Virginia outfielder AJ Gracia (29) swings for the ball during an NCAA Baseball Regional game between Southern Miss and Virginia at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Saturday, May 30, 2026. | Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Virginia baseball was far from perfect in Chris Pollard’s first season, but one thing nobody could dispute was their quality top end talent. Five Wahoos were selected by pro organizations in the 2026 MLB Draft last weekend.
A.J. Gracia did not have to wait long to hear his name called, as the Atlanta Braves picked the two-time all-ACC outfielder ninth overall. Gracia becomes the sixth all-time Cavalier to go in the top ten, and the first since Pavin Smith (7th to the Arizona Diamondbacks) and Adam Haseley (8th to the Philadelphia Phillies) in 2017. Some scouts have been skeptical of Gracia’s long-term outlook defensively, but his bat was too good to resist.
Eric Becker was also selected on day one, joining fellow UVA alumni Andrew Abbott and Ethan O’Donnell in the Cincinnati Reds organization as a second round pick. Becker’s stock dropped slightly as a result of a “down” junior season in Charlottesville. Still, he finishes his college career with a .348 overall batting average and 1.048 OPS.
The third ‘Hoo off the board was sixth-round selection Kyle Johnson, who will more than likely specialize as a pitcher in the Tampa Bay Rays organization. Joe Tiroly, a seventh round selection by the San Diego Padres, and Tyler Kapa, the Miami Marlins’ 14th round pick, round out the list.
As far as committed high schoolers are concerned, call it a small victory for the UVA program. The only member of the 2026 recruiting class that will not make it to Grounds is, as expected, infielder Bo Lowrance, who went 40th overall to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Meanwhile, highly rated recruits such as RHP Wyatt Clatur, LHP Sean Loggie, and SS Will Yow (as confirmed earlier this offseason) all will join the Cavaliers roster for the 2027 season after going undrafted.
Grateful to have been part of Bo’s journey. The @Dodgers got a great player and a world class family! https://t.co/05TWxpC2p4
Catcher Jake Weatherspoon also did not hear his name called and may very well be returning next season. The JUCO transfer tallied ten multi-hit games and 13 extra base hits in 2026, slashing .272/.337/.429.
Elsewhere around the country, former Cavaliers pitchers Bryson Moore (Pittsburgh Pirates) and Evan Blanco (Athletics), as well as position players Henry Ford (Seattle Mariners) and Aidan Teel (Minnesota Twins) were all middle round draftees.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 12: Ike Irish #18 of the Baltimore Orioles looks on during batting practice prior to the 2026 All-Star Futures Game Presented by Nike at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, July 12, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
This week marks the All-Star break for more than just the major league teams. The minor league affiliates are off for the next few days as well, never mind that the leagues themselves don’t put on All-Star Games any more, like they used to. For a variety of reasons, there probably wouldn’t be all that many Orioles prospect All-Stars this year anyway.
These weekly updates focus on the team’s top prospects, particularly those on Camden Chat’s composite top 20 Orioles prospect list from before the season. They also include other guys who interest me who might develop into prospects over time. I do not tend to spend much time on non-prospect journeymen.
Here’s how things went this week:
Triple-A Norfolk Tides
Last week’s results: 3-2 vs. Syracuse (Mets)
Second half record: 5-11, last place (8 GB) in International League East
Norfolk combines a bottom-half pitching staff with a worst-in-the-league offense in terms of runs scored per game. No wonder this team is a brutal 33-58. The roster is largely a collection of journeyman guys who ostensibly exist as depth for the MLB roster except, if this is how they’re playing at Triple-A, they barely even count for that.
This is particularly relevant in the wake of the injury suffered by Blaze Alexander in the final game before the MLB break. Do the Orioles have an infielder they can bring up from the minors? Well, maybe. He’s the kind of no-longer-prospect I don’t usually talk about in these articles, but there is Christian Encarnacion-Strand, already on the 40-man roster and with most of his games this year played at third base. Encarnacion-Strand batted 5-15 across this week’s games, including two doubles and two homers. He’s OPSing .863 for Norfolk, though that does come with a suboptimal OBP (.309).
With Creed Willems on the injured list, there’s one actual prospect getting at-bats for Norfolk. That is Enrique Bradfield Jr., who continues to put up batting numbers that are fine as long as you ignore what his lack of power portends against MLB pitching. He had three hits and two walks in five games, including one triple, plus a stolen base, giving him 16 steals in 39 games. No question the guy is fast. Big question whether a .670 OPS at Norfolk is enough.
For the pitchers, Nestor German tossed seven shutout innings this week, while allowing just four hits and a walk. He sits at a 4.11 ERA for the season, which isn’t that exciting on its face, but it is .8 runs below the league average. That’s the equivalent of an MLB starting pitcher having a 3.41 ERA. German is at nearly a 10 K/9 and nearly a 3 K/BB. Don’t write him off just for his ERA starting with a 4.
Others of interest
OF Heston Kjerstad – I always want him to be something. He batted 5-13 over four games played, giving him a .766 OPS in 45 games with the Tides. Probably not enough for another MLB look unless there are big league injuries.
