Category: Sports News

The Red Sox season changed dramatically back on April 25th when the team fired Alex Cora and appointed Chad Tracy as interim manager. However, their initial trajectory did not. Starting seven games under .500 when Tracy took over, the team fell another seven games under .500 over the next eight weeks. (It certainly hasn’t helped matters that Garrett Crochet and Roman Anthony have each been absent for over two months.)

But now? They’ve won 14 of their last 16 games and rocketed back into the race. And oddly enough, it’s not the first time something like this has happened in the Tracy family. Back in 2009, Chad’s father Jim took over the Colorado Rockies when they got off to a horrible start under Clint Hurdle. That group bottomed out at 12 games under .500 at 20-32 before ripping off 17 of 18 slightly earlier in the calendar than this Red Sox team.

Still, the resemblance is remarkable. Check out this graph from the wonderful folks at pennant-race.com comparing the 2009 Rockies (who went on to make the playoffs with 92 wins) and the 2026 Red Sox:

So now the question is, can it continue? They 2026 Red Sox have less time left on the calendar than the 2009 Rockies when they approached .500, but they also don’t need to climb nearly as high given the additional Wild Card spots and the historically weak American League.

Either way, if Chad Tracy ends up leading this team to the playoffs from 14 games under .500 after taking over partway through the season 17 years after his father Jim led a Rockies team to the playoffs from 12 games under .500 after taking over partway through the season, it will be an amazing family accomplishment.

Talk about this and whatever else you’d like as we wait through one last day of All-Star break doldrums, and as always, be good to one another.

The Orioles completed their 2026 draft class across 20 rounds on July 11 and 12. This year’s class has 20 players in it, one for each round. The next step is to get players signed and into the organization. In most cases, that’s going to be settled before the trade deadline. The signing deadline this year is July 27 at 5pm Eastern.

In last year’s draft class, the Orioles signed 21 of the 24 players that they drafted. Although there have been “sign every pick” years in the Mike Elias era, this one probably isn’t going to be one of them.

Bonus pool math

Last year, the Orioles had the largest draft bonus pool that any team ever had up to that point. The record was beaten by this year’s White Sox in the same way that last year’s Orioles did, with a draft week trade bringing a tradeable competitive balance pick into the mix. This year, the Orioles have the 13th-biggest pool available, with $13,114,200 as their official allotment.

The bonus pool system has been in effect since the 2012 Draft. Each pick in the first ten rounds is assigned a value that decreases as the draft goes along. Add up these values and you get a team’s total bonus pool. Discussion about whether a particular signing is overslot or underslot is relative to the value for that pick. The top Orioles pick at #7 overall has a slot value of $7,327,200, all the way down to the tenth round pick’s value of $198,900.

On the whole, players who have more leverage to get overslot bonuses are those who have just graduated from high school, as well as draft-eligible college sophomores and junior college players. They can just say they’ll go to college or play another year of college if they don’t like what a team offers. Picks who were either college seniors or even graduate students still playing baseball tend to get way under slot bonuses of $25,000 or less.

You can expect a team will sign a player taken in rounds 1-10. They lose their bonus pool money for an unsigned pick in those rounds. It will get done unless there’s a surprise medical issue, which has only happened once with the Orioles in the Elias-era drafts. Don’t worry about players unsigned as the deadline approaches.

The Orioles may end up having more bonus pool math to sort out this year compared to past years. They drafted three high school players and a junior college player within the first ten rounds, and another five high school players in rounds 11-20.

Players taken from rounds 11-20, and undrafted players, can receive a signing bonus up to $150,000 without counting against the pool. Any amount that exceeds $150,000 for these picks is what counts against the pool. Recently, the league added the option for junior college-bound players to sign late as “draft-and-follow” players for a bonus of up to $225,000 before next year’s Draft.

Also, a team can exceed its pool by up to 5% and it will only have to pay a tax on the overage amount, equal to 75% of the overage. There are steeper penalties for exceeding 5% that no team has ever incurred. In last year’s draft, the Orioles used nearly every dollar available to them in their 5% overage. This year, the extra 5% gives the Orioles an additional $655,700.

This article will be updated between now and the deadline as signings or non-signings are reported by media or announced by the team. Signing bonus information listed where available.

Players who have signed

• 1st round, 7th overall – Eric Booth Jr. – OF – Oak Grove (Miss.) HS – $7,324,700, under slot by $2,500 (source)
• 6th round, 171st overall – Zane Adams – LHP – Alabama – $370,000, under slot by $26,300 (source)
• 10th round, 290th overall – Carlos Sanchez – UT – LSU-Shreveport – $47,500, under slot by $151,400 (source)
• 16th round, 470th overall – Brayden Fry – SS – Cranford (NJ) HS (source)

Current slot math: Under slot by $180,200

Apparently not signing

Nothing official yet

For more information about this year’s draft class, check out my article on what is one of the youngest groups the Orioles have ever taken.

