ATLANTA, GA - JULY 13: Major League Baseball Robert D. Manfred announces Gavin Kilen as the thirteenth overall pick by the San Francisco Giants during the 2025 MLB Draft presented by Nike at Coca-Cola Roxy on Sunday, July 13, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
If you like any and all things involving San Francisco Giants baseball, then my goodness is today a good day for you. The Giants play at 1:05 p.m. PT this afternoon, and all seven of their Minor League Baseball affiliates are in action throughout the day.
But the big event? The first day of the 2026 MLB Draft. The draft is split into two days now (as opposed to three in recent years), with the first 10 rounds on Saturday and the next 10 rounds on Sunday. For the first time in a long time, the Giants haven’t sacrificed any picks … in fact, they’ve added picks (a very rare thing in MLB, since only a few picks can be traded), as they picked up a Competitive Balance Round A selection in the Patrick Bailey trade.
That means the Giants have 11 picks today: No. 4, No. 29, No. 55, and the 15th pick in Rounds 3-10. It should be an exciting day! So join us here to enjoy all the action … I’ll have newsers for the various draft picks, but we can talk the day’s action here.
How to watch Day 1 of the draft
What: 2026 MLB Draft, Day 1, rounds 1-10
Where: Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 27: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins take the ice against the St. Louis Blues at PPG PAINTS Arena on October 27, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The subject was broached here earlier in the week, but let’s take another look at the 32 Thoughts lingering question of the offseason for the Penguins.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Can they add a centre before next season?
GM Kyle Dubas has had a tricky job to balance between an aging core that wants to compete with a clear need to bring in some youth and prepare for the next era, whenever it arrives. He’s done pretty well in acquiring some early-to-mid-20s players, with Yegor Chinakhov the shining example last season. The front office will continue looking for those types of players, or to make a big play for someone. They certainly were in conversations with Dallas about trading for Jason Robertson.
One area of the roster we could identify as a need to improve on is down the middle. Evgeni Malkin is a winger now, and while Ben Kindel was a great and surprising story in his rookie year, ideally the Penguins would have another productive veteran to take top-six centre minutes. Centres can be hard to come by, but there have been a few available this off-season. In terms of identifying one available centre who isn’t too old, has a depressed value, but still holds upside: what about Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson?
“Look he’s got to play better in that $11.6 million everyone’s been talking about, but again, the ground has shifted here in a huge way,” Friedman said of Pettersson. “I’ve sat there and I’ve said ‘where could he go that could be good for him?’ I wonder if the Penguins with Crosby and Malkin might be good for him.”
It’s always interesting to see a national-level perspective from an informed source, but at surface level there’s some specifics to address.
Would the Penguins be better off by adding a solid center? Sure. Is it a dire need? I’m not as convinced.
Between Sidney Crosby and Blake Lizotte the top and bottom of the lineup is good. Lizotte is a player who takes a regular shift and plays a lot for a ‘fourth’ liner, Crosby is still leaned on heavily and that alone takes some pressure off the rest of the lineup.
From there, the Pens have numbers to throw at the rest off the issue. Ben Kindel will be in the mix and the other spot can be handled by some combination in rotation of Tommy Novak, Rickard Rakell and perhaps occasionally Evgeni Malkin. Hendrix Lapierre is another player with NHL center experience, though he may or may not be an option moving forward in that spot. If placed in a tough spot due to injuries, Connor Dewar has shown to be a capable fourth line center option in the recent past.
Talk of Elias Pettersson is understandable enough, he’s right in the target demo for what Dubas was looking for as a players in his mid-to-late 20s that has control over where he can be traded. However, there’s no indication that Pettersson is interested in uprooting to an Eastern team, let alone a place like Pittsburgh. He’s also underperforming to his large $11.6 million cap hit. The Canucks surely aren’t going to give up one of their best players for nothing. That’s a lot of hurdles for multiple sides to have to overcome to make a match.