LHP Andrew Magno – Two runs allowed in 2.1 innings this week, not great, but the season ERA of 1.04 remains interesting. Sometimes people ask “Why isn’t this guy on the MLB team?” and probably one big answer is he’s walked 20 batters in 34.2 innings.
Second half record: 10-7, t-second place (3.5 GB) in Eastern League Southwest
The Double-A team is not quite as bad off as Norfolk: Their offense isn’t the worst in their league. They are a bit below average, same as their pitching staff. I had higher hopes for the team. As an Orioles fan, I’m used to disappointment. The only defense against that is not getting excited in the first place.
I’m obligated to lead with my guy Aron Estrada, even when the news is bad. The infielder had four hits in 22 at-bats this week, and drew only one walk, so that’s a .481 OPS over five games. The season line still isn’t bad for a 21-year-old at this level: .276/.317/.474. Fellow 21-year-old Thomas Sosa, an outfielder, fared better here, 6-22 including a homer, though he struck out seven times.
The Joseph Dzierwa excitement train did not run into too many problems this past week. He allowed a run over five innings in his lone start, a solo home run. Dzierwa also got a chance to pitch in the All-Star Futures Game on Sunday, retiring the only batter he pitched against. The week also featured an impressive eight shutout innings in a single start by Luis De León. If he was regularly firing off outings like that, he’d be a lot more exciting. Instead, 4.76 ERA in 70 innings. Love the 11.1 K/9.
Others of interest
RHP Juaron Watts-Brown – Would I even mention him if he wasn’t a hyphenated Brown? Maybe not. Struck out eight batters in five innings this past week. The season ERA of 6.24 in 12 starts is less fun.
C/1B Ethan Anderson – Hit the injured list with an ankle injury, a real shame since he’s rocked this year: .270/.369/.520 with 17 homers.
Last week’s results: 3-2 vs. Jersey Shore (Phillies)
Second half record: 11-9, t-second place (1.5 GB) in South Atlantic League North
The Keys had a guy in the Futures Game as well. That was Ike Irish. He batted twice and walked once. In three games with the Keys before heading to Philadelphia, last year’s first rounder had three hits, including a double, bringing him to an .843 OPS in 71 games.
Fellow first rounder Wehiwa Aloy took the lead in Irish’s temporary absence. Aloy’s six games over this past week saw him rack up nine hits, including two homers, giving him 13 for the season. The thing to watch with Aloy is the strikeouts. He added eight this week and has a 27.2% strikeout rate this year. It’s not Vance Honeycutt territory (he struck out ten times in 11 at-bats in three games) but it’s not what you want.
Among the starting pitchers, the best outing this week was thrown by Twine Palmer, acquired from the Astros last year. His handful of games with Delmarva after the trade last year were so bad, so to see him continuing to do well this year a level higher is nice. This week saw him strike out eight batters over six innings while allowing just a run on three hits and two walks. For the season, it’s a 3.56 ERA and 1.203 WHIP for Palmer.
Others of interest
LHP Boston Bateman – Three runs allowed in five innings this week, less than ideal. Six strikeouts with only one walk allowed. Walk rates are my concern for him (4.6 BB/9 for the season), so if he can keep those down, I think he’ll be OK.
LHP Caden Hunter – Last year’s sixth round pick allowed two runs in five innings; he’s got a 1.93 ERA in eight starts with Frederick. Again, watching the walk rate (also 4.6 BB/9)
OF RJ Austin – 7-15 including a double and a homer, and he walked twice, and he stole eight bases to up his season total to 26. It’s a .259/.361/.414 line in 46 games for last year’s third rounder.
Last week’s results: 2-4 vs. Kannapolis (White Sox)
Second half record: 8-13, fifth place (3.5 GB) in Carolina League North
The lowest-level full-season Orioles affiliate is like Norfolk, except which thing is bad is flipped: They have the worst pitching staff in the league in terms of run prevention and they’re near the bottom in offense. It’s added up to a brutal record for this team as well, one that’s continuing into the second half.
On Friday night, one of the exciting young players on this team, infielder Jaiden Lo Re, left the game early after a collision on the bases. He was back in action on Sunday, reaching base all five times he came to the plate while driving in three runs. Lo Re has a .952 OPS in 27 games here. Fellow 19-year-old infielder DJ Layton’s week included 5-17 hitting with four walks and a pair of stolen bases; his .257/.402/.391 batting line in 75 games is also interesting for this level.
Others of interest
RHP Christian Rodriguez – Seven shutout innings this past week, with five hits and a walk allowed. The Orioles picked him in the 10th round two years ago. He’s 24, old for this level. I think we’ll see some promotions once the draft picks start signing.
In last week’s minor league player of the week poll, you chose my guy Estrada as the winner, narrowly edging Rodriguez. Thanks for your support! Estrada is our ninth different winner of the weekly polls this season. Irish is the only guy to win twice. Other single week winners: Victor Figueroa, Payton Eeles, Braylin Tavera, Caden Hunter, Wehiwa Aloy, Jaiden Lo Re, and Joseph Dzierwa.
Will we add another repeat winner this week? The choice is yours.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 18: Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (left) and Philadelphia Phillies Managing Partner and CEO John Middleton (right) applaud and the Phillie Phanatic reacts after the 2026 MLB All-Star Game logo is revealed during Philadelphia's 2026 All-Star Game Declaration on July 18, 2025, at Dilworth Park, in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
Tonight is the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, being held at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The game will be broadcast nationally on Fox.
