Category: Sports News

The Tampa Bay Rays have announced the winners of their 2026 Minor League awards:

Minor League Co-Player of the Year: Catcher Caden Bodine

Bodine, 22, has slashed .344/.411/.519 (156-for-453) with 27 doubles, two triples, 16 home runs, 97 RBI, 49 walks, and 81 runs scored over 112 games across four levels of the Rays system this season. He is the only Rays farmhand to play 10 games or more for all four full-season affiliates in a single campaign since at least 2005. Bodine’s .344 average is the second best among full-season minor leaguers. The switch-hitting backstop is on pace to be the first Rays minor leaguer to finish with a top-two batting average in the minors since Chandler Simpson won the minor league batting title in 2024. Bodine’s .344 clip would mark the fifth-highest average by a full-season Rays minor leaguer (min. 316 plate appearances).

Bodine began the season with Class-A Charleston and slashed .379/.433/.614 (50-for-132) with 12 doubles, two triples, five home runs, and 27 RBI in 33 games for the RiverDogs. He earned Carolina League Player of the Month and Rays Organizational Player of the Month honors in April. At the time of his promotion, he paced all Single-A hitters in batting average (.379), ranked second in slugging percentage (.614) and OPS (1.047), and was fifth in hits (50). Bodine reached base safely in 30 of his 33 games with Charleston.

He played 32 games with Class-A Bowling Green and posted a .341 (45-for-132) average with six doubles, four home runs, 30 RBI, a .411 on-base percentage, and a .477 slugging percentage. He hit safely in a career-best 18 straight games between June 4-25, a streak that included a South Atlantic League Player of the Week award for June 15-21. During the streak, Bodine went 34-for-79 (.430) with four doubles, one home run, 21 RBI, and a 1.003 OPS.

He was promoted to the Double-A level on June 30 and appeared in 37 games for Montgomery. During his stint in the Southern League, he turned in a .316/.397/.447 (48-for-152) slash line with five doubles, five home runs, 33 RBI, with 20 walks to 12 strikeouts. Between June 30 and Aug. 23, Bodine’s .316 average ranked fourth in the Southern League, while his .397 on-base percentage was seventh best and his 33 RBI tied for eight most. He closed his tenure with the Biscuits by reaching base safely in 12 straight games from Aug. 8-23 and was promoted to Triple-A Durham on Aug. 25.

Bodine began his Triple-A career with an eight-game hitting streak from Aug. 25 through Sept. 5, extending his on-base streak to a career-best 20 games across the Double-A and Triple-A levels. Across 10 games with Durham, he has hit .351 (13-for-37) with four doubles, two home runs, seven RBI, and a 1.017 OPS. Over his last 67 games since June 4, he has hit safely in 57 of those contests and has reached base safely in 60 of 67.

The Mount Holly, N.J. native was acquired from the Baltimore Orioles alongside outfielder Slater de Brun, right-handed pitcher Michael Forret, outfielder Austin Overn, and a 2026 Competitive Balance Round A draft pick (No. 33 overall) in exchange for right-handed pitcher Shane Baz. He is rated as the No. 51 overall prospect, including the No. 5 catching prospect, and the Rays No. 3 prospect by MLB.com.

Minor League Co-Player of the Year: Outfielder Theo Gillen

Gillen, 20, has hit .315 (138-for-438) with 23 doubles, seven triples, 22 home runs, 90 RBI, 44 stolen bases, a .422 on-base percentage, and a .972 OPS in 114 games across stints with Class-A Bowling Green and Double-A Montgomery. He has reached base safely in 107 of 114 games this season and in 185 of 195 games across his minor league career since the Rays selected him in the first round (18th overall) of the 2024 First-Year Player Draft out of Westlake High School (Texas).

Gillen batted .342/.449/.589 (75-for-219) with 12 doubles, three triples, 12 home runs, 44 RBI, 53 runs, and 28 stolen bases in 57 games with Bowling Green. At the time of his promotion on June 23, he paced High-A batters in average, ranked second in on-base percentage and OPS (1.038), was third in slugging percentage, tied for third in total bases (129), tied for fifth in hits, sixth in stolen bases, and tied for sixth in runs scored. Over 57 games with Double-A Montgomery, he has hit .288 (63-for-219) with 11 doubles, four triples, 10 home runs, 46 RBI, a .394 on-base percentage, and 16 stolen bases.

The outfielder was named Rays Organizational Player of the Month in June after reaching base in every game as part of a season-best, 32-game on-base streak between May 27 through July 4. In June, he went 33-for-97 (.340) with four doubles, three home runs, 18 RBI, 11 stolen bases, 20 walks to 21 strikeouts, and a .458 on-base percentage over 24 games. He also produced a 27-game on-base streak between July 17 and Aug. 21 and a 25-game on-base streak from April 21 to May 24.

With 22 home runs, 90 RBI, and 44 stolen bases, Gillen is one of five affiliated minor leaguers since at least 2005 to post 20 home runs or more, 90 RBI or more, and 40 stolen bases or more at full-season levels in a single season. The only others to accomplish the feat are Konnor Griffin (2025), Jackson Chourio (2023), Cade Marlowe (2022), and George Springer (2013).

On May 29 at Hudson Valley, Gillen reached base six times in six plate appearances with three hits, three walks, two RBI, and four stolen bases. He became the second minor leaguer since at least 2005 to reach base in each of six plate appearances or more and steal four bases or more, joining Milwaukee prospect Braylon Payne, who did so on Sept. 7, 2024 at Carolina.

Gillen is ranked as the No. 12 minor league prospect, No. 2 minor league outfielder, and the No. 2 Rays prospect. On July 8, he was named to the AL roster for the Futures Game during All-Star Week in Philadelphia, going 1-for-3 with an RBI in the July 12 exhibition.

Minor League Pitcher of the Year: Right-handed pitcher Ty Johnson

Johnson, 24, went 4-1 with a 3.03 ERA (62.1 IP, 21 ER), 84 strikeouts, 25 walks, a 0.96 WHIP, and a .164 (35-for-213), opponent batting average over 21 appearances (10 starts) with Triple-A Durham before his major league promotion on Sept. 5. He made his MLB debut on Sept. 6 at Texas, working a scoreless inning of relief with one walk and two strikeouts.

