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The answer to this question is probably a lot different than it was a month ago. A month ago, Bohm was the worst hitter in the game. Forget the National League, he was the worst hitter in the entirety of MLB. Since his two day off sojourn, he’s come back as one of the more productive hitters the Phillies have. Not quite enough to totally earn extension talk, but then other things have happened.

Aidan Miller was the best hitting prospect the team has had in a while, but now has back issues. We know how badly they can linger, but would they linger enough to go into 2027? It leads back to the question of the day: has Bohm done enough to warrant the team giving him a contract extension, especially considering the health of Miller?

The Orioles were on their way to what might have been a feel-good win in their series opener against the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers. They carried a two-run lead into the bottom of the ninth on Friday night. Even against these guys, that should have been enough. Closer Ryan Helsley, fresh off the injured list, absolutely blew it instead, with a little help from his friends. Instead of a win, the Orioles get yet another feel-bad loss, one that tips them closer to the point where there’s no coming back from this.

Before this west coast trip began, I decided that I was not going to stay up late watching these jokers. They aren’t worth it. I apologize for the belated recap that has stemmed from this decision. It will happen twice more before this road trip is over. I’m not actually that sorry, though, because waking up to this validates the decision. Imagine if I had stayed up and then had to write about this at 1 o’clock in the morning:

Let’s rewind this series of events a little bit. Helsley took the mound for the ninth with a two-run lead. This was his second outing since returning from the injured list. He was bad in the first outing two days ago, which was a non-save situation. After retiring the leadoff batter, Helsley turned it into a one-run cushion by giving up a home run to Mookie Betts. Although Betts has enjoyed a decades-long run as one of the game’s elite players, he entered Friday’s game with a .203/.266/.367 batting line. Don’t get beat by that guy! Helsley did, though.

Right after giving up that home run, Helsley walked the next batter, putting the tying run on base and bringing the winning run up to the plate. This is the strike zone plot of Max Muncy drawing this walk:

Look at those four green dots! Those are nowhere close to the strike zone. This guy had no idea where the ball was going. This was the time for the experienced closer to buckle down and make some good pitches and he did this. Helsley, come on, man! Once on base as the tying run, Muncy was replaced by a pinch runner.

The closer then got your hopes up by getting the second out on an easy popout. Just get the next guy and you’re good. That’s all. Helsley did not get the next guy. He walked Ryan Ward on four pitches. The four balls were not as egregiously out of the strike zone as the previous walk, so I’m not going to post that screenshot also, but still. This was bad and it sucks, and also, after this disaster, Helsley has a 5.11 ERA. If it’s late June and your closer has a 5+ ERA, you don’t have a closer. You have a tragedy.

Two on, two out, the tying run on second base, the winning run on first. What happened next is not, in its entirety, Helsley’s fault. I refer you to the above video. The tying run was always going to score on this batted ball. The winning run did not have to. It did anyway, thanks to the poor decision by Tyler O’Neill (who was, if you can believe it, a defensive replacement) to airmail the ball home instead of going for the cutoff man.

Maybe Samuel Basallo should have been more prepared for that possibility and ready to react to a bounce. I don’t know. He’s got his manager prepared to remark on his every fault, and this was apparently Craig Albernaz’s lead comment about the play in his post-game presser. Basallo doesn’t need me piling on. Anyway, Helsley wasn’t backing up the play properly so the errant bounce led to the winning run scoring. What a stupid way to lose. What a 2026 Orioles way to lose.

This could have been a feel-good win! The Orioles erased a 3-0 deficit by scoring three runs in the sixth inning. Gunnar Henderson and Pete Alonso each homered as part of that rally. The O’s took a 5-3 lead in the seventh when the bottom of the lineup loaded the bases and Jeremiah Jackson delivered a two-run single to put the team on top for the first time all game. The people who say that this team has no fight are regularly proven wrong. That’s not their problem. Their problem is just the roster isn’t good enough, no matter how much it feels like it should be.

The Orioles were in that 3-0 deficit as a result of early struggles by the starting pitcher, Trey Gibson. His final line looks pretty bad: Seven hits and four walks in five innings, allowing three runs, all earned. When your WHIP for the game is over 2, it’s tough to say it was a good day. And indeed, it wasn’t.

Still, Gibson can probably feel okay about the outing. He did a fine job of limiting the damage. After giving up a pair of first inning runs and one more in the second, the Dodgers loaded the bases against Gibson with no one out in the third. He was on the ropes and on the way to a complete disaster. Gibson pulled out his best pitch, the so-called death ball, and struck out the next three Dodgers batters in order to hold the line.

As it turned out, stopping the bleeding was crucial. The Orioles, much later in the game, did mount a comeback that would have been a lot tougher, if not impossible, if Gibson had totally fallen apart in the third. That’s a plus for Gibson and something that will hopefully serve him well in future starts, when he’s facing teams that aren’t the Dodgers.

The Orioles, however, are beyond a point where we can take comfort in little moral victories. They need actual victories. They are 35-42. They are an awful 13-23 on the road. They have earned these records. They are not a good team and they do not play well for more than a few games at a time. Most often, they play badly and lose. Sometimes, as in Friday night, they still manage to surprise you with how dumb it is when they lose. By now, we should all know better, but it’s still hard to accept about this team.

The other downside about blowing this one is that looming here later on Saturday night is Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Starting for the Orioles in the 10:10 game is Trevor Rogers. As you know, this is not a good thing in the 2026 season. I also won’t be staying up late for this one. I suggest you don’t do it either. They’re not worth it.

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Reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes takes the mound tonight, and the Pittsburgh Pirates ace leads off my MLB picks for Saturday, June 20.

Pete Crow-Armstrong and Otto Lopez round out my favorite MLB player props today, and I’ll break down all three picks below.

Best MLB player props today

Player	Pick	Odds
Paul Skenes	Over 6.5 strikeouts	-116
Pete Crow-Armstrong	Over 1.5 total bases	+111
Otto Lopez	Over 0.5 singles	-153

Paul Skenes Over 6.5 strikeouts (-116)

Paul Skenes has not been quite as dominant this season compared to last year’s Cy Young-winning performance, but it’s still early, and there are plenty of positive signs for the Pittsburgh Pirates ace.

Skenes is still piling up the strikeouts, ranking second in the majors in strikeouts per nine innings (10.9). The right-hander has tossed Over 6.5 strikeouts in four straight outings and nine of his last 10, and he’ll have the upper hand in tonight’s matchup vs. the Colorado Rockies.

The Rockies are averaging 8.78 strikeouts per nine innings — sixth most in MLB — and they’re particularly susceptible to the four-seamer, which happens to be Skenes’ go-to punchout pitch (49 of Skenes' 99 Ks).

The Rockies have 227 Ks against that pitch — the most in the majors. This prop feels like an absolute steal at -116, and I would confidently play it up to -130.