It’s a change, and a jarring one at that, to see the Penguins no longer be so stocked down the middle when over the last 20 years they’ve had players like prime Crosby and Malkin paired with a rotation of others like Jordan Staal, Nick Bonino and Matt Cullen to make the center spot the envy of the league over much of the last two decades. Those days may be over but the extreme urge to boost the spot isn’t exactly there either.
Sections of the Rangers support have long called on the club to recruit the Scottish Premiership's best talent, and the Ibrox hierarchy appear to be acting on that this summer.
Both Lawrence Shankland and Cammy Devlin were among Hearts' standout players as they came within minutes of a historic Scottish top-flight triumph.
The Ibrox club have signed both without needing to pay a transfer fee and have also plucked manager Derek McInnes from Tynecastle.
"Cammy is obviously a player I know, and I am well aware of what he will offer to Rangers," McInnes said.
"His levels of consistency for me were superb, and he is the type of player that every manager wants in his team."
Devlin made the most tackles per 90 minutes in the Premiership last season, and among midfielders he ranked second for interceptions, second for defensive contributions and third for recoveries.
Some Rangers fans have expressed concerns about his work on the ball while playing for a team that will dominate possession in most domestic games.
But there were only four Premiership midfielders who completed more accurate passes per 90 minutes than Devlin last season. One of those was Rangers' Nicolas Raskin.
"He is someone who knows the Scottish league, and nothing will surprise him with what lies ahead," manager McInnes added.
"I am looking forward to welcoming Cammy to Rangers and working with him again after he returns from his holiday."
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 09: Caleb Durbin #5 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates with Romy Gonzalez #23 after hitting a two-run home run against the Chicago White Sox during the fourth inning at Rate Field on July 09, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2026 Boston Red Sox are somehow just 1.5 games out of a playoff spot entering the final two games before the All-Star break. Just three teams sit ahead of them in between the final wild card spot with the Toronto Blue Jays, the Houston Astros and the Minnesota Twins.
That field has shrunk in recent weeks, making the idea of the Red Sox leapfrogging them a more realistic possibility. As we wrote about a few months ago, the American League is bad. It’s been bad before, but this year is in a realm of its own.
Boston is not good, but the team still could find a way to October this year. Isn’t that crazy? Because they’re really not a contender and should still sell at the deadline. But the open nature and brutal mediocrity of the AL leaves the door to the playoffs open far longer than this installment of the Red Sox deserves.
That’s not to say there aren’t bright spots, because that’s the reason we’re having this conversation at all. The rotation is beyond exceptional with a multitude of quality arms, even in a season where multiple went down, headlined by the extended absence of Garrett Crochet. The Red Sox also earned two initial All-Star selections in Aroldis Chapman and Ranger Suarez. Willson Contreras joined the party as a replacement and (for now) snub Sonny Gray should be next in line if another injury need comes up to head to Philadelphia next week.
The Red Sox have the necessary pitching for October. The problem, as has been the case all season, is the offense, though the group has put together solid outings consistently in a six-game winning streak against questionable competition. If the conversation is to stick around this summer about whether or not Boston should still have playoff aspirations this season, a real conversation needs to be had about what the lineup can truly be down the stretch.
Obviously, they still need to get healthy. With that said, here’s the best possible lineup construction the Red Sox can get to with the players they currently have in the organization.
Roman Anthony, LF/DH
Ceddanne Rafaela, CF
Willson Contreras, 1B
Wilyer Abreu, RF
Romy Gonzalez, 2B
Trevor Story, SS
Jarren Duran, LF/DH
Caleb Durbin, 3B (probably has real argument to be higher)
Carlos Narvaez, C
That gets them close to what the group looked like on Opening Day healthy. If the Red Sox get back to this standard, they’d still probably need another impact guy externally to make a real playoff push.
That’s where the trade deadline gets so complicated as of this time, because Boston should still probably sell given the assets they have. But if they get serious about trying to play for October, another bat is a necessity.
The fit is interesting because an infielder makes the most sense, particularly up the middle. That rental market isn’t great, unless they deal from pitching depth and swing for Ketel Marte again with young pitching going to Arizona.
