Virginia outfielder AJ Gracia (29) swings for the ball during an NCAA Baseball Regional game between Southern Miss and Virginia at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Saturday, May 30, 2026. | Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Virginia baseball was far from perfect in Chris Pollard’s first season, but one thing nobody could dispute was their quality top end talent. Five Wahoos were selected by pro organizations in the 2026 MLB Draft last weekend.
A.J. Gracia did not have to wait long to hear his name called, as the Atlanta Braves picked the two-time all-ACC outfielder ninth overall. Gracia becomes the sixth all-time Cavalier to go in the top ten, and the first since Pavin Smith (7th to the Arizona Diamondbacks) and Adam Haseley (8th to the Philadelphia Phillies) in 2017. Some scouts have been skeptical of Gracia’s long-term outlook defensively, but his bat was too good to resist.
Eric Becker was also selected on day one, joining fellow UVA alumni Andrew Abbott and Ethan O’Donnell in the Cincinnati Reds organization as a second round pick. Becker’s stock dropped slightly as a result of a “down” junior season in Charlottesville. Still, he finishes his college career with a .348 overall batting average and 1.048 OPS.
The third ‘Hoo off the board was sixth-round selection Kyle Johnson, who will more than likely specialize as a pitcher in the Tampa Bay Rays organization. Joe Tiroly, a seventh round selection by the San Diego Padres, and Tyler Kapa, the Miami Marlins’ 14th round pick, round out the list.
As far as committed high schoolers are concerned, call it a small victory for the UVA program. The only member of the 2026 recruiting class that will not make it to Grounds is, as expected, infielder Bo Lowrance, who went 40th overall to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Meanwhile, highly rated recruits such as RHP Wyatt Clatur, LHP Sean Loggie, and SS Will Yow (as confirmed earlier this offseason) all will join the Cavaliers roster for the 2027 season after going undrafted.
Grateful to have been part of Bo’s journey. The @Dodgers got a great player and a world class family! https://t.co/05TWxpC2p4
Catcher Jake Weatherspoon also did not hear his name called and may very well be returning next season. The JUCO transfer tallied ten multi-hit games and 13 extra base hits in 2026, slashing .272/.337/.429.
Elsewhere around the country, former Cavaliers pitchers Bryson Moore (Pittsburgh Pirates) and Evan Blanco (Athletics), as well as position players Henry Ford (Seattle Mariners) and Aidan Teel (Minnesota Twins) were all middle round draftees.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 12: Ike Irish #18 of the Baltimore Orioles looks on during batting practice prior to the 2026 All-Star Futures Game Presented by Nike at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, July 12, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
This week marks the All-Star break for more than just the major league teams. The minor league affiliates are off for the next few days as well, never mind that the leagues themselves don’t put on All-Star Games any more, like they used to. For a variety of reasons, there probably wouldn’t be all that many Orioles prospect All-Stars this year anyway.
These weekly updates focus on the team’s top prospects, particularly those on Camden Chat’s composite top 20 Orioles prospect list from before the season. They also include other guys who interest me who might develop into prospects over time. I do not tend to spend much time on non-prospect journeymen.
Here’s how things went this week:
Triple-A Norfolk Tides
Last week’s results: 3-2 vs. Syracuse (Mets)
Second half record: 5-11, last place (8 GB) in International League East
Norfolk combines a bottom-half pitching staff with a worst-in-the-league offense in terms of runs scored per game. No wonder this team is a brutal 33-58. The roster is largely a collection of journeyman guys who ostensibly exist as depth for the MLB roster except, if this is how they’re playing at Triple-A, they barely even count for that.
This is particularly relevant in the wake of the injury suffered by Blaze Alexander in the final game before the MLB break. Do the Orioles have an infielder they can bring up from the minors? Well, maybe. He’s the kind of no-longer-prospect I don’t usually talk about in these articles, but there is Christian Encarnacion-Strand, already on the 40-man roster and with most of his games this year played at third base. Encarnacion-Strand batted 5-15 across this week’s games, including two doubles and two homers. He’s OPSing .863 for Norfolk, though that does come with a suboptimal OBP (.309).
With Creed Willems on the injured list, there’s one actual prospect getting at-bats for Norfolk. That is Enrique Bradfield Jr., who continues to put up batting numbers that are fine as long as you ignore what his lack of power portends against MLB pitching. He had three hits and two walks in five games, including one triple, plus a stolen base, giving him 16 steals in 39 games. No question the guy is fast. Big question whether a .670 OPS at Norfolk is enough.
For the pitchers, Nestor German tossed seven shutout innings this week, while allowing just four hits and a walk. He sits at a 4.11 ERA for the season, which isn’t that exciting on its face, but it is .8 runs below the league average. That’s the equivalent of an MLB starting pitcher having a 3.41 ERA. German is at nearly a 10 K/9 and nearly a 3 K/BB. Don’t write him off just for his ERA starting with a 4.
Others of interest
OF Heston Kjerstad – I always want him to be something. He batted 5-13 over four games played, giving him a .766 OPS in 45 games with the Tides. Probably not enough for another MLB look unless there are big league injuries.
LHP Andrew Magno – Two runs allowed in 2.1 innings this week, not great, but the season ERA of 1.04 remains interesting. Sometimes people ask “Why isn’t this guy on the MLB team?” and probably one big answer is he’s walked 20 batters in 34.2 innings.
Second half record: 10-7, t-second place (3.5 GB) in Eastern League Southwest
The Double-A team is not quite as bad off as Norfolk: Their offense isn’t the worst in their league. They are a bit below average, same as their pitching staff. I had higher hopes for the team. As an Orioles fan, I’m used to disappointment. The only defense against that is not getting excited in the first place.
I’m obligated to lead with my guy Aron Estrada, even when the news is bad. The infielder had four hits in 22 at-bats this week, and drew only one walk, so that’s a .481 OPS over five games. The season line still isn’t bad for a 21-year-old at this level: .276/.317/.474. Fellow 21-year-old Thomas Sosa, an outfielder, fared better here, 6-22 including a homer, though he struck out seven times.
The Joseph Dzierwa excitement train did not run into too many problems this past week. He allowed a run over five innings in his lone start, a solo home run. Dzierwa also got a chance to pitch in the All-Star Futures Game on Sunday, retiring the only batter he pitched against. The week also featured an impressive eight shutout innings in a single start by Luis De León. If he was regularly firing off outings like that, he’d be a lot more exciting. Instead, 4.76 ERA in 70 innings. Love the 11.1 K/9.
Others of interest
RHP Juaron Watts-Brown – Would I even mention him if he wasn’t a hyphenated Brown? Maybe not. Struck out eight batters in five innings this past week. The season ERA of 6.24 in 12 starts is less fun.
C/1B Ethan Anderson – Hit the injured list with an ankle injury, a real shame since he’s rocked this year: .270/.369/.520 with 17 homers.
Last week’s results: 3-2 vs. Jersey Shore (Phillies)
Second half record: 11-9, t-second place (1.5 GB) in South Atlantic League North
The Keys had a guy in the Futures Game as well. That was Ike Irish. He batted twice and walked once. In three games with the Keys before heading to Philadelphia, last year’s first rounder had three hits, including a double, bringing him to an .843 OPS in 71 games.
Fellow first rounder Wehiwa Aloy took the lead in Irish’s temporary absence. Aloy’s six games over this past week saw him rack up nine hits, including two homers, giving him 13 for the season. The thing to watch with Aloy is the strikeouts. He added eight this week and has a 27.2% strikeout rate this year. It’s not Vance Honeycutt territory (he struck out ten times in 11 at-bats in three games) but it’s not what you want.
Among the starting pitchers, the best outing this week was thrown by Twine Palmer, acquired from the Astros last year. His handful of games with Delmarva after the trade last year were so bad, so to see him continuing to do well this year a level higher is nice. This week saw him strike out eight batters over six innings while allowing just a run on three hits and two walks. For the season, it’s a 3.56 ERA and 1.203 WHIP for Palmer.
Others of interest
LHP Boston Bateman – Three runs allowed in five innings this week, less than ideal. Six strikeouts with only one walk allowed. Walk rates are my concern for him (4.6 BB/9 for the season), so if he can keep those down, I think he’ll be OK.