Over the course of May, he spun a 1-0 record, a 1.17 ERA (23.0 IP, 3 ER), 29 strikeouts, and a .171 (14-for-82) opponent batting average in five starts en route to an International League Pitcher of the Month award. He closed the month of June with 5.0 hitless innings against Norfolk on June 28, adding nine strikeouts and one walk to win International League Pitcher of the Week honors (June 22-28).

After transitioning to the bullpen, Johnson made nine relief appearances in August to a 0.79 ERA (11.1 IP, 1 ER), 0.35 WHIP, and .059 (2-for-34) opponent batting average with 19 strikeouts, earning Rays Player Organizational Pitcher of the Month honors for his efforts. He faced 36 batters in August, with only four reaching base safely. He led all Triple-A pitchers with a 0.35 WHIP during the month, third best by a Ray farmhand in a calendar month since 2021 and third best by a Durham pitcher since at least 2005 (min. 10.0 innings pitched).

Johnson was acquired from the Chicago Cubs alongside infielder/outfielder Christopher Morel and right-handed pitcher Hunter Bigge for infielder Isaac Paredes on July 28, 2024. The Rockwall, Texas native is rated as the Rays No. 10 prospect by MLB.com.

Relief Pitcher of the Year: Right-handed pitcher Alexander Alberto

Alberto, 24, has split 46 appearances (five starts) between Double-A Montgomery (21 appearances) and Triple-A Durham (25 appearances/five starts), going a combined 3-1 with a 3.72 ERA (55.2 IP, 23 ER), 68 strikeouts, 22 walks, and a 1.26 WHIP. He began the year with Montgomery, posting a 2.20 ERA (28.2 IP, 7 ER), 0.94 WHIP, and .191 (18-for-94) opponent batting average. At the time of his June 16 promotion, it marked the sixth-best WHIP in the Southern League (min. 25.0 IP). He has gone 1-0 with a 5.33 ERA (27.0 IP, 16 ER) in 25 games (five starts) with Durham, tallying 29 strikeouts against 13 walks. The right-hander has held opponents scoreless in 28 of his 41 relief outings and kept them hitless in 15 of the 41. He did not allow a run in 10 straight relief appearances from May 15 to June 16.

Alberto was tabbed as Rays Relief Pitcher of the Year for the second consecutive season after turning in a 2.59 ERA (48.2 IP, 14 ER) and 1.17 WHIP in 2025. The native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic was signed as an international free agent on Nov. 25, 2019. He is currently ranked as the Rays No. 25 prospect by MLB.com.

Defensive Player of the Year: Outfielder Mac Horvath

Horvath, 25, has appeared in 115 games for Double-A Montgomery this season, including 64 as a center fielder, 30 as a right fielder, 16 as a left fielder, and five as a second baseman. He has committed only three errors on 304 total chances for a fielding percentage of .990 over 968.0 innings. He is tied for the Double-A lead with 12 outfield assists, and his .989 fielding percentage as an outfielder ranks fifth among all outfielders at the level (min. 850.0 innings in the outfield).

The native of Austin, Minn. was acquired from the Baltimore Orioles alongside right-handed pitcher Jackson Baumeister and outfielder Matthew Etzel for right-handed pitcher Zach Eflin on July 26, 2024.

Baserunner of the Year: Infielder Tony Santa Maria

Santa Maria, 24, paces the organization with 58 stolen bases on 67 attempts (86.6 pct.) across 101 games with Class-A Bowling Green and 13 games with Triple-A Durham. He joined previous Baserunner of the Year winners Chandler Simpson (2023-24) and Homer Bush Jr. (2025) as the only Rays minor leaguers with 55-steal campaigns since 2021. The infielder is one of four full-season minor leaguers to have swiped 50 bases or more and produce a .400 on-base percentage or higher this season.

The Atlantic City, N.J. native was selected in the 19th round of the 2024 First-Year Player Draft out of Rutgers University.

Erik Walker Community Champion: Right-handed pitcher Aidan Haugh

Named after former Rays minor league pitcher Erik Walker, who died tragically in 2006 following his first season in professional baseball, the award annually recognizes a Rays minor leaguer who exemplifies teamwork, sportsmanship, and community involvement. Haugh was selected from a field that included nominees from each Rays affiliate. The Rays Up Foundation will make a $2,500 donation in Haugh name to his chosen charity.

In his first professional season this past summer with Class-A Charleston, Haugh recorded a 9-6 record, a 4.79 ERA (118.1 IP, 63 ER), 1.36 WHIP, and 114 strikeouts to 28 walks across 24 outings (23 starts). His 4.07 strikeout-to-walk ratio ranked eighth among Class-A arms (min. 100.0 innings pitched), while his nine wins tied for 10th. Between May 28 and June 10, he strung together 17.2 consecutive scoreless frames, a stretch that included a 7.0-inning, complete-game shutout in the opener of a doubleheader on May 28 at Columbia.

The 23-year-old was selected in the sixth round of the 2025 First-Year Player draft out of the University of North Carolina. Additional nominees for the award included Logan Workman (Durham), Mac Horvath (Montgomery), and Garrett Gainey (Bowling Green).

The Rays also announced Most Valuable Players for each of their seven affiliates:

Triple-A Durham MVP: Right-handed pitcher Ty Johnson

In addition to his Minor League Pitcher of the Year Award, Johnson earned Durham MVP honors one year after being named Double-A Montgomery’s Co-MVP in 2025.

Double-A Montgomery MVP: Infielder Xavier Isaac

Isaac, 22, slashed .255/.400/.510 (86-for-337) in 99 games for Double-A Montgomery with eight doubles, three triples, 24 home runs, 71 RBI, 80 walks, and 77 runs scored. He paces the Southern League in on-base percentage, ranks second in walks, third in OPS, fourth in slugging percentage, tied for fourth in runs scored, and sixth in homers.

The infielder was promoted to Triple-A Durham on Aug. 25 and has produced a .308 average (12-for-39) and a 1.079 OPS in his first 11 games with the Bulls. His .404 on-base percentage and .928 OPS across 2026 are single-season career highs. With 27 home runs between both teams, he is one of 12 full-season minor leaguers to have 25 home runs or more and a .400 on-base percentage or better in 2026.

