San Antonio TX, - June 25, 2026: Jayden Quaintance of the San Antonio Spurs Talks to the media during the San Antonio Spurs Rookie Press Conference on June 25, 2026 at Victory Capital Practice Center, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Spurs fans are excited about the drafting of Jayden Quaintance, but we honestly haven’t gotten to see him in action. The 6’10” power forward was drafted in the midst of recovering from back-to-back injuries. First, a knee surgery in early 2025 followed by a torn meniscus a year later. In his draft conference, he stated he was working with the Spurs medical staff toward another surgery.
In the meantime, Quaintance has been involved with Summer League from the bench, soaking up the knowledge coach Corliss Williamson is instilling in the team.
Here’s some collegiate highlights. Fun fact: at the 1:30ish mark, he blocks his new teammate Carter Bryant.
Quaintance graduated from high school a year early. After a year and twenty-four games at Arizona State, he transferred to Kentucky where he played in four games. And today, he turns 19.
There are high hopes for Quaintance once he is fully healed. An avid chess player, Quaintance hopes to connect with Victor Wembanyama from across the chess board. On the court, he shows hints at the defensive acumen to make the Spurs one of the most feared teams in the league.
For now, the 20th pick of the draft is spending his birthday in Las Vegas getting to know his new teammates and waiting for his chance to return to the game he loves.
Happy birthday, Jayden.
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Jul 10, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Tim Mayza (37) reacts after being called for a balk which resulted in the Detroit Tigers scoring a run in the sixth inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
I do at least appreciate that when the Phillies lose a game like that, I can at least focus my attention on something else and not be dialed into every single pitch like normal. It lets me get some things done around the house for the evening.
May 20, 2026; Hoover, AL, USA; Mississippi State third baseman Ace Reese fields a ball and throws to first for an out in the SEC Tournament game between Georgia and Mississippi State at the Hoover Met. | Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The 2026 MLB Draft gets underway today. Over the next two days, the Milwaukee Brewers will select 20 players to add to their organization and be part of that next wave of young talent.
MLB’s Draft is notoriously difficult to predict, especially the later the Draft goes on. Picks aren’t necessarily about who is the best on the board; it’s about who is there for the best price, so the slot money can be spread around to get the maximum amount of talent. The Brewers have been one of the best teams at spreading out their available bonus money over the past several years.
This year, the Crew has one of their lowest bonus pool totals in a long time — they have a lack of compensatory picks (including trading away the No. 67 pick to acquire Kyle Harrison) and had the best record in baseball last year, pushing their picks toward the end of each round.
The Brewers have their first pick at No. 25 overall, which is the last selection in the first round. Where could they go? Let’s take a look at who the experts have Milwaukee taking in their mock drafts.
The Brewers took a starting pitcher from Coastal Carolina last year with Jacob Morrison in the third round. Carlos Collazo at Baseball America has the Crew going back to the Chanticleers rotation again this year with Cameron Flukey.
Flukey’s success is no fluke. He sits in the mid-90s on his fastball and can reach 98 mph with movement. His curveball is his best secondary and is a high-spin pitch, which is a quality the Brewers have targeted consistently in their pitching selections. Flukey stands 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds, so there’s a starter’s frame with room to add on more weight if needed.
Back-to-back Flukey selections here; he should be going off the board right around this range, so it does make sense. However, the Brewers have selected a pitcher in the first round just once in the past decade. That pick was Ethan Small in 2019, and Small didn’t exactly work out very well for the Brewers. There’s a reason they don’t go there often. But could they buck the trend this year?
The Brewers have drafted corner infielders a lot in recent years, so why not go back to that well again with an SEC third baseman? Ace Reese has big-time power, slugging 24 bombs this year for the Bulldogs while hitting .336. Classic left-handed power bat with a solid feel to hit. The big question will be his defensive home and if he can stick at the hot corner.
CBS Sports – Cole Prosek, SS/C, Magnolia Heights (MS) HS
The nephew of Brewers third base coach Matt Erickson, Prosek has been a heavily connected name to the Brewers through this process. He’s also from the same high school as the Crew’s current shortstop, Cooper Pratt, and plays with Pratt’s younger brother on the team. Prosek is an athletic player who can play both infield and behind the plate. He has a strong feel to hit, with some giving him plus grades, and some pretty good pop as well. He’s committed to Ole Miss, but there’s strong momentum for him in the first round, and the Brewers feel like a great landing spot if he’s there.