LHP Caden Hunter – Last year’s sixth round pick allowed two runs in five innings; he’s got a 1.93 ERA in eight starts with Frederick. Again, watching the walk rate (also 4.6 BB/9)
OF RJ Austin – 7-15 including a double and a homer, and he walked twice, and he stole eight bases to up his season total to 26. It’s a .259/.361/.414 line in 46 games for last year’s third rounder.
Last week’s results: 2-4 vs. Kannapolis (White Sox)
Second half record: 8-13, fifth place (3.5 GB) in Carolina League North
The lowest-level full-season Orioles affiliate is like Norfolk, except which thing is bad is flipped: They have the worst pitching staff in the league in terms of run prevention and they’re near the bottom in offense. It’s added up to a brutal record for this team as well, one that’s continuing into the second half.
On Friday night, one of the exciting young players on this team, infielder Jaiden Lo Re, left the game early after a collision on the bases. He was back in action on Sunday, reaching base all five times he came to the plate while driving in three runs. Lo Re has a .952 OPS in 27 games here. Fellow 19-year-old infielder DJ Layton’s week included 5-17 hitting with four walks and a pair of stolen bases; his .257/.402/.391 batting line in 75 games is also interesting for this level.
Others of interest
RHP Christian Rodriguez – Seven shutout innings this past week, with five hits and a walk allowed. The Orioles picked him in the 10th round two years ago. He’s 24, old for this level. I think we’ll see some promotions once the draft picks start signing.
In last week’s minor league player of the week poll, you chose my guy Estrada as the winner, narrowly edging Rodriguez. Thanks for your support! Estrada is our ninth different winner of the weekly polls this season. Irish is the only guy to win twice. Other single week winners: Victor Figueroa, Payton Eeles, Braylin Tavera, Caden Hunter, Wehiwa Aloy, Jaiden Lo Re, and Joseph Dzierwa.
Will we add another repeat winner this week? The choice is yours.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 18: Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (left) and Philadelphia Phillies Managing Partner and CEO John Middleton (right) applaud and the Phillie Phanatic reacts after the 2026 MLB All-Star Game logo is revealed during Philadelphia's 2026 All-Star Game Declaration on July 18, 2025, at Dilworth Park, in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
Tonight is the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, being held at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The game will be broadcast nationally on Fox.
Getting the start for the National League will be the Philadelphia Phillies’ own left-hander Cristopher Sánchez, who ended the first half of the season with a 2.62 ERA, 2.70 FIP, with 144 strikeouts to 25 walks in 127.1 innings pitched.
Starting for the American League will be Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Dylan Cease, who ended the first half with a 2.56 ERA, 2.18 FIP, with 148 strikeouts to 44 walks in 98.1 innings pitched.
Here are the starting lineups:
National League
Kyle Schwarber – Philadelphia Phillies – DH
Juan Soto – New York Mets – LF
Freddie Freeman – Los Angeles Dodgers – 1B
CJ Abrams – Washington Nationals – SS
Max Muncy – Los Angeles Dodgers – 3B
Ozzie Albies – Atlanta Braves – 2B
Brandon Marsh – Philadelphia Phillies – RF
Andy Pages – Los Angeles Dodgers – CF
Drake Baldwin – Atlanta Braves – C
American League
Mike Trout – Los Angeles Angels – CF
Yordan Alvarez – Houston Astros – DH
Shea Langeliers – Athletics – C
Junior Caminero – Tampa Bay Rays – 3B
Bobby Witt, Jr. – Kansas City Royals – SS
Cody Bellinger – New York Yankees – RF
Ben Rice – New York Yankees – 1B
Riley Greene – Detroit Tigers – LF
Ernie Clement – Toronto Blue Jays – 2B
The San Francisco Giants have two players expected to appear in the game, RHP Logan Webb and second baseman Luis Arraez.
DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 7: Manager Warren Schaeffer #4 looks on before a game against the New York Mets at Coors Field on May 7, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies are a team in the midst of a rebuild. With this in mind, the staff at Purple Row thought it would be useful to revisit the “State of the Position” series that we ran in March to see where things stand. We’ve asked authors of the spring articles to re-evaluate their earlier remarks with an eye toward the August 3 trade deadline.
What I said in March
For my initial article about the new coaching staff, I described them as a “data-driven team of problem solvers and relationship builders.” I also introduced you to them, and asked manager Warren Schaeffer (who I described as a “communicator” and “relationship builder”) to describe each member of his staff in one word:
Bench Coach, Jeff Pickler: “Prepared”
Assistant Bench Coach, Ron Gideon: “Wise”
Hitting Coach, Brett Pill: “Relentless”
Assistant Hitting Coach, Jordan Pacheco: “Smooth”
Pitching Coach, Alon Leichman: “Unique”
Assistant Pitching Coach, Gabe Ribas: “Polished”
Bullpen Coach, Matt Buschmann: “Funny”
First Base/Outfield Coach, Doug Bernier: “Energetic”
Third Base Coach, Andy González: “Machine”
Bullpen Catcher & Assistant to Baseball Operations, Kyle Cunningham: “Controversial”
Catching Coach & Bullpen Catcher, Chris Rabago: “Sneaky”
After a whirlwind offseason, we finally were able to see the coaching staff in action. Schaeffer was running his first spring training, and his new staff put their words into action. Spring training was all about experimentation. Not only did they tinker with baseball strategies, but they also tinkered with basic things such as the daily schedule. We saw some early results in spring training, but now we’re in the midst of the regular season and can start to see progress in those areas.
Since we’re only part of the way through the season, the picture will be incomplete. But we can still get glimpses of how things have been working (or not).
All stats current as of July 11, 2026.
Where the Rockies are now
Multi-inning Relievers
At the beginning of the season, the Rockies experimented with “bulk relievers.” Essentially, the idea was that the game would start with an opener, and then he would be relieved after an inning for someone else to pitch 4-6 innings in the middle of the game. Initially, this was reserved for Antonio Senzatela and Chase Dollander. When he was called up on April 14, Tanner Gordon was also in the mix. The thinking behind it was that the “starter” could go deeper in the games – ideally the sixth or seventh inning – while not seeing the top of the order right out of the gate. It was also promoted as a way to save the bullpen, especially with the extreme conditions the Rockies have to play in. As an additional wrinkle, they would occasionally have a starter throw his scheduled bullpen in the game.
Dollander made 10 appearances before his injury, and six of them were in relief. Five were bulk relief, where he pitched anywhere from four to six innings, and one was an in-game bullpen appearance. Senzatela was also used in a bulk relief role, but his outings were much shorter than Dollander’s. He made one appearance of three innings, and another of 3.1 innings, but the rest have been 2.2 IP or fewer. 10 of his last 11 appearances have been within the confines of one inning (one outing was 0.2 IP). Gordon was used the most like Dollander, pitching 3-6.1 innings across seven bulk relief appearances.
Dollander is on the 60-day IL after undergoing internal brace surgery; Senzatela has transitioned into more of a traditional reliever; and Gordon was moved back into the starting rotation.
In their place, Zach Agnos has become the de facto bulk reliever. Agnos has made 25 appearances (including two starts), and nine of them have been three or more innings in length (though one was his start on June 6 against the Milwaukee Brewers). Juan Mejia has also been used over multiple innings 12 times in 38 appearances, but never more than two innings.
Conclusion: The bulk reliever experiment showed some promise, but injuries to the rotation (including Dollander) forced them to abandon it for a more traditional pitching approach.We’ll see if that change was due to the injuries, or if this will be a permanent switch back.
Pitch Suggesting
Another tactic the Rockies experimented with early in the season was “pitch suggestions.” The idea was that the pitching coaches, typically Alon Leichman, would suggest every pitch to the pitcher and catcher, who would if they wanted it. Most of them embraced it, but some pitchers still called their own pitches. It was a collaborative effort between all three parties, and the pitchers had the autonomy to shake off any pitches they didn’t agree with.
As the season has gone on, it appears the Rockies have transitioned away from pitch suggesting. President of baseball operations Paul DePodesta told the media last weekend that they are refining the process, and some players are still using it.
Conclusion: It will be interesting to see if the Rockies go back to pitch suggestions after the All-Star Break, what the process will look like going forward, or if they abandon it completely. But this particular experiment shows that the coaching staff and front office aren’t locked into one way of thinking and are constantly refining their approach to the game.
