The most recent Rangers Reacts Survey asked folks to grade the Texas Rangers’ trade deadline.
You will be shocked — shocked!!! — to learn that people weren’t happy:
Almost half of you — 47% — gave the Rangers a failing grade for their trade deadline work, and honestly, I’m surprised its that low.
Another 26% gave the Rangers a D, while 20% gave the Rangers a C.
I am guessing the 3% who gave the team an A and the 4% who gave the team a B either really like Chase Silseth or really don’t like Josh Smith.
The voting on the national questions was also pretty lopsided as it relates to who won the trade deadline:
Consistent with this vote, Tarik Skubal, who the Dodgers acquired from the Detroit Tigers for Zyhir Hope, River Ryan and Brady Smith, was picked as the player traded at the deadline who will make the biggest impact this year, getting over half the vote.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - JUNE 13: Julian Champagnie #30 of the San Antonio Spurs shoots a three point basket during the game against the New York Knicks during Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 13, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant /NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Contract Status: 3 years, $45 million remaining (no options)
Age: 25
Julian Champagnie has overcome the odds and contributed at a high level throughout his career with the San Antonio Spurs. He was a diamond-in-the-rough success story, signing a full deal after being picked up off waivers and becoming a consistent starter in 2023. Then, just a year later in 2024, he was relegated to a bench role that carried over into the 2025-26 season. This year was the season Champagnie firmly earned his way into San Antonio’s starting five for a contending team.
Champagnie has been a consistent fill-in starter during his career with the Spurs. When De’Aaron Fox went down with an injury early in the season, Champagnie was there. When Devin Vassell got hurt in December, Champagnie filled in. Only this time, the Spurs figured something out. Champagnie’s shooting made it much harder for opposing teams to have their center guard a smaller player, leaving a wing to guard Victor Wembanyama. When Vassell returned from injury, the Spurs doubled down on this approach, starting Champagnie at the four to maximize their spacing around Wembanyama. The starting five of Fox, Vassell, Champagnie, Wembanyama, and Stephon Castle became one of the Spurs’ most potent offensive lineups (125.4 net rating).
It was more than just Champagnie knocking down shots that made this work. He had to guard bigger players and rebound for the lineup to succeed. Champagnie’s rebound rate jumped from 8.8 last season to 11.2 this year, as he became a tough rebounder, particularly on the offensive glass. That helped the Spurs compete on the interior while they reaped the benefits of their newfound spacing. Champagnie was San Antonio’s best three-point shooter, hitting 195 three-pointers this year, the most threes in one season in Spurs’ history.
That shooting carried over into the playoffs, where Champagnie hit 39.6% of his threes. He hit a lot of big ones, too, including 6 in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Not only did Champagnie shoot the ball well in the playoffs, but he showed a greater willingness to attack closeouts and get to the paint, as teams started to run him off the three-point line. He held his own defensively against some tough wings in the postseason. However, he was exposed in the Finals, as the Knicks intentionally tried to get him switched onto Jalen Brunson late in games.
It’s hard to find many Spurs who were at their best in the Finals, so Champagnie shouldn’t get docked too much for failing to guard Brunson (pretty much everyone failed to guard him this postseason). Overall, Champagnie was one of the Spurs’ most consistent performers in both the regular season and playoffs. Not only did he play in literally every game, but he played well in most of them. San Antonio can always count on him to hit threes, bring a lot of energy on the glass, and hold his own defensively. He more than earned his starting spot this season, and should be in position to keep it next year.
Looking ahead
Champagnie’s stellar season earned him a 3-year, $45M contract extension with the Spurs. But just as he locked himself in for the future, San Antonio also signed his competition. They acquired Tobias Harris on a similar 2-year, $30M deal, giving the team a do-it-all scoring forward who has a bit more size and strength than Champagnie, something San Antonio needed desperately in the postseason. He has a legitimate shot to start for San Antonio next year. But should he automatically get the nod over Champagnie?
The Spurs were an NBA Finals-level team with Champagnie in the starting lineup. Removing him for Harris to start the 2026-27 season feels like a classic case of it not being broke… and trying to fix it. Champagnie doesn’t have the offensive bag that Harris has and is a much different defensive player, but his movement shooting works really well with San Antonio’s guards’ and Wembanyama’s game. If the Spurs are playing a team with a bigger, bruising forward, they can go with Harris to close the game. If they need the shooting, Champagnie can close. Ultimately, the added flexibility is good, but it does create questions about which player is starting more games.
Bringing Harris off the bench would also give the Spurs another versatile offensive weapon to improve a second unit that struggled to score at times last year. With Dylan Harper, Harris, and Keldon Johnson, the Spurs would have one of the NBA’s best benches. If Champagnie goes to the bench, he’d more easily fit into bench lineups that are already fairly forward-heavy, with Johnson and Carter Bryant expected to play meaningful minutes at the 3 and four. He’d also provide some needed shooting alongside Harper-led lineups.
Champagnie will be a key part of the Spurs’ rotation regardless of whether he starts. He’ll continue to give them consistent deep shooting. Improving his shooting on the move, perimeter defense, and ability to attack a closeout will take his game to the next level. After everything Champagnie has shown in his four seasons, it’s not unreasonable to think he will do just that.
Top performance
December 31 vs. New York Knicks: 36 points, 6 rebounds, 11-17 3PFG
It was hard to pick between Champagnie’s hot shooting in Game 7 of the WCF or this explosion from the regular season. Hitting 11 threes in a game is incredibly difficult, especially against the eventual NBA champs. This may not have been the pinnacle of the Spurs’ season, but it was certainly Champagnie’s most impressive game.
Two clubs battling in all likelihood for the same playoff berth open a three-game series tonight when the Baltimore Orioles (57-61) visit the Minnesota Twins (58-61).
The Twins enter the night four games behind the White Sox in the AL Central, while the Orioles sit 14.5 behind the Rays in the AL East. More realistic are their aspirations for the final Wild Card spot. Minnesota is 1.5 games behind the Rangers with Baltimore one half game in back of the Twins.
Baltimore missed an opportunity to gain ground on that final Wild Card spot over the weekend while in Arlington. The Orioles lost back-to-back 2-1 contests on Friday and Saturday before erupting yesterday for a 10-5 win. Pete Alonso was the star of the afternoon, launching two home runs and driving in four runs. Colton Cowser and Tyler O'Neill also homered as Baltimore snapped a three-game losing streak and avoided a sweep.
Minnesota endured an equally frustrating weekend in Milwaukee, dropping two of three to the NL Central-leading Brewers. After winning Friday's opener 8-6, the Twins lost consecutive one-run games, falling 4-3 on Saturday and 4-3 in 10 innings yesterday. Sunday's loss was particularly painful. Brooks Lee and Kody Clemens homered to help Minnesota erase an early deficit and tie the game at 3-3, but the Twins were just 1-11 with runners in scoring position on the afternoon.
Baltimore is expected to hand the ball tonight to left-hander Trevor Rogers (7-7, 4.20 ERA). Rogers' latest outing was one of his sharpest of the year, as he worked 6.0 innings, allowed two earned runs, struck out nine, and did not walk a batter. Over his last three starts, Rogers has allowed just eight earned runs across 19 innings. Minnesota is expected to counter with former O’s hurler Dean Kremer (1-4, 5.93 ERA), who has struggled overall since the Twins traded for him. That said, his last start was solid as he threw 5.0 innings and allowed just one earned run while striking out two and walking two. That effort followed previous starts of four and six innings in which he allowed eight and six earned runs, respectively.
Lets dive further into tonight’s game and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game Details and How to Watch: Orioles vs. Twins
Date: Monday, August 10, 2026
Time: 7:40PM EST
Site: Target Field
City: Minneapolis, MN
Network/Streaming: MLB.TV, MASN, Twins.TV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
The Latest Odds: Orioles vs. Twins
The latest odds as of Monday courtesy of DraftKings:
Twins: Dean Kremer Season Totals: 41.0 IP, 1-4, 5.93 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 40K, 13 BB
Who’s Hot? Who’s Not! Orioles vs. Twins
Josh Bell is 6-15 in his career against Trevor Rogers
Bell is 10-27 in August
Carlos Narvaez is 2-2 with a walk in his career against Dean Kremer
Kody Clemens was 2-13 over the weekend at Milwaukee
Royce Lewis was 4-14 at Milwaukee
Pete Alonso was 3-3 yesterday including 2 HRs
Gunnar Henderson is 2-22 in August
Leody Taveras was 4-13 over the weekend at Texas
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top Betting Trends & Insights: Orioles vs. Twins
The O’s are 61-57 on the Run Line this season
The Twins are 64-55 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed 59 times in Baltimore’s 118 games this season (59-55-4)
The OVER has cashed 62 times in Minnesota’s 119 games this season (62-49-8)
Expert picks & predictions: Orioles vs. Twins
Rotoworld Bet Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s game between the Orioles and the Twins:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Orioles on the Run Line.