The idea of Boston riding its pitching staff through a remarkable season turnaround to the postseason isn’t too crazy at this point. But if the Red Sox cannot get enough of a consistent lineup together – both in production and health – to support the arms, the pros of buying may not even be worth it by season’s end.
And the risk of not getting the capable return of their assets as sellers matters too much in the decision.
Jul 7, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Hurston Waldrep (64) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Braves made yet another roster move on Friday, and this time, right-hander Hurston Waldrep was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett while lefty Tyler Kinley was reinstated from the paternity list.
The #Braves today reinstated RHP Tyler Kinley from the paternity list and optioned RHP Hurston Waldrep to Triple-A Gwinnett.
Waldrep has appeared in three games this season after recovering from elbow surgery. In 10.2 frames, he’s logged an 8.44 ERA and recorded nine strikeouts.
Kinley returned on Friday night, where he threw a scoreless inning, recording one strikeout and surrendering a walk.
With Kinley back in the bullpen, Waldrep will return to Gwinnett to continue refining his game and await his next opportunity in Atlanta.
Tate Southisene tripled on Thursday for the Rome Emperors. More in the minor league recap. Grant McAuley caught up with Southisene to discuss his road to the show.
Shohei Ohtani is dealing with a left knee issue and will miss the All-Star Game. He will continue to DH this weekend but will not make his scheduled start on the mound.
From the Feed:
After the Shohei Ohtani news, Ivan Herrera has been called to take his spot on the All-Star Game roster.
Imagine having an opportunity to go back in time and watch a baseball game featuring stars such as Bobby Witt Jr., Julio Rodriguez, Adley Rutschman, Riley Greene, Michael Harris II, Michael Busch and Cole Ragans ... BEFORE they'd ever played a game in the majors.
That's the allure of Major League Baseball's annual showcase of top prospects – the All-Star Futures Game. Each of those players mentioned were part of the Futures Game just five years ago in Coors Field.
Which players in this year's game will go on to make their mark in the majors? We'll get a look at them when the American League and National League squads take the field for the 2026 Futures Game on Sunday, July 12, as part of MLB's All-Star Week festivities.
How to watch MLB Futures Game
The 27th annual All-Star Futures Game will be played at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
Announcers: Melanie Newman (play-by-play), Yonder Alonso (analyst), Sam Dykstra (analyst), Sande Charles (reporter)
Prospects to watch at 2026 MLB Futures Game
Each of the top six overall minor league prospects in MLB Pipeline's latest rankings will be in attendance at this year's Futures Game. Here's a look at them and what makes them potential major leaguers.
SS Jesus Made, Brewers. Just 19 years old and playing at Class AA Biloxi (Mississippi), Made is hitting .277/.347/.420 with seven homers and 25 stolen bases in 31 attempts. A switch-hitting shortstop with elite bat speed and athleticism in the field, Made has more than held his own against much older competition.
SS Leo De Vries, Athletics. Another 19-year-old Dominican shortstop, De Vries was the centerpiece of the 2025 trade that sent closer Mason Miller to San Diego. In his first full season at Double-A Midland (Texas), he's hitting .276/.369/.420 with 10 homers and 30 steals in 35 attempts.
SS Eli Willits, Nationals. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft out of high school, the son of former major leaguer Reggie Willits has blazing speed and plays excellent defense. His hit tool is developing as an 18-year-old, and he was recently promoted to High-A Wilmington (Delaware). Over two minor league levels, he's slashing .282/.416/.498 with 12 homers while going 38-for-50 in stolen base attempts.
OF Josue De Paula, Dodgers. Compared to the top three, the 21-year-old De Paula has tons of experience. In fact, this will be his second appearance in the Futures Game, after he won MVP honors a year ago in Atlanta for his go-ahead, three-run homer. He's destroyed pitchers at Double-A Tulsa (Oklahoma), hitting .320/.417/.549 with 15 home runs and 25 steals in 30 attempts.