• Time: 9:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SportsNet Pittsburgh, Rockies.TV

Pete Crow-Armstrong Over 1.5 total bases (+111)

The weather is heating up, and so is Pete Crow-Armstrong. The Chicago Cubs star is batting an insane .433 in June, clubbing Over 1.5 total bases in each of his last nine games — including three hits in Friday’s 16-2 win vs. the Toronto Blue Jays.

Toronto’s bullpen will be in rough shape following yesterday’s brutal defeat, where the Jays went through seven different arms — including more than an inning of work from outfielder Myles Straw!

Starter Patrick Corbin has been serviceable for an injury-riddled Blue Jays rotation, but the southpaw ranks near the bottom of MLB in xERA (5.48; 12th percentile) and xBA (.291; 5th percentile).

PCA actually has stronger reverse splits this year, hitting .286 vs. lefties. He’s also hammered the sinker for a .487 average, which happens to be Corbin’s most common pitch and one he goes to nearly 30% of the time.

We’re getting great value again with a favorable matchup, so I’d play this prop up to -115.

• Time: 2:20 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Marquee Sports Network, Sportsnet

Otto Lopez Over 0.5 singles (-153)

Luis Arraez has led the MLB in singles for three years running, but his crown might be in jeopardy.

Otto Lopez currently tops the majors with 99 hits and 71 singles, and the Miami Marlins shortstop has shown no signs of cooling off. Lopez is batting .348 this month with at least one single in seven of his last 10 contests.

San Francisco Giants starter Trevor McDonald is giving up nearly 8.5 hits per nine innings, which puts him in the Bottom 20 among all starters in the majors.

McDonald goes to his sinker more than 56% of the time, and that’s a pitch that Lopez is feasting on this season — he has 14 singles and a .468 average vs. the sinker.

I love the matchup for Lopez, but this line is already super chalky. I wouldn’t play it past -160.

• Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NBCS-Bay Area, Marlins.TV

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Rangers 9, Padres 7

• And like that, the Rangers’ losing streak ends.
• Didn’t look that way at first, though, did it?
• Uncharacteristic wildness from Jacob deGrom in the first inning, capped off by a Ty France grand slam, meant the Rangers were down 5-0 before they ever came to the plate.
• The France bomb was church, it seemed like.
• But not to your resilient Rangers.
• Bottom of the first, there’s an E1, a couple of walks, a cavalcade of doubles, a couple of infield singles…
• And like that, the Rangers are up 6-5. We feel all warm and fuzzy inside. The cold pricklies have been banished, at least for the moment.
• One of the fun things about baseball is that you see a lot of fun and unusual stuff if you watch long enough, get to experience weird things.
• Like two teams combining for 11 runs in the first inning.
• After the first, things calmed down, of course. The Rangers outscored the Padres 3-2 the rest of the way. It was a low-scoring affair, really, after the first.
• deGrom retired 15 of 16 batters in one stretch. Of course, the one batter he didn’t retire was Ty France, who hit a home run. And the batter who broke up that stretch was Ty France, who doubled. That was followed by an intentional walk and an F9 to end the inning, and deGrom’s day.
• Six hits allowed by deGrom, half of them by France. Three walks, one intentional. Nine strikeouts.
• It looks like a pretty decent outing, if you don’t look at the runs allowed.
• The Rangers have now allowed 63 runs in 75 first innings this year, including 25 home runs.
• Openers for everyone, maybe?
• Jakob Junis and Jacob Latz combined to finish things out, with Junis allowing a run in the eighth and prompting Skip Schumaker to bring in Latz for a four out save.
• Wyatt Langford put up a 3 for 5 night, including a 430 foot homer in the eighth.
• Langford is now slashing .258/.300/.447, with a 108 wRC+, despite his awful start to the season.
• Langford’s homer is the seventh longest ball hit at the Shed this season. 11 of the 12 farthest balls hit this season have been since the start of the Houston series on May 26.
• Jacob deGrom hit 99.5 mph with his fastball, averaging 96.9 mph. Jakob Junis touched 93.9 mph with his fastball. Jacob Latz’s fastball maxed out at 95.1 mph.
• Wyatt Langford’s home run was 107.1 mph, and he had a 104.5 mph double. Brandon Nimmo had a 105.8 mph double and a 102.7 mph. double. Jake Burger had a 105.7 mph double. Josh Jung had a 105.3 mph single. Ezequiel Duran had a 103.5 mph single. Alejandro Osuna had a 102.1 mph double.
• We can think positively now, at least for a little bit, and hope this continues through the weekend.

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The Atlanta Braves are favored in the battle of elite lefties, trading at -130 on the moneyline.

My Brewers vs. Braves predictions and MLB picks see the home team coming out on top in a low-scoring, grind-it-out affair.

Who will win Brewers vs Braves today: Braves moneyline (-130)

Kyle Harrison is having a great season for the Milwaukee Brewers, but he's shown blemishes against strong offenses.

He has posted a 7.02 ERA and completed five innings only once over four starts vs. teams ranking Top-10 in ISO against lefties — and the Atlanta Braves slot eighth.

Chris Sale has been remarkably good regardless of the competition. He conceded two runs or fewer in nine of his last 10 starts, including against the Dodgers, Phillies, Cubs, and Rockies (in Coors).

He should limit the Brew Crew and put the Braves in a good position to win. Play this to -140.

COVERS INTEL:Chris Sale slots in the 97th percentile in pitcher run value.

Brewers vs Braves Over/Under pick: Under 7 (-105)

Runs will be hard to come by today. Sale has pitched lights out at home, sporting a 1.26 ERA and allowing multiple runs only once in six games.

The Brewers have not been great against left-handed pitching this season, sitting 21st in wOBA and 29th in ISO.

While the Braves should cause some problems for Harrison, he ranks in the 88th percentile in pitcher run value and has a Top-10 bullpen behind him.

Getting to four runs will be a difficult task for both teams, making the Under an appealing bet up to -115.

Brewers vs Braves weather

Temperatures in the mid-80s are expected today. However, the wind will be blowing in slightly.

Brewers vs Braves odds

• Moneyline: Brewers +110 | Braves -130
• Run line: Brewers +1.5 (-190) | Braves -1.5 (+160)
• Over/Under: Over 7 (-115) | Under 7 (-105)

Brewers vs Braves trend

The Braves have cashed the moneyline in 31 of the last 50 games for +6.65 units and a 10% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Brewers vs. Braves.

How to watch Brewers vs Braves and game info

Brewers vs Braves latest injuries

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For the second straight night, the A’s came out on top, beating the Angels 12-11 in extras innings of work.

More to come…

It has been “Old Home Week” for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders during their current series in Columbus against the Clippers. For 28 years, from 1979 to 2006, the New York Yankees had their Triple-A affiliate in Columbus and enjoyed a highly successful run. Previous notable Triple-A homes had included Syracuse, Richmond, Denver, and Newark, but if today’s fans remember another one beyond Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, it’s probably Columbus.