MLB Pipeline’s most recent mock draft came back on July 2, and they had the Crew going with a college bat yet again. This is not much of a surprise. Rose is generally above average across the board offensively, and though they may need to work on pitch selection with him, Rose has a pretty good ceiling to work with.
Another Prosek pick. The connection is certainly strong. The Brewers do have a history of selecting players who have the potential to stick behind the plate even if they haven’t primarily played there as an amateur. If the Brewers like his catching potential, they could take him and send him out there. Marco Dinges was one such player a few years ago.
For many years, the Brewers avoided corner infielders like the plague. They focused on up-the-middle athletes only. Recently, they’ve taken Brock Wilken, Blake Burke, and Andrew Fischer with early selections each of the last three years. They seem to have plenty of future possibilities on the corners, but can you ever really have enough?
Prospects Live – Cole Prosek, SS/C, Magnolia Heights (MS) HS
A very popular pick here. Could it be because of the Matt Erickson connection? Could it be legitimate interest? Could it also be a smokescreen? If too many prognosticators think the Brewers are taking someone, the Brewers generally do something else. They keep things largely tight to the vest.
Back to the college bats, Sawyer Strosnider is another name that has popped up quite a bit with the Brewers. Strosnider is a left-handed bat with a big-time power-speed combination, earning plus grades on both tools. He does have a little bit of a strikeout problem, which is somewhat concerning with any hitter. But in terms of tools and athleticism, few in this draft have more, which makes him a name to watch.
Other names connected
Throughout all these mock drafts, the writers do include other names they considered or names they have heard connected to the Brewers at No. 25. That group includes:
James Clark, SS, St. John Bosco (CA) HS Tegan Kuhns, RHP, Tennessee Taj Marchand, SS, James Island (SC) HS Trey Ebel, SS, Corona (CA) HS Eric Becker, SS, Virginia Logan Reddemann, RHP, UCLA
The 2026 MLB Draft gets started this afternoon. We shall see which, if any, of these mock drafters were correct in their selections.
Jul 10, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Samuel Basallo (29) celebrates at home plate after hitting a two-run home run in the eighth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images | Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
Even in a season that isn’t going according to plan, an immutable fact remains: life seems a little bit better after an Orioles win. That’s especially true when the O’s make it a dramatic win, like last night’s 5-3 takedown of the visiting Royals at Camden Yards. After Brandon Young’s bid to pitch into the eighth inning went haywire in heartbreaking fashion, Samuel Basallo stepped up to reinvigorate the team and the sizable crowd of O’s fans with his electric go-ahead homer — and epic bat toss — in the Birds’ last at-bat. Check out Stacey’s recap of a delightful night at Oriole Park.
The game was a fun reminder of what the Orioles can look like when they’re playing well, something that unfortunately has happened far too little this season. A win against a last-place Royals team doesn’t fix the many problems that still plague the Birds. But with two games remaining against lowly Kansas City, the Orioles have a chance to head into the All-Star break feeling better about themselves if they can put together a couple more performances as competent as last night’s.
While the players (hopefully) keep their attention on the field, the O’s front office decision-makers have other things on their mind this weekend. The 2026 MLB Draft begins today at 1 pm, and the Orioles hold the #7 pick. As Mark Brown wrote, there’s no consensus among draft pundits about which player the O’s will take; five different writers have suggested four different possibilities for the Orioles in their mock drafts. And of course the Birds’ actual selection could end up being someone not even mentioned. They do that sometimes.
The Orioles’ #7 pick is their highest since 2022, when they held the #1 overall selection and drafted Jackson Holliday. Since then, their highest first-round picks have been #17 in 2023 (which they used on Enrique Bradfield Jr.), #22 in 2024 (Vance Honeycutt), and #19 in 2025 (Ike Irish).
