Senators general manager Steve Staios has turned his attention toward some of his Belleville free agents, and for the second straight day, he signed a 2021 first-round draft pick to a one-year, two-way contract for next season.
After Xavier Bourgault re-signed on Thursday, it was Tyler Boucher's turn on Friday.
Like Bourgault, Boucher is coming off his best pro season, by far, this past year and the Senators are hoping he can take another step this fall.
Senators European scout Anders Ostberg describes Jonas Lagerberg Hoen, Ottawa's top pick in last month's draft
Over 47 games, Boucher had 12 goals, 14 assists, and 26 points with the Belleville Senators, which over a full 72-game AHL season, would be a valuable 40-point pace.
That was not only a good step, it earned him another contract. But games played will remain the key statistic for Boucher, as it does every year.
Looking back to the draft five years ago, Boucher was seen by most analysts as a very good prospect at the 2021 NHL Draft, and probably the most physical forward available, but almost no one, except for the Senators, saw him as top-10 overall material.
He'd love a chance to prove everyone wrong but he'll need to dodge that injury bug that always seems latched on to some part of his body. In the five seasons since his draft day, he's played only 177 hockey games total between his time at Boston U, the Ottawa 67s and the Belleville Senators.
The Senators are obviously hoping (and banking) on Boucher being able to take another step this fall.
By Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published on The Hockey News Ottawa Senators site. For full coverage of the Senators, check out one of the latest headlines below:
The Buffalo Sabres could go a number of different ways as the NHL is in the midst of trade season following the NHL Draft and the opening of free agency on July 1. With the departure of winger Alex Tuch and defenseman Bowen Byram, GM Jarmo Kekalainen is expected to seek out offensive reinforcements to make up for the 44 goals lost by their departures.
Over the next few weeks, we will continue to look at potential options for the Sabres. Some of the possibilities are not going to match Tuch’s stats, but any additions could provide some relief to the pressure that youngsters Konsta Helenius, Jiri Kulich, or Noah Ostlund will be under to make up the deficit.
Kekalainen ideally would like to make up as much of the 60-to-70 point production that he lost with Tuch, and another possibility is someone who may be readily available in the way of the Anaheim Ducks matching the offer sheet to center Leo Carlsson and that is veteran winger Chris Kreider. The 35-year-old was part of the dismantling of the NY Rangers by former Sabre Chris Drury, as he was dealt to the Ducks after 13 years on Broadway. In his first season on the West Coast, Kreider matched his goal total in his previous season with the Rangers (22) and posted 50 points.
What do the Sabres do to replace Alex Tuch's scoring and leadership?
The matching of Carlsson’s five-year, $90 million deal ($18 million AAV) has left the Ducks with just over $9 million in cap space, 40-goal scorer Cutter Gauthier still to sign, and a blueline short-handed after the departures of vets Radko Gudas and Jacob Trouba, and the trade of Olen Zellweger to Buffalo last month. Ducks GM Pat Verbeek was taken by surprise at the Carlsson offer sheet, thinking he would have plenty of cap space to sign him, Gauthier, blueliner Pavel Mintyukov, and more defensive replacements.
The Ducks scrambled to re-sign Mintyukov to a five-year deal at an AAV of $7.2 million, and now do not have enough cap space to extend Gauthier. A number of NHL insiders have indicated that Verbeek is now looking to jettison a contract to clear room to re-sign the 22-year-old scorer, which reportedly include Kreider, former Tampa winger Alex Killorn, and Frank Vatrano.
Adding Kreider would make perfect sense for the Sabres, if he is not on their 15-team no-trade list. Even though he is slowing down, the Massachusetts native can still move and is capable of playing in the top-six. He has one year left on his contract at $6.5 million, which would mean no long-term commitment on the part of Kekalainen, and in the spot that Verbeek is in, a deal might be so low-cost that the Ducks would have to include a pick to take on contract.
That might be a long shot, since there might be a number of teams interested in the big winger, but the potential cost would likely be significantly less than any of the other trade or free agent options out there currently.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 21, 2026: Tate Southisene #19 of the Atlanta Braves in the field during the first inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 21, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
As the Atlanta Braves have worked to return their farm system to its prior glory in recent years, the 2025 draft class could prove to be one of the most important steps in that rebuilding process.
In a departure from its typical draft strategy of loading up on pitchers with their top picks, the Braves instead selected a trio of shortstops, led by high school standout Tate Southisene with the 22nd overall pick.
At just 18 years old, Southisene was one of the youngest players in the Carolina League upon making his debut for the Low-A Augusta GreenJackets in late August. Though he batted just .215 and produced a mere .539 OPS in 66 plate appearances last season, Southisene returned as a much more polished player in 2026.
Southisene scorched his way to a .297/.429/.500 slash line with eight home runs, 30 RBIs, 46 runs scored, and 36 stolen bases in just 51 games for Augusta before earning a June promotion to High-A Rome.
Hailing from a family that includes four brothers either playing pro ball or with aspirations of doing so, baseball is in the blood for Southisene. I caught up with Tate to discuss his first full season in the professional ranks, his hot start, the adjustments he’s made, and the future.
Grant McAuley: What has the last year been like in your life, because it was about this time a year ago that you were preparing for the draft and deciding your route to professional baseball?
Tate Southisene: Yeah, for sure. The past year has definitely been cool. It’s a different experience just being out on my own, playing professional baseball and just kind of getting my feet wet, but I’ve been enjoying every part of it.
GM: Tell me a little about your experience in the Braves organization thus far. Obviously, there’s the draft process: They select you, you sign, and then you head out somewhere to begin your career. What were those first few steps like, and how long did it take you to look around and realize that you’re a professional baseball player?
TS: The Braves have been great. [As an] organization, I appreciate them just giving me a chance out of high school. Those first couple of months of pro ball, getting down to Florida and getting my feet wet, I was able to enjoy that and then also the process. They made it very easy just being able to get out of there and play my game.
GM: Talking to guys over the years, whether it was Spencer Strider, or Michael Harris II, or Austin Riley, the one thing all talked about is that the Braves do such a great job of preparing you for every step you take along the way up the ladder, then ultimately to the big-league level. It just makes it easier because you do feel like, to your point, that you belong, You’re familiar with everything. You know what those expectations are and you’re just going out there and doing a good day’s work.
TS: Yes, for sure. I mean the Braves, like I said, they kind of set out the format for me and their expectations, so I was just able to go out there and play.
GM: Well, tell me a little bit about your own expectations. You got a taste of the of the minor league life last year. You went back to Augusta this year and were off to a very good start, then you get a promotion to Rome. What has the 2026 season been like for you?
TS: It’s been good. Being able to be out there in 2025, just for that short, little month of professional baseball, affiliate ball, I thought it was great for me. To be able to almost go out there and struggle a little bit as a high schooler, I was able to experience the failures and different stuff like that. So, in 2026 and this past off-season, I was able to prepare a lot more and know what’s to come and not just step into the 2026, just brand-new, but having an idea, a good idea, of what it’s like.
GM: That was going to be my next question. You got a little bit of that experience. And as you mentioned, many if not most know that baseball is a game of failure and you can learn a lot from those failures and use that to propel yourself into the off-season. What was your focus on as you were getting ready for your first spring training?
TS: Yeah, put on some weight on, good weight that is. Get bigger, stronger and faster and that stuff. But really with the swing, just make my adjustments. I had a lot of things going on (swing-wise) and I had to be able to slow the game down, really. So, I was able to touch on some things and I felt good going into Spring Training.
GM: Something else that you have on your side that not everybody does is that you come from a baseball family. How much were you able to lean on your brother, Ty, as you were getting ready for this year and talk over what is really kind of the family business?
TS: Having my brother, Ty [to lean on], was great. He’s already gone through it before. This is his second full year now, so last year it was his first full year. Being able to kind of go through the offseason with him and just kind of know what to work on as we were working out together, running together, hitting together, fielding together. We were doing everything together to prepare for the season.
GM: For those who watch Spring Training and may see some games on TV or listen to on the radio, the minor league side of things is a little bit different experience than big league camp, but did you get to be around some of that? What were your impressions of that first full spring training?