This is the first time the RailRiders have visited Columbus since 2023. The Clippers have not been to PNC Field in Moosic since 2019. But back in the day, when Columbus was a Yankees affiliate and it came to town, fans would pack the former Lackawanna County Stadium. The Phillies’ minor leaguers on the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons often remarked that it felt like a road game because so many people were there rooting for the Clippers.

After the teams split the first four games of the current set, Columbus leads the all-time series with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, 168-138.

Many notable Yankees played in Columbus. Dave Righetti. Don Mattingly. The Core Four. Alfonso Soriano, Chien-Ming Wang, and Robinson Canó.

Current RailRiders manager Shelley Duncan played 12 games for Columbus in 2006 and hit a home run in his Triple-A debut with the Clippers on June 19, 2006.

Eight players won International League Most Valuable Player while Columbus was a Yankees affiliate: Bobby Brown (1979), Marshall Brant (1980), Tucker Ashford (1982), Scott Bradley (1984), Dan Pasqua (1985), Hensley Meulens (1990), J.T. Snow (1992), and Fernando Seguignol (2003). Six pitchers were named IL Pitcher of the Year: Rick Anderson (1979), Bob Kammeyer (1980), Brad Arnsberg (1987), Dave Eiland (1990), Sam Militello (1992), and Ed Yarnall (1999).

During its affiliation with the Yankees, Columbus won seven International League titles and finished runner-up three times. Here’s a quick look back at those championship teams:

1979: With later dynasty architect Gene Michael as manager, the Clippers went 85-54 during the regular season, then defeated the Syracuse Chiefs in the final, four games to three. Dennis Werth—Jayson’s stepfather—was the team’s top hitter with 17 home runs, 74 RBIs and a .299 batting average. Brown was league MVP. Kammeyer was 16-8 with a 3.92 ERA, while Anderson was 13-3 with 21 saves and a 1.63 ERA.

1980: Under the direction of manager Joe Altobelli, who would soon win a World Series as Earl Weaver’s successor with the Orioles, Columbus went 83-57 and beat the Toledo Mud Hens in the final, 4-1. Brant hit .289 with 23 home runs and 92 RBIs to earn MVP honors. Kammeyer was 15-7 with a 2.91 ERA to be named Pitcher of the Year.

1981: For the third straight year, Columbus wins the league title with a third different manager. Frank Verdi led the Clippers to an 88-51 record during the regular season. In the final, they beat the Richmond Braves, 2-1, after the remainder of the series was cancelled due to rain and unplayable field conditions. Steve “Bye Bye” Balboni hit 33 home runs and drove in 98 runs, while Brant had 25 home runs and 95 RBIs. Ashford had 32 doubles, 17 home runs, 86 RBIs and batted .300. Pitchers John Pacella and Dave Wehrmeister each won 11 games.

1987: Bucky Dent managed Columbus this season, three years after his MLB career ended and three years before he would skipper the Yankees themselves. The Clippers finished second in the league with a 77-63 record, but swept the Rochester Red Wings and Tidewater Tides, 3-0, to capture the Governors’ Cup. Frank Costanza’s beloved Jay Buhner had 31 home runs and 85 RBIs. Orestes Destrade added 25 home runs and 81 RBIs, while Roberto Kelly had 13 home runs, 62 RBIs and 51 stolen bases. Pitchers Arnsberg and Pete Filson each won 12 games.

1991: Rick Down managed Columbus to an 85-59 record, then a three-game sweep of the Pawtucket Red Sox in the final. Playoff hero-in-the-making Jim Leyritz had 11 home runs and 48 RBIs, future Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo had 10 bombs and 75 RBIs, and Mike Humphreys recorded nine home runs, 53 RBIs and a .283 batting average. Royal Clayton was the top pitcher, going 11-7 with a 3.84 ERA. Others on the staff that season included Eiland, Alan Mills, and Scott Kamieniecki.

1992: Down again was manager and guided Columbus to a 95-49 record. The Clippers then rallied in the bottom of the ninth inning of the fifth and deciding game of the final to defeat the Red Barons and repeat as champs. Snow captured MVP honors after batting .313 with 15 home runs and 78 RBIs. Meulens hit 26 home runs and knocked in 100 runs. The late Gerald Williams batted .285 with 16 home runs and 86 RBIs, while a youngster named Bernie Williams played 95 games and had eight home runs and 50 RBIs whenever he wasn’t patrolling center in the Bronx. Militello was 12-2 with a 2.29 ERA and 152 strikeouts in 142 innings to earn the league’s top pitcher award. Bob Wickman added 12 victories.

1996: Former Yankees skipper Stump Merrill managed this Columbus team to an 85-57 record, then swept the Rochester Red Wings in the final, 3-0. Ivan Cruz socked 28 home runs and 96 RBIs. A whole bunch of familiar names from the late-1990s Yanks contributed to this Clippers team. Ricky Ledee had 21 home runs and 64 RBIs, while Jorge Posada chipped in 11 home runs and 62 RBIs. Brian Boehringer won 11 games, Eiland and Dave Pavlas each won eight and Ramiro Mendoza chipped in six victories.

In 2006, the Yankees announced they were moving their Triple-A affiliate from Columbus to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre starting with the 2007 season. They have been in northeastern Pennsylvania ever since.

When the Yankees left, Columbus became the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals for 2007-08. It then became the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians in 2009 and continues to be today.

No longer do the Clippers play in Cooper Stadium, where the Yankees affiliate played. They moved to a downtown ballpark, Huntington Park, in 2009. But it doesn’t feel so long ago.

Max Muncy drove in a pair of runs with a first-inning single and also walked twice on Friday night. The Dodgers third baseman leads his National League peers at the position in several offensive categories this season, hitting .265/.371/.518 with a 147 wRC+ and 16 home runs two days shy of the halfway point of the season.

Muncy also had a sizable lead in the first round of All-Star voting as he tries to make his third career All-Star Game. Muncy is also excelling on defense this year, and talked to Rowan Kavner at Fox Sports about his season, including the strides he’s made at the hot corner after moving back to the position in 2022:

“When I’d do my work, I’d feel very free with the glove, not afraid to field [the ball] at different positions, field it off-balance, field it on the wrong foot,” Muncy told me. “And then when the game would come, I just couldn’t find that freedom. The ball would get hit to me, and I would tense up. My feet would get stuck. I would be scared to field the ball one-handed, even though that’s how I do most of my work.”

Links

• Will Smith was eligible to return from the injured list before Friday’s series opener, but his neck inflammation still lingers. The Dodgers catcher will not be activated this weekend, manager Dave Roberts said Friday. Bill Plunkett at the Orange County Register has more.
• Ben Clemens at FanGraphs sought context for how relievers handle inherited runners, using the run expectancies of every situation when a pitching change is made. Among the standouts is Dodgers left-hander Alex Vesia, who has allowed only three of his 19 inherited runners to score.
• Pablo Goldstein at LA Material wrote about a feud between two Dodgers fans and their dogs after a pair of Pups in the Park incidents at Dodger Stadium.

