Boston, MA - June 30: Boston Red Sox second baseman Anthony Seigler strikes out in the sixth inning. The Boston Red Sox played the Washington Nationals at Fenway Park on June 30, 2026. (Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
Yesterday, following a second straight loss to the increasingly unlikeable Washington Nationals, the Red Sox appropriately flew west into the setting sun to begin a nine game road trip. Their season is either on the brink, or already dead (depending on who you talk to), and their future is vastly uncertain.
Looking ahead, the trade deadline is still a month away (Monday, August 3rd at 6:00pm), but thanks to a bit of scheduling quirk and the All Star Break, there’s now just one homestand left for the Red Sox before we get there (July 17th through the 26th against everybody in the AL East other than the Yankees). So this has me wondering, when will the next meaningful baseball game at Fenway Park occur?
If you want to be wildly optimistic, you could say it will be their very next game there on July 17th, coming out of the All Star Break. If the Sox rip off something like a 7-2 road trip, they would still be close enough to sniff the third Wild Card entering that pivotal stretch, and it would very much be “game on” given how horrible the AL is this year and the likelihood of some big names coming back soon.
However, if you want to be wildly pessimistic, you could say the next meaningful game at Fenway Park won’t occur for another two years. Suppose the Sox have a disastrous west coast road trip and go something like 2-7? Then they sell pieces coming out of the break (officially ending contention in 2026) and run head first into a crippling lockout that wipes out the entire 2027 season.
The real answer is probably something in the middle, but I’m kind of amazed I don’t have to squint too hard to see either extreme.
Talk about this and whatever else you like in this tread, and as always, be good to one another! (Also, stay cool out there in this heat!)
Maccelli, who was selected by the Arizona Coyotes in the fourth round (No. 98) in the 2019 NHL Draft -- fun fact, Isaiah George was selected with the same pick just three years -- was not tendered a qualifying offer by the Toronto Maple Leafs following the 2025-26 season, which allowed him to become an unrestricted free agent.
The Finnish forward had a solid year, recording 14 goals with 25 assists for 39 points after only scoring eight goals with 10 assists for 18 points during his one and only season in Utah after the migration from Arizona.
"Matias is definitely a skilled player and e's only 25 years old too," Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche said on Wednesday night. "He will be a restricted free agent at the end of the year, so you see some teams around the league, like you see a guy that's had 50, 57-point seasons. First of all, he's going to help us now, and if things go well, and he plays well with us, and there's a good fit, well, nothing says that we can't continue with him.
"So, we brought some offensive skill to our lineup that will help our, you know, our top lines, and that will also help on the power play."
Yes, Maccelli will be an RFA after this season, which is critical in a salary cap world for a team that is expecting to undergo some major changes next summer when certain contracts come off the books.
It's a huge prove-it year for the skilled forward.
While doing some digging on the player, I found something very interesting.
Despite being a fourth round pick, he actually, sits in the top 10 in his draft class in points.
Sure, you have the heavy hitters -- Jack Hughes (428), Matt Boldy (329) and Cole Caufiled (307) -- but ninth on the list is Maccelli with 169.
He is ahead of names like Connor McMichael (154), Shane Pinto (153), Pavel Dorofeyev (149) and Islanders forward Simon Holmstrom (120).
Out of the top 10 point producing players from this draft class, Maccelli is only one of two players not selected in the first round. The only other is Aliaksei Protas, who was selected 91st overall.
Maccelli will likely play a middle-six role for the Islanders and maybe, maybe, skate alongside a Mathew Barzal given his wheels.
The 33-year-old former England international made 157 appearances in his three-year Rangers stint, winning the League Cup in December 2023.
Butland told the Hull City website: "The last few years playing at an incredible club like Rangers, somewhere I hold close to my heart, meant it had to be something really enticing to change that.
"The European nights and all the experience I gained up in Scotland, and my experience prior to that, are going to set me up perfectly for the challenge ahead this year.
"The Premier League is the best league in the world and, personally, it's a great opportunity to be on the biggest stage again. I believe it's the level I'm capable of playing at, and I've done it before."
The wait for LeBron James rolls on as NBA free agency continues today and the remainder of the NBA’s free agents search for their next team on Thursday, July 2.
The biggest moves so far have been trades. Jaylen Brown was the latest NBA star to be dealt when the Boston Celtics traded him to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday in a package featuring Paul George and draft picks. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, Ja Morant and Walker Kessler are among the notable players to switch teams in recent days.
But there are still a few difference makers remaining on the third day since the NBA's free agency negotiating period began, and plenty of intriguing possibilities to monitor during an offseason that's already seen its share of drama.
USA TODAY Sports is tracking all of the latest news, signings, trades and rumors with NBA free agency in full gear. Here's what's happening around the league at this moment:
As Cowherd's comments began to be shared widely on social media on Thursday, July 2, Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell came to the defense of Brown and made clear he didn't like what was being insinuated.
Critique basketball all you want… but disease is insane… we gotta stop letting people just say whatever… cmon man! https://t.co/kZvqMGBYib
Tim Hardaway Jr. agreed to a one-year deal with the Miami Heat earlier this week, but don't expect him to wear the No. 10 he has used much of his career.
Tim Hardaway Sr.'s No. 10 is retired in Miami and he said Wednesday his son can't have it even if he wants it.
"My legacy is my legacy, and he's doing it his way. Even though he likes to wear 10, he loves to wear 10, but that is not coming down from the rafters," Tim Hardaway Sr. said in an interview with WQAM radio in Miami.
The Heat retired Hardaway's No. 10 in 2009. He was a three-time all-NBA selection during his six seasons with the franchise (1996-2001). Hardaway Jr. previously didn't wear No. 10 with the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks because the number is retired for those teams as well.
Anfernee Simons will be playing for his fourth team since the end of the 2024-25 NBA season when he makes a free agency decision soon, and his options are beginning to come into focus.
Simons is being pursued by the Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat, with the Dallas Mavericks emerging Thursday as a new suitor, according to NBA reporters Marc Stein and Jake Fischer. Simons spent the first seven seasons of his NBA career with the Portland Trail Blazers, where he signed a 4-year, $100-million contract extension.
He began last season with the Boston Celtics before a trade deadline deal to the Chicago Bulls, though he appeared in just six games for Chicago. Simons averaged 14.3 points and shot better than 38% from 3-point range over 55 games with the Celtics and Bulls.
The Lakers burst into NBA free agency with a few rapid-fire signings in the aftermath of the LeBron James' decision to play elsewhere, and they might have another move left. The Lakers are interested in Jonathan Kuminga, according to multiplereports, as an athletic wing to play alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Kuminga is an unrestricted free agent after the Atlanta Hawks elected to not pick up his team option for the 2026-27 season. He was dealt to the Hawks by the Golden State Warriors at last year's trade deadline. He averaged 12.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game last season.