TS: That was great. Just being able to make my adjustments during Spring Training and being around everybody. There’s a lot going on, too, but kind of do your own thing, work on your own stuff. Everything’s kind of on your own for the first couple of weeks. Then be able to get into a group setting last couple of weeks of spring training, I thought it was really good.
GM: Yeah, that camaraderie starts in spring training and extends into the season. Walk me through Augusta and how much different it was the second time around with some adjustments you were able to make. Obviously, the bat has been speaking for itself this year, but you’ve also been doing a lot of running. How would you describe the Tate Southisene game?
TS: I think, for me, I can do a little bit of everything, very versatile. I can hit, hit for power, can steal, can field, can throw. I feel like I can impact the game in a lot of ways, even if I’m not hitting the best. Let’s say I take a walk, then I could steal a bag, too. So, I can kind of impact the game in different ways.
GM: Has there been a coaching focus to elevate your running game? Obviously, you’ve got the speed, but what you do with it is a different story. Has that been a focus there for you and also for the organization to just see how much you can get out of running?
TS: For sure, it was definitely the organization [that] brought it up. We worked on my running form, my stealing form and picking good counts to run on. Yeah, it’s definitely been a focus of mine to just be able to take advantage of my speed.
GM: Talk to me a little bit about your teammates. One of them in particular, Eric Hartman, who you joined up here in Rome, you guys have created a lot of buzz for this team. You were a first-round pick, and then you’ve got somebody who was the very last pick that the Braves made in the 2024 draft class. That’s a unique partnership if you will. What has it been like getting to know Eric and playing with him a little bit more on an everyday basis?
TS: It’s been great. Going up to Augusta last year, Eric was actually the first person I met there. He was to the left of my locker. He walked in and was the first person I met. So, we’ve had a good relationship ever since then. Playing with him in that one month was great and then [to] be able to go down during weight camp, we were working out together. Now, I get to see him in Rome, so that’s been great. He’s a good guy, a good player, great player, really great player.
GM: Now we’ll get to see where your paths take you both as you continue this year. You already know, those in-season promotions can come along. What was your reaction to finding out that you’d be moving up to another level this year and now being able to play with a Rome team alongside Hartman and all these guys on a very exciting squad?
TS: I was very excited about the promotion. I was kind of a little shocked with a change of scenery, for sure. But I’m glad that I’m one step closer to the end goal and just being able to play my game every single day. It’s the same game.
GM: Let me wrap up with this. As we talked about, you’re from a baseball family, what’s the best advice or best support that you’ve gotten from the family?
TS: Just for me, it’s really just [support] mentally. It’s a very mental game, so just stay with your support system and just stick with it every single day.
GM: It is an everyday game and it’s an everyday grind, but you’ve done some pretty good stuff thus far in 2026. Good luck the rest away and thanks for the time.
TS: Thank you. I appreciate it.
In case you missed it, here’s my conversation with rapidly-rising prospect Eric Hartman.
The Brooklyn Nets headline the Summer League slate today, as their deep roster and NBA experience give them a clear edge against the New York Knicks.
I’m also backing Cameron Boozer and the Memphis Grizzlies against Caleb Wilson and the Chicago Bulls, along with the Oklahoma City Thunder and lottery selection Aday Mara.
Check out my NBA Summer League picks for Friday, July 10.
NBA Summer League predictions for July 10
Pick
Nets moneyline
-244
Grizzlies moneyline
-177
Thunder moneyline
+108
Today's Summer League Picks
Nets moneyline (-244 at Kalshi)
The Brooklyn Nets are heavy favorites for a reason, as they bring plenty of recent experience and talent to the court in Las Vegas. Brooklyn went 2-1 in Salt Lake City, as Egor Demin led the way with 23 points and 7.5 assists across two games. No. 6 pick Mikel Brown Jr. finished with 10 points and four dimes in his lone appearance, and he’s expected to see more run moving forward.
Brooklyn welcomes back all four of last year’s first-round selections in Demin, Ben Saraf, Drake Powell, and Danny Wolf, who each averaged at least 20 minutes while playing 44+ games. Two-way man Chainey Johnson saw NBA run last year, and he’ll be with the team for action in LV.
Conversely, the New York Knicks' Summer League roster features Pacome Dadiet, Mo Diawara, and Dillon Jones. Diawara saw the most playing time of the trio last season with 9.2 minutes per game, and the majority of New York’s roster is comprised of 2026 undrafted players.
Grizzlies moneyline (-177 at Kalshi)
The Memphis Grizzlies started a soft reboot last season, partly due to necessity and partly due to recurring injuries. With Ja Morant off to Portland, a new era has officially arrived in Memphis.
Several new faces saw meaningful run in 2025-26, including Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Taylor Hendricks, Cedric Coward, Walter Clayton Jr., Javon Small, and Jahmai Mashack. All six players recorded multiple starts for Memphis a season ago, and they added Duke standout Cameron Boozer with the third pick in the draft.
Although the Chicago Bulls’ roster isn’t bereft of talent, Memphis’ Summer League roster may be the best in the Association. The Grizzlies aren’t rivaled in depth, experience, or talent.
Thunder moneyline (+108 at Kalshi)
Despite being winless in Summer League action thus far, the Oklahoma City Thunder should be favored against the Los Angeles Lakers, who have been afforded two wins against weak Miami and San Antonio rosters.
OKC's roster includes a pair of Top 16 picks from this year’s draft in Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz, as well as Buddy Boeheim, Brooks Barnhizer, and Payton Sandfort, who all appeared in multiple NBA games last season.
The edge goes to the experienced team, which is still hungry to earn its first Summer League victory.
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Nets moneyline
Grizzlies moneyline
Thunder moneyline
+359 at Kalshi
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We are just a day a away from learning who the White Sox will make the overall No. 1 pick. But we couldn’t let that happen without tapping the esteemed Reacts voting bloc weigh in. And among the trio of Roch Cholowsky, Grady Emerson and Vahn Lackey there was a clear favorite … position, that is:
What’s interesting is that although White Sox scouts are said to favor Emerson and the front office prefers Lackey, Cholowsky as the presumptive No. 1 has remained so in the majority of mock drafts. Thus our voting base is going with the favorite, and as the most “known” quantity of the three Cholowsky could very well be the pick.
For the record, Brett’s vote went to Vahn Lackey.
Otherwise, the national survey questions involved a sort of mid-year awards preview. At least one name — Shohei Ohtani — was expected. But there are no White Sox bandied about in the mix (heck, if there was a Rookie of the Year poll Munetaka Murakami might have even slipped out of consideration given his missing the past six weeks), so let’s just flop all the surveys at you in sequence:
At least there’s a former White Sox in the mix, however impossible his chances.
Did you miss out on this round of questions? No worry, sign up here to participate in our weekly emailed surveys, and have your White Sox voice be heard!
The Senators announced on Thursday that restricted free agent forward Xavier Bourgault has signed a one-year, two-way contract for the 2026-27 season. Bourgault, who's entering his third season with the Senators organization, was scheduled for arbitration later this month.
The 23-year-old is a former first-round draft pick of the Edmonton Oilers, who dealt him to Ottawa in 2024 with Jake Chiasson for winger Roby Jarventie and a fourth-round pick.
Senators European scout Anders Ostberg describes Jonas Lagerberg Hoen, Ottawa's top pick in last month's draft
Playing alongside Arthur Kaliyev and Phillipe Daoust, which was one of the most productive lines in the AHL, Bourgault had his best pro season by a country mile. He finished second in Belleville scoring with 25 goals and 57 points. He even got his first taste of the NHL, playing in two games this season, including his debut on December 27 in Toronto.
Bourgault is a player that Staios has liked and monitored since their junior days. In 2022, Staios was GM of the Hamilton Bulldogs when they came up against Shawinigan in the Memorial Cup, and Bourgault was the Cataractes' best player.
That fall, both men reported for pro duty in Edmonton.
Bourgault turned pro and headed for the Oilers' training camp, while Staios was hired by Edmonton as a special advisor to the hockey operations staff. Bourgault didn’t make the Oilers out of camp and was sent to AHL Bakersfield, where Staios was obviously in a position to keep close tabs on him.