The College World Series final is here, and the MLB Draft is not far behind it. 

That combo made me ask a simple Rockies question: Are there any  players in Omaha this weekend who could soon be wearing Rockies purple? 

North Carolina and Oklahoma open a best-of-three championship series tonight — Saturday, June 20 — at 5 pm MDT at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska.

Game 2 is scheduled for Sunday, June 21, and Game 3, if necessary, would be played Monday, June 22. 

The 2026 MLB Draft is scheduled for July 12-14 in Philadelphia as part of All-Star Week festivities. The Rockies currently hold six picks in the first 200 selections: No. 10, No. 37, No. 38, No. 76, No. 104 and No. 136. 

Colorado’s 2026 draft picture starts at No. 10, but none of the players taking the field in Omaha this weekend are expected to be in that conversation. 

The top of the 2026 class is generally centered around names such as Roch Cholowsky, Grady Emerson, Vahn Lackey and Jackson Flora, all of whom have spent much of the year near the top of public draft boards. Those players are not part of this championship series. 

That does not mean there is no draft relevance in Omaha. The Rockies have multiple picks after the first round, and several players in this matchup could reasonably fall into the range where Colorado will be selecting. Teams build a lot of organizational depth in this part of the draft, and a few of the more interesting names are wearing North Carolina or Oklahoma uniforms this weekend. 

Owen Hull, OF, North Carolina 

Baseball America rank:No. 73
MLB.com rank:No. 158
Potential Rockies selection:No. 76, with No. 37/No. 38 becoming a possibility if the helium keeps building

Owen Hull is one of the more recognizable draft names in this series, and his profile starts with a pretty clear player type: a left-handed hitting outfielder with center-field experience, plus speed and a contact-oriented bat.

On the 20-80 scouting scale, MLB.com grades Hull with a 50 hit tool, 45 power, 60 run, 45 arm, 50 field and 45 overall. That lines up with the statistical profile. This is not a huge raw-power outfielder, but there are enough contact, athleticism and center-field traits to make the profile interesting.

Baseball America has Hull at No. 73, while MLB.com has him at No. 158, but his stock appears to be moving closer to the higher end of that range. Hull has already been discussed as a possible second-rounder, and with some mocks pushing him up to the 58th overall pick.

Hull will turn 22 in July, so he is not a young prospect, but he has hit everywhere. Across 636 career college plate appearances between George Mason and North Carolina, Hull has hit .374/.484/.575 with a 1.059 OPS, 41 doubles, five triples, 17 home runs and 62 stolen bases. He also has 92 career walks against 97 strikeouts.

This season, Hull has hit .398/.506/.614 with 26 doubles, eight home runs, 47 walks and 44 strikeouts in 310 plate appearances. That is more walks than strikeouts, a 14.2% strikeout rate and plenty of extra-base contact without selling out for power.

MLB.com noted his physicality, plus speed, improved power and strong postseason run in a recent look at draft prospects gaining momentum in Omaha. The swing questions and age caveat are real, but the production, athleticism and center-field experience make Hull an interesting fit once the Rockies get past their first few picks.

The roster-fit is the question. If Cole Carrigg and Sterlin Thompson — or Zac Veen (No. 9 PuRP), Jared Thomas (No. 5 PuRP), Max Belyeu (No. 15 PuRP), Roldy Brito (No. 11 PuRP) — are part of the next Rockies outfield mix, Hull may not line up as neatly with the depth chart, and Colorado’s bigger organizational need is probably on the mound.

That should not take him off the radar, especially if the bat keeps pushing him up boards, but it is part of the conversation.

Jason DeCaro, RHP, North Carolina 

Baseball America rank:No. 90
MLB.com rank:No. 125
Potential Rockies selection:No. 76, No. 104 or No. 136

Jason DeCaro is one of the more interesting pitching names in this series for Colorado.

The public rankings put DeCaro more naturally around Colorado’s No. 104 or No. 136 picks, but that range may be moving up (a common theme). Baseball America recently mocked DeCaro at No. 65.

The appeal is the starter profile. DeCaro is just 20 years old on draft day, but already has a three-year track record in North Carolina’s rotation. He has a durable 6-foot-5, 225-pound frame and works with a four-pitch mix: fastball, curveball, slider and changeup. The fastball is not overpowering, usually sitting in the low 90s, but it has been up to 97 mph and can generate weak contact with its shape and running life.

The secondaries give him more ways to work through a lineup. His curveball is generally viewed as the best of the group, with solid depth and enough upside to miss bats when he lands it. He also throws a low-80s changeup with fade, a slider and enough feel to sequence his mix instead of relying only on velocity.

In 2026, DeCaro has a 2.28 ERA with 84 strikeouts, 38 walks and a 1.28 WHIP over 87 innings. The strikeout rate is solid rather than dominant, and he does not project as a huge swing-and-miss arm right now. But the workload, age, run prevention and rotation track record point toward a starter candidate.

The Rockies need starting pitching, and the future of Colorado’s rotation is murky. DeCaro does not have overwhelming stuff, but he checks several starter boxes: size, age, workload, pitchability and a full arsenal.

His delivery and pitch mix are worth a look on video.

Jake Schaffner, SS, North Carolina 

Baseball America rank:No. 91
MLB.com rank:No. 91
Potential Rockies selection:No. 76 or No. 104

Jake Schaffner is a clean middle-board fit, and the more you look at the profile, the more interesting it gets.

Both Baseball America and MLB.com rank Schaffner No. 91, which puts him directly in the Rockies’ No. 76/No. 104 window. Baseball America also recently mocked Schaffner at No. 75, one pick before Colorado’s fourth selection.

Like Hull, Schaffner appears to be moving up boards. The public rankings still place him in the 90s, but recent mock-draft placement suggests teams may be higher on him than that.

The profile is built around contact, speed and defensive reliability. Schaffner hit .352/.467/.551 with six home runs, 19 doubles, 47 walks, 30 strikeouts and 28 stolen bases this season after transferring from North Dakota State to North Carolina. That is a 9.3% strikeout rate in 324 plate appearances, which is hard to ignore.

The larger track record backs it up. Across 813 college plate appearances, Schaffner owns a .353/.448/.486 line with 37 doubles, 13 triples, nine home runs, 89 walks, 95 strikeouts and 60 stolen bases.

The swing helps explain the numbers. Schaffner has a short, compact left-handed stroke, and he does not have much wasted movement. He is not trying to sell out for power, and the approach shows up in the strikeout totals. This looks more like a contact, line-drive and gap-power bat than a home-run profile, but there is value in that if the hit tool carries into pro ball.

The defensive question is the arm. Schaffner has the actions, athleticism and reliability to handle shortstop now, but multiple reports note that his arm strength could push him to second base or third base in pro ball. For the Rockies, that may not be a bad outcome. Colorado needs a second baseman, and Schaffner’s profile could fit there.