Base Stealing
Schaeffer & Co. have emphasized better baserunning and generally creating more opportunities on the basepaths. That means focusing on speed and stolen bases. The Rockies made that vision clear when they traded for Jake McCarthy, who leads the team with 15 stolen bases in 19 attempts. Every single position player who has made an appearance with the Rockies has at least one stolen base except for TJ Rumfield, Chad Stevens, Brett Sullivan and Sterlin Thompson. Hunter Goodman has more stolen bases in the first half of 2026 (5) than the last three seasons combined (3). He’s been caught four times, but is still attempting more than he ever has.
The Rockies as a team have recorded 66 stolen bases in 95 attempts. The 66 stolen bases ranks them 14th in MLB, and the 29 times caught ranks them fourth. In the first half of 2025, they stole 52 bases (23rd) and were caught 24 times (T-8th). In 2024, they had 53 stolen bases (T-20th) and were caught 19 times (T-10th).
Conclusion: The Rockies are prioritizing different ways to get runs. It goes back to “he gets on base” from Moneyball, but it’s working.
In summary, this coaching staff has shown a willingness to try new things and make adjustments as needed.
Offensive Output
The biggest turnaround so far has been the offense.
Heading into Sunday’s game against San Francisco, the Rockies ranked in the top seven in average (.256) and OPS (.748), sixth in slugging (.421) and seventh in OBP (.327). Comparatively, in 2025, they ranked last in OBP (.293), 27th in OPS (.679), 24th in slugging (.386) and 23rd in average (.237).
Since June 1, the Rockies’ 215 runs scored are the second-most in MLB behind only the Milwaukee Brewers (221). They also have four players in the Top 20 in OPS since June 1: Kyle Karros (1.065, 3rd), Hunter Goodman (.995, 9th), TJ Rumfield (.946, 15th) and Jake McCarthy (.943, 18th). They have also been averaging 5.06 runs per game at home and 4.54 runs on the road. They have not averaged more than 4.0 runs on the road since 2020 (4.07) and have not averaged more than 4.5 runs on the road since 2007 (4.72).
It wasn’t always like this. May was a rough month. After a 14-18 start, they went just 8-20 in May and were outscored 190-119. But since June 1, they are 17-21 and have been outscored just 221-215. They also have not been shut out since May 19.
Conclusion: The Rockies are finding more ways to score runs and keep games closer. They are not rolling over and letting teams beat them’; instead, they are forcing them to. By the All-Star Break in 2025, they’d been outscored 589-336 (-253). In 2026, it’s 552-465 (-87).
Plate Discipline
Plate discipline has been something that has plagued the Rockies for years. But that is changing this year, as well.
In 2025, the Rockies struck out 25.9% of the time. Only the LA Angels were worse (27.1%). In 2024, they led the league with a 28.8% strikeout rate; and in 2023 they ranked third (25.5%). However, in 2026, they rank 11th so far (22.8%).
Their walk rate is still relatively low – 8.4%, which ties them with the St. Louis Cardinals for 17th in MLB. In 2025, they ranked last (6.7%). In 2024, they were tied with the San Diego Padres for 16th (7.5%). And in 2023, they were 18th (7.4%).
Some of this can be attributed to an overall tightening up of plate discipline. In March and April, the Rockies struck out 25.1% of the time – 29th in MLB. Since June 1, they’ve struck out just 21% – 10th in MLB.
As far as walk rate is concerned, they walked just 8% of the time (21st) in March and April. Since June 1, they’ve walked 9.5% of the time (6th).
And no player exemplifies that more than third baseman Kyle Karros. Prior to Sunday’s contest, Karros had reached base in 19-straight games. It was the longest active on-base streak in the league, and tied for the longest streak by a Rockie this season (Mickey Moniak, April 15-May 7). He is also slashing .342/.434/.631 with six homers since June 1. Both his 1.065 OPS and .434 OBP rank third in the league. Prior to that, Karros was slashing just .215/.273/.337 with three homers.
Conclusion: The Rockies are becoming much more patient at the plate. They are learning as they go and making adjustments. They are putting more emphasis on getting on base by any means possible, which is helping them score more runs, especially late in games.
Defensive Positional Versatility
In addition to pitching versatility, the Rockies also touted positional versatility in the field. This is nothing new for the Rockies, but this new team has cranked it up to 12.
This was first evident when they signed Willi Castro, who has been the definition of a “versatile veteran” for years. So far in 2026, Castro has played every position at least once except for pitcher and catcher and there have been occasional instances where he played multiple positions in the same game. Cory Cohen wrote an excellent profile on Castro’s positional versatility just last week.
We’ve also seen Edouard Julien play first and second base, as well as Tyler Freeman and Troy Johnston play both infield and outfield. Braxton Fulford has been primarily used as a designated hitter and backup catcher, but also dabbled in the outfield last week. This was also something we saw from Ryan Ritter in spring training.
But perhaps the biggest indicator of the new coaches’ emphasis on positional versatility is Cole Carrigg. Carrigg is famously a “super-utilityman” (and a switch hitter, to boot). Interestingly, he has only played outside of center field twice — he played three innings of shortstop over two separate appearances — but that’s likely because of Brenton Doyle’s injury.
Conclusion: This is something the Rockies have worked on for years, and it’s something many teams do across the league. It’s one thing to have a player who can play a couple of positions well, but it’s another to be “able” to play everything serviceably. And perhaps this is something the Rockies have realized, as well, because Castro in particular has stayed in the infield a lot more lately and there haven’t been as many in-game positional adjustments. This will be something to keep an eye on in the second half.
Win-Loss Record and Overall Results
The biggest and most obvious metric is the raw win-loss record of the Rockies in 2026. Heading into the All-Star Break, the Rockies are 39-59. That’s about a 64-98 pace. Considering they’ve lost 100+ games in each of the last three seasons, that’s a significant improvement. Additionally, the last time they won more than 34 games in the first half was 2022, when they were 43-50 (they finished 68-94 that year). Don’t get me wrong – if they finish 64-98, it’s still bad. But the last year they won fewer than 100 games was 2022, and 98 losses is still 21 fewer than last year.
In 2026, they are 22-25 at home and 17-34 on the road. They are also 14-14 in one-run games, and have scored an MLB-leading 133 runs in the eighth inning or later. They have come from behind to win 25 times, and five of those have been from down three runs.
Additionally, they are slashing .294/.360/.480 with 43 doubles, four triples and 28 home runs in the eighth inning or later. 50 of the Rockies’ games have been decided by two runs or fewer, which is tied for the second-most in the majors. Their 30 losses by that margin are the third-most in MLB.
Conclusion: Warren Schaeffer has repeatedly said this team believes in each other, and he and players have mentioned on countless occasions how they never believe they are out of any game. That was something we saw last year, and it has continued this year. The fact that they have not been shut out since the middle of May shows how much fight there is in this team, and that’s all you can ask for (even though coming back from a 9-0 deficit in the first inning to win the game doesn’t happen very often).
Closing Thoughts
As I said in the opening, the coaching data is incomplete because we only have just over half a season’s worth of data to look at. Additionally, the Rockies are coming off of a historically bad 2025 season, so they have a big hole to dig themselves out of.
But the early returns – especially since June 1 – have been encouraging. May was bad, but they’ve since turned a corner. That shows they’re learning and making the necessary adjustments. The Rockies remind me of students who have gotten F’s on their report cards for the last few years and are looking to get C’s. It takes the right teacher(s) to get them there, and so far, things are trending in the right direction under “The Schaeffer Way.”
I don’t like to name games, and this probably won’t catch on, but it was a Big Weekend for Alex Bregman. There were articles talking about him going into a deep dive during the All-Star break to fix all that is broken just a few days ago. It turns out that I wish the break wasn’t happening just as Bregman is starting to work out of his slump. But maybe instead of having the pressure of fixing everything, Bregman can fine tune what he just found out about his game.
Seemingly hidden behind Bregman’s Weekend was the performance of Michael Busch. He went 5-for-8 with three doubles, two runs scored and an RBI. If Busch keeps this up after the break, this is another possible breakout for this season.
PCA was only 1-for-6 in the two games, but he worked the pitchers for four walks and scored two runs.
And hopefully Kevin Alcantara getting the bat on the ball for a seeing-eye two-RBI single will give him some confidence in future games.
Javier Assad and Matthew Boyd did not perform stunningly well, but their performances were solid and kept the Cubs in both games for a pair of seventh-inning rallies to win. Assad did give up a pair of solo home runs, but he stranded the other five hits, struck out four and did not issue a walk. Boyd’s game wasn’t as solid with a four-run third inning by the Reds, but Boyd importantly pitched into the seventh inning, having allowed two hits and a walk in the other 5.1 innings that he pitched.