Two years ago, after Staios had left Edmonton for Ottawa, he still thought enough of Bourgault to bring him to Ottawa in the Jarventie deal.
With 26 points in 51 games, Bourgault's first season in Belleville was underwhelming. However, B-Sens head coach David Bell said last summer that he believed Bourgault played through injuries that prevented the skilled forward from showing what he was fully capable of.
Seems like he was right, because Bourgault was a different player.
With his contract now signed, Bourgault heads into training camp this September with more momentum than at any point in his professional career. His next step is proving he can hang at the NHL level.
In the meantime, with Garrett Pilon signing in the KHL for next season, Bourgault has probably even earned some consideration as Belleville’s next captain.
By Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published on The Hockey News Ottawa Senators site. For full coverage of the Senators, check out one of the latest headlines below:
Day One of the MLB Draft is Saturday July 11th (1pm ET; 12pm CT) on NBC, Peacock, and MLB Network, and will be rounds 1 through 4. Day Two (rounds 5-20) is on MLB.com at 11:30am ET; 10:30am CT. Don’t expect to hear any of these names on Day One, but here are the current players I expect to get drafted at some point before round 20 wraps up.
*Note: Coverage of this years draft will be, in a word, weird. Best to just paste in this nonsense here:
*Note: Like the past two years, there are no current Diamond Dores players either I or any draftnik project to be first rounders. This is a problem, but I would be pretty shocked if Brodie Johnston isn’t a first rounder next year.
Current Players Who May Hear Their Names Called on Day One (Rounds 1-4):
Very likely none, though I could see Holcomb in round 4 as a possibility.
Current Players Who May Hear Their Names Called on Day Two (Rounds 5-20):
#26 Jr. OF Braden “The Hulk” Holcomb
2026 Stats: .352/.434/.621 with 19 2B, 403B, 14 HR, 54 RBI and 6-8 steals.
Though Holcomb was an all-state tight end at Foundation Academy (Winter Garden, Fla.), he preferred to use his physicality on the diamond. He spurned interest from pro teams out of high school to attend Vanderbilt, and he was the Commodores’ best hitter (.352/.434/.621) this spring. There aren’t many college players who can match his size (6-foot-5, 245 pounds) or history of playing five different positions.
Holcomb’s strength gives him well-above-average raw power, and he can drive the ball out of the park to all fields from the right side of the plate. But he doesn’t maximize his pop because he’s way too aggressive, chasing all types of pitches, struggling to make contact on offerings on and off the plate and not catching up to quality velocity. He has 30-homer ceiling but has slugged just .388 with wood bats in two seasons in the Cape Cod League and might not make enough contact to do damage in the Majors.
Holcomb has sneaky athleticism with average speed, and he’ll flash solid run times and steal bases on occasion. He covers enough ground to get the job done on the outfield corners and played a surprisingly adequate center field when he saw action there this spring. He has the solid arm strength for third base but is a stiff defender there, while first base is a viable option.
Prediction: To be honest, a guy with The Hulk’s physical tools and 2026 numbers should be a top 100 prospect chosen in the first three rounds of any draft. In fact, those 2026 numbers scream first round pick, don’t they? I suspect his swing and miss concerns from 2024 and 2025, as well as his defensive position (corner OF or IF, basically) are the reason he’s not ranked as highly, but, frankly, that’s pretty dumb. He’s not some plodding big man with the cement feet of a first baseman/DH. That boy can move, and has a RF arm. Again, I think MLB teams are grossly undervaluing his skillset. That said, I expect Holcomb to still be drafted somewhere around round 5 on Day Two as long as a team matches his signing bonus demands. With NIL money as an option, I’d hazard a guess that if MLB teams don’t offer Holcomb at least 5th round slot value (basically $400k-$550K), Vanderbilt will find a way to keep his power bat in the lineup. In the pre-NIL days, I’d list Holcomb as a 99.999% likely to sign, but now, there is at least a chance he returns.
Chance He Signs With an MLB Team: 90%.
*Note: Braden Holcomb is the only current player ranked in either the MLB top 250 or ESPN top 250, and this has never before happened in the Tim Corbin era. Oof. 2026 truly was a cursed season.
Prediction: Frankly, I’ve expected Connor Fennell to be wearing a Vanderbilt uniform as a senior since he first took the mound in 2025. He’s the classic “college senior starter,” as he can flat out pitch, and is a whale of a competitor, but doesn’t light up the radar guns. If anything, MLB teams have focused even more on velocity in recent years, and poor man’s Aaron Nola types (movement and precision pitchers who struggle to reach 90 mph) aren’t even in most systems any more. I’d bet The Spice is still our Friday Ace in 2027, and spends all offseason trying to get 1-2 more mph out of his arm in the pitching lab to give him a shot at being a senior draftee next year. If things go right, he could have a senior year like Cal State Fullerton’s Thomas Eshelman in 2015 or any number of senior South Cackalacky soft-tossers in 2010 or 2011.
Chance He Signs With an MLB Team: 20%.
#44 Jr. C/DH Colin “Bar Rescue” Barczi
2026 Stats: .263/.341/.576 with 4 2B, 403B, 11 HR, and 28 RBI.
Prediction: Barczi demonstrated light tower power, but injuries kept him from catching for most of 2026. Recent reports are that Bar Rescue just underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum. This means he will not be catching in 2027, but he should be able to hit. As such, it’s probably better for him to have an MLB team pay for his rehab, but if they don’t want to, I’m sure he’ll be welcomed back to DH for the Diamond Dores. Don’t expect him to be able to do any more than that, though.
Prediction: The Kranz would probably have preferred to be draft eligible last year, as 2026 was a rough one. Partially because we were short on starting pitching candidates and partially because Corbs tries to give obvious reliever-only pitchers the chance to start in their junior years (see Nick Maldonado et al) so as to, in theory, bump up their draft stock. He’s a reliever and will always be a reliever, despite being able to throw a grab-bag full of different pitches. Luckily for The Kranz, relief pitching is starting to be valued a bit more highly by MLB teams, and further, he has an MLB reliever arm. While he’s not going to be selected Saturday, I’ll stake my claim that whether or not he’s a late round pick on Sunday, he will pitch in a major league bullpen by 2031. If he’s undrafted and/or teams just don’t hit his number, we will gladly welcome him back to the back of our pen in ‘27.
Chance He Signs With an MLB Team: 70%.
Players With No Eligibility Remaining Who May Hear Their Names Called on Day Two (Rounds 5-20) or Sign as an UDFA:
Mike Mancini and Logan Johnstone.
*Note: You can listen to The Tennesseean beat writer Aria Gerson’s thoughts on the draft and the transfer portal additions here if you want.
Te 2026 MLB Draft gets underway at the Pennsylvania Convention Center at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 11 with rounds 1 through 4. Then, on the eve of the 2026 MLB Home Run Derby, rounds 5 through 20 will take place, with the first pick of round five starting at 11:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, July 12.
There remain several questions heading into Saturday's first round, including who the White Sox take with the No. 1 overall pick.Will it be UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, or will it be Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey or will it be Texas high school shortstop Grady Emerson? Or could the White Sox, who have kept their cards close to their chest in the process, go with someone else?
The other is: How does the MLB draft work? In short, it's once again a 20-round draft with the pool of prospects including draft-eligible high schoolers and mostly juniors and seniors at the college level. But there is a greater sense of complexity to it than that. It is a slot draft, meaning it sees MLB executives use different strategies to select and sign their picks over the first 10 rounds. And that is just the tip of the iceberg.
Here's what to know about the MLB draft, why it is a slot draft and the money pool that teams will have at their disposal:
Is the MLB draft a slot draft? What is a slot draft?
Yes, the MLB draft is a slot draft, which means every pick has a specific predetermined slot value associated with it. The slot values for the draft are determined by Major League Baseball and are assigned to every pick through the first 10 rounds of the draft.