Getting the start for the National League will be the Philadelphia Phillies’ own left-hander Cristopher Sánchez, who ended the first half of the season with a 2.62 ERA, 2.70 FIP, with 144 strikeouts to 25 walks in 127.1 innings pitched.
Starting for the American League will be Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Dylan Cease, who ended the first half with a 2.56 ERA, 2.18 FIP, with 148 strikeouts to 44 walks in 98.1 innings pitched.
Here are the starting lineups:
National League
Kyle Schwarber – Philadelphia Phillies – DH
Juan Soto – New York Mets – LF
Freddie Freeman – Los Angeles Dodgers – 1B
CJ Abrams – Washington Nationals – SS
Max Muncy – Los Angeles Dodgers – 3B
Ozzie Albies – Atlanta Braves – 2B
Brandon Marsh – Philadelphia Phillies – RF
Andy Pages – Los Angeles Dodgers – CF
Drake Baldwin – Atlanta Braves – C
American League
Mike Trout – Los Angeles Angels – CF
Yordan Alvarez – Houston Astros – DH
Shea Langeliers – Athletics – C
Junior Caminero – Tampa Bay Rays – 3B
Bobby Witt, Jr. – Kansas City Royals – SS
Cody Bellinger – New York Yankees – RF
Ben Rice – New York Yankees – 1B
Riley Greene – Detroit Tigers – LF
Ernie Clement – Toronto Blue Jays – 2B
The San Francisco Giants have two players expected to appear in the game, RHP Logan Webb and second baseman Luis Arraez.
DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 7: Manager Warren Schaeffer #4 looks on before a game against the New York Mets at Coors Field on May 7, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies are a team in the midst of a rebuild. With this in mind, the staff at Purple Row thought it would be useful to revisit the “State of the Position” series that we ran in March to see where things stand. We’ve asked authors of the spring articles to re-evaluate their earlier remarks with an eye toward the August 3 trade deadline.
What I said in March
For my initial article about the new coaching staff, I described them as a “data-driven team of problem solvers and relationship builders.” I also introduced you to them, and asked manager Warren Schaeffer (who I described as a “communicator” and “relationship builder”) to describe each member of his staff in one word:
Bench Coach, Jeff Pickler: “Prepared”
Assistant Bench Coach, Ron Gideon: “Wise”
Hitting Coach, Brett Pill: “Relentless”
Assistant Hitting Coach, Jordan Pacheco: “Smooth”
Pitching Coach, Alon Leichman: “Unique”
Assistant Pitching Coach, Gabe Ribas: “Polished”
Bullpen Coach, Matt Buschmann: “Funny”
First Base/Outfield Coach, Doug Bernier: “Energetic”
Third Base Coach, Andy González: “Machine”
Bullpen Catcher & Assistant to Baseball Operations, Kyle Cunningham: “Controversial”
Catching Coach & Bullpen Catcher, Chris Rabago: “Sneaky”
After a whirlwind offseason, we finally were able to see the coaching staff in action. Schaeffer was running his first spring training, and his new staff put their words into action. Spring training was all about experimentation. Not only did they tinker with baseball strategies, but they also tinkered with basic things such as the daily schedule. We saw some early results in spring training, but now we’re in the midst of the regular season and can start to see progress in those areas.
Since we’re only part of the way through the season, the picture will be incomplete. But we can still get glimpses of how things have been working (or not).
All stats current as of July 11, 2026.
Where the Rockies are now
Multi-inning Relievers
At the beginning of the season, the Rockies experimented with “bulk relievers.” Essentially, the idea was that the game would start with an opener, and then he would be relieved after an inning for someone else to pitch 4-6 innings in the middle of the game. Initially, this was reserved for Antonio Senzatela and Chase Dollander. When he was called up on April 14, Tanner Gordon was also in the mix. The thinking behind it was that the “starter” could go deeper in the games – ideally the sixth or seventh inning – while not seeing the top of the order right out of the gate. It was also promoted as a way to save the bullpen, especially with the extreme conditions the Rockies have to play in. As an additional wrinkle, they would occasionally have a starter throw his scheduled bullpen in the game.
Dollander made 10 appearances before his injury, and six of them were in relief. Five were bulk relief, where he pitched anywhere from four to six innings, and one was an in-game bullpen appearance. Senzatela was also used in a bulk relief role, but his outings were much shorter than Dollander’s. He made one appearance of three innings, and another of 3.1 innings, but the rest have been 2.2 IP or fewer. 10 of his last 11 appearances have been within the confines of one inning (one outing was 0.2 IP). Gordon was used the most like Dollander, pitching 3-6.1 innings across seven bulk relief appearances.
Dollander is on the 60-day IL after undergoing internal brace surgery; Senzatela has transitioned into more of a traditional reliever; and Gordon was moved back into the starting rotation.
In their place, Zach Agnos has become the de facto bulk reliever. Agnos has made 25 appearances (including two starts), and nine of them have been three or more innings in length (though one was his start on June 6 against the Milwaukee Brewers). Juan Mejia has also been used over multiple innings 12 times in 38 appearances, but never more than two innings.