Also, the bullpen held together in both games, allowing one run in 6.2 innings pitched. And the Cubs won the series.
I’m ready for the second half.
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Sean Holland (Cubs Insider): Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (7/12/26): Cubs 8, Reds 4 – Bregman Goes Deep Again in W. “The road team got some more production out of their third baseman, who suddenly got right, to take the series.”
Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): How a renewed approach in the box led to PCA’s second All-Star nod. “When the Cubs returned home for the next homestand, Alex Bregman pulled the Cubs center fielder aside and offered some veteran insight, using that moment against Iglesias as an example.”
Jason Ross (North Side Baseball): Recapping Chicago Cubs’ 2026 Draft Class: A Big Bet on Tyler Zombro. “The Cubs selected 21 names in the 2026 MLB Draft, and most should sign. What should we make of this class? And what makes it stand out from previous ones under Dan Kantrovitz?”
Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Cubs Indeed Go Pitching-Heavy in Draft, Select 16 Arms in 21 Picks. “After drafting three college pitchers out of their first five picks in rounds 1-4, the Cubs continued the trend with 13 more arms over the final 16 rounds of the Draft.”
John Weldon “JJ” Cale (December 5, 1938 – July 26, 2013) was an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Though he avoided the limelight, his influence as a musical artist has been acknowledged by figures such as Neil Young, Mark Knopfler, Waylon Jennings, and Eric Clapton, who described him as one of the most important artists in rock history. He is one of the originators of the Tulsa sound, a loose genre drawing on blues, rockabilly, country, and jazz. According to AllMusic, he was known for his “laconic delivery and shuffling boogie rhythm,” as well as for his “laid-back rootsy style”. He rarely diverted from this style throughout his career.
Along with a number of other young Tulsa musicians, Cale moved to Los Angeles in late 1964, where he found employment as a studio engineer as well as playing at bars and clubs. In 1966, while living in the city, he cut a demo single with Liberty Records of his songs “After Midnight” with “Slow Motion” as the B side. He distributed copies of the single to his Tulsa musician friends living in Los Angeles, many of whom were successfully finding work as session musicians. Not being able to make enough money as a studio engineer, he sold his guitar and returned to Tulsa in late 1967.
In 1970, it came to Cale’s attention that Eric Clapton had recorded “After Midnight” on his debut album. Cale, who was languishing in obscurity at the time, had no knowledge of Clapton’s recording until it became a radio hit in 1970. “I was dirt poor, not making enough to eat and I wasn’t a young man. I was in my thirties, so I was very happy. It was nice to make some money.“
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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals competes during the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan, I haven’t felt this way in years. Monday night’s MLB Home Run Derby reminded me of the romance and sheer delirious joy that this sport can give us. That’s why I’m convinced that Jordan Walker’s Home Run Derby victory will rank among the best moments in St. Louis Cardinals history.
You never know how a player will respond to moments on a national stage. When I learned that Jordan Walker was going to be a part of the Home Run Derby, I had several hot takes. First, what a great opportunity for Jordan. Good for him. Second, he’ll surely have nerves since this is his first All-Star game experience and first Home Run Derby. As the night started, the first thing that struck me was how relaxed Jordan Walker appeared. He said in interviews that he was nervous, but everything about him just projected calm, cool and collected.
As the Derby began, Willson Contreras launched an impressive 13 home runs in 20 swings. Jordan Walker then calmly matched him with a smooth, easy swing that carried him into the semi-finals.
Prior to the Home Run Derby, many prognosticators predicted that Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays would win it. He was Jordan’s competition in the semi-finals and not only did Walker defeat him, but he did it with 7 swings not needed. Jordan seemed like a man with ice in his veins.
As the final round began, I was overwhelmed with how proud Cardinals fans should be of what Jordan Walker achieved. Making it to the finals in his first All-Star game, his first Home Run Derby…that’s such an accomplishment. Surely he won’t win this thing, will he? After Kyle Schwarber hammered 11 home runs in 15 swings, I (and thousands of fans in the stands in Philly) thought it was over. The one person who didn’t believe that? Jordan Walker. Even after he only had 8 home runs with 1 swing remaining, he appeared at ease. Smooth swings…4 in a row as he took advantage of bonus swings on his last ball sailed into the night as the fans in Philadelphia watched in a stunned silence.
As Jordan’s 12th finals home run flew deep into the left field stands, I screamed, fist in the air like I haven’t done in years. The last time it happened? Albert’s 700th home run in 2022. World Series games 6 and 7 in 2011. Before that, it was the World Series clincher against Detroit in 2006. I was also reminded of that night in September in 1998 when Mark McGwire’s 62nd home run barely cleared the left field wall in the old Busch Stadium. Same emotions that night that I feel right now. I’m elated. Blown away by how Jordan Walker rose to the occasion and faced a fierce Philly crowd and hoisted a trophy that he wasn’t supposed to get and then maintain his humbleness as the MLB world started reacting to this huge upset.
Major League Baseball needs more of what happened Monday night in Philadelphia. St. Louis Cardinals fans need more of what happened Monday night in Philadelphia. A reminder of the romance of a baseball upset that shouldn’t be possible from a small market player who is what he is because of the strong family that stood behind him when the rest of us doubted him. Thank you, Jordan Walker and family. I felt like I was 10-years-old again thanks to what you accomplished. You will now forever be a part of some of my favorite St. Louis Cardinals memories ever and with the rich history of this team, that’s saying something.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Jac Caglianone #14 of the Kansas City Royals competes during the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Caglianone belted eight home runs in the first round of the annual tournament. He got off to a slow start before settling in with some mammoth homers.
In his session, Caglianone blasted homers well into the third deck at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He also hit a baseball over the batter’s eye in center field before bowing out after 20 swings.
However, Caglianone wouldn’t move forward. He was not one of the final four participants after Willson Contreras (13 homers), Jordan Walker (13), Junior Caminero (12) and Kyle Schwarber (10) advanced in the competition.
Caglianone finished tied for sixth among the eight contenders with eight home runs, and only the top four advanced. While CBP doesn’t have a reputation as being especially friendly or unfriendly to right- or left-handed hitters, it certainly seemed the righties had the most fun in the first round. All three right-handed hitters — Willson Contreras, Jordan Walker and Junior Caminero — launched at least 12 homers, placing first, second and third in the opening round. Meanwhile none of the five lefties — Kyle Schwarber, Ben Rice, Caglianone, Bryce Harper and Munetaka Murakami — tallied more 10, and among them, only Schwarber advanced to the second round.
The Royals slugger found himself in fourth after four batters, but withstood a challenge from Rice. However, when Caminero hit his ninth on the way to 12 total, Caglianone was eliminated.
Ultimately, Jordan Walker prevailed in the Derby on a thrilling walk-off finish against Philly favorite Kyle Schwarber.
After Schwarber clubbed 11 homers to send the crowd into a frenzy, Walker found himself sitting on eight with one swing left in the finals. Batters who end on a homer are allowed unlimited swings after that until a ball doesn’t go over the fence, and Walker took full advantage, hitting four in a row to upend Schwarber.
In doing so, he became the first Cardinals player to win the Derby.
No matter the outcome Monday night, Caglianone will be a winner because of who will be throwing to him: Jeff Caglianone, his dad. Father and son practiced on the Camden Yards field on Sunday, a day later than planned. They hoped to do it Saturday but were rained out. So they worked in the cages and began forming a plan.
“It’s funny. We talked about that yesterday,” Jeff Caglianone said Sunday. “He was looking (for pitches) a little bit up and in, and then I was throwing him some pitches down, and he was hammering them. As long as he gets a barrel to it, we’ll be OK.”
The Caglianones have Home Run Derby history, as dad pitched to his son at the 2024 Arizona Fall league event.
David Lesky ruminates on the first half of the season.
There has absolutely been some good. We’ve seen some of those young hitters have big moments. We’ve seen great moments like Stephen Kolek’s complete game, the crazy game against the Phillies, the walkoff against the Angels and others. But this was supposed to be a year to compete for the division title, not be the worst team in baseball. The Rockies are a half-game better! Some of it is injuries. The start was just bad baseball. Cole Ragans, Vinnie Pasquantino, Salvador Perez and the bullpen in general just weren’t good enough. But as I’ve said, the injuries piled up, and they couldn’t really overcome that brutal start. The 40-48 first half of 1986 might be more disappointing than this, only because they were coming off the title, but even so, this is pretty close.
