 but would fail to score a point.
During the shortened 2021 season, Bemström played 20 NHL games and also played for HIFK in Liiga. He would only score three goals and total five points for the Jackets. For HIFK, however, he had 17 points in 16 games. During a game in May of 2021, Bemström would net a natural hat trick against the Nashville Predators, his first NHL goal since March 2020.
In the 2021-22 season, Bemström would only play 41 games for the Jackets. He scored six goals and had 11 points. He would also play four games for Cleveland of the AHL, scoring two goals.
In the 2022-23 season, Bemström would see his time split between Columbus and Cleveland. In Cleveland, he would play in 21 total games, scoring 14 goals and totaling 31 points. He seemed to be able to score and assist at will. In Columbus, however, it was a different story. He played in 55 games, scoring 7 goals for 22 points, and averaged 12 minutes per game on ice.
Fans have a love/hate relationship with Emil Bemström. Most people think of him as a top prospect with unlimited potential, but they need to realize he was a 4th-round pick. Although a lot of scouts and draft experts didn’t think Bemström would even play in the NHL, he has shown that he can at least score a few goals.
But on April 13th, 2023, against the Pittsburgh Penguins, that love/hate relationship came to a head. Through no fault of his own and simply doing what he is being paid to do, he scored a power-play goal. The Penguins were winning the game 2-1 with a little over three minutes left to play. Johnny Gaudreau would go on to win the game for the Jackets in OT. This win sealed the Jackets' fate in that they would not secure the worst record in the NHL, thus losing out on the chance to draft #1 overall. A large portion of CBJ fans turned on Bemström for this, unfairly. He seemed to have been forgiven after the Blue Jackets were able to secure Adam Fantilli.
Bemström's time in North America has come to an end after it was reported that he will be signing with SC Bern of the Swiss National League. In his first season back in Europe, he totaled 20 points in 33 games.
Who was favorite, or least favorite #52?
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LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 5: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers handshake after the game on February 5, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. 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 Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Last year at this time, I wrote a piece entitled End-of-summer Disjointed Basketball Thoughts. Among other things, I wrote that school should start after Labor Day as God intended, questioned the NBA’s “max” and “supermax” contracts (how can something be more than the maximum?), and (most importantly), why the Spurs’ three excellent guards was a good thing, not a problem.
Little did we know in August of 2025 that those three guards would propel the Spurs to a completely unexpected and joyous regular season and playoffs. Until, of course, well, you know.
DBT 1. I will start this season’s End of Summer Disjointed Basketball Thoughts with a DBT from last August:
DBT 6. The Portland Trailblazers were just sold to a guy who owns the Carolina Hurricanes in something called the “National Hockey League”. Never heard of it. Anyway, the Blazers have a long history in Portland and a passionate fan base. I am sure that Blazer fans have nothing to worry about just because their new owner is based in another state. Hold that thought just one second — one of my ex-players from Seattle is on the line…
Like San Antonio, Portland has only one professional sports team. (Don’t tell me that soccer or hockey teams count.) I was born in Portland and still have family in Oregon, which makes the arena turmoil surrounding the Blazers and their cheapskate owner doubly distressing. Once again, a billionaire owner doesn’t want to pay for stuff that will make his asset more valuable — with the implied threat to move elsewhere if he doesn’t get his way.
I really hope that the Blazers cut some sort of a deal to stay where they belong — Portland losing the Blazers would be terrible. One thing working in Portland’s favor is that Portland is surely a better and more proven market than the alternatives. I don’t think the NBA would allow the Blazers owner to poach either Seattle or Las Vegas – the other owners surely want the massive expansion fees from those locations. If those cities are off the table, what’s left? Kansas City or St. Louis? Louisville? Kansas City and St. Louis? No thank you. Portland wins. Unfortunately, Seattle won too — but lost their team anyway.
DBT 2. I recently met a guy at a beach party wearing a Ken Griffey Jr. baseball cap. He was from Cincinnati and said one of the best moments in his life was when Griffey came home to sign with the Reds after years of playing in Seattle. Griffey Jr. grew up in Cincinnati because his father Ken Griffey Sr. played for the Reds for many years. The guy with the Griffey hat and I decided that Griffey Jr. may be the most universally beloved baseball player of the past 50 years.