• 2nd round, 46th overall – Ty Head – OF – NC State
• 3rd round, 82nd overall – Dominic Voegele – RHP – Kansas
• 4th round, 110th overall – Kevin Roberts Jr. – OF – Jackson Prep (Miss.) HS
• 5th round, 142nd overall – Jimmy Anderson – SS – Heartland CC (Ill.)
• 7th round, 200th overall – Ryan Piech – RHP – Xavier
• 8th round, 230th overall – Will Plunkett – SS – Mamaroneck (NY) HS
• 9th round, 260th overall – Collin McKinney – RHP – Arizona
• 11th round, 320th overall – Ross Norman – RHP – Coastal Carolina
• 12th round, 350th overall – Leo Marrero – C – Hardee (Fla.) HS
• 13th round, 380th overall – Garrison Sumner – RHP – BYU
• 14th round, 410th overall – Miguel Hugas – RHP – Mercer (Ga.)
• 15th round, 440th overall – Braden Smith – RHP – Central Florida
• 17th round, 500th overall – Diego Gutierrez – RHP – San Diego
• 18th round, 530th overall – Gunnar Garrison – RHP – Eaton (Colo.) HS
• 19th round, 560th overall – Victor Salazar – OF – Paetow (Tex.) HS
• 20th round, 590th overall – Ross Davis – RHP – Rusk (Tex.) HS

Undrafted free agents

These players are also able to sign for up to $150,000 without counting against the bonus pool, with any amount beyond that going against the pool. These are signings collected by Baseball America, typically sourced from college team social media accounts reporting that their player has signed a contact.

• Regan Hall – LHP – Illinois
• David Lally Jr. – RHP – Michigan
• Colton Sampson – LHP – Seminole State JC (Fla.)
• Camden Wicker – RHP – Central Florida

Tuesday night’s All-Star Game served as the end of the almost weeklong baseball festivities which make up All-Star Week that descended upon Philadelphia beginning last Friday. It was a citywide celebration of baseball from games and competitions taking place at Citizens Bank Park to fan experiences and meet and greets at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Center City.

The Phillies were prominently featured in all of the events going on in the city, thanks to of course being the hometown team but also leading the way with six All-Star nominations. Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper both took part in a memorable Home Run Derby with Schwarber coming up just short of winning the contest to Jordan Walker. All six of the Phillies representatives played in the All-Star game, but only Jesús Luzardo and Jhoan Duran had what one could call “successful” appearances in the 4-0 NL loss.

Besides the active players, Phillies legends were also out and about over the last week. There were numerous alumni who took part in the All-Star village where fans could take photos or get autographs. Some of those players even took the field at Citizens Bank Park again when Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, and Shane Victorino assembled teams comprising of celebrities and the very best of the AUSL for the MLBx All-Star home run derby, with Victorino’s team taking home the championship.

Then of course there was the MLB draft which was also held at the Convention Center. There the Phillies selected Tyler Spengler with their first pick and made 21 total picks.

So, what was your favorite part of All-Star Week? Did you attend any of the events? Or were you enjoying the fun through your television screen?

It has been a rough season for the San Francisco Giants. In spite of the positives, the negatives have been so severe as to potentially cause some long-term damage on the field. Personally, I don’t think it’s possible for the Giants to have a “respectable” season no matter what they do, and that includes going 66-0 the rest of the way and winning the World Series, but I recognize that I’m in the minority. For most fans, there’s a version of this failed experiment that is the 2026 Giants that stumbles or crawls its way to a finish that is notably less embarrassing than their play in the first part of the season.

They’re 41-55 coming out of the All-Star break. Since they’re unlikely to go 66-0 and win the World Series, what’s the final record that would make you say, “Wow, I didn’t think they’d wind up there after that terrible start.” Or even, “Yeah, that’s probably the best they could’ve done with a rookie manager and everyone still trying to figure out that new situation.” Some notes to get you in the right frame of mind:

• The Giants haven’t won 4 games in a row all season.
• They ended April 13-18, May 23-36, and June 35-50.
• Robbie Ray leads the rotation in innings pitched and is likely to be traded.
• At 97 IP, Landen Roupp is just 9.2 innings away from matching his season total of last season, which was just 0.2 innings below his professional high of just 107.1 IP (which he hit in 2022).
• Tyler Mahle is likely to be traded and is currently 5th in the rotation in terms of IP.
• Caleb Kilian and Erik Miller might be traded, JT Brubaker has rarely pitched in a pressure situation, and Keaton Winn is always just a pitch away from winding up back on the IL. The bullpen is likely to be Sam Hentges, Dylan Smith, and whatever they can coax out of Jason Foley.
• Luis Arraez, the most valuable player on the team, is likely to be traded.

If this list of negatives makes it difficult to actually conjure up a final result, I’ll add this note to help:

They’re 13-13 since Pride Night, and if they simply hold that .500 mark, they’ll go 33-33 and finish the season at 78-84. To me, that seems like it would be a pretty solid recovery and indicative of (1) a team that was projected to hover around .500 all season unless some events broke in their favor but (2) had a drag co-efficient of a new, inexperienced major league manager calling the shots. So, if you thought Tony Vitello might have a learning curve that cost the team in the realm of, say, 6-10 games while he sorted things out, a record of 78-84 would make sense. And if you looked at the way Zack & Buster cobbled together a bullpen, then 78-84 would seem like an especially lucky result.

And even with all those negatives, holding a .500 record the rest of the way seems plausible and maybe even probable. Sure, purging 40% of the rotation and a key lineup figure would hurt a lot, but it’s starting to sound a lot like the Giants won’t go full tilt on a rebuild, and so losing Arraez and Ray might be smoothed over by a combination of guys playing better (Matt Chapman when he returns, Willy Adames generally), some prospects contributing (Carson Whisenhunt), and some major league-ready players they get in trades helping out.

Since the beginning of June, the Giants’ offense is 8th in MLB (6th in the NL) with a 112 wRC+ (though, just 19th in runs scored) while their pitching has been valued at 18th (+2.2 fWAR). Again, removing Luis Arraez (144 wRC+ since June 1st) would not help the offense, but if this lineup has turned a corner overall, then losing him might not be so catastrophic. So, then it would come down to the trades they make and the pitching they get in return that could sort out the staff the rest of the way. The pitching is bad enough that, at this point, any additions are likely to improve it.