Isaac earned Organizational Player of the Month honors in August after slashing .311/.443/.703 (23-for-74) with five doubles, eight home runs, 24 RBI, 18 walks, a 1.146 OPS, and three stolen bases over 21 games between Montgomery (14) and Durham (four), earning a promotion on Aug. 25. His eight home runs, 18 walks, 27 runs, and 13 extra-base hits (tied) led all Rays farmhands during the month.

The left-handed batter was selected in the first round (29th overall) of the 2022 First-Year Player Draft out of East Forsyth High School (N.C.) and is ranked as the Rays No. 18 prospect by MLB.com.

Class-A Bowling Green MVP: Catcher Nathan Flewelling

Flewelling, 19, hit .243/.364/.452 (98-for-403) with 17 doubles, two triples, 21 home runs, 67 RBI, and 68 runs in 106 games for Bowling Green. The backstop recorded a 19-game on-base streak between June 14 and July 8. Over that stretch, he produced a .328/.505/.672 (22-for-67) line with three doubles, one triple, six home runs, 12 RBI, and a 1.177 OPS. He reached base safely in 90 of 106 games with the Hot Rods.

The native of Red Deer, Alberta, Canada was one of three qualified South Atlantic League (SAL) catchers to post a .360 on-base percentage or better, ranking 17th among all SAL hitters. He was selected in the third round of the 2024 First-Year Player Draft out of St. Joseph High School (Alberta, Canada) and is currently ranked as the No. 65 minor league prospect and the No. 4 prospect in the Rays organization by MLB.com.

Class-A Charleston MVP: Infielder Cooper Flemming

Flemming, 20, produced a .298/.379/.450 (133-for-447) slash line in 116 games with Class-A Charleston. He added 29 doubles, three triples, 11 home runs, 79 RBI, 51 walks, and 16 stolen bases. The infielder registered a team-best 30-game on-base streak between July 17 and Aug. 23, that included a 12-game hitting streak from Aug. 4-18, tied for the longest by a RiverDog all season. The on-base streak was tied for the eighth longest at the Single-A level in 2026.

The No. 83 minor league prospect and No. 5 prospect in the Rays organization (MLB.com), Flemming was selected in the second round of the 2025 First-Year Player Draft out of Aliso Niguel High School (Calif.).

Rookie-level FCL Rays MVP: Infielder Andreimi Antunez

Antunez, 19, went 50-for-192 (.260) in 53 games in the Florida Complex League (FCL) with eight doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 40 RBI, 40 runs, 35 walks, 12 stolen bases, and a .397 on-base percentage. A year after being named DSL Tampa Bay MVP, the infielder launched seven home runs in the FCL, tying the most by an FCL Ray in a single season since at least 2005, matching Kaleo Johnson in 2018. He also ranked highly in the FCL in RBI (tied for fifth), hits (ninth), runs (10th), and total bases (10th).

The native of Valencia, Venezuela was promoted to Class-A Charleston on July 28 at the conclusion of the FCL season. Antunez was signed as an international free agent on Jan. 15, 2024. MLB.com rates the 19-year-old as the No. 19 prospect in the Rays organization.

Rookie-level DSL Rays MVP: Infielder Brayan Rodriguez

Rodriguez, 17, batted .311 (61-for-196) with 10 doubles, one home run, 51 RBI, 26 walks, 33 stolen bases, and a .401 on-base percentage in 53 games during his first professional season with DSL Rays and DSL Tampa Bay. He ranked highly among qualified DSL batters in RBI (eighth), hits (10th), and stolen bases (tied for 10th). The infielder produced the two longest hitting streaks by a DSL Rays player this season, with a 10-game streak between June 30 and July 14 and a nine-game streak between June 1-12. A first-time DSL midseason All-Star, he led all of the organization’s Dominican Summer League prospects on both clubs in hits and RBI. The Caracas, Venezuela native was signed as an international free agent on Jan. 15, 2026.

Rookie-level DSL Tampa Bay MVP: Outfielder Maykel Coret

Coret, 18, slashed .303/.407/.491 (53-for-175) with six doubles, three triples, seven home runs, 36 RBI, 42 runs scored, 22 stolen bases, and an .898 OPS across 46 games. He produced a 14-game on-base streak from June 9 through July 3, which included an eight-game hitting streak (June 11-23). His seven home runs were the most by a Rays farmhand in the DSL since 2022. The La Romana, Dominican Republic native was signed as an international free agent on Jan. 15, 2025.

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani has not played in six of the last seven games, and is being placed on the injured list. Freddie Freeman missed two games in the last week and was the designated hitter for another game as he nurses a right knee issue. The Dodgers began their homestand with two frustrating losses to the middling Cardinals before finally found their way, ripping off seven straight wins.

After below-average offense as a team for two full months in Julyand August, the Dodgers scored 58 runs in nine games on the homestand, averaging 6.4 per game and they scored at least five runs seven times in the nine games.

They did all this despite suffering through an 0-for-24 stretch with runners in scoring position over the final two games against St. Louis. The Dodgers nearly got swept, with Freeman’s first-inning home run on September 2 the only hit with a runner in scoring position until the ninth inning of September 3 when Teoscar Hernández doubled home two, turning a deficit into a walk-off win.

The Dodgers made up for it by thriving with runners in scoring position against the Nationals and Reds, fueling two sweeps, hitting .288/.397/.577 but more importantly earning 63 such plate appearances in the six games, averaging 10.5 per contest.

The hitting was quite timely, with a three-run home run by Tommy Edman in the seventh inning on Saturday, a Mookie Betts three-run homer in the eighth inning on Sunday, and a three-run home run in the sixth inning by Hernández on Monday. The first two turned deficits into wins, and Hernández’s home run on Monday blew open a close game.

Coupled with Freeman’s blast on September 2, the Dodgers’ four three-run home runs on the homestand matched their total for all of August, covering 27 games.

All that timely hitting gave way to pure bulk in the homestand finale on Wednesday, with the Dodgers exploding for nine runs in the first four innings in a 14-1 rout of the Reds.