Schaffner is probably not a future superstar, but there is a little “ballplayer” quality here: low strikeouts, good at-bats, defensive value and enough athleticism to impact the game without needing one loud carrying tool.

He will probably get drafted by the Brewers.

Other options in the Rockies’ pick range 

A few other players from the matchup show up on public boards as possible middle-round options.

Ryan Lynch is the highest-ranked arm in this group, with a low-slot fastball/slider foundation and some reliever risk. Camden Johnson is a corner-infield bat, while Brendan Brock’s value depends partly on whether he can stay behind the plate.  

Jaxon Willits hit .305/.400/.505 with seven home runs, six triples, 17 doubles, 37 walks, and 51 strikeouts this season at Oklahoma. He is a switch-hitting infielder with approach, some power growth, and a possible second-base fit. It is also worth mentioning that Willits is the older brother of 2025 No. 1 overall pick Eli Willits. The Rockies took Ethan Holliday (No. 2 PuRP) at No. 4 in the 2025 draft.

LJ Mercurius is a later-range Oklahoma arm with a fastball that can touch 97 mph, a slider/changeup mix and enough starter background to be interesting. The question is whether the command points him toward a rotation or a relief role. 

Future names to file away 

The 2026 draft names are the focus, but some of the higher-end talent in this series may be in future classes. 

For North Carolina, Caden Glauber is the big one. The freshman right-hander has gone 11-0 with a 2.13 ERA and 103 strikeouts over 84 ⅔ innings. Sawyer Black, an outfielder, is another UNC underclassman to remember. 

Oklahoma has two freshman arms worth tracking in Cord Rager and Xander Mercurius. Rager is a 6-foot-6 left-hander who has already played a major role in the Sooners’ postseason run. Mercurius, LJ’s younger brother, is a longer-range right-handed arm with future draft intrigue. 

So, will any of them become Rockies? 

There is no way to know. Draft boards move, bonus-pool strategies matter and teams do not always line up with public rankings. 

But one thing is certain: there will be plenty of good baseball this weekend (and maybe Monday) in Omaha. 

North Carolina is led by Hull, DeCaro and Glauber, while Oklahoma has a deep roster led by Brock, Willits and the Mercurius brothers. Schaffner, Lynch, Johnson, Gallaher, Rager and others add more names to know across the two rosters. 

Maybe one of them eventually becomes a Rockie. Maybe none of them do. 

Either way, there are real future pros in this series, the national championship is on the line and the draft conversation is just warming up. 

On the Farm

Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes 9, Sugar Land Space Cowboys 3

The Albuquerque Isotopes beat the Sugar Land Space Cowboys 9-3 on Thursday night, improving to 38-35 while Sugar Land fell to 31-41. Albuquerque never trailed, got a long first-inning homer from Zac Veen (No. 9 PuRP) and broke the game open with a five-run fifth.

Veen supplied the first swing. After Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP) walked with two outs in the first, Veen jumped a first-pitch 90.6 mph fastball from Josh Hendrickson and crushed it to right field. The ball left the bat at 104.4 mph and traveled 455 feet for Veen’s 11th home run of the season and a 2-0 lead.

Evan Shawver got the rare start and allowed two runs in the second, but Eiberson Castellano stopped the inning by striking out Shay Whitcomb on an 83.9 mph curveball below the zone. Castellano gave Albuquerque 4.1 innings, allowing two hits, one earned run and four walks while striking out six. He improved to 2-0 with a 0.87 ERA.

The Isotopes put the game away in the fifth. Veen singled, Chad Stevens followed with another hit, and Nic Kent drove both home with a triple to right. Ryan Ritter added another triple later in the inning, lining a 96.5 mph ball into the right-center gap for his first triple of the season and two more runs.

Veen finished 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and two runs. Ritter went 1-for-3 with a triple, two RBI, two walks and a stolen base, while Kent added two hits and two RBI. Mickey Moniak went 0-for-5 in his second rehab start and is 0-for-8 through two games with Albuquerque. John Brebbia, TJ Shook and Seth Halvorsen each threw a scoreless inning to finish it out.

Double-A: Reading Fightin Phils 4, Hartford Yard Goats 2

The Reading Fightin Phils beat the Hartford Yard Goats 4-2 on Thursday night, improving to 29-38 while Hartford fell to 38-28. Reading built an early lead, and Hartford’s offense did not get much going until Conner Capel’s two-run homer in the seventh.

Jake Brooks gave Hartford length, but took the loss after allowing four runs on nine hits over seven innings. He walked two, struck out three and allowed one homer, with his ERA moving to 4.17. Reading scored once in the first, once in the third and twice in the fourth before Brooks settled in and finished seven.

The Yard Goats’ only real swing came from Capel, who hit his 12th home run of the season in the seventh with one on and one out. The homer cut the deficit to 4-2, but Hartford did not score again. Bryant Betancourt had one of Hartford’s better offensive nights, going 1-for-3 with a walk. Aidan Longwell also reached twice with a hit and a walk, but the Yard Goats finished 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position and left six on base.

High-A:Vancouver Canadians 12, Spokane Indians 5

The Vancouver Canadians beat the Spokane Indians 12-5 on Thursday night, improving to 28-39 while Spokane fell to 29-38. Spokane had 12 hits and a three-run homer from Ethan Hedges (No. 29 PuRP), but Vancouver kept adding on and finished 6-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

Jordy Vargas (No. 21 PuRP) took the loss, allowing five runs on five hits and four walks over four innings. He struck out five, but Vancouver made him work and pushed across runs in the second, third and fourth before breaking the game open later against the bullpen.

Hedges gave Spokane its biggest swing in the third. With Max Belyeu (No. 15 PuRP) and Roynier Hernandez aboard, Hedges hit his fifth home run of the season to left-center field, tying the game 3-3. He finished 3-for-5 with three RBI. Spokane added two more in the fifth after Vancouver had pulled ahead 9-3. Jack O’Dowd brought in Belyeu with a sacrifice fly, and Alan Espinal followed with a sharp single to center to score Hedges. That was as close as the Indians got. Spokane went 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left eight runners on base. Vancouver finished with 12 runs, 13 hits, two homers and 12 RBI.

Vancouver did most of its damage against Francis Rivera, who allowed five runs, three earned, over three innings. Tyler Hampu finished the game with two innings, allowing two runs while striking out five.

Single-A: Inland Empire 66ers 16, Fresno Grizzlies 4

The Inland Empire 66ers beat the Fresno Grizzlies 16-4 on Thursday night, improving to 29-38 while Fresno fell to 36-31. Inland Empire scored seven runs in the fifth and four more in the sixth, turning a manageable early deficit into a blowout.

Angel Jimenez started for Fresno and took the loss, allowing six runs on five hits and one walk over 4.1 innings. He struck out six and gave up Dervy Ventura’s two-run homer in the second, but the game got away in the fifth after a hit batter and back-to-back doubles from Aiden Taurek and Cesar Quintas.