Mike Gillespie at Royals Keep raises three questions the Royals should think about during the break.
The White Sox are going to sign number one overall pick Roch Cholowsky to a big deal, apparently a record bonus.
We got some more contract details on JJ Wetherholt’s deal with the Cardinals.
The 2026 MLB Draft is over, and the White Sox targeted outfielders and power bats.
This year’s signing deadline is July 22, although the White Sox are expected to ink at least 20 of their picks. As you are probably aware, each pick in the draft is assigned a specific and unique value, and the sum of those values is the amount a team is allowed to spend on their draft selections.
For the first 10 rounds of the draft, every dollar spent counts against that total (the bonus pool). All picks after the 10th Round are assigned $150,000 as the signing bonus; players can be (and often are) signed for more or less than that — but anything more than $150,00 counts against the bonus pool.
HOWEVER, teams are allowed to overspend their bonus pool by up to 5%. If a team spends more than 105% of their bonus pool, stiff penalties are introduced: the loss of future draft picks. For this reason, under these rules no MLB team has ever exceeded that 5% overage.
There are various strategies employed to maximize pick value, which often ends up on the backs of college seniors with no leverage (i.e. cannot refuse to sign/return to school); the White Sox in fact have paid signing bonuses as little as $10,000 or perhaps $5,000 under such circumstances. The unused money is then poured into enticing one of the “money picks” (Nos. 1-10, but more likely in the first five rounds) to sign. Or, as was the case DJ Gladney in 2019, a “steal” in the lower 10s of the draft will have such savings steered to him to ensure signing/eschewing a college scholarship commitment.
Our tracker is below. Scroll right for additional details, and scroll all the way down for details on undrafted free agent signings.
Director of scouting Mike Shirley has indicated already that 20th Round pick Connor Fennell may not be signed, as he was chosen as insurance against another player refusing to agree to terms or not passing his physical. But with 21 picks, the White Sox will very likely ink at least 20 players out of this draft.
If a player doesn’t sign with the White Sox, the money slotted for their pick is lost; it cannot be used to sign other players in the draft class. The White Sox would, however, get a compensation pick in 2027 that is one slot lower. That is, if the White Sox failed to sign Cole Prosek, they would get the No. 42 pick in the 2027 draft. If a pick lower than the first two rounds doesn’t sign, the White Sox get a compensatory pick the next year at the end of the round; if third-rounder Joey Volchko doesn’t come to terms, the White Sox will get an extra pick at the end of 2027’s third round.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 12: The Boston Red Sox celebrate after defeating the New York Mets at Citi Field on July 12, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On paper, this cross-country road trip is where even the most optimistic Red Sox fans were supposed to reach a capitulation point. Despite a mostly successful 5-2 homestand to close out June against the Yankees and Nationals, reality and time were growling at the door in the form of an abysmal record and the aggressively approaching trade deadline.
The team was still 11 games under .500, and they were flying to California with no games at Fenway Park appearing on the schedule until July 17th. Suspensions for Willson Contreras and Nate Eaton were handed down and had to be served within days, and to make matters worse, Connelly Early just hit the IL, joining Roman Anthony, Garrett Crochet, Trevor Story, Marcelo Mayer, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Johan Oviedo, Nick Sogard, Tristan Casas, and Kutter Crawford without a timeline. The final death blow of this woefully disappointing season felt imminent and inevitable — Probably in the form of some walk-off in LA while the clock appropriately struck midnight on the east coast. Barring a miracle, this thing was over, and colossal consequences were coming.
And yet, in quintessential baseball fashion, this is the exact moment the seas parted, and the ship turned. Because baseball, despite being its own galaxy of numbers that revolves around strict rules, trends, data, and deep statistical blueprints, will every once in a while take all that logic and math, and light it on fire.
There’s no way this lineup, down on power to start the year, down Roman Anthony and Trevor Story for half the season, and down Willson Contreras for half this road trip should’ve had enough ammunition to make it through any game, let alone nine straight wins and the best Red Sox road trip since 1977. But it did.
There’s no way this rotation, down 80 percent of the guys who made the first five starts of the season (Garrett Crochet, Ranger Suarez, Connelly Early and Brayan Bello) for a solid chunk of the trip, should have pieced together a collection of gems that would make a pirate blush. But it did.
There’s no way Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, and Anthony Seigler — all three guys the Sox got back in the Kyle Harrison trade with Milwaukee — should have started making major, meaningful contributions on a nightly basis right when the team was at its most vulnerable, but they did.
None of this makes sense, and that’s exactly why it’s so magical. We watch the 99 percent of the time to get the high off the one percent where everything goes haywire. In simplest terms, THIS IS THE GOOD STUFF!
As a proud nerd who spends hours looking at spreadsheets, tables, and trends, it’s the moments where sanity melts under a mushroom cloud of chaos that make life interesting, and in turn, baseball worth watching for weeks on end.
People complain life is monotonous and baseball is boring, and much of the time, they’re right ….. Until they’re absolutely not! Every once in a while, the daily box of possibilities bursts at its barriers and deals you an extreme, unexpected fate (good or bad) — And the next thing you know, you’re in a car accident, you receive a profoundly positive update after a cancer diagnosis, you’re meeting your soulmate for the first time, a tornado siren is blaring through your neighborhood, or the most disappointing baseball team you’ve ever watched is going on a road trip with a WooSox looking lineup and rescues the baseball summer that felt stolen three weeks ago.
It doesn’t have to make sense. It’s better that way.
If the Red Sox continue their heater into the second half and make a deep playoff run in the fall, the active roster will most certainly look a lot different than the group that just pulled the wagon from the cliff’s edge while traveling the Oregon Trail in reverse. (It has to if this front office is remotely serious about trying to take advantage of this historically weak American League.)
But while this group who just played their hearts out may not get October playing time, they could end up being the reason those opportunities exist at all, making their efforts an integral chapter in a much longer, more complex story.
Deep within the DNA of any successful baseball season are things like Tsung-Che Cheng’s three straight multi-hit games while playing solid defense at short, Patrick Sandoval returning to a Major League mound for the first time in two years while holding an explosive White Sox lineup to a single run, and Eduardo Rivera and Brayan Bello being great straight out of Worcester to help keep a long winning streak alive. They just don’t usually come piled on top of each other in such short order.
But for a week and a half, these delightful surprises fell like snowflakes in a ferocious February blizzard. Only here, they came in the blistering heat of summer, and turned a Red Sox road trip that was supposed to be a funeral, into a miraculous resurrection.
Florida Complex League Yankees:W, 3-2 (7) vs. FCL Phillies
3B Richard Matic 0-4, 3 K DH George Lombard Jr. 1-2, HR, RBI, BB, CS — first AB back was a dinger! RF Wilberson De Pena 0-3, 2 K C Queni Pineda 1-2, BB, passed ball 2B Leni Done 1-3, 3B, RBI, 2 K CF Jose Castro 0-3, 2 K LF Francisco Vilorio 0-3, 2 K SS Dexters Peralta 0-3, 2 K 1B Justin Capellan 1-3
Anthony Mena 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 HR Sunayro Martina 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 4 K (win)
🚨George Lombard Jr CRUSHES 2nd pitch of his rehab for a solo shot!
Dominican Summer League Bombers:L, 16-10 at DSL Phillies — between this scoreline and the line for the DSL Yanks, the DSL is clearly a land of contrasts
2B Dariel Santana 1-4, RBI, BB C Alessandro Rodriguez 0-2, RBI, BB, SF, throwing error SS Carlos Bello 1-5, RBI, K, fielding error DH Kenneth Melendez 1-3, 2B, 2 BB RF David Carrera 0-1, 3 BB 1B Poly Ojeda 2-4, 2B, RBI, K, fielding error 3B Germayhoni Beltre 1-3, 2 RBI, 2 BB, SB, two throwing errors LF Sebastian Pinto 0-3, RBI, BB, K, SF CF Alfiery Matos 1-3, 2B, 2 BB, K, SB, CS
Randy Angomas 0.1 IP, 3 H, 7 R (2 ER), 4 BB, 1 K (loss) — poor Randy has had a rough go of it, with 5+ runs allowed in five of seven starts Breidy Adames 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K Oscar Vasquez 2 IP, 3 H, 4 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR Mauricio Vargas 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K Josue Silvestre 2.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 2 K Andre Avila 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Jul 13, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (35) before the home run derby at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
How are you spending your four days off from Orioles baseball (assuming you hadn’t already bailed on Orioles baseball by, like, May)? Me, I’m going to take care of important things around the house, by which I mean catching up on TV. I’m still working my way through the Fallout season that ended in February, so there’s a hefty backlog.
