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Today marks Brandon Morrow’s 42nd birthday.

The Blue Jays acquired Brandon Morrow in December 2009, just before Christmas, in a trade that sent Brandon League and Johermyn Chavez to Seattle. I wonder how many Brandon-for-Brandon trades have occurred in MLB history.

Hugo wrote about the trade at the time and correctly highlighted the upside. He was pleased that we were trading a reliever for a prospect, even though we didn’t yet know who would accompany League in the deal.

Morrow, the 5th overall draft pick in the 2006 draft, was rushed to the majors, as per Seattle’s organizational philosophy and made the team’s opening day roster in 2007 as a reliever. He has made a few starts since then, but things have kept pushing him back into the bullpen – from the acquisition of Erik Bedard to various arm problems to his own erraticness. His pitching for the past three seasons has been marked by respectable overall numbers other than sky-high walk rates, which have really hurt him. There’s no doubt that there is significant upside in Morrow – the walks are a huge problem, but at 25, there’s still a chance Morrow can put it behind him. Morrow is eligible for arbitration. It’s hard not to like someone with a career 9.3 K/9 at 25, but there’s also a significant history of arm problems. I really hope the Jays make him a starter this season and just leave him there – if the Jays trade League and one of their top prospects for a reliever, I won’t be happy with the deal.

I included that mostly for the word erraticness, but that described Morrow to a T.

Chavez never reached the majors, but League had an up-and-down career post-trade. He notched 37 saves in 2011 and ended his career with three seasons as a Dodger, including an appearance in the NLCS. League had been a favourite of mine, but in general, trading a reliever for a starter is a smart move.

Morrow’s inconsistency did prove to be an issue. In 2010, he made 26 starts, pitched 146.1 innings, and issued 66 walks. However, pitching coach Bruce Walton worked closely with him. An interview with Walton included my favorite insight:

What does Brandon Morrow have to do to be more consistent?

Brandon, it’s my second year with Brandon. His first year we went through some walk issues, base on balls, command issues. We pretty much ironed it out. We got to the point where now we left a lot of balls in the middle of the plate. So we went from one extreme to the other extreme and we gave up a lot of home runs last year. He’s a fly ball pitcher at times, he doesn’t get a whole lot of ground balls, so when the ball sits in the middle of the plate belt high and they get a piece of it, it goes. So now it is just staying down in the zone consistently. I think for Brandon to be consistent, his pitches have to be down consistent. We have to plan the effort level to pitch at consistently. Consistency is what we have to work on in every aspect. Keeping the ball down, keeping our emotions in check. Keeping our work effort at a certain level, consistently. All those will come. This is the year for that to come. There’s steps to becoming a major league starting pitcher. The first step was that we needed to throw strikes. We accomplished that. It took us a year and a half. Our next step is to manage the game a little bit better and manage our emotions a little bit better and manage our season a little bit better and become more consistent. That’s where we are at.

Of course, we all remember his one-hitter in 2010.

And then there were the injuries. Over his five seasons with the Jays, he made 26, 30, 21, 10, and 6 starts, suffering nearly every type of arm injury imaginable for a pitcher.

Overall, as a Blue Jay, Morrow posted a 34-31 record with a 4.40 ERA. He logged 538 innings, struck out 561 batters, walked 212, and earned a 5.4 bWAR.

Morrow later played for the Padres, Dodgers, and Cubs, continuing to battle injuries. Notably, he pitched in all seven games of the 2017 World Series for the Dodgers in their infamous loss to the Astros. He appeared in 35 games for the Cubs in 2018, which marked the end of his MLB career.

He finished his MLB career with a 51-43 record, 40 saves, and a 3.96 ERA across 334 games and 113 starts.

Happy Birthday, Brandon. Wishing you a great day.

It is also Kevin Barker’s 51st birthday.

Barker played 12 games with the Jays in 2006 during a five-season MLB career, appearing in 126 games overall and posting a .249/.328/.354 batting line as a backup catcher.

He’s a baseball talking head now. Early in his career, he seemed always to be yelling, now he only yells most of the time.

And it is Spencer Miles’ 26th birthday.

Miles is having a strong rookie season, currently posting a 3.33 ERA across 38 games and 67.2 innings. Pretty impressive for a guy who’s had just 14.2 minor league innings.

Braydon Fisher also turns 26.