Blowout wins are the hallmark of good teams, and the Dodgers led the majors with 25 such wins (decided by five or more runs) through the end of June, but only had two such wins in July and two more wins in August. Wednesday was their first blowout win of September, and was the first time the Dodgers led by five runs before the eighth inning since August 17 at Coors Field.

Hernández began his hot streak with a two-run home to to help the Dodgers win their last game of August, in Detroit, and has recaptured his old swing with a 10-game hitting streak during which he has 18 hits in 35 at-bats (.514) with six extra-base hits and 14 RBI.

Betts thrived on the homestand, hitting .375/.421/.750 with three home runs, three doubles, 10 runs scored and 13 driven in over eight games.

Betts has scored a run in nine straight games, and Hernández has driven in a run in seven straight. Both are the longest streaks by a Dodger in 2026.

We knew the Dodgers’ schedule in September wasn’t daunting, and so far the results have been there, going 7-2 with their longest win streak of the season.

Brendan Beck has been the best pitcher for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders all season as well as in the International League. He currently leads in wins (10), earned-run average (2.75), strikeouts (146), innings (131.0), WHIP (1.03) and opponents’ batting average (.203).

Those numbers might be even better had Beck not been recalled and optioned by the New York Yankees four times in the past month. However, with Beck on the move, Alexander Cornielle has helped pick up the slack and been effective over the last six weeks. Since joining the RailRiders in June, the 25-year-old right-hander from the Dominican Republic was 1-2 with four no-decisions and a 4.66 earned-run average in his first seven starts. In 25.1 innings, he allowed 13 runs (all earned) and 23 hits with 18 walks and 26 strikeouts. 

However, in his last eight appearances (seven starts), he is 4-2 with two no-decisions and a 1.57 ERA. In 40.2 innings, he has given up just seven runs (all earned) and 29 hits with 17 walks and 40 strikeouts. His best highlight came on August 28th at Worcester when he tossed a career-high eight shutout innings on two hits with two walks and six strikeouts in a 2-0 win. That effort earned him International League Pitcher of the Week for the period of Aug. 24-30.

Days later, Cornielle was selected IL Pitcher of the Month for August. He was 2-1 in five starts during the month with a 1.50 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 24 innings.

Alex owned August. 🔥 After just earning the IL Pitcher of the Week following an eight-inning shutout, Cornielle has been tabbed as @MiLB's Pitcher of the Month for August!

Cornielle joins Brendan Beck as an IL monthly award-winner in 2026. It marks the first time in team… pic.twitter.com/tmOLp4VuaD

— SWB RailRiders (@swbrailriders) September 4, 2026

“I really don’t look at that stuff. It just really shows off how the team overall is doing,” Cornielle said. “We’re in a good row. It shows overall how my stuff is playing with facing the hitters and how deceptive I am. The team’s on a good roll. It feels good.”

Even in defeat, Cornielle has pitched well. In the opener Monday of the first-place showdown series with the Rochester Red Wings, he had a quality start: two runs on four hits in six innings with four walks and seven strikeouts in a 3-1 loss. 

Cornielle was signed by Yankees as a free agent in December after spending six minor-league seasons in the Milwaukee Brewers organization. He began this season on the 60-day injured list, and he thinks that may have attributed to his struggles in his first seven starts. Those games were like his spring training.

“I don’t think, honestly, I was doing anything wrong,” Cornielle said. “In the beginning, yeah, I was walking a lot of people, throwing a lot of pitches in innings. But for me, showing up late, these guys (opposing batters) have three or four months competing on me. So they’re better prepared in that sense. It’s something I feel like I didn’t have in the beginning. So going through those rough patches and hearing what my pitching coaches say about how all the stuff is playing and how everything was. My pitches weren’t bad. The hitters had an advantage on me, I was a little behind in that sense. But after I got the hang of it, it’s been pretty easy.”

He made some minor adjustments that has helped contribute to his recent success.

“We’ve been working a little bit on mechanics,” Cornielle said. “Try to stay efficient, linear to home plate to be able to access more velo. Tweaking grips a little bit to make pitches move a little more.”

On September 2nd against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Cornielle followed Clarke Schmidt after Schmidt made a rehab start. Cornielle said it is helpful to observe when major leaguers like Schmidt, Carlos Rodon and Max Fried have been with the RailRiders on rehab assignments.

“I love what they do. I want to be in their shoes and hope I will at some point in my career,” Cornielle said. “What they do is amazing, their work ethic and everything. 

“But I don’t really ask for advice. I feel weird approaching a guy like that to ask for stuff and pick your brain. I honestly look more at their work ethic, what they do with the routines and I take my notes. Having those guys here prepares you on what to expect from the guys when you get up to the big club. How they handle themselves, how they talk, how they look at people, how they do certain stuff. I feel like that kind of stuff helps me create that thought process. How to shape myself potentially for when I get there.”

On the days that he pitches, Cornielle likes to keep to himself and not socialize much. His next start is scheduled for Sunday in the series finale at Rochester.

“Something turns on in my brain and I really don’t know what it is,” he said. “I just become a different person, people can tell you.”

After the first two games of the six-game showdown series in Rochester, nothing has changed. The RailRiders and Red Wings split to remain tied for first place in the International League second-half standings. The Indianapolis Indians are one game back, while the Worcester Red Sox and St. Paul Saints are two games behind.

Next week, the final week of the regular season, the RailRiders are home to face the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. Rochester finishes with a road series against the Buffalo Bisons.

---

Another week, another weekly award for the RailRiders.

Anthony Volpe was chosen International League Player of the Week for the period of Sept. 1-6. Volpe was named after helping the RailRiders win five games against the intrastate rival Lehigh Valley IronPigs. He batted .524 (11 for 21) in six games with three doubles and three home runs. He had six RBI, scored eight runs, drew three walks and stole five bases.

Volpe is the third RailRider to be selected Player of the Week, joining Yanquiel Fernandez (May 18-24) and Tyler Hardman (July 6-12). Besides Cornielle, Beck was named IL Pitcher of the Week three times (May 11-17, June 1-8, July 20-26) as well as Pitcher of the Month for June.