Total: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 8.5
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LOS ANGELES - OCTOBER 12: Head coach Don Nelson of the Golden State Warriors cracks a smile during the game against the Los Angeles Clippers on October 12, 2009 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Clippers won 124-117. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
In what really amounts to only a small snippet of comments from those who knew him well, we learn so much about how he positively impacted the lives and careers of so many people and franchises. If you find yourself scrolling X or any other social media site of your liking, search “Don Nelson” and experience a bittersweet read from names both familiar and surprising. In the meantime, we’ve gone about selecting a few from various aspects of Nellie’s near half-century involved in the game of basketball.
The league and teams
The NBA
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement today regarding the passing of Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Don Nelson:
“Don Nelson revolutionized NBA basketball through his fearlessness, ingenuity and deep conviction. He spent nearly 50 years in the NBA –… pic.twitter.com/Fy9pOYTE0h
As both a player and a coach, Nelson spent decades of his life involved with the NBA. He currently sits in the number two slot for most winningest coaches (second only to Gregg Popovich) and was awarded NBA Coach of the Year three times (1983, 1985, 1992) and took home the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award (2025). During his 14-year NBA playing career of which he spent the final 11 seasons with the Boston Celtics, he won five championships. The landscape and history of the NBA would look quite different without him.
The Dallas Mavericks
A basketball innovator. A Mavericks legend. An impact that will never be forgotten.
We mourn the passing of former Mavericks head coach Don Nelson and celebrate a life that left an incredible mark on our franchise and the game of basketball.
Nelson was steering the ship when Dallas finally pulled out of a decade-long doldrum to become one of the winningest franchises in sports during the 2000’s. He was an innovator, or maybe a mad scientist depending on whom you asked, that proved to be well ahead of his time. Nelson basically invented the point forward position – a forward who could handle the ball, shoot and orchestrate an offense – which in some part surely contributed to the positionless basketball we see nightly in the modern era. He and his son Donnie are responsible for bringing Dirk Nowtizki into the fold, forever changing the course of the Dallas Mavericks.
Nelson played four years of college ball with the Buckeyes, however his stats register for only the final three (freshmen were not allowed to play varsity at the time). In those three seasons, he averaged 21.1 points and 10.9 rebounds per game.
The Boston Celtics
Don Nelson’s success as a Hall of Fame Coach is so vast, that it could overshadow his playing career, but it would be a mistake to do so. A favorite of Red Auerbach’s, “Nellie” was a tough and reliable all-around player whose tenacity and ability to “think the game” was on full… pic.twitter.com/cWJOIxso3c
The Celtics were where Nelson spent the majority of his career and where he found his most playing success, by far. From 1965 to 1976, he called Boston home. He complimented legends like Bill Russell and John Havlicek and ended his career with a fistful of championship rings (1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976). In game seven of the NBA Finals in 1969, with the Celtics leading the Los Angeles Lakers 103-102, Nelson hit a shot clock-beating jump shot to give Boston a cushion en route to a road win. His number 19 hangs in the rafters with other Boston greats such as Russell, Havlicek, Larry Bird, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Kevin McHale and others.
Nelson started his coaching career as an assistant with the Bucks in 1976. 18 games later, he took over as head coach and held that position for the next 11 seasons. In nine of those seasons, he led the Bucks into postseason play, making the team a perennial powerhouse with seven 50-win seasons in that stretch.
The Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors mourn the passing of Hall of Fame head coach Don Nelson.
"Nellie" was one of the most innovative and influential coaches in NBA history and an iconic figure in Warriors history. He was a true basketball visionary who saw the game differently and was… pic.twitter.com/1k5piSC6xX
Nelson’s first stint with the Warriors lasted seven seasons. His run-and-gun style of innovative basketball was on full display during the Run TMC era (TMC stood for Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin and was a play on the popular hip-hop trio Run DMC, mixing flashy on-court play with pop culture outside of the sport). He then finished his coaching career with four more seasons on the Warriors’ sideline, the final of which coincided with Steph Curry’s rookie year.
The players
Dirk Nowitzki
Nellie… You didn't just draft me. You believed in me. You saw things in my game before I ever realized I could do them. I've said it a million times and I will always say it: I don't think my career could have turned out how it did without you being my first coach and giving me…
Nowitzki is the adopted son of Dallas, leading the Mavericks to their greatest heights in 2011. Nowitzki has often credited Nelson with seeing something in him that no one else saw – a theme that recurs frequently with many players that called Nelson coach. If it weren’t for Nelson and his son Donnie, it’s nearly impossible to think of how different the Mavericks franchise would be without their insistence on getting Nowitzki on that fateful draft night in 1998.
Nash was part of a Big Three in Dallas right as that concept was gaining popularity in a big way. Along with Nowitzki and Michael Finley, Nash helped turn the franchise around under Nelson’s unconventional wisdom. Like Nowitzki, Nash is keen to point out that Nelson saw things in him, and brought things out of him, that no other coach was likely to.
Completing the trifecta, Finley shares a similar sentiment as his running mates Nowitzki and Nash. Finley was the star of the team when Nelson took over and largely held that moniker until he passed the baton to Nowitzki. Under Nelson, the trio took down the Utah Jazz in a first round, best-of-five Playoff series after trailing 2-0. Finley dropped a game-high 33 points in the deciding game of the Mavericks return to the Playoffs for the first time since 1990, kicking off a 12-year Playoff streak.
Memento mori
Nelson left an indelible mark, not only on the league, but on the sport as a whole and on many of the games’ greats (and surely those who may not be on an all-time list as well). For half a century and more than half his life, he was involved with basketball at the highest level. He is a big reason the game expanded globally and his innovations are felt to this day. If your fandom began just prior to, or during, the Nellie era, you likely revere him as the mad scientist who made the Mavericks fun again. The crazy uncle who innovated right before your eyes. The hardcore hippie who truly cared about the game and the players who played it.
Memento mori is a Latin phrase serving as a reminder of one’s own mortality. I have no idea if Don Nelson knew the meaning, but it seems evident he was aware of the concept given how he made the very most of his 86 years. He spent decades around the game of basketball accumulating accolades, all while impacting the lives of so many. Quoting Michael Finley:
“Thank you, Coach, for believing in me and for the impact you had on my career and my life.”
That part about life really says it all. Not only did Nelson help players develop their game, he helped them in the broader sense, like only the best of the best coaches do. Echoing Finley, I too want to thank coach Nelson for the hilarious one-liners, for punting balls into the stands, for “clown basketball,” for introducing us all to the Pismo Beach Panthers and of course for helping to usher in a new world order for the Dallas Mavericks, all while mentoring and nurturing players along their own lengthy journeys in the NBA sphere and life in general.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
The Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals are battling in the National League Wild Card race ahead of their three-game series at Busch Stadium beginning Monday, Aug. 10.
Coverage kicks off at 7:45 p.m. ET on FS1.
While Philadelphia is a short road favorite (-113), my top Phillies vs. Cardinals predictions and MLB picks are calling for the Cards to pull off the victory in a high-scoring game tonight.
Who will win Phillies vs Cardinals today: Cardinals moneyline (+105)
Favorable hitting conditions and a soft pitching matchup are the perfect recipe for statistical correction at the dish for the St. Louis Cardinals.
So, with Philadelphia Phillies righty Andrew Painter bringing a 5.13 xERA and allowing the ninth-highest wOBA to opposing hitters among pitchers with at least 50 innings this season, I’m backing St. Louis at home.
Of course, Philadelphia also ranks 29th in wOBA on the highway this season.
COVERS INTEL: The Phillies and Cardinals rank sixth and seventh in xwOBA, respectively, over the past 30 days, paving the way to a high-scoring game at Busch Stadium tonight.
Phillies vs Cardinals Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-126)
This Over is my favorite bet for this game because Cardinals righty Hunter Dobbins has only made five starts this season, and the Phillies are third in xwOBA with an average of 4.72 runs per game since the All-Star Break.
Phillies vs Cardinals home run prediction: Alec Burleson (+521)
Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson has hit 16 of his 19 homers against right-handed pitchers while sporting a monster .240 ISO and .414 wOBA. Returning to the favorable pitching matchup, in addition to the highlighted Painter shortcomings, 1.8 HR/9 is the 13th-highest mark among pitchers with at least 70 innings pitched.
Neil Parker's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 43-18, +27.58 units
Over/Under bets: 17-16, -0.15 units
Phillies vs Cardinals weather
Stifling mid-90s temperatures will thin the air density and significantly boost ball carry for hitters at Busch Stadium tonight. Additionally, seven to eight mph winds blowing out to left field further favor the hitting conditions Monday evening.
Phillies vs Cardinals odds
Moneyline: Phillies -115 | Cardinals +105
Run line: Phillies -1.5 (+140) | Cardinals +1.5 (-165)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-130) | Under 8.5 (+110)
Phillies vs Cardinals trend
The Cardinals have won five of their last seven games (+3.90 Units / 44% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Phillies vs. Cardinals.