Conclusion: The bulk reliever experiment showed some promise, but injuries to the rotation (including Dollander) forced them to abandon it for a more traditional pitching approach.We’ll see if that change was due to the injuries, or if this will be a permanent switch back.
Pitch Suggesting
Another tactic the Rockies experimented with early in the season was “pitch suggestions.” The idea was that the pitching coaches, typically Alon Leichman, would suggest every pitch to the pitcher and catcher, who would if they wanted it. Most of them embraced it, but some pitchers still called their own pitches. It was a collaborative effort between all three parties, and the pitchers had the autonomy to shake off any pitches they didn’t agree with.
As the season has gone on, it appears the Rockies have transitioned away from pitch suggesting. President of baseball operations Paul DePodesta told the media last weekend that they are refining the process, and some players are still using it.
Conclusion: It will be interesting to see if the Rockies go back to pitch suggestions after the All-Star Break, what the process will look like going forward, or if they abandon it completely. But this particular experiment shows that the coaching staff and front office aren’t locked into one way of thinking and are constantly refining their approach to the game.
Base Stealing
Schaeffer & Co. have emphasized better baserunning and generally creating more opportunities on the basepaths. That means focusing on speed and stolen bases. The Rockies made that vision clear when they traded for Jake McCarthy, who leads the team with 15 stolen bases in 19 attempts. Every single position player who has made an appearance with the Rockies has at least one stolen base except for TJ Rumfield, Chad Stevens, Brett Sullivan and Sterlin Thompson. Hunter Goodman has more stolen bases in the first half of 2026 (5) than the last three seasons combined (3). He’s been caught four times, but is still attempting more than he ever has.
The Rockies as a team have recorded 66 stolen bases in 95 attempts. The 66 stolen bases ranks them 14th in MLB, and the 29 times caught ranks them fourth. In the first half of 2025, they stole 52 bases (23rd) and were caught 24 times (T-8th). In 2024, they had 53 stolen bases (T-20th) and were caught 19 times (T-10th).
Conclusion: The Rockies are prioritizing different ways to get runs. It goes back to “he gets on base” from Moneyball, but it’s working.
In summary, this coaching staff has shown a willingness to try new things and make adjustments as needed.
Offensive Output
The biggest turnaround so far has been the offense.
Heading into Sunday’s game against San Francisco, the Rockies ranked in the top seven in average (.256) and OPS (.748), sixth in slugging (.421) and seventh in OBP (.327). Comparatively, in 2025, they ranked last in OBP (.293), 27th in OPS (.679), 24th in slugging (.386) and 23rd in average (.237).
Since June 1, the Rockies’ 215 runs scored are the second-most in MLB behind only the Milwaukee Brewers (221). They also have four players in the Top 20 in OPS since June 1: Kyle Karros (1.065, 3rd), Hunter Goodman (.995, 9th), TJ Rumfield (.946, 15th) and Jake McCarthy (.943, 18th). They have also been averaging 5.06 runs per game at home and 4.54 runs on the road. They have not averaged more than 4.0 runs on the road since 2020 (4.07) and have not averaged more than 4.5 runs on the road since 2007 (4.72).
It wasn’t always like this. May was a rough month. After a 14-18 start, they went just 8-20 in May and were outscored 190-119. But since June 1, they are 17-21 and have been outscored just 221-215. They also have not been shut out since May 19.
Conclusion: The Rockies are finding more ways to score runs and keep games closer. They are not rolling over and letting teams beat them’; instead, they are forcing them to. By the All-Star Break in 2025, they’d been outscored 589-336 (-253). In 2026, it’s 552-465 (-87).
Plate Discipline
Plate discipline has been something that has plagued the Rockies for years. But that is changing this year, as well.
In 2025, the Rockies struck out 25.9% of the time. Only the LA Angels were worse (27.1%). In 2024, they led the league with a 28.8% strikeout rate; and in 2023 they ranked third (25.5%). However, in 2026, they rank 11th so far (22.8%).
Their walk rate is still relatively low – 8.4%, which ties them with the St. Louis Cardinals for 17th in MLB. In 2025, they ranked last (6.7%). In 2024, they were tied with the San Diego Padres for 16th (7.5%). And in 2023, they were 18th (7.4%).
Some of this can be attributed to an overall tightening up of plate discipline. In March and April, the Rockies struck out 25.1% of the time – 29th in MLB. Since June 1, they’ve struck out just 21% – 10th in MLB.
As far as walk rate is concerned, they walked just 8% of the time (21st) in March and April. Since June 1, they’ve walked 9.5% of the time (6th).
And no player exemplifies that more than third baseman Kyle Karros. Prior to Sunday’s contest, Karros had reached base in 19-straight games. It was the longest active on-base streak in the league, and tied for the longest streak by a Rockie this season (Mickey Moniak, April 15-May 7). He is also slashing .342/.434/.631 with six homers since June 1. Both his 1.065 OPS and .434 OBP rank third in the league. Prior to that, Karros was slashing just .215/.273/.337 with three homers.
Conclusion: The Rockies are becoming much more patient at the plate. They are learning as they go and making adjustments. They are putting more emphasis on getting on base by any means possible, which is helping them score more runs, especially late in games.