And I would venture to say that Mike Elias really needs to nail this one. His once-hyped draft prowess has lost quite a bit of luster in recent years. After his lauded first draft with the Orioles in 2019, which netted the O’s both Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson, the results of his subsequent drafts have been a mixed bag. He reached a bit to make Heston Kjerstad the #2 overall pick in 2020 and that hasn’t panned out, though he also scored Jordan Westburg later in the first round. Elias’s top selection in 2021, Colton Cowser, is still a bit of an enigma offensively. Then there’s Holliday, who hasn’t yet performed like the platonic ideal of a #1 overall pick, though he’s still just 22.
None of the Orioles’ draft picks from 2023 or beyond have arrived in the majors, but Bradfield has struggled to hit consistently in the minors, and the 2024 draft — in which Elias selected Honeycutt and Griff O’Ferrall in the first round — looks like a bust. Early returns from the 2025 first round (Irish and Wehiwa Aloy) look promising so far, as does Caden Bodine, whom the O’s traded to the Rays in the Shane Baz deal.
If the Orioles’ 2026 campaign continues to go sideways and the team decides to make front office changes this offseason, then there’s a real possibility that this is the final draft Elias will oversee. For everyone’s sake, let’s hope it’s a good one.
One e-mailer suggests that the O’s should mortgage the farm to trade for Mason Miller. I hate to tell you this, friend, but the Orioles are not a closer away from being a good team.
Due to supply chain issues, the O’s didn’t have the Turnstile giveaway jerseys ready to hand out to fans last night. It’s been that kind of a year for the 2026 Orioles.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You share your day with two guys who were briefly Orioles: outfielder Daniel Johnson (31), who played nine games from 2024-25, and righty Zach Clark (43), who pitched a single MLB game back in 2013.
On this date in 1968, Earl Weaver managed his first major league game after taking over for the fired Hank Bauer. The then-37-year-old Weaver guided the O’s to a 2-0 win over the Senators in Baltimore, thanks to Dave McNally’s two-hit shutout and a Don Buford home run. It was the first of 1,480 regular season wins — plus 26 postseason wins — in Earl’s eventual Hall of Fame career.
And on this day in 1987, Billy Ripken made his MLB debut, joining brother Cal Jr. in the Orioles lineup. Their dad, Cal Sr., became the first skipper in MLB history to manage two of his sons. Cal Jr. and Billy went a combined 0-for-7 in the Orioles’ 2-1 loss to the Twins.
Random Orioles game of the day
On July 11, 2002, the Orioles opened the second half with a 4-1 loss to the Athletics at Camden Yards. Scott Erickson had a strong seven-inning, three-run outing, but was outdueled by A’s lefty Mark Mulder, who stymied the Orioles for seven scoreless. Future Oriole Miguel Tejada went 2-for-5 with an RBI double for Oakland. The loss dropped the Orioles to two games under .500, which doesn’t seem so bad considering they eventually finished the season 28 games under.
The Detroit Tigers continued their surge into the All-Star break on Friday night with an authoritative 10-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Comerica Park. Jack Flaherty made it to the six-inning mark for the first time in what seems like forever, giving his team a quality start in the process, while a trio of home runs fueled the offense to a double-digit total.
On Saturday, the Motor City Kitties can clinch their fourth straight series with right-hander Casey Mize taking the mound. The 29-year-old is coming off a pair of quality starts of his own, putting up a 1.32 ERA and 2.46 FIP over the last 13 2/3 innings, allowing just six hits (one home run) and two walks while striking out 14 to earn his third and fourth wins of the season.
It will not be easy for the Tigers with left-hander Cristopher Sánchez climbing the hill for the Phillies. Coming off a season that saw him finish second in the National League Cy Young race, the 29-year-old has picked up where he left off, ranking second in the majors in pitching fWAR behind Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski.
However, Sánchez is coming off his worst outing of the 2026 campaign, surrendering nine runs on 12 hits (three home runs) and a walk while striking out just one Kansas City Royal on the road for his fourth loss in a 15-1 final. Maybe the Tigers can get to him on Saturday evening too.
Here is a look at how the two match up in Game 2 of the three-game series in Detroit.