Of course, there’s still baseball to enjoy if you’d like to do so. The MLB All-Star Game is tonight at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, airing on Fox at 8:00. It’ll be the usual fun showcase featuring the majors’ biggest stars, but unfortunately precious few Orioles. The Birds’ lone representative, Adley Rutschman, will be among the American League reserves, so we should see him come in midway through the game.
Rutschman is a deserving All-Star, but the fact that he’s the Orioles’ only one is kind of a bummer. I know this season hasn’t gone particularly well for the Birds, but it’s not as if they just have one good player. There are worse AL teams with more representatives. Fellow sub-.500 teams like the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Twins, and Tigers all have multiple All-Stars. Even the lowly Royals and Athletics have two apiece.
I’m a little surprised that Pete Alonso didn’t get selected to the team, especially after a fellow first baseman, the Athletics’ Nick Kurtz, bowed out with injury. The Polar Bear is already a five-time All-Star and is putting up another strong year in his Orioles debut. But I suppose the AL is stacked with first basemen even without Kurtz (and the fan-voted starter, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who also won’t be playing), as Boston’s Willson Contreras, the Yankees’ Ben Rice, and White Sox rookie Munetaka Murakami are already on the roster. At the very least, I would’ve liked to see Alonso participate in the Home Run Derby, which he has won twice in his career (including a defeat of the Orioles’ Trey Mancini in 2021, which was annoying at the time).
Still, the 2026 Orioles’ fate won’t be decided by how many guys they’ve got playing in the All-Star Game. They’ve got 65 more games of baseball to play when the season resumes on Friday. And with a little momentum on their side after heading into the break on a four-game winning streak, they’re going to need to stay hot for pretty much the entire second half to stay in contention. So let’s hope that Adley enjoys his time at the Midsummer Classic, and that the rest of the team gets a nice breather and comes back ready to win a lot of games.
There aren’t normally a lot of stolen base attempts in the All-Star Game anyway, but I don’t think the National League will dare try it when Adley is behind the dish.
The O’s acquired Cam Sanders, and before you ask, no, he’s not a third baseman, and he’s not even joining the major league roster. We’ll have to wait another couple days to find out who Blaze Alexander’s replacement will be.
Alexander called out Lucas Erceg for quick-pitching him on the fateful HBP, and got in a dig on Vinnie Pasquantino for good measure. Blaze’s troll game is on point.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! And there’s a good chance that you used to play for the Orioles, because a whopping nine players in O’s history were born on July 14. I would venture a guess that that’s more O’s birthdays than any other date on the calendar, but I’m not going to do the legwork of looking it up.
That lengthy birthday list includes three players currently active in the majors or minors: infielders Joey Ortiz (28) and Andrew Velazquez (32) and right-hander Isaac Mattson (31). It also includes the Orioles’ most recent Cy Young Award winner, right-hander Steve Stone (79). Other ex-Orioles born on July 14 include infielders Bernie Castro (47), Victor Rodríguez (65), and Billy Smith (73); outfielder Derrick May (58); and the late catcher Earl Williams (b. 1948, d. 2013).
On this date in 2012, the Orioles pulled off a wild win in a season full of them with an 8-6 walkoff against the Tigers at Camden Yards. After closer Jim Johnson blew a 4-1 lead in the ninth to allow Detroit to tie, the Tigers took a 5-4 lead in the top of the 11th, only for Adam Jones to deliver a two-out RBI single to tie it in the bottom half. The Orioles fell behind again in the 13th, but J.J Hardy promptly tied the score with a solo homer, and light-hitting backup catcher Taylor Teagarden — making his team debut — played the hero with a walkoff two-run blast. It was the Birds’ 10th consecutive extra-innings win, a streak that would eventually reach 16.
And on this day in 2019, the Orioles nearly became the victims of the first combined perfect game in MLB history, as two Rays pitchers — Ryne Stanek and Ryan Yarbrough — combined to retire the first 24 batters of the game. Hanser Alberto finally broke up the perfecto in the ninth with a leadoff single. The O’s lost, 4-1.
Random Orioles game of the day
On July 14, 1973, the Orioles beat the White Sox, 5-4, in Chicago. The O’s pounded out 12 hits, including three from DH Tommy Davis and a homer by Paul Blair. Earl Williams, on his 25th birthday, contributed two RBIs. Hall of Famer Jim Palmer worked eight strong innings for the win, but gave up three runs in the ninth before reliever Bob Reynolds escaped a bases-loaded jam on a game-ending double play.
MESA, ARIZONA - MARCH 22, 2026: José Anderson #97 of the Milwaukee Brewers in the field during the seventh inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Athletics at Hohokam Stadium on March 22, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Welcome back to the Minor League Roundup!
As a reminder, you can find this roundup — covering everything you need to know about each of the Brewers’ minor league affiliates — every Tuesday morning right here on Brew Crew Ball. For consistency, all organizational prospect rankings will reference MLB Pipeline unless otherwise noted.
Triple-A Nashville Sounds
Current record: 53-38 Record this week: 3-3 This week’s opponent: @ Charlotte Knights Next week’s opponent: vs. Norfolk Tides
Standout performances: Luke Adams: 7-for-15, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 1 K Tyler Black: 7-for-16, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 6 BB, 4 K Ethan Murray: 8-for-19, 1 2B, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 4 K Thomas Pannone: 6.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
With Luis Lara and Cooper Pratt now in the big leagues, the Sounds are down to just one Top 100 prospect in Jett Williams, who appeared in only one game this week. Nashville still features Luke Adams and Jeferson Quero (7-for-24), both of whom continued to produce, but the promotions of Lara and Pratt have opened up more playing time for some of the organization’s less-heralded players — and they’ve taken advantage.
Four Sounds hitters batted over .400 this week. One was Adams. The other three? Ethan Murray, Darrien Miller, and Tyler Black. None are currently considered to be among the Brewers’ top 30 prospects (though Black once was), but all three have played an important role in Nashville’s success. Murray is hitting .272 with a .712 OPS on the season, while Black owns a .781 OPS and has continued to show the on-base skills that earned him opportunities in the majors. Miller has only been in Triple-A for a few weeks after earning a promotion on June 27, but before leaving Biloxi he posted a .943 OPS with the Shuckers.
— Nashville Sounds (@nashvillesounds) July 9, 2026
A lot of attention naturally goes to the organization’s biggest names, but weeks like this are a reminder that a healthy farm system needs more than just blue-chip prospects. Players like Murray, Miller, and Black may not generate the same headlines as guys like Lara and Pratt, but they’ve consistently produced, helped their clubs win games, and provided the kind of depth that allows top prospects to develop in competitive environments. Not every player has to become a star to play an important role in the organization’s success.
The offense carried the Sounds this week, but the pitching staff had a much tougher time. Only four pitchers logged more than three innings: Coleman Crow, Carlos Rodriguez, Gerson Garabito, and Thomas Pannone. Pannone was the lone bright spot, holding the Charlotte Knights to two earned runs over six innings. The other three, however, struggled.
Crow, who recently completed his rehab assignment and was optioned back to Triple-A, allowed four runs on four hits and two walks over 3 1/3 innings. Rodriguez made two appearances as an opener, surrendering eight runs (four earned) in 4 1/3 innings, while Garabito was tagged for seven earned runs across five innings.
Tyson Hardin also turned in a solid outing, allowing one earned run on two hits over three innings while striking out three. His ERA is now down to 3.63 through his first 10 Triple-A starts.
Double-A Biloxi Shuckers
Current record: 46-37 Record this week: 3-3 This week’s opponent: @ Knoxville Smokies Next week’s opponent: vs. Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Standout performances:
Matthew Wood: 5-for-13, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 4 BB, 3 K Mike Boeve: 6-for-20, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 4 BB, 2 K Josh Adamczewski: 5-for-21, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 3 K Andrew Fischer: 5-for-21, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 4 BB, 10 K Jaron DeBerry: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 11 K Braylon Owens: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K Bishop Letson: 5.1 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
This part of the column is getting so predictable. Guess who this week’s standouts were? Yep: Josh Adamczewski, who had more hits than strikeouts yet again. Andrew Fischer, who racked up four extra-base hits, including another home run, despite striking out in nearly half of his at-bats. Mike Boeve hit .300 and walked more than he struck out. Rinse, repeat.