But just because a draft pick has a predetermined slot value, it doesn't mean a team has to sign that player to that value. What gives? Well, like free agency, teams negotiate deals with their draft picks and can sign them to a lower value. Teams could also use remaining pool money from a lower signing to overpay a different draft pick, or multiple picks.
One way to look at it is one big game of Monopoly, where teams are strategic and sometimes aggressive with a set pool of money at their disposal, just like how one might be to an entire color block or one of the railroads or even add houses to a property to maximize their value and all-encompassing portfolio.
How much does No. 1 overall pick in 2026 MLB Draft make?
The No. 1 overall pick for the 2026 MLB Draft, which is owned by the Chicago White Sox, has an estimated slot value of $11,350,600 according to MLB Pipeline. That is an increase of $274,700 from what the pick had slotted in value last season when the Washington Nationals took high school shortstop Eli Willits with the top overall pick.
Willits ultimately signed signed for $8.2 million with the Nationals, which was roughly $2.87 million below the total slot value of $11,075,900.
MLB draft bonus pools: How much money do all 30 teams have?
Below is a breakdown of the slot values for all of the picks in the first round according to MLB Pipeline, including the prospect promotion incentive picks:
Below is a breakdown of the slot values for all of the picks in the Competitive Balance Round B, according to MLB Pipeline, including a free agent compensation pick:
67. Red Sox: $1,317,300 (received from Brewers in Caleb Durbin trade)
68. Cardinals: $1,285,500 (received from Mariners in Brendan Donovan trade)
69. Tigers: $1,254,200
70. Reds: $1,223,100
71. Marlins: $1,192,600
72. Cardinals: $1,174,300 (received from Rays in Brendan Donovan trade)
73. Athletics: $1,156,400
74. Twins: $1,138,600
75. Cubs: $1,120,900 (free agent compensation pick for Kyle Tucker signing with the Dodgers)
MLB draft third round slot value
Below is a breakdown of the slot values for all of the picks in the third round, according to MLB Pipeline:
76. Rockies: $1,103,500
77. White Sox: $1,086,600
78. Nationals: $1,069,600
79. Twins: $1,052,700
80. Pirates: $1,035,700
81. Angels: $1,018,500
82. Orioles: $1,003,800
83. Athletics: $988,700
84. Braves: $973,700
85. Rays: $958,500
86. Cardinals: $943,600
87. Marlins: $929,700
88. Diamondbacks: $915,100
89. Rangers: $900,800
90. Giants: $887,000
91. Royals: $872,900
92. Mets: $859,900
93. Astros: $846,900
94. Reds: $833,800
95. Guardians: $823,800
96. Red Sox: $815,700
97. Padres: $808,100
98. Cubs: $800,000
99. Yankees: $792,300
100. Phillies: $784,400
101. Mariners: $778,200
102. Brewers: $770,600
103. Blue Jays: $762,900
MLB draft fourth round slot value
Below is a breakdown of the slot values for all of the picks in the fourth round, according to MLB Pipeline, including several free agent compensation picks:
104. Rockies: $755,300
105. White Sox: $747,700
106. Nationals: $740,500
107. Twins: $733,100
108. Pirates: $725,900
109. Angels: $718,700
110. Orioles: $711,800
111. Athletics: $704,900
112. Braves: $697,700
113. Rays: $691,000
114. Cardinals: $684,300
115. Marlins: $677,500
116. Diamondbacks: $670,900
117. Rangers: $664,500
118. Giants: $658,100
119. Royals: $651,500
120. Mets: $645,100
121. Astros: $638,800
122. Reds: $632,500
123. Guardians: $626,500
124. Padres: $620,300
125. Tigers: $614,500
126. Cubs: $609,200
127. Yankees: $603,500
128. Phillies: $597,400
129. Mariners: $591,700
130. Brewers: $585,700
131. Blue Jays: $581,100
132. Dodgers: $575,300
133. Astros: $569,600 (free agent compensation pick for Framber Valdez signing with the Tigers)
134. Padres: $563,900 (free agent compensation pick for Dylan Cease signing with Blue Jays)
135. Phillies: $558,400 (free agent compensation pick for Ranger Suárez signing with Red Sox)
MLB draft fifth round slot value
Below is a breakdown of the slot values for all of the picks in the fifth round, according to MLB Pipeline:
136. Rockies: $553,100
137. White Sox: $547,700
138. Nationals: $542,200
139. Twins: $536,900
140. Pirates: $532,000
141. Angels: $526,600
142. Orioles: $521,500
143. Athletics: $516,300
144. Braves: $511,400
145. Rays: $506,100
146. Cardinals: $501,300
147. Marlins: $496,400
148. Diamondbacks: $491,700
149. Rangers: $486,800
150. Giants: $481,800
151. Royals: $476,900
152. Mets: $472,500
153. Astros: $467,700
154. Reds: $463,200
155. Guardians: $458,500
156. Red Sox: $454,100
157. Padres: $449,500
158. Tigers: $445,200
159. Cubs: $441,300
160. Yankees: $437,200
161. Phillies: $433,200
162. Mariners: $429,100
163. Brewers: $425,400
164. Blue Jays: $421,300
MLB draft sixth round slot value
Below is a breakdown of the slot values for all of the picks in the sixth round, according to MLB Pipeline:
165. Rockies: $417,400
166. White Sox: $413,900
167. Nationals: $410,300
168. Twins: $406,800
169. Pirates: $403,500
170. Angels: $399,800
171. Orioles: $396,300
172. Athletics: $393,100
173. Braves: $389,900
174. Rays: $386,500
175. Cardinals: $383,400
176. Marlins: $380,200
177. Diamondbacks: $377,000
178. Rangers: $373,800
179. Giants: $370,600
180. Royals: $367,600
181. Mets: $364,600
182. Astros: $361,900
183. Reds: $358,900
184. Guardians: $355,700
185. Red Sox: $352,900
186. Padres: $350,100
187. Tigers: $347,300
188. Cubs: $344,400
189. Yankees: $341,800
190. Phillies: $338,800
191. Mariners: $335,900
192. Brewers: $333,200
193. Blue Jays: $330,300
MLB draft seventh round slot value
Below is a breakdown of the slot values for all of the picks in the seventh round, according to MLB Pipeline:
194. Rockies: $327,700
195. White Sox: $325,100
196. Nationals: $322,300
197. Twins: $319,600
198. Pirates: $317,100
199. Angels: $314,300
200. Orioles: $311,700
201. Athletics: $310,000
202. Braves: $307,300
203. Rays: $304,800
204. Cardinals: $302,300
205. Marlins: $299,700
206. Diamondbacks: $297,100
207. Rangers: $294,800
208. Giants: $292,300
209. Royals: $289,900
210. Mets: $287,800
211. Astros: $285,400
212. Reds: $283,000
213. Guardians: $280,900
214. Red Sox: $278,700
215. Padres: $276,400
216. Tigers: $274,300
217. Cubs: $272,000
218. Yankees: $270,000
219. Phillies: $267,800
220. Mariners: $266,100
221. Brewers: $264,100
222. Blue Jays: $262,300
223. Dodgers: $260,300
MLB draft eighth round slot value
Below is a breakdown of the slot values for all of the picks in the eighth round, according to MLB Pipeline:
224. Rockies: $258,400
225. White Sox: $256,500
226. Nationals: $254,900
227. Twins: $253,300
228. Pirates: $251,500
229. Angels: $249,300
230. Orioles: $247,900
231. Athletics: $245,800
232. Braves: $244,500
233. Rays: $242,700
234. Cardinals: $241,000
235. Marlins: $239,200
236. Diamondbacks: $237,800
237. Rangers: $236,100
238. Giants: $234,700
239. Royals: $233,400
240. Mets: $232,100
241. Astros: $231,000
242. Reds: $229,700
243. Guardians: $228,600
244. Red Sox: $227,200
245. Padres: $226,300
246. Tigers: $225,300
247. Cubs: $224,100
248. Yankees: $223,100
249. Phillies: $222,200
250. Mariners: $220,900
251. Brewers: $220,400
252. Blue Jays: $219,500
253. Dodgers: $218,500
MLB draft ninth round slot value
Below is a breakdown of the slot values for all of the picks in the ninth round, according to MLB Pipeline:
254. Rockies: $217,800
255. White Sox: $217,000
256. Nationals: $216,100
257. Twins: $215,400
258. Pirates: $214,800
259. Angels: $213,900
260. Orioles: $213,300
261. Athletics: $212,600
262. Braves: $212,000
263. Rays: $211,200
264. Cardinals: $210,600
265. Marlins: $210,200
266. Diamondbacks: $209,500
267. Rangers: $209,000
268. Giants: $208,500
269. Royals: $207,900
270. Mets: $207,200
271. Astros: $206,800
272. Reds: $206,300
273. Guardians: $205,800
274. Red Sox: $205,400
275. Padres: $205,000
276. Tigers: $204,400
277. Cubs: $204,100
278. Yankees: $203,500
279. Phillies: $202,900
280. Mariners: $202,700
281. Brewers: $202,500
282. Blue Jays: $202,100
283. Dodgers: $201,700
MLB draft 10th round slot value
Below is a breakdown of the slot values for all of the picks in the 10th round, according to MLB Pipeline:
284. Rockies: $201,500
285. White Sox: $200,900
286. Nationals: $200,100
287. Twins: $199,900
288. Pirates: $199,500
289. Angels: $199,200
290. Orioles: $198,900
291. Athletics: $198,600
292. Braves: $198,300
293. Rays: $197,900
294. Cardinals: $197,400
295. Marlins: $197,200
296. Diamondbacks: $196,500
297. Rangers: $196,200
298. Giants: $196,000
299. Royals: $195,600
300. Mets: $195,200
301. Astros: $195,000
302. Reds: $194,800
303. Guardians: $194,500
304. Red Sox: $194,000
305. Padres: $193,700
306. Tigers: $193,600
307. Cubs: $193,300
308. Yankees: $193,000
309. Phillies: $192,500
310. Mariners: $192,300
311. Brewers: $191,900
312. Blue Jays: $191,900
313. Dodgers: $191,900
When is 2026 MLB Draft?