Detroit Tigers (44-50) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (52-43)
Time (ET): 6:10 p.m. Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan SB Nation Site:The Good Phight Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 95: RHP Casey Mize (4-5, 2.64 ERA) vs. LHP Cristopher Sánchez (10-4, 2.62 ERA)
The 2026 MLB Draft begins today, and Kentucky Baseball fans will have at least one major reason to tune in.
Wildcats shortstop Tyler Bell is widely expected to be selected in the early rounds after two seasons in Lexington.
Bell entered the season as one of the top prospects in the 2026 class, with MLB Pipeline ranking him among its top draft prospects. He also participated in the MLB Draft Combine last month.
While recent first-round mock drafts from CBS Sports and ESPN have not projected Bell among the opening selections, his prospect status makes him Kentucky’s best bet to be called early in the draft.
Bell’s combination of defensive ability, switch-hitting potential, and youth could make him an intriguing option for organizations looking for an up-the-middle prospect.
Kentucky could also have additional players selected during the later rounds as MLB organizations work through 20 rounds over two days.
Mark Pope has drawn some criticism from fans in his first two seasons in Lexington regarding his substitution patterns.
Fans have (understandably) been frustrated with the deep bench Pope deploys throughout the season, as opposed to tightening the rotation and keeping his top players in the game longer.
Pope was asked about his substitution strategy during an appearance on Kentucky Sports Radio this past week, emphasizing player development over the course of the season. Pope said there are several variables that come into play when it comes to substitution patterns, but it’s also important to develop players up-and-down the roster.
“Developing guys is really important,” Pope said. “And you saw that, a great example is Collin Chandler. Collin Chandler was the seventh most improved player in all of college basketball last season. That doesn’t happen by accident. You have to kind of nurse guys and grow guys. You know, Jasper Johnson is a player that has tremendous upside and we needed him and kept trying to find the right situation for him, and he’s going to be a great player. Some of that’s going to come from those developmental minutes.
“You look at Otega Oweh’s rise and us being able to continuously put him in new situations. That’s how guys grow. Malachi Moreno, you know, early on in the season force feeding him some minutes helped him grow into the guy who had to carry the load for so much of last season. You kinda go down the list. For us, we are developers of players. I think it’s one of the things we do better than anyone else in the country. We help our guys get better.
“I’m really proud of the fact that Amari came in as a non-draft board guy. That Koby came in here as a non-draft board guy. That Otega came here as a non-draft board guy. These are not guys that were predestined to be drafted players. JQ was, but those other three weren’t and the fact that those guys came her and we were able to develop them, and they were able to develop themselves because it’s their hard work that does it, to earn themselves a chance to go play at the next level is really important to us.”
So what does that mean going forward? It sounds like Pope will continue to deploy a deep bench throughout the regular season, while tightening the rotation for the postseason. It’ll be interesting to see how Pope rotates lineups with this group this season.
In some past seasons, we’ve written up every pick the White Sox make in the draft with individual stories. This year, we’ll let a constantly-updated Day 2 draft tracker do all the work, but overall we will have individual features on the first five White Sox picks (Nos. 1, 34, 44, 77, 105).
An exciting twist to our coverage this year is having Melissa Sage-Bollenbach in Philadelphia and on the grounds covering for us. That should mean details and quotes you won’t see anywhere else, as well as video and other postings on all our social media channels (@southsidesox.bsky.social on Blue Sky, South Side Sox on Facebook, @sss_south_side_sox on Instagram, @southsidesox_ on TikTok, @sss_south_side_sox on Threads and @SouthSideSox on Twitter/X).
To kick off our coverage of today’s five picks and the following 16 on Sunday, here’s a How to Watch guide. But really, let us do the heavy lifting and just stay tuned to the real-time updates of South Side Sox!
Day 2: Sunday, July 12 (Rounds 5-20) 10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. CT Rounds 5-20 (MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+)
The 2026 MLB draft is in Philadelphia this year as part of MLB All-Star Week. First-day coverage of the draft is extensive, with interviews of newly-drafted players, highlight packages, real-time analysis from MLB’s experts, footage from team draft rooms and interviews with front office personnel. Sunday’s coverage will be exhaustive, covering every pick, but the nature of buzzing through hundreds of picks means that the broadcast mostly consists of stock-ticker reporting in rapid-fire fashion.