Braydon is in his second season in the MLB with the Blue Jays. His rookie year was very good, with a 2.70 ERA holding batters to a .551 OPS. This year has gone well too, maybe not quite as good, but a 3.83 ERA, holding batters to a .677 OPS

Go Rays!

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The Chicago White Sox (-107) will look to fend off a sweep as they host the Houston Astros in the final game of their weekend series.

With a favorable pitching matchup, my Astros vs. White Sox predictions back the home side to pull off the win.

Find out more in my MLB picks for July 26.

Who will win Astros vs White Sox today: White Sox (-107)

The Chicago White Sox offense hasn’t clicked in the first two games of the series, but this pitching matchup will help get their bats humming.

Houston Astros' hurler Ronel Blanco is making just his second start of the season, and his first outing saw him give up two homers and issue three walks.

After throwing the slider 32% of the time last season, he essentially abandoned it, opting for a changeup instead.

Chicago’s Munetaka Murakami is hitting .375 with .750 slugging against the change this year, while Miguel Vargas is .333, .576 against it. 

With those bats going, they'll produce enough run support for Erick Fedde.

COVERS INTEL:  The White Sox have a team SLG% of .406, not something Blanco wants to deal with after getting taken yard twice last time out.

Astros vs White Sox Over/Under pick: Over 9.5 (+105)

Despite losing, Houston will do its part to eclipse this total. The Astros have won five straight, with Saturday’s 4-1 win the only game in that streak in which they didn’t score at least five runs. 

Chicago starts Erick Fedde, who is benefiting from starting for a first-place team. His five wins top last season’s total, and his ERA is a full run lower than his FIP (5.15), which is actually higher than last season’s performance. 

Both bullpens have also been taxed in this series, combining for 30 innings in the last three games. 

Astros vs White Sox weather

Astros vs White Sox odds

• Moneyline: Astros -104 | White Sox -107
• Run line: Astros -1.5 (+156) | White Sox +1.5 (-163)
• Over/Under: Over 9.5 (+133) | Under 9.5 (-117)

Astros vs White Sox trend

The Houston Astros have hit the game total Over in seven of their last 10 away games (+4.80 Units / 43% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Astros vs. White Sox.

How to watch Astros vs White Sox and game info

Astros vs White Sox latest injuries

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Sunday notes…

• WHAT A RELIEF: Cubs bullpen, last three games: 10 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 12 K, 0.91 ERA, 0.500 WHIP.
• WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY? Since June 10, the Cubs are 25-11, the best record in the NL and half a game behind the Red Sox (26-11) for the best record in MLB over that span.
• LOTS AND LOTS OF RUNS: The Cubs’ 11-run outburst Saturday gave them 534 runs for the season, or 5.13 per game. That is a pace for 832 runs, which would be their second-most since 1970 (855 in 2008 is their most in the last 56 years).
• TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: The Cubs smash five home runs (Brian McRae, Sammy Sosa, Tyler Houston, Leo Gomez and Jose Hernandez) and crush the Rockies 17-4 at Coors Field. It happened 30 years ago today, Friday, July 26, 1996. (NOTE: The 17-4 score was identical to the Cubs winning score that I cited in yesterday’s “Today in Cubs history” item, though many years apart.)

Once again, neither team had a lineup available at the time this preview posted. Please check BCB social media for the lineups.

Jameson Taillon, RHP vs. Braxton Crawford, RHP

Jameson Taillon has not had a good year. This, you know.

His last start at PNC Park was kind of the epitome of his year — four runs in five innings, including two home runs, on May 27. (The Cubs won the game anyway, 10-4.)

All we can do is hope for better. He’s been slightly better in day games (six starts, 4.63 ERA, nine HR in 35 innings) than night games (eight starts, 6.08 ERA, 13 HR in 37 innings), for whatever that’s worth. Not that either of those sets of numbers is actually good, though.

Do better, Jamo.

Braxton Ashcraft has started twice against the Cubs this year and done pretty well — 1.59 ERA, 1.147 WHIP, 14 strikeouts in 11.1 innings.

Since June 1, though, he’s had a rough time of it: 6.05 ERA, 1.416 WHIP, nine home runs in 41.2 innings. He got absolutely pounded in his last start, July 20 vs. the Yankees, for eight runs (seven earned) in three innings, including a pair of homers.

Go get him, Cubs hitters.

Here is the weather forecast for the area around PNC Park.

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network.

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Pirates site Bucs Dugout. If you do go there to interact with Pirates fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.

