ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 17: Mauricio Dubón #14 of the Atlanta Braves looks on in the fifth inning during the continuation of a game from June 16 against the San Francisco Giants at Truist Park on June 17, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jack Casey/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Congratulations to Mauricio Dubón, who has been named as this year’s recipient of the MLBPAA’s Heart & Hustle Award for the Atlanta Braves.
Congratulations to the 2026 winners of the @MLBPAA's Heart and Hustle Award! Voted on by former Players, the honor recognizes those who exemplify a passion for the game and embody its values, spirits and traditions. 👏 ❤️ 💪 pic.twitter.com/sEXSEfYAPk
Now in its 21st year, this prestigious honor is presented annually to active players who exemplify a true passion for the game and who best embody the values, spirit and traditions of the game. The Heart and Hustle Award is the only award in Major League Baseball that is voted on by former players. Voting for team winners is conducted prior to the All-Star break.
To determine the winners, the MLBPAA formed 30 committees comprised of alumni players with established relationships to each team. One player from each Major League team is chosen by the committees based on their passion, desire and work ethic demonstrated both on and off the field. At the conclusion of the season, all alumni members and fans will vote to select the final winner from the 30 team winners. The previous overall recipients include: David Eckstein (2005), Craig Biggio (2006, 2007), Grady Sizemore (2008), Albert Pujols (2009), Roy Halladay (2010), Torii Hunter (2011), Mike Trout (2012), Dustin Pedroia (2013), Josh Harrison (2014), Anthony Rizzo (2015), Todd Frazier (2016), Brett Gardner (2017), Mookie Betts (2018), Howie Kendrick (2019), Ozzie Albies (2021), Paul Goldschmidt (2022), Marcus Semien (2023) and Bobby Witt Jr. (2024, 2025).
The 2026 overall Heart and Hustle Award winner will be announced in mid-November on MLB Network.
If heart and hustle doesn’t perfectly describe Dubón’s performance with the Braves this season, I don’t know what else does. Remember when he left eye black on the wall in Colorado? Atlanta traded for him in the offseason with Houston for an infielder swap for Nick Allen, intending for him to be a utilityman and valuable bench piece. Instead, injuries and underperformance paved the way for Dubón to become a nearly-everyday player, covering multiple infield and outfield positions while being a two-strike/two-out RBI machine. Off the field, he’s been hailed as a “glue guy” in the clubhouse and and a tone-setter for the team. Congratulations again, Dubie!
Coming off a series split versus the San Diego Padres, the Diamondbacks prepared to welcome the NL West leading Los Angeles Dodgers into Chase Field for their 4th and Final series of the 2026 campaign. Due to a mixture of the Dbacks playing very well over the last month and half and the Dodgers having a season long 7 game losing streak and looking far from the World Series favorites that baseball fans are expecting, the Dodgers have seen their lead in the West go from a double digit lead to just 8.5 going into play Friday night.
As we discussed in the last episode, the Snakes could make the most of their opportunity on the horizon and make the Dodgers sweat a little bit more than they had originally planned in regards to their pursuit of yet another NL West title with a series sweep. It would also be an opportunity for the boys in the desert to win the season series over LA for the first time since 2018 (I’m still not over that ‘18 late season collapse…).
Call of Waldy: Walk (Off) Ops 1
Friday night’s opening contest was one that saw the Dbacks in front 2-0 after 5 innings behind Merrill Kelly shutting the Dodgers down and looking like he would be on his way to his first regular season victory against LA, but a run in all 3 of the 6th, 7th and 8th innings had the Dodgers in front and ready to not only end their 6 game losing streak but to break the hearts of all Dbacks fans in attendance.
The Dodgers $69 Million dollar closer Edwin Diaz toed the rubber in the 9th hoping to secure that outcome but after a Max Kepler leadoff walk and a 1-out steal of second base by pinch runner Jorge Barrosa, in stepped Ryan Waldschmidt with the chance to tie things up. Waldy decided he didn’t just want to tie things up but be the hero of the night and smashed a hanging slider from Diaz over the left center wall and right into the lap of a Dodger fan for his 2nd ever career home run and his first MLB walkoff hit. The fellas and I discussed how special of a moment that has to be for any major leaguer to come up clutch in that kind of scenario, but Gabe highlighted specifically his approach at the plate that at-bat along with mentioning that moments like this will be something that not only Ryan Waldschmidt would remember forever, but Dbacks fans as well.
Starting Unit Shoves…Again
Outside of a short week or so stretch back in the end of April through the start of May, the Diamondbacks starting rotation has been nothing other than spectacular for the majority of the 2026 season. Whether it Michael “Maple Maddux” Soroka having a bounce back year, Eduardo Rodriguez having a career best year that lead to his first ever All-Star nod or even the resurgence of Big Game Brandon Pfaadt since being recalled from Reno, there have been some stellar performances (and some not so stellar…were all looking at Zac Gallen I know) from this starting staff and we saw another round of that in this 3 game series yet again.
Gabe, Brandon and I all brought up different aspects of each of Merrill, Brandon and Eduardo’s recent starts that all deserve their own praise. I mentioned that Merrill, while unfortunately missing out on his first regular season W against LA, has been showing shades of the Mainstay we have been so accustomed to the past few years as he has put up a 2.82 ERA over his last 38.1 IP.
Gabe and I gave Brandon Pfaadt his flowers for not only extending his scoreless inning streak to 25 innings along with having a 1.32 ERA since his recall from Triple A Reno, but the fact that he was able to put up 7 shutout against one of the best offenses in baseball that has also seen him over 10 times and could have been used to seeing his arsenal more than other teams.
Brandon on the other hand thought that out of all the Dbacks starters in this series, ERod’s 115 pitches tossed across 7 innings was the most gutsy performance out of all. It was revealed by Torey Lovullo after the game that 4 bullpen arms were unavailable (or redlined), so knowing that the bullpen was more taxed then we might have known at the time adds more reasoning as to why some might agree with Brandon that this outing was the best of the bunch this series.
“Because of the Implication”
As mentioned previously by the crew, a sweep of the Dodgers this series would have been the perfect outcome because not only would have extended the Dodgers losing streak to 9 games, it would have brought the Snakes within 5.5 games of the NL West lead. Even though cutting the deficit from 8.5 top 7.5 doesn’t sound as exciting as a 5.5 deficit, it’s something that I dont think many fans expected as the Dodgers are usually running away with the West crown around this time of the year.
The fellas and I discussed the implications that this series could have for not just the NL WIld Card race, but for the whole NL West race as a whole. Gabe and I agreed that making the Dodgers have to try to still secure the title within the final week and keeping them from resting starters sounds ideal, Brandon brought up the counter point that in 2023 there were multiple reports that the Dodgers may have struggled to stay up to speed after their weeks rest and that resting could take some of their momentum away from them before October baseball gets underway.
Are the odds that the Dbacks or even Padres storm all the way back to take the West crown in their favor? No not really (+3000 odds or higher on most sites for both the Snakes and the Pads), but crazier things have happened, one of the most famous being the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals being 10.5 games out of the NL WIld Card race on August 25th to end up stealing that spot from the Braves on the final day of the regular season en route to one of the most memorable Fall Classics we’ve seen in all of postseason history.