MLB draft primer After trading Jacob Gonzalez to the Pirates, the White Sox the largest draft pool in baseball: $20,489,500. Each pick of the first 10 rounds has an assigned slot value, and adding up all of those pick values determines the bonus pool. Teams can spend more or less on any draft choice in any round, all the way down to Round 20.
Overall, teams are allowed to exceed their allotted pool by up to 5% — but teams are taxed 75% on any spending beyond the bonus pool; if the White Sox sign their 21 draft choices for $21 million, they’ll have to pay a 75% tax on that extra $510,500. (For a Jerry Reinsdorf-run team, don’t expect to see the White Sox exceeding their bonus pool.) And if a team was to exceed their bonus pool by more than 5%, it’s viewed as “cheating” and results in higher penalties and a loss of future draft picks — NO TEAM has ever done this.
Players picked in Rounds 11–20 have slot values of $150,000 — but it’s all “free” money in that it does not count against the bonus pool. Any contract of more than $150,000 results in the extra payment counting against the pool (if the total used to sign Round 11-20 selections adds up to $1.5 million, the White Sox will have all $20,489,500 to spend on their Round 1-10 picks, but if the total added up to $3 million, the bonus pool to sign Round 1-10 draftees will be just $18,989,500. The White Sox are very likely to lowball a few selections with no other options (players sign for as little as $10,000) to free up money in the latter half of the draft, rather than cannibalize the more precious bonus-pool monies.
Finally, if you’d like your own “White Sox draft preview show” as you wait for the action to begin, here’s director of scouting Mike Shirley on Friday’s broadcast, talking draft:
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - FEBRUARY 15: Rich Paul and Anthony Davis attend the Klutch Sports Group All-Star Dinner presented by PATRÓN Tequila at Swift & Sons on February 15, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for PATRÓN Tequila) | Getty Images for PATRÓN Tequila
The Washington Wizards’ summer of 2026 has centered around AJ Dybantsa’s professional debut in the Summer League. And so far, Deandre Ayton is coming to Washington, Khris Middleton is returning and Patrick Ewing is returning to coach with the first NBA team he ever coached for. In Ewing’s case, keep in mind that as a player, he is the (now second) best New York Knicks legend of all time. Why? Because the Knicks won the 2025-26 NBA championship!
Okay, I ribbed on Ewing a little too hard there.
But what about Anthony Davis? The Golden State Warriors apparently wanted him from the Wizards, but Washington has since made it clear that he’s staying. So … what now?
On Game Over, an NBA podcast with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul (who is Davis’ agent), Kellerman just asked him straight up on an episode which was released yesterday. Paul said simply “yes” and then “Why wouldn’t he” when pressed further. Paul even said “I don’t know anything about [a trade].”
Rich Paul says Anthony Davis WILL play for the Wizards next season:
I’m trying to look closer at Paul’s body language and he doesn’t seem relaxed about this topic. I can 100 percent believe him that Davis will start the 2026-27 season with the Wizards. However, he’s not so relaxed when being pressed about trade requests and the like. Interpret that for what you will.
LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 17: A view of the draft logo prior to the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft at L.A. Live on Sunday, July 17, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning! It’s draft day for Major League Baseball which, strangely, comes at a terrible time for the Red Sox. They’ve won seven in a row! They’re somehow surging up the standings despite suffering a new injury every day! It’s time to celebrate the NOW! Not to look to the future!
Alas, the schedule is what it is, and the baseball gods Rob Manfred has decided that the best time to hold the MLB draft is on a Saturday afternoon, when it will compete against a full slate of MLB games as fans gear up for the All-Star Break. So, to some extent, the big league club will take a backseat today.
The Draft begins with rounds 1-4 today, which will be broadcast on NBC/Peacock starting at 1PM, with coverage moving to MLB Network at 2:30.
The Red Sox will make the 20th, 67th, and 96th picks in the first four rounds today.
DALLAS, TX - APRIL 5: Brandon Williams #10 of the Dallas Mavericks handles the ball during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on April 5, 2026 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks have 14 of their roster spots filled for the upcoming season, leaving one vacant for them to work with.