You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.

The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.

You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

The first Yankees’ dynasty, which began with the 1923 championship, was helped out quite a bit by the Red Sox and various bad trades they made with the Yankees. Babe Ruth is obviously the most famous of those, but the Yankees picked up several key players from them, including pitchers Waite Hoyt, Herb Pennock, Carl Mays, and Bullet Joe Bush.

Another name on that list is Sad Sam Jones, whose acquisition ended up being anything but for the Yankees.

Samuel Pond “Sad Sam” Jones
Born: July 26, 1892 (Woodsfield, OH)
Died: July 6, 1966 (Barnesville, OH)
Yankees Tenure: 1922-26

Samuel Jones was born in Ohio in a town near the West Virginia border. In a story that’s so delightfully old-timey, Jones was said to have developed his pitching arm by playing catch with potatoes with his brother on his grandfather’s farm.

Jones had a bit of a stop-start beginning to his baseball career. A 1913 stint with the Zanesville Flood Sufferers — yes, really — ended after he requested his release due to homesickeness. The following year, he joined the Portsmouth (OH) Cobblers, and there he impressed scouts from the then Cleveland Naps. They signed him and by the end of the year he was making a brief cameo in the big leagues.

In 1915, Jones became a regular for Cleveland, appearing in 48 games, including nine starts. However that offseason, he ended up moving in a fairly notable trade. The Red Sox were, to use a more modern term, salary dumping future Hall of Famer Tris Speaker. Jones was included in the deal, but was seen as the secondary piece to infielder Fred Thomas. As it turned out, Jones would be immensely more successful than Thomas.

Jones’ first two seasons in Boston were a little iffy, but he broke out in 1918. Prior to the season, the Red Sox actually forgot to send him a new contract, as they had accidentally placed him on the retired list, thinking he had enlisted in the army. Jones himself had to get in touch with the team, and they quickly got him sorted out, which was good for them. With a 16-5 record, Jones led the league with a .725 winning percentage, while also posting a 2.25 ERA/120 ERA+. He would go on to start Game 5 of the World Series and throw a complete game in a losing effort. The Red Sox did win the series, although it would famously be their last for nearly a century.

Over the next couple seasons, Jones remained an average to very good pitcher for the Red Sox, although the championship team slowly began to be dismantled. A number of the players from Boston ended up getting trade to the Yankees, most notable of all was Ruth. In December 1921, Jones became another name on that list, as he, Bush, and shortstop Everett Scott were traded to Boston for Rip Collins, Roger Peckinpaugh, Bill Piercy, Jack Quinn and $100,000. Peckinpaugh had been a good player for the Yankees, although would be traded to the Washington Senators a month later, and Quinn ended up having a few good years after that, but the traded ended up lopsided towards the Yankees, as all three players would end up being championship contributors.

He also gained his “Sad Sam” nickname while in New York. Jones was dubbed that by reported Bill McGeehan, who thought he always looked downcast on the field. Jones himself just attributed that to wearing his hat lower on his head while pitching as opposed to any actual melancholy.

Jones was a solid contributor to the AL-winning 1922 Yankees. His only appearance of the World Series ended up being two scoreless innings out of the bullpen as the Giants swept the Yankees. The following year, Jones went 21-8, as the Yankees repeated as AL winners. That included a start on September 4th, where he threw a no-hitter against the Athletics, allowing just one walk all game, with only one other runner reaching on an error — though amusingly, he didn’t strike out a single batter (only three no-hitters in MLB history have featured zero K’s, and none since Ken Holtzman in 1973).

It was the second no-no in franchise history, following George Mogridge’s effort in 1917. September 4th would prove to be a special day in Yankees no-hit history, as exactly 70 years after Jones’ gem, Jim Abbott no-hit Cleveland for the 1993 Yankees.

In that year’s World Series, Jones got the start in Game 3, allowing just one run in eight innings. However, the Yankees lost that game as the offense got shutout. Jones came back in Game 6 and came out of the bullpen. Saves didn’t exist then, but in modern definitions, he gets credit for one, as he threw two scoreless innings and was on the mound as the Yankees won the game to clinch their first ever World Series championship.

Following that triumph, Jones remained with the Yankees for three more seasons. He was very good again in 1924, but dipped in 1925-26. He and the Yankees made it back to the Fall Classic in ‘26, but the Yankees fell in seven games, with Jones making just one appearance out of the bullpen.