How to watch Phillies vs Cardinals and game info
Location
Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
Date
Monday, August 10, 2026
First pitch
7:45 p.m. ET
TV
FS1
Phillies starting pitcher
Andrew Painter (1-8, 6.48 ERA)
Cardinals starting pitcher
Hunter Dobbins (2-2, 3.60 ERA)
Phillies vs Cardinals 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.
BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 9: Catcher Jake Rogers #46 of the Boston Red Sox throws out Jonah Heim #15 of the Athletics on a ground ball in front of the plate during the sixth inning at Fenway Park on August 9, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When the Red Sox acquired Adley Rutschman, the conversation immediately went to what he means for the offense, what it costs to get him, and whether this is the move that puts Boston over the top. There have been quite a few pieces on here doing a great job laying that out, from Tim Crowley’s playoff lineup theories, to Matt Gross’ fantastic analysis about Adley on the field and how it makes Craig Breslow look off the field. All fair. But buried underneath that discussion is a quieter question that’s going to matter a lot come October: who backs him up?
Carlos Narváez is gone—he went to Baltimore in the Rutschman trade. That leaves two names: Connor Wong, who’s been behind the plate for the Sox all season, and Jake Rogers, who landed here about a week ago and hasn’t stopped hitting since. This isn’t a clear-cut answer. Let’s go through it.
The Case for Connor Wong
Let’s start with the bat. Through 181 plate appearances, Wong is hitting .245/.333/.368 with a .701 OPS. That’s not a star line, but for a backup catcher it’s more than serviceable. He’s got 10 doubles. He gets on base at a .333 clip. When a backup catcher is getting 2-3 starts a week, you want a guy who can actually contribute offensively—and Wong can, sometimes.
The defensive numbers also favor him in ways that might surprise you. Wong’s catcher ERA this season is 3.24. That’s the ERA posted by Red Sox pitchers when Wong is behind the plate. For context, Rogers’ catcher ERA with his previous clubs is 3.52. Is that difference real or is it just the impact of Wong starting more games with a better pitching staff vs. Rogers—who has been with two very weirdly constructed and somewhat struggling staffs in Detroit and Baltimore? That’s for us to try and suss out.
The blocking numbers back it up, partially. Wong has allowed 10 wild pitches this season; Rogers has allowed 16. With a rotation built around guys with wipeout stuff—both elite fastballs and hard moving breaking balls landing in the dirt regularly—keeping the ball in front of you matters. One passed ball and a runner moving to third in an ALDS game can end your night.
And then there’s the familiarity argument, which is real even if it’s hard to quantify. Wong has multiple seasons learning how Crochet attacks lineups, how Tolle sequences his strikeout pitches, how every arm in that bullpen works. Rogers just got here. In October, when the margins shrink and every at-bat feels like a chess match, the catcher who knows the staff has an edge.
The Case for Jake Rogers
The arm. Full stop.
Rogers has thrown out 24.3% of base stealers this season. Wong is at 17.1%. That’s not a small gap—that’s the difference between a guy who neutralizes the running game and a guy opponents can exploit freely. When you have a guy with one of the best pop-time arms in baseball in Rutschman—who already showed out catching a runner stealing in his rehab assignment in Worcester—downgrading your arm at any given point is a real concern. In the regular season, stolen bases are one thing. In a playoff series, where managers are hunting every edge and one run can make all the difference, a catcher who lets the opponent run with impunity becomes a liability. Opposing base stealers are going to test whoever is behind the plate. The question is who’s going to make them pay for it.
Rogers also comes into this with a perfect fielding percentage on the season—1.000 in 39 games behind the plate. Zero errors. Zero throwing errors. Wong has two errors—both throwing errors. Again, not disqualifying, but in the context of a tight series where every mistake gets magnified, it’s worth noting.
And then there’s what he’s done since arriving in Boston, which has been genuinely hard to ignore. In his first three games as a Red Sox, Rogers is 3-for-6 with 2 RBI. He walked with the bases loaded in the August 6 marathon to drive in a run without even swinging. He went 2-for-3 with a walk while handling Payton Tolle’s 14-strikeout masterpiece on the 7th. He got a hit in yesterday’s loss. For a guy who just walked into a new clubhouse mid-pennant race, he hasn’t blinked once.
That small-sample line at .500 isn’t going to hold, and everyone knows it. But the .183 season average isn’t the whole story either—Rogers’ BABIP is .232, which is well below normal and suggests some bad luck is baked into that number. His contact quality and walk rate (16 BB in 125 PA) suggest a more functional hitter than the batting average alone implies. And if he keeps playing anything close to how he’s played since arriving, the offensive gap between him and Wong starts to close fast.
So Which Is It?
There’s no clean answer here, which is exactly why the conversation is worth having.
If you weigh the full season and trust the staff familiarity angle, Wong is your guy. The catcher ERA, the blocking, the OBP, the two months of organizational knowledge—it all points in his direction. You don’t bench a .333 on-base guy for a .290 guy because of a good first week.
If you weight the arm and the October context, Rogers makes a compelling case. A 7-point difference in caught stealing percentage sounds modest until it’s the seventh inning of a one-run game in an ALDS and someone just took second on a ball in the dirt. In a short series, the catcher who can shut down the running game has real value that doesn’t show up in OPS.
The honest answer is that Chad Tracy is going to have a real decision to make when Rutschman comes back. Wong has earned his roster spot all season, whether by default or by committee with Narváez. Rogers has earned a serious look in a single week. Both deserve to be in this conversation.
Let’s watch how Rogers plays over the next two weeks. That’s probably how this gets decided.
The Columbus Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski is really good and has been for years. Sadly, it took years for the rest of the league to take notice, though. In the last two seasons, Werenski has shown that he is arguably the top defenseman, as shown by the Norris Trophy he earned last season.
NHL Network recently released its "Top 20 Defensemen Right Now" list, and to no one's surprise, Zach Werenski is very high on the list.
Werenski comes in at #3 on the list, with only Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes ahead of him.
"Werenski was voted the Norris Trophy winner as the best defenseman in the League last season, after he led the Blue Jackets and was second among NHL defensemen, with 81 points (22 goals, 59 assists) in 75 games. That was one off of the NHL career-best 82 points he had in 2024-25, making him the ninth defenseman in NHL history to have consecutive 80-point seasons. His 59 assists matched the single-season Blue Jackets record, set by Artemi Panarin in 2018-19 and equaled by Werenski in 2024-25, and his 22 goals were one off the mark for a Blue Jackets defenseman, which he had set with 23 goals in 2024-25. The 29-year-old had a plus-9 even-strength goal differential while finishing third in the NHL with an average even-strength ice time of 22:21. Werenski also helped Team USA win the gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics. He had six points (one goal, five assists) in six games, including the primary assist on Jack Hughes' overtime goal in the 2-1 win against Team Canada in the championship game."
The rest of the top-5 is Rasmus Dahlin and Miro Heiskanen.
There is some uncertainty surrounding Werenski with the drama that took place this summer, and many wonder if it will affect his performance next season as a member of the CBJ. Werenski is a pro, so don't expect him to just glide along next season waiting for a trade to happen.
Expect more stellar play from Zach Werenski.
Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!
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A fresh week is in front of us as we look to back a pair of players and fade a pitcher on today's MLB slate.
Here are my three favorite MLB player props for Monday, Aug. 10.
Best MLB player props today
Player
Pick
Odds
Jameson Taillon
Over 2.5 earned runs
-113
Sonny Gray
Under 2.5 earned runs
-166
Francisco Alvarez
Over 0.5 hits+runs+RBI
-168
Jameson Taillon Over 2.5 earned runs (-113)
I find it hard to pass up backing the Boston Red Sox here when they are this hot, especially when this matchup only adds fuel to the flame. Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Jameson Taillon has posted a 7.78 ERA, 6.65 xERA and 1.73 WHIP while allowing a 45% hard-hit rate and 16.13% barrel rate over his last five starts.
On top of Taillon's recent struggles, he owns the worst pitcher rating on Batters-Box's current-season dataset from today's slate. Taillon also carries poor matchup ratings in wOBA, ISO, and hard contact, while drawing four elite-rated Red Sox bats and another with a strong rating.
If you have been living under a rock for the last month and a half, the Red Sox have been on fire, posting a 120 wRC+, .348 wOBA and .790 OPS over their last 21 games.
I find it tough to pass up backing the Red Sox here. I would take this prop down to -120, or see if the Red Sox first five team total is available at a better price.
Time: 7:07 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Sportsnet, NESN
Sonny Gray Under 2.5 earned runs (-166)
Sticking with that game, Sonny Gray is in another great spot to add to his 2026 resume, as he draws one of the most lifeless offenses in baseball. The Blue Jays own a 79 wRC+, .282 wOBA, and .106 ISO while producing just a 4% barrel rate over their last 21 games.
Not to mention, Toronto has zero hitters with an elite or strong rating on Batters-Box's current-season dataset, while Gray owns the second-highest pitcher rating. Gray also sports strong matchup ratings in wOBA, ISO, and ground-ball rate.
