Category: Sports News

With the first half of the minor league season over, I thought it would be a good time to evaluate the state of the Royals’ farm system. While the organization has developed a few stars like Bobby Witt Jr., and Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen are off to good starts, they have struggled to develop a roster of homegrown players that can win.

Most observers still rate the system in the bottom third in the league, and I don’t think developments this summer have changed that status. There is more higher end talent in the farm system than there has been in years, but the depth tails off very quickly. First-round draft picks like Frank Mozzicato and Gavin Cross have failed to pan out and frankly, wouldn’t be rostered anymore if they didn’t have their draft pedigree.

On the other hand, the Royals have several intriguing pitching prospects climbing prospect rankings, and their recent international signing classes are producing more talent than we’ve seen from the organization in quite some time.

You can see the mid-season prospect list I put together last year, with Carter Jensen and Luinder Avila having graduated from prospect status since then. Here is my stab at a midseason top 30 prospect list for 2026.

30. 3B Derlin Figueroa

The Royals acquired Figueroa from the Dodgers in 2023 in a deal for pitcher Ryan Yarbrough. His power has really developed nicely, and he has 15 home runs in just 63 games at Quad Cities. He is a bit old for the league and should probably move up soon, and his 30 percent strikeout rate is a bit of a red flag.

29. OF Corey Cousin

The Royals lured Cousin away from Oklahoma with an overslot signing in 2024, and the toolsy outfield has begun to hit this year in his first pro season. The 19-year-old right-handed hitter is batting .308/.439/.477 with 11 steals in the Arizona Complex League.

28. LHP Darwin Rodriguez

Rodriguez had an amazing strikeout-to-walk ratio in the Arizona Complex League and held his own upon a promotion to Low-A this year. He has built on that performance this year with a 4.43 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 67 innings in his second season with the Fireflies. He features a big breaking ball that should dominate at lower levels.

27. 1B Brett Squires

Squires went undrafted out of Oklahoma, and had done nothing but hit since joining the Royals. He has smacked an organization-best 16 home runs while hitting .293/.366/.570 across Double-A and Triple-A. He doesn’t walk much, and although he plays some outfield, he is mostly limited to first base. There are a lot of guys at the Triple-A level who show these kind of numbers only to fail to hit big league pitching, but if the Royals continue to struggle, why not give him a shot?

26. RHP Hiro Wyatt

Wyatt showed a lot of promise last year in Low-A, and while his ERA improved in a second tour there this year, his peripherals have taken a turn for the worse. Even more discouraging, he has been out since mid-May due to an undisclosed injury and is on the 60-day IL. There is still a lot of time for the 21-year-old, but these aren’t the first injury issues he has had.

25. LHP Jordan Woods

Woods was an undrafted free agent out of Ontario, Canada and doesn’t appear on many prospect lists, but at some point, results have to matter. He struck out 14 of the 18 batters he faced over six perfect innings in one start earlier this season and dominated the Carolina League with a 1.80 ERA in 35 innings. He was older than much of his competition, so his promotion to High-A should provide a better test of whether he’s truly a hidden gem or simply taking advantage of younger hitters.

24. RHP L.P. Langevin

Injuries limited Langevin last year, but he has returned to strike out a ridiculous 45 percent of all batters he has faced this year. He also has 25 walks in 31.1 innings as a 22-year-old in High-A, which is not ideal. The Quebecois native has tremendous spin on his fastball, but will need to develop control to be a factor.

23. RHP Eric Cerantola

The streak of Canadian pitchers continues. Royals fans have seen a glimpse of Cerantola, and he what you see is what you get – a live arm that can strike hitters out, but walks too many to be very effective. He can throw in the mid-90s with a decent slider, but needs far better command to stick in the big leagues.

22. RHP Blake Wolters

We continue our streak of pitchers who miss bats, but can’t find the strike zone. Wolters flat out dominated Low-A ball with a 1.65 ERA this year, but upon a promotion to High-A, the walks have piled up. He has a 12.35 ERA in eight starts with 24 walks in just 31.1 innings. He has had shoulder issues in the past that have limited his development, and the clock is ticking on the 21-year-old.

21. SS Ramcell Medina

Medina was a big international signing last year and was named a Dominican Summer League All-Star. He has struggled with the bat there this year, but is just 18 years old, so he has plenty of time to develop.

20. SS Warren Calcaño

Calcaño was the big signing in last year’s international class as a glove-first shortstop. He hit well in the Dominican League in his first pro season, but has struggled this year. Just 18 year old, he is very wiry and will need to add strength to his frame to be any kind of offensive threat.