Jones ended up missing the rest of that Yankees’ dynasty. Ahead of the 1927 season, he was traded to the St. Louis Browns. Jones played nine more big league seasons with St. Louis, the Washington Senators, and the Chicago White Sox. He remained a pretty solid pitcher for a lot of those years. While he definitely never had a Hall of Fame-type peak, Jones put up a very impressive 39.0 fWAR and 42.6 rWAR over his 22 big league seasons. After his playing career, Jones briefly returned as a player-coach for the baseball version of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1940, who were managed by fellow former Yankee Tony Lazzeri.

Following his time in baseball, Jones returned to his native Woodsfield, Ohio. He remained in the area until he passed away in 1966, a few weeks short of his 74th birthday.

The Yankees can thank the Red Sox for gifting them a decent chunk of the core of their first championship team, and Jones was an important member of that core.

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers will be sidelined for an extended period of time with a knee injury that will likely require surgery.

Langeliers is planning to undergo surgery, a person with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports. The person requested anonymity since the decision has not yet been finalized. ESPN first reported the injury is a torn meniscus.

However, it's possible the 2026 All-Star could return in September if the recovery process goes well, the person said.

The A's put Langeliers on the IL, retroactive to Saturday, July 25.

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No Sunday scaries for us this afternoon, as we find a way to keep the weekend vibes rolling by backing a few guys to hit some nukes!

These are my top looks to leave the yard, featuring Yordan Alvarez and Pete Crow-Armstrong in today's MLB player props. 

Here are my favorite MLB picks and home run predictions for Sunday, July 26.

Best MLB home run props today

Player to hit a HR	Odds
Muneataka Murakami	+244
Yordan Alvarez	+205
Pete Crow-Armstrong	+379
💲Today's HR parlay	+4241

Home run pick: Munetaka Murakami (+244)

Boots will be grounded for Munetaka Murakami bobblehead day, as the entire city will be flocking to the South Side to get their hands on the newest slugger's bobblehead.

Murakami enters Sunday with not only the top rating on Batters-Box, but also nearly 92% arsenal coverage against Houston Astros right-hander Ronel Blanco. Today marks his 40th elite rating of the season.

Through his previous 39 elite-rated games, the Chicago White Sox slugger has left the yard 30.77% of the time. He has yet to homer since returning from his injury before the All-Star break, but today feels like the day.

Blanco is coming off a rough first start of the season and currently owns a 7.71 ERA. Looking at the last three seasons, Batters-Box gives him the third-worst pitcher rating, while also grading him poorly in both ground ball rate and matchup ISO.

Murakami has been seeing the ball well, already racking up multiple doubles since returning. The nuke feels overdue.

• Time: 2:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: CHSN, SCHN

Home run pick: Yordan Alvarez (+205)

Yup, I found two guys I like to leave the yard in today's Astros/White Sox matchup. Yordan Alvarez has not cooled off all season, and now he gets Eric Fedde, a pitcher he has 100% arsenal coverage against.

Through 31 elite-rated games this season, the Astros slugger has homered over 35% of the time. Looking at the last three seasons, he has also gone deep in 26.26% of his 99 elite-rated road games.

Over his last 30 plate appearances against right-handed pitching, Alvarez owns a .520 batting average, 1.040 SLG, 1.640 OPS, and .520 ISO. During that stretch, he has generated nearly a 60% hard hit rate and a 22.7% barrel rate.

On the other side, Fedde has allowed over a 51% hard hit rate across his last three starts. The last 30 left-handed hitters he has faced own a .613 xSLG, .352 xwOBA, and a 55.3% hard hit rate against him.

I'm very confident at least one of these two sluggers leaves the yard this afternoon on the South Side.

• Time: 2:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: CHSN, SCHN

Home run pick: Pete Crow-Armstrong (+379)

Chicago heavy, unintentionally, I promise, but Chicago Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong finds himself in a mouthwatering matchup against Pittsburgh Pirates starter Braxton Ashcraft.

Similar to Yordan Alvarez, Crow-Armstrong owns an elite rating on Batters-Box's current season dataset while covering 100% of Ashcraft's pitch mix. However, in the default ratings that span the last three seasons, he earns a strong rating.

Through 45 strongly rated games, he has left the yard 33.33% of the time. This season, despite posting an elite rating, that number sits at just 20%.