SP Kade Anderson, Mariners. The most exciting pitching prospect in the minors, Anderson has dominated hitters ever since being drafted third overall out of LSU in 2025, two spots behind Willits. In his first pro season, the 22-year-old Anderson has posted a microscopic 1.36 ERA over 72⅔ innings (14 starts) with a 108/10 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
SP Seth Hernandez, Pirates. Taken three spots after Anderson, Hernandez is a rare high school pitcher to go that early in the first round. The Pirates clearly believe in his powerful right arm, one that can touch triple digits. But his best pitch may be his changeup. Over 16 starts at Class A and High-A, the 20-year-old has a 2.61 ERA with 111 strikeouts and 30 walks in 69 total innings.
San Antonio TX, - June 25, 2026: Jayden Quaintance of the San Antonio Spurs Talks to the media during the San Antonio Spurs Rookie Press Conference on June 25, 2026 at Victory Capital Practice Center, 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 (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Spurs fans are excited about the drafting of Jayden Quaintance, but we honestly haven’t gotten to see him in action. The 6’10” power forward was drafted in the midst of recovering from back-to-back injuries. First, a knee surgery in early 2025 followed by a torn meniscus a year later. In his draft conference, he stated he was working with the Spurs medical staff toward another surgery.
In the meantime, Quaintance has been involved with Summer League from the bench, soaking up the knowledge coach Corliss Williamson is instilling in the team.
Here’s some collegiate highlights. Fun fact: at the 1:30ish mark, he blocks his new teammate Carter Bryant.
Quaintance graduated from high school a year early. After a year and twenty-four games at Arizona State, he transferred to Kentucky where he played in four games. And today, he turns 19.
There are high hopes for Quaintance once he is fully healed. An avid chess player, Quaintance hopes to connect with Victor Wembanyama from across the chess board. On the court, he shows hints at the defensive acumen to make the Spurs one of the most feared teams in the league.
For now, the 20th pick of the draft is spending his birthday in Las Vegas getting to know his new teammates and waiting for his chance to return to the game he loves.
Happy birthday, Jayden.
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Jul 10, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Tim Mayza (37) reacts after being called for a balk which resulted in the Detroit Tigers scoring a run in the sixth inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
I do at least appreciate that when the Phillies lose a game like that, I can at least focus my attention on something else and not be dialed into every single pitch like normal. It lets me get some things done around the house for the evening.
May 20, 2026; Hoover, AL, USA; Mississippi State third baseman Ace Reese fields a ball and throws to first for an out in the SEC Tournament game between Georgia and Mississippi State at the Hoover Met. | Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The 2026 MLB Draft gets underway today. Over the next two days, the Milwaukee Brewers will select 20 players to add to their organization and be part of that next wave of young talent.
MLB’s Draft is notoriously difficult to predict, especially the later the Draft goes on. Picks aren’t necessarily about who is the best on the board; it’s about who is there for the best price, so the slot money can be spread around to get the maximum amount of talent. The Brewers have been one of the best teams at spreading out their available bonus money over the past several years.
This year, the Crew has one of their lowest bonus pool totals in a long time — they have a lack of compensatory picks (including trading away the No. 67 pick to acquire Kyle Harrison) and had the best record in baseball last year, pushing their picks toward the end of each round.
The Brewers have their first pick at No. 25 overall, which is the last selection in the first round. Where could they go? Let’s take a look at who the experts have Milwaukee taking in their mock drafts.
The Brewers took a starting pitcher from Coastal Carolina last year with Jacob Morrison in the third round. Carlos Collazo at Baseball America has the Crew going back to the Chanticleers rotation again this year with Cameron Flukey.
Flukey’s success is no fluke. He sits in the mid-90s on his fastball and can reach 98 mph with movement. His curveball is his best secondary and is a high-spin pitch, which is a quality the Brewers have targeted consistently in their pitching selections. Flukey stands 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds, so there’s a starter’s frame with room to add on more weight if needed.
Back-to-back Flukey selections here; he should be going off the board right around this range, so it does make sense. However, the Brewers have selected a pitcher in the first round just once in the past decade. That pick was Ethan Small in 2019, and Small didn’t exactly work out very well for the Brewers. There’s a reason they don’t go there often. But could they buck the trend this year?