Bryson Van Sickle followed and had a rough inning, allowing eight runs on seven hits and three walks while recording three outs. Grif Hughes gave Fresno its cleanest inning, striking out two in a perfect ninth. By then, the game had already been decided. Inland Empire finished with 16 runs, 16 hits and seven extra-base hits.

Fresno’s offense had moments, but not enough to keep up. Kyle Fossum singled in Tanner Thach in the fourth, and the Grizzlies added three more in the ninth on a bases-loaded walk to Cameron Nelson, an Ashly Andujar (No. 20 PuRP)groundout and a Luis Mendez infield single. Nelson went 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI, Carlos Renzullo had two hits, and Mendez added a hit, a walk and an RBI. Fresno went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base.

Rockies Cole Carrigg and Kyle Karros thriving, thanks to their buddy system | denverpost.com ($)

In this Denver Post piece, Patrick Saunders writes about how Cole Carrigg and Kyle Karros have arrived in Colorado with different personalities but a shared history that has helped both settle into the majors. Carrigg brings the “hair on fire” energy, while Karros offers the calmer counterweight, and the two have leaned on that balance since their climb through the Rockies’ system. Their friendship now gives the Rockies’ young roster a built-in support system at the big league level.

As Condon heats up in Triple-A, could he be nearing a call-up? | MLB.com

In this MLB.com piece, Thomas Harding writes about Charlie Condon’s recent surge at Triple-A Albuquerque and whether it could move him closer to a Rockies call-up. Condon entered Friday with a .343/.425/.971 slash over his previous nine games, with six home runs, four walks, 16 RBI and triples in back-to-back games. The article also frames his development beyond the bat, noting his recent work in right field and Paul DePodesta’s emphasis on making sure prospects have a solid foundation before reaching the majors. The big question is less whether Condon is forcing his way into the conversation and more whether the Rockies can create enough playing time when the big league roster gets healthier.

Weekly Pebble Report: Cam Nelson is finding his footing with the Rockies in Fresno | purplerow.com

In this week’s Pebble Report, Eli Whitney looks at Cam Nelson’s emerging offensive profile in the lower levels of the Rockies’ system. Nelson’s patience is the carrying tool, as he leads the California League in walks and ranks near the top of the league in on-base percentage. The piece also traces Nelson’s path from Wake Forest to Fresno and frames him as a player whose value comes from getting on base, scoring runs and fitting a clear role.

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

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Not every favorite deserves to be favored.

Several of Saturday's MLB matchups feature teams trading at inflated prices based on reputation, while others offer value thanks to favorable pitching matchups, stronger recent form, or bullpen advantages.

Here are my favorite MLB picks for Saturday, June 20.

MLB moneyline picks for June 20

Matchup	Pick
White Sox vs Tigers	+113
Reds vs Yankees	+170
Blue Jays vs Cubs	-100
Padres vs Rangers	-133
Brewers vs Braves	+104
Giants vs Marlins	+144
Nationals vs Rays	+144
Mets vs Phillies	+150
Guardians vs Astros	+113
Pirates vs Rockies	+170
Angels vs A's	-138
Orioles vs Dodgers	+245
Twins vs Diamondbacks	+127
Red Sox vs Mariners	+117

Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of 6-20.

Expert MLB moneyline picks for June 20

White Sox vs Tigers: White Sox (+113)

White Sox win probability: 46.9%

Detroit is starting Troy Melton against an undecided Chicago arm. With a highly volatile pitching landscape on both sides, the value lies entirely with the White Sox bullpen, which holds a firm edge (4.03 SIERA) over Detroit's relievers (3.50 SIERA).

Reds vs Yankees: Reds (+170)

Reds win probability: 37%

Andrew Abbott faces Will Warren in the Bronx. While New York's lineup commands respect, laying a heavy -178 premium on Warren is a massive value trap. The math requires backing Cincinnati at a steep +170 price against an unproven starter.

Blue Jays vs Cubs: Blue Jays (-100)

Blue Jays win probability: 50%

Patrick Corbin's recent 4.10 xFIP aligns nicely with a pick'em price. The core advantage lies in the late innings, where Toronto’s bullpen (3.44 xFIP-, 3.46 SIERA) heavily outclasses a highly unstable Cubs relief unit that is currently sporting a 4.23 SIERA.

Padres vs Rangers:  Rangers (-133)

Rangers win probability: 57%

Walker Buehler goes up against Nathan Eovaldi. Eovaldi provides a stable floor for Texas (4.57 SIERA), whereas Buehler faces a potent Rangers offense. Texas's price of -133 is highly reasonable for a strong home team in this spot.

Brewers vs Braves: Brewers (+104)

Brewers win probability: 49%

Kyle Harrison squares off against Chris Sale. While Sale is an elite force for Atlanta, the Braves are priced too tightly against a dominant Milwaukee bullpen that leads the slate with a 3.23 SIERA and a blistering 12.48 K/9.

Giants vs Marlins: Giants (+144)

Giants win probability: 41%

Trevor McDonald faces Max Meyer. Miami is a steep -150 favorite here, which is an immediate fade against any competent team. San Francisco’s superior bullpen efficiency (3.41 SIERA) makes the road underdog a mandatory play at +144.

Nationals vs Rays: Nationals (+144)

Nationals win probability: 41%

Miles Mikolas takes the mound against an undecided Tampa Bay starter. Since the Rays are forced into an uncertain pitching situation and carry a mediocre 3.79 bullpen SIERA, grabbing a substantial +144 head start with Washington is the smart choice.

Mets vs Phillies: Mets (+150)

Mets win probability: 40%

Freddy Peralta faces Cristopher Sanchez. This is a strict price play against an inflated line. The Phillies are taxed too heavily at -156, leaving clear value on Peralta and the Mets at a +150 return.

Guardians vs Astros: Guardians (+113)

Guardians win probability: 47%

Joey Cantillo matches up against Spencer Arrighetti. While Arrighetti gives Houston a stable floor, their bullpen remains a risk of regression. Cleveland at +113 offers better value than laying juice on a volatile home team.

Pirates vs Rockies: Rockies (+170)

Rockies win probability: 37%

Laying -178 on the road is too much juice. Paul Skenes is elite (2.42 SIERA), but Pittsburgh's bullpen has been highly unstable with a 4.35 SIERA. Coors Field variance, combined with a weak Pirates relief unit, makes the underdog price on the Rockies a solid value. 

Angels vs A's: Athletics (-138)

Athletics win probability: 58%

The Athletics' bullpen is currently a top-tier weapon, boasting an elite 3.21 SIERA and a massive 11.20 K/9 over the last two weeks. They hold a massive late-game advantage over the Angels, making the -138 price tag very reasonable at home.

Orioles vs Dodgers: Orioles (+245)

Orioles win probability: 29%

Los Angeles is a fade at a massive -257 Dodgers' tax. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is sharp, but the Dodgers' bullpen has underperformed its 3.20 SIERA with a 6.00 ERA over the past two weeks. This astronomical line leaves no choice but to back Baltimore at massive plus money.