Defensive Positional Versatility
In addition to pitching versatility, the Rockies also touted positional versatility in the field. This is nothing new for the Rockies, but this new team has cranked it up to 12.
This was first evident when they signed Willi Castro, who has been the definition of a “versatile veteran” for years. So far in 2026, Castro has played every position at least once except for pitcher and catcher and there have been occasional instances where he played multiple positions in the same game. Cory Cohen wrote an excellent profile on Castro’s positional versatility just last week.
We’ve also seen Edouard Julien play first and second base, as well as Tyler Freeman and Troy Johnston play both infield and outfield. Braxton Fulford has been primarily used as a designated hitter and backup catcher, but also dabbled in the outfield last week. This was also something we saw from Ryan Ritter in spring training.
But perhaps the biggest indicator of the new coaches’ emphasis on positional versatility is Cole Carrigg. Carrigg is famously a “super-utilityman” (and a switch hitter, to boot). Interestingly, he has only played outside of center field twice — he played three innings of shortstop over two separate appearances — but that’s likely because of Brenton Doyle’s injury.
Conclusion: This is something the Rockies have worked on for years, and it’s something many teams do across the league. It’s one thing to have a player who can play a couple of positions well, but it’s another to be “able” to play everything serviceably. And perhaps this is something the Rockies have realized, as well, because Castro in particular has stayed in the infield a lot more lately and there haven’t been as many in-game positional adjustments. This will be something to keep an eye on in the second half.
Win-Loss Record and Overall Results
The biggest and most obvious metric is the raw win-loss record of the Rockies in 2026. Heading into the All-Star Break, the Rockies are 39-59. That’s about a 64-98 pace. Considering they’ve lost 100+ games in each of the last three seasons, that’s a significant improvement. Additionally, the last time they won more than 34 games in the first half was 2022, when they were 43-50 (they finished 68-94 that year). Don’t get me wrong – if they finish 64-98, it’s still bad. But the last year they won fewer than 100 games was 2022, and 98 losses is still 21 fewer than last year.
In 2026, they are 22-25 at home and 17-34 on the road. They are also 14-14 in one-run games, and have scored an MLB-leading 133 runs in the eighth inning or later. They have come from behind to win 25 times, and five of those have been from down three runs.
Additionally, they are slashing .294/.360/.480 with 43 doubles, four triples and 28 home runs in the eighth inning or later. 50 of the Rockies’ games have been decided by two runs or fewer, which is tied for the second-most in the majors. Their 30 losses by that margin are the third-most in MLB.
Conclusion: Warren Schaeffer has repeatedly said this team believes in each other, and he and players have mentioned on countless occasions how they never believe they are out of any game. That was something we saw last year, and it has continued this year. The fact that they have not been shut out since the middle of May shows how much fight there is in this team, and that’s all you can ask for (even though coming back from a 9-0 deficit in the first inning to win the game doesn’t happen very often).
Closing Thoughts
As I said in the opening, the coaching data is incomplete because we only have just over half a season’s worth of data to look at. Additionally, the Rockies are coming off of a historically bad 2025 season, so they have a big hole to dig themselves out of.
But the early returns – especially since June 1 – have been encouraging. May was bad, but they’ve since turned a corner. That shows they’re learning and making the necessary adjustments. The Rockies remind me of students who have gotten F’s on their report cards for the last few years and are looking to get C’s. It takes the right teacher(s) to get them there, and so far, things are trending in the right direction under “The Schaeffer Way.”
I don’t like to name games, and this probably won’t catch on, but it was a Big Weekend for Alex Bregman. There were articles talking about him going into a deep dive during the All-Star break to fix all that is broken just a few days ago. It turns out that I wish the break wasn’t happening just as Bregman is starting to work out of his slump. But maybe instead of having the pressure of fixing everything, Bregman can fine tune what he just found out about his game.
Seemingly hidden behind Bregman’s Weekend was the performance of Michael Busch. He went 5-for-8 with three doubles, two runs scored and an RBI. If Busch keeps this up after the break, this is another possible breakout for this season.
PCA was only 1-for-6 in the two games, but he worked the pitchers for four walks and scored two runs.
And hopefully Kevin Alcantara getting the bat on the ball for a seeing-eye two-RBI single will give him some confidence in future games.
Javier Assad and Matthew Boyd did not perform stunningly well, but their performances were solid and kept the Cubs in both games for a pair of seventh-inning rallies to win. Assad did give up a pair of solo home runs, but he stranded the other five hits, struck out four and did not issue a walk. Boyd’s game wasn’t as solid with a four-run third inning by the Reds, but Boyd importantly pitched into the seventh inning, having allowed two hits and a walk in the other 5.1 innings that he pitched.
Also, the bullpen held together in both games, allowing one run in 6.2 innings pitched. And the Cubs won the series.
I’m ready for the second half.
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Sean Holland (Cubs Insider): Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (7/12/26): Cubs 8, Reds 4 – Bregman Goes Deep Again in W. “The road team got some more production out of their third baseman, who suddenly got right, to take the series.”
Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): How a renewed approach in the box led to PCA’s second All-Star nod. “When the Cubs returned home for the next homestand, Alex Bregman pulled the Cubs center fielder aside and offered some veteran insight, using that moment against Iglesias as an example.”