The Giants still have a relatively tough (for them, anyway) strength of schedule, with 6 remaining against the Dodgers, 3 against the Brewers, that makeup game against Atlanta in Atlanta, 6 against the surprising Cardinals, 3 against the Guardians, and 3 against the Pirates. But they also have to face a surging Tigers team (22-14 since June 1st), the so-so Astros (47-51), and the Reds, who are usually a tough matchup no matter the site of the series. Is .500 the rest of the way actually plausible or does it just sound like it?

Let’s run through the remaining schedule:

at Seattle (3 games) — The Giants have won 1 series in Seattle. It was in 1999. Prediction: 1-2
at Kansas City (3 games) — the Giants swept the Royals in Kauffman Stadium back in 2024 when they were in a heated playoff chase. That’s not the case this year for either team. Prediction: 1-2
vs. Angels (3 games) — a truly horrendous team, but the Giants are just 3-6 against them the past 3 seasons; and, this series will be before the trade deadline, meaning that the few good players on that roster likely to be traded will be showcased against the Giants. Prediction: 2-1
vs. the Brewers (3 games) — they’re 59-37 right now and 30-19 on the road. They are just 7-6 in July, though. Prediction: 1-2
at San Diego (4 games) — the final series before the trade deadline and despite the Padres’ struggles (48-48, 29-37 since May 1st, including the fewest runs in the sport scored since then) it’s likely that they won’t be sellers at the deadline. They, like the Giants, are just drawing too well. They have a new ownership group coming in, too. They’re just 3.5 games back of a Wild Card spot. The Padres have lost just 1 season series to the Giants this decade (2021, natch). Prediction: split?
at Texas (3 games) — Like the Mariners and Padres, the Rangers are one of those teams hovering around .500 all season. They’re 5-5 in July (-12 run differential) but 21-16 since June 1st. But their .500 home record (25-25) is surprising. They’re 16-14 in interleague, though, and their only setbacks there have been against the Reds (0-3) and Dodgers (1-2). Still, 2-4 against the Angels? I guess this one’s a coin toss. Prediction: 2-1
vs. Detroit (3 games) — The Tigers handled the Giants pretty easily last year in a sweep in Detroit and while it’s true that the 2026 version has struggled a lot, it’s still the case that they’re much, much, much (much?) better than the Giants. Their lineup features three All-Stars: Dillon Dingler, Kevin McGonigle, and Riley Greene, and an enviable rotation with Tarik Skubal, Framber Valdez, Casey Mize, and even Jack Flaherty, Keider Montero, and now Troy Melton. They are 17-29 on the road this season, though. Hmm… Prediction: 1-2
vs. Houston (3 games) — A tricky team. Are they buyers or sellers? Are they a “fake” .500 team? Well, I’ll just let this decide: they’re 10-17 in interleague this season with a -30 run differential. Prediction: 2-1
vs. Colorado (3 games) — Gosh, I hope this isn’t a tough series. Prediction: 3-0 (is this where the first 4-game winning streak happens???)
at Cleveland (3 games) — Patrick Bailey revenge series? Who cares, the Guardians have great pitching and they are good for a second-half run. Prediction: 0-3
at Boston (3 games) — The Red Sox look to be buyers at the deadline and even though their offense has struggled, they will get up to face the Giants’ weak pitching. Prediction: 1-2
vs. Cincinnati (3 games) — This team seems to be out of it. Prediction: 2-1
vs. Arizona (4 games) — The Giants are 1-8 against the Diamondbacks this season. I would expect this series to put the team out of its misery. Prediction: 1-3
at Atlanta (1 game)— I cannot fathom the Giants sweep. Prediction: 0-1
at Pittsburgh (3 games) — Will the Pirates fade down the stretch? That’s the big question. On the other hand, the Pirates are tied with the Nationals for the most runs scored in all of MLB (516), so, I think they will get a big kick out of kicking the Giants’ collective ass. Prediction: 1-2
at Mets (3 games) — This team will probably remake itself at the deadline and I wonder if they will be one of those teams that improve after retooling on the fly. Anyway, unless the Mets reacquire Jeff McNeil or Pete Alonso, I’m a bit more confident about the Giants facing the Mets. Then again, it’s a road series, and the Mets will still have Juan Soto (and Francisco Lindor, probably). Prediction 1-2
vs. St. Louis (3 games) — Another good road team (24-19, +40 run differential); however, this series will be the final leg of a 3-city, 9-game road trip for the Cardinals where the first two series are at Dodger Stadium followed by Coors Field. So, I’ll be a little bullish here. Prediction: 2-1
vs. San Diego (3 games) — Let’s just keep the good vibes going. Prediction: 2-1
at St. Louis (3 games) — Of course, the Cardinals will get their revenge. Prediction: 1-2
at Dodgers (3 games) — The Giants have played the Dodgers hard, but ending the season against them has, time and again, been disastrous. Prediction: 1-2
vs. Minnesota (3 games) — Will the Twins’ surprising season continue? They’ll have just come off a 4-game series against the Angels in Anaheim, but prior to that, they’ll have run a pretty remarkable gauntlet: 6 against the White Sox, 6 against the Tigers, 3 against the Guardians, and 3 against the Yankees. That 18-game stretch might be enough to short circuit their season and set them on a course to merely play out the string against the Giants. That’s the thinking I have to have in order to make this prediction: 2-1.
vs. Dodgers (3 games) — Since 2017, here is the Giants’ record versus the Dodgers in September: 11-27. For the sake of the rivalry, lets say Prediction: 1-2.