The Brewers have drafted corner infielders a lot in recent years, so why not go back to that well again with an SEC third baseman? Ace Reese has big-time power, slugging 24 bombs this year for the Bulldogs while hitting .336. Classic left-handed power bat with a solid feel to hit. The big question will be his defensive home and if he can stick at the hot corner.
CBS Sports – Cole Prosek, SS/C, Magnolia Heights (MS) HS
The nephew of Brewers third base coach Matt Erickson, Prosek has been a heavily connected name to the Brewers through this process. He’s also from the same high school as the Crew’s current shortstop, Cooper Pratt, and plays with Pratt’s younger brother on the team. Prosek is an athletic player who can play both infield and behind the plate. He has a strong feel to hit, with some giving him plus grades, and some pretty good pop as well. He’s committed to Ole Miss, but there’s strong momentum for him in the first round, and the Brewers feel like a great landing spot if he’s there.
MLB Pipeline’s most recent mock draft came back on July 2, and they had the Crew going with a college bat yet again. This is not much of a surprise. Rose is generally above average across the board offensively, and though they may need to work on pitch selection with him, Rose has a pretty good ceiling to work with.
Another Prosek pick. The connection is certainly strong. The Brewers do have a history of selecting players who have the potential to stick behind the plate even if they haven’t primarily played there as an amateur. If the Brewers like his catching potential, they could take him and send him out there. Marco Dinges was one such player a few years ago.
For many years, the Brewers avoided corner infielders like the plague. They focused on up-the-middle athletes only. Recently, they’ve taken Brock Wilken, Blake Burke, and Andrew Fischer with early selections each of the last three years. They seem to have plenty of future possibilities on the corners, but can you ever really have enough?
Prospects Live – Cole Prosek, SS/C, Magnolia Heights (MS) HS
A very popular pick here. Could it be because of the Matt Erickson connection? Could it be legitimate interest? Could it also be a smokescreen? If too many prognosticators think the Brewers are taking someone, the Brewers generally do something else. They keep things largely tight to the vest.
Back to the college bats, Sawyer Strosnider is another name that has popped up quite a bit with the Brewers. Strosnider is a left-handed bat with a big-time power-speed combination, earning plus grades on both tools. He does have a little bit of a strikeout problem, which is somewhat concerning with any hitter. But in terms of tools and athleticism, few in this draft have more, which makes him a name to watch.
Other names connected
Throughout all these mock drafts, the writers do include other names they considered or names they have heard connected to the Brewers at No. 25. That group includes:
James Clark, SS, St. John Bosco (CA) HS Tegan Kuhns, RHP, Tennessee Taj Marchand, SS, James Island (SC) HS Trey Ebel, SS, Corona (CA) HS Eric Becker, SS, Virginia Logan Reddemann, RHP, UCLA
The 2026 MLB Draft gets started this afternoon. We shall see which, if any, of these mock drafters were correct in their selections.
Jul 10, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Samuel Basallo (29) celebrates at home plate after hitting a two-run home run in the eighth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images | Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
Even in a season that isn’t going according to plan, an immutable fact remains: life seems a little bit better after an Orioles win. That’s especially true when the O’s make it a dramatic win, like last night’s 5-3 takedown of the visiting Royals at Camden Yards. After Brandon Young’s bid to pitch into the eighth inning went haywire in heartbreaking fashion, Samuel Basallo stepped up to reinvigorate the team and the sizable crowd of O’s fans with his electric go-ahead homer — and epic bat toss — in the Birds’ last at-bat. Check out Stacey’s recap of a delightful night at Oriole Park.
The game was a fun reminder of what the Orioles can look like when they’re playing well, something that unfortunately has happened far too little this season. A win against a last-place Royals team doesn’t fix the many problems that still plague the Birds. But with two games remaining against lowly Kansas City, the Orioles have a chance to head into the All-Star break feeling better about themselves if they can put together a couple more performances as competent as last night’s.