There's a lot of consternation in Boston today in the aftermath of the Celtics' decision to trade Jaylen Brown for Paul George and a couple future first-round picks. But if there's a silver lining to that angst, it's that there's also speculation the team might not be done making moves this offseason.
The Celtics have reached out to the New Orleans Pelicans about acquiring wing Trey Murphy III this offseason, according to a new report from Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, and the two first-round picks Boston got from the 76ers gives its front office more assets to pull off a deal.
The Philadelphia 76ers might not be done making splashy moves after acquiring Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. The 76ers are among the teams that have reached out to express interest in LeBron James, according to a report from The Athletic.
Rich Paul, James' agent, indicated there were already 12 to 14 teams to contact him in regards to James after he announced he would not be playing for the Lakers next season. Teaming with Tyrese Maxey, Brown and Joel Embiid is suddenly another intriguing option for James.
Who are top remaining NBA free agents?
Jalen Duren, center
The 22-year-old center remains one of the top free agents available. Duren's options might be limited as a restricted free agent after other centers went off the market, including Walker Kessler (Lakers) and Mitchell Robinson (Celtics).
Peyton Watson, wing
Watson continued to improve with each season he spent with the Denver Nuggets. He averaged 14.6 points and 4.9 rebounds in 54 games played this past season. He is a restricted free agent.
Rui Hachimura, forward
Hachimura has been a solid player for the Lakers in recent years. He's been linked to the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs. He averaged 11.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 68 games played last year. He also finished with a 44.3 percentage from the 3-point line.
Bagley played with both the Washington Wizards and the Dallas Mavericks. He averaged 10.5 points and 6.1 rebounds in 60 games played. He was a part of a 3-team trade in February.
Jaylen Brown helped the Boston Celtics return to a championship pedigree, and because of that, he deserves to be remembered as a franchise icon forever.
Brown’s tenure with the Celtics ended Wednesday when he was reportedly traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks.
This trade closes the book on a 10-year journey for Brown in Boston — one that included plenty of ups and downs, but most importantly resulted in the Celtics securing Banner 18 in 2024.
Getting to that point where Brown was holding the Larry O’Brien Trophy wasn’t easy, though.
Taking a chance
The Celtics deserve a lot of credit for selecting Brown with the No. 3 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. It was one of several lottery picks Boston ended up getting from the Brooklyn Nets in the famous Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett trade from 2013. And he wasn’t the consensus third-best player in that draft. Many mock drafts had Jamal Murray or Kris Dunn going to the Celtics. Brown went as low as No. 7 or 8 in some mock drafts.
But former C’s president of basketball operations Danny Ainge clearly saw a special talent in Brown, who had the physical prowess, basketball IQ, and raw talent to be an impact player early in his career.
The addition of Brown was not universally praised among fans. There were a lot of rumors at the time about the C’s being interested in trading for star players such as Jimmy Butler or Paul George. So when a blockbuster trade didn’t materialize on draft night and the C’s instead drafted a kid from the University of California, some fans were disappointed. There were boos at the Celtics’ draft party at the Garden.
But it wouldn’t take too long for Celtics fans to start cheering for Brown and embracing him.
Early growing pains
Brown started 20 games as a rookie but played only 17.2 minutes per game that season. His all-around skill set was on display in his third ever game — a showdown against LeBron James and the Cavs on the road — in which he scored 19 points with five rebounds, two assists, one block and three steals.
Overall, Brown played well enough to earn a spot on the All-Rookie second team.
Brown really started to blossom in his second season. The roster around him was better after the C’s drafted Jayson Tatum and traded for Kyrie Irving. They also signed Gordon Hayward in free agency.
Hayward’s scary season-ending injury on Opening Night opened the door for Brown to play a larger role than anticipated in Year 2, and he capitalized on the opportunity. Brown averaged 14.5 points per game in 2017-18, which was more than double his output as a rookie. He also shot 39.5 percent from 3-point range. Brown was even better in the playoffs. Irving and Hayward were both sidelined in the postseason due to injuries, but led by Brown and Tatum, the C’s exceeded all expectations and advanced all the way to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Brown scored 30 points in a Game 2 win over the Bucks in the first round. He scored 24 points in a Game 5 clincher over the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round. He also scored 23-plus points in four of the seven games against James and the Cavs in the conference finals. But the C’s ultimately came up short in an 87-79 Game 7 defeat at TD Garden.
There was a lot of optimism surrounding Brown and the entire Celtics team entering the 2018-19 season. Irving and Hayward were back healthy. Tatum and Brown had proven in the 2018 playoffs they were legit contributors. All the stars were aligning for a potential title run.
But the 2018-19 campaign was a major disappointment, for many reasons. The uncertainty over Irving’s future with the team and whether he’d re-sign was a huge story. The C’s didn’t meet expectations on the court, either. Brown started only 25 games after starting in all 70 of his appearances the year before. Many of his stats decreased, as did his playing time by about five minutes per game.
Reaching All-Star status
The 2019-20 season was a bounce-back for Brown. He averaged career highs of 20.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. His 3-point shooting also improved a lot. The C’s finished third in the East, and in the bubble playoffs in Orlando they advanced all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, where the Miami Heat won in six games.
Brown played even better in the 2020-21 season, raising his scoring average to a career-high 24.7 points and shooting just under 40 percent from 3-point range. He was selected to the All-Star Game for the first time. Unfortunately for Brown, a wrist injury prevented him from playing in the postseason, and the C’s were eliminated in the first round in five games by the Brooklyn Nets.
Adversity in the playoffs
After a couple trips to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics finally broke through and made it to the NBA Finals in 2022 after defeating the Miami Heat on the road in Game 7. Brown scored 24 points with six rebounds and six assists in that Game 7, and he scored 20-plus points in six of the seven games in the conference finals, including a 40-point outburst in Game 3.
The 2022 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors started off with a bang. The Celtics trailed by double digits in Game 1, but Brown helped lead a second-half comeback that resulted in a 120-108 victory. Brown scored 27 points in a Game 3 win in Boston, giving the C’s a 2-1 series lead.
But the more experienced Warriors won the next three games, including the Game 6 clincher at the Garden. Brown was one of the few C’s players who came to play in Game 6 with a team-leading 34 points.
The Finals loss was difficult, but the experienced gained was valuable, and expectations going into the 2022-23 season were enormous. Brown was again an All-Star in 2022-23 and, for the first time, was selected to an All-NBA team (second team) after averaging a career-high 26.6 points per game.
Brown did not play at his best in the 2023 conference finals against the Heat.
Miami shockingly took a 3-0 lead on the C’s, including a pair of victories in Boston to begin the series. Brown scored just 16 points in Game 2 and 12 in Game 3. The Celtics were able to force a Game 7 and give themselves a chance to become the first NBA team ever to win a series after trailing 0-3. Tatum sprained his ankle early in Game 7, and Brown was unable to pick up the slack as the Heat cruised to another East title. Brown shot 8-for-23 from the field and 1-for-9 on 3-pointers in Game 7, in addition to eight turnovers.