Jason Ross (North Side Baseball): Recapping Chicago Cubs’ 2026 Draft Class: A Big Bet on Tyler Zombro. “The Cubs selected 21 names in the 2026 MLB Draft, and most should sign. What should we make of this class? And what makes it stand out from previous ones under Dan Kantrovitz?”
Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Cubs Indeed Go Pitching-Heavy in Draft, Select 16 Arms in 21 Picks. “After drafting three college pitchers out of their first five picks in rounds 1-4, the Cubs continued the trend with 13 more arms over the final 16 rounds of the Draft.”
John Weldon “JJ” Cale (December 5, 1938 – July 26, 2013) was an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Though he avoided the limelight, his influence as a musical artist has been acknowledged by figures such as Neil Young, Mark Knopfler, Waylon Jennings, and Eric Clapton, who described him as one of the most important artists in rock history. He is one of the originators of the Tulsa sound, a loose genre drawing on blues, rockabilly, country, and jazz. According to AllMusic, he was known for his “laconic delivery and shuffling boogie rhythm,” as well as for his “laid-back rootsy style”. He rarely diverted from this style throughout his career.
Along with a number of other young Tulsa musicians, Cale moved to Los Angeles in late 1964, where he found employment as a studio engineer as well as playing at bars and clubs. In 1966, while living in the city, he cut a demo single with Liberty Records of his songs “After Midnight” with “Slow Motion” as the B side. He distributed copies of the single to his Tulsa musician friends living in Los Angeles, many of whom were successfully finding work as session musicians. Not being able to make enough money as a studio engineer, he sold his guitar and returned to Tulsa in late 1967.
In 1970, it came to Cale’s attention that Eric Clapton had recorded “After Midnight” on his debut album. Cale, who was languishing in obscurity at the time, had no knowledge of Clapton’s recording until it became a radio hit in 1970. “I was dirt poor, not making enough to eat and I wasn’t a young man. I was in my thirties, so I was very happy. It was nice to make some money.“
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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals competes during the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan, I haven’t felt this way in years. Monday night’s MLB Home Run Derby reminded me of the romance and sheer delirious joy that this sport can give us. That’s why I’m convinced that Jordan Walker’s Home Run Derby victory will rank among the best moments in St. Louis Cardinals history.
You never know how a player will respond to moments on a national stage. When I learned that Jordan Walker was going to be a part of the Home Run Derby, I had several hot takes. First, what a great opportunity for Jordan. Good for him. Second, he’ll surely have nerves since this is his first All-Star game experience and first Home Run Derby. As the night started, the first thing that struck me was how relaxed Jordan Walker appeared. He said in interviews that he was nervous, but everything about him just projected calm, cool and collected.
As the Derby began, Willson Contreras launched an impressive 13 home runs in 20 swings. Jordan Walker then calmly matched him with a smooth, easy swing that carried him into the semi-finals.
Prior to the Home Run Derby, many prognosticators predicted that Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays would win it. He was Jordan’s competition in the semi-finals and not only did Walker defeat him, but he did it with 7 swings not needed. Jordan seemed like a man with ice in his veins.
As the final round began, I was overwhelmed with how proud Cardinals fans should be of what Jordan Walker achieved. Making it to the finals in his first All-Star game, his first Home Run Derby…that’s such an accomplishment. Surely he won’t win this thing, will he? After Kyle Schwarber hammered 11 home runs in 15 swings, I (and thousands of fans in the stands in Philly) thought it was over. The one person who didn’t believe that? Jordan Walker. Even after he only had 8 home runs with 1 swing remaining, he appeared at ease. Smooth swings…4 in a row as he took advantage of bonus swings on his last ball sailed into the night as the fans in Philadelphia watched in a stunned silence.
As Jordan’s 12th finals home run flew deep into the left field stands, I screamed, fist in the air like I haven’t done in years. The last time it happened? Albert’s 700th home run in 2022. World Series games 6 and 7 in 2011. Before that, it was the World Series clincher against Detroit in 2006. I was also reminded of that night in September in 1998 when Mark McGwire’s 62nd home run barely cleared the left field wall in the old Busch Stadium. Same emotions that night that I feel right now. I’m elated. Blown away by how Jordan Walker rose to the occasion and faced a fierce Philly crowd and hoisted a trophy that he wasn’t supposed to get and then maintain his humbleness as the MLB world started reacting to this huge upset.
Major League Baseball needs more of what happened Monday night in Philadelphia. St. Louis Cardinals fans need more of what happened Monday night in Philadelphia. A reminder of the romance of a baseball upset that shouldn’t be possible from a small market player who is what he is because of the strong family that stood behind him when the rest of us doubted him. Thank you, Jordan Walker and family. I felt like I was 10-years-old again thanks to what you accomplished. You will now forever be a part of some of my favorite St. Louis Cardinals memories ever and with the rich history of this team, that’s saying something.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Jac Caglianone #14 of the Kansas City Royals competes during the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Caglianone belted eight home runs in the first round of the annual tournament. He got off to a slow start before settling in with some mammoth homers.