So, I can squint and see 30 wins the rest of the way, or 30-36, or 71-91, and that’s operating under the assumption that Luis Arraez and Robbie Ray are traded and that their replacements are capable and the rest of the roster plays at a level consistent with their recent run. Is that “respectable,” given that Buster Posey was brought in to put the franchise over the top rather than begin yet another rebuild? Would that stoke the hope that the future will be bright?

Yes, if some things break the Giants’ way later in the season, then it’s easy to imagine them netting a few more wins to get to 78-84, but maybe you, gentle reader, imagine something more ambitious. So, what say you? What’s a final record that sounds reasonable/plausible to you and also says, “Wow, that’s an impressive finish given their horrendous start?”

We’ve seen a few things occur as a result of the current, highly-diluted playoff format. One, which Alex Anthopoulos alluded to in remarks aired on a recent broadcast, was that the low barrier for entry (and though he didn’t say it, the implicit idea that said low barrier for entry has resulted in a lot of same-y, so-so rosters) has made teams hesitant to sell, in case they start playing well in July. The corollary to that, then, is that a team with a poor July can suddenly turn into a seller, even if that wasn’t the plan a few weeks ago.

The AL and NL are very different as we stand here at the All-Star Break. The AL has a bunch of teams with decent-to-good rosters not playing well, so the selling calculus is complicated by the fact that many of those teams probably expect to do much better over the remaining 70-odd games of the season. The NL has kind of the opposite issue, with less-than-complete rosters reeling off bunches of wins, which means less successful teams have a lot more leapfrogging to do.

With that said, here are six teams I’m thinking about:

The Orioles, Blue Jays, and especially the Tigers all seem like they might not sell because of their expectations going forward. If you figure the last AL Wild Card spot may truly be a .500 team, and these three teams with all their banked losses figure to win 78-79 games, then… maybe it’s worth it to try. The Tigers, in particular, project to have the fifth-best roster going forward, so it would be kinda weird to see that team sell. I don’t know if any of these teams will sell, but I’d mark it as somewhat surprising if they started right now. Of course, if they slide much more in the next couple of weeks, that’ll be a more obvious direction to take, but that’s why I’m asking the question now.

In the NL, the Cardinals are in an unexpected place because they have been winning while rebuilding. They’re currently one game out of a playoff spot, and if it came down to just them and the Marlins going forward, maybe they shouldn’t sell, figuring the Marlins’ bottom is at least as likely to drop out as their own. But this Cardinals team was also built around explicitly rebuilding and maybe moving some short-term signings for stuff to improve that rebuild, so…

Then you have the Diamondbacks and Padres, who are in a pretty similar position. The division is out of reach, but a Wild Card spot isn’t, and the rosters aren’t bad. The Padres actually seem like they might be more obvious sellers, but AJ Preller is a wild man.

Anyway, do you think any of these teams might sell when it comes down to it? Or, will it be another team that seems to be in an okay position right now (the Pirates, for example). Who ya got?

The Mets open a three-game series against the Phillies in Philadelphia on Thursday night at 7:10.

---

Mets Notes

• A.J. Ewing is hitting .302/.369/.508 (.877 OPS) with six homers, eight doubles, 18 runs scored, and 18 RBI in 141 plate appearances over his last 36 games
• Juan Soto is slashing .316/.469/.622 (1.091 OPS) with eight homers in 128 plate appearances over his last 30 games
• Luke Weaver hasn't allowed an earned run since April 30. In 27.0 innings over 25 appearances since then, he has given up just 11 hits while walking seven and striking out 35

---

Today's Lineups

---

Meet the Mets

With the Trade Deadline approaching the Mets will need to focus on retooling for the future with this season dead in the water.

The team limps into the second half as one of the worst teams in the league and it’s not likely to get better any time soon.

Brett Baty has changed his approach at the plate which will hopefully lead to better success in the second half.

Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor were voted as two of the best athletes to play in New York right now.

The team signed Carson Wiggins, their top pick from this year’s draft, to a $3,466,500 signing bonus.

Around the National League East

The Braves have been struggling recently and have a few needs to fill if they want to stay atop of the NL East in the second half.

The Marlins open the second half against tough opponents as they try to compete for a playoff spot.

The players who represented the Phillies in the All-Star Gane were a big bust in front of their home crowd in Philadelphia.

The Nationals officially signed their first round draft pick, local kid Chris Hacopian.

Around Major League Baseball

The Brewers have reportedly traded for Lance McCullers Jr. from the Astros to bolster their rotation.

The Yankees have emerged as a potential suitor for Padres All-Star closer Mason Miller.

The All-Star Game remains a stressful experience for managers trying to keep other team’s pitchers from getting hurt in an exhibition game.

ESPN got an inside look at the White Sox draft room as they drafted Roch Cholowsky with the number one overall pick.

Pitchers in today’s game are throwing harder than ever before with many routinely hitting 100 mph.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Steve Sypa wrote draft profiles for Kooper Schulte, John Smith III, Marcus Ward, Cooper Dossett, Gavin Guidry, Dustin Hagens Jr., Zach Crotchfelt, and Jacob Madrid

Vasilis Drimalitis suggested that there are at least a few reasons to tune into games once the second half starts.

Lukas Vlahos wrote a trade deadline primer and speculated who could be on the move.

This Date in Mets History

On this date in 2006, Cliff Floyd and Carlos Beltran hit a grand slam in the same inning in the team’s 13-7 win over the Cubs at Wrigley.