Adamczewski is now officially a top-100 prospect after MLB Pipeline updated its rankings. He wasn’t even a top-30 Brewers prospect at the start of last season. It’s been a meteoric rise for Milwaukee’s new No. 6 prospect, who has done nothing but hit since joining the organization. Frankly, the recognition from Pipeline feels overdue.
No baseball for a couple days.
Just wanted to show you guys a couple of #Brewers prospects (Andrew Fischer and Josh Adamczewski) who are absolutely MASHING in MiLB this year!
On the pitching side, Jaron DeBerry continues to impress. He hasn’t allowed more than three runs in a start since May 17—almost exactly two months ago. After that outing, his ERA sat north of six. Following this week’s seven-inning, two-hit, 11-strikeout gem, it’s all the way down to an even 4.00. Braylon Owens was excellent as well, allowing just one run on four hits over six innings.
Good news: Bishop Letson allowed three runs while striking out six over 5⅓ innings. Bad news: he also walked four and surrendered eight hits. As soon as Logan Henderson graduates, Letson will become the Brewers’ top pitching prospect, but he’s taken a step back in his first full season at Double-A. He owns a 4.62 ERA and a 4.91 BB/9, and the command has been inconsistent. If he can tighten that up, the stuff is still good enough to make him a successful major league starter.
Jesús Made and Blake Burke both went 3-for-20 this week, which happens. It’s baseball. Check back next week.
High-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
Current record: 46-33 Record this week: 3-3 This week’s opponent: vs. Beloit Sky Carp Next week’s opponent: vs. Quad Cities River Bandits
Standout performances:
Luiyin Alastre: 5-for-11, 2 2B, 0 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K Blayberg Diaz: 5-for-11, 0 RBI, 1 BB, 4 K Daniel Dickinson: 9-for-20, 2 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 7 BB, 6 K Tyler Rodriguez: 6-for-14, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 7 BB, 2 K Braylon Payne: 4-for-11, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K Wande Torres: 7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K Ethan Dorchies: 9.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 11 K Daniel Corniel: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K Garrett Hodges: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K Tanner Perry: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Wisconsin’s top performer this week was Daniel Dickinson, who turned in arguably his best performance of the season. The 2025 sixth-round pick went 9-for-20 (.450) with two doubles, three home runs, nine RBI, and seven walks, good for a ridiculous 1.593 OPS. Dickinson got off to a slow start in his professional career, but he’s quietly raised his OPS to .786 through his first 225 at-bats and is beginning to look like the polished college bat the Brewers thought they were drafting.
Daniel Dickinson won the Midwest League Player of the Week award 🏅
Dickinson had a 1.593 OPS on the week, getting on base more than half of his PA and smacking 3 home runs and 2 doubles 🔥
He has played all of his 72 games in High-A Wisconsin his first full professional season… pic.twitter.com/1cXUQiSvUt
— Brewers Player Development (@BrewersPD) July 13, 2026
Eric Bitonti struck out 10 times in 20 at-bats, but he also collected five hits — three of them home runs. Not bad. Some evaluators started to sour on Bitonti after his strikeout issues persisted this season, and while 109 strikeouts in 254 at-bats is still a glaring concern, he’s also hitting .264 with an .894 OPS and 15 home runs. Bitonti nearly fell out of the Brewers’ top 30 prospects before the latest rankings update, but he’s continuing to make adjustments at the plate. He’ll spend the rest of the season as a 20-year-old, so there’s no reason to rush the development of a player with this kind of raw power.
Bitonti is 20 years old still, he has 15 homers and an .896 OPS in High-A. He’s also been playing third base a lot more since Fischer went to Biloxi, and I still think that’s a position he can handle.
Braylon Payne continued his breakout campaign, going 4-for-11 with a home run and four RBI. At this point, he’s officially on promotion watch. Tyler Rodriguez also stayed hot, going 6-for-14 with seven walks against just two strikeouts. Through his first 11 games with Wisconsin, Rodriguez is hitting .368 with a .974 OPS. Listed as a shortstop, he’s spent this season exclusively in the outfield and at first base, making him another intriguing player to watch as he settles into High-A.
The pitching staff had plenty to celebrate this week as well. Wande Torres and Ethan Dorchies, both of whom have struggled at times this season, turned in their best outings of the year against Beloit. Torres tossed seven scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while walking nobody and striking out eight. Dorchies was nearly as impressive across two starts, surrendering just two earned runs over 9⅓ innings while striking out 11. Daniel Corniel also contributed four solid innings of one-run ball, while Garrett Hodges and Tanner Perry each chipped in quality performances to help Wisconsin secure the series win.
Single-A Wilson Warbirds
Current record: 47-38 Record this week: 4-1 This week’s opponent: vs. Fayetteville Woodpeckers Next week’s opponent: @ Hickory Crawdads
Standout performances:
Juan Ortuno: 6-for-15, 3 2B, 4 RBI, 5 BB, 4 K Brady Ebel: 5-for-14, 3 2B, 1 RBI, 6 BB, 1 K Alexander Frias: 6-for-18, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K Filippo Di Turi: 4-for-13, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 4 K Pedro Ibarguen: 4-for-13, 1 2B, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K Jarrette Bonet: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K Miqueas Mercedes: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 7 K Andrew Healy: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K Enderson Mercado: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K
Alexander Frias went 6-for-18 with a home run and eight RBIs, only striking out twice. After posting a .441 average in rookie ball, the 18-year-old is showing he belongs in full-season ball.
Brady Ebel, whose brother was drafted by the Brewers with the 25th pick in this weekend’s MLB Draft, notched three extra base hits and six walks while only striking out once. Juan Ortuño matched Ebel with six hits of his own while adding three doubles, four RBIs, and five walks, continuing a quietly productive season in Wilson. Filippo DiTuri and Pedro Ibarguen both also hit over .300 with four RBIs apiece.
The best performance of the week wasn’t any of those guys, but rather Jose Anderson. In true Jose Anderson form, Anderson had five hits this week, but four of them were home run — bringing him to 21, the most in the Carolina League.
Jose Anderson’s 2nd HR of the game and 20th of the season is a walk-off homer for Wilson
The strikeouts remain a big issue for him, but the power is definitely impressive pic.twitter.com/7yUtU67r6K
Led by the usual suspects, the pitching staff also turned in another strong week. Jarrette Bonet was dominant, striking out seven over four scoreless innings while allowing just three hits. Miqueas Mercedes went six innings of one-run ball, striking out seven, and Andrew Healy limited Fayetteville to one run over five innings. Enderson Mercado allowed nine batters to reach base over just 4 2/3 innings, but managed to escape while only allowing two runs.
Player of the Week
I’m giving this one to the only Brewers prospect to hit four home runs this week. No, it’s not Andrew Fischer again.
José Anderson is one of the more fascinating prospects in the system. The power is impossible to ignore — he’s already up to 21 home runs on the season, and his .752 OPS is respectable — but the swing-and-miss remains a major hurdle. Anderson has struck out 125 times in 328 plate appearances, good for a staggering 38% strikeout rate. Despite his OPS, he’s hitting under .200. That’s simply not sustainable as he climbs the minor league ladder.
Still, the raw tools are intriguing. Power like Anderson’s doesn’t grow on trees, and if the Brewers can help him make enough contact and refine his approach at the plate, there’s a legitimate player in there. I’d love to see him put it all together and eventually tap into that power in Milwaukee.
Most HR in the minors by players under the age of 20
Jose Anderson (MIL, A) – 18 HR Emil Morales (LAD, A+) – 17 HR Braylon Payne (MIL, A+) – 16 HR Nathan Flewelling (TB, A+) – 16 HR Eduardo Tait (MIN, A+) – 15 HR Ching-Hsien Ko (LAD, A) – 15 HR Josiah Hartshorn (CHC, A+) – 15 HR
Arber Xhekaj could have filed for arbitration, but he chose not to, and that’s likely part of the reason why Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes is getting calls about the gritty defenseman. According to BPM Sports and RG.org’s Marco D’Amico, multiple teams have called to enquire about the supersized defenseman. At 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, the blueliner of Albanian descent brings a special mix of skills to the table but is one of the victims of the congestion at the Habs’ blueline.