19. SS Daniel Vazquez

Vazquez is a glove-first shortstop who could be interesting if his bat develops a bit. His bat exploded in the advanced Arizona Fall League last year, generating excitement that perhaps his offensive game was coming around, but he is hitting just .248/.31/.331 in 66 games at Double-A this year.

18. SS Austin Charles

Charles has had a very up-and-down pro career, and is the definition of a high variance prospect. The 22-year-old had a rough 2025 season, but rebounded to hit .306/.377/.491 with three home runs and eight steals in 30 games at High-A this year. In May, he suffered hip and abdominal ligament issues, requiring surgery that will keep him out at least two months. He brings a great power/speed combo, but has had some problems staying on the field.

17. C Moises Marchán

Marchán comes from a baseball family – his cousin Rafael plays for the Phillies. He was a high dollar signing in the 2025 international draft class and has done nothing but hit. He is hitting .339 in the Arizona Summer Complex League, although he hasn’t developed any power to speak of yet. The 18-year-old runs very well for a catcher and could develop more strength as he grows.

16. RHP Drew Beam

Beam was selected in the third round as a polished college pitcher after winning a championship at Tennessee in 2024. He had a solid season in High-A this year, but has struggled a bit with a 6.86 ERA in Double-A. He struggled to strike hitters out last year and his rate has only decreased this year, while his pinpoint control has worsened as well. He’ll need to reestablish his ability to throw strikes, but he has a deep arsenal that can help him avoid hard contact.

15. RHP Ben Kudrna

Kudrna is a Kansas City-area kid the Royals signed overslot as a second round pick in 2021. He struggled to put hitters away at lower levels, but significantly improved his strikeout rates last year, and he had a solid 4.21 ERA at Double-A. His fastball has been pretty hittable, although the Royals have worked with him to tweak it. He underwent elbow surgery in April, which will likely keep him out most, if not all of this season.

14. RHP Cameron Millar

Millar was an overslot signing selected in the third round of the 2025 draft out of high school. He has pitched a few games in the Arizona Complex League and has an eye-popping 21 strikeouts and just 3 walks in 14.2 innings. He has a mid-90s fastball that can run up to 97, but needs refinement in his secondaries. He’s a good project for the Royals pitching development team, and we could see him assigned to Low-A soon.

13. CF Asbel Gonzalez

Gonzalez is one of the best base-stealers in professional baseball, swiping 117 bases over the last two years, second-most of any player. He has very little power, although he does seem to be hitting the ball with a bit more authority this year, and he has already hit three home runs this year – he had only hit two his entire career prior to this year. He can draw some walks, but with his lack of power, he seems unlikely to do so at higher levels. Right now he projects to be the future designated pinch runner the Royals love to employ, but if he can develop just a modicum of pop he could become interesting.

12. CF Carson Roccaforte

Roccaforte just seems to hit at each level, showing power, speed, and a decent eye, while playing a premium defensive position in centerfield. He is hitting .236/.332/.468 with 15 home runs at Double-A this year, and has seemingly conquered the level in 118 games over the last two years there. The knock on the lefty bat is his strikeout rate – he’s whiffing 32 percent of the time. If he can cut down on that, he has a chance to break into a Royals outfield that is thin on talent.

11. RHP Felix Arronde

Arronde has gotten pretty good results at each level, and while his ERA has taken a bit of a hit at Double-A this year, his peripherals have improved. He features a fastball in the mid-90s, but had a pretty low strikeout rate in High-A last year. This year, however, he has significantly boosted his strikeout rate while also cutting his walk rate, an encouraging sign that his stuff is playing better against more advanced hitters. He has some pretty good downward action on his pitches, particularly his curve, and he could be a guy whose stuff plays better in the bullpen.

10. SS Yandel Ricardo

There is a noticeable gap between the top ten prospects and the rest of the system. Ricardo was a high-dollar signing out of Cuba in 2024 known for his glove. He has developed a solid bat, and after a slow start at Low-A last year, he is hitting .252/.325/.406 with five home runs at age 19 this year. He has added some strength this year, and it seems to be paying off with more power. He does not seem to be overly aggressive, taking some free passes, and using his speed on the bases.

9. CF Angeibel Gomez

The Royals have developed a decent pipeline of talent from Venezuela, and Gomez is the latest product of that system. Signed for $2.9 million in this year’s international signing period, Gomez is a potential five-tool player that already stands 6’2” at age 17. He is dominating in the Dominical Summer League, exhibiting power, speed, and a patient eye. He’s a long way from the big leagues, but he has the kind of upside that could make him a star one day.