Rocky 3
We ended off the night looking at the 3rd and final NL West matchup of the homestand, as the Dbacks would be welcoming the Last Place Colorado Rockies into the desert for their 3rd series against each other.
The Rockies find themselves nearly 30 games under .500 heading into this series but don’t let that fool you, they have some talent on their roster that can make an impact at any moment, most notable former snake Jake McCarthy who is having a phenomenal 1st season in the Mile High City as Jake is slashing .305/.341/.516 for a .816 OPS and a 122 OPS+.
This will also be the Diamondbacks 3rd time facing RHP Tomoyuki Sugano, who in his 2 previous starts against the snakes has only allowed 2 runs in each outing, mostly because of his nasty splitter.
There aren’t going to be many easy teams left on the Diamondbacks schedule for the rest of August as they still have matchups against the Braves, Red Sox, Cubs and Phillies before the Calendar turns over to the last month of the regular season, so this series is one where the Dbacks need to come away with a series victory and minimum, but a series sweep would set them up for great success heading into a tough 6 game stretch in Atlanta and then Boston.
CLEVELAND, OH - AUGUST 05: New York Mets pitcher Jefry Yan (84) reacts after striking out Cleveland Guardians left fielder Angel Martinez (1) (not pictured) for his first career strikeout during the sixth inning of the Major League Baseball interleague game between the New York Mets and Cleveland Guardians on August 5, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Welcome back to Monday Stat Party, a weekly series showcasing some of the most curious and nostalgia-inducing statistical developments from the past week of Mets baseball. What unites each entry is the sense of intrigue which they aim to spark, and the unbridled love of the game’s anomalies from which they arise. Without further ado, let the stat party begin.
TUESDAY
With a single and a homer, Bo Bichette notched his 300th career multi-hit game. Since his debut in 2019, he is one of only nine players in baseball with 300+ multi-hit games, joining Freddie Freeman (373), Trea Turner (354), Luis Arraez (334), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (327), Rafael Devers (319), Paul Goldschmidt (305), Manny Machado (303), and Jose Altuve (302).
Bichette’s homer was hit a projected 422 feet with an exit velocity of 107.5 mph, marking his farthest-hit and hardest-hit homer as a Met.
Carson Benge’s 451-foot home run was the longest of his career, and tied two other Mets homers (Brett Baty’s in Washington on May 18 and Luis Robert Jr.’s in Milwaukee on July 21) for the team’s longest of the season.
Benge became the fifth player in the Statcast era (since 2015) to hit a 450+ foot home run and record a 96+ mph outfield assist in the same game, joining Starling Marte (May 26, 2018), George Springer (August 13, 2019), Nolan Jones (July 16, 2023), and Oneil Cruz (August 1, 2025). He is the first one since Springer to do it outside of Colorado. (source: Sarah Langs on X)
The Mets racked up 13+ strikeouts on both sides of the ball for the first time since August 11, 2024, a 12-1 loss in Seattle in which they struck out 13 times and struck out 15 Mariners.
WEDNESDAY
Jefry Yan’s first pitch as a Met was 101.1 mph, marking the fastest pitch thrown by a Mets left-handed pitcher in the Statcast era (since 2015). It also marked the fastest pitch thrown by any Met this season. Yan threw just 22 pitches in his first Mets outing, but he earned nine of the top ten spots and 13 of the top 18 on their season leaderboard.
Tanner Bibee struck out 10 Mets, becoming the third player to record double-digit strikeouts against the Mets this season after Shohei Ohtani (10 on April 15) and Cade Cavalli (10 on April 29). He also became the first interleague opponent to record double-digit strikeouts against the Mets since Pablo López racked up 14 in Minnesota on September 10, 2023, and the second Cleveland pitcher ever to do it after Scott Kazmir struck out 12 Mets at Progressive Field on September 6, 2013.
The Mets played their 16th extra-inning game of the season, tied with the Cubs for the most in the majors. They are currently on pace to finish the season with 21 extra-inning games played, which would tie for fifth-most in franchise history behind 1978 (25), 1986 (23), 1971 (22), and 1985 (22).
THURSDAY
Kodai Senga’s two-out, two-strike fastball to Angel Martínez was clocked at 100.3 mph, marking the fastest pitch he’s thrown in the big leagues.
Nolan McLean has struck out five or more batters in 11 consecutive outings, the most by a Met since Jacob deGrom set the franchise record by finishing his Mets career with 28 such outings. Only 11 Mets have put together a streak of five-or-more-strikeout games that long: Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, Dwight Gooden, Sid Fernandez, Ron Darling, David Cone, Johan Santana, Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, deGrom, and McLean.
McLean had his streak of six consecutive quality starts ended — the most by a Met since Kodai Senga (8) from August 7-September 20, 2023 — as well as his streak of eight consecutive starts in which he completed six innings, the most by a Met since Sean Manaea (8) from August 16-September 21, 2024.
Francisco Lindor’s three-run homer was his 68th homer at Progressive Field, tying him with Grady Sizemore for seventh all-time at the ballpark. Jim Thome ranks first with 190 homers, while current Guardian José Ramírez is second with 139 homers.
Luis Torrens put up five hits, two homers, and seven RBIs in atwo-game span, becoming just the third Mets catcher to post a two-game span with those totals after Gary Carter and Todd Hundley. (credit: PIX broadcast)
During the three-game series in Cleveland, Torrens recorded seven RBI against the Guardians. That alone was enough to move him into second place on the Mets’ all-time RBI leaderboard against the Guardians, trailing only Pete Alonso (12).
FRIDAY
For the 32nd time in franchise history, four different Mets stole a base (Carson Benge, Francisco Lindor, A.J. Ewing, and Luis Torrens). The last time that happened was on September 2, 2025, in Detroit — a game which included Torrens’ only other career stolen base to date. The Mets had pulled off the feat once before at PNC Park, when José Reyes, Luis Castillo, Moisés Alou, and Lastings Milledge did it on August 15, 2007.
Ewing collected his 15th stolen base in his 76th career game, becoming the second-fastest Met to 15 steals behind Mookie Wilson (63 games).
Ewing and Benge are the first Mets rookie teammates to steal 15 bases in the same season. The only others to have reached double-digits together are José Reyes (13) and Ty Wigginton (12) in 2003.
Zac Thornton’s 2.52 ERA through seven career games is the eighth-best among Mets pitchers with an average of five or more innings per outing, behind: Nolan McLean (1.27), Tylor Megill (2.04), Rick Aguilera (2.06), Nolan Ryan (2.11), Dillon Gee (2.22), Ron Darling (2.47), and Masato Yoshii (2.51).
Marcus Semien became the third Met to hit athree-run homer at PNC Park from the right side. The others were Todd Zeile on September 19, 2001, and David Wright on August 21, 2010. All three came against Pittsburgh pitchers whose last name begins with “M” (Tony McKnight, James McDonald, and Carmen Mlodzinski), and all three came in games which the Mets won with a left-handed starter between the ages of 23 and 26 on the mound (Glendon Rusch, Jon Niese, and Thornton). The first two also came with a future Met Hall of Famer on base (Mike Piazza and Carlos Beltrán)…but no pressure, Carson Benge and Jared Young.