“We failed. I failed. We let the whole city down,” Brown said at his press conference after Game 7.
He later added: “My team turned to me to make plays and I came up short, I failed. It’s tough. I give credit to Miami, but just a terrible job.”
It was a crushing loss for Brown and the Celtics. But it ended up fueling them for a historic 2023-24 campaign.
Becoming a champion
The Celtics made bold roster changes going into the 2023-24 season. They traded away fan favorites Marcus Smart and Robert Williams III, and made deals to acquire veteran point guard Jrue Holiday and center Kristaps Porzingis.
The C’s were loaded, and they dominated all competition in one of the most impressive regular seasons in recent memory. Brown made a third consecutive All-Star team as Boston cruised to a league-best 64-18 record.
The 2024 playoffs were arguably the best stretch of Brown’s career with the Celtics. He was locked in from the start, and he scored 25-plus points in nine of Boston’s 19 games that spring.
Brown earned Eastern Conference Finals MVP after a sweep of the Indiana Pacers. His heroics in Game 1, including a game-tying 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter, helped the C’s escape with an overtime victory.
He followed that up with a sensational 40-point performance in Game 2. Brown scored 29 points in the Game 4 clincher, and he made a couple huge defensive plays late in that matchup.
Brown played fantastic in the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks.
After playing well in the first two games, Brown gave a signature performance in Game 3 to help the C’s take a commanding 3-0 series lead. He scored 30 points with eight rebounds and eight assists, including a bunch of clutch plays in the fourth quarter. None were more important than his jumper that gave Boston a 102-98 lead with 1:01 remaining.
Jaylen Brown knocks down the midrange to put Boston back up 4!
“I think this team has trusted me, especially in this playoffs and those moments to just be who I am,” Brown told reporters at a press conference after Game 3.
“I felt like I’ve been able to just deliver just by being patient and being poised. Those opportunities have presented themselves, and I’ve been able to take advantage of them. But I give all my credit to my teammates for the trust they had in me to have the ball in my hands and to be able to make those plays.”
Brown scored 21 points with eight rebounds and six assists as the Celtics eliminated the Mavericks in Game 5 for the franchise’s record-breaking 18th championship. He was voted the winner of the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Trophy. Not only did Brown hit a bunch of important shots, he played great defense on Dallas superstar Luka Doncic throughout the series.
An emotional Brown, with the Finals MVP trophy on the table to his left, explained in his postgame press conference how all of the past failures helped both him and the team finally accomplish the ultimate goal.
“I think we learned. I think we learned from all of our mistakes. All of our adversity has made us stronger, made us tougher,” Brown said. “All season you could see it. We started from the jump. We made all the sacrifices. We played both ends of the ball at a high level. We didn’t skip any steps. And this was the result.
“But all of those experiences, like, led to here. All of moments where we came up short, we felt like we let the city down, let ourselves down, all of that compiled is how we get to this moment. And it makes it feel even that much better that we had to go through all the journey, the heartbreak, the embarrassment, the loss, to get to the mountaintop. It’s great. And shout out to all the supporters and the city of Boston.”
An MVP-caliber season
Tatum’s Achilles injury in the 2025 Eastern Conference semifinals resulted in Brown being the No. 1 option on the Celtics during the 2025-26 campaign, and he took advantage of the opportunity.
Brown set career highs of 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. He was an All-Star starter for the first time, and he was voted to the All-NBA second team for the second time in his career. Brown was in the MVP conversation at times during the season and ended up finishing sixth in the voting.
He helped the Celtics exceed all expectations during the regular season as they finished with the second-best record in the East.
The first-round playoff exit to the Philadelphia 76ers was a difficult ending to the season, especially when you consider the C’s had a 3-1 series lead. Brown didn’t play his best in the series, but there were plenty of reasons why Boston failed to advance.
All-time numbers
Climbing the all-time leaderboards for a team like the Celtics that has so many Hall of Famers is no small feat.
Brown leaves the Celtics ranked in the top 10 in several notable statistical categories:
Points scored: 10th
Points per game: 8th
Field goals per game: 9th
3-Point shots: 3rd
Defensive rebounds: 8th
Brown also earned four All-Star appearances, a second team All-Rookie selection, two second team All-NBA appearances, an NBA Finals MVP and Eastern Conference MVP awards, and one championship during his Celtics career.
He is one of the best and most accomplished Celtics of the 21st century. His No. 7 deserves to be in the rafters at TD Garden someday. The impact he made on the franchise and the city in the last 10 years was immense, and it will be felt for a long time.
The Celtics took a shot on Brown in 2016 and it paid off tremendously.
ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 13: Jacob Toppin #0 and Eli John Ndiaye #30 of the Atlanta Hawks celebrate game winning three point basket in overtime during the game against the Miami Heat on October 13, 2025 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Joe Boatman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It’s not a surprise that Atlanta’s last three first-round picks, Asa Newell, Kingston Flemings, and Zuby Ejiofor will lead the summer league team into battle in two separate campaigns — Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.
But now the entire team has been finalized and announced as young Hawks look to make their first (or second) impression on fans:
Guards RayJ Dennis and Keshon Gilbert join the team after playing on two-way contracts last season almost entirely with the College Park Skyhawks. Additionally, the summer teams see the return of forwards Jacob Toppin and Eli Ndiaye, two players previously on two-way contracts who both suffered 2025-26 season-ending injuries.
With two competitions come two head coaches. From the Atlanta Hawks:
Hawks assistant coaches Antonio Lang and Sanjay Lumpkin will serve as Atlanta’s Summer League head coaches. Lang, who is entering his fourth season with Atlanta, will serve as the team’s head coach in Salt Lake City. This will be his second time leading a Hawks Summer League team, as he served as the team’s head coach in 2023. Lumpkin, also entering his fourth season with the Hawks, will serve as Atlanta’s head coach at the 2026 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, his first stint at the helm of a Summer League team.
Who are you most excited to see during the summer leagues games? Please let me know in the comments below.
CHONGQING, CHINA - DECEMBER 01: Giant panda Mang Cancan plays outdoor at Chongqing Zoo on December 1, 2024 in Chongqing, China. The panda was nominated as Chongqing's ambassador for the 13th National Traffic Safety Day, which falls on December 2. (Photo by Zhou Yi/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)
Not the best day for links, as everybody was writing about Jaylen Brown and LeBron James. You’d been cool thinking those things should be separated by a good 10 years or so, but they’re not, somehow. Here are some.
You have probably heard about this by now, but Mitchell Robinson is officially gone, and worse, he’s gone to Boston. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the three-year, $47.4 million deal with the Celtics, ending his eight-year run in New York. Mitch posted a farewell on Instagram, thanked the Knicks and fans for the best years of his life, and got love back from Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and others. I hate the destination. I do not hate the man. Once a Knick, always a Knick, unless you do something truly unforgivable. This is not that, even if the jersey will hurt the eyes.