The 2026 MLB Draft is scheduled to take place across both Saturday, June 11 and Sunday, June 12 in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Saturday will consist of rounds 1-4 of the draft, with Sunday consisting of rounds 5 through 20.
Day 1 is set to begin at 1 p.m. ET and run through 7:45 p.m. ET. Day 2 is set to resume at 11:30 a.m. ET and is expected to go until 7:30 p.m. ET.
Despite playing in 38 games this season for the Stanley Cup-champion Hurricanes, Nystrom’s name wasn’t engraved on the Cup, even though owner Tom Dundon included the names of his five children.
Dundon is facing backlash for the decision, with hockey fans calling the move “disrespectful and shameful.”
The Hurricanes 2025-26 Stanley Cup trophy.
@Canes/X X-@Canes
“The fact that @Canes owner put 7 family names on the Stanley Cup ahead of any players and in one case of a player who played 38 regular season games, is a disgraceful action in NHL history,” one X user wrote. “What an embarrassment of a team. You can be champions clearly without class.”
Dundon, his wife and kids’ names take up the first two lines of the Cup, before the Hurricanes front office and coaching staff complete the next six rows.
The players completed the last 24 names – players who appeared in at least 41 regular season games or that dressed for a Finals game are guaranteed a spot on the Cup, per NHL rules.
Joel Nystrom during a 2026 game against the Islanders. Getty Images
That didn’t apply to Nystrom, who played in just under half the Hurricanes’ games and spent the rest of the season with their AHL affiliate Chicago Wolves.
That he came so close and didn’t make the list while family members did has raised some eyebrows.
Carolina could have made an exception like it seemingly did for Nicolas Deslauriers, who appeared in seven games for the franchise after being acquired midseason and one playoff game in the first round.
Nystrom wasn’t the only notable person excluded, with Bobby Gorman, the Hurricanes’ equipment manager who’s been with the team since 1993 and got a spot on their Cup in 2006, also missing out.
Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon is seen during a 2019 interview. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Hurricanes won their second Stanley Cup in franchise history on June 14 after beating the Golden Knights in six games.
This is the latest drama involving Dundon, who also bought the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers in March and has been panned for his cost-cutting moves with the franchise.
Fans have been piling on him on oscial media.
“Dumb Tom Dundon wasted so much space on the Stanley Cup by adding his useless children to it. Children who contributed nothing to the success of that team,” one X user wrote.
San Diego Padres pitcher Michael King was expected to become the rotation’s No. 1 starter. But the 2026 campaign has been rough for him. It was good to see King finish the first half with a solid outing.
Now, he must come back with that same mindset when the second half begins next Friday. King has an opportunity to bounce back and turn his season around. But the right-hander must show his true competitive nature on the mound.
Are King’s pitching skills regressing?
We have all heard the talk of his regression, as the Friar Faithful believe King is a “five-and-fly” starting pitcher. The term means a starting pitcher completing five full innings to be eligible for the victory. King only has eight quality starts this season.
The Padres trusted him to put them in a position to win every fifth day. He is a much better pitcher than the first-half results have shown. The second half is the time to silence his critics.
King is 6-7 with a 3.41 ERA in 19 starts. He has surrendered 82 hits and issued 43 walks in 108.1 innings pitched.
His struggles have been failing to record outs against elevated competition, especially the Padres’ main division rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers. King has allowed six earned runs over 10.1 innings pitched in two starts against the team up north. He could not limit the damage from the Dodgers’ potent offensive attack.
What are his in-game troubles?
The problem is the amount of contact given up. King cannot build momentum because he cannot locate his pitches. Too often, he has been victimized by leaving pitches over the plate.
His four-seamer and sinker have been hit the hardest. Neither pitch is offering enough movement to freeze batters in the box. The one positive is that his changeup is inducing soft contact for outs. This season, it is King’s second-most-thrown pitch in starts.
Wins have been hard to come by this season for the Friars. Getting King back on track is a significant hurdle to playing better baseball in the second half. Right now, who besides him would you expect to win a game? The list is not very long at this moment.
The Padres need an innings eater in the worst way. It is time for King to step up and carry the extra load, as the starting rotation is in dire straits.
ATHENS, GA - JUNE 07: Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson(3) with a two run go ahead home run in the 10th inning during the NCAA Super Regional college baseball game between the Georgia Bulldogs vs Mississippi State Bulldogs on JUNE 7, 2026 Foley Field in Athens, GA. (Photo by John Adams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Major League Baseball Amateur draft is rapidly approaching with the Yankees holding the 35th overall selection for their first pick. After swinging widely at the top of the draft for years in the early 2000’s the team has performed better in the scouting, evaluations and development departments over the last seven drafts. As usual the Yankees are picking later than most teams, and in addition they moved down 10 slots due to the penalties for exceeded the Competitive Balance Tax thresholds. This move also leads them to have the third smallest bonus pool at just over $7.3 million, coming in just ahead of the Mets and Dodgers.
Baseball America recently updated their farm system talent rankings, with the Yankees coming in 21st across baseball. The weakness of the system is currently on the position player side, and this is likely where the Yankees will focus. Both MLB.com and Baseball America have seven pitchers ranked among the organization’s top 10 prospects. Especially light on the prospect side is the catching position where neither BA or MLB.com have any catchers among the Yankees top-30 prospects.
Teams will never draft for an immediate need at the Major League level, but they often will focus on a positional group that could use a boost across their system. If the Yankees choose to target catching, they have several very tempting options that, based on recent pre-draft rankings, could be available in their range.
University of Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson is coming off a tremendous season where he was the Golden Spikes award winner as the best player in college baseball. He won the triple crown in the Southeastern conference, hitting .378/.473/.803, with 32 home runs and 26 stolen bases. He was just the third player and first catcher in Division I baseball history to have a 30/25 season.
Jackson is ranked as the 28th-best draft prospect by MLB.com and 37th best by Baseball America. He has been available to the Yankees in a few mock drafts over the past few months and would be an exciting talent to add if he makes it to the Yankees at the 35th pick.