SATURDAY
The Mets suffered their twelfth shutout loss of the season, tied with the Giants for the most of any team in the majors. The 9-0 defeat also marked their largest shutout loss in Pittsburgh since September 20, 1965, when right-hander Tommie Sisk blanked them to secure the first of his four career shutouts in a a 10-0 loss at Forbes Field.
Robert Stock allowed 14 baserunners without recording more than nine outs, becoming just the fifth Mets pitcher ever to do that in a game after Joe Sambito (June 11, 1985), Pedro Astacio (August 17, 2002), Óliver Pérez (August 31, 2006) and Liván Hernández (July 3, 2009). He also became just the third Mets pitcher to allow eight runs, nine hits, and five walks in a game, along with Sambito and Jason Isringhausen (June 30, 1996).
SUNDAY
Bo Bichette recorded the fifth five-hit game of his career, tying him with George Springer and Christian Yelich for the most five-hit games of any active player.
Bichette became the second player in MLB to reach base six times in a game this season after Sam Antonacci did so for the White Sox on June 3. Bichette also became the second Met since 2020 to accomplish the feat, after Juan Soto did so on June 8, 2025, in Colorado. Bichette is now one of 10 active players with two such games in his career, joining: Andrew McCutchen, Paul Goldschmidt, Bryce Harper, George Springer, Giancarlo Stanton, Mookie Betts, Christian Yelich, Pete Alonso, and José Ramírez.
The Mets are now the only team in the majors to have multiple players record five-hit games this season, as Carson Benge also did it on June 7 in San Diego.
Sean Manaea became the first Mets pitcher to record 11 strikeouts in a game this season. It was the first time Manaea had reached double-digits since he struck out 11 in Arizona on August 27, 2024. Manaea’s 11 strikeouts were the most by a Mets southpaw against the Pirates since Sid Fernandez fanned 12 at Shea Stadium on July 30, 1988.
Manaea recorded 18 whiffs, his most in a game since he racked up 19 against the Phillies on August 26, 2025, at Citi Field.
Francisco Alvarez hit his 61st career home run, moving him into fourth place for a Met before their 25th birthday behind Darryl Strawberry (108), David Wright (97), and Ed Kranepool (62).
Miscellaneous Mets stat of the week:
Mike Piazza’s 33 RBI in August 1999 are the most by any Met in the month of August. Second place on that list? Also Mike Piazza, with 30 RBI in August 1998.
We open up the Mets Mailbag to look at some big-picture questions about the team for the rest of the 2026 season and beyond...
Do you think Ronny Mauricio will be traded in the offseason? He’s been tearing the cover off the ball in AAA and is still down there. If not now, when else would we call him up? -- @bowe_patrick
I would not be surprised if the Mets trade Mauricio in the offseason. I though it was possible they would trade him last offseason, or even last week at the deadline. I know people in other front offices have spoken to the Mets about him over the last calendar year, but obviously, those conversations did not yield anything. What is not clear is whether Mauricio is still a Met because teams’ interest is tepid or because David Stearns is so reluctant to give up on young players. I have not gotten a clear sense of which is keeping him here, though I would bet it is a combination of both.
That said, circumstances are changing in 2027: The Mets’ consistent rationale for keeping Mauricio in Triple-A has been that he needs to play every day. When he plays every day in Triple-A, he hits like crazy. When he has played in the majors, his tendency to chase has made his power harder to access consistently. If the Mets plan to contend next year, they likely will not be able to give him time to fix that issue in the big leagues. And if they do not have room for him on the major league roster next year, they will have to designate him for assignment and subject him to waivers – a process that often facilitates trades.
Now, if the Mets decide they want to get Mauricio time at second base instead of an aging Marcus Semien – or if, and this is and has always been a huge if, they decide to trade Francisco Lindor --- maybe the equation changes for Mauricio. But right now, I do not see a clear place for him to play regularly in the Mets’ 2026 or 2027 infield. If the Mets front office doesn’t see one, either, a trade seems totally possible.
Is Jared Young the first baseman for the Mets in 2027? -- @cschil76
As of this exact moment, I would say that Jared Young is a first baseman for the Mets in 2027, but probably not the starting first baseman. I think on a well-constructed, competitive roster, Young is a productive and reliable left-handed bat off the bench who can platoon regularly against righties if needed and help in the corner outfield spots. Had Jorge Polanco been healthy this year, that is probably what he would have been for this roster, too.
Plus, first base is one of the only places the Mets – who need to upgrade offensively next year – can actually do that. Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing have cemented themselves in the outfield of the future alongside Juan Soto. If Bo Bichette opts in, and Lindor returns, the left side of the infield is set. Semien remains under contract for two more seasons, so a change at second base would require a difficult decision – which does not mean it cannot happen.
Polanco needs to play somewhere, if he is able, though I do not think the Mets should count on him filling an everyday defensive role. Rotating between designated hitter while spelling others around the infield seems like an ideal role for him -- if he is healthy. If he isn’t, perhaps he has to play first or serve as the regular designated hitter. Either way, the Mets have $20 million committed to him next year, so they will probably find room.
All of which is to say, I don’t see Young starting next season as the everyday first baseman. Then again, I did not see him serving as the everyday first baseman this year, either. In a year of negative surprises, Young has been one of the consistent positives. He will almost certainly be a part of the plan next year in some form.
Jun 11, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Christian Scott (45) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the third inning at Citi Field. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Do you suspect the Mets might shut down Christian Scott or Zac Thornton in September for innings purposes? -- @pladinosaur
Great question. This is one I’ve been eager to follow down the stretch. If there is any silver lining to the Mets being out of contention early – and after the last week, I am willing to entertain overly optimistic questions about whether they are truly out of contention at all! – it is that they can be careful with the young pitchers around whom their rotation has centered this year.
Whether limiting innings is the right approach is a much larger question, but assuming for the purposes of this conversation it is: Nolan McLean, Scott, and Thornton could all be limited.
McLean is best equipped to finish the season without a limit. He threw just more than 160 total innings between the minors and the majors in 2025 and is currently at 130 innings this season. Assuming he makes seven or eight more starts of five innings each down the stretch, he will finish around or a comfortable jump above last year’s total. But a postseason run might have tested him.
Scott, who is in his first year back from Tommy John surgery, had never thrown more than 87.2 innings in a season before the procedure. He has thrown 88 innings this year, though he has shown no signs of slowing. I am sure the Mets will be careful with him down the stretch, which likely means limiting innings in some form.
Thornton, meanwhile, threw 68 innings in his first minor league season and 72.2 in 2025. This year, he has thrown more than 100 innings between the majors and minors. Though he is less reliant on velocity and therefore not the type of pitcher organizations worry most about blowing out due to innings jumps, he is navigating a major innings jump that includes the highest-stress innings of his career since his debut. The Mets will almost certainly treat him carefully down the stretch, too.
The challenge the Mets face is who will pitch if Scott and/or Thornton needs to limit their workloads down the stretch. If they had the kind of starting pitching depth to spell them, they likely would have used it by now. But Jonah Tong seems likely to get another major league chance this year despite his inconsistencies in Triple-A. Jack Wenninger had a strong start to the season statistically, though his inconsistency since and high walk rate has scared the Mets away from giving him a chance in the majors just yet.
Still, I do not expect the Mets to push limits with Scott or Thornton this year given how crucial they are to the future of the rotation moving forward. The question, given their lack of organizational starting pitching depth, will be how the Mets navigate the final few weeks of the season without relying on them fully.