The Knicks don’t have any big men rostered and still need to fill a few open roster spots. Meanwhile, Stefan Bondy reported they’re not close to signing Kevon Looney, but it could still happen.
If you’re interested, which probably are more than the Knicks are (at least that’s how they are making it look like), the best FA centers still available are not what you call enticing. Remove Mamu, Bagley, and Hayes from that list, by the way.
Already touched on this in yesterday’s notes, but the New York Post discussed Mike Brown’s appearance on the Roommates Show, quoting him as revealing Dillon Jones as someone who played a real behind-the-scenes role during the Knicks’ championship run.
“Throughout the course of this run, I got help with the messaging from different people. I’m gonna tell you guys, you may know this or may not, Dillon [Jones] was fabulous.
“I spoke to Dillon often during this playoff run because he had just gone through it with Oklahoma City,” Brown added. “I said, ‘Hey, when you guys were in this position, what was [head coach] Mark [Daigneault] saying? What was [general manager] Sam Presti saying? What were you guys saying to each other? What do you think here?”
Mike Brown also opened up about his two toughest moments of the year, naming both the discussions and decision to start the season with Josh Hart on the bench, and some early-season clashes with Karl-Anthony Towns. If you didn’t watch the show, go catch it in full now.
The Celtics got robbed by the 76ers. Sister site CelticsBlog is already asking what Brad Stevens was thinking.
Per Kevin O’Connor, LeBron James is in discussions to film a documentary (The Final Tango?) wherever he goes to play basketball next season. Full circus is coming!
The New York Post’s Zach Braziller argued Cleveland, not New York, makes the most sense for LeBron… saying that move could be great for the Knicks in a different way.
Josh Hart summed up the last couple of days nicely.
Victor Oladipo is a free agent. Made you know about it.
Page Six reported that Travis Kelce and his fiancée invited the Knicks’ starting lineup to their wedding after watching Game 4 of the Finals at Madison Square Garden.
Won’t even hide the headline here cause it’s so good: “Tim Hardaway Sr. won’t let son wear No. 10 with Heat: ‘My legacy is my legacy.’”
The Spurs are in the planning phase of their new arena. While between seasons, Spurs Sports & Entertainment are hosting a series of community meetings to share updates and ger feedback.
Per a Spurs press release:
“Spurs Sports & Entertainment (SS&E) will host 10 Community Conversations and Open House beginning the week of July 13 to gather public input on the proposed downtown arena district and future home of the San Antonio Spurs. The family-friendly meetings are open to everyone across San Antonio. Locations were selected across the city to make it easier for people to participate near where they live, work or spend time.”
Residents will receive an update, have an opportunity to ask questions and air concerns regarding the new arena and surrounding area.
Dates and Locations Mon., July 13 – Pope Francis Center 263 Felisa Tue., July 14 – Alamo Community College: Dr. Bruce H. Leslie Boardroom 2222 N. Alamo St. Wed, July 15 – St. Phillip’s College TSC Conference Room 216 1801 Martin Luther King Dr. Thur., July 16 – St Vincent de Paul 4222 SW Loop 410 Thur., July 16 – San Antonio Shrine Auditorium 901 N Loop 1604 W Mon., July 20 – San Antonio Food Bank 5200 Historic Old Hwy 90 Mon., July 20 – San Antonio Board of Realtors 9110 IH-10 W Tue., July 21 – St. Paul’s Community Center 1201 Donaldson Ave Wed., July 22 – Our Lady of the Lake University 411 S.W. 24th Street – Library Thur., July 23 – Morgan’s Wonderland 5223 David Edwards
Each meeting will convene at 6:30 p.m. with displays and an opportunity to meet the project team. At 7:00 p.m. there will be a brief presentation followed by small-group discussions, interactive activities, and a share of ideas.
Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.
Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.
Jul 1, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) reacts as he runs the bases on a three RBI home run during the second inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
I think it’s safe to say that the Phillies have Paul Skenes’ number this season. They roughed him up for the second time this season after teeing off on him in Pittsburgh back in the end of May. Take a gander at this stat from friend of the site Paul Boye:
That’s what we like to call “being owned”.
On to the links.
Phillies News:
The Phillies will have two representatives at the All-Star Futures Game to be played at Citizens Bank Park: Gage Wood and Wei-Hui Pan.
The Detroit Tigers opened up their second-straight month with a sweep of the American League East leaders with a 6-2 victory over the New York Yankees in the Bronx on Wednesday afternoon. Troy Melton gave his team 6 1/3 innings of two-hit ball, and while the bullpen blew yet another save, a four-run 11th powered the good guys to the win.
AJ Hinch’s team remains on the road this weekend with a trip to the Lone Star State to take on the Texas Rangers starting — who are tied for first in the AL West — on Thursday night, when left-hander Framber Valdez will take the mound in the series opener. The 32-year-old put up a 3.21 ERA and 4.14 FIP in June over five starts, three of which he allowed just one run and the other two saw him cough up a four-spot in each.
For the Rangers, right-hander Nathan Eovaldi will toe the rubber looking to build on his gem last time out, in which he threw seven shutout innings allowing five hits and a walk while striking out nine. That was a vast improvement for the 36-year-old after posting a 5.11 ERA and 4.04 FIP in his other four June starts, surrendering four home runs while striking out 25 in that 24 1/3-inning stretch.
Here is what the matchup looks like on paper in Thursday night’s opener at Globe Life Field.
Detroit Tigers (38-49) vs. Texas Rangers (44-43)
Time (ET): 8:05 p.m. Place: Globe Life Field, Arlington, Texas SB Nation Site:Lone Star Ball Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 88: LHP Framber Valdez (4-5, 4.05 ERA) vs. RHP Nathan Eovaldi (8-7, 3.95 ERA)
Syracuse and Worcester went back and forth in this one, with Syracuse falling late. The Red Sox got off to a 1-0 lead in the second following a scoreless first, but a double by Ben Rortvedt and a ground out by Cristian Pache made it 2-1.
Worcester got the lead back, 3-2, in the third inning, and and score held until the fifth. Vidal Brujan reached on a fielder’s choice which allowed a run to score in that inning, making it three apiece. Both teams scored two runs in the seventh, with both Mets runs coming off of a Nick Morabito single. The comebacks stopped there, however, with the Red Sox driving in a run in the ninth. The Mets threatened with two singles in the bottom of the ninth, but could not muster up a game tying hit.
The final score for this game actually made it look closer than it was, because Chesapeake got out far ahead early. They scored three in the first, one in the second, two in the third and two in the fourth, which put them up 8-2 after four (the Rumble Ponies scored one in the first, with Nick Lorusso homering in the inning, and one in the third, with Nick Lorusso sacrifice flying someone home).
JT Schwartz drove in runs in the eighth and ninth, but it was too little, too late.