8. RHP Michael Lombardi

Lombardi was a two-way player at Tulane and was often used as a reliever, so he doesn’t have a ton of mileage on his arm. The Royals have used him as a starter and he has dominated at Low-A with a whopping 86 strikeouts in 55.1 innings. He has struggled a bit with walks and he is a bit old for that level, which allows you to get away with shaky command at times. The Royals have been working with him to develop his secondaries, and his refinement of those pitchers will likely determine if he makes an impact at higher levels.

7. CF Sean Gamble

Gamble was the 23rd overall pick for the Royals in the first round of the 2025 draft out of high school who was praised for being a polished hitter with great speed. The Royals have moved the former shortstop to center field, but he has struggled in his first season of pro ball, hitting .183/.294/.270 with three home runs in 68 games at Low-A. He has an encouraging 10.8 percent walk rate, has 19 steals, and shows surprising power at times. Still, I thought he was a bit of a reach with a limited ceiling for a prep player at the time he was drafted, and he has done nothing to dissuade me of that yet.

6. C Ramon Ramirez

Ramirez seemed like a man among boys at Low-A Columbia last year, and he has only increased his offensive production at High-A this year. Hitting .286/.363/.478 with 10 home runs in 65 games this year, Ramirez is one of the best power bats in the organization. He isn’t a very big hitter, but he has a compact swing and gets everything out of it. Ramirez is a convert to catching, and while he has made some strides, he is something of a work-in-progress.

5. LHP Justin Lamkin

Lamkin went from Texas A&M to High-A ball this year, and after flat-out dominating in six starts, the Royals aggressively promoted him to Double-A. He struck out 15 hitters in 11.1 innings over two starts with just three walks, but was shut down and put on the 60-day Injured List, with an undisclosed injury. That’s a disappointing setback in what looked like a meteoric rise for the 22-year-old. Lamkin only throws in the low-90s but has a funky, deceptive delivery that could play as a reliever if he can’t cut it as a starter. Depending on the severity of his injury, he could be a contributor in the big leagues pretty soon, although his ceiling is probably a bit limited due to the lack of a plus pitch.

4. C Blake Mitchell

The power that Mitchell lost from his hamate bone injury a year ago has seemed to return. He has slugged 13 home runs in 68 games and seems likely to surpass a career high as a pro. That’s good! He also continues to draw walks unlike any other player in the organization – 73 free passes for a 24 percent walk rate. That’s great!

What is concerning is that he is striking out a 35 percent clip and hitting .210 in his second season in High-A ball. Other high school hitters from his draft class – Max Clark, Walker Jenkins, Colt Emerson, Arjun Nimmala – are already at Double-A or higher, so I suspect Mitchell could get moved up soon. He will need to adjust his approach at higher levels where opposing pitchers throw more strikes, but it is encouraging to see some pop out of him.

3. SS/3B Josh Hammond

Hammond was the 28th overall selection in last year’s draft, and while he was the second player the Royals selected, I liked him a lot more than Gamble. Hammond provides the kind of raw power the Royals need in their lineup, and has seemingly adjusted to wood bats quite well. In 69 games at Low-A, he is hitting .293/.354/.431 with five home runs.

Still just 19 years old, Hammond’s frame really hasn’t filled out and you could project more power onto him as he ages. He shows a decent eye at the plate for a high school draftee, and has 18 steals already. I think his future is at third, but he has split time between short and third this year.

2. LHP David Shields

The Royals have long struggled developing high school pitchers, but David Shields could be an indication that is changing. The former second-round pick had an eye-popping strikeout-to-walk ratio last year, and has picked up where he left off last season. In 14 starts at Quad Cities this year, he has 74 strikeouts to 20 walks in 64 innings and opponents are hitting just .214/.296/.362 against him. Shields doesn’t blow hitters away with velocity – he throws in the low-90s – but he commands his pitches well and has developed some plus secondary pitches. Whether or not that combo will play at higher levels remains to be seen, but the 19-year-old is currently getting outs against much older competition.

1. RHP Kendry Chourio

The prospect with the most helium in the organization right now is 18-year-old pitcher Kendry Chourio. Signed for $247,500 out of Venezuela, Chourio impressed in six late season starts at Low-A last year, and he dominated in 11 starts there this year with a 1.88 ERA and 44 strikeouts to just 9 walks in 48 innings. He earned a promotion to High-A where he is nearly five years younger than the average player. The performance has earned attention from national evaluators, with Baseball America ranking him as the #37 prospect in the game, and MLB Pipeline placing him #70.

What stands out most is Chourio’s polish. He fills the strike zone and demonstrates uncommon command for a pitcher his age. He throws in the mid-90s with some cut to his heater, and some scouts feel he could add some velo as he matures. He mixes in a plus kick change up, above-average curve, and a solid slider that keeps hitters off balance. The Royals have aggressively promoted him and he has answered every challenge so far. He has perhaps the highest upside by a Royals pitching prospect since Yordano Ventura. Chourio still has several years of development ahead of him, but so far he has done just about everything you could hope to see from an 18-year-old pitching prospect.