Perhaps Logan Stanley fumbled the bag this summer.
The towering defenceman had chances to sign early in free agency and passed, betting on something better, something along the lines of $4 million AAV. That bet hasn't paid off. Stanley is still unsigned as of August 10th, now the best defenceman left on the board for whatever that title is worth (not much). Whoever signs him now will pay him less, for less term, than what he could've gotten in July.
Stanley is coming off his best all-around season, despite a trade from Winnipeg to Buffalo that he didn't want with Luke Schenn, in exchange for forward Isak Rosén, defenseman Jacob Bryson, a 2027 second-round draft pick, and a conditional 2026 fourth-round draft pick. Didn't matter to Buffalo, though, who scratched him multiple times during their playoff run and are now not interested in re-signing him. The Jets, meanwhile, signed Mario Ferraro, closing the door on a reunion there too.
Earlier this summer, a four-year deal near a $4 million AAV looked realistic. The salary cap is increasing, and a massive 6'7" physical defenceman whose game relies on imposing reach, heavy physical play, a booming long-range shot, and a simple defensive style is desirable among many teams. Now, with training camps closing in and cap space drying up around the league, Stanley's looking at one or two years, somewhere around $2 million and less if the season starts and he remains unsigned.
The same thing happened to Jack Roslovic before he signed with the Edmonton Oilers. He and his agent came into the offseason wanting more than what other teams were willing to pay. Following his signing early in the season, Stan Bowman spoke to the media between periods and relayed that the Oilers had originally offered him $2 million AAV in the summer, and they declined, opting to seek more elsewhere. Roslovic later signed in Edmonton for 1 year with a $1 million AAV.
Stanley runs the risk of running into the same situation.
Stanley has been linked to Philadelphia, Anaheim, San Jose and Pittsburgh, with the Penguins the current favourite and the Ducks close behind. Both teams need blueline depth, and Stanley's physical, in-your-face style fits what they're missing. He's never been shy about playing in the dirty areas.
Perhaps Edmonton should be thrown into the mix, even if it's a longer shot than the four teams above. The Oilers are sitting on roughly $4.725 million in projected cap space with 46 players already under contract. That's tight, but not nothing, especially for a short-term deal in Stanley's new price range. Edmonton has some size on the backend, but a replacement piece, one who's a physical, low-cost rental who can eat minutes in a bottom pairing, is the depth that the Oilers have been looking for. It would take some maneuvering to make the money work, and Stan Bowman hasn't shown much interest in one-year rental defencemen this summer. But if Stanley's market keeps collapsing and his price tag drops into the low twos, it's not a total reach to see Edmonton at least make a call.
For now, Stanley waits. Training camps are almost here, and the longer this drags, the worse his leverage gets.
TORONTO, CANADA - AUGUST 10: Munenori Kawasaki #66 of the Toronto Blue Jays reacts after the end of the sixteenth inning during MLB game action against the Detroit Tigers on August 10, 2014 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) | Getty Images
12 Years Ago Today:
The Blue Jays and Tigers endured an epic 19-inning showdown that lasted 6 hours and 37 minutes, setting franchise records for both innings played and game duration. Notably, the Jays would later lose another 19-inning contest in 2016.
The Blue Jays ultimately prevailed, defeating the Tigers 6-5.
In the marathon’s 19th inning:
Munenori Kawasaki, who had previously gone 0-for-5 with a walk, began the inning with a single. Kawasaki entered the game in the seventh as a pinch-hitter for Ryan Goins. Rick Porcello was pitching his second inning for Detroit.
Jose Reyes followed with a bunt, prompting Porcello to throw wide to second base—putting runners on the corners.
The Tigers intentionally walked Melky Cabrera to load the bases for Jose Bautista. I never quite understand walking the bases loaded to face a hitter like Bautista, who had a .411 OBP at the time—it makes a walk a potential game-winner. If it were me, I’d rather pitch to Melky and walk Bautista to face Juan Francisco with the bases loaded. Of course, no one’s offering me a manager’s job.
Bautista hit a deep fly ball—not quite a home run, but deep enough for the winning run to score. Because the outfield was playing shallow, the Tigers didn’t attempt a catch, and the play was ruled a single. The Jays walked off with a 6-5 win. In a memorable post-game moment, R.A. Dickey ran over and kissed Bautista during his interview.
Before the late-game heroics:
Mark Buehrle started but struggled, lasting just 3.1 innings and surrendering 9 hits and 5 runs (only 2 earned), with no walks and 4 strikeouts. A Jose Reyes error in the first inning proved costly.
After Buehrle exited, the Jays’ bullpen delivered 15.2 innings of scoreless relief, utilizing seven different relievers:
Todd Redmond: 2.2, 1 hit, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts.
Aaron Sanchez: 3 innings, 1 hit, 3 strikeouts.
Brett Cecil: 1.1, 2 hits, 3 strikeouts.
Dustin McGowan: 1.1, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 strikeout.
Aaron Loup: 0.1 (before the three-batter rule).
Casey Janssen: 1 inning, 1 hit, 1 walk.
Chad Jenkins: 6 innings, 7 hits, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts. He pitched into and out of trouble in most of his 6 innings. He only had 1 clean inning, but it worked.
Jenkins was easily one of the game’s heroes, delivering a gutsy performance. Remarkably, he would appear in just three more games for the Blue Jays—one just four days later, and two the following season—marking the end of his MLB career.
I did have some issues with how the bullpen was managed. In extra-inning, tightly contested games, relievers should often be asked to pitch multiple innings. By the time Jenkins entered, he was the last available option in the bullpen (though if necessary, R.A. Dickey might have been called upon). Managers sometimes overlook the possibility of games stretching far beyond nine innings—something much less common now with the extra-innings “Manfred Man” rule.
Offensively, the Jays fell behind 3-0 after the first inning and 5-0 after the fourth, but battled back to score:
2 in the sixth: With two outs, Danny Valencia doubled, and Dioner Navarro homered.
2 in the seventh: Steven Tolleson (remember him?) walked. Colby Rasmus singled. That was the end of the day for David Price. He went 6 innings, allowed 5 hits, 4 earned, 3 walks and 6 strikeouts. An out later, with Phil Coke in, Reyes singled home Tolleson and Cabrera singled home Rasmus. That was it for Coke; the unusually named Al Alburquerque came in, finished the inning, and pitched the next.
1 in the ninth: Joba Chamberlain came in for the inning. Anthony Gose led off with a single. Gose was pinch-hitting for Tolleson. He would go 2 for 6, on the day after coming into the game in the ninth inning. Rasmus struck out, Gose went for second on the two-strike pitch and, initially, was called out, but it was overturned on replay. That saved the game. After a Kawasaki lined out, Reyes singled home Gose. Tie game. It would stay tied for 9.5 more innings. It was Anthony Gose’s birthday (it still is; he turns 34 today; he pitched in one game for the Guardians this season and then was DFAed).
We had 17 hits (8 after the ninth inning; Tigers had 22 hits, 11 after the ninth inning). Reyes was 4 for 9. Cabrera was 3 for 5 with 5 walks (43 walks that year, and 5 were in this game, including 2 intentional walks). Valencia, Navarro, Gose and Rasmus had 2 walks each. The most significant 0 for was a 0 for 7 for Nolan Reimold (with 2 walks).