It remains to be seen what the Mavericks will do, but there is reason to believe that a reunion with Brandon Williams could be in the cards.
“Guards who can get both feet in the paint outside of transition aren’t easy to find. Fortunately for clearance-rack shoppers, Brandon Williams is sitting right here,“ Bleacher Report contributor Dan Favale wrote.
“… A distinct lack of size hurts Williams on the defensive end. His three-point shot has also proven to be a non-starter, and even out of drives, he’s not the most reliable passer. But a 49.1 percent clip on long twos the past two years (28-of-57) coupled with reasonable free-throw shooting suggests there could be more levels to his scoring arsenal.”
When the Mavs traded for Detroit Pistons point guard Marcus Sasser, it definitely hurt Williams’ chances of returning to the team. It’s hard having Ryan Nemhard, Sasser and a returning Kyrie Irving on the roster. If Williams was added, that would give them four point guards that stand 6’2 or shorter. It’s incredibly hard to find minutes for all of them.
That being said, Williams brought an edge to the Mavericks the team needed. The attitude Williams had when he was playing for the Mavs was infectious, and it’s not easy to find that in the NBA. Williams improved a lot for the Mavericks, and who’s to say that the 26-year-old guard won’t get even better if he were to remain with Dallas?
Mavs Moneyball community, what do you think about the chances of Williams filling in the final roster spot for the team? Chime off in the comment section below.
Troy Watson was knocked around in his return to the rotation, and the Hens couldn’t capitalize enough on 10 hits and two walks to mount a comeback.
Watson gave up a run in the bottom of the first, and then three more in the third. The score remained 4-0 for several innings until the Hens fought back in the seventh.
Andrew Navigato led off the top of the seventh with a double. Luke Shliger, up to fill in for Eduardo Valencia, flew out, but Max Clark stepped to the dish and cranked a two-run shot just fair down the right field line. Clark’s eighth shot of the season made it 4-2.
Max Clark crushes a 2-run homer to right to get Toledo on the board. It’s his 8th home run of the year – left his bat at 102.6 and went 384 feet. pic.twitter.com/BRiXgLVJ5G
Unfortunately, the comeback stalled there. Jack Little allowed a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth. That opened up too much distance between the two clubs, and the Hens couldn’t mount another charge.
Clark: 2-5, R, 2 RBI, HR, K
Anderson: 1-4, R, 3B, BB, K
Watson (L, 3-3): 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, BB, 2 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 3-1 Indy lead heading into a 7:05 p.m. ET start on Saturday.
Jake Miller returned from his lengthy rehab with a short start for the SeaWolves, and the rest of the pitching staff dominated to down the Senators on Friday.
Miller fired three scoreless frames as the Tigers continue to carefully build him back up. The left-hander’s command is still rusty, but he allowed just one hit and two walks, striking out two.
In the bottom of the third, Bennett Lee was hit by a pitch and that sparked a big inning as Peyton Graham followed by drawing a walk. Justice Bigbie singled in Lee, and Graham scored on an Andrew Jenkins grounder that forced Bigbie at second. Garrett Pennington followed by drawing a walk, and Max Burt singled in Jenkins for a 3-0 lead.
In the fourth, Viandel Pena, who the Tigers recently signed out of Indy ball after Pena was released by the Nationals last summer, led off with a double. Bennett Lee drilled a line out to center and Pena took third. Graham singled him in, posting a two-hit, two walk game that took his OPS to .837 on the year.
Eric Silva tossed a scoreless fourth, then allowed a run in the fifth. So it was 4-1 SeaWolves in the bottom of the sixth when Pena doubled with one-out. Lee grounded out, but Pena stole third and Graham singled him in. Bigbie walked, and Jenkins reached on an infield single to load the bases. A walk to Pennington forced in a run, and a passed ball made it 7-1.
Lael Lockhart had it from there. The lefty fired four scoreless innings of one-hit ball to close this one out.
Graham: 2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, K, SB (48)
Bigbie: 2-4, R, RBI, BB
Pena: 2-4, 2 R, 2 2B, K
Burt: 2-4, RBI, BB
Miller: 3.0 IP, 0 R, H, 2 BB, 2 K
Coming Up Next: The Senators lead the series 3-1 headed into Saturday’s 6:05 p.m. ET start.