Using the default setting that goes back the last three seasons, Gray has some strong trends. In 22 strong ratings, the right-hander has stayed Under this prop 63.64% of the time with fewer than two earned runs 59% of the time. On top of that, he has allowed fewer than six hits 68.18% of the time and fewer than five 54.55% of the time.
The price is juicy but reasonable, given how underwhelming the Blue Jays have been this season. I would take this down to -170 at the most, or pivot to his Under 5.5 hits if the price gets too out of hand.
Time: 7:07 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Sportsnet, NESN
Francisco Alvarez Over 0.5 hits+runs+RBI (-168)
If you are not in the juice-paying business, take New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez to get a hit at roughly -135, or look toward his alt 1.5 HRR prop. Regardless, getting this prop at that price is a steal given the number of ways Alvarez can cash it.
Alvarez has an elite rating on Batters-Box while covering over 90% of Bryce Elder's pitch mix. Through 35 elite ratings over the last three seasons, the 24-year-old has gone over this prop 57.14% of the time. He has also gone over this prop in six of his last 10 elite ratings.
The young catcher has been tearing apart right-handed pitching. Over the last 60 right-handers he has faced, Alvarez owns a .306 BA, .433 OBP, .612 SLG, and .306 ISO, while generating a 47% hard-hit rate and 23.5% barrel rate.
Meanwhile, the Atlanta Braves starter has allowed a 47% hard-hit rate, 12.1% barrel rate, and 2.25 HR/9 with a 5.32 xERA against the last 60 right-handed hitters he has faced. Those hitters own a .317 xBA, .554 xSLG, and .371 xwOBA.
I would take this prop down to -170 at the most, or pivot Alvarez to get a hit or go Over 1.5 HRR.
Time: 7:15 p.m. ET
Where to watch: BravesVsn, SNY
Colby Marchio's 2026 Transparency Record
Prop picks: 373-738, -21.8 units
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.
Last year, even though the Celtics knew they were going to be without Jayson Tatum for most of the upcoming season, guard Payton Pritchard remained optimistic that his team was still going to be good.
Now a year later, the Celtics certainly know they won’t have Jaylen Brown anymore. Unsurprisingly, Pritchard’s outlook for the coming season remains the same.
“I feel the same way. I feel like we have another year that we have to prove it,” Pritchard told Chris Forsberg on the Celtics Talk Podcast. “I thought regular season we did a great job last year. … But obviously in the playoffs, we didn’t have the playoff run we wanted, let a 3-1 lead slip, which, you know, [ate] away at at a lot of us this summer. So, added extra motivation going into the summer to attack it and come back better and just try to improve.”
Speaking at his youth summer camp in Walpole, Pritchard was also asked about what Celtics life will be like without his longtime teammate.
“I mean, it’s the NBA at the end of the day. It’s part of the business. Things change,” Pritchard said. “You lose close friendships, brotherhoods. We won the championship together, and I’m very grateful for the relationship I’ve had with JB, because he kind of took me under his wing, pushed me, made me better. And he’s just a phenomenal player, so he’ll be missed mightily. But at the same time, you have to turn the page and get ready for this next year and have a great year and go to war.”
Pritchard, who’s expecting a baby girl with his wife, joked that he’s now entered an “adulting” stage of his life. With that in mind — and with Pritchard now being the second-longest-tenured Celtics player behind Tatum — the 28-year-old was asked if he’s focused on signing an extension with Boston now that he’s eligible.
“No, I don’t really think about it. It’s just not something I’m really looking at,” Pritchard answered. “I have two years on my contract and it’s just, there’s no rush on it. We’ll talk, obviously, but we have a whole next year to talk about an extension. For me, it’s like, just focus on getting better and becoming the bestbasketball player I can possibly be.“
Also in this episode:
What Pritchard hopes to learn from new teammate Mike Conley
How Pritchard’s golf struggles differ from shooting slumps
Expectations for Paul George and Mitchell Robinson
Omaha won the series, 4-2, but Toledo took the final game on Sunday.
It was a pretty strong pitching day for the Mud Hens. Austin Gomber made his first start with the Tigers organization after being signed Wednesday. He gave up a solo homer in the first but only allowed one other hit through four innings of work.
Jackson Wolf, who came over in the Casey Mize trade with San Diego, also threw four innings. He only gave up one hit, a double to Jacob Berry, who has been hitting everything all week. Wolf does some funny moves in his pre-pitch setup, but the stuff is sound. His 79-80 mph sweeper gets some good swing-and-miss (5/13; 38%), and Omaha only had one hard-hit ball off him on 30 swings.
Tigers minor league LHP Jackson Wolf, acquired in the Casey Mize trade with San Diego, made his org debut in AAA Toledo today:
Troy Watson closed out the win in the ninth, notching his first save of the year with Toledo.
As far as offense, it was an average day for the Hens. Justice Bigbie and Andrew Navigato each had two hits. Bigbie sparked a second-inning rally and scored on a follow-up double from Trei Cruz. Brett Callahan and Navigato hit back-to-back singles to put Toledo ahead right after.
Cruz also had a sac fly in the third to make it 3-1, and that’s all of the offense worth talking about in this one. Good win, solid baseball to close out what was a pretty rough week for the Tigers’ Triple-A squad.
Erie came into Sunday with a chance to win the series against Altoona, but the Curve took the finale, 4-1, to end the week in a tie. Josue Briceno was not in the lineup today as he’s being called up to Triple-A. Left-hander Andrew Sears is also being promoted.
Rogelio was in Erie and didn’t see Briceño in the dugout. Still no official word…but we can confirm Josue Briceño is heading up to Toledo. The Doctor strikes again. https://t.co/gcq0RejeY6
Everyone’s favorite knuckleballer, Kenny Serwa, was back with the SeaWolves after making a start for the Mud Hens on Tuesday. Altoona jumped on him quickly, starting the game with three straight singles. Serwa almost got out of the first without allowing another run, but a two-out base knock made it 2-0 early.
Serwa’s command wasn’t great. He walked three batters, the last of which ended up scoring in the third. Despite taking the loss, Serwa finished things on a high note, retiring the last nine batters he faced.
Yoniel Curet, Johan Simon, Dariel Fregio and Tanner Kohlhepp each threw an inning in relief. All four pitchers gave up a hit, and Fregio gave up the fourth run to Altoona in the eighth. Fregio had a brief meltdown, walking a batter and hitting the next two, all in search of a third out. Brutal.
Erie’s lone hit of the game came off the bat of Patrick Lee in the third. He was caught stealing third to end the inning, a cardinal sin in baseball. The SeaWolves had a few more opportunities to score, thanks to four walks, but an 0-for-5 day with runners in scoring position led to eight shutout innings.
Thayron Liranzo scored in the ninth after reaching on a fielder’s choice. He took second on defensive indifference and came home on a throwing error, so it’s a bit of a hollow stat.
Serwa (L, 5-8): 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 2 K
Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves are in Hartford next week against the Yard Goats, starting Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. ET.
West Michigan Whitecaps 8, Fort Wayne TinCaps 2 (box)
West Michigan finished off a 5-1 series win over the Fort Wayne TinCaps with an 8-2 victory on Sunday. More importantly, the Whitecaps remain tied for first place in the East Division of the Midwest League.
Connor Fenlong was brilliant, striking out six batters over 5.1 innings while allowing just one baserunner. You can’t ask your starter to do much more, and the bullpen could afford to make a few mistakes behind him without jeopardizing the win.
Moises Rodriguez took over and got the final two outs of the sixth. He hit a batter and walked another in the seventh. The lead runner wouldn’t have scored on an infield single, but a bad throw from Woody Hadeen brought him home.
Fortunately, the offense scored consistently through the first four innings to build up a six-run lead. Roberto Campos drove in Hadeen with a two-out single in the first; Hadeen had a two-run double in the second, also with two outs; Beau Ankeney had an RBI single in the third; and Edian Espinal drove home two with a base hit in the fourth.
Ankeney also homered in the ninth for some extra insurance. It’s the third for him in 10 games with West Michigan, so that promotion is working out well.
Preston Howey pitched the final two innings of the game for the Whitecaps. He went 1-2-3 in the eighth, but ran into some trouble in the ninth. West Michigan could afford to give up a run, though, and he closed it out right after that score.
Hadeen: 1-3, 2B (15), R, 2 RBI, 2 BB
Rainer: 0-4, R, BB, 2 K
Ankeney: 2-3, HR (3), R, 3 RBI, 2 BB
Fenlong (W, 2-1): 5.1 IP, 0 R, H, 0 BB, 6 K
Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps are at home against the Lansing Lugnuts next week, starting Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. ET.
Dunedin Blue Jays 2, Lakeland Flying Tigers 1 (box)
Lakeland dropped the series finale against Dunedin, 2-1, on Sunday to lose the week, 3-2. Saturday’s game wasn’t rescheduled after getting rained out.
Both teams hit the ball fairly consistently, but runs were at a premium in this one. Kelvis Salcedo threw 45 pitches over 2.2 innings, but he left the game in line for the loss after giving up a leadoff double and a sac fly in the second.