Brooklyn took the lead in the second after a scoreless first, and really coasted from there. They scored their first run of the game on a throwing error, and their second on a Trace Willhoite single. The Keys got one back in the bottom of the inning, but Brooklyn put the game away from there. They drove in a run in the fourth, on a Yohairo Cuevas homer, and then dropped five in the fifth. They loaded the bases in the inning, Cuevas walked in a run, and Willhoite hit a grand slam to put the game out of reach.
The Cyclones added two in the eighth and three in the ninth (which included Cuevas and Mitch Voit home runs), which helped keep the distance as the Keys scored four in the eighth and two in the ninth.
For the second day in a row, St. Lucie was shutout by a score of 6-0 against the Tampa Tarpons. This time around, they mustered up just four hits (all singles), and two walks. They left seven on base, and went 0-6 with runners in scoring position. They threw a bullpen game, and two relievers (Jose Guevara and Elwis Mijares) surrendered all six of the runs, though one was unearned.
SS Antonio Jimenez: 0-4, K
3B Jeremy Rodriguez: 0-4, K
2B Trey Snyder: 1-4, K, SB (9)
1B Julio Zayas: 1-3, BB
CF Branny De Oleo: 2-4, K
RF Simon Juan: 0-3, BB, E (8)
LF Jackson Hauge: 0-4, 2 K
DH Jack Scanlon: 0-3, 2 K
C Francisco Toledo: 0-3, K, E (6)
RHP Joel Díaz: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 1 WP
RHP Jose Guevara: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, L (0-1)
RHP Elwis Mijares: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
RHP Ernesto Mercedes: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Caden Wooster: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
SARASOTA, FLORIDA - MARCH 20, 2026: Joseph Dzierwa #67 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches during the seventh inning of a Spring Breakout game against the Boston Red Sox at Ed Smith Stadium on March 20, 2026 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Hello, friends.
Here’s my hot take: It’s more fun when the Orioles win than when they lose. Yesterday, as they stopped themselves from getting swept by the White Sox with a 6-1 victory, we saw a glimpse of what this team could be if enough of its pieces regularly came together. Dean Kremer returned from the injured list and pitched great, Tyler O’Neill hit a homer and made a good play on defense, and the bullpen didn’t spoil it. Check out my recap of the game for more of the lovely totals.
A challenge that’s been in front of the Orioles all year is the need to stack together some wins. They have rather infuriatingly not been able to do it yet. Each time they fail to do so, the next opportunity becomes that much more urgent. The Wednesday win puts them at 40-48, 4.5 games out of the wild card but with five teams to pass. The math gets tough in a hurry if they don’t start fixing some of their problems, especially considering the inflection point of the trade deadline (August 3) being much closer than the end of the season.
They won’t have a chance to do that today since they’re off today. Waiting for them next are the Cincinnati Reds, a team that was strong through the end of April but stunk it up in May and June. Although they have a better record than the Orioles, Cincinnati is farther out of the postseason picture in the NL than the O’s are in the AL. That’s the way it goes. The Orioles could play well against the Reds or they could have another one of these sleepwalk series. They are capable of good things! That’s what makes the bad ones showing up so often such a source of frustration.
In less major league-focused news, MLB announced the rosters for the 2026 edition of the Futures Game on Wednesday. The game will be played at noon on July 12 in Philadelphia. I think it’s kind of a shame they don’t even give these players prime time billing, but that’s a whole separate thing. Most teams have two players who made one of the rosters. That’s true of the Orioles as well. Two of their 2025 high draft picks are going to be on the roster: outfielder/first baseman Ike Irish, and pitcher Joseph Dzierwa.
Irish recently cracked MLB Pipeline’s updated top 100 list, checking in at #84. He’s doing well for himself in High-A Frederick, hitting .266/.388/.467 so far this season. Dzierwa may not be on any top lists yet but he’s getting more hype within Birdland for his results in Frederick and then with Chesapeake. The 22-year-old lefty has a 0.917 WHIP between High-A and Double-A, with 96 strikeouts in 76.1 innings. His results did not drop off after being promoted. It’s exciting. These guys being recognized is nice for them. Hopefully they get to make the most of the chance to make some good memories.
A year ago, the Orioles had outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. and pitcher Keagan Gillies as their representatives in the game. I think that’s a step up in prospect quality this year, for whatever that ends up being worth.
Orioles stuff you might have missed
Ryan Helsley experiences elbow discomfort warming up in Orioles win (The Baltimore Banner) Yesterday’s win did not come without a cost. Helsley didn’t even make it out from the bullpen warmup before hurting too much to enter the game. He was already on the IL with elbow inflammation this year. Hopefully the next bit of news isn’t “the big one.”
Recapping the series of roster moves before Wednesday’s game (School of Roch) A flurry of roster activity was involved in activating Kremer to make the start, plus adding a fresher reliver in Cameron Weston. More may be coming if Helsley’s situation turns into “put him on the IL right away.”
Today in 2013, the Orioles traded Jake Arrieta and Pedro Strop to the Cubs for Scott Feldman. This did not turn out to be a good idea.
There are a pair of former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2018-19 reliever Pedro Araújo, and 1963 pitcher Pete Burnside.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: author Hermann Hesse (1877), Baltimore native Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall (1908), Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas (1932), stock car racer Richard Petty (1937), musician Michelle Branch (1983), and gold medal judoka Kayla Harrison (1990).
On this day in history…
In 1644, the English Civil War saw its largest battle as an allied force of Parliamenterians and Scottish Covenanters fought Royalists in the Battle of Marston Moor. The battle, waged by over 40,000 men across both sides, was a victory for the Parliamenterian side in part thanks to an Oliver Cromwell-led cavalry charge. The Royalist defeat limited their ability to gather further strength from a generally sympathetic north of England.
In 1776, the Second Continental Congress approved the Lee Resolution, which proclaimed all ties with Great Britain to be severed by an independent United States. More well-known today is July 4, since this is when the Declaration of Independence’s text was approved by the Congress.
In 1863, Colonel Joshua Chamberlain and his 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry repulsed the Confederate attackers at Little Round Top in Gettysburg with a downhill bayonet charge. This was only one pillar of the Union’s defense in the three-day battle.
In 1937, Amelia Earhart made her last radio contact, after which she disappeared while attempting to make an around-the-world flight across the equator.
**
And that’s the way it is in Birdland on July 2. Have a safe Actual Independence Day.
Milwaukee Brewers general manager Matt Arnold participates in a panel discussion during a tailgate-themed celebration marking the completion of “Mr. Baseball,” a new 80-by-100-foot mural by artist Mauricio Ramirez depicting longtime Milwaukee Brewers broadcaster Bob Uecker in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on June 30, 2026. | Jovanny Hernandez / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
It’s July — the trade deadline is in sight!