Across his last 60 at-bats against right-handed pitching, Crow-Armstrong owns a .660 SLG, 1.127 OPS, .341 ISO, and a 10.3% barrel rate. As for Ashcraft, the last 60 left-handed hitters he has faced have generated a 58% hard hit rate, 18.4% barrel rate, and just a 31.6% ground ball rate. Those lefties also own a .996 xSLG, .425 xwOBA, and .364 ISO against him.

Crow-Armstrong might have my favorite home run matchup on the entire slate.

• Time:1:35 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MARQ, SNP

Today’s HR parlay

Munetaka Murakami	Bet Now +strong4241/strong
Yordan Alvarez
Pete Crow-Armstrong

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.

The bats have come alive, as the San Diego Padres look to complete the three-game sweep against the Miami Marlins this morning. It is a feat that has occurred only three times in 2026.

The last was against the Atlanta Braves at Petco Park on June 22-24. The Padres’ other two sweeps came against the Seattle Mariners, once in San Diego on April 14-16 and the other in the Great Northwest on May 15-17.

Saturday’s results 

For the Friars, it all came together, as the offense and pitching worked in unison for a 7-2 win over the Marlins. The hitting star was Ty France, who drove in three runs, and JP Sears was the bulk pitcher yesterday afternoon. He threw 3.1 scoreless innings to earn his third win of the season. 

The Padres began the scoring with France’s two-run single in the third inning. Later, he knocked in another run with an RBI single in the eighth. The Friars added a sacrifice fly from Gavin Sheets in the seventh, Jase Bowen drove in two runs in the eighth, and Jake Cronenworth closed out the scoring with an RBI single in the ninth. 

Jackson Merrill is swinging a hot bat. Saturday was his third multi-hit game over the last five starts. 

The Marlins scored the first of their two runs on a sacrifice fly by Otto Lopez in the third inning. Kyle Stowers closed out the scoring with an RBI single in the eighth inning. Starting pitcher Eury Perez had issues avoiding contact, as he surrendered three runs on seven hits in seven innings pitched. He could only muster two strikeouts on the afternoon.

Miami tied a franchise record with its 11th consecutive loss following the All-Star break.

Taking the mound: Walker Buehler (SD) vs Janson Junk (MIA)

The Padres will send out Walker Buehler to complete the sweep in South Beach. The veteran right-hander is making his 20th start this season. He enters with a 6-5 record and 5.23 ERA. Buehler has allowed 95 hits in 94.2 innings pitched. 

The hope is for him to build some momentum from his last start, as Buehler gave up two runs over 5.2 innings against the Atlanta Braves. Historically, he has been successful against the Marlins with a 2-1 record and 3.86 ERA in seven career starts.

Buehler made his major league debut against Miami and tossed five shutout innings. Let’s fast-forward to last season with the Philadelphia Phillies; he threw five scoreless innings against the Fish. 

The Marlins will send out Janson Junk (4-6, 5.09 ERA) to hopefully end their 11-game losing streak. He will be making his third start since coming off the injured list on July 9.

Junk has missed six weeks with right shin inflammation and returned to the starting rotation with an outstanding effort. The right-hander gave up one run in five innings of work against the Mariners. However, the Houston Astros hit Junk hard in his next start, as he gave up six runs in four innings.

Today’s lineup

Christmas in July continues as we roll into one of our favorite series of the year – our Top 30, midseason addition. After a strong draft in 2025, followed by adding a lot of good talent from the international free agency period, we now take a look at the state of the franchise following the 2026 MLB draft. As I’m sure you are all aware of the Braves selected 9th overall in this draft and had 21 overall picks thanks to Drake Baldwin winning Rookie of the Year in 2025, garnering a PPI pick for the Braves. To go along with those 21 picks the Braves bonus pool was valued all the way at $15.8M giving them a lot of ammo to work with.

To kick things off we have our honorable mentions, five players that just missed the cut. These five are especially important this season as we are releasing our list a week before the trade deadline in a year where the Braves are expected to make some moves so these are some names that can find themselves on the list.