Want to talk about old-school management? The Tigers handed out 5 intentional walks. Two each for Melky and Bautista and one for Rasmus.
We intentionally walked Victor Martinez twice.
From the recap (if you want an inning-by-inning recap of the extra innings, it is there):
Jays of the Day are: McGowan (.226), Janssen (.143), Sanchez (.120), Loup (.117). Super JotD are: Reyes (.606), Melky (.457). Finally, Chad Jenkins had a .861 WPA(!), good for the team’s first Ultra Jay of the Day (> .800 WPA) since Bautista and Kawasaki did it 4 days apart in May 2013 (which makes it seem much more common an occurrence than it is).
Suckage: Buehrle (-.287), Francisco (-.512), Thole (-.342), Reimold (-.296), Kawasaki (-.367). Bautista had the number, too (-.328), but I can’t give him one.
17 Years Ago
In a surprising move, Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi placed Alex Rios on waivers.
At the time, Rios was owed $60 million and had struggled with consistency, posting a .264/.317/.427 line with 14 home runs that season.
The White Sox claimed Rios, and while many expected a trade, Chicago offered nothing in return. After brief consideration, Ricciardi simply let him go, making it a controversial decision—essentially giving away a former All-Star for salary relief.
Rios went on to spend five seasons with the White Sox, hitting .269/.310/.430 with 74 home runs. He later played for the Rangers and Royals, retiring in 2015 with career totals of .277/.321/.434, 169 home runs, and 253 stolen bases.
Though he had two excellent seasons in 2006 and 2007 (.299/.352/.505, 41 homers combined), Rios never quite developed into the star many expected. While he was a solid defender, he occasionally seemed unfocused. In hindsight, perhaps fans simply expected too much.
Could Victor Wembanyama score 100 points in an NBA game? He thinks he could.
In a quick Q&A with a French content creator hitting him with a series of questions, Wembanyama agreed with the idea that he could get to 100 points in an NBA game (hat tip BasketNews).
Quick fire Q&A with Victor Wembanyama!
: Do you have LeBron James' phone number? : No.
: I think you can score more than 100 points in a single game. Do you agree with me? : I agree, yeah.
Wemby's career high in a game is 50, which he logged against the Wizards back in 2004.
Wilt Chamberlain is the only NBA player to score 100 points in a game when playing for the 76ers, at a game in Hershey, Pennsylvania, in 1962. There was a lot of shenanigans to get there, his team not only kept him in a game well in hand, they fed him the ball every time down, and at the end the 76ers fouled the opposition on nearly every possession to stop the clock and get the ball back so they could feed Chamberlain more.
Bam Adebayo scored 83 just this past March, also against the Wizards, but there were shenanigans to get there, too. The Heat did nothing but feed Bam late, fouled the Wizards at the end to get the ball back, and even intentionally missed free throws to get the rebound so they could get the ball to him. When asked about all that, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra replied, "I apologize to absolutely no one, period."
Kobe Bryant famously scored 81 in a game against the Raptors in 2006, a game where the Lakers had been behind and needed him to take over to have a chance. Even in this game, Bryant was left in longer than needed because he was hot and setting a record, but it lacked the blatant score padding seen with Chamberlain or Adebayo.
Could Wembanyama get to 100? Maybe. Probably. But it would take the kind of unethical "affront to the game" basketball to do it, and that flies in the face of Wembanyama's ethos (and the Spurs team culture). That said, nobody is putting anything past the Alien.
Let's dive into the new week with a four-set of MLB expert picks on Monday, Aug. 10.
We're eyeing a trio of moneyline picks, with the Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros, and St. Louis Cardinals all drawing our attention for various reasons.
See what our experts have cooked up ahead of finalizing your MLB picks for the abbreviated slate.
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Dustin Saracini's expert pick: Blue Jays +1.5
Price: 55¢ (-122) at Polymarket
While the Toronto Blue Jays offense has come to life lately, scoring 25 runs across their last five games, it’s what they’ve done against Boston Red Sox right-hander Sonny Gray that has me confident we’ll start the week off with some cash in our pockets.
Across 138 plate appearances with Gray on the bump (a sample size we can get behind), the Blue Jays own a .306 xBA and a .472 xSLG. And in two starts against Toronto this season, the right-hander has allowed 16 hits and eight earned runs over 12 innings.
Expect the Jays to keep this one close at 55 cents.
If anything, Baltimore's hitters should have an advantage with a deep scouting report on Kremer and familiarity with his arsenal.
Heavily reliant on his four-seam fastball, Kremer is leaning on a pitch that carries a -2 run value this season.
That's a problem against an Orioles lineup featuring Gunnar Henderson and Pete Alonso, two of the team's biggest bats and best fastball hitters.
Polymarket has Baltimore priced as a 53-cent favorite, but I make them closer to 55 cents. It's a small edge, but that's all we're looking for.
Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
How to watch: MASN, Twins.TV
Neil Parker's expert pick: Astros moneyline
Price: 59¢ (-144) at Polymarket
The Houston Astros are rolling along with an active 13-5 run, ranking second in wOBA and averaging 5.3 runs per game, and recently bolstered the roster at the trade deadline.
In the opposite dugout, the San Francisco Giants have gone 7-12 with a 23rd-ranked wOBA and 4.1 runs per game during the same stretch, so it's no surprise that they went in the opposite direction and dealt away established veterans last week.
As a result, I'm confident Houston righty Hayden Wesneski can hold the inferior San Francisco lineup in check enough for the Astros to pull away offensively tonight.
Time: 9:45 p.m. ET
How to watch: SCHN, NBC Sports Bay Area
Joe Osborne's expert pick: Cardinals moneyline
Price: 51¢ (-104) at Polymarket
The St. Louis Cardinals are in a strong spot to take care of business at home tonight.
The Philadelphia Phillies have gone a brutal 1-13 across Andrew Painter’s last 14 appearances, and his 6.48 ERA is a major reason why. He’s also backed by a Phillies bullpen that ranks 23rd in ERA over the past two weeks.
Meanwhile, St. Louis enters hot at the plate, ranking fourth in OPS over the last week. Hunter Dobbins has been respectable, with a 3.60 ERA, and should get enough support in a pivotal week for the team that's still alive in the wild-card race.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The Tampa Bay Rays are riding a six-game winning streak, and they're sizable -160 road favorites to extend that to seven games tonight.
While the Rays deserve to be favorites, my Rays vs. A's predictions and MLB picks see value in backing the home team to keep it close on Monday, Aug. 10.
Who will win Rays vs A’s tonight: Athletics +1.5 (-120)
That is not a good formula taking on the Athletics in an extremely hitter-friendly environment — even with key bats like Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers sidelined.
Jacob Lopez has managed a solid 3.49 FIP over the last month while striking out 32.5% of opposing batters. He should help keep this close.
Lopez’s fly ball tendency is a concern in such favorable hitting conditions, but the Tampa Bay Rays aren’t in prime form to capitalize.
They own a .135 ISO against lefties the past month while ranking 22nd in hard-hit rate and 27th in fly-ball rate.
The Athletics have labored since Langeliers went down, ranking 29th in OBP and 25th in ISO. They’re not getting on base often, nor hitting for much power.