It’s a matinee rubber match today, as the Mariners hope to take a series win against the Texas Rangers.

Lineups:

JP Crawford hits leadoff this afternoon, while Gilbert takes the mound. Gilbert has a career record of 5-4 in 19 appearances against Texas, with an ERA of 3.02 and 113 strikeouts. He faces his Stetson hero in Jacob deGrom.

No Michael Arroyo in the lineup today, but don’t be surprised to see him pinch hit at some point this game (maybe for Montes) if a lefty comes in. Dan Wilson said pregame that he expects Arroyo to get some starts moving forward, as the team is slated to face a passel of lefties on this road trip. Arroyo might step in for the lefty Cole Young at second, but he’s also been taking reps in the outfield with coach Eric Young Jr.

Side note: shoutout to the PR/graphics team for Seattle, this lineup design is so much more pleasing aesthetically than Texas’.

The squad for today’s rubber match. #TridentsUppic.twitter.com/55ebM1g5wz

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) September 10, 2026

Finale in Seattle. #AllForTXpic.twitter.com/hbVOmhKWL6

— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) September 10, 2026

News:

No news is good news? Is that how it works this year?

(Technically there is some news on Emerson Hancock, who threw a bullpen yesterday. You can determine if it’s good or not.)

In the wake of Muñoz’s 95 mph changeup (!!!!) yesterday, take a trip down memory lane to (checks calendar) one month ago, and give Kate’s excellent piece about Muñoz’s newest weapon of mass whiffstruction a read.

Today’s game information:

Game time: 1:10 PT

TV: Mariners TV, with Aaron Goldsmith and Ryon Healy

Radio: ESPN 710 AM with Rick Rizzs and Gary Hill Jr.

The Mariners are hoping to get injured starter Emerson Hancock back this season, but it might not be in the role he’s played so far this year as one of the steadiest hands in a shaky rotation.

Hancock, who hadn’t thrown off a mound in 10 days, threw a bullpen yesterday at what he called “normal midweek intensity,” meaning not 100% effort, although he did throw his complete pitch mix. Even at the throttled-down effort, manager Dan Wilson said he was still feeling the effects of his adductor strain “occasionally.” Hancock, who said he felt “all right” after the session, said the issue is with his landing leg or plant leg; as he strides down the mound with his left leg, that’s where he can feel the pain in his adductor, which is the muscle group that runs along the inner thigh. But he doesn’t feel the pain every time, and although he says he’s feeling better and progressing, occasionally the pain still crops up.

“I don’t know what it’s going to feel like. When you’re throwing, when you’re talking about landing leg, you don’t really know what it’s going to do when you put all that force on it.”

“It’s a day-to-day thing,” said Hancock. “So we’ll just see how we feel tomorrow, and try to do everything we can to keep building this thing up, and hopefully get a chance to come back and pitch.”

“I think everything we’ve done up to this point has been very very productive…But I have to make sure that I’m also putting our position in a good position to win, as well. So we’re just continuing to work towards that.”

Hancock, who has been on the IL since August 29, would be eligible to return on September 13, in time for the series finale against the Athletics. But he needs at least one more bullpen session before he could return, and then will need to build back after sitting out for two weeks. Manager Dan Wilson didn’t discount the possibility of a move to the bullpen for Hancock for the remainder of the season, which would both get him back to the field more quickly and limit his innings and therefore the stress on his sore muscle.

“Anything’s possible,” said Wilson. “We’re making sure that he’s healthy first for sure, and then we’ll look at understanding how to plug him in and how to get him back, either into the rotation or in a different role. But we’ve got to get him healthy first.”

For his part, Hancock, the ultimate team player, is obviously disappointed to have landed on the IL after such a breakout season, but is staying focused on what he can do to help out the team in these last few games.

“At the end of the day, it’s not about me. There’s been some good and there’s been some bad, just personally. I love competing and I love being with our team, but also, as you’re working through the rehab process, you have to make sure that you’re in a good position to give your team the best chance to win. That’s the focus. So every day from here on out, it’s like, how can we be able to get to that point?”

Texas Rangers @ Seattle Mariners

Thursday, September 10, 2026, 3:10 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)

T-Mobile Park

RHP Jacob deGrom vs. RHP Logan Gilbert

Go Rangers!

I’ve seen a number of comments on social media recently, saying things like the D-backs have the best bullpen in the majors, or that this is the best bullpen in franchise history. However, if you look at the raw metrics, there’s not much evidence to support either statement. We’ve talked (a lot!) before about Mike Hazen’s issues with regard to building bullpens. Most recently, just after Opening Day this season, when our relievers had an ERA of 9.00. It looked like this was going to be another in a long series of bullpen disasters. After all, from 2017-2025, the team’s relievers ranked 24th for ERA, 27th for xERA, 25th for FIP and dead last for fWAR.

And those figures include a largely-inherited 2017 bullpen which was above average, ranking 5th by ERA. Since then? Well, 2017 was the last time our bullpen ranked in the top half by fWAR. The chart below shows where the team’s relievers have ranked in those metrics each year, since Mike Hazen took over. It comes from my end-of-season review last November, after a campaign where the team tied a franchise high with 28 blown saves. It probably would have been worst still, save for the unexpected resurrection of Shelby Miller, who went from non-roster invitee in spring training, to everyday closer by May. Anyway, here’s the graph.

Dismal, across the board. Now, to 2026. There’s no denying, the D-backs’ bullpen has been better this year. Specifically, here are their rankings for those four metrics, going into yesterday’s series finale in Kansas City (as are all numbers quoted in this article): ERA 15th; FIP 14th; xFIP 16th; fWAR 14th. Now, it’s a clear improvement, considering the team hasn’t been in the top half of MLB for any of those figures since 2019. But they’re all relentlessly middle-of-the-pack. Not “best in baseball” level, and nowhere near “best in franchise history” level. For the latter, I’d personally go with the 2012 bullpen, who had a 3.28 ERA, but will hear arguments for 2003.