C, Jorwin Pulido

Signed out Maracay, Venezuela, Jorwin received the fifth biggest signing bonus that the Braves gave out during the 2026 International Free Agency period value around $350,000. Not too much was known about the catcher, but his impact on the organization would be quite loud, quite quickly. At 17, he’s one of the youngest in the organization and won’t turn 18 until after the season ends. Behind the plate, Jorwin has impressed coaches with his 1.8 pop time, and accurate throws to both second and third base. Jorwin has received praise for his ability to receive pitches, as well as block pitches in the dirt – though there is still room for improvement. Offensively, he has had enormous success this season. He appeared in 22 games for the DSL Braves and hit .324/.402/.437 while walking 11.5% of the time and striking out a paltry 5.7%. With that combination of defense and offense, the Braves made the aggressive decision to promote him to the FCL where he has put up even more impressive numbers slashing .389/.542/.556 in 6 games. While his strikeout rate has risen to 16.7%, which is still fantastic, his walk rate has also increased to 12.5%. In an organization that is looking for catching help, Jorwin looks like a real bright spot and someone to follow.

2B, Dixon Williams

After starting off the season sizzling hot Dixon Williams was hit hard by the regression monster as his contact rate dropped significantly during the bulk months of the season. Still, on the season Dixon is hitting .210/.322/.405 so while the hit tool has fallen off a bit, the walk rate is still there (12.2%), as well as the slugging as he’s hit 12 home runs, and 14 doubles, to go along with 20 stolen bases. The issue has been the hit tool as he is swinging and missing far too much with a strikeout rate that approaches 30%. He has gotten slightly unlucky shown by his .266 BABIP, but the issue really points to the swing and miss that his profile currently exhibits. That being said, there is still tremendous upside with Dixon as long as the swing and miss declines because of his ability to get on base, and hit for power.

SS, Jose Perdomo

After a bit of a disaster in 2025 where he hit just .223/.275/.270, Jose showed up in great shape looking to change the narrative of his career. Jose was rewarded with a promotion to Augusta to start the season, despite the subpar numbers in the FCL, but his 2026 ended extremely quickly as he found himself on the full season IL after just two games in the season. It’s crazy to think but Jose will be entering what is technically his fourth season of professional baseball in 2027, but has played a total of 64 games. Expectations will be significant next season as Jose must not only show health, but mammoth improvements across the board, to stay on the list.

SS, Juan Mateo

An international free agent signing from 2024, Juan Mateo has had a very solid 2026 campaign. A contact first player, Juan has shown improvements from his 2025 campaign – including hitting two home runs this season. There is still reason to believe he will add more power because his frame is still light, but as is he possesses the skills to be a utility type of player that can play across the entire field. On the season Juan is hitting .250/.323/.336 with a 9.7% walk rate to go with a strikeout rate of 19.1% along with 17 stolen bases. While he hasn’t quite had the 2026 we expected, he has exceeded nearly all of his numbers from 2025 which is a huge positive.

RHP, Cole Dennis

Drafted in the fourth round of this years MLB draft, Cole Dennis debuts in our honorable mentions despite not having thrown a single pitch – thanks to a very intriguing pitching profile. As is, Cole has a big arm – having hit 96 MPH at the combine however he will definitely need make that a lot more consistent. His curveball/slider has the makings of being a plus pitch, and as you can see in the post below he has an extremely low spinning changeup that he will need to get more comfortable throwing, but has serious possibilities. Cole will take some time to develop but with his size, and arm potential, there is a lot to like about the fourth round pick and what he can do on the mound.

And now, here they are! The most daredevil group of baffling baseballers to ever whirl their wheels in the Wacky Baserunning Races! Competing for the title of the world’s wackiest baserunner! The competitors are approaching the baseline… The first is Jumbled-Up J.T., who dashes back to second when staying at third would do just fine…

You get the point. I could go on with the comparison, but it would feel a little mean, and also, there’s no Phillies who really make a reasonable match for Dick Dastardly and Muttley. Plus, it’s not at all accurate. Despite all the frustration with the Phillies baserunning errors against the Dodgers on Tuesday night, the Phillies are one of the best baserunning teams in all of baseball.

Statcast tracks Baserunning Run Value, which sums up the value of bases taken via the steal, and extra bases taken on non-steal plays. By that metric (all stats prior to Saturday’s games), the Phillies rank third in all of baseball, with six runs added via the basepaths. They also rank third in the National League East, thanks to the baserunning excellence of the Marlins and Nationals. It’s a speedy division; except for the Mets, who are tied for dead last with Toronto (those birds really can’t fly). Granted, it’s pretty bunched up at the top; the Phillies are tied with four other clubs, and they’re only two runs behind the Fish for first. But the point is that the Phillies are quite good at adding to their offense with baserunning. It certainly isn’t a weakness for the club.