Another strong candidate is Mississippi high school standout Cole Prosek. Prosek is a polished hitter, with present power who finished second nationally with 18 home runs during his high school season. The left-handed hitter makes a lot of contact and projects to bring a solid contact-power mix as he continues to develop. He is listed as either a third baseman or shortstop depending on the scouting report, but the general feeling is that he will not stick as a shortstop in the pros. He recently has started catching and in limited opportunities the scouts believe that he can stick as a catcher.
Another draft strategy is often to follow up on previous successes. In two of the last three drafts, the Yankees have taken high school shortstops, George Lombard Jr. and Dax Kilby, and watched as they quickly showed the traits to become some of the organization’s top prospects. Shortstop is generally a heavily drafted position as the players often can move off of the position and fill defensive needs across the diamond as they integrate into professional baseball.
If the Yankees pursue a prep shortstop they may have their eye on Taj Marchand from James Island, South Carolina. Marchand is projected to have the athletic ability to stick at shortstop while displaying a very good hit tool, with potential for more power. His ability to hit with high exit velocities through the showcase circuit last summer and another strong high school season has Marchand moving up rankings as the draft approaches. Marchand is young for the draft class and will still be 17 on draft day. The 6-foot-2 University of Mississippi commit is ranked as the 37th-best draft prospect by MLB.com and 66th by Baseball America.
The recent history of the Yankees has them leaning more towards hitters in the first round, but in 2024 they went in another direction, drafting pitching early and often. While the team has found success in the later rounds of the draft with players like Cam Schlittler and Will Warren, they could still be looking for an early round arm if the right player is available to them.
One name to keep an eye on is Cade Townsend, a right-handed pitcher from the University of Mississippi. Baseball America flagged Townsend as having a “Cam Schlittler starter pack” back in April based on the metrics of his multiple fastballs with an ability to throw them for strikes. While much shorter than Schlittler, the 6-foot-1 Townsend can hit 97 mph while sitting 95-96 mph through an outing. He has shown a knack for spinning the ball, flashing above average curveballs and sliders, another trait the Yankees have gravitated to in previous drafts.
The Yankees have improved their draft strategy over the last seven editions. Gone are the days of top picks disappearing into the minor leagues, seeming to lose all momentum within a year or two. Since 2019, the Yankees have consistently developed their top picks into MLB-caliber players, or at least solid trade candidates. While there are still steps to be taken in the Yankees player development and acquisition strategy, this weekend we will see the newest Yankees join the mix full of optimism and expectations.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cubs fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Perhaps they will get some help when injured relievers return, but even that is probably not enough. So earlier this week, I asked you to answer this SB Nation Reacts survey question: Which of a provided list of relievers would you like the Cubs to go after? Or perhaps there’s someone else you have in mind.
Here are the survey results:
By a significant margin, you chose a reunion with 2016 World Series champion Aroldis Chapman. Chapman, who is now 38, is having a pretty good year for the Red Sox. He’s pitched in 29 games covering 27.2 innings and has a 2.28 ERA and 1.229 WHIP. His walk rate is up a bit from last year, but he’s kept the ball in the yard — just one home run allowed to 117 batters faced. He has 19 saves in 21 opportunities — the 19 saves is one more than the entire Cubs pitching staff has this year.
Chapman is making $13 million this year. The Cubs could probably afford to take on a bit less than half of that, and not have to give up a top prospect. (There’s a $13 million mutual option that vests if Chapman throws at least 40 innings this year and passes a post-season physical, so that’s a potential concern.)
Incidentally, you see Chapman wearing No. 44 for the Red Sox, after having worn No. 54 or No. 45 his entire career. Lucas Giolito wore No. 54 for Boston last year and Sonny Gray has it this year. No one has No. 54 for the Cubs this year; the last player to wear it was Ryan Brasier (remember him?) last year. So Chapman could wear the same number he wore for the 2016 World Series champions.
One last note about Chapman that I feel I should address. You likely remember the domestic violence allegations made against him more than a decade ago. Chapman did address those when the Cubs acquired him and, at least as far as I know, nothing like that has happened again. Here’s what I wrote about this issue at the time Chapman was acquired by the Cubs in 2016.
On to the rest of the survey results: You didn’t much like the other choices I had, because second place went to “someone else.” There were a number of choices listed in the comments to the survey article, so feel free to add those here as well.
Here are the results of the four national questions asked this week, which had to do with postseason awards.
This will be an interesting vote if Pete Crow-Armstrong keeps playing the way he is now. Obviously Shohei Ohtani will be a favorite to win, but it’s possible PCA gets enough support to sneak in an MVP award.
This vote was a little closer, and might depend on whether Yordan Alvarez can help lead the Astros to a postseason spot. Otherwise I’d give my vote to Junior Caminero.
You’ll note that Ohtani didn’t appear on this ballot. What sort of vote total would he have received if he had been on the ballot?
As long as things continue the way they have been, I’d think Cam Schlittler might be a unanimous choice.
San Diego, CA - August 17: Gio Rojas pitches for the East team during the Dick's Sporting Goods Perfect Game All-American Classic at Petco Park on August 17, 2025 in San Diego, CA. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
The group over at Overslot Baseball has come out with an interesting and fun new tool ahead of the 2026 MLB Draft, giving us a mock draft simulator to play with, just like there is for the NFL and NBA drafts. I would recommend giving it a try for yourself if you have a few minutes.
This will be the second official mock draft of the season, and likely the final Braves specific one as the players involved are going to remain similar for the next week. I am planning on a full first round mock draft to come ahead of the draft as well based on the information that I am hearing.
The mock draft lasts 10 rounds, and the bonuses listed are their best estimates at what bonuses could look like for some of these prospects. While not perfect, they are mostly pretty reasonable. I will note ahead of time that the player database is not quite the full list of players you will find eligible for the actual draft, and senior signs aren’t going to be as cheap as they will come for the Braves – but this should give you some idea.
In case you missed the first one it can be found here.
Pick 1.9 – Gio Rojas, LHP, Florida HS
This took about 3-4 restarts to get this right. As in guys like Grady Emerson, Jackson Flora, and Eric Booth Jr. fell to this pick. I don’t see that actually happening in the draft, so I didn’t want to pick someone who there is a sub 5% chance the Braves actually select – even if it would be fun to draft one of them.
This draft started out Grady Emerson, Roch Cholowsky, Drew Burress, Jacob Lombard, Jackson Flora, Eric Booth Jr., Vahn Lackey, and Ryder Helfrick as the first eight picks. That gave me a whole list of guys that have been linked to the Braves, namely Chris Hacopian, Tyler Bell, and Gio Rojas. With Burress and Helfrick gone this becomes an easy choice to go underslot to grab Rojas for $5.5M – compared to $6M for both Hacopian and Bell. In reality I would expect Rojas about $500k to $1M cheaper, but that still saves $1.2M on the $6.7M slot. I also like the upside of Rojas more than the other two, so to me this is a win.
Pick 1.26 – Hunter Dietz, LHP, Arkansas
This pick has a $3.6M slot value. The best players on the board are Jared Grindlinger ($5.5M), Cole Carlon, Hunter Dietz, Cade Townsend, and Brody Bumila as pitchers and Ace Reese, Bo Lowrance, and Taj Marchand as the hitters. That’s the group I’m considering here. Dietz is the pick here, even if his $3.8M is $200k over, as he is the best player available – I had him 15th on my board. I had Grindlinger higher, 10th overall – but going $1.7M over would hurt the ability to spend throughout this draft.
Pick 2.48 – Caden Bogenpohl, OF, Missouri State
This pick has a $2.1M slot value. Bumila is there, but his $3.5M asking price is too high. Same for Tyler Spangler and his $4M price tag. That leaves Caden Bogenpohl, Caden Sorrell, Tyson LeBlanc, and more affordable overslot preps like Blake Bowen, Cole Prosek, and James Clark as my best options. Bogenpohl in the choice as a big, athletic, toolsy outfielder with massive power in the tank. I wanted to get him all along and I didn’t think he would be there for the next pick, so taking him now at $1.6M saves $500k. I have saved a total of $1.5M through three picks, as Rojas and Bogenpohl saved $1.7M and Dietz was $200k over.