Honorable mention: RHP Kyle deGroat, RHP Kamden Edge, IF Tyriq Kemp, RHP Augusto Mendieta, SS Tyson Moran, OF Spencer Nivens, LHP Oscar Rayo, OF Nolan Sailors, 3B Jhonayker Ugarte, C Hyungchan Um, RHP Steven Zobac

Good morning everyone! I hope you all enjoyed your Mariners off-day yesterday. The squad is back in action this afternoon against the Angels.

The holiday weekend is now just around the corner! What plans do you have on this Fourth of July? Do you enjoy watching fireworks, or has the novelty of it been lost for you?

In Mariners news…

• Major League Baseball announced the Futures Game rosters for All-Star weekend, with Ryan Sloan and Kade Anderson serving as Mariners representatives in the contest.
• Zach Mason provided a complete chart for the month of June, with some key facts and figures to know now that June is behind us.
• Commenter BearInTheRiver introduced a new baseball game called The Four Seamer. Check it out!

Around the league…

• Nationals right-hander Cade Cavalli issued an apology for his comments towards Willson Contreras during Tuesday night’s game which many perceived as racially charged.
• Astros right-hander Christian Javier is set to return from the injured list with his shoulder strain healed — but he will do so in a bullpen role.
• A’s designated hitter Brent Rooker is slated to undergo season-ending knee surgery, a major blow to their already-slim playoff hopes.
• Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Rangers shortstop Corey Seager is headed to the injured list again with an ailing back, less than a week after returning from the IL.
• The Red Sox have placed stud rookie left-hander Connelly Early on the injured list with elbow inflammation, but the team is hopeful he can resume a throwing program soon.
• Giants third baseman Matt Chapman is hitting the injured list with a strained abdominal muscle.
• The MLBPA’s latest proposal to the league included an earlier trade deadline and limits on player demotions, among other things. Evan Drellich at The Athletic has the report. ($)
• Rays third baseman Junior Caminero homered for a sixth straight contest, now just two shy tying the MLB record.
• Despite the Mets’ continued struggles, owner Steve Cohen assured fans that president of baseball operations David Stearns is safe — for now.
• The Chicago Cubs seem to always be portrayed as the “loveable losers.” Northwestern professor and longtime Cubs fan Bill Savage explored this running theme for the Cubbies in modern pop culture.
• The MLB.tv app’s 3D graphics keep glitching, and Brian Grubb highlighted the most absurd screencaps from its continued malfunction.

Eric Hartman will get most of the headlines for his historic achievement — seeing as though we’re not even at the break yet — and rightfully so. But the pitching down on the farm was downright excellent as well on Wednesday. So, without further ado, let’s break down what happened.

(42-40) Gwinnett Stripers 5, (34-49) Durham Bulls 1

• Luke Williams, 3B: 1-4, HR, RBI, R
• Jim Jarvis, SS: 2-5
• DaShawn Kiersey Jr., CF: 2-4, 2 R
• Brewer Hicklen, RF: 1-3, 2 RBI
• Owen Murphy, SP: 6 IP, 2 H, BB, 7 K

Box Score

Owen Murphy continues to make his case as the next arm to be called up to the big league roster as the 22-year-old spun a gem to lead Gwinnett to a win.

In six innings of work, Murphy allowed just three baserunners — two via hit and one via walk — while striking out seven in the process. With his start, Murphy lowered his season ERA to 3.88 on the year. To date, it is Murphy’s best start with Gwinnett as he appears to finally have gotten his footing underneath him.

Murphy’s fastball averaged 92.6 MPH with a solid chase rate of 31.8%. He’s clearly ready for the big leagues, but with the trade deadline looming, perhaps the Braves keep him in triple-A to boost his value with more solid starts in the event they use him as a trade chip. Either way, Murphy is on the right track and if he is still with the team after the deadline, he will be in Atlanta soon thereafter.

While Murphy was dealing, his offense provided him with a solid night at the plate as well.

The Stripers wasted no time jumping on the scoreboard, scoring three times in the top of the first. Brewer Hicklen plated the first run of the game courtesy of an RBI-single to score DaShawn Kiersey Jr. Aaron Schunk followed that up with an RBI-double as well to score Brett Wisely, while Hicklen later came around to score on an RBI-groundout off the bat of Jose Azocar.

As for Hicklen, his good approach at the plate continues and he’s been rewarded as he is hitting .306 with an OPS of .884, which leads Gwinnett among qualified hitters.