But that’s at the big-picture level. When you break Baserunning Run Value into its components of Runs via Extra Bases Taken and Runs via Stolen Bases, a somewhat more complex narrative emerges. The Phillies are best in baseball in runs taken via stolen bases, with five (tied with Washington and Pittsburgh, and being as good at thievery as a team named for piracy is a real feather to put in your cap). But they’re not exceptional at taking extra bases on non-steal plays. The Phils have added just a single run with their baserunning on such plays, ranking 14th. They’re not bad at it, contra the appearance from Tuesday night; twelve teams have lost runs with their baserunning decisions on non-steals. But their overall strength at baserunning is heavily tilted by their excellence at stealing.

Speaking of that excellence, let’s take a deeper look at it. The Phillies are just about average at attempting steals, with their 72 attempts ranking 14th league-wide. But they rank fourth for stolen base advances to second above average (and tenth for advances to third). In other words, they’re not unusually likely to attempt steals, but they are unusually likely to succeed when they do. That excellence is largely the result of the speed of Bryson Stott and Trea Turner; who are two of the three Phillies with double digit steal attempts. The third is Justin Crawford, who’s attempted a fair number of steals, but whose run value on them is zero (which is to say he’s neither really hurt or helped the team with those steals). Only two other Phillies have more than five steal attempts: Brandon Marsh, whose nine attempts have positively contributed to the team’s baserunning run value, and Bryce Harper, who has tried to steal seven times, and who’s underperformed on those attempts.

When it comes to taking extra bases on non-steal plays, most of the Phillies who have played enough to reach qualified status have contributed positively. Stott, Marsh, Turner, Crawford, and yes, J.T. Realmuto have all contributed positive run value on extra bases taken. Harper and Kyle Schwarber grade out as negative in that regard. Harper is eager to try to take the extra base, having done so 38 times, more than any other Phillie. But that eagerness takes as much from the team as it gives: he’s added two runs via his basepath ambition, and lost two runs on plays where it resulted in him being thrown out (and ends up in the negative overall because he lost a run’s worth of value on plays where he should’ve tried to take the extra base but didn’t). Conversely, Stott, who’s the second-most likely Phillie to try for the extra base, has added three runs of value on attempts, and lost none on being thrown out; he’s better than Harper at balancing ambition and prudence. If you’re wondering about Realmuto, he’s added one run’s worth of value with his attempts to take extra bases, and lost none on being thrown out. That game-ending play on Tuesday night was ugly, but it really does seem to be more of an aberration than an accurate reflection of how he performs.

Taking overall baserunning run value into account, all but two qualified Phillies grade out positively: only Harper and Schwarber are in the negatives. For Schwarber, that’s likely just a reflection of his lack of speed, and for this he can surely be forgiven. For Harper, it’s a combination of his somewhat subpar speed (47th percentile) and his overzealousness on the base paths. The biggest problem the Phillies have with baserunning, then, is that Schwarber isn’t fast, and that Harper is a little reckless. That can lead to the occasional moment of frustration as Harper rounds first on a play where he really ought to be satisfied with a single, and I wouldn’t wag my finger at any member of the Phlock that groans upon seeing it.

I would, however, note, that if your biggest problem on the basepaths is a superstar who’s a little too eager to throw caution to the wind, you’re doing pretty well. The poor, sluggish Blue Jays, playing on clipped wings, have just a single player who’s added a run via taking the extra base. They’d surely trade places with the Phillies. The Marlins rank first in baserunning run value, but they’d be doing even better if it weren’t for Liam Hicks, who ranks dead last in baseball with -5 runs in that metric. They’d surely prefer Harper’s baserunning style over his. If you’re really frustrated about Harper’s overweening confidence as a runner, you could take a page from the Dick Dastardly playbook and wrap a chain around his leg as he tries to leave first. But probably better not to. It never seems to work out for that double-dealing do-badder, anyways.

Sometimes you’ve just got to show faith in the youngsters, right? Indeed, it appears as if former Braves shortstop and current Braves manager Walt Weiss has decided to stick with current rookie Braves shortstop Jim Jarvis the day after he made a couple of crucial errors in the field during Saturday night’s walk-off loss to the Orioles.