The good news is that Salcedo drew four whiffs (33%) on his cutter and touched 96 mph with his heater in the first. He’s only been back from injury for about two weeks, so a one-run outing with one walk is good to see.
Donye Evans got the final out of the third, and Owen Hall worked the next two frames for the Flying Tigers. Hall had a rough welcome to Single-A in July, giving up six earned runs in his first outing, but he’s been sharp in his last two outings. Through four innings of work in August, Hall has allowed just one hit, with seven strikeouts and no walks. His sinker is missing bats at a good rate (71% today).
It’s been a slow start to pro ball for Owen Hall, but he appears to be making a leap. He’s pounding the zone at 94-96, locating his secondaries, and getting whiffs – 7 on 12 swings today. His last two outings: 4IP | H | 0R | 0BB | 7K | 48% whiff pic.twitter.com/py5L1PDy9b
Anibal Salas tied the game up in the fifth with a base knock to score Nick Dumesnil, who led off with a single. Dumesnil and Salas each had two hits on the day, but that was the only run Lakeland scored in the loss.
Nick Dumesnil hustles to beat out an infield single, steals 2nd, and then scores on a 2-out knock from Anibal Salas to tie the game for Lakeland. @AaronArnstein calls it. pic.twitter.com/0CZdInXmlp
Cash Kuiper took over for Hall in the sixth. He hit a batter but retired the other three without much trouble. Kuiper struggled in the seventh, though. He gave up the go-ahead run on a pair of doubles, but the more concerning part of that is that he left the game with some apparent discomfort in his right shoulder immediately after. It’s wait-and-see for now, but Kuiper only threw three pitches in his last outing. The facts don’t add up to anything positive.
Hate to see this – Cash Kuiper gives up a double, calls out the trainer, and the leaves the game after just 16 pitches. pic.twitter.com/ftApESp3fn
Luke Hoskins was the next man up. He struck out a pair of batters and then faced the minimum in the eighth, thanks to a double play. Yendy Gomez got the ninth. He worked around a pair of two-out singles. Lakeland’s offense couldn’t make anything happen in the bottom half, though.
Yost: 0-4, K
Dumesnil: 2-4, R, K
Salas: 2-3, RBI
Salcedo: 2.2 IP, ER, 2 H, BB, 5 K
Hall: 2.0 IP, 0 R, H, 3 K
Coming Up Next: The Flying Tigers are at home against the Bradenton Marauders next week, starting Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. ET.
EASTLAKE, OHIO - MAY 06, 2026: Eduardo Quintero #46 of the Great Lakes Loons bats during the seventh inning against the Lake County Captains at Classic Auto Group Park on May 06, 2026 in Eastlake, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Quintero was getting on base early on in the year and still productive, but only hit three home runs in his first 61 games. But since June 27 the outfielder is hitting .355/.516/.763 with eight home runs, 18 extra-base hits, 26 RBI and 30 runs scored in his last 29 games.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
Ronan Kopp and Jerming Rosario allowed two runs to score in the ninth to tie things up, but the Comets scored in the 10th and held on to beat the Salt Lake Bees (Angels).
James Tibbs extended his hit streak to nine games with a two-run home run, his first home run since all the way back on June 27. He was still productive in the interim, just minus the power, hitting .307/.427/.406 in the 29 games between long balls.
Alex Thomas had three more hits, giving him four multi-hit games during the series, during which he had 13 hits in 31 at-bats (.419) with three doubles, a triple, and 10 RBI.
Catcher Griffin Lockwood-Powell doubled, singled, and drove in three runs.
Double-A Tulsa
Josue De Paula had an RBI single and two-run double in the Drillers’ win over the Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros). The double was De Paula’s team-high 30th of the season, 13 more than his previous career high for doubles in a season. De Paula also stole his 29th base, three shy of his career high set last season.
Patrick Copen struck out seven in five innings, and allowed only an unearned run to earn the win.
High-A Great Lakes
The Loons won a back-and-forth affair thanks to Quintero’s home run to beat the Dayton Dragons (Reds).
Charles Davalan, another top-100 outfield prospect in the system, nearly hit the go-ahead home run himself in the ninth inning right before Quintero, but instead settled for a triple off the right field wall, and scored on Quintero’s homer. Davalan also doubled on Sunday, giving him four straight multi-hit contests.
Mairo Martinus had a rough start in his first week in Triple-A, with just two singles and nine strikeouts in his first 15 at-bats with Great Lakes. But the 21-year-old infielder/outfielder provided extra on Sunday with a home run and triple. Martinus this week has played two games at second base plus one each at first base, third base, and right field for the Loons.
After four weeks on the injured list, Brooks Auger returned to start on the mound for Great Lakes. Sunday was only an abbreviated outing for Auger in his first game back, pulled after 32 pitches and four outs. Auger allowed a walk in the first inning and a double in the second, which scored after his departure. He struck out a pair.
Emil Morales didn’t homer on Sunday, but did walk twice after homering four times in the first five games of the series. The Dayton broadcast mentioned that the eight home runs by Morales against the Dragons are the most in one season by any opposing player against Dayton, dating back to its franchise inception in 2000. Morales this season against Dayton is hitting .323/.400/785 with eight home runs, six doubles, and 27 RBI in 16 games.
Class-A Ontario
The Tower Buzzers came within two outs of finishing off a clean sweep for Dodgers affiliates on Sunday, but gave up two runs in the ninth inning in a loss to the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres).
Jecsua Liborius pitched a perfect eighth inning with two strikeouts, but started the ninth with two walks. Both came around to score despite two more strikeouts in the frame. A throwing error on a double steal brought home the tying run, then a walk-off single scored the game-winner for Lake Elsinore.
Oswaldo Osorio had two hits, including a three-run home run in the first inning, and his first stolen base of the season. The 21-year-old played first base on Sunday but has also played third base and second base for both Ontario and in the Arizona Complex League this season.
Transaction
Class-A: Catcher/infielder Bryan Gonzalez Garcia rejoined Ontario from the Arizona Complex League. He started at third base on Sunday.
Change can be hard to come by in the NHL. The cliche of the “200 hockey men” way of thinking is a cliche for a reason. The NHL is an old boys club, where men who are already connected to the inner circle in one way or another have a massive advantage over everyone else. Not only this, but this insular group also has a band of media allies eager to do their bidding and serve as mouthpieces and shields for them, all to get a little access. This media version of the old boys club has some degree of separation from the group that is actually inside the league, but they are, for the most part, hand-in-glove with one another. Granted this is also the case in many, many industries across the world, but at least as far as sports go, the NHL is among the worst in this regard.
The sons of former NHLers are making it to the league at a crazy rate. The same 35-40 men keep getting all the head coaching jobs. Front offices keep getting staffed with the same candidates too, although I do think there is a little more variety in GM hirings than head coach hirings. The hockey media keeps churning out new, interesting people every year, but the newbies are mostly kept to the fringes unless they toe the company line, so to speak. It’s all so incestuous, and while other sports are guilty of this to a certain degree as I mentioned, the NHL really does feel like they’re behind the rest of them.
But with the Carolina Hurricanes finally getting over the hump and winning their elusive championship in the Rod Brind’Amour era, a question has started to bounce around in my head: Are we, at long last, about to see the Moneyball revolution in the NHL that we have seen in other sports?
The Moneyball Revolution?
I suppose the first thing I should do is define what I mean by the “Moneyball revolution”. For those who don’t follow baseball, Moneyball is a reference to Michael Lewis’ 2003 book, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. The book is about the 2002 Oakland Athletics, and more specifically, their general manager, Billy Beane. Oakland was one of the lowest-revenue teams in MLB back then, and with franchises like the Yankees and Red Sox buying all the best players, including Oakland’s own Jason Giambi and Johnny Damon, Beane and the A’s had to get creative in order to stay competitive. By moving away from traditional baseball thinking and embracing the sabermetrics pioneered by people such as Bill James, Beane and the Athletics were able to find value in places where nobody else in baseball was looking, helping them to yet another monster season in 2002, even if it did end disappointingly in the ALDS.
Granted, while the focus on the market inefficiency of on-base percentage and the diamonds in the rough such as Scott Hatteberg certainly helped, the team was also loaded with big time stars. You wouldn’t know it from watching the movie adaptation of the book, but the A’s also employed these guys named Barry Zito, Mark Mulder, and Tim Hudson back then. Not to mention Miguel Tejada and Eric Chavez. Those guys were pretty good! But I’m getting off on a tangent here. The point is, while the 2002 A’s had their homegrown stars, it was the Moneyball ethos that helped them build depth and give them those all-important edges that can push a team over the top.
As mentioned, those 2002 A’s didn’t win it all, but they perhaps did something even more important: they changed the game. In the wake of Oakland’s embrace of Moneyball, the rest of MLB started to embrace analytics. Now, almost a quarter century later, Major League Baseball is completely unrecognizable from how it was when Beane was signing the Hattebergs of the world. Nowadays, the standard operating procedure for MLB front offices is to hire analytics-minded GMs, build a massive analytics department, and incorporate advanced stats into every decision. Depending on who you talk to, this isn’t necessarily a good thing. But whether it’s good or bad is almost besides the point. The real point is that Moneyball changed the game forever.