In his session, Caglianone blasted homers well into the third deck at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He also hit a baseball over the batter’s eye in center field before bowing out after 20 swings.
However, Caglianone wouldn’t move forward. He was not one of the final four participants after Willson Contreras (13 homers), Jordan Walker (13), Junior Caminero (12) and Kyle Schwarber (10) advanced in the competition.
Caglianone finished tied for sixth among the eight contenders with eight home runs, and only the top four advanced. While CBP doesn’t have a reputation as being especially friendly or unfriendly to right- or left-handed hitters, it certainly seemed the righties had the most fun in the first round. All three right-handed hitters — Willson Contreras, Jordan Walker and Junior Caminero — launched at least 12 homers, placing first, second and third in the opening round. Meanwhile none of the five lefties — Kyle Schwarber, Ben Rice, Caglianone, Bryce Harper and Munetaka Murakami — tallied more 10, and among them, only Schwarber advanced to the second round.
The Royals slugger found himself in fourth after four batters, but withstood a challenge from Rice. However, when Caminero hit his ninth on the way to 12 total, Caglianone was eliminated.
Ultimately, Jordan Walker prevailed in the Derby on a thrilling walk-off finish against Philly favorite Kyle Schwarber.
After Schwarber clubbed 11 homers to send the crowd into a frenzy, Walker found himself sitting on eight with one swing left in the finals. Batters who end on a homer are allowed unlimited swings after that until a ball doesn’t go over the fence, and Walker took full advantage, hitting four in a row to upend Schwarber.
In doing so, he became the first Cardinals player to win the Derby.
No matter the outcome Monday night, Caglianone will be a winner because of who will be throwing to him: Jeff Caglianone, his dad. Father and son practiced on the Camden Yards field on Sunday, a day later than planned. They hoped to do it Saturday but were rained out. So they worked in the cages and began forming a plan.
“It’s funny. We talked about that yesterday,” Jeff Caglianone said Sunday. “He was looking (for pitches) a little bit up and in, and then I was throwing him some pitches down, and he was hammering them. As long as he gets a barrel to it, we’ll be OK.”
The Caglianones have Home Run Derby history, as dad pitched to his son at the 2024 Arizona Fall league event.
David Lesky ruminates on the first half of the season.
There has absolutely been some good. We’ve seen some of those young hitters have big moments. We’ve seen great moments like Stephen Kolek’s complete game, the crazy game against the Phillies, the walkoff against the Angels and others. But this was supposed to be a year to compete for the division title, not be the worst team in baseball. The Rockies are a half-game better! Some of it is injuries. The start was just bad baseball. Cole Ragans, Vinnie Pasquantino, Salvador Perez and the bullpen in general just weren’t good enough. But as I’ve said, the injuries piled up, and they couldn’t really overcome that brutal start. The 40-48 first half of 1986 might be more disappointing than this, only because they were coming off the title, but even so, this is pretty close.
Mike Gillespie at Royals Keep raises three questions the Royals should think about during the break.
The White Sox are going to sign number one overall pick Roch Cholowsky to a big deal, apparently a record bonus.
We got some more contract details on JJ Wetherholt’s deal with the Cardinals.
July 18 update With a last flurry of bonus amounts via Baseball America and Future Sox, we now has a complete class of signings, as Draft Camp in Charlotte gets underway. Round 20 pick Connor Fennell will not be signing with the White Sox. The club apparently did push $643,200 past their bonus pool, meaning it will pay an additional 5% tax ($32,160) on that amount.
July 16 update The White Sox have sent out a release, proclaiming their first 20 picks are all signed; Round 20 pick Connor Fennell is not among them. However, we don’t have bonus amounts for 18 of the 20 picks. The first 20 picks are updated as “signed” per the White Sox, but we will have to fill in bonus information as we get it.
The 2026 MLB Draft is over, and the White Sox targeted outfielders and power bats.
This year’s signing deadline is July 22, although the White Sox are expected to ink at least 20 of their 21 picks. As you are probably aware, each pick in the draft is assigned a specific and unique value, and the sum of those values is the amount a team is allowed to spend on their draft selections.
For the first 10 rounds of the draft, every dollar spent counts against that total (the bonus pool). All picks after the 10th Round are assigned $150,000 as the signing bonus; players can be (and often are) signed for more or less than that — but anything more than $150,00 counts against the bonus pool.
HOWEVER, teams are allowed to overspend their bonus pool by up to 5%. If a team spends more than 105% of their bonus pool, stiff penalties are introduced: the loss of future draft picks. For this reason, under these rules no MLB team has ever exceeded that 5% overage.
There are various strategies employed to maximize pick value, which often ends up on the backs of college seniors with no leverage (i.e. cannot refuse to sign/return to school); the White Sox in fact have paid signing bonuses as little as $10,000 or perhaps $5,000 under such circumstances. The unused money is then poured into enticing one of the “money picks” (Nos. 1-10, but more likely in the first five rounds) to sign. Or, as was the case DJ Gladney in 2019, a “steal” in the lower 10s of the draft will have such savings steered to him to ensure signing/eschewing a college scholarship commitment.
Our tracker is below. Scroll right for additional details, and scroll all the way down for details on undrafted free agent signings.