Here’s the lineup for Atlanta:

Indeed, Jim Jarvis is in there and batting ninth — just like he did on Saturday. Hopefully we’ll see Jarvis bounce back from the rough outing with the glove and we’ll see him contribute to what will hopefully be a series win for the Braves today. That’s the most notable news about Atlanta’s lineup today as the lineup is actually identical to what they put out there for Saturday night. There’s still no news about Eli White following his exit from last night’s game, so there’s that.

Here’s how the Orioles are looking for today’s contest:

Old friend Chadwick Tromp will end up starting all three games during this series against the Braves, so this really has been a bit of a reunion with a player who spent a lot of time in Atlanta’s organization over the past couple of years. Colton Cowser also returns to the lineup in center field after Leody Taveras got the start for Saturday’s contest.

Today’s game is scheduled for a 1:35 p.m. ET first pitch, so make sure to join us in the chat and discussion thread later on!

The Nats made a major move last night that will have some serious ripple effects. I wanted to take a look at three big things to come out of the Connelly Early trade. We will look at what it means for the likes of Foster Griffin, Brady House and of course Early himself.

First, I want to talk about what it means for the man actually getting traded. For Connelly Early, he will now be a staple in the Nats rotation. That was probably going to be the case in Boston, but it was becoming less certain. With Payton Tolle, Ranger Suarez, Jake Bennett and the injured Garrett Crochet, the Red Sox rotation was very left-handed.

There was a chance that Early could have been lost in the shuffle. However, he will be allowed to shine in DC. He will be able to attack with his deep mix of pitches with no fear. Early won’t be a free agent until 2032, so he will be with the Nats for the long haul.

Paul Toboni is clearly a believer in Early, having drafted him back in 2023 and now trading for him. There is a good reason for this as well. Despite being drafted in the fifth round, Early raced through the minor leagues, only throwing 206 innings before reaching the bigs. He is such a polished and refined arm who should be a quality starter for a long time.

We also saw last year that Early is not afraid of the moment. He made a playoff start last year in a winner take all game. While the Red Sox did not win that game, Early pitched well, and got quite unfortunate in that outing, with his defense letting him down.

However, I want to talk about what this means for some other guys. One player this is very important for is Brady House, who will be replacing Curtis Mead at third base. House came into the season as the starting third baseman, but got his job taken by Mead. While House did make some strides offensively, he still had his flaws and the defense regressed.

Since being sent down, House has performed well, hitting over .300 with an .842 OPS. He continued his dominance against left handed pitching and is actually making more contact. House’s 23.9% K rate in AAA is lower than what it was last year when he struck out 26.5% of the time. His profile in AAA is very Brady House like, but that average zone contact rate is something that could elevate the profile.

House only turned 23 last month, but his future is still up in the air. He will need to prove he is good enough to lock down that starting third base role and will have a golden opportunity to do that. This is such a huge moment in House’s career and hopefully he can take advantage of it.

Throughout House’s career, he has constantly improved, albeit at a pretty slow, methodical pace. Every year House gets a little bit better, but still has the same issues in his profile. I think House has the potential to be an everyday player, but he will have to prove himself.

Lastly, I think this move impacts Foster Griffin. In my opinion, a trade is more likely now. While Early is hurt right now, he will be back this season. On paper, Early can slide into Griffin’s spot in the rotation. Early may not be Griffin caliber right now, but he is a similar profile and has that sort of upside. He can be a Foster Griffin caliber arm who is controllable for the next half decade.

That is not to say Griffin will not be missed. The lefty has been an absolute horse for this team. Foster Griffin starts have become close to a scheduled win for the Nats. The team is 17-4 when he starts, which is just bonkers. Blake Butera has a ton of trust in him, regularly pushing him very deep into ballgames. Early is talented, but he is not quite there yet.

However, Early can do a decent enough Griffin impression. He gets pretty deep into games for a young pitcher, averaging 5.39 innings per start, which is higher than Cade Cavalli. With Early sliding into the Griffin spot, it eases the blow of losing Foster. That makes it easier for Toboni to get all the assets he can for Griffin, who is a free agent after the season.

I think this deal is a good indication of what the Nats will do at the deadline. They will sell pieces, but they are still on the prowl for pitching. The likes of Griffin and Garcia could be traded, but I think we will see more arms come through the door. A reliever or two coming to DC feels likely at this point.

This only adds to my intrigue for the deadline. It will be different from previous deadlines because the Nats are threading a needle here. They are simultaneously looking to add for the future while staying relatively competitive in the present. This Mead for Early trade is the perfect example of this idea.