Look around MLB today, and you would be hard pressed to find a general manager/president of baseball operations who was a former player or manager. It’s mostly longtime scouts with a specialty in analytics, or Ivy League guys with degrees in data science or something similar. In fact, one of the very few former player GMs, the Texas Rangers’ Chris Young, is a Princeton grad himself. As far as I can tell, only Buster Posey and Jerry Dipoto are leading men in an MLB front office that are former players without an accompanying high-level education. For better or worse, baseball is run by the nerds these days.
Eric Tulsky, Sunny Mehta, And The Value Of Iconoclasm
Thanks to Billy Beane and the Oakland Athletics, Major League Baseball has had it’s Moneyball revolution. But while analytics has certainly become more prominent in the NHL in recent years, it is still a far cry from what baseball has accomplished in this regard. Do that same test of NHL GMs/POHOs, and you will find that the vast majority of the league’s top decision makers were former players, even if only briefly. And that doesn’t even count legacy cases (or nepo-babies, depending on how cynical you’re feeling) such as Stan Bowman or Chris Patrick. Once again, the NHL is very insular and obsessed with not rocking the boat.
Despite this, the reason I wonder if the NHL is on the edge of an analytics upheaval is pretty simple: the recent 1-2 punch of Eric Tulsky winning the Stanley Cup, and our New Jersey Devils hiring Sunny Mehta as their own general manager.
We’ll start with Carolina. Tulsky’s origin story from blogger to GM is a familiar one at this point, so I won’t get into the finer details here. The broad strokes are that he is a brilliant man with degrees in chemistry and physics from Harvard University, who worked in nanotechnology for a decade, and then entered the world of hockey through writing about the NHL for SB Nation. He parlayed those credentials into part-time consulting/analyst work for a few NHL clubs, and then eventually a full-time role with the Carolina Hurricanes. While in Raleigh, he worked his way up from the analytics department to assistant GM to, finally, general manager in the summer of 2024. Two years later, he became the man who brought the Cup back to North Carolina.
Tulsky’s existence is almost a direct affront to the 200 hockey men that uphold NHL orthodoxy. I know I sound like a broken record, but it really does bear a lot of repeating: these men do NOT like outsiders coming in and changing things. The 200 hockey men are very, very, VERY concerned with making sure nobody rocks the boat, lest there be significant consequences. And yet, Tulsky was able to break through the firewall and reach the NHL mountaintop. Obviously there have been front offices in recent years that have relied significantly on analytics to build championship rosters, but they were usually fronted by much more traditional hockey men. Think Colorado with Joe Sakic. But Tulsky is the first person that truly embodies the Moneyball spirit to be the leading figure of a club that won the last game of their season in June.
And now, as Tulsky hoists the Cup, in comes Sunny Mehta. A native son of New Jersey, Mehta is cut from the same cloth as Tulsky as a brilliant outsider of sorts. Much like Tulsky, I won’t go deep into Mehta’s biography here since everyone is probably familiar with it. Suffice to say, Mehta’s unique path from musician to poker player to hockey analytics firebrand has landed him the top job with his childhood team, and with his hiring comes a heavy emphasis on analytics. Once again, this does not mean the New Jersey Devils organization was devoid of any sort of analytics prior to Mehta’s arrival. In fact, the franchise employs one of the bigger analytics departments in the league, running seven employees deep with Matt Cane at the top as Vice President, Hockey Analytics and Strategy according to the Devils front office directory.
That being said, that analytics department used to be led by Tom Fitzgerald, who was the epitome of the stale, cowardly hockey mind who was scared of taking even the tiniest risk in his later years as Devils GM. I’m not going to say that Fitzgerald made zero good moves, because that would be unfair and inaccurate. I’m also not going to say that he took zero risks either, because that also wouldn’t be true. But after the team’s magical 2022-23 season, Fitzgerald definitely became way more risk-averse. He was a conformist who was already inclined to lean into his hockey man instincts, and after the failures of 2023-24, he fully retreated into the safe, bland, traditional way of doing things in his last few seasons at the helm. The Devils might have had a relatively large analytics department, but with Fitzgerald running things, it was sort of like giving a trained jiu jitsu fighter a sniper rifle and expecting him to know how to use it.
By the end, Devils fans, myself included, were so unbelievably sick of Fitzgerald’s complete aversion to doing anything. We were desperate for change, and tons of us wanted the Devils to bring Mehta home. To be fair, it wasn’t just because he was an analytics guy. No, it was mostly because Mehta proved that his data-based approach was extremely effective in Florida, where he helped lead the Panthers to back-t0-back championships as Bill Zito’s assistant general manager. And it wasn’t just Devils fans who wanted him. Every team that was in the market for a new GM this offseason seemed to have Mehta at or near the top of their wish list. I seem to recall the Toronto Maple Leafs fanbase especially clamoring for him before he signed on with the Devils. Leafs fans were in a very similar situation as Devils fans, having suffered through the unbelievably stale, traditional tenure of Brad Treliving. They wanted a fresh mind with new ideas. They wanted winning analytics. They wanted Mehta.
So now Mehta has secured the top job in New Jersey. And before his team has played a single game with him at the wheel, he’s already shown a willingness to spit in the eye of the traditional way of doing things. Offer sheets are very rare in the NHL. We have seen a slight uptick in offer sheets in recent years, such as the Sebastian Aho-Jesperi Kotkaniemi saga from a few years back, and the dual St. Louis Blues offer sheets of 2024 for Dylan Hollaway and Philip Broberg. But by and large, they are still an underutilized tool, largely because traditional hockey lifers view them as some sort of significant breach of decorum. But Mehta didn’t care one bit about that, signing Utah’s Barrett Hayton to an offer sheet after Bill Armstrong backed out of a trade that would’ve sent Hayton to New Jersey at the draft. To be fair, this offer sheet failed, and even if it didn’t, it’s not like this alone would be proof that Mehta is doing a great job. But it’s just so refreshing to see a GM think outside the box while seeming to lean on his data to make smart player acquisition moves. Mehta didn’t care that there was decorum to uphold or that he was the new kid on the block. He came in and immediately tried to improve his club by whatever means necessary.
But of course, this was a slap in the face to the old ways of doing things. And as a result, a couple of those 200 hockey men found it necessary to wag their fingers at Mehta:
Meanwhile, those same media insiders laughed at Tulsky and the Hurricanes for shipping Mikko Rantanen out just a handful of games after they traded for him from the Colorado Avalanche during the 2024-25 season. But Tulsky didn’t care what the stuffy old hockey media thought, he did what was best for his team. Once he learned that he wouldn’t be able to sign Rantanen long-term, Tulsky pivoted, took the PR hit, and acquired a ton of draft capital and a player in Logan Stankoven that became absolutely indispensable to the Hurricanes run to a championship this spring.
This is the value of being an iconoclast. Like Beane with on-base percentage, Tulsky and Mehta are looking for market inefficiencies wherever they can find them, without worrying about decorum or tradition or being mocked by those in and around the game. Mind you, being different just for the sake of being different is not a great approach. There’s a difference between being an effective iconoclast and a shallow contrarian. It’s not enough to go against tradition, you have to actually have a plan. Tulsky did, and his reward was 16 playoff victories in 2026. Despite being brand new to the job, I feel confident in saying that Mehta has a solid plan. By his own admission, the roster still needs some work. But The Rock wasn’t built in a day after all, and I have faith that Mehta can play the long game well.
Time Will Tell
For as hostile as the NHL can be to change, the NHL is also a copycat league. This paradoxically makes the league one filled with people who don’t want anything to change, yet who constantly change some things in order to chase the latest winning trend. It happens with styles of play, it happens with which player archetypes are valued, and it happens with front office structure.
Before Eric Tulsky was promoted to GM in Carolina, there was another sort of shift taking place in front offices: the rise of the former agents. Entering this upcoming season, you could argue that the two best general managers in the league are Bill Zito and Kent Hughes, two former player agents. In Edmonton, Jeff Jackson, another former agent, is the CEO and President of Hockey Operations. This isn’t anywhere close to the level of upheaval as the arrival of the analytics nerds, as agents occupy some of the same space in the inner circle as those 200 hockey men. But it’s at least a little different than normal.