Betting an Under in this park is a scary proposition, but I make this total 9.6 runs and would bet it to -116.
Rays vs A’s home run prediction: Junior Caminero (+200)
Junior Caminero leads the Rays in average fly-ball distance by nearly 40 feet over the last 15 games while pacing the group in barrel rate at 13.6%.
That has only translated to two home runs, but Caminero generally doesn’t go quiet for very long.
Lopez has conceded 1.86 homers per nine innings to righties, a full home run more than he allows to lefties.
The fastball is his most-used pitch, and Caminero owns a .346 ISO against left-handed four-seams this season.
I'd take him to leave the yard down to +186.
Todd Cordell's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 75-66, -5.50 units
Over/Under bets: 78-57-6, +11.89 units
Rays vs A’s weather
Temperatures in the 90s are expected with notable winds blowing out. Clear boost to the bats.
Rays vs A’s odds
Moneyline: Rays -155 | A’s +135
Run line: Rays -1.5 (+100) | A’s +1.5 (-120)
Over/Under: Over 10.0 (-105) | Under 10.0 (-115)
Rays vs A’s trend
The Athletics have covered the Run Line in five of the last six games (+4.20 units, 55% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Rays vs. A’s.
How to watch Rays vs A’s and game info
Location
Sutter Health Park, Sacramento, CA
Date
Monday, August 10, 2026
First pitch
9:40 p.m. ET
TV
Rays.TV, NBC Sports California
Rays starting pitcher
Freddy Peralta (5-9, 5.37 ERA)
A’s starting pitcher
Jacob Lopez (5-4, 5.64 ERA)
Rays vs A’s latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Don't look now, but the Toronto Blue Jays have won four straight series, and I'm backing them to cover in my Red Sox vs. Blue Jays prediction.
The Blue Jays host the Boston Red Sox at Rogers Centre tonight as large +140 underdogs at Bet99, but have historically hit Sonny Gray hard.
Let’s get right into my MLB picks for Monday, Aug. 10, and fatten that wallet to kick off the week.
Red Sox vs Blue Jays predictions
Red Sox vs Blue Jays best bet: Blue Jays +1.5 (-130)
If you’re looking to play the Toronto Blue Jays tonight, Bet99 has the best price on the run line at -130. While the offense has come to life lately, scoring 25 runs across the last five games, it’s what they’ve done against Sonny Gray that has me confident we’ll start the week off with some cash in our pockets.
This season, it hasn’t been much better for the Red Sox ace, either. In two starts against Toronto, the right-hander has allowed 16 hits and eight earned runs over 12 innings. This matchup couldn’t be any better for the Jays — they could win this one outright.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is slowly turning his season around and has been putting together productive at-bats over the last few weeks.
Coming off a series in which he went 3-for-9 with a homer, expect him to cash our first leg.
Elsewhere, runs should come in bunches for a team that has dominated Gray this season, and while I have confidence in Taillon tonight, keeping the Red Sox bats at bay is a difficult task — especially with a bullpen that’s taxed after back-to-back extra-inning games.
Red Sox vs Blue Jays SGP
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 1.5 hits+runs+RBI
Blue Jays +1.5
Over 8.5 runs
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You can sign up and join BET99 — one of the best Alberta betting apps — now to get in on the Blue Jays action!
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Red Sox vs Blue Jays home run pick: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (+675)
Does Vladdy do it against the Red Sox?
With just over a month left in the season, he’s yet to hit a long ball at the Rogers Centre, but tonight could be the night, and at +675, I’m taking that price every day.
Guerrero has one career homer against Gray in 13 at-bats, with his average exit velocity near 92 MPH. Gray has coughed up a long ball in three of his last six starts, and in a hitter-friendly park like Rogers Centre, I’ll give Vladdy the benefit of the doubt.
Red Sox vs Blue Jays odds
Moneyline: Boston (-160) | Toronto (+140)
Run line: Boston -1.5 (+105) | Toronto +1.5 (-130)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+100) | Under 8.5 (-120)
Red Sox vs Blue Jays trend
Over the last five games when the Blue Jays are underdogs, the Over is hitting at a perfect 5-0 clip. The Over has also hit in three straight for the Blue Jays and in three of Boston's last four games. Find more MLB betting trends for Red Sox vs. Blue Jays.
How to watch Red Sox vs Blue Jays and game info
Location
Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON
Date
Monday, August 10, 2026
First pitch
7:07 p.m. ET
TV
NESN, Sportsnet
Red Sox starting pitcher
Sonny Gray (14-2, 2.78 ERA)
Blue Jays starting pitcher
Jameson Taillon (2-6, 5.96 ERA)
Red Sox vs Blue Jays latest injuries
Red Sox vs Blue Jays weather
The Blue Jays play in a dome at the Rogers Centre, so the weather will have little to no impact on game conditions tonight.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Manchester United finally seem to have something that resembles stability in the dressing room under Michael Carrick. I feel with quality signings in defence and midfield, they could mount a decent challenge for the Premier League next season. How do you feel they will fare? – Sterling.
There’s an odd sense that Michael Carrick’s level of achievement last season was at precisely the most awkward level for the board. United didn’t produce indisputably brilliant football under him but equally 12 wins and three draws in 17 games was good enough that they pretty much had to give him the job. But it’s one thing to turn out those kinds of results when the pressure’s off, you’re already out of both cup competitions and you don’t have any European football; it’s quite another to do it in the heat of a full season. United don’t have to have an especially amazing season to play 15 more games this season than they did in 2025-26.
This is an extract from Soccer Desk, a newsletter from the Guardian US. Subscribe for free here.
Nearly 10 years after MLB’s first virtual-reality broadcast deal, baseball is returning to the VR diamond.
Apple announced Monday that four of its remaining games will be broadcast in the company’s immersive format in Apple Vision Pro headsets, starting with a Yankees vs. Red Sox matchup on Aug. 28.
Apple will use 3D video captured in 8k with a 180-degree field of view, similar to the immersive broadcasts of Lakers games this NBA season. The broadcasts will have their own announcer teams and specialized microphones in the ballpark designed to deliver spatially aware sound.
All games will also be available in 2D via Apple TV. The announced schedule includes the Pirates vs. Angels (Sept. 4), Giants vs. Padres (Sept. 11) and Dodgers vs. Giants (Sept. 18) games.
Apple’s seven-year MLB deal, signed in 2022, has created a testing ground for both sides as baseball learns the pros and cons of moving some games behind a streaming paywall while the tech giant pairs exclusive rights with its existing platforms and capabilities.
Last year, for instance, Apple integrated iPhone 17 Pro devices as cameras during MLB broadcasts. An MLS match was then shot entirely on iPhones (with the help of additional professional-level gear) this spring.
Sitting courtside—or behind home plate—has long been a selling point for virtual reality devices. MLB’s VR foray dates back to a 2017 deal with Intel for a VR Game of the Week series on Samsung Gear headwear.
However, VR sports broadcasts remain relatively rare today. Producing an additional broadcast incurs significant expense, with only a slice of the audience able to view the streams. Apple has not released sales numbers for its $3,700 Vision Pro line, but it’s fair to say that flat screens remain more common. Traditional TV has also spent decades perfecting itself as a sports delivery medium, with fans building their lives around living room sets and handheld devices.