While the players (hopefully) keep their attention on the field, the O’s front office decision-makers have other things on their mind this weekend. The 2026 MLB Draft begins today at 1 pm, and the Orioles hold the #7 pick. As Mark Brown wrote, there’s no consensus among draft pundits about which player the O’s will take; five different writers have suggested four different possibilities for the Orioles in their mock drafts. And of course the Birds’ actual selection could end up being someone not even mentioned. They do that sometimes.
The Orioles’ #7 pick is their highest since 2022, when they held the #1 overall selection and drafted Jackson Holliday. Since then, their highest first-round picks have been #17 in 2023 (which they used on Enrique Bradfield Jr.), #22 in 2024 (Vance Honeycutt), and #19 in 2025 (Ike Irish).
And I would venture to say that Mike Elias really needs to nail this one. His once-hyped draft prowess has lost quite a bit of luster in recent years. After his lauded first draft with the Orioles in 2019, which netted the O’s both Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson, the results of his subsequent drafts have been a mixed bag. He reached a bit to make Heston Kjerstad the #2 overall pick in 2020 and that hasn’t panned out, though he also scored Jordan Westburg later in the first round. Elias’s top selection in 2021, Colton Cowser, is still a bit of an enigma offensively. Then there’s Holliday, who hasn’t yet performed like the platonic ideal of a #1 overall pick, though he’s still just 22.
None of the Orioles’ draft picks from 2023 or beyond have arrived in the majors, but Bradfield has struggled to hit consistently in the minors, and the 2024 draft — in which Elias selected Honeycutt and Griff O’Ferrall in the first round — looks like a bust. Early returns from the 2025 first round (Irish and Wehiwa Aloy) look promising so far, as does Caden Bodine, whom the O’s traded to the Rays in the Shane Baz deal.
If the Orioles’ 2026 campaign continues to go sideways and the team decides to make front office changes this offseason, then there’s a real possibility that this is the final draft Elias will oversee. For everyone’s sake, let’s hope it’s a good one.
One e-mailer suggests that the O’s should mortgage the farm to trade for Mason Miller. I hate to tell you this, friend, but the Orioles are not a closer away from being a good team.
Due to supply chain issues, the O’s didn’t have the Turnstile giveaway jerseys ready to hand out to fans last night. It’s been that kind of a year for the 2026 Orioles.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You share your day with two guys who were briefly Orioles: outfielder Daniel Johnson (31), who played nine games from 2024-25, and righty Zach Clark (43), who pitched a single MLB game back in 2013.
On this date in 1968, Earl Weaver managed his first major league game after taking over for the fired Hank Bauer. The then-37-year-old Weaver guided the O’s to a 2-0 win over the Senators in Baltimore, thanks to Dave McNally’s two-hit shutout and a Don Buford home run. It was the first of 1,480 regular season wins — plus 26 postseason wins — in Earl’s eventual Hall of Fame career.
And on this day in 1987, Billy Ripken made his MLB debut, joining brother Cal Jr. in the Orioles lineup. Their dad, Cal Sr., became the first skipper in MLB history to manage two of his sons. Cal Jr. and Billy went a combined 0-for-7 in the Orioles’ 2-1 loss to the Twins.
Random Orioles game of the day
On July 11, 2002, the Orioles opened the second half with a 4-1 loss to the Athletics at Camden Yards. Scott Erickson had a strong seven-inning, three-run outing, but was outdueled by A’s lefty Mark Mulder, who stymied the Orioles for seven scoreless. Future Oriole Miguel Tejada went 2-for-5 with an RBI double for Oakland. The loss dropped the Orioles to two games under .500, which doesn’t seem so bad considering they eventually finished the season 28 games under.
The Detroit Tigers continued their surge into the All-Star break on Friday night with an authoritative 10-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Comerica Park. Jack Flaherty made it to the six-inning mark for the first time in what seems like forever, giving his team a quality start in the process, while a trio of home runs fueled the offense to a double-digit total.
On Saturday, the Motor City Kitties can clinch their fourth straight series with right-hander Casey Mize taking the mound. The 29-year-old is coming off a pair of quality starts of his own, putting up a 1.32 ERA and 2.46 FIP over the last 13 2/3 innings, allowing just six hits (one home run) and two walks while striking out 14 to earn his third and fourth wins of the season.