Morning, all!

Did you enjoy the non stop excitement of direct-to-consumer streaming through Victory+? Well, that’s too bad because the Rangers have announced that they are switching streaming platforms effective immediately.

The new platform will be BZZR, a sports streaming and social media platform with an executive that is also a minority partner in Rangers ownership.

The Rangers could use another high leverage arm in the second half.

Although Chris Young says they need both another high leverage arm and to keep playing with positive energy and camaraderie.

This past week, Mookie Betts surpassed the number of games he had played with the Boston Red Sox, officially making him Dodger longer than he was a Red Sox. Spanning those two teams, Betts has amassed six Gold Gloves. Now, he has started his own baseball glove company.

Named LGND, Betts says this line is “built around versatility, craftsmanship and player-first innovation.”

“Every detail matters when you’re on the field, and your glove is one of the most important tools you have,” Betts said in a statement. “I started this with the intention to build something that reflected the way I play the game, which is with passion, preparation and attention to detail.”

Currently the company sells two different collections. The MOOK series is inspired by Betts’ experience playing both infield and outfield. This glove features his personal game-worn colorways, a “50 Tri-Star” logo embroidered on the thumb, and his signature stamped in the palm of the glove.

The MVRK series is meant for those playing multiple positions along with some distinct styling.

“LGND is about giving young players a glove they can trust from the first time they put it on,” Betts said. “Whether you’re chasing a championship, working toward a college scholarship or just falling in love with baseball, I want these gloves to help young players perform at their best.”

Betts has three partners in this endeavor, Cameron Lewis, Brandon McPhail and Andrew Montgomery. The lifelong friends competed together in high school in the Nashville area.

Steve Henson of the L.A. Times has more details on the gloves including the cost here.

Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic has an article of what to expect in the second half of the season. He poses questions about whether the Dodgers will ever be at full strength this season, (maybe?), how the team will handle Shohei Ohtani going forward (carefully), and what will they do at the deadline (probably not much, but…).

As all baseball fans know, it boils down to health and your stars performing. Kyle Tucker, we’re looking at you, kid.

The trade deadline is coming up; Anne Rogers talks about how the Royals may get creative

For the Royals, the clearest point about this season is how much of a disappointment it’s been for a team that had high expectations after a 2024 playoff run, finishing over .500 again in ‘25 and returning that core group of players in ‘26. But nothing has gone right for Kansas City through its first 97 games of the season.

Kansas City would like to acquire talent that’s ready or near-ready for the Major Leagues, which will help begin to construct the roster for 2027 and beyond. The trickiness comes into play here, though, because that will likely mean trading controllable pieces the Royals also want and need to rely on next year and beyond.

For example, trading starter Michael Wacha could net young, controllable talent — although how much would vary based on how other teams view the 35-year-old right-hander. But his potential departure would also leave a gaping hole in an already thin rotation for the next two seasons (assuming the Royals pick up his ‘28 club option).

Here is every MLB team’s biggest need at the deadline.

Royals: Young, controllable talent
The Royals need to address parts of their entire roster, but it doesn’t have to be a huge overhaul. They need to use the Deadline to begin acquiring young, controllable talent that could help them compete right away next season. This is no small task, as it will require giving up something important — perhaps a starting pitcher — but building next year’s roster should be on the forefront of their minds.

MLB’s pipeline chose Jack Slightom as their favorite Royals draft pick

After going the college route with its first two picks, Kansas City took a high-schooler at No. 56 overall and got some intriguing upside in the 6-foot-5 right-hander from Illinois. Slightom was already picking up velocity, touching 98 mph this spring, and it’s easy to project him adding more with a singular year-long focus on baseball. (He also played quarterback in the fall.) With that extra power could come an improved slider, while his changeup already flashes above-average.

Here is David Lesky’s Royals draft review

Mike Gillespie of Royals Keep brought up 3 questions the Royals should ponder post ASB.

No matter what people tell you, pitchers are throwing faster than ever this year.

The Brewers traded for Lance McCullers Jr.

Today’s song of the day is Breathe by Pink Floyd

Today’s Reflections

There seems to be only one direction this issue of Cub Tracks can go, with most the articles being about possible trades suggestions, about what happened in the first half and what the second half looks like, and what groups of players need to step it up in the second half.

And the plethora of articles about Pete Crow-Armstrong. That makes the choice easy.

I’m not being a PCA fan boy, but he is the face of the Cubs right now, and a large part of the reason for that is the remarkable output during the first half of the season. Another part is the maturity he has shown following the bad fan interactions one weekend earlier this season.

People are quick to tear someone down, but we have seen the growth of maturity displayed since then and the Cubs have responded in kind — maybe not universally or consistently, but through combined resilience during the times of struggle this year. The casual fan is probably starting to notice that and the support is returning.

Will PCA continue this non-Ohtani dominance in baseball? Who knows. But is that all that is needed for the Cubs to reach the playoffs and contend for the World Series? Not at all. Everyone else has to raise their level of game to their level of PCA-ness. Not match him, but reach the top level of their personal abilities.

And injuries. Nothing PCA can do to help to the team overcome that. All the adjustments for that is being done by others and is not in his control. Those adjustments for injuries haven’t been perfect, but, given the circumstances, they’ve gone remarkably well. So well, credit should be given there for achieving a 54-42 record to this point. The record could easily be reversed without those adjustments.

All PCA can control is himself. Be the best he can be, and hopefully the Cubs, individually, can match him in being the best they can be. If that happens, the Cubs will be in a position where they could have a strong run in the playoffs.