Pick 3.84 – Jason DeCaro, RHP, North Carolina
This pick has a $974k slot value. Crossing off all of the preps over $2.5M and focusing on Will Adams ($2.2M), Martin Shelar, Andruw Giles, Tyler Putnam, and Ethan Bass ($2M each), and college players like Peyton Bonds and pitchers Jake McCoy, Tommy LaPour, and Jason DeCaro. I really like Adams, but with his price tag I have decided to try to float him down, and grab Carolina’s DeCaro as an arm that I believe might have a little more to gain. He costs just $443k, meaning I am $2M underslot.
Pick 4.112 – Deiten Lachance, C, Oklahoma
This pick has a slot value of $698k. Adams is still there, but the way the draft board looks now looks like there is about to be a run on catchers and I believe the Braves are likely to draft one in this draft. I don’t even consider the options here and right to College World Series star Deiten Lachance, a player who I rank the highest of the group and came away impressed with how he adjusted to the SEC after coming from JUCO this year. Best of all he costs $396k, so we are now $2.3M underslot.
Pick 5.144 – Ryne Barker, 3B, Arizona HS
Slot here is $511k. It’s time to start spending money and I’m targeting an infielder that I like a good amount in projectable Arizona prep shortstop Ryne Barker. I consider him more of a third baseman, and he’s only $1.2M. That means we still have $1.6M to work with.
Pick 6.173 – Will Adams, OF, Alabama HS
Slot here is $390k. I finally grab Adams and end his slide. His price was $2.2M, putting us $200k overslot. However his bat has a chance to be special with the ability to hit for both average and power, just that there are some defensive questions.
Pick 7.202 – Josh McDevitt, RHP, Missouri
Slot is $307k. McDevitt has risen this spring and is a guy I wanted to grab. Getting him for $204k helps, and we are now just $100k overslot.
Pick 8.232 – Connor Shouse, 3B, Texas Tech
Slot is $245k. Shouse is a guy with some upside and at $197k will save about half of that overage.
Pick 9.262 – Lorenzo Carrier, OF, Pitt
Slot is $212k. Carrier is a senior but will cost more than a true senior sign, though his $160k bonus puts us back under. I’ve always been a huge fan of his tool set, it’s just that he struggled to hit. However the strides he has made this spring with the hit tool give some hope that maybe he has some chance – and at this point, with this money, that is all you can ask for. Without true $5k senior signs, this was the best I was able to do with this pick.
Pick 10.292 – Blake Morningstar, RHP, Wake Forest
Slot is $198k. Morningstar is a $150k signing and a relief arm that I like. Without cheap senior signs I wanted ti target a guy the Braves could potentially target in rounds 11-20. Morningstar is that type of pitcher.
Money situation
If this wasn’t a machine where I didn’t have full control, the final 3-4 picks would not have happened. Those are guys I do like, but if I was able to draft four senior signs for $5k each, $20k would have been cheaper than $660k. That’s a savings of $640k when you take that $660k and subtract the $20k to sign the senior signs, so instead of that $11k, the Braves would have $651k for the “Day 3” picks in rounds 11-15.
I do like those players, but pushing them into rounds 11-20 would only cost $60k over the pool limits, so I would potentially be able to get those same players and still have $591k to play with.
Overall Thoughts
This is about as solid of a draft as the Braves could hope for, short of a Booth, Flora, or Lombard sliding to the ninth pick. With no clear cut Top 10 guy available, taking the savings and spreading it around in order to draft seven strong pieces seems like a no brainer to me. Especially when there is potentially more money to work with in the final 10 rounds.
The Braves help restock their pitching with my #11 (Rojas) and #15 (Dietz) players in this draft, and also end up with my #61 (Bogenpohl), #69 (Adams), #93 (Lachance), #103 (DeCaro), and #174 (Barker) ranked players in this draft. If you want to count the other guys, McDevitt was #187, Carrier #261, Morningstar #274, and Shouse #310.
The pitching got a boost, but prep pitcher wasn’t a spot that was hit on, so it would be a target in the final 10 rounds. The catcher spot got a powerful catcher who is arguably the best catcher down on the farm. There is a talented pair of outfielders, a prep shortstop who is likely going to move to third base, and some other pieces with value if you count the rounds 7-10 picks.
OMAHA, NEBRASKA - JUNE 22: The North Carolina Tar Heels stand for the National Anthem before game three of the Division I Baseball Championship against the Oklahoma Sooners held at Charles Schwab Field on June 22, 2026 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Tyler Schank/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) | NCAA Photos via Getty Images
As the Carolina baseball team embarked on a run to the College World Series finals last month, Scott Forbes and his staff were also building a strong class of transfers.
A total of 10 players have committed to join the Tar Heels out of the portal, most of whom did so in June. Since you (understandably) might have been too locked in on the action in Chapel Hill and Omaha to pay attention to recruiting, here’s a quick primer on each of them.
RHP Jake Moss (Penn)
Moss announced he’d be using his final season of eligibility at Carolina back in October (the Ivy League doesn’t allow athletes to compete for more than four years). He stepped into a starting role for the first time this spring, getting the nod for seven games and coming out of the bullpen in four others. He posted a 6.08 ERA with 46 strikeouts and 25 walks in 47.1 innings, and opponents hit .295 against him. He was named to the Ivy League all-tournament team as a junior in 2025.
OF CJ Egrie (Holy Cross)
Egrie was another early pickup, committing to UNC for his final season in November (Holy Cross doesn’t offer graduate degrees). He comes to Chapel Hill after winning back-to-back Patriot League Player of the Year honors and helping Holy Cross reach back-to-back NCAA Tournaments. This season, he put up a conference-best .325 batting average with three home runs and 22 RBI, drew 38 walks, and finished second in Division I with 46 stolen bases. He was caught stealing just twice.
SS Davis Baker (Penn)
Baker announced his commitment on April 8. He was a four-year starter at shortstop for Penn but suffered a season-ending injury just seven games into the 2026 campaign. He was an All-Ivy League selection in each of his first three seasons, earning second team honors as a junior after hitting .277 with eight home runs and 39 RBI. He carries a career fielding percentage of .943.
LHP Joey Ruller (Queens)
Ruller, who will have one year of eligibility, announced his commitment on May 28. He was Queens’ ace this season, starting 14 games and recording a 4.47 ERA with 79 strikeouts and 25 walks in 90.2 innings. Opponents hit .263 against him, a massive improvement from the .342 mark he allowed in 2025.
C Devin Russell (Maryland)
Russell, who will have one year of eligibility, announced his commitment on June 3. He initially split games behind the plate for Maryland this season but became the primary starter late in the campaign. He hit .250 with nine home runs and 26 RBI in 26 games and was named Big Ten Player of the Week after hitting a walk-off grand slam against Indiana on April 12.
SS Jamie Laskofski (William & Mary)
Laskofski announced his commitment on June 6 after a banner sophomore season that saw him named CAA Player of Year. He hit .355 with 13 home runs and 45 RBI, drew 41 walks, and stole 36 bases, including a program-record five in one game (March 22 vs NC A&T). He carries a career fielding percentage of .922.
RHP James Voorhies (Cal State Northridge)
Voorhies (who goes by Jimmy on his social media pages) announced his commitment on June 18. He stepped into the closer role for CSUN as a true freshman this season and earned honorable mention All-Big West recognition after logging five saves with a 3.16 ERA, 46 strikeouts (tied for the team lead), and 14 walks in 42.2 innings. Opponents hit .180 against him.
OF Blaize Johnson (UNC Asheville)
Johnson, who will enter UNC as a junior, announced his commitment on June 24. He was a starter in the outfield in both of his seasons in Asheville and earned first team All-Big South honors as a sophomore, hitting .346 with 11 home runs and 47 RBI and drawing 40 walks.
RHP Preston Crowl (Virginia Tech)
Crowl, who’s entering his fourth year of college, announced his commitment on June 25. He was a major piece of Virginia Tech’s bullpen this season, pitching 47.1 innings across 24 games and leading the team with five saves. He made a brief appearance against Carolina in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals, facing three batters in the eighth inning (Macon Winslow took him deep for a two-run home run). He finished the year with a 7.61 ERA, 48 strikeouts, and 26 walks. Opponents hit .279 against him.