It will not be easy for the Tigers with left-hander Cristopher Sánchez climbing the hill for the Phillies. Coming off a season that saw him finish second in the National League Cy Young race, the 29-year-old has picked up where he left off, ranking second in the majors in pitching fWAR behind Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski.
However, Sánchez is coming off his worst outing of the 2026 campaign, surrendering nine runs on 12 hits (three home runs) and a walk while striking out just one Kansas City Royal on the road for his fourth loss in a 15-1 final. Maybe the Tigers can get to him on Saturday evening too.
Here is a look at how the two match up in Game 2 of the three-game series in Detroit.
Detroit Tigers (44-50) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (52-43)
Time (ET): 6:10 p.m. Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan SB Nation Site:The Good Phight Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 95: RHP Casey Mize (4-5, 2.64 ERA) vs. LHP Cristopher Sánchez (10-4, 2.62 ERA)
The 2026 MLB Draft begins today, and Kentucky Baseball fans will have at least one major reason to tune in.
Wildcats shortstop Tyler Bell is widely expected to be selected in the early rounds after two seasons in Lexington.
Bell entered the season as one of the top prospects in the 2026 class, with MLB Pipeline ranking him among its top draft prospects. He also participated in the MLB Draft Combine last month.
While recent first-round mock drafts from CBS Sports and ESPN have not projected Bell among the opening selections, his prospect status makes him Kentucky’s best bet to be called early in the draft.
Bell’s combination of defensive ability, switch-hitting potential, and youth could make him an intriguing option for organizations looking for an up-the-middle prospect.
Kentucky could also have additional players selected during the later rounds as MLB organizations work through 20 rounds over two days.
Mark Pope has drawn some criticism from fans in his first two seasons in Lexington regarding his substitution patterns.
Fans have (understandably) been frustrated with the deep bench Pope deploys throughout the season, as opposed to tightening the rotation and keeping his top players in the game longer.
Pope was asked about his substitution strategy during an appearance on Kentucky Sports Radio this past week, emphasizing player development over the course of the season. Pope said there are several variables that come into play when it comes to substitution patterns, but it’s also important to develop players up-and-down the roster.
“Developing guys is really important,” Pope said. “And you saw that, a great example is Collin Chandler. Collin Chandler was the seventh most improved player in all of college basketball last season. That doesn’t happen by accident. You have to kind of nurse guys and grow guys. You know, Jasper Johnson is a player that has tremendous upside and we needed him and kept trying to find the right situation for him, and he’s going to be a great player. Some of that’s going to come from those developmental minutes.
“You look at Otega Oweh’s rise and us being able to continuously put him in new situations. That’s how guys grow. Malachi Moreno, you know, early on in the season force feeding him some minutes helped him grow into the guy who had to carry the load for so much of last season. You kinda go down the list. For us, we are developers of players. I think it’s one of the things we do better than anyone else in the country. We help our guys get better.
“I’m really proud of the fact that Amari came in as a non-draft board guy. That Koby came in here as a non-draft board guy. That Otega came here as a non-draft board guy. These are not guys that were predestined to be drafted players. JQ was, but those other three weren’t and the fact that those guys came her and we were able to develop them, and they were able to develop themselves because it’s their hard work that does it, to earn themselves a chance to go play at the next level is really important to us.”
So what does that mean going forward? It sounds like Pope will continue to deploy a deep bench throughout the regular season, while tightening the rotation for the postseason. It’ll be interesting to see how Pope rotates lineups with this group this season.
In some past seasons, we’ve written up every pick the White Sox make in the draft with individual stories. This year, we’ll let a constantly-updated Day 2 draft tracker do all the work, but overall we will have individual features on the first five White Sox picks (Nos. 1, 34, 44, 77, 105).