So, why are fans so deliriously happy with the 2026 bullpen – arguably, above what it merits. I think there’s a few reasons, and there are some metrics where the bullpen has performed extraordinarily well. But to start with perception. It’s partly that the bullpen has, as documented above, been so utterly terrible in the 2020s. Last winter, I wrote, tongue in cheek, how it’s “beginning to feel like I’m in a toxic relationship with the D-backs bullpen.” And in one of those, you’ll latch onto any positive signs, believing them to be more important than they are. Compared to what we’ve been through, simple mediocrity is a huge improvement. Our relievers have just stopped punching us in the gut as often. Yay. 🙂

Another factor, is the sharp difference between the A- and B-bullpens. The good guys have been very good. We have four relievers – Brandyn Garcia, Juan Morillo, Jonathan Loaisiga and Taylor Clarke – who have thrown 40+ innings with an ERA below 2.50. No other team has that many. The Padres are the only side with more than two, and fully half the league have had nobody in that category for their bullpen this season. Arizona’s overall figures are hurt by the tail. They’ve used ten genuine relievers with an ERA worse than 4.91 this year – I pick that figure, as it’s Ildemaro Vargas’s 2026 ERA. Those ten have combined for 121.1 IP at an ERA of 7.21.

But the tip of the spear has been good – and, unlike the rest of the roster, generally healthy. I’d call this testament to a great job done by Torey Lovullo, in conjunction with the information provided to him by the front office, to avoid over-taxing any one arm. We have four relievers (Clarke, Morillo, Loaisiga and Kevin Ginkel) who are all over sixty appearances and on pace for sixty-five plus this year. The Blue Jays are the only other team currently to have four relievers at over sixty games. The D-backs have never had four pitchers appear 65 times in a season. It feels as if adjustments were made after last year, where we saw the seasons of our three main closers, all end in elbow surgery.

This year’s bullpen has also been great when needed. Here’s the stat which shows this most. They are 66-0 when leading after eight innings, the only perfect score in the National League. Say what you like about Paul Sewald – now up to nine scoreless appearances for Toronto, incidentally – but he got the job done when given a lead. If the team can get through these final couple of weeks without losing that unblemished record, it’ll be the first time Arizona has done so since 2011, when they were 84-0 [That 2003 squad I mentioned above were also perfect when leading after eight]

Now, there have still been blown saves, as with any relief corps. But only seventeen, a large improvement on 2025’s record number. And the team still won the game most of the time (nine of the seventeen). As we saw on Tuesday in Kansas City when both Morillo and Blake Walston were charged with a blown save, nobody really cares much if you prevails in the end. Since June 21, there has been just one blown save by Arizona which led to a loss: Loaisiga against the Pirates on July 27. It’s hard to get annoyed with a segment of the team that has done very little to cost the team games in the second half.

But perhaps the number which does most to explain the positive perception of the D-backs bullpen, is Win Probability. They currently sit, for the year as a whole, at +818%, the second-best figure in baseball behind the Braves (a startling +1088%). That’s the highest figure in Arizona since 2007’s +913%, and with 16 games left, they still have a shot at chasing that down. Put simply, this year’s model has had a hugely positive impact on the team’s chances. It’s the biggest bullpen turnaround in franchise history, already representing an improvement of more than a dozen wins compared to last year, when they ended the season at -404%.

There will be significant work for Hazen this winter, with three of those “core four”, Ginkel, Loaisiga and Clarke, becoming free agents. But in Morillo, Garcia and Justin Martinez, the foundations are there for the longer term. Has Hazen finally cracked the “secret sauce” of building a bullpen on a budget? Or was this just a year where the ebb and flow of reliever volatility, finally worked in his favor? We’ll see next season. If it’s the latter, let’s just hope that volatility can be staved off for a few more weeks!

The theme of this series so far was something like, “Braves can’t find holes, Rays hit all the homers and find all the holes.” Well, much of the third game between these two teams was similar, as both Martin Perez ad Nick Martinez largely cruised through the afternoon. But, lo and behold: in the eighth, the Braves flipped the script and found a bunch of holes in a row, leading to a 3-1 win that staved off a sweep. To put a fine point on it, the Braves didn’t actually hit the ball particularly well as they notched five straight hits… they just happened to actually get the ball to drop in a way that didn’t happen for them all series.

Not to be forgotten in the effort was Martin Perez, whose predilection for Perez pachinko worked out well on the afternoon. Perez had a scary first inning because three of the first four reached against him — largely on soft singles, what else. (Yandy Diaz’ leadoff hit was a 94 mph liner through the infield, but the other two weren’t well hit balls.) But, the Braves managed to escape with something amazing: a double play off the bat of speed demon Chandler Simpson. You kind of have to see it to believe it:

What a play! 👀#BravesCountrypic.twitter.com/9TjDOQJsyI

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 10, 2026

Was Simpson ultimately safe at first? I have no idea, but the Rays opted not to challenge.

After that, basically nothing happened in this game for a long while. Seriously, only one of the next 24 plate appearances resulted in a non-out, and that was Matt Olson’s two-out single in the first. Perez issued a two-out walk in the fifth, but a routine lineout to right field ended that inning.

The sixth was a bit more eventful. The Braves went 1-2-3 again, but there was a scary moment where it looked like Mauricio Dubon tweaked his oblique evading an inside pitch. Dubon ultimately stayed in, and hopefully he’s avoided an actual injury, but we’ll see.

With two outs in the bottom of the frame, and the powerful Junior Caminero facing him for a third time, Perez issued an unintentional intentional walk to the slugger. That ended up being stressful because the next batter hit another bloop single (sigh), bringing up Simpson once again. This time, Simpson tried to bunt for a hit, only to be thrown out (maybe) on an acrobatic spin-and-throw by Perez. The Rays did challenge this one, and the call stood; the vagaries of replay review potentially helped the Braves out here.

In the top of the seventh, the Braves finally got another hit, courtesy of Ha-Seong Kim, who lined a hard single off Caminero’s glove at third base. However, Kim then got picked off, so… ew. Perez finished his day with another perfect frame. It was a very “good Martin Perez” outing — he won’t wow you in the xFIP department as he only had a 4/2 K/BB ratio, but he didn’t allow a homer unlike an assortment of other arms the Braves used this series. It wasn’t as good as his emergency seven-inning outing on August 1 against the Nationals, but it helped a lot nonetheless.