---

*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.

All-Star Break PCA-Mania:

• Joey Mistretta (Clutch Points): How Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong is planning to ‘dethrone’ Shohei Ohtani as NL MVP. “Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong revealed his plan to “dethrone” Shohei Ohtani in the National League MVP race.“
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): A conversation with Pete Crow-Armstrong as Cubs All-Star puts together MVP-level season. “As MLB Network pointed out, the first 385 games of Crow-Armstrong’s career look nearly identical to Barry Bonds’ resume at that point.”
• Michael Cerami (Bleacher Nation): We Are Witnessing One of the Single Greatest Cubs Seasons of All Time. “(The first half of 2025) was exciting, impressive, and, for a while, career-defining. And yet … this season’s first half puts that one to SHAME.
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune {$}): For Chicago Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong, learning to handle failure is a key part of his All-Star season. “Pete Crow-Armstrong’s stellar first-half production has been undeniable.”
• Mike McGraw (Daily Herald): Fan fail: PCA winning on field despite losing popularity contest. “The baseball world couldn’t wait to turn on Pete Crow-Armstrong.”
• Zachary Draves (Clutch Points): Pete Crow-Armstrong admits to catching ‘Bears fever,’ loves watching Devin Hester highlights. “Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong talks about his Bears fandom and watching Devin Hester highlights during the MLB All-Star Game.”

Trade and Injury Talk:

• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Cubs Injury Update: Hunter Harvey concern, Ben Brown optimism, Edward Cabrera. “One offseason signing looks like a complete waste.“
• Conor Liguori (Sporting News): Cubs trade idea for Royals’ $51 million All-Star starter is smart for 2 reasons. “The Chicago Cubs have a chance to make a big trade at the deadline. Or would they prefer to make multiple deals that have a greater impact on the club’s postseason outlook?”
• Tyler Courtney (LastWordOnSports): 2026 Chicago Cubs Trade Deadline Outlook. “The Cubs’ trade deadline strategy has become an increasingly important conversation in 2026.”
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Overlooked Cubs prospect suddenly looks like a clear trade deadline chip after insane hot streak. “He’s getting hot at just the right time.”
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib): Cubs will have to assemble a costly package to pull off a Mason Miller blockbuster. “To acquire a player of this caliber, you’ve got to give up pieces that really hurt.”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Cubs could become World Series contenders with right trade deadline moves. “But will the front office be willing to go all-in for a probable wild-card entrant to the postseason?”

Assorted stories:

• Tracy Butler (ABC7): Chicago Cubs use scoreboard rain barrels to conserve water at Wrigley Field. “2 rain barrels are helping Cubs save 1500 gallons of water per year.”
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune {$}): Column: A tale of 2 Chicago baseball teams as Cubs and White Sox aim their sights on October. “The White Sox and Cubs both had successful first halves of the season, even as they did so in unconventional fashion.”
• Brock Beauchamp (North Side Baseball): What To Make Of The Cubs At The All-Star Break. “The Cubs had a long lull, but ended at the break with a respectable position. What’s in store in the second half?”
• Tyler Edmunds (OnTapSportsNet): The Cubs’ Second-Half Success Rests on Three Bats: Alex Bregman, Nico Hoerner, and Michael Busch. “Three Cubs bats need to step it up if the Cubs want to make a playoff run: Alex Bregman, Nico Hoerner, and Michael Busch.”
• Tyler Courtney (LastWordOnSports): Four Cubs Under Pressure to Perform in the Second Half. “Despite a strong start to the season, there are plenty of players for the Chicago Cubs under pressure heading into the second half of 2026.”
• Steve Greenberg Chicago Sun-Times): Next All-Star stop: Wrigley Field, where the last Home Run Derby was so punchless it’s truly crazy. ““I hope the wind is blowing out,” multiple All-Stars in Philadelphia, including the Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong, said of the 2027 event.“
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Now It’s Time for Twinkle Dee & Twinkle Dum to Avoid Selling Cubs Out. “Forget the Home Run Derby or the All-Star Game itself, the best moment of the Midsummer Classic was Bruce Levine’s viral tweet.”
• Cory Sparks (North Side Baseball): Brandon Arvidson Is Set to Fly Through Cubs’ Farm System As A 12th-Round Draft Pick. “It’s unusual for 12th-round draft picks to garner so much praise, but the Cubs’ selection of Brandon Arvidson looks like an immediate steal.”

Food For Thought:

Formed in 1977 by harmonica master Billy Branch, the original incarnation of the Sons of Blues boasted a lineup composed entirely of blues scions, including bassist Freddie Dixon (son of Willie Dixon), guitarist Lurrie Bell (son of Carey Bell), and drummer Garland Whiteside (son of Clifton James). Willie Dixon served as a major mentor to the band during their early years. They first gained international recognition performing at the Berlin Jazz Festival and featuring on Alligator Records’ Living Chicago Blues series in the late 1970s.

Over the decades, as original members moved on to pursue solo careers, Billy Branch assumed permanent leadership and cultivated a world-class rotating cast of musicians. The Chicago Reader has frequently voted them the top blues band in Chicago.

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.

The Colorado Rockies are a team in the midst of a rebuild. With this in mind, the staff at Purple Row thought it would be useful to revisit the “State of the Position” series that we ran in March to see where things stand. We’ve asked authors of the spring articles to re-evaluate their earlier remarks with an eye toward the August 3 trade deadline.