An exciting twist to our coverage this year is having Melissa Sage-Bollenbach in Philadelphia and on the grounds covering for us. That should mean details and quotes you won’t see anywhere else, as well as video and other postings on all our social media channels (@southsidesox.bsky.social on Blue Sky, South Side Sox on Facebook, @sss_south_side_sox on Instagram, @southsidesox_ on TikTok, @sss_south_side_sox on Threads and @SouthSideSox on Twitter/X).
To kick off our coverage of today’s five picks and the following 16 on Sunday, here’s a How to Watch guide. But really, let us do the heavy lifting and just stay tuned to the real-time updates of South Side Sox!
Day 2: Sunday, July 12 (Rounds 5-20) 10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. CT Rounds 5-20 (MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+)
The 2026 MLB draft is in Philadelphia this year as part of MLB All-Star Week. First-day coverage of the draft is extensive, with interviews of newly-drafted players, highlight packages, real-time analysis from MLB’s experts, footage from team draft rooms and interviews with front office personnel. Sunday’s coverage will be exhaustive, covering every pick, but the nature of buzzing through hundreds of picks means that the broadcast mostly consists of stock-ticker reporting in rapid-fire fashion.
MLB draft primer After trading Jacob Gonzalez to the Pirates, the White Sox the largest draft pool in baseball: $20,489,500. Each pick of the first 10 rounds has an assigned slot value, and adding up all of those pick values determines the bonus pool. Teams can spend more or less on any draft choice in any round, all the way down to Round 20.
Overall, teams are allowed to exceed their allotted pool by up to 5% — but teams are taxed 75% on any spending beyond the bonus pool; if the White Sox sign their 21 draft choices for $21 million, they’ll have to pay a 75% tax on that extra $510,500. (For a Jerry Reinsdorf-run team, don’t expect to see the White Sox exceeding their bonus pool.) And if a team was to exceed their bonus pool by more than 5%, it’s viewed as “cheating” and results in higher penalties and a loss of future draft picks — NO TEAM has ever done this.
Players picked in Rounds 11–20 have slot values of $150,000 — but it’s all “free” money in that it does not count against the bonus pool. Any contract of more than $150,000 results in the extra payment counting against the pool (if the total used to sign Round 11-20 selections adds up to $1.5 million, the White Sox will have all $20,489,500 to spend on their Round 1-10 picks, but if the total added up to $3 million, the bonus pool to sign Round 1-10 draftees will be just $18,989,500. The White Sox are very likely to lowball a few selections with no other options (players sign for as little as $10,000) to free up money in the latter half of the draft, rather than cannibalize the more precious bonus-pool monies.
Finally, if you’d like your own “White Sox draft preview show” as you wait for the action to begin, here’s director of scouting Mike Shirley on Friday’s broadcast, talking draft:
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - FEBRUARY 15: Rich Paul and Anthony Davis attend the Klutch Sports Group All-Star Dinner presented by PATRÓN Tequila at Swift & Sons on February 15, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for PATRÓN Tequila) | Getty Images for PATRÓN Tequila
The Washington Wizards’ summer of 2026 has centered around AJ Dybantsa’s professional debut in the Summer League. And so far, Deandre Ayton is coming to Washington, Khris Middleton is returning and Patrick Ewing is returning to coach with the first NBA team he ever coached for. In Ewing’s case, keep in mind that as a player, he is the (now second) best New York Knicks legend of all time. Why? Because the Knicks won the 2025-26 NBA championship!
Okay, I ribbed on Ewing a little too hard there.
But what about Anthony Davis? The Golden State Warriors apparently wanted him from the Wizards, but Washington has since made it clear that he’s staying. So … what now?
On Game Over, an NBA podcast with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul (who is Davis’ agent), Kellerman just asked him straight up on an episode which was released yesterday. Paul said simply “yes” and then “Why wouldn’t he” when pressed further. Paul even said “I don’t know anything about [a trade].”
Rich Paul says Anthony Davis WILL play for the Wizards next season:
I’m trying to look closer at Paul’s body language and he doesn’t seem relaxed about this topic. I can 100 percent believe him that Davis will start the 2026-27 season with the Wizards. However, he’s not so relaxed when being pressed about trade requests and the like. Interpret that for what you will.