(33-39) Columbus Clingstones 8, (44-33) Tennessee Smokies 3

• Patrick Clohisy, CF: 3-4, 2B, 3B, RBI, 2 R, BB
• Drew Compton, 1B: 3-4, 3B, 4 RBI
• Ambioris Tavarez, 2B: 1-4, 2B, RBI, BB
• Cedric De Grandpre, SP: 6 IP, 2 H, BB, 7 K

Box Score

Cedric De Grandpre and Owen Murphy must have had a competition going to see who could have the best outing between them on Wednesday. As fate would have it, the two righthanders posted the exact same line of six innings pitched, two hits allowed, one walk issued and seven strikeouts.

In the two starts since his disastrous outing on June 19 in which he allowed seven runs in just 1.1 innings of work, De Grandpre has bounced back quite nicely. Across 11.2 innings, has allowed just two runs while striking out a combined 14 batters in those two outings. Hopefully he is fully adjusted, or at least getting there, to the double-A level.

At the plate, the Clingstones offense came to play as Columbus registered eight runs on 10 hits in the win.

The Clingstones scored one run in each of the first and third innings to jump out to a 2-0 lead over Tennessee. While the Smokies cut that lead in half in the bottom of the seventh, Columbus responded in a huge way in their final trip to the dish.

Patrick Clohisy — who doubled earlier in the game — got the rally started with an RBI-triple to score Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. and make it a 3-1 game. Clohisy later scored on a Kyle Farmer single before Drew Compton posted the biggest swing of the night — a bases-clearing triple to extend the Columbus lead to 7-1 on the night.

Tennessee managed to get two of those runs back in the home half of the ninth, but Owen Hackman locked in and closed out the game to cap off the win.

Speaking of relievers, Blake Burkhalter tossed another scoreless outing with a pair of strikeouts to his credit. Since joining Columbus on June 17, Burkhalter has tossed 6.1 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and only one walk issued thus far. It will be interesting to see how long the front office keeps Burkhalter in double-A before they bump him up to Gwinnett to see if he continues his success.

(37-38) Rome Emperors 8, (28-48) Jersey Shore BlueClaws 1

• Eric Hartman, CF: 1-4, HR, RBI, 2 R
• Dixon Williams, LF: 2-4, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R
• Owen Carey, RF: 2-4, RBI, 2 R
• Tate Southisene 0-5, 2 K
• John Gil, 0-3, 2 BB, R, K
• Dallas Macias, 1-4, HR, RBI, R
• Ethan Bagwell, SP: 6 IP, 5 H, BB, 6 K

Box Score

On the same day he was named a top-25 prospect in the sport by Baseball America, Hartman capped off his banner day by joining a prestigious club — doing so in historic fashion.

Needing just one home run to join the 20/30 club and become the first player both this season and in Rome’s history to post a season with that statline. What makes it even more impressive is the fact he was able to do it in just 71 games.

Hartman got his historic swing in the top of the fourth, taking 1-1, center-cut fastball from a lefty and pulled it over the right center field wall for an absolute rocket which also extended the Emperors’ lead to 2-0.

It’s been an absolutely meteoric rise for Hartman who came into this season relatively unknown outside of Braves prospects circles. It’s not very often you get significant value out of a 20th-round pick, let alone a top-25 talent. But it appears as though Atlanta hit an absolute gold mine in Hartman. The only question is: when will he get to Atlanta?

There’s absolutely no reason to rush the 20-year-old, despite how poorly the big league offense is performing at the moment. However, the Braves have been one of the most aggressive teams in all of baseball when it comes to promoting their top guys and it would not surprise me if Hartman is next on that list.

Mid-2027 is still the most realistic timeline for Hartman to get the call, but you never can confidently rule out any options when it comes to Alex Anthopolous and company.

Back to Wednesday’s action, Dixon Williams had a huge night offensively as well, homering — his ninth of the year — while driving in three of Rome’s eight total runs on the night. Dallas Macias also got in on the long ball fun, homering in the top of the third to get the scoring started for the Emperors.

Keeping with the trend of solid pitching across the system, Ethan Bagwell was spectacular in his first start for Rome. In six innings, Bagwell held Jersey Shore scoreless while limiting the opposition to just five hits and one walk. He also struck out six in the process. It was quite the high-A debut for the righty and his progress, albeit slowed by injuries to start his pro career, could be a sneaky good one. So keep an eye on Bagwell moving forward and don’t be surprised if he continues to succeed and rocket up the prospect rankings himself.