---

What was said in March

When my colleague Renee Dechert evaluated the Rockies’ outfield group back during spring training, one thing was very clear: Brenton Doyle was the uncontested starter in center field. The two-time Gold Glove award winner had overcome a -2.0 rWAR first half in 2025 with injuries and personal trauma to finish the season with positive wins above replacement per Baseball Reference. He looked like the Brenton Doyle from 2024 and was expected to be one of the most stable parts of the Rockies’ lineup heading into the 2026 season.

Backing up Doyle occasionally in center field as well as playing regularly in left would be Jake McCarthy. The Rockies made a surprising intradivision trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the lightning-quick outfielder in exchange for a pitching prospect.

With McCarthy in left, the young Jordan Beck would move to right field for his true sophomore season. Beck could continue to build on a solid 2025 campaign at the plate while working to improve his defense by utilizing his speed and solid arm strength.

Mickey Moniak would be the fourth outfielder and designated hitter for the Rockies. After a truly awful defensive season in 2025 that sank his value into the negatives for rWAR, Moniak could focus on putting his bat to good use in the Rockies lineup and only playing corner outfield (and hopefully the very, very rare center field appearance) when necessary.

Behind the core four, a group of utility players in Tyler Freeman, Ryan Ritter, Troy Johnston, and Willi Castro would be available in a pinch. Freeman was a regular presence in the outfield last season, but his defense was… an adventure. Ritter–who debuted last season–added outfield to his repertoire during the off-season and spring, and the newly acquired Willi Castro (a free agent) and Troy Johnston (a waiver claim from Miami) both had outfield experience.

Where the Rockies are now

The Starters

The Rockies’ outfield through the first half of the 2026 season has been complicated and crowded. They’ve used ten different players in the outfield to varying degrees of success and what has emerged is a transitional group completely detached from preseason expectations.

Brenton Doyle–the surefire starting center fielder–has been on the injured list since May 20th. He sustained a left oblique contusion while making a diving catch and then developed a nagging groin strain during his rehab assignment with the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes. His rehab assignment has since been shut down and his timeline for return is unknown.

However, when he was on the field over the first 43 games of the season, Doyle struggled. He hit just .207/.279/.270 with just four doubles, one home run, four RBIs, and nine stolen bases. His trademark gilded defense also took a hit with -2 defensive runs saved, zero outs above average, and a -1 fielding run value.

Jordan Beck also struggled early in the season, hitting .183/.227/.305 with five doubles, one triple, one home run, and ten RBIs in 30 games. He found very little success against right-handed pitching and was relegated to a platoon role before a hamstring strain landed him on the injured list. He was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque fter missing more than a month of action and completing a rehab assignment.

Without Beck and Doyle playing, there has been room for new challenger to emerge in top prospect Cole Carrigg (no. 4 PuRP).

The 2023 second round pick proved he was ready for a call-up after a blistering hot start to the season in Triple-A Albuquerque in which he hit .338/.414/.529 with 15 doubles, five triples, six home runs, 42 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases over 57 games. Now it seems unlikely that the 28-year-old Doyle will get his job in center field back from the 24-year-old Carrigg if the former returns this season.

Since making his Major League debut on June 9th, Carrigg has been as good as advertised. He is hitting .273/.356/.515 through his first 31 big league games and 119 plate appearances with six doubles, three triples, four home runs, 22 RBIs, and a couple of stolen bases. Even more impressive has been the rookie’s plate approach. Known for being aggressive and “playing with his hair on fire,” Carrigg has drawn 13 walks to 26 strikeouts. His 10.9% walk rate is among the team’s best, above fellow rookie TJ Rumfield and just below Kyle “3-2 count” Karros.

With excellent speed and one of the best arms in the Rockies’ system, Carrigg’s defense in center field has been a strong point. In 241.1 innings patrolling the position, his two defensive runs saved, two outs above average, and three fielding run value have already made him the Rockies’ best defensive outfielder.

Name	Innings	Put-Outs	Assists	Errors	DRS	OAA	FRV
Willi Castro	27	5	1	0	-1	-1	-1
Mickey Moniak	320	94	3	0	-3	-1	-1
Jake McCarthy	627	186	0	1	-4	0	-3
Tyler Freeman	374.2	91	5	1	-9	-6	-4
Brenton Doyle	275.1	83	0	0	-2	0	-1
Troy Johnston	443.2	102	1	1	-4	-3	-3
Braxton Fulford	1	0	0	0	0
Jordan Beck	185	40	1	1	2	0	-2
Sterlin Thompson	86	18	0	1	-1	-1	-1
Cole Carrigg	241.1	92	4	1	2	2	3

With Carrigg settling in out in center field, Jake McCarthy has been the most common choice for the Rockies in left. There he can make use of his blazing speed without his weaker than average arm being too much of a hindrance.

After falling out of favor with the Diamondbacks last season due to a -0.6 rWAR season where he hit .204/.247/.345, McCarthy was sent to the Rockies in exchange for pitching prospect Josh Grosz (who had in turn been acquired from the New York Yankees at the 2025 trade deadline).

Arizona’s loss has been Colorado’s gain. McCarthy has quickly become a tremendous asset in the Mile High City as both a leadoff hitter and fan favorite. Hitting .301/.347/.516 so far this season, McCarthy has 18 doubles, six triples, and has donned the Rockies’ purple home run coat a career high ten times. Two of his home runs have been of the inside-the-park variety, making him the third Rockies hitter to have two inside-the-park home runs in a single season (Brandon Barnes, 2014 and Charlie Blackmon, 2017) and the first hitter with two leadoff inside-the-park home runs since 1929.