That got me thinking about whether basketball has had a similar player: someone that everyone admires, even fans of other teams. The first player I thought of is Dr. J. Among present players, probably Steph Curry. On a much smaller scale (in every way), maybe Patty Mills? Anyone else?
DBT 3. You may have heard that LeBron James signed with the 76ers. Yeah, it was in the news. While it would have been more fun if he had teamed up with Curry in the over-35 league Warriors, Philadelphia was clearly the best spot for him to maximize possible basketball success.
I told my buddy TD, a 76ers fan, that the NBA should allow the team to play with two basketballs. Another new 76er, Jaylen Brown, took the most shots in the league last year: 1,543. Another 76er, Tyrese Maxey, took the second most shots with 1,501. If Joel Embiid had played 82 games, his 18.3 shots per game would have put him in third with 1,500 shots. Of course, Embiid didn’t play 82 games, never has and never will. That, and LeBron’s age might be the only things keeping the 76ers from being a powerful team (if the league does allow the two-ball thing).
And if they somehow keep Embiid and LeBron healthy for a long playoff run, the 76ers start two small guards who will have a tough time matching up in the NBA Finals against a team with two big powerful guards. Just saying…
DBT 4. The team LeBron left, the Lakers, has a guy who led the league in shots per game in 2025-26. Luka Doncic averaged over 22 shots per game. Several guys from my Sunday morning game beat that easily — and our games only go to 19, counting by twos and threes.
DBT 5. One last LeBron comment. I promise. While the GOAT argument will go on forever (or until Victor Wembanyama surpasses both LeBron and MJ), “best career” has been resolved in LeBron’s favor. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had it for a long time, especially if you include his three NCAA titles at UCLA. He also won Finals MVP at 38 years old, after averaging 25.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game in the 1985 Finals. But LeBron’s seasons in his 40’s have put him over everyone, including Kareem.
DBT 6. All Spurs fans loved seeing those videos of much of the team working out with Victor in France. My invitation and Air France plane ticket must have gotten lost in the mail.
The Spurs players who made the trip had a much better time than several friends who ventured to France this summer, only to arrive during the hottest July in France’s history — with much of the country on fire. As is Spain. And Greece. And Canada. Closer to home, Colorado, Oregon and Spokane Washington have had devastating wildfires, some of which are still burning. A few days ago, the worst air quality in the world was in Portland, Oregon. Other parts of the country, including South Texas, have suffered from massive flooding, while tornadoes have stormed through the midwest. El Nino is cooking the Pacific Ocean.
I know Pounding the Rock is about hoops, but we also need to pay attention to what is happening in the world. It is burning. It’s not too late to fix things, but “too late” is getting a lot closer. Let’s go renewable with solar and wind so Spurs fans can worry about the opposing team’s shooters getting hot, not the planet.
DBT 7. OK, back to hoops. In November of last season, I was able to attend a Spurs game in LA and wrote this:
All of which led to this from the Pulse (on the Athletic) picking Wednesday’s Spurs vs. Lakers as the game of the night:
NBA: Spurs at Lakers 10 p.m. ET on ESPN Wemby-powered San Antonio (5-1) heads West to meet an impressive Lakers team that’s 6-2 despite missing LeBron James for the entire year thus far and Luka Dončić for half of those games. For now, outside of Oklahoma City, this is the class of the Western Conference. Good game.
We know now that the Spurs did indeed remain among the elite. Indeed, they became the elite. This season they will be the hunted, not the hunter.
I am happy to see that the other two teams in the elite may have taken a small step backwards. OKC traded away some of their depth, including Lu Dort. I won’t miss that guy. The Knicks lost key back-up center Mitchell Robinson, and moved back a bit by replacing him with Andre Drummond. Both Robinson and Drummond are below 50% career free throw shooter, but Drummond is 4 years older, and frankly just not as good.
We will have much more to say about this later, but for now, I will just say that the Spurs should be even better than last season’s joyous success. For many reasons. We are all looking forward to it.