(44-33) Augusta GreenJackets 1, (29-47) Salem RidgeYaks 0

• Cody Miller, 3B: 1-3, RBI
• Alex Lodise, SS: 1-4
• Derek Vartanian, SP: 7 IP, 3 H, 8 K

Box Score

The GreenJackets might have only scored one run and tallied just two hits on the night, but that was more than enough to get the win thanks in large part to Derek Vartanian’s stellar start.

In what was his best start to date, Vartanian spun seven innings of scoreless ball, holding Salem to three hits and striking out eight in the process.
Across 12 starts thus far, Vartanian carries an ERA of 3.41 while tossing 71.1 innings and striking out 71 batters over that span. While he is older for the low-A level as he’s 22, Vartanian could be a candidate to make the move up to Rome, especially when the new slate of draftees join the club later this month or in August.

Following Vartanian on the mound, Logan Forsythe and Lewis Sifontes combined to close out this one by tossing one scoreless inning apiece to preserve the shutout.

As mentioned, there wasn’t much to write home about on Wednesday with regards to the Augusta offense. However, the one run proved to be the difference maker as Cody Miller singled home Conor Essenburg in the third inning to tally the game’s lone RBI.

What has transpired in the last week or so, in terms of American League East baseball, cannot happen again. After play concluded on Wednesday, the Yankees had turned in seven consecutive losses, while the Rays won seven consecutive contests, flipping the standings completely. What was a 3.5 game division lead at the start of this miserable stretch is now a deficit of the same volume, as the Bombers have begun to dig themselves a hole rather rapidly.

New York’s game against the Tigers on Wednesday, and yet another convincing Rays win did not help things. Junior Caminero’s reign of terror also continued, and the Guardians bounced back after a tough loss on Tuesday. Let’s take a look at the details for a Wednesday full of baseball.

Tampa Bay Rays (50-33) 4, Kansas City Royals (35-52) 0

The tone was set from the get-go in Kansas City. With a runner on in the top half of the first, Junior Caminero belted a two-run shot into the left field seats. It was the first pitch he saw, and the booming homer made it his sixth straight game with a long ball, making him the youngest player to reach that feat in the modern era.

With Caminero’s historic blast giving Tampa Bay a lead out of the gates, it cleared the way for Shane McClanahan’s excellent outing on the mound. The talented lefty worked six scoreless innings on the mound, allowing just three hits and striking out four. It was an excellent start, and a needed one, as he was coming off of a couple of clunkers.

The Rays added to their lead thanks to the work of Cedric Mullins, who pitched in with a solo home run in the sixth and an RBI knock in the eighth. McClanahan and the Rays’ bullpen kept the Royals out of the run column from wire-to-wire, and locked in yet another important victory. With the Yankees loss, Tampa Bay gains a seventh game in the division in as many contests, as they now proudly own a 3.5-game lead.

Other Games

Cleveland Guardians (45-42) 9, Texas Rangers (44-43) 4:

After a brutal loss on Tuesday, the Guards bounced back with a good win over the Rangers. The game was essentially decided in the second inning, when they roughed up Mackenzie Gore for five runs. Some small ball runs and a three-run blast from David Fry did the trick, and had the Guardians up 5-0 early on. Joey Cantillo battled through adversity on the hill for Cleveland, turning in a solid start despite five walks in his outing. The Texas offense woke up in the second half of the game, but it wasn’t enough to match the Guardians, who plated four more in their final two innings.

Toronto Blue Jays (41-46) 9, New York Mets (36-51) 3:

Apparently everyone in the East was able to have fun on Wednesday other than the Yankees. The Blue Jays cruised to victory against a disappointing Mets squad at home. Nathan Lukes, Kazuma Okamoto, Alejandro Kirk, and Ernie Clement all tallied multiple hits for the Jays, while homers from Sean Keys and Myles Straw helped them have multiple four-run innings.

On the pitching side, a three-arm tandem did the job for Toronto, which saw Spencer Miles toss three spotless innings in the early going, while Patrick Corbin tossed the final five innings of the ballgame. The Jays still have plenty of work to do to get themselves in a good position.

After last night’s victory, the Braves are shuffling their bench once again. Or, maybe, their not-quite-bench:

This will be Jim Jarvis’ second stint in Atlanta. The 25-year-old infielder made his MLB debut on the Braves’ West Coast trip to Seattle and Los Angeles earlier this season, where he made two starts and collected a single to go with two strikeouts in five PAs. Jarvis has a pretty silly 133 wRC+ at Triple-A Gwinnett this year, but if you put any stock in minor league xStats (not sure if I do or not, truly), he’s way outhitting his xwOBA down there.