The Rays pulled Martinez in favor of a lefty reliever to pitch to Olson and Michael Harris II in the seventh, despite a modest pitch count. Both Olson and Harris hit liners to the outfield that were easily caught. Didier Fuentes had a no-problems top of the eighth, ending the frame by catching a soft liner hit back at him.

So, onto the bottom of the eighth, where the Braves rallied against Kevin Kelly. With one out, the Braves subbed Dominic Smith for Ozzie Albies. Smith wasn’t even supposed to start in this game, but was inserted when Lane Thomas felt a twinge in his oblique during pregame activities. Albies did the same thing the Braves did a lot earlier in this series: hit a 50-50 fly ball. This time, though, it worked out! It split the gap, and Albies was able to sprint to third after the ball took a friendly (to the Braves) bounce off the wall. Up next was Austin Riley, and his inside-out swing produced a sad dribbler that somehow rolled perfectly through the right side of the Rays’ drawn-in infield. Mike Yastrzemski, who also didn’t start today (and didn’t get added to the lineup after Thomas couldn’t play) then made a pinch-hit appearance of his own, and chipped in with another fairly unimpressive bit of contact, except that it too was down the right-field line enough such that no Rays fielder could grab it. The ball bounced up a bit and ended up being a ground-rule double. With the infield drawn in again, Kim hit yet another weak spurter, but this too got through, giving the Braves a 3-0 lead. The Rays swapped relievers, but now it was Drake Baldwin’s turn for yet another soft single. However, the frame ended when Ronald Acuña Jr. failed to extend the soft hit parade, as his weak comebacker turned into a double play instead. Seriously, look at this:

We’ll take it, but not exactly the proudest moment in Atlanta Braves hitting history.

All that was left was the ninth, and it was more dramatic than it needed to be. After a first-pitch groundout by Caminero, pinch hitter Victor Mesa Jr. scooped up a Raisel Iglesias 1-2 changeup below the zone and just clipped it over the wall to make it a 3-1 game. Iglesias then walked Simpson, bringing the tying run to the plate in the form of another pinch hitter, Liam Hicks. After a battle, Hicks didn’t pull the trigger on a fastball inside the zone, making pinch hitter Jonathan Aranda the last hope. Aranda saw seven pitches from Iglesias, only one in the zone, with the other six nowhere near. Still, that seventh pitch was a changeup way off the plate and it turned into a paltry comebacker and the final out.

So, the Braves will be, at worst, three games up on the Phillies for the start of their key series this weekend. That means that even if the Phillies sweep, they won’t be in the division lead due to the Braves capturing the tiebreaker. Or, maybe the Astros could help the Braves out again, and shave another digit off that magic number for the NL East crown. We’ll see.

Three games for the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates on Wednesday, as the season is rapidly winding down. Here’s everything that happened.

Link to the 2026 McCovey Chronicles Community Prospect List (CPL)

All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.

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AAA Sacramento (77-60)

Sacramento River Cats lost to the Las Vegas Aviators (A’s) 1-0
Box score

For the 2nd game in a row, the River Cats held the Aviators to just 1 run, despite playing the game in Las Vegas. That is tremendously impressive, even if in this particular case it resulted in a loss.

Despite that, it wasn’t an overpowering pitching performance, but it was a mighty fine one nonetheless, courtesy of a pair of pitchers who were recently optioned following their MLB debuts. Kicking things off was the starter, LHP Seth Lonsway, who took down 6 scoreless frames. It was a little bit of a funny outing for Lonsway, who, per the usual, wasn’t getting swing-throughs (he had just 3 strikeouts). Despite the 6 shutout innings, he couldn’t find the strike zone, as he threw just 47 of 90 pitches for strikes, and walked 3 batters. But he kept hitters off balance, as Vegas had just 3 hits against him all night.

That goes down as the best start of the year for the 2021 6th-rounder, who has a 5.49 ERA in Sacramento. Lonsway, who turns 28 next month, will almost certainly be designated for assignment this offseason, as the Giants will need to clear more than 20 roster spots over the winter. But he’ll likely clear waivers and be outrighted, and can be a valuable depth piece in AAA again next year.

After Lonsway it was RHP Braxton Roxby, who was optioned after 2 MLB appearances. Roxby, who had been on quite a AAA tear at the time of getting called up, continued that success in this game, as he tossed 2 scoreless innings with 2 hits and 2 strikeouts. I suppose Roxby has a chance of being DFA’d this offseason as well, given that he’s 27 and only just made the Majors with decent-not-great AAA numbers (3.97 ERA, with 55 strikeouts and 26 walks in 59 innings), but the Giants will be wanting to hang on to him so he can be a depth bullpen piece next year, in both AAA and the Majors.

Unfortunately, the shutout ended in dramatic fashion, as RHP Eric Cerantola allowed a walk-off solo home run with 1 out in the 9th inning.

The offense, meanwhile, did complete their shutout, which obviously is not a good thing. Needless to say, it was a bad day with the bats, with the River Cats securing just 7 hits on the day, and drawing 0 walks. Nobody had multiple hits, and left fielder/right fielder Will Brennan, a day after smacking 3 home runs, had the only extra-base knock of the day, as he went 1-4 with a triple and a strikeout. Center fielder Scott Bandura was the only Sacramento player to reach base twice, with the lefty going 1-3 with a hit by pitch, but he also struck out once and was caught stealing.

The big news was, unfortunately bad: right fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) left the game with an injury. Davidson, who went 0-1, fouled a ball off his foot in the 3rd inning, and it certainly didn’t seem good. He was on the ground in very visible pain with the trainers for over a minute, before needing help off the field. It wouldn’t be surprising if his season is over, especially since Sacramento only has 10 more games.

AA Richmond (73-59)

Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Chesapeake Baysox (Orioles) 8-7
Box score

Well, a more interesting game for the Squirrels, but they sure are slumping to end the year. Richmond has lost 7 games in a row, and they’ve gone 6 consecutive contests without hitting a home run.