Fort Wayne TinCaps 6, West Michigan Whitecaps 3 (box)
Carlos Marcano gave up four early runs in this one, and the offense just didn’t have the mojo for a comeback.
The TinCaps scored one in the first, and three in the second before Marcano departed. In the bottom of the fourth, Caleb Shpur drew a leadoff walk and Bryce Rainer singled. A double play ball from Clayton Campbell erased Rainer, but Shpur scored on a wild pitch.
Luke Stofel gave up a run in the fifth, but in the sixth, Rainer drew a leadoff walk and later scored on an error after a Samuel Gil single to right field and Rainer pushed first to third. The throw in went wild, allowing him to score, but the Whitecaps would only get one more run. Campbell walked in the eighth, and Gil was hit by a pitch. An Andrew Sojka single made it a 6-3 game, and that’s where it ended.
Hernandez: 2-4
Rainer: 1-3, R, BB, K
Marcano (L, 1-3): 2.0 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start on Saturday.
Lakeland Flying Tigers vs. Dunedin Blue Jays (postponed)
They’ll play two on Saturday after getting rained out on Friday.
Joey Wimpelberg got knocked out of this one early, but Ryan Hall took over for four decent innings, allowing two more runs. SS Angel de los Santos kept it rolling with an inside the park home run, a single, and a walk. Michael Oliveto was the DH in this one and had a pair of hits, including an RBI triple. Unfortunately, after tying this one up in the top of the seventh and scoring two in the first inning of extras, the Yankees dropped three more runs to walk this one off.
De Los Santos: 2-2, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, BB, CS
Oliveto: 2-4, RBI, 3B, K
Cristian Perez: 1-3, 2 R, RBI, HR, BB, K
Hall: 4.0 IP, 2 ER, H, 2 BB, 4 K
Cristian Perez has hit his 12th FCL home run. That ties him with Jimmy Adler (1990), Alexis Espinoza (2007), and Juaner Aguasvivas (2009) for the most rookie ball home runs by a Tigers hitter since 1986, when Chris Hoiles hit 13. pic.twitter.com/SwLEFcnhhD
Unlike other major pro sports in the United States, Major League Baseball’s annual draft is hardly must-see television. With 20 rounds of picks—it used to be 50—and very few of them household names, only true baseball diehards closely pay attention beyond the first handful of selections.
For college baseball fans, though, the MLB Draft can bring about some stress and uncertainty since both incoming freshmen and existing veterans are eligible to be selected. The best college juniors and seniors are sure to get drafted and sign, while top recruits may be lured into starting their pro careers early via a hefty signing bonus.
Last year the UA saw nine members of the 2025 squad, which reached the College World Series, get drafted and sign. One of its prep signees also took the money rather than come to Tucson.
The 2026 draft, which begins Saturday and finishes Sunday, won’t be nearly as impactful to Arizona’s roster. Only one current Wildcat with eligibility remaining is assured of being drafted: junior right-handed pitcher Owen Kramkowski.
Kramkowski, who struggled in the spring after a breakout 2025 season, is ranked as the 205th-best draft prospect by Baseball America and No. 245 by MLB.com. That would put him in the range of the 6th or 7th round to get selected, though he could go earlier. All indications are Kramkowski will sign.
Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess. No other current or future Wildcats are among BA’s Top 500.
Among Arizona’s outgoing seniors, the top candidate to get drafted is left-handed pitcher Patrick Morris, who is currently playing the MLB Draft League. Infielders Tyler Bickers and Maddox Mihalakis could also get picked late or sign as an undrafted free agent.
Draft-eligible juniors other than Kramkowski include lefty Maclain Roberts, catcher Beau Sylvester and outfielders Andrew Cain and Easton Breyfogle. A couple of Arizona’s 2027 newcomers, such as junior college righty Collin Cobb, prep infielder Ayden Deome and catcher Francisco Rivero, are also at risk of getting picked.
Arizona has had 293 players drafted in its history and has had at least two taken every year since 2011.