Still, sports experiences can get people to try VR headsets (or get them to pick up their old one), where they might find additional uses for work and play. MLB fans will get their latest chance to see just how far the tech has progressed starting later this month.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 6: Kevin Love #0 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket against Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on April 6, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kevin Love;Ben Simmons | Getty Images
The race to fill the Sixers’ last standard roster spot has already begun.
On Friday, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that Kevin Love’s agent had already “been in touch” with the Sixers after LeBron James decided to sign with them. Love “has interest in pairing with James to pursue a championship,” according to McMenamin, who noted that he and James “have remained close since teaming up for four seasons with the Cavaliers.”
Philadelphia native Markieff Morris, who won a championship with LeBron on the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019-20, also made his case for that spot.
Shiddd if it’s anybody getting that last Vet roster spot it’s gonna be me! Philly raised!!! https://t.co/QZPs25JKVR
And Ben Simmons, who is “eyeing a comeback to basketball” after taking last season off, according to ESPN’s Olgun Uluc, also floated a return to Philly as a possibility earlier this offseason, albeit prior to the LeBron and Jaylen Brown acquisitions. According to Marc J. Spears of ESPN’s Andscape, “a coach who worked out Simmons recently said he has regained his athleticism” after chronic back injuries left him looking like a shell of his former All-Star self.
Even if the Sixers wanted to sign Love, Morris, Simmons or another established NBA veteran to fill their final open roster spot this offseason, they couldn’t do so without making another move first. They’re hard-capped at the $209.0 million first apron, and they already have nearly $207.2 million in salary on their books, which leaves them only $1.8 million below the hard cap. A veteran-minimum contract for anyone with two or more years of NBA experience comes with a cap hit of $2.4 million.
Once the regular season begins, though, minimum contracts will begin to prorate downward daily by roughly $14,000. By early December, the Sixers should have enough space under the hard cap to fill that final roster spot with a fresh min deal.
They should be in no rush to fill it, though. They need to spend the first few months of the season figuring out how their new-look roster meshes and identifying their weak points before looking to make any other moves.
Ring-chasers will come flocking
During his introductory press conference last week, Brown was quick to praise the work that new team president Mike Gansey and the Sixers front office did this offseason. However, he noted that talent alone won’t be enough to get the Sixers to snap their 43-year championship drought.
“Obviously, on paper, we’re excellent,” Brown said. “We have a lot of talent compared to other teams in the league. But I’ve been around a long time, long enough to know that just what you have on paper don’t really mean nothing. It can, if you put the work in. But it also, if you allow distractions, if you allow the media to get into your locker room, if you allow certain things and personalities don’t work, it can be a detriment. So, I’m aware that it could go either way.”
Gansey isn’t shying away from that, either.
“We’ve gotta get to camp,” he said during a recent appearance on 97.5 The Fanatic’s Midday With Marks. “We haven’t even had a practice or played a game. So we’ve gotta see if this thing works, obviously. I like the pieces and the talent we have, but we’ve gotta get to a practice first to see how this works.”
On paper—and in NBA2K—the Sixers look like a superteam in the making. That’s easy to say in August, though. Reality will hit them at some point throughout the grind of the 82-game regular season.
First, the Sixers need to figure out how their new-look starting five meshes and which combinations of players work best together. They made significant upgrades this offseason, but they still lost four of their top eight players in terms of minutes per game from last year (Kelly Oubre Jr., Paul George, Quentin Grimes and Andre Drummond). Head coach Nick Nurse will have his work cut out for him, especially early in the season.
As the season progresses, the Sixers will get a better sense of their remaining weak spots and how they might be able to patch those up. For now, it’s all a hypothetical exercise.
Injuries could also force their hand. If Joel Embiid goes down with a long-term injury, are Adem Bona and Ariel Hukporti enough to hold down the fort? Can they get away with playing Dominick Barlow at the 5 occasionally? If not, they might have to prioritize filling that final open roster spot with another big man.
Once the Sixers identify their biggest weaknesses, they can set about filling them. But since they’re under the first apron and cannot go over it this season, they also have a potential advantage over other potential title contenders.
Teams above the first apron can’t sign players on the buyout market if they were previously earning more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. Teams below the first apron face no such restriction. It’s unclear who might get bought out after this year’s trade deadline—no, that is not likely to include Jrue Holiday—but one look at the list of potential 2027 free agents could provide some hints.
If the Sacramento Kings don’t find a taker for Zach LaVine by the trade deadline, he seems like a virtual lock to get bought out. Might the Milwaukee Bucks do the same with Kyle Kuzma and/or Caris LeVert? Could Klay Thompson shake loose from the Dallas Mavericks? Would any of them be upgrades over Love, Morris, Simmons or another free agent who’s currently on the market?
The Sixers don’t have to decide that right now. As long as their season isn’t off the rails by February, they figure to be a highly sought-after destination for ring-chasers. In fact, it wouldn’t be shocking if they looked to open another roster spot to create space for two midseason additions.
So, while veterans may already be lining up to throw their hat in the ring for the Sixers’ final open roster spot, the hard cap will prevent them from making a move for now. Once mid-February rolls around and the dust begins to settle from the trade deadline, that’s when the Sixers will likely look to fill out their final open roster spot.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 21, 2026: Alex Lodise #74 of the Atlanta Braves bats during the second 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
Roughly six weeks after getting a first-hand look a the talent the Atlanta Braves had playing at their High-A affiliate Rome Emperors, I took another trip to Rome on August 8, 2026, to see how the squad looked after the Braves organization promoted most of the high-end talent from Rome to Double-A Columbus and brought up some notable prospects from Low-A Augusta to Rome.
First, the players who were no longer in Rome. Top organizational prospects shortstop Tate Southisene, shortstop/infielder John Gil, outfielder Eric Hartman and pitcher Cam Caminiti have all moved up a level. Amongst the talent brought up to replace them are shortstop Alex Lodise, center fielder Luis Guanipa, outfielder Conor Essenburg and pitchers Ethan Bagwell and Briggs McKenzie.
Before a quick player evaluation, as for the game itself, it was an odd pitchers dual between some early-game sprinkles with the game 2-1 going into the ninth inning. Odd because Rome’s starter Cade Kuelher no-hit the Greensboro Grasshoppers for 4.2 innings, but walked seven and struck out only one. Grasshoppers starter Jose Mena went six innings, but also struck out only one batter while walking two and scattering four hits. Both teams used multi-inning relievers to cover the final frames.
The Emperors blew the lead in the top of the ninth allowing the Grasshoppers to tie things up but Rome made things interesting in the bottom of the ninth. Rome’s Cody Miller singled to center field but the ball got by Edward Florentino – one of the top prospects in the Pirates’ system – allowing Miller to get to third. After a short fly-out that wasn’t deep enough to score the runner, the Grasshoppers then intentionally walked the next two batters to load the bases with one out.
Rome outfielder Logan Braunschweig hit a hard grounder to third that took a good play by the just-inserted-into-the-game Carlos Caro to snag throw home to force Miller at the plate. That brought up Guanipa who laced a line-drive to left-center field where Florentino atoned for he’s prior misplay with a spectacular diving catch to end the inning.
Rome again loaded the bases in the bottom of the 10th after holding Greensboro in check, with the Grasshoppers again opted to load the bases with back-to-back free passes after Guanipa took third on a wild pitch after starting the inning as the ghost runner. But Miller hit into a double-play to end the rally.