Clearly, the organization is aware of what it had in Xhekaj and what he can bring to the table, but there seems to be a bit of a disconnect between what the executives think about the eldest Xhekaj and what the bench boss thinks. While Hughes has always been firm about not wanting to trade him away, Martin St-Louis barely uses him when he dresses him. The big defender didn’t see a single game of action in the third round of the playoffs against the Carolina Hurricanes, and in his last game against the Buffalo Sabres, he spent only 1:52 on the ice.
While Xhekaj is a great teammate who never complains about the situation, the fact that he didn’t file for arbitration, which means he remains eligible to offer sheets, suggests he’d be willing to go somewhere where he’d see more action. The Canadiens already have four left-shot defensemen signed for the upcoming season in Mike Matheson, Lane Hutson, Kaiden Guhle and Jayden Struble. That’s not even taking into account the fact that Adam Engstrom is knocking on the big league’s door. Matheson, Hutson and Guhle are all signed long-term.
It would be easier for Xhekaj if he were a right-shot rear guard, but he isn’t, and he did look 100% comfortable when the Habs tried to play him on his off-side. Noah Dobson is the only right-shot who’s signed long-term with the Canadiens. The organization hopes that David Reinbacher will be able to graduate to the NHL this season, while Alex Carrier will be playing the last year of his deal. Russian right-shot prospect Bogdan Konyushkov has also been signed this offseason. While he will spend the season in the KHL, the plan is for him to come over afterwards, and he, too, could challenge for a spot in the lineup for the 2027-28 season.
It’s more than likely that Xhekaj’s representatives want to know what the plan is for him in the organization, but they’re not having the conversation with the right people. The GM can sign you to a contract, but he cannot guarantee how much ice time you will get. That’s up to the coach. It’s a tricky situation Xhekaj finds himself in. There’s no doubt that he likes the team and where it’s headed, especially since his brother could soon make the jump to the NHL, but if he thinks about his future as an NHL player, it may be better for him to land on a team that won’t be reluctant to both use and trust him.
The 2008 World Series MVP isn't captivated by Sánchez's velocity. Instead, his eyes are drawn to his mechanics: Every pitch that leaves the left-hander's hand looks nearly identical – a trait that has helped turn him into one of the National League's top starting pitchers.
"If I didn’t see him give the pitch, I would think they’re the same because his mechanics look the exact same," Hamels tells USA TODAY Sports of what he sees with Sánchez. "His arm action and his release point are the same. You can see the spin and it looks identical.
"There’s slight variations (in his mechanics), but you can’t see that with the human eye."
Sánchez is set to make his first All-Star Game start for the National League on Tuesday, July 14 at 8 p.m. ET in front of the hometown crowd at Citizens Bank Park.
Getting the nod from Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts makes Sánchez the first Phillies pitcher to start the Midsummer Classic since Roy Halladay in 2011, serving as a culminating moment for the Dominican Republic native’s rise in the Phillies organization.
"Pretty special, really exciting, even more so than being here at home," Sánchez said on Monday at All-Star Media Day. "I'm just super excited so I can come here tomorrow and just take it all in and enjoy it overall. … It's a result of a lot of discipline and a lot of hard work that we put throughout the season."
Sánchez’s journey began as a 16-year-old in the Tampa Bay Rays system after he was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2013. He was traded to the Phillies in 2019 for then-Phillies prospect Curtis Mead after the Rays did not add him to their 40-man roster.
It took a few spot starts and trips up and down from Triple-A Lehigh Valley before Sánchez earned a spot in the rotation. He ultimately had a breakout season in 2024, when he went 11-9 with a 3.32 ERA in 181⅔ innings after going 3-5 in 18 starts with a 3.44 ERA the year prior.
Since then, Sánchez has emerged as one of baseball’s top pitchers, finishing as the NL Cy Young Award runner-up last season – a race in which he’s once again firmly entrenched.
"A lot of guys are so focused on velocity and swing-and-miss and striving for that swing-and-miss. I feel like he’s just trying to throw strikes," Hamels said. "He’s not trying to nibble and he’s not trying to shy away from bats and barrels. He’s out there throwing strikes, being consistent in the zone and allowing his pitches to work."
Sánchez is 11-4 with a 2.62 ERA and 144 strikeouts – third-most in the majors – in 127⅓ innings pitched this season.
Hamels said with Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola anchoring down the rotation at the time, he believed it allowed Sánchez to just "be himself" and develop trust with his pitches as he gained more big-league experience and reps.
He also said he believes Sánchez being around Ranger Suárez – another left-handed, homegrown success for the Phillies, now with the Boston Red Sox – was just as beneficial. Suárez is not an overpowering arm but one that leans on command and pitch sequencing, something that Sánchez now mirrors.
"I really do think Sánchez watched that and realized, 'Wait a sec, I can do that too. I'm just going to do it with about four or five miles per hour more. Why would I overstress? Why do I try to overdo it?'" Hamels said.
"I think that's really helped him stay within his mechanics and stay within his arm slot and trusting the fact that whenever he is behind in a count, he can get out of it because he's seen guys do it with a little bit lesser sort of stuff."
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 16, 2026
That approach carried over into Sánchez's pitch mix. Rather than having a large arsenal, he has largely relied on three pitches: sinker, changeup and slider. With this simple approach, Sánchez doesn’t necessarily need to show off his velocity. That instead allows him to just throw strikes and be consistent in the zone.
"He’s not trying to get too complicated," Hamels said of Sánchez’s minimum-arsenal approach. "Because of that, it allows him to stay more fluid and be able to repeat his delivery because he’s not having to add different arm angles or different sorts of breaking pitches.
"He really does keep it simple."
Sánchez’s usage of the sinker, his fastball pitch, is slightly down this season from last year. He’s thrown it 42.4% of the time, compared to 46% from last season. But it's still effective, which Hamels attributes to Sanchez’s lengthy 6-foot-6 frame and position on the left-hand side of the mound toward first base.
"It’s coming at such a sharp angle that a lot of hitters are looking for the sinker but you don’t know the vertical drop and what type of run that it’s going to have," Hamels said. "It has more run and drop than I think most guys' sinkers do from that angle."
His changeup – which Kansas City Royals All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. called one of the best pitches in baseball – remains his bread-and-butter punch-out pitch, which Hamels believes is a byproduct of Sánchez recognizing hitters are OK with letting a changeup fool them in an at-bat – compared to letting a 90-plus-mph fastball blow by them.
"No one hits his combo," Roberts said on Monday during his news conference.
His whiff and chase rates are both up this season as well: He's in the 98th percentile of MLB pitchers with a 38.4% chase rate, while his whiff rate is in the 91st percentile (32.3%).
"Oh jeez. That's a sinker and a change that look exactly the same," Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman told USA TODAY Sports on Monday. "… It's just not a fun at-bat."
Freeman added with a joke: "When we don't draw him in a three-game series, I'm OK with that,"
Earlier this season, Sánchez ran a streak of 50⅔ scoreless innings that spanned six starts, a streak that ranks fifth all-time and finished nine innings short of topping Orel Hershiser's all-time record of 59.
In the midst of his streak, Sánchez broke the Phillies' longest scoreless streak record, previously owned by Grover Cleveland Alexander for 115 years. His 50⅔ scoreless innings are the most by a left-handed pitcher in MLB history, as well.
"That was so impressive," Hamels said. "We’ve never seen anything like that in a long time. So to get as close up to Orel Hershiser’s record in this day and age, that’s very difficult to do."
Hamels said Sánchez still has some room to evolve, including building up his "bag of tricks" and different sequences for the postseason, something of which he has encouraged the southpaw to work on in the bullpens that he has sat in.
"It’s just learning tricks," Hamels said. "… There’s so much research now going into trying to beat you that you have to then have some certain surprises that you can feel confident doing."
In the meantime, Sánchez will continue to prepare for his All-Star Game start and the second half, where he is one of the leading Cy Young contenders alongside the Milwaukee Brewers’ Jacob Misorowski.
It's a race Hamels believes Sánchez can separate himself from — if he keeps it simple.
"He’s good with what he’s doing," Hamels said. "If he consistently just keeps putting up the numbers, people are recognizing it now. … That’s where the votes come."