Twins vs Diamondbacks: Twins (+127)

Twins win probability: 44%

Taj Bradley faces Zac Gallen. Arizona's bullpen has been a weak link over the last two weeks, posting a 4.11 SIERA. Minnesota brings a dominant relief unit that excels at generating swing-and-miss (11.03 K/9), making them a great +127 target.

Red Sox vs Mariners: Red Sox (+117)

Red Sox win probability: 46%

Seattle's bullpen has completely collapsed over the last two weeks, posting a 4.66 SIERA and walking a brutal 5.91 batters per nine. Boston’s relief core is significantly tighter (3.72 SIERA), making the Red Sox the clear value choice at plus money.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Good morning, baseball fans!

Another week of San Francisco Giants baseball comes to a close this weekend, so it’s time for us to pick our Player of the Week!

This week, I’m giving the honors to Luis Arraez!

And not just because he’s the only Giants player currently with any chance of being an All Star Game starter (though that helps and you really should get your votes in while you can!)

Arraez has had quite the week, particularly in the series against the Atlanta Braves. He combined for five hits and four RBI in Wednesday’s double-header, including a home run, his third of the season. That’s enough for him to be my pick for this week!

Who is your pick for Player of the Week?

What time do the Giants play today?

The Giants continue their weekend road series against the Miami Marlins this afternoon at 1:10 p.m. PT.

Good morning Birdland,

The west coast road trip is not going well for the Orioles. After dropping two of three in Seattle, they have now lost the opener in Los Angeles, and it happened in particularly brutal fashion. The game was actually pretty great up until the ninth inning. Our guys dug out of an early hole. Trey Gibson settled in. The middle relievers (Andrew Kittredge, Tyler Wells, and Yennier Cano) were very good. Gunnar Henderson and Pete Alonso contributed key home runs. And the team was able to hand Ryan Helsley a 5-3 lead going into the ninth inning.

Then, it all fell apart.

Helsley struggled again. He gave up a home run to Mookie Betts to cut the lead in half. Then he issued two walks with a pop out sandwiched in between. Despite his struggles, he was one out away from getting the Orioles a win anyway. But it wasn’t to be. Dalton Rushing singled into right field. The tying run scored easily. Tyler O’Neill’s throw home got away from Samuel Basallo, and the winning run crossed the plate.

Both Helsley and Basallo took some blame after the game. That feels fair enough overall. Helsley did not pitch well. Four of the six batters he faced reached base. And Basallo needs to catch the ball from O’Neill. It was not a horrible throw, though both he and Craig Albernaz claim it took a bad hop in front of the catcher. Even still, that getting past him was a killer.

Albernaz will likely get some blame from fans too. “Why go with Helsley there? He didn’t look great last series. He’s fresh off the IL. And the Orioles need wins! Cano could have stayed in.” Sure, but you signed this guy to be your closer. He had been really good prior to the injury, his velocity looks fine, and it was a save opportunity. You hand him the ball.

Unfortunately, he was bad. That has been a trend for this Orioles team. When the moment gets big and they need someone to come through, they often wither rather than rise. This west coast trip was going to test them and see if they had what it took to climb back into contention. Right now, it doesn’t seem like it.

Links

Trey Mancini’s MLB comeback was all about who was in the stands to see it | The Baltimore Banner
It really is impossible to not love Mancini. He always came off as the nicest guy during his time with the Orioles, and it was such a bummer to see him struggle with the Cubs. The fact he was willing and able to put in so much work and effort to get back up to the big leagues is the stuff movies are made about.

Two years since peak, Orioles approaching a pivotal crossroads | The Baltimore Sun
Yeeeah, we may have already passed the crossroads and found out we took a wrong turn. This season isn’t sunk yet, but there is very little evidence to suggest this roster is capable of a playoff run.

A deeper dive into the mailbag while the Orioles are on the West Coast | Roch Kubatko
A few Albernaz questions in this one. A struggling team and some bubbling clubhouse issues will start to make people uneasy about a skipper.

Orioles birthdays

Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!

• Félix Bautista turns 31 today. When not injured, the hard-throwing righty is one of the best closers in MLB. He’s got a 2.01 ERA over 156 appearances with the Orioles between 2022 and ‘25. Unfortunately, he is on the IL right now.
• Thomas Eshelman is 32 years old. He’s one of the many former Astros draft picks that Mike Elias has given a chance in Baltimore. From 2019 through 2021, he pitched in 31 games for the O’s. He is now a pitching coordinator within the organization.
• Kevin Gregg turns 48. His time in Baltimore lasted two seasons from 2011 and ‘12. In season one he was the team’s closer, and then in the follow up campaign he was more often a middle-inning arm. Perhaps the lasting image of Gregg in an Orioles uniform will be the brawl he got into with David Ortiz back in 2011 when the Hall of Fame slugger took exception to being pitched inside to.
• Paul Bako is 54 today. He was the Orioles backup catcher during the 2007 season.
• Juan Castro is also 54 years old. He was one of many players that spent time at shortstop for the Orioles in 2008 after the team traded away Miguel Tejada in the offseason and failed to replace him.
• Phil Huffman turns 68. He pitched in two games for the Orioles in 1985, which was his first time back in the majors after debuting with the Blue Jays six seasons earlier.
• Tony Chevez is 73 years old. His only MLB experience was a four-game stint with the Orioles in 1977.
• The late Andy Etchebarren was born on this day (b. 1943, d. 2019). He was a catcher with the Orioles for 12 seasons between 1962 and 1975. In that time he made two all-star games, won two World Series titles, and helped the 1971 pitching staff to become only one of two to ever have four 20-game winners on one team.

This day in O’s history

1964 – Baltimore slugger Boog Powell fractures his wrist in a collision with an outfield fence. The injury will put him on the shelf until September 5th.

Today’s Reflections

I’m sure that someone has come up with the phrase before me, but Cub Tracks is really enjoying PCA-Mania. It doesn’t flow off the tongue like Fernandomania, but I’m going to go with it.

With a day off mid-week, that gives baseball writers a lot of time to write a lot of articles — some are repetitive, and I have tried to give you the best out there. So many PCA articles. So many Dansby Swanson articles. And as you see below, articles on roster moves, injury updates, trade talk, whether to go with youth for a little bit, and even a couple on a hot prospect.

One trade idea that I will save you from reading is trading Seiya Suzuki for Aaron Nola (but if you want further laughs, here’s the link). I’m mentioning it because the idea came from a Chicago sports journalist (George Ofman), not one from Philadelphia. I’ve voiced my opinion a number of times about Jameson Taillon this year. I would rather have a rotation of five Taillons than to have Nola, who hasn’t shown any glimpse of improving from his horrible performance over the last two seasons. A big trade is supposed to improve your team (even for prospects). This trade for a pitcher with four years and $100 million left on his contract would wreck the team.

Silly season has certainly arrived, folks!