So the NHL was already on its way to changing who runs things, and Tulsky was the first one to successfully kick in the door as a true outsider. I use the word “successfully” very deliberately there, as I would argue the then-Arizona Coyotes hiring John Chayka was an analytics-oriented move that predated Tulsky. The problem was, that hire didn’t work out all that much, and Chayka was fired and left the game before returning this offseason in Toronto. But whereas Chayka didn’t really have much of a track record to justify his hiring, Tulsky did, and he backed it up by winning a championship. Now Mehta comes in with a pretty sparkling resume of his own. I’m not going to say that a Moneyball revolution is riding on whether Mehta sinks or swims. That would be reductive and shortsighted, especially considering the analytics movement didn’t die with Chayka. But I will say this: If Mehta succeeds in the same way Tulsky did, I think even the 200 hockey men are going to be way more inclined to believe in analytics. For now, they have the luxury of viewing Tulsky as a one-off anomaly since no one else with his type of background has achieved anything in the NHL. But if Mehta succeeds, people would be forced to see this as a viable, repeatable, dependable option, not just a passing fad or a lucky outlier.
For now, I don’t think Devils fans, myself included, care all that much about leading a revolution in how the game of hockey is managed. We just want to win. Still, it might be worth at least a passing thought on what Mehta’s hire means in the larger context of hockey history. If Mehta really does go on to become a general manager who, dare I say, brings some Stanley Cups to New Jersey and builds himself a hall of fame career as a builder, I think there’s a real possibility that his hiring is looked back on as the spark that ignited the Moneyball revolution in the NHL. And wouldn’t that just be the coolest thing ever to know that it was our guy who revolutionized the game we all know and love?
VENICE, FLORIDA - MARCH 16, 2025: Owen Carey #30 of the Atlanta Braves bats during the second inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Detroit Tigers at CoolToday Park on March 16, 2025 in Venice, Florida. (Photo by George Kubas/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
It was a very rough game for the Stripers as the game was first delayed due to rain, and then called due to rain after just five innings.
Cedric De Grandpre got the start and struggled with his control, walking five over just three innings of work. He gave up just two earned runs despite the control problems which was the positive, but ultimately he needed 62 pitches to get through three innings, throwing only 31 strikes (50% strike rate). Cedric was able to work around walks in the first and second inning, but they caught up to him in the third when with two outs he went BB, 1B, HBP, BB to drive in the second run of the game. He was removed from the game after the third inning and was replaced by Ray Kerr (1IP 1H 1ER 0BB 1K) who gave up a solo shot for his run. The recently acquired Bailey Falter made his first appearance for the Stripers, working what ended up being the final inning, and gave up an unearned run following a throwing error by catcher Jair Camargo.
Offensively, there is pretty much nothing to recap as the Stripers were no-hit through those five innings. Patrick Clohisy was the only player to reach base and that came in the first inning via a throwing error. Outside of that one play, the Stripers had the minimum come to plate where they were overmatched by starting pitcher Jace Beck.
In what was a wildly entertaining back-and-forth game the Clingstones were able to strike late to secure the win against an extremely strong Biloxi Shuckers team that features quite a few prominent prospects for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Ian Mejia got the start for Columbus who was strong at the start, facing the minimum through the first three innings. Unfortunately things changed immediately in the third inning where he allowed three extra-base hits including a two run home run. He would allow back-to-back singles to start the fifth inning before he was replaced by Owen Hackman (1IP 2H 2ER 2BB 1K) who struggled, allowing a pair of runs on two walks and two hits. Shay Schanaman (2.2IP 0H 0R 1BB 1K) replaced Owen and provided stability to the Clingstones, getting through 2.2 scoreless innings of work. Samuel Strickland (0.1IP 0H 0R 0BB 0K) came in, in the 8th inning and needed a total of six pitches to face his one batter, ending the eighth. Luis Vargas (1IP 1H 0R 0BB 1K) worked a scoreless ninth inning, picking up his fourth save of the season.
Offensively, this was a wildly entertaining game featuring several big hits and offensive contributions. The Clingstones put up three runs in the first inning including back-to-back home runs by Owen Carey (2R HR), and Jordan Groshans on back-to-back pitches.
This made it back-to-back games with a home run for Owen who is adapting to Double-A pitching quite well. After losing the lead in the top of the fourth, the Clingstones offense responded and took the lead back in the bottom of the fourth when Jordan Groshans tripled in Owen Carey who singled to start the inning. The Clingstones would fall behind again in the fifth inning, Kevin Kilpatrick Jr., responded once again in the bottom half of the inning with a lead off solo home run. They would then close the lead to just one in the bottom of the sixth on a Luke Waddell RBI double. Two innings later in the decisive 8th, the Clingstones would re-take the lead following a Will Verdung two run single, and Kevin Kilpatrick Jr., would add the cherry on top with a run scoring ground out that scored Luke Waddell for the games final run.
A return to form for Aiven Cabral, along with strong offensive contributions from some of the systems top prospects led to the Emperors taking the final game of the series against an extremely strong Grasshoppers squad. The Emperors stadium lost power so there was no MiLB.tv.
Aiven got the start and it was a return to form for him. He utilized tons of weak contact to quickly make his way through the Grasshoppers lineup. Unlike the past couple of starts, he was able to stay away from the long inning by simply inducing weak contact and being in the zone. Jacob Kroeger (2.1IP 2H 2ER 0BB 2K) came in for Aiven and pitched solidly despite the two runs scored. Those runs came on a fly ball that found space and fell for a double – allowing two runs to score. Drew Christo (1.1IP 2H 0R 0BB 1K) recorded the final four outs, picking up his third save of the season – he did so by being aggressive and being in zone with his pitch mix.
Offensively, it was an unfortunate game to miss as there were multiple contributions by some of the organizations top prospects, but it was a strong game for a lot of the team. Colin Burgess drove in the first run of the game in the first inning with a sacrifice fly that drove in Dallas Macias. The Emperors would re-take the lead on a Colby Jones home run in the the fourth inning with a solo shot. Conor Essenburg connected on his first home run as an Emperor and it was a BANG (HR coming at 49 second mark)
The GreenJackets ran into the buzzsaw that is the Hickory Crawdads falling 7-2 on Sunday.
Brody Fowler got the start for the GreenJackets and put together one of his better professional careers. He attacked the zone with his fastball, especially early, setting himself up well later in his start where he sequenced in his breaking pitches a bit more (slider, splitter). He allowed a pair of runs scattered across five innings – including a solo shot in the second inning. After his solid outing, Brody was replaced by Logan Forsythe (2.2IP 1H 2ER 1BB 2K) who kept the game well within reach for the GreenJackets before a disastrous eighth inning did them in. Logan was removed from the game with two outs and runners on first and second and replaced by Styven Paez (0.1IP 4H 3ER 0BB 1K) who simply could not get it done – allowing both inherited runners to score, and allowing three more additional runs to score all before he could secure a single out. He was un-done by his inability to land his breaking pitches in the zone, instead turning into a single pitch pitcher and getting hit hard and continually.
The GreenJackets offense struggled for a majority of the game, collecting just six total hits. They were held scoreless in all but one inning and as a team went just 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position. The lone two runs came in the sixth inning thanks to a first – as Braves 8th round draft pick Jacob Jarrell out of Clemson collected his first professional double, doubling in Parker Brosius for Augusta’s first run of the game.
One batter later Cooper McMurray drove in Jacob on a grounder to right field to tie the game at 2-2 at the time. Matt Scannell would double right after that to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with just one out, but the GreenJackets were unable to drive them in. After that, the GreenJackets failed to really threaten – picking up just a single and a walk in the games final two innings.
Aug 9, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Recaps
[AP] Rodriguez strikes out 9 as Diamondbacks beat struggling Dodgers – Eduardo Rodriguez struck out nine in seven strong innings and the Arizona Diamondbacks clinched their first season series over the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2018 with a 4-2 victory Sunday. The Dodgers snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 2-1 win over Arizona in 10 innings Saturday. Rodriguez (11-4) shut them down most of the afternoon in the series finale, allowing two runs and five hits.Ketel Marte hit a two-run homer off Justin Wrobleski (11-4) in the first inning and Kevin Ginkel worked a perfect ninth for his first save this year, clinching Arizona’s 7-6 win in the season series. The NL West-leading Dodgers have lost three consecutive series for the first time since Aug. 29 to Sept. 7, 2025.
[Dbacks.com] E-Rod’s 115-pitch gem helps D-backs secure season series vs. LA for 1st time since ’18 – There’s more than a month and a half until the playoffs begin, but if the D-backs needed a Game 1 starter, it would almost surely be Eduardo Rodriguez. The 2026 All-Star was again in top form Sunday, stymieing the star-studded Dodgers lineup for the fourth time this season. He yielded just two runs across seven frames and turned in a season-high nine punchouts, throwing 115 pitches, his most in a start since Sept. 9, 2019, as a member of the Red Sox. But this isn’t just any lineup. It’s the Dodgers, who boast the second-highest team OPS (.766) in baseball. Rodriguez gave up eight runs (six earned) against the club in two starts last year, but has completely flipped the script on them in 2026, posting a 1.88 ERA across his four outings.