There hasn’t been a lot of offense for the Squirrels lately, but they finally broke through in this game, and it was all at the top of the lineup, where the 1st 3 hitters accounted for 8 of the team’s 11 hits. That was especially true for the top 2 in the lineup, center fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) and designated hitter Dayson Croes. Both Cohen and Croes have been struggling a bit at the plate lately, but they sure didn’t in this game, with the former hitting 2-5 with 2 doubles and a strikeout, and the latter going a blistering 4-5 with with 3 doubles, while knocking in 4 of the team’s 7 runs.

Dayson Croes just missed sneaking one outta here and settles for an RBI double instead 👍 pic.twitter.com/w8GikkYRM0

— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) September 10, 2026

Cohen, a 22-year old who was taken in the 3rd round last year, has had a fairly average year since getting promoted to AA, but that counts as a big win given how early he is in his career, and how strong his defense is. Croes, a 26-year old who signed from an indy league last year, has been scuffling a bit in both AA and AAA, and his spot on the domestic reserve is probably in peril.

The 3rd player in the top of the order trio wasn’t quite as dynamic, but still had a good game, as right fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) hit 2-5 with an RBI and a strikeout. It’s good seeing Jordan end the year healthy, after he was sidelined for about a month.

Dakota Jordan gets the Squirrels on the board ✅ pic.twitter.com/wwvGGCD1dU

— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) September 10, 2026

Richmond spent the whole game trying to erase a deficit, after LHP Charlie McDaniel got positively destroyed in his 16th start at the level. McDaniel only lasted 2.1 innings and gave up 8 hits (including 2 home runs), as well as 3 walks, 8 runs, and 7 earned runs, while striking out 3. The 25-year old undrafted free agent was struggling to find the zone, and when he did find it he struggled to miss bats. Just a game to forget for him.

This game notwithstanding, McDaniel has done a tremendous job avoiding free passes in his 2nd pro season. Unfortunately, that’s come with quite an expense: he’s far too hittable. In 119 innings this year, split between High-A and AA, the 6’3 Presbyterian alum has allowed 139 hits and 19 home runs.

The bullpen pitched a shutout the rest of the way, though they played with fire. RHP Shane Rademacher had one of his best outings of the year, giving up just 1 hit in 3.2 scoreless frames, while striking out 4. But RHPs Dale Stanavich and Mitch White combined to walk 5 batters in 3 innings … but didn’t allow any hits or runs.

High-A Eugene (0-2)

Eugene Emeralds lost to the Vancouver Canadians (Blue Jays) 5-4 (10 innings)
Box score

And just like that, the Emeralds are on the brink of elimination. Their goal is simple: win the next 3 games (all of which are at home), and the season is over, with a championship in hand. Lose any of the next 3 games, and the season is over, without a championship in hand.

They just didn’t have quite enough offense to overcome a rough start from LHP Jordan Gottesman, who really struggled with the strike zone in his 2nd High-A appearance. Gottesman, who was a 6th-round pick last year, had a decent, but not electric year in Low-A this season, posting a 3.96 ERA and a 4.91 FIP in his debut season, with 9.8 strikeouts to 3.0 walks per 9 innings.

His debut in High-A went pretty well last week, but his playoff start was a different story. The just-turned 24-year old from Northeastern pitched 4.1 innings and gave up both 4 hits and 4 walks, with just 46 of his 86 pitches going for strikes. Impressively, those 8 baserunners only resulted in 2 runs (he also had 2 strikeouts), with RHP Mauricio Estrella replacing him and promptly giving up 2 more runs. RHPs Alix Hernandez and Gerelmi Maldonado (No. 21 CPL) followed up with quality, scoreless outings, before RHP Ryan Slater became the unlucky extra-innings loser: Slater retired all 5 batters he faced, but a pair of productive outs in the 10th inning scored the Manfred Man and ended the game.

As for that offense, the star was once again right fielder Cam Maldonado (No. 34 CPL), who has looked like a different player entirely since getting promoted to High-A. Maldonado, a 7th-round pick a year ago, had a fine season in San Jose, but ended the season with a 22-game stint in Eugene in which he posted a 1.023 OPS and a 154 wRC+, with 8 home runs. That continued on Wednesday, as the righty only hit 1-5 with a strikeout, but bashed a 2-run home run to get the scoring started for the Emeralds.

BIG TIME POP FROM CAM MALDONADO!

2-1 Ems on the back of this 2-run shot by the pride of Waterbury, Connecticut#RootedHerepic.twitter.com/szULs6TOAi

— Eugene Emeralds (@EugeneEmeralds) September 10, 2026

Maldonado will almost certainly resume his time in Eugene when the 2027 season kicks off, but if he keeps hitting like this, it won’t be long before he’s sent across the country to try his trade in AA.

No other offensive performances of note.

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Home run tracker

23 — Cam Maldonado — [9 in High-A; 14 in Low-A]

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Thursday schedule

Sacramento: 7:05 p.m. PT at Las Vegas (SP: TBD)
Richmond: 4:05 p.m. PT vs. Chesapeake (SP: Niko Mazza)
Eugene: Off day
San Jose: 6:30 p.m. Pt vs. Stockton (SP: Jackson Flora)

Reminder that almost all MiLB games can be watched on MLB TV

On September 10th all the way back in the year 1983, Joseph Daniel Votto first graced the presence of the world in Toronto, Ontario. It would likely be a record if he took his first walk that same day, but I honestly wouldn’t put it too far past him.

Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2nd round of the 2002 MLB Draft out of Canada’s Richview Collegiate Institute, the future Hall of Famer went on to do some pretty incredible stuff across 17 seasons in a Reds uniform. Once robbed of the Rookie of the Year Award and later robbed of what would’ve been his 2nd National League MVP, the 2010 NL MVP led the National League in OBP in seven (7!) different seasons while three times leading all of Major League Baseball in the stat.

Across a 9-year window from 2010 through 2018, he put up a ridiculous .311/.436/.538 (.964 OPS) in 5542 PA, work that included 216 homers, more walks (970) than strikeouts (965), and was good for a 159 OPS+ and absurd 51.1 bWAR. And through it all he was the coolest damn sonofagun on the planet.

Today marks Joey’s 43rd birthday, and for that we celebrate.

Happy birthday to the one and only Joseph Daniel Votto‼️ pic.twitter.com/kAlxC4urYo

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) September 10, 2026

Happy Birthday to the future GM of the Reds!