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

Wednesday’s game, and PCA-Mania en masse:

• Field Level Media (Deadspin): Seven-run inning carries Cubs to series victory over Rockies. “The Cubs took two out of three in the series, the first home series win for Chicago since a four-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds the first week of May.”

• Jacob Zanolla (Bleacher Nation): Pete Crow-Armstrong Goes Deep for the Fourth Time in His Last Five Games. “Pete Crow-Armstrong is on another planet right now.”
• Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): Pete Crow-Armstrong is So Locked In That Even the Gods Are Helping Him. “”I thought it was foul,” you could see Pete Crow-Armstrong say in the dugout Wednesday night. But that was after circling the bases on a home run that counted, and rightfully so.”
• Casey McAleer (Da Windy City): Pete Crow-Armstrong’s latest comments show exactly why he’s become a Cubs leader. “The Cubs are finally showing signs of life, but PCA knows there is still plenty of work left to do.”

Opinions on how to fix Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson:

• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune {$}): How the Chicago Cubs are trying to help Nico Hoerner get out of his offensive funk. “In many ways, as Nico Hoerner goes, so goes the Chicago Cubs’ offensive production.”
• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Cubs say they’re sticking with Dansby Swanson in everyday lineup, then homer gets ‘blue whale’ off his back. “After the Cubs signaled that the slumping shortstop would stay in his everyday role, Swanson hit a home run as part of the team’s seven-run second inning in a win over the Rockies.”
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Dansby Swanson briefly quiets doubters, but is his defense enough for Cubs? “Over his first three seasons with the Cubs, Swanson has largely been a league-average bat.”
• Jared Bloom (Sporting News): Opposing pitchers have figured out how to keep this Cubs slugger’s bat quiet. “At least his glove is still elite.”

Plenty of various Cubs talk:

• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Pete Crow-Armstrong Excelling by Shifting Obligation to Opportunity. “Courage isn’t the absence of fear, or so goes an old saying that has been attributed to a number of different sources, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear. It’s all a matter of perspective, really.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): Ballesteros optioned to Triple-A; Cubs recall Justin Dean. “Ballesteros has run into the kind of struggles typical for a young player in the Majors, and playing time has become sporadic amid some recent roster developments.”
• Tommy Erbe (OnTapSportsNet): Roster Move: Get To Know Newest Chicago Cub, Justin Dean. “With Moises Ballesteros being optioned to Triple-A Iowa, the Chicago Cubs and fans will get their first look at Justin Dean.”
• Carson Wolf (Just Baseball): Can Matthew Boyd Save the Cubs’ Rotation? “With Matthew Boyd nearing a return, the Cubs could soon get a much-needed boost to a rotation that has been searching for stability.”
• Elias Schuster (Chicago Cubs On SI): Cubs Get Positive Edward Cabrera News, But Can He Finally Step Up? “The Chicago Cubs should have Edward Cabrera back for his next start after he was forced to leave the game early on Wednesday.”
• Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): Should Cubs Youngsters Matt Shaw and Pedro Ramirez Play Every Day for a While?. “With multiple key Cubs hitters struggling mightily, two young players whose path to playing time was murky a month ago now have a clear lane—and the team is starting to seem open to letting them have it.”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Instead of youth movement, Cubs wait for Dansby Swanson and Alex Bregman to produce. “When Hoyer sat down in Wrigley Field’s home dugout this week for a media briefing, he seemed surprised by the amount of time spent on an underperforming offense, the possibility of benching Swanson and Bregman’s lack of impact.”

• Billy Heyen (Sporting News): Cubs linked to trade for $75 million, 8-1 starting pitcher from AL East. “One name that now continues to pop up as someone who will be available, below the rung of the Tarik Skubal level of deal, is Boston Red Sox righty Sonny Gray.”
• Conor Liguori (Sporting News): Cubs reveal ‘top priority’ for MLB trade deadline. “Chicago has a very clear need.”
• Garrett Kerman (Clutch Points): Cubs’ perfect trade offer for Angels’ Reid Detmers. “Discover the Cubs’ perfect trade package for Angels ace Reid Detmers and why Chicago must make this move before the deadline.”
• Anthony Vlahovic (LastWordOnSports.com): The Next Great Cubs Slugger Could Be Emerging in the Minor Leagues. “As the minor league season heads into late June, Josiah Hartshorn is giving Cubs faithful plenty of reason to believe he could be their next great homegrown middle of the lineup mainstay.”
• Mike McGraw (Daily Herald): Should Cubs make plans for Hartshorn? Not so fast, Hoyer says. “Jed Hoyer says minor-league outfielder Josiah Hartshorn will not be rushed to the parent club despite a great start to the season.”

Food For Thought:

Larry “Mud” Morganfield (born September 27, 1954) is an American blues singer. He is the eldest son of Muddy Waters and the half-brother of Big Bill Morganfield. He was raised by his mother and seven uncles, with occasional visits from Muddy, and never really got to know his father. Despite growing up surrounded by music, Morganfield did not consider becoming a professional musician until after his father’s death in 1983. At that time, Morganfield was driving trucks for a living, but the strain was wearing on him. He suggested that a recurring dream of Muddy Waters performing on stage helped prompt him to begin performing the blues professionally.“

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

Meet the Mets

The Mets were off last night due to World Cup action in Philadelphia, but Francisco Lindor and Tyrone Taylor both began their rehab assignments with the Rumble Ponies last night.

MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo recently conducted a Reddit AMA in which he discussed the Mets’ potential deadline plans, amongst other topics.

Around the National League East

Not even Jacob Misiorowski can stop the 2026 Braves, as Atlanta defeated the Brewers and their Cy Young candidate 3-2.

The Marlins fought back from a late deficit to emerge victorious over the Giants 4-3.

Miles Mikolas came out of the bullpen and surrendered five runs in six innings to doom the Nationals to a 5-2 loss to the Rays.

Cade Cavalli was scheduled to start for Washington yesterday, but he got scratched due to food poisoning.

The Good Phight noted that the Phillies have dominated weak opponents while struggling against the top teams thus far in 2026.

Around Major League Baseball

Justin Verlander has been limited to just one outing in his return to the Tigers this year, and now the future Hall of Famer will miss more time due to a hamstring strain.

Bobby Witt Jr. was out of the lineup yesterday due to a grade 1 MCL sprain, but the Royals are hopeful that he will be back on the field shortly.

Shohei Ohtani was away from the Dodgers last night “on paternity,” though he was not officially placed on paternity leave.

Padres and Rangers fans tuning into the game between the two squads yesterday were treated to an unusual sight at the beginning: just two umpires on the field.

Neither Gods nor men can compel Jazz Chisholm to wear a cup.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Seth Ashby sung the praises of Luke Weaver and the rest of the Mets bullpen.

Joe Sokolowski compiled quotes from an exciting week in New York sports history—one in which the Mets won four games.

This Date in Mets History

The Mets got four homers—including one from Steve Trachsel (yes, the pitcher)—en route to a win that further cemented their dominant lead in the NL East on this date in 2006.