With all the injuries and shuffling, Tyler Freeman has somehow repeated his role from last season as the Rockies’ primary right fielder. While his defense has been somewhat improved compared to his abysmal 2025 where he was worth -10 defensive runs saved, -8 outs above average, and a -6 fielding run value, Freeman is still one of the worst defensive right fielders in baseball this season. His -9 defensive runs saved is the worst of any regularly playing right fielder while his -6 outs above average and -4 fielding run value are both in the bottom ten.

Freeman is regularly on base with a .265 average and a .343 on-base percentage. He seldom strikes out and can even be a threat to steal bases. However, with little in terms of pop, his offensive numbers are fairly empty. He has just six doubles, a triple, three home runs, an 23 RBIs this season. This combines with his atrocious defense to make him baseball’s current least valuable player with -1.5 wins above replacement per Baseball Reference.

The Backups

After missing the start of the season with a right finger sprain, Mickey Moniak hit the ground running as one of the Rockies best hitters against right-handed pitching. He hit .280/.335/.607 with nine doubles, two triples, 12 home runs, and 28 RBIs through his first 43 games of the season and looked like a potential All-Star candidate for the Rockies.

Unfortunately, he was sidelined again in late May with right ankle tendonitis and swelling that kept him out of the lineup for over a month. Moniak returned in late June, and while he hasn’t had as much of a power stroke, he has continued to be a solid hitter for the Rockies. He has hit .271/.302/.492 with two doubles, a triple, three home runs, and ten RBIs since returning.

Moniak has actually been serviceable with the glove this season, which comes as a pleasant surprise after terrible defense last season was a major criticism of the former first overall draft pick. The Rockies have largely utilized Moniak in left field instead of right or center field, where he has been worth a perfectly cromulent -1 defensive runs saved, zero outs above average, and a zero fielding run value.

Next to Moniak on the outfield bench is 29-year-old Troy Johnson, a second-year MLB player who was acquired off of waivers from the Miami Marlins this off-season.

Johnston quickly captured the hearts of Rockies fans with his excitable, golden retriever-like personality. His teammates are similarly enamored. Helping his case in the hearts and minds of the baseball public has been his surprising aptitude for hitting. Johnston even earned a decent number of All-Star votes as a designated hitter by slashing .301/.374/.417 in the first half. His 23 doubles has him as one of the league leaders in the category–tied for fourth place with Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman and future Hall of Famer Freddie Freeman.

However, Johnston is much better served as a designated hitter. His defense in right field–where he’s gotten the most playing time–leaves a lot to be desired (and the less said about his work at first base, the better).

Willi Castro exists mostly as an emergency or late inning switch option of the outfield. He is much better suited to second base with the occasional appearances at shortstop and third when Kyle Karros or Ezequiel Tovar are in need of a day off.

Rounding out the bench is a surprising name: catcher Braxton Fulford. The Rockies have been working with Fulford to expand his defensive skill-set this season with the starting role behind the plate firmly in the hands of Hunter Goodman while backup catcher–and occasional relief pitcher–Brett Sullivan still sees a decent amount of playing time. Fulford has the speed and glove skills to make corner outfield work in a pinch, and made his first career appearance either in college or professionally in left field on July 8th.

On the Farm

Sterlin Thompson (no. 13 PuRP) made his Major League debut earlier this season after a strong start in Triple-A Albuquerque. Thompson took some solid at-bats and was up with the Rockies for 27 games, but wasn’t quite ready for a full-time big league job. He hit .232/.312/.377 with four doubles and did hit his first two big league home runs. He has since been returned to the Isotopes, where he continues to hit well. So far this season in Triple-A he has slashed .314/.457/.459 with seven doubles, a triple, six home runs, and 42 walks to 38 strikeouts.

Two of Thompson’s Albuquerque teammates are stealing the show, however, and pounding on the door for big league call-ups of their own.

Zac Veen (no. 9 PuRP) has reinvented himself by getting sober and bulking up after a disastrous debut last season. Veen has been hitting very well with the Isotopes, going .311/.385/.578 in the first 81 games of the Triple-A season. He leads the Pacific Coast League with 26 doubles and has also hit five triples, 16 home runs, and has driven in 59 RBIs. He’s also been much more disciplined at the plate, drawing 39 walks to 76 strikeouts.

2024 first round pick Charlie Condon (no. 1 PuRP) has been playing a significant amount of right field this season in Albuquerque, a potential necessity with the emergence of TJ Rumfield at first base. After a slow start over the first few months of the season, Condon’s power exploded in June. He enters the All-Star break hitting .289/.414/.584 with 16 doubles, six triples, 20 home runs–the third most in the Pacific Coast League–and 60 RBIs. Condon is also among the Pacific Coast League leaders in walks with 53 compared to his 87 strikeouts. He also participated in the All-Star Futures Game for a second time this season.

Closing Thoughts

The only real building block of the future for this Rockies squad currently playing every day is Cole Carrigg in center field. Outside of that, the Rockies outfield is largely crowded and in a state of transition. There are simply too many outfielders–or players who play in the outfield like Tyler Freeman–on this roster.

With Zac Veen ad Charlie Condon arguably ready for their big league debuts, where ideally they would flank Carrigg in the outfield corners, decisions need to me made. The trade deadline is in a few weeks and at least one outfielder such as McCarthy or Moniak should at least be on the market for contending teams. While having skilled backups like Brenton Doyle is important, other players–potentially even Doyle himself–will need to be optioned, designated for assignment, or have their future with the organization assessed during the off-season.

For now, the Rockies outfield you see today is very unlikely to be the one you see next year.

---

---

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!