[Arizona Sports] Diamondbacks win season series vs. Dodgers for 1st time since 2018 – The series was tense. The D-backs outscored the Dodgers 9-7 over three games, winning the first on a walk-off home run from rookie Ryan Waldschmidt and losing the second in extra innings. It was played in front of a packed house for all three games at Chase Field, a split crowd that created a high-stakes atmosphere. “We always play the Dodgers well,” Ketel Marte said via Spanish interpreter. “It’s a tough game. I like that type of adrenaline. We are doing the little things well, this is going to help us out.” In that environment, Arizona’s starting pitchers Merrill Kelly, Brandon Pfaadt and Rodriguez held the Dodgers to three runs over 19.2 innings, and Rodriguez put forth a Herculean effort in the finale.
[AZ Central] Diamondbacks to sign veteran starting pitcher, sources say – The Diamondbacks have agreed to sign veteran right-hander Zack Littell, a source said, in a move that gives them additional rotation depth less than a week after they were unable to land another starting pitcher ahead of the trade deadline. Littell, 30, has a 4.97 ERA in 112 1/3 innings this season for the Washington Nationals. He split time in the rotation and logged bulk innings in relief. He could end up in a similar role with the Diamondbacks. Littell was designated for assignment by the Nationals last week and cleared waivers, ostensibly because he had a $4 million buyout on a 2027 mutual option, thus becoming a free agent. The Diamondbacks will be on the hook only for a prorated portion of the league minimum.
[SI] Torey Lovullo Sends a Message to D-backs Fans After Beating Dodgers – “I want to say something about our fans. They’ve been present, and they’ve been posting up, and it’s been great. This crowd here [Sunday] was very engaged. I always judge the seventh inning stretch [chants] ‘D-backs’ or ‘Dodgers.’ And I think we got them today. I heard more D-backs over Dodgers. So they brought it. I love our fans. We need them. Keep coming.” The energy has been palpable all series, reaching a particularly high volume in game one, thanks to Corbin Carroll’s home run-robbing catch and Ryan Waldschmidt’s eventual walk-off home run. Lovullo said he’s felt the fan support, even when playing in opposing cities. “Even on the road; we go on the road, and there’s a large crowd behind our dugout. Every single city we go into. I haven’t necessarily seen that a lot over the ten years that I’ve been here. I want to say thanks to those fans that come out and rock it for us on the road, too.”
[Arizona Sports] Diamondbacks keep winning while best players are slumping – Carroll’s batting stance looks a bit different, as the perennial workhorse continues to try putting himself in better hitting position.He moved his hands down in an effort to be more streamlined to the baseball.“Just trying to fix my direction, basically,” Carroll said. “That’s what feels good right now, but I’m just trying to make sure that my hands don’t kind of get buried behind me and keep them showing to the pitcher a little bit more. I’d say just working and trying to find the points of emphasis where when I go in the game, it keeps it simple,” he added. “Hopefully things take off from there. … I would say there’s been some positive signs in the games recently, just in terms of hitting a few more balls on a line. Just gotta keep working.”
[Yahoo] Craig Kimbrel signing with 12th MLB team moves veteran reliever closer to history – Once Kimbrel does get on the mound in Kansas City, he will then have pitched for more organizations than all but five pitchers in MLB history. Edwin Jackson and Rich Hill both toed the mound for 14 teams each, while Octavio Dotel and Roosevelt Davis pitched for 13 teams apiece. Kimbrel, a nine-time All-Star, turned 38 back in May and has made 33 Major League appearances in relief this season for the Mets and Rays.
[MLB] How the hot springs in Arkansas became the original Spring Training destination – Although Spring Training has come to be heavily associated with its permanent homes of Florida and Arizona, where this tradition formally began may surprise you. To call Albert Goodwill Spalding an influential baseball figure would be an understatement. As a player, he was an early adopter of the baseball glove and a co-organizer of the NL itself. Within a decade, he was the president of the Chicago White Stockings (later the Cubs), and in that role he stumbled upon another innovation. Ahead of the 1886 season, Spalding decided to find a more suitable preseason training site for his team. He landed, ultimately, on Arkansas.
The Furious (2025)
Rating: B
Dir: Kenji Tanigaki
Star: Miao Xie, Joe Taslim, Yang Enyou, Joey Iwanaga
Yeah, believe the hype. Okay, much of it. This is not quite as good as The Raid: Redemption. But the number of films deserving even of a credible comparison there are few. Simply being in the conversation is high praise, reserved for the very top tier of action cinema. Might be limited to not many more than The Night Comes for Us – and it’s hardly a coincidence both those, like this, starred Taslim. He may be the best, least-known action actor in the world. Make no mistake though: it’s a banger, which likely provoked more audible reactions from Chris and myself than any other film this year. Mostly of the “Oh, shit!” variety – and in a good way at that.
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 08: Andrés Chaparro #87 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with Abimelec Ortiz #81 after scoring in the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Nationals Park on August 08, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When the Nats traded Luis Garcia Jr. to the Yankees, they were losing the NL leader in slugging and one of the more unique hitters in the game. Garcia’s combination of contact skills and power was thrilling to watch. However, the Nats decision to move Garcia might have made them a better team this season.
This is no knock on Garcia at all. He was having a great season and is a very good hitter. However, the Nats got multiple bullpen arms for Garcia while having an in-house replacement at first base. Right now, the Abimelec Ortiz and Andres Chaparro duo is making sure the Nats aren’t losing any production at first base.
As you can see, both Ortiz and Chaparro are heavy hitters at first base. Both of them have the power and bat speed you want to see from that position. There is a high barrier for entry offensively at the first base position. However, both of these guys have the tools to mash.
Chaparro’s offensive explosion in the second half has been equal parts surprising and exhilarating. Even in the first half when Chaparro was not producing at all, some of his underlying numbers were still solid. However, seeing him mash the way he has is still shocking for a guy with a .167 average and .586 OPS in the first half.
In the second half, Chaparro is hitting .318 with 5 homers and a 1.173 OPS in 18 games. With three righties on the mound this weekend, Chaparro did not make any starts, but he still had a huge impact. He pinch hit on Saturday and Sunday, driving in five runs on the weekend. These hits helped the Nats blow games open and secure comfortable victories.
While Chaparro has gotten the vast majority of his reps against lefties, he has looked comfortable against right handed pitching when given the opportunity. He is 7 for 17 with 2 homers and 12 RBI against righties and came up with a big knock against Tejay Antone yesterday. After missing a home run by inches, Chaparro ripped a 2-run double in the gap to put the nail in the Reds coffin.
However, Chaparro has been around for a while now and is the weak side of the platoon. Rookie slugger Abimelec Ortiz is the first baseman against righties, and he has been mashing. The Nats received Ortiz as part of the MacKenzie Gore trade, and the former Rangers farmhand has mashed in AAA this year. Despite an underwhelming .244 average, Ortiz had an .845 OPS and 18 home runs. Importantly, Ortiz also struck out under 20% of the time.
His skills are likely a reason why the Nats pulled the trigger on the Garcia trade. With the bullpen help they received and Ortiz waiting in the wings, the idea was that the Garcia trade would not really hurt them this season. So far, that theory is looking smart. Yovanny Cruz and Jake Bird both made impacts out of the bullpen while Ortiz had great at bats all weekend.
Ortiz is known for his power, but his pure hitting ability has been very impressive. He fell behind Chase Burns 0-2 before guiding a single the other way to drive in two runners. Against a strikeout artist like Burns, staying in that AB is so impressive, especially for a young hitter. The 24 year old is hitting .273 with an .895 OPS in 8 games so far.
We saw the pure hitting ability on Saturday, but yesterday we got to see some of that big power. Ortiz drove a well placed sweeper to the opposite field for a home run off of Brady Singer. It was a pitch that was executed well, but Ortiz was able to drive it out of the ballpark anyways.
The results have been there, but the overall quality of the at bats have been even more impressive for me. He has not looked overmatched at any point in his big league career so far, even when he had to pinch hit against Jhoan Duran. It is too soon to say if he can completely make up for Garcia’s loss, but at the very least, he should be a solid piece in the Nats lineup.
When you think of elite first baseman, you envision the likes of Matt Olson, Pete Alonso or Freddie Freeman. However, the Nats have gotten that kind of production from the position without having a star player like that. The Nats have done a lot of platooning this season, but it has worked the best at first base. With Luis Garcia, and now Abimelec Ortiz hitting against righties while Andres Chaparro mashes lefties, it is a great formula.
Seeing that platoon not really miss a beat with Ortiz thrown in the fire has also been great to see. If Ortiz stays hot, that Garcia trade could honestly help us this season. Yovanny Cruz looks like an electric arm and has helped stabilize the bullpen. Also, Jake Bird looked good in his first outing. He struggled with the Yankees, but he had some solid seasons with the Rockies and there are plenty of examples of players who just can’t make it work in pinstripes.
The Luis Garcia Jr. trade looked like a huge blow for the offense, but right now the machine is rolling on. They are not household names, and were never really big name prospects, but the duo of Abimelec Ortiz and Andres Chaparro looks like a productive first base platoon. Those two certainly played a massive role in the Nats first sweep since April.
COVERS INTEL: The Phillies and Cardinals 
Jameson Taillon
Sonny Gray
Francisco Alvarez