Over the next few weeks, I’m going to publish a series of articles that survey the league’s trade landscape as it relates to the Brewers. We’re going to start by looking at the team’s needs and surveying the league to see who might be selling before the August 3 deadline. In the following weeks, we’ll look at specific targets that could be available at the Brewers’ positions of need.
So — what are those positions of need?
Need #1: a high-leverage reliever
The most obvious place, and in my opinion, the most realistic place, that the Brewers could upgrade is the bullpen. Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe have both turned it around after shaky starts to the season, but beyond them, the Brewers can’t feel great about the state of this group.
Aaron Ashby leads the league in wins, but he’s being worked hard and hasn’t been as effective as he has been the previous two years. Ashby has 39 appearances, tied for the second-most in the National League, and his 50 innings pitched are sixth in the league among players who’ve primarily relieved this season. Given Ashby’s swingy history, he might be able to keep up this pace, but he’s been plagued by command issues this season; Ashby currently has his worst ERA, FIP, WHIP, H/9, HR/9, and BB/9 since he missed the 2023 season with shoulder issues (though it should be acknowledged that his strikeout numbers are the best of his career).
Chad Patrick’s recent issues are troublesome. After he looked so great in last year’s postseason, it looked like he was ready to be a high-leverage reliever, and he excelled in that role after moving back to the bullpen in early May. But the last three weeks have been bad; in six outings between June 10 and June 27, Patrick allowed 14 runs, all earned, in just 9 2/3 innings. His meltdowns contributed directly to two losses in those six games. Whether Patrick finds it again could be a sneaky harbinger of the Brewers’ success this season, and his last two outings have been scoreless, so we’ll see.
There are more questions. Grant Anderson doesn’t profile as a high-leverage guy. Shane Drohan has pitched well out of the bullpen, but he’s more of a long-relief guy than a high-leverage one. DL Hall looked good early but is again injured. Jared Koenig is back in the big leagues, but he’s working with diminished velocity and is a huge question mark. Craig Yoho may or may not be ready to contribute at the major league level, but it doesn’t look like he’s going to be given enough leash to prove anything. Joel Kuhnel is not the answer.
The Brewers have two high-leverage relievers, Megill and Uribe, even if their numbers this season aren’t as good as previous years. (I’m particularly unbothered by Megill’s “step back” — he struggled early but has a 1.33 ERA and 0.84 FIP (!) since April 14.) Depending on how you feel about Ashby, they might have three. At this point, there are too many questions around the other guys for me to consider them reliable.
This is certainly an area worth upgrading, but it’s tricky. Relievers are notoriously fickle, and the Stearns/Arnold Brewers’ track record on relievers acquired at the deadline — of which there are quite a few — is bleak. While the current front office has not shown a ton of aggression in the mid-season trade market, they have traded for at least one relief pitcher every trade deadline since 2017, barring the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
The stakes feel higher this season, and the proverbial cupboard is loaded. This feels to me like the most realistic place to make a meaningful upgrade to the roster.
Need #2: another starter?
It seems almost silly how much starting pitching major league teams need in 2026. Milwaukee started the season with 11 guys who could reasonably compete for a starting job with the Brewers, and that doesn’t include Ashby or Hall.
Well, here we are in early July, and nine of those 11 guys have started a game in the big leagues, the 10th is out for the season, and the 11th has pitched in long relief in the majors and is currently on the IL. The front office correctly identified that you need that many guys to get a pitching staff through a whole season, and their recent offseason moves have reflected that.
But do the Brewers need more? Quinn Priester is out for the season. Logan Henderson has missed time and will need to prove he can stay healthy. Carlos Rodriguez wouldn’t be much help even if he were healthy. Coleman Crow doesn’t quite look ready to contribute to winning yet, and he’s on the IL, too.
That leaves seven of those 11 guys healthy, but Chad Patrick is pitching out of the bullpen at the moment, Shane Drohan has been better from the bullpen (and probably belongs there, if not for all the injuries), and another, Robert Gasser, has yo-yoed between Nashville and Milwaukee this season. Brandon Sproat has looked great his last few times out, but he has a lot to prove. Brandon Woodruff looks healthy, but that will be a question all season.
Jacob Misiorowski and Kyle Harrison have both been excellent. But Harrison, at least, will need to prove that he can keep up his excellent level of play through a whole season, and particularly in the postseason when high-powered opponents will have scouted the crap out of him. Both of these pitchers —and this is also true of Henderson, Drohan, and Crow, too — will be running into innings pitched issues.
There are two ways the Brewers could go here if they choose to make a move. They could make a huge swing for one of the top arms available, or they could look for an innings eater to take some of the pressure and innings from the young guys. Both approaches have their merits and their risks.
Need #3: offensive help
It feels like a broken record to say that the Brewers need a power bat, so I’m not exactly going to say that they need a power bat. I’m instead going to suggest that they should at least explore the possibility of acquiring someone who will help offensively. The Brewers are not a bad offensive team, but they are a team that can look bad, and they are definitely a team that can have a three-hitter black hole in the lineup. That might be a big problem in the postseason.
The question here is how you go about upgrading the offense in a manner that is both a) realistic and b) logical, from a fit perspective.
One truth needs to be spoken: the Brewers are not going to bury Christian Yelich, at least not in the regular season. After a good first couple of weeks, Yelich has been alarmingly poor at the plate for most of the last two months. Since April 7, which was just the 11th game of the season, Yelich is batting just .225/.313/.350 with only four home runs in 40 games. Worse, his Statcast page is the worst it has ever been; he’s not only not driving the ball with authority, but he’s also swinging and missing a ton. Yelich continues to be generally disciplined about not swinging at balls, but he’s whiffing way more than he ever has.
Moving Yelich into a strict platoon could help, though he’s barely been better against right-handed pitching than he has been against left-handed pitching in 2026. (His career numbers indicate a platoon could be beneficial.) But we probably need to accept the fact that Yelich — who makes about $24 million dollars a year for two more years after this one — is going to be around and will be in the lineup more often than not. This is ironic, as one of the most interesting ways in which the Brewers have exceeded expectations relative to their peers over the last few years has been by not playing players who aren’t helping, an action which is directly related to the fact that they don’t have many older, highly paid players. But it’s hard for me to see a scenario where Yelich’s playing time is reduced to anything other than a strong-side platoon role, and who knows — a couple of adjustments could get him right again.
Figuring out where this new bat would fit in is a challenge. The obvious answer would be third base: the single easiest way to upgrade the offense would be to acquire a third baseman who can hit, regardless of the side of the plate, but more likely as a right-handed hitter. The pickings are quite slim, which we’ll look into in a later installment.
Another option could be an outfielder. Milwaukee has been playing Blake Perkins frequently against left-handed pitching, and while he’s borderline competent from the right side of the plate and good in the field, that could certainly be upgraded. (Brandon Lockridge’s return could change this a bit, but while Lockridge is likely an upgrade on Perkins and is an overall useful player, he’s not exactly “short-term offensive upgrade” material. The same could be said for Luis Lara.) Jake Bauers has been getting starts against left-handed pitching, but has been just slightly above average; a good platoon bat would be an upgrade. It would also prevent you from situations where the lineup against a left-handed starter would include both Joey Ortiz and Perkins, plus one of Bauers, Garrett Mitchell, or Sal Frelick in a platoon disadvantage.