Rome gave up the lead in the top of the 11th and couldn’t must anything in the bottom of the inning to lose 3-2.
Here’s some quick impressions on the prospects in action
Alex Lodise
The second round pick by the Braves out of Florida State University in the 2025 draft, Lodise had been putting together solid season in Augusta with 23 home runs and 15 stolen bases with the Green Jackets prior to his promotion. Batting third, he went 2-for-4 with a walk and drove in Rome’s first run in the bottom of the first inning. At the plate, he looked fluid, making solid contract and showing patience in the box. Offensively, he looked like Rome’s best offensive player on this night.
With the organizational depth a shortstop one level above him, Lodise, 22, playing at High-A looked like one level too low for him on this night. Could he be a big league regular? Maybe, if the power he’s showing follows him as he progresses up levels in the system. If he can stick at short stop – even in a back-up role – he will probably carve out a roll in Atlanta or elsewhere by 2028 or 2029.
Conor Essenburg
Another 2025 draft pick, Essenburg was selected in the fifth round out of high school. Still only 19, Essenburg’s promotion to Rome marks the third affiliate he’s played for this season. Offensively, he didn’t flash the skill that saw him hit 14 home runs in 59 games with Augusta on Saturday night, but what he did do was show off his arm on defense.
In the top of the eighth inning, with Rome nursing a one-run lead, Essenburg chased what appeared to be a sure-fire double into the right field corner and unleash a laser to second base to get the runner.
At the plate, he drew a walk and scored, but otherwise was quite with a strikeout in four other at bats.
He is still a few years away, but could be a option for Atlanta at the end of this decade.
The 20 year-old former international free agent signee, Guanipa went 0-for-5 batting lead-off for Rome. He was unremarkable at the plate but made several strong plays in the outfield including an absolutely amazing home-run-robbing catch in dead center field off the bat of Yordany De Los Santos with two runners on in the top of the ninth.
If nothing else, the defense plays. Guanipa, 20, was having a strong season with Augusta with 37 stolen bases and 11 home runs while carrying an .817 OPS. He’s struggle early in Rome, but the speed and defense might earn him a big league bench spot in a few years and maybe more if the power continues to develop.
Rest in Rome
Second baseman Dixon Williams, the 136th overall pick in last year’s draft, stole a base – his 25th – and walked twice but there may not be enough hit tool there to get him to the big leagues. There’s a lot of swing-and-miss but there is some power, with 14 home runs this year.
First baseman Mason Guerra, a 14th round pick in 2024, reminds me a little bit of a right-handed hitting version of former big league first baseman Casey Kotchman who spent parts of two seasons with Atlanta. Guerra is fluid at first base, defensively, and takes his walks as shown by his OBP sitting 100 points higher than his average. He is interesting in the sense that he isn’t a top prospect, but he is solid enough to continue to progress as a hitter in a system without a premium first base prospect. He’ll be 24 later this month, so he is old for the level, but in two in-person viewings, he’s impressed not because of any one loud skill, but as a solid player who is at least a good organizational guy.
On the mound, Kuehler is trying to coming back into form after missing 2025 due to injury and didn’t have the most impressive outing. He worked around traffic through his seven-walk outing and managed only three whiffs in striking out a single batter. Kuehler was the 70th overall pick by the Braves in 2023, but until this season, had only appeared in 14 game since being drafted.
Mathieu Curtis struck out three after allowing an inherited runner to score, allowing a hit to the first batter after replacing Keuhler. Curtis was the 14th round pick by the Braves out of Virginia Tech last year and is worth keeping an eye on as a future bullpen option. He has good control and a solid strikeout rate.
In the other dugout
Several players stood out for the Grasshoppers. Unfortunately, Seth Hernandez – MLB Pipeline’s 6th best prospect in the sport – didn’t pitch, but Florentino (28th overall according to Pipeline) did play. As noted above, he made up for a defense misplay with an incredible catch, he was fluid at the plate and had the look of a top prospect.
First baseman Jared Jones – who was born in Marietta – had a couple of hits but was on the receiving end of Essenburg’s cannon to second. He showed a loud hit tool and is worth keeping an eye on to see if he’s able to progress despite not being in Pittburgh’s Top 30 (per Pipeline). Catcher Camden Janik and second baseman Dylan Palmer both had two hits and one the Pirates top organizational prospects, shortstop Wyatt Sanford, was the DH and walked twice while batting lead off.
The most impressive player to appear for Greensboro was Tony Blanco, Jr., who pinch-hit in the ninth. He is a massive, massive man at 6’7” who has tremendous power. The single he hit to center field was the loudest, most impressive contact for either team. He was pinch-run for by Caro who scored the game-tying run a couple of batters later.
Blanco, Jr. – whose late father had a cup of coffee in the big leagues – is 21 but has only played in 172 games in in five minor league seasons due to injuries. He’s a DH waiting to happen as a pure-power bat if he can stay healthy.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 19, 2026: Anthony Huezo #47 of the Houston Astros bats during the second inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Miami Marlins at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on March 19, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (59-54) lost 8-5 (BOX SCORE)
Pecko got the start and went 4 innings allowing 3 runs, though all 3 score din the first inning. The offense got on the board in the 2nd inning scoring 4 runs on an Alexander solo home run, Shewmake RBI double, Delgado groundout and Dezenzo RBI triple. They got another run in the 5th inning on a Biggio solo home run. The pen struggled a bit down the stretch allowing 5 runs and the offense was unable to score again as Sugar Land fell 8-5.
Ethan Pecko, RHP: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 3 K
Logan VanWey, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Christian Roa, RHP: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Alimber Santa, RHP: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
Michael Knorr, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Miguel Ullola, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (51-57) lost 6-2 (BOX SCORE)
The offense got on the board first picking up a run on a Call sac fly in the 2nd inning. Hicks got the start for the Hooks and went 4.1 innings allowing 3 runs, 2 earned, while striking out 5. Torres struggled in relief allowing 3 runs as the Drillers extended their lead. The offense got one back in the 8th on a balk but that was it as the Hooks fell 6-2.
This was a completion of the game that started Friday. Thomas connected on a leadoff home run to put Asheville on the board. Potter started and went one inning before the game was suspended. The game restarted Saturday and Batista drove in a run on a single in the 2nd. The offense got 3 more runs in the 4th on an error and Walker 2 run single. Perez pitched in relief and went 1.1 innings allowing 3 runs before the game was suspended again. Smith “started” on Sunday in this game and tossed 3.2 scoreless innings. The offense got 3 runs in the 6th on a Batista 2 run home run and Thomas groundout. The pen allowed one run but held on for the 8-4 win.
Howard started game two for Asheville and went 4.2 innings allowing one hit and one run while striking out 7. The Asheville offense got on the board in the 6th inning scoring 4 runs on a Frey RBI single, Huezo RBI single and Moss 2 run single. In the bottom of the 7th, Wells allowed 3 runs as the Dash tied it. The game went to extra innings and in the 8th, Asheville picked up 4 runs on a wild pitch, run on a fielder’s choice, Huezo RBI double and Moss RBI single. Frias allowed one run but was able to close the door as Asheville won 8-5.
COVERS INTEL: 