The first four rounds of the 2026 MLB Draft are Saturday, with NBC airing the first 10 picks starting at 10 a.m. PT before the broadcast switches to MLB Network and later MLB.com. Rounds 5-20 are Sunday on MLB.com starting at 8:30 a.m. PT.
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 10: Jazz Chisholm Jr. #13 of the New York Yankees celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a two run home run against the Washington Nationals during the ninth inning at Nationals Park on July 10, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After splitting their series against the Rays, one series was left between the Yankees and the All-Star break. The Nationals managed to take the lead late as Tim Hill didn’t have it in the eighth, but thankfully Washington’s bullpen gave it right back in the ninth to give New York their third win in five games. Ben Rice launched his 29th home run of the season and now has two more games to hit a nice, round 30 before the break, and Austin Wells hit his second home run in as many games after a lengthy drought. All in all, that’s a great game for the Yankees to have taken, and now they can end this half of the year with a series win if they win today or tomorrow.
The break isn’t for another couple of days, but the festivities start this weekend with the MLB Draft kicking off this afternoon. We’ll have plenty of coverage of the event throughout today and tomorrow and breakdowns of what the team accomplished afterwards, but we’ll open the day up with a primer from Andrew on what to expect from today specifically. Andrew’s also got the Rivalry Roundup lined up and Matt celebrates the birthday of Harry Wolter before we get deep into prospect land.
Today’s Matchup:
New York Yankees at Washington Nationals
Time: 4:05 p.m. EST
TV: YES Network, Nationals.TV
Venue: Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.
Questions/Prompts:
1. Get your guesses in for who the Yankees take with their first-round pick (35th overall).
2. Will we see any team make a trade over the break?
PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 10: Kevin Hayes #13 of the Pittsburgh Penguins controls the puck in front of Brayden Pachal #94 of the Calgary Flames at PPG PAINTS Arena on January 10, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
This is a good one from the NHL social media team, asking players who they would want on their beer league teams.
Who would be the best from the Penguins? Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, duh, they stand apart as an opportunity you’d never forget to get to share the ice with some of the greatest players of all time.
For on ice reasons, I would go with players that might not be so obvious. Sure, you might immediately go to wanting Egor Chinakhov on your team since he’s outrageously fast and shoots the puck so hard, but that also means he’s impossible to keep up with and not going to be so fun to play off of for a mere ‘normal’ type of player. Now, someone like Tommy Novak would be an incredible beer leaguer; he’s good enough at lugging the puck up the ice in the NHL, he would skate around the entire league of non-pro level players, toy with everyone else with his dangles and then be able to set his teammates up. Especially if it was roller hockey, I’d bet Novak would be a way higher value player than one might think upon first glance due to his puck control and hands.
Erik Karlsson is up in that Crosby/Malkin obvious territory, but my goodness, how fun would that be? I feel like he would be the guy that shows up late half the time and skips out on the other half of the games but would be incredible beer leaguer, effortlessly so since he’s also one of the greatest players of this generation. Kinda like the time he missed the entire preseason with an injury and then stepped right in to play all 82 NHL games, the ease and casualness of Karlsson would fit right in even before the fact he could score 10 points a game without breaking a sweat in your average beer league.
Controversially, I don’t think I would want Marc-Andre Fleury. Being in proximity to the pranks is not as fun as watching from afar, though clearly if the opportunity was available, of course you wouldn’t pass it up.
Elmer Soderblom would be a marvel in the beer leagues. He was starting to hold the puck and drive to the net at the NHL level, it would be just impossible for any rec level player to take it away from him. Plus with that reach, good luck trying to get the puck around him. His size and strength would be off the charts.
For the social aspects, take a look at the regulars at the poker table and more colorful members of the team. From last season, Connor Clifton and Kevin Hayes would be unreal beer league teammates. Chopping it up with those guys would be a riot. It’s not hard to picture Noel Acciari with a six pack in the lockerroom bemoaning his upcoming chores or family obligations and BS’ing around with the crew after the game like an average Joe. Those guys wouldn’t have the panache of being an absolute star but for the vibes and experience would be just as terrific as anyone.
That’s who came to mind here, let us know who you would want to play beer league hockey with.