Given the numbers on the roster, a right-handed bat makes the most sense for an upgrade. Positionally, it looks like that would need to be either an outfielder or a third baseman, unless you were okay with acquiring an Andrew Vaughn-type that would be used essentially strictly as a soft-side platoon option with Yelich.
Who’s selling?
Now to the part that makes everything complicated: the league has kind of sucked this year. The Brewers, at 53-31, are one of just seven teams league-wide with a win percentage above .550. Right now, the leaders of the AL Central, the White Sox, are just 45-40. The leaders of the AL West, the Rangers (did you know that the Rangers were leading the AL West?) and Mariners, are both just 44-43.
This means a lot of bad teams still have hope. The Royals are last in the American League with a 35-52 record, but even they are only nine games back of a Wild Card spot. Only four teams in the AL — the Tigers, Red Sox, Royals, and Angels — are more than 5.5 games back of a Wild Card spot:
The Tigers are in their last year with Tarik Skubal. They’ll probably trade him, but they might also decide to keep him and make a run at it.
The Red Sox have an interim manager (and fired most of the rest of their coaching staff, too).
The Royals will probably sell, but they’re not going to do anything that meaningfully damages their immediate future, given that they have one of the brightest young stars in the league.
The Angels are interesting because they’re now under the management of John Mozeliak. It’s unclear how much power he has to reshape the team, given his “interim” role, but the Angels seem to think they’re in it every year, so I don’t see them selling off any major pieces. Beyond those, there’s not much here.
There are a few other AL teams that could sell if they don’t see their place in the standings improve in the next month. The Orioles, like the Red Sox, are way back in their own division and are eight games under .500, but again, they sit just 4.5 games back in the Wild Card. Minnesota has also hardly inspired confidence, and they are five games under .500, but the AL Central is totally up for grabs, especially with José Ramírez missing from the Guardians’ lineup. The Astros and Athletics, likewise, could turn into sellers with a bad July.
The National League is a little bit different; each division has at least one team that’s clearly ahead of the rest. But there’s a bit of a gap between the second and third Wild Card in the NL, and there are currently six teams separated by just three games in the running for the third and final Wild Card.
The NL teams likely to be sellers if nothing improves dramatically in the next month are:
The Reds, though they also have a lot of pieces worth building around.
The Giants, who are a high-priced disaster.
The Mets, who are an even-higher-priced, bigger disaster.
The Rockies, a perpetual disaster that could finally be ready to make smart decisions.
The teams that could go either way include:
The Cardinals, who currently sit tied for the last Wild Card spot but who have a -10 run differential.
The Marlins, who are overperforming expectations (and are always eager to get rid of anyone who might cost them anything), but were the best team in baseball in June.
The Padres, another team firmly in the mix but with a negative run differential.
The Pirates, who will probably not sell because this is the closest they’ve been to competing in a long time.
The Nationals, about whom you could say the same.
The Diamondbacks, who are playing roughly .500 baseball despite a -24 run differential.
There’s one other consideration that could affect the market: the CBA situation. If low-payroll teams think there’s a chance that there’s a salary floor in 2027, they could figure it makes sense for them to keep higher-priced veterans rather than trading them for more minor league or league-minimum contracts, rather than face the prospect of filling out their rosters by giving a bunch of money on a one-year deal to a lower-tier free agent just to get to the floor.
We’ll have to watch and see how the next month plays out to know for sure who will be available, but in the coming weeks we’ll look at some possible targets.
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:L, 9-5 vs. Norfolk Tides
3B Jonathan Ornelas 1-4, BB, K C J.C. Escarra 3-5, 2B, K 2B Marco Luciano 2-5, 2 HR, 4 RBI, K — has had a hell of a year, 15 homers and .957 OPS across two levels RF Yanquiel Fernández 1-4, 2B, BB, K 1B Tyler Hardman 0-4, BB, 3 K, SB DH Ernesto Martinez Jr. 0-4, BB, 3 K LF Kenedy Corona 1-3, BB, K CF Duke Ellis 0-3, RBI, K, SF SS Owen Cobb 0-4, K, fielding error
Don Hamel 6 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 3 K, 1 HR (loss) Eric Reyzelman 0.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HR Angel Chivilli 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K — has been sharp in Triple-A this season Dylan Coleman 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Double-A Somerset Patriots:W, 5-3 vs. Hartford Yard Goats
CF Trent Grisham 1-3, 2B, BB — hard double in the fourth inning 1B John Cristino 0-1, K DH Jace Avina 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB — great year continues, 16 dingers RF Jackson Castillo 2-3, 2B, RBI, BB LF DJ Gladney 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI 3B Coby Morales 1-4, 3B, 2 K C Miguel Palma 0-3, BB, K 1B Josh Moylan 1-4, 2 K, GIDP SS Kevin Verde 0-4, K 2B Connor McGinnis 2-4, K , fielding error
Xavier Rivas 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 4 K — Somerset pitching combined for 19 (!) strikeouts, a franchise record Miguel Arias 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 2 HR Trent Sellers 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K Hayden Merda 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K (win) Chris Kean 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K (hold) Tony Rossi 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K (save) — first save of the season for Tony
High-A Hudson Valley Renegades:L, 5-3 vs. Wilmington Blue Rocks
2B Kaeden Kent 0-4, BB, K SS Core Jackson 1-4, 2B, K RF Wilson Rodriguez 1-4, RBI, K, CS C Eric Genther 2-3 1B Kyle West 2-4 3B Roderick Arias 1-2, 2 RBI, BB, K, SF DH Enmanuel Tejeda 1-3 CF Camden Troyer 0-4 LF Robbie Burnett 0-3, BB, K
Luis Serna 6 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 6 K, 1 HR (loss) Andrew Landry 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K Wilmy Sanchez 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HR Thomas Balboni Jr. 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
SS Jackson Lovich 3-5, RBI, K 2B Hans Montero 1-4, BB, K C Luis Puello 0-3, BB, 2 K RF Logan Maxwell 3-4, 3 RBI, BB, K 3B Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 0-3, 2 BB, K CF Brando Mayea 0-4, BB, K LF JoJo Jackson 1-2, BB PR-RF Isael Arias 0-1 1B David McCann 1-4, RBI, 2 K DH Ediel Rivera 1-4, 3 K
Thatcher Hurd 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K (win) — 2024 third-rounder had a ten-run disaster start in May, but has been nails since Brian Hendry 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K Jose Martinez 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K Jordarlin Mendoza 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Florida Complex League Yankees:W, 9-8 (9) vs. FCL Tigers — game was called with none on and two out in the top of the ninth due to inclement weather
3B Richard Matic 0-4, BB, 2 K CF Wilberson De Pena 0-3, 2 K, SB DH Queni Pineda 1-1, HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 3 SB 2B Leni Done 1-2, BB, 2 SB LF Jose Castro 1-3, HR, 3 RBI, BB, SB RF Francisco Vilorio 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, K SS Dexters Peralta 2-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB, 2 SB — ten steals for the Yanks in this one C Justin Capellan 0-4, 2 K, SB, CS 1B Diego Flores 0-3, 3 K
Sunayro Martina 2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K Marco Manzano 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K (win) Brian Arias 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K Jorge Luna 1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 0 K Rafael Arias 2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 0 K Austin Breedlove 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (save)
It’s a lot easier than it used to be putting together rosters for Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game. That doesn’t mean quality can’t slip through the cracks.