It’s unclear whether Jarvis will simply hang around for left-handed depth, or whether things will get more complicated. Ha-Seong Kim is pacing himself for a historically awful season, though he’ll probably improve or just flat-out stop getting playing time if it keeps up. Jorge Mateo was a fun story earlier, but has cratered while trying to play through a mild injury over the last few weeks. Mauricio Dubon, the only Brave to have an unequivocally good June offensively, would be a solution, except that he’s been needed to patch up the Braves’ outfield issues. And then there’s Austin Riley, who appears to be auditioning for a role in a local stage production of Frozen 2 (if you know, you know) moreso than effectively hitting baseballs, so there’s another infield question mark that perhaps Jarvis will be called upon to address in some way.

The roster casualty of Jarvis’ promotion is Rowdy Tellez, who ends this round of his Braves tenure with 11 PAs in which he singled, homered, and walked in 11 PAs. He actually put up a .500+ xwOBA in those 11 PAs, so hard to say he didn’t do his job, but the Braves don’t need two no-field DH guys who probably won’t hit better than league average on the roster.

Jarvis will presumably be around and in uniform as the Braves play a rubber game against the Redbirds later tonight. Will he grab a start somewhere? Stay tuned.

Walker Buehler had been the most consistent starter in the San Diego Padres rotation, but that image took a critical hit when the right-hander allowed nine runs over the first three innings to the Chicago Cubs, and the Padres suffered an embarrassing 23-3 loss to cap a three-game sweep at Wrigley Field on Tuesday.

Buehler was atrocious from the start of the game. He allowed a leadoff single to Pete Crow-Armstrong who stole second and then advanced to third base on a wild pitch. Alex Bregman followed with a walk before Buehler recorded a strikeout against Michael Busch for the first out of the inning. Buehler’s success was short-lived because he then allowed a three-run home run to Seiya Suzuki and that set the stage for the rest of the game.

Buehler then allowed a solo home run to Dansby Swanson in the bottom of the second inning and followed that with a two-out two run single and a two-out three-run homer – again to Swanson – in the bottom of the third inning that gave the Cubs a commanding 9-0 lead over the Padres. It was the fourth home run San Diego pitching has allowed to Swanson in the past two games.

The lone bright spot for the Padres came in the top of the fifth inning when Sung-Mun Song hit his first MLB home run. San Diego added a second run in the inning on back-to-back doubles by Manny Machado and Ty France that cut the deficit to 9-2. That deficit, like Buehler’s success in the first inning, was short-lived. Kyle Hart came into pitch in the fifth inning and allowed a solo home run and then a three-run home run that extended the Chicago lead to 13-2 over San Diego. Hart was still on the mound in the bottom of the sixth inning when Michael Conforto connected on a two-run home run to make the score, 15-2.

The Padres added a meaningless run in the top of the eighth inning when Miguel Andujar singled through the right side of the infield to score Samad Tayor from third base. That capped the scoring for San Diego, but Chicago added another eight runs in the bottom of the eighth inning off position player pitcher Rodolfo Duran. Four of those runs came on a grand slam by Swanson, his third home run of the game, and the final run for the Cubs came on a solo home run from Busch, which brought the score to 23-3. It was a fitting end to an embarrassing game that capped a miserable series in Chicago.

San Diego heads to Los Angeles to take on the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium today at 7:10 p.m.

Padres News:

• Ethan Salas and Kash Mayfield were selected to the All-Star Futures Game. Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball covers that and all the news from around the San Diego minor league system.

• There is still no definitive answer on how the Padres will approach the trade deadline but Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune says prospect catcher Ethan Salas should not be discussed.

Baseball News:

• Junior Caminero added another home run to his streak and helped the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Kansas City Royals, 4-0.

• The Philadelphia Phillies scored eight runs against Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes and earned a 10-6 win.

• Mickey Moniak finished a single shy of the cycle and helped the Colorado Rockies beat the Miami Marlins.

• The San Francisco Giants lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks, 8-2 but they also lost third baseman Matt Chapman who is headed for the IL.

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More baseball across the Majors means more value in my same-game parlay predictions.

Jacob Misiorowski will dominate once again this afternoon, while Davis Martin is also in line for another quality showing. Read more in my MLB picks for Thursday, July 2. 

Today's best MLB SGP picks

Game	SGP Odds
CIN vs  MIL	+264
CHW vs CLE	+700
DET vs  TEX	+335

Reds at Brewers SGP: Another Misiorowski Gem

Jacob Misiorowski takes the hill today for the Milwaukee Brewers, and he continues to dominate. The right-hander owns a 1.74 xERA across his last four outings, giving up just 0.32 HR/9 during that span.

Misiorowski has consistently limited loud contact with his elite fastball-slider combination, making this a difficult matchup for a Cincinnati Reds lineup that has struggled to square up pitching recently. 