RHP Scott Doran (Coastal Carolina)
Doran, who will enter UNC as a junior, announced his commitment on June 26. He was primarily a bullpen arm in both of his seasons at Coastal Carolina, although he did get two starts this year–including a six-inning outing against Ole Miss on March 1 in which he allowed two earned runs on four hits with five strikeouts and two walks. He ended the season with a 4.76 ERA, 39 strikeouts, and 12 walks in 28.1 innings. He was credited with two saves, and opponents hit .196 against him.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 9: Ryan Nembhard #9 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket during the game against the Golden State Warriors on July 9, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Stephen Greathouse/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The 2026 Las Vegas Summer League Dallas Mavericks looked an awful lot like the 2025-2026 Mavericks’ NBA rotation in their opener. There were athletic forwards, multi-tool bench wings, precisely two three-point shooting guards who could not touch the paint without a screen, and one young forward tasked with carrying it all. Morez Johnson Jr. may not have the sheer offensive versatility of a Cooper Flagg, but he did his damnedest nonetheless to fill the role. Here are a few thoughts I had about Morez and some other key contributors to the Summer League squad in their first game against Yaxel Lendeborg and the Golden State Warriors Gold team.
Tobi-Wan a.k.a. The New Project 6’9” Apprentice: Tobi Lawal
Tobi Lawal is a capital “A” Athlete. Offensive rebounds, a crazy put-back slam, a weak-side block, and even a made three. Tobi’s loudest plays exploded off the screen as the springy Brit bounded around the court as if it were a bounce house.
Now, Tobi Lawal is also a capital “Z” Zero-level scorer. He needs to find a way to use his physical gifts to steal morsels of defensive attention until he becomes some semblance of a shooter or scoring threat beyond cuts for lobs. He also needs to continue adding muscle to his frame and reps/experience on defense. His best bet to stick in a winning team’s rotation long-term is to become the kind of defender Derrick Jones Jr. or P.J. Washington became, which allowed them to have staying power despite their offensive limitations.
Despite the flaws on display, it was easy to see why Tobi’s tools, infectious energy, and possible development curve, given that he picked up basketball at 16 (only seven years ago!!!), drew Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz to him in the second round of the draft.
Sole Occupant of the “Livin’ Like Larry” Zone: Sergio “Larry” De Larrea
Larry’s handle is unfortunately about as far away as I feared, but as he gets stronger, it should improve. His driving and finishing should also improve as he progresses along this path. His handle was often further from his body than you would like and easily disrupted by bumps and even a carelessly placed dribble or two. However, aside from a loud whiff on an early lob, his passes were on time, on target, and delivered with great touch. Sergio’s lobs were especially sublime, leading to a flashy basket or two for his front-court teammates as he put up five assists to only one turnover.
Larry’s shot, also very unfortunately, did not fall much on this night. While he did continue to shoot when open looks were available, to his credit, a shot diet of mostly spot-up attempts with a few pull-ups, pick-and-roll drives, and cuts mixed in led to a one-for-nine performance from beyond the arc and 3-for-14 from the field overall. The one three-pointer he did hit was a corner catch-and-shoot look sometime in the third quarter. De Larrea’s shot looks fine overall and likely won’t require too much work, but his release will have to get faster. There were too many shot attempts rushed or otherwise altered by an NBA-speed defensive closeout because Sergio took too long to dip, load, and release the ball. The necessary tweaks should come with time and training, but this will be an issue for him to overcome in the short term.
Other than the shot failing him, Sergio played a fine floor game and used his height and length to rack up a steal and a block each on his way to an overall solid first outing for the Mavs.
Rez the Conqueror a.k.a. The Prodigal 6’9” Version 2: Morez Johnson Jr.
Morez is a real glass eater on both ends with a very promising close/short mid-range touch. He cranked out a couple of and-one plays on a drive from the right wing in the 4th and a sick lob from Sergio De Larrea towards the end of the comeback that almost was. Rez’s poise in short roll situations, raw strength, agility and activity on defense, relentless effort on the glass, connective passing and flashes of shooting touch combined for a truly inspired debut outing. The sky is the limit for that young man, and Cooper Flagg and Dusty May will very likely be the developmental catalysts who send his game into orbit. Get excited, Mavericks fans!
As amazing an outing as this was for the former Michigan Man, there are a few nits to pick even for him. Rez’s jumper (he made one from three tonight, by the way!) looked smooth enough, but the release needs to speed up to beat pro-level contests. We also need to see him be as willing to shoot it from the wings and corners as he was from the top of the arc out of pick-and-pop situations. The drives to beat slow-footed closeouts were intriguing, but also revealed just how weak his handle is. He will not be able to drive in a straight line even the distance from the wing to the basket until his handle improves a bit. I have faith that he and the coaches will recognize that and work to open that up for him later on.
No matter the nits picked or the game’s result, there is no way to come away from this Morez Johnson Jr. performance (against former Michigan teammate and current Summer League stud, Yaxel Lendeborg no less!) feeling anything less than absolutely jazzed. Rez has so much to give the game, so much more to learn about it, and he leaves whatever he has on the floor every night. You can’t not root to see a guy like that back-to-back with Cooper Flagg as they fight off the horde together this regular season.
Seva is not yet physically ready for NBA games, but that kid attacks the basket with zero fear, has some craftiness and pace to his drives, and is unafraid to whip risky kick-outs to shooters. He even notched a sick, overhead corner skip pass through traffic to Tyler Smith during the Mavs’ fourth-quarter comeback.
Rail-thin as he is, the Russian wing isn’t yet strong enough to consistently absorb contact at/on the way to the rim nor put his defender in jail when called for, but he clearly wants to be. He drives with the confidence of a player twice as strong and even swerved his way to an and-one, a layup under the rim with a bump to the back, and a couple of trips to the free-throw line for his troubles.
Seva’s game and physique both clearly need some fine-tuning, but the bones (and I do mean bones) of a truly intriguing Swiss Army knife role player are there for those with the eyes to see.
New Max Christie: John Poulakidas
Poulakidas has a burner from three as advertised. Doesn’t have much else at the moment, but that’s okay for now. John has two jobs: Shoot threes. Make threes. Everything else is secondary for him, and despite a cold start, he did just that once he got rolling. With Poulakidas’ performance to close last regular season (even in silly season) and Tarik Biberovic on his way across the sea on a reported two-year, $6 million deal, Cormac Christie may not have much room to slump for another 30 games. At least, he won’t have much room to do so and demand much for a contract extension, which he is eligible for now.
JJ Barea’s Spiritual Successor: Ryan Nembhard
Ryan ran the offense, as was required for this inexperienced group. He seemed less aggressive as a scorer (despite shooting 15 times) than last summer league. Wonder how much of that is his role in the actual NBA games he played overriding the confidence he should have against the newer summer league players. He was likely following the marching orders given to him, but no one on this team could touch the paint off the dribble consistently except Seva, so I would’ve liked to have seen a bit more of that grabbing the defense’s attention from Nemby.
That said, aside from the team-wide shooting woes and smoking an open layup or two, Ryan played an excellent floor game. 11 assists to only two turnovers is good business from the older guard. He also has clearly added some needed muscle since we last saw him in the regular season. Those muscles unfortunately didn’t lead to him being able to force the issue towards the rim much or stop L.J. Cryer from lighting him on fire in the third quarter.
Ryan’s playmaking and turnover suppression were impressive, and we will have to hope that the shooting (for the whole team) levels out to emphasize just how far ahead of most summer league guards he is in those areas.
The Summer League Mavericks have already given us so much to be intrigued by and so much to wring our hands over. We’re likely to witness five games of elite Summer League overreactions on both ends of the spectrum. There will be games, like this one, where Morez looks like a world beater. There will be games where the team can’t throw it into the ocean from three. There will also be moments and games when Morez looks a bit lost (à la Dereck Lively II in his rookie year), and other team members step up. I can’t guarantee how many of which and when we’ll get them, but I can guarantee that I’ll be watching. You should too.
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