This year’s exercise, in advance of the July 14 affair in Philadelphia, will benefit greatly if, appropriately enough, America rallies in the final round of voting in this, her 250th year of existence.
See, in this era of online balloting, The Fans generally do pretty well. It’s just that this time around, six Toronto Blue Jays have been named as “finalists” for the American League, with a handful of them not deserving of the nod based on cold, raw data. Conversely, the Midsummer Classic is all about the zeitgeist of the game at the time. And Canadians’ fervor for their team – 44,000 jam into Rogers Centre, night after night – is worth celebrating, particularly as an example that almost any team can follow in these uncertain times of crying wolf.
Yet whether a handful more Jays join the top AL vote-getter, the beloved Ernie Clement, in Philly, there will certainly be a few All-Stars you might not have thought about. Here are six of them, all hoping the roster breaks their way when it’s released the evening of Saturday, July 4:
Juan Soto, OF, Mets
Remember this guy? Easy to lose him in the haze of all the misery in Flushing, yet Soto, still just 27, remains every bit as generational as we imagined. Though limited by injury to 66 games, Soto has nonetheless slugged 17 homers with a .298/.408/.563 line and leads all major leaguers with a 166 wRC+ and the NL with a 170 adjusted OPS.
This seems like a Captain Obvious pick but it’s also a clarion call to not take greatness for granted. Soto is among the outfield finalists in fan voting, but with the Mets’ 2026 debacle slowly unfolding, we can’t imagine he’ll outpoint worthy reps from contending teams. Perhaps the player vote will rescue him. But another All-Star shutout for Soto would be silly.
Otto Lopez, SS, Marlins
If your kids are clamoring for Luis Arraez, just tell them, “We have Luis Arraez at home!” That would be Lopez, who entered July 1 with six more hits than Arraez, a microscopic edge in batting average (.333 to .331) and an identical (.366) OBP while also stealing 16 bases. Oh, and he’s second in the NL with 3.6 fWAR. Most important, the Marlins are coming off a 20-6 June to place themselves in the thick of the NL wild card dogfight. They certainly deserve more than just a courtesy rep, which would figure to be starter Max Meyer. Second baseman Xavier Edwards would also be a fine option.
Hunter Goodman, C, Rockies
Good gravy: This dude has 26 home runs and a 119 adjusted OPS at the halfway point. As a catcher. Coors Field be damned.
Goodman seems a lock for Philly, but here’s where the roster vagaries come into play. The two “finalists” at catcher are the Dodgers’ Will Smith and Atlanta’s Drake Baldwin. Smith is never a bad choice but is having a league-average season at the plate and is on the IL with a neck injury. Baldwin is having a fantastic season, but injury has limited him to 60 games.
It would stand to reason that if Smith gets elected, Goodman would be added as an injury replacement. But the point here is that Goodman has that look of perennial All-Star – he earned his first nod last year – and deserves to be regarded as such. And as a foundational player for a franchise that looks more serious each month, Goodman is proof positive to the greater baseball world that the Rockies do, in fact, exist, a big reason why the All-Star Game is held, anyway.
Luis Garcia Jr., 1B, Nationals
A second baseman by trade, Garcia is in a tough spot, math-wise, now that he's primarily a first baseman and listed as such on the NL ballot, where he finished 10th. That belies a first half in which he smacked six homers over six games recently and a major league-leading 13 since May 22. Overall, he's at .281 with an .850 OPS and 16 homers.
A great year for a key cog of the major leagues' surprise leader in runs scored. Yet as a first baseman, Garcia gets rather easily overshadowed by finalists and All-Star stalwarts Matt Olson and Freddie Freeman. And they have to find a way to get Bryce Harper on the squad in Philly, right?
It all adds up to what figures to be a tough break for Garcia, even as he's one of the league's most productive players.
Michael Wacha, SP, Royals
Here’s a stat that actually doesn’t exist, but perhaps it should: Wacha is the only starter in the AL to average 19 outs per start. Wonky, huh?
But it’s also a rare and underappreciated skill. In an era when teams aren’t allowing many, or all, of their starters to face a lineup three times through, Wacha is actually getting them out three times a game, plus one more. As such, he leads the AL in innings pitched while ranking eighth in ERA (3.31) and 13th in WHIP (1.14) and averaging 6.39 innings per start.
And any manager exhausted from juggling openers and followers, and reliever shuttles from Class AAA and back, would absolutely appreciate what Wacha does for them: Finding just 10 more outs, on average, the nights he pitches.
Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Yankees
On paper, it might look a little obnoxious to include Goldschmidt. After all, Ben Rice is the club's primary first baseman and has a shot to win the fan balloting at the position. Two first basemen from the same team?
Yeah, those optics aren’t great at all, but at some point we need to make concessions to the modern game. And part of that is acknowledging the import of platoon players, even those on the short side of the equation. Goldschmidt falls 30 plate appearances shy of qualifying for league leaders, yet with 14 home runs, 41 RBIs and an .867 OPS in just 233 plate appearances, he’s kept the Yankees afloat at times this year. Against lefties: A .371/.456/.730 line, with eight homers in 103 plate appearances, helping the Yankees go 19-13 against left-handed starters. Goldschmidt lacks the gravitas of a Kershaw or Pujols or Miggy Cabrera to be a “commissioner’s special” pick or whatever they call it, but at 38, he’s still a borderline Hall of Famer and ex-MVP. Would be cool to see him in Philly.
Grant Taylor, RP, White Sox
For better or worse, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America will debut the “reliever of the year” award for the AL and NL after this season. Recognizing All-Star relievers for a half-season of work can be even more volatile, particularly in this era when true closers are scarce.
So let’s consider Taylor: Tied for third in fWAR (2.1) among AL relievers, ranks fourth with 13.38 strikeouts per nine innings, a 1.98 FIP and has entered in high- or medium-leverage situations 19 of 28 games. It’s nothing that will get him a plaque at year’s end, but for an emerging club like the White Sox to post a 17-10 record in one-run games, a lot has to go right. Taylor – who has 16 outings of more than one inning pitched – is often a part of that.