He's also hit the Under in hits allowed in two of his previous three outings, and Misiorowski comes up against a struggling Reds offense that has an xBA of .229 over the last week. 

The Brewers' .208 ISO over their last six games is a reason to believe they can score some runs off Chase Burns, who is home run-prone lately. Cincinnati's bullpen also sports an 8.14 FIP over its last 19 2/3 innings of work. 

• Time: 2:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Brewers,TV, Reds.TV

See full analysis of this game in our Reds vs. Brewers predictions.

White Sox at Guardians SGP: Martin deals

Chicago White Sox rookie Jacob Gonzalez is hitting .409 over his last six contests with an impressive 50% hard-hit rate. He's posted four multi-hit games in his last seven as well, and Gonzalez just smacked five hits in a three-game set with the Baltimore Orioles. He'll face Slade Cecconi tonight, who has allowed a 39.5% hard-hit rate across the last month. 

White Sox ace Davis Martin owns a stellar 2.51 xERA across his previous two appearances, limiting opponents to a 33.3% hard-hit rate. The Cleveland Guardians are ice cold, with just 78 wRC+ in their last six games. This is a clear opportunity for Martin to toss another gem.

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: CSN, Guardians.TV

Tigers at Rangers SGP: Eovaldi racks up the Ks

Nathan Eovaldi has been a strikeout machine this season for the Texas Rangers, racking up 101 Ks in 100 1/3 innings of work. He's struck out nine hitters in back-to-back outings, and he's averaging 9.06 K/9 at home. The Detroit Tigers have averaged nine punchouts per game across their last three. 

Kerry Carpenter has recorded a hit in six straight contests, and he's batting .320 over his last seven games with an impressive 52.4% hard-hit rate. Justin Foscue is also swinging it well, finishing with five hits across his previous four games. He's whacked lefties this season with a .357 average, and he'll face Framber Valdez tonight. It's a favorable matchup for Foscue. 

• Time: 8:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: DSN, RSN

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The Cincinnati Reds visit the Milwaukee Brewers this afternoon, with a true pitcher's duel on the mound between Chase Burns and Jacob Misiorowski. 

While both arms have been showing well lately, my Reds vs. Brewers predictions are eyeing Misiorowski to outduel Burns. 

Read more in my MLB picks for Thursday, July 2. 

Who will win Reds vs Brewers today: Brewers -1.5 (+119)

Cincinnati Reds ace Chase Burns has pitched better than his recent results suggest, posting a 2.98 xERA over his last two starts despite a 4.91 ERA.

However, he's still allowed 1.64 home runs per nine innings during that span, and the Milwaukee Brewers' recent power surge makes this a tough matchup. They've posted a .208 ISO over their last seven games. 

As for Jacob Misiorowski, he continues to shove.

The righty owns a mind-boggling 1.82 FIP over the last month, giving up just 0.32 HR/9 and holding opponents to a mere 1.8% barrel rate. The Brewers have frequently backed Misiorowski with plenty of offense this season.

I don't expect Burns to get lit up, but there's an opportunity for the Brewers to muster up some offense against him and a dreadful Reds bullpen, while Misiorowski is in line for another gem. 

I'll play this pick up to -110. 

COVERS INTEL: The Reds' offense has a poor 86 wRC+ over the last week. 

Reds vs Brewers Over/Under pick: Over 6.5 (-112)

I wouldn't usually be looking at the Over with these two on the hill, but a 6.5 total is incredibly low.

It's also important to note that Cincinnati's bullpen has an FIP over 8.00 across the last week while allowing 2.75 HR/9. Even if Burns holds his own, this profiles to be a game where the Brew Crew's power does damage. 

The Brewers' relief corps has been better, compiling a 4.22 FIP across the last week. But Milwaukee's ability to score runs means Cincinnati won't be required to score much to help cash the Over here, and the Brewers' pen hasn't been completely dominant. 

I'll play this pick up to -130. 

Reds vs Brewers weather

Conditions at American Family Field should provide a slight boost to offense this afternoon. Temperatures are expected to sit around 91-92°F for much of the game, with steady 13-14 mph winds and only a small chance of rain. The warm air could help well-hit balls carry a bit farther, creating a mildly hitter-friendly environment, though the starting pitching will still be the biggest factor in determining the outcome.

Reds vs Brewers odds

• Moneyline: Reds +186 | Brewers -194
• Run line: Reds +1.5 (-133) | Brewers -1.5 (+127)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (-108) | Under 6.5 (+104)

Reds vs Brewers trend

The Brewers have covered the Run Line in 30 of their last 50 games at home (+15.40 Units / 27% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Reds vs. Brewers.

How to watch Reds vs Brewers and game info

Reds vs Brewers latest injuries

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