Director of scouting Mike Shirley has indicated already that 20th Round pick Connor Fennell may not be signed, as he was chosen as insurance against another player refusing to agree to terms or not passing his physical. But with 21 picks, the White Sox will very likely ink at least 20 players out of this draft.
If a player doesn’t sign with the White Sox, the money slotted for their pick is lost; it cannot be used to sign other players in the draft class. The White Sox would, however, get a compensation pick in 2027 that is one slot lower. That is, if the White Sox failed to sign Cole Prosek, they would get the No. 42 pick in the 2027 draft. If a pick lower than the first two rounds doesn’t sign, the White Sox get a compensatory pick the next year at the end of the round; if third-rounder Joey Volchko doesn’t come to terms, the White Sox will get an extra pick at the end of 2027’s third round.
Undrafted free agents (UDFA) Among the immediate batch of UDFAs this year, lefty starter Michael Sharman stands out. The Clemson lefty pitched much older than his college competition (he’s now 24) but in two major college seasons was fantastic. In 2026 he started 15 games with a 3.39 ERA — terrific enough, but also consider his 77 strikeouts, 11 walks and tiny 1.091 WHIP.
Two weeks have passed since the beginning of the NHL free agency period, and future Hall of Fame forward Patrick Kane remains unsigned.
Kane, who signed with the Detroit Red Wings as an unrestricted free agent in December 2023, subsequently signed a one-year contract on June 30 of both 2024 and 2025, and has spent the last two and a half seasons wearing the Winged Wheel.
And while Kane spoke openly at the end of the 2025-26 campaign about his interest in remaining with Detroit, circumstances may have changed, especially in the wake of Dylan Larkin's explosive trade request that went public in early June.
In mid-April, Kane expressed interest in running it back in Detroit.
“I think there is mutual interest for me to come back and continue my career here. It’s been a great spot for me, my family, and my son, and I’ve definitely enjoyed my time here," Kane said in April during Detroit's season-ending media availability. "But there’s no rush. I’ll talk things over with my agent and my family, and we’ll see how everything plays out.
“I’d love to be part of the solution that gets this team over the hump. We have a good team here, and we can win. I think this team is better than some teams that are in the playoffs.”
Larkin had a similar sentiment, saying he wants to remain with Detroit and be part of the solution that gets them back to the postseason.
However, Larkin had a change of heart and officially requested to be moved by GM Steve Yzerman, who confirmed the report that was first made public by NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman in early June.
While there remains an avenue for Kane to return to the Red Wings after testing the market, his potential departure would represent yet another blow to Detroit's offense.
In 67 games last season, Kane produced 16 goals and 41 assists for 57 points, ending the year fifth among Detroit's leading point producers.
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Bruce Thornton has us acting like Bart Simpson at a whiteboard:
“I will not overreact to Summer League. I will not overreact to Summer League. I will not…”.
OK, fine: I might overreact to Summer League. Through two games, Thornton is averaging 22.0 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.0 steals in two games.
Sure, he’s shooting 37.1% from deep. That’s where we should – you guessed it – not overreact to Summer League. He’s had one efficient game, and one inefficient one.
Bruce Thornton will not be the Houston Rockets’ starting point guard in 2026-27. That’s obvious. Still, he may be forcing his way into the rotational conversation. It raises a larger question:
What is the team’s point guard rotation even going to look like?
Rockets point guard rotation worth keeping an eye on
Fred VanVleet is the presumptive starter, but whether he’ll be the player he used to be is an article in itself:
And wouldn’t you know it, I already wrote it.
That was before VanVleet gave an interview and explained, in medical language, that his knee had kabloomed into a bazillion pieces. He’ll likely be on the floor when the opening buzzer sounds for the 2026-27 season, but his grip on the starting position feels tenuous.
The obvious heir to his throne would be Reed Sheppard, but Ime Udoka could have other plans. Whatever you think of Udoka’s defensive leanings, he may have a point.
If you’re deep enough into Rockets lore, you’ve probably seen the DataBallr stats. When Sheppard shares the floor with Alperen Sengun and without Amen Thompson, the Rockets are -3.9. With all three on the floor, they’re just +0.3. When Sheppard is with Thompson and without Sengun, they’re +12.4, and when he’s without either of his star teammates, the Rockets are +14.5.
The prevailing assumption is that Sheppard and Sengun can’t defend together. That’s not actually what the data shows, as it’s their Offensive Rating that drops. Still, this could be a case of noisy numbers. The broader point would be that, as of now, Sheppard and Sengun, for whatever reason, don’t seem to mix.
The Rockets were a jarring -9.7 when Sengun was without either Thompson or Sheppard, so maybe he’s the root of the problem. In any case, he’ll be the starting center for game one, even if we can’t speak to Game 42.
So maybe Marcus Smart is the best option.
There’s a bit of an uncomfortable tension (understatement) surrounding the conversation about Sengun. His most devout followers will tell you that he needed a quality point guard in 2025-26, and that’s why he had a bit of a rough season.
Only, he was less efficient around the rim next to Fred VanVleet the year prior. More broadly, if Sengun is a play-finishing big who needs a star point guard to succeed, what’s his purpose? Isn’t he the star playmaker? If he’s a star player, shouldn’t he thrive next to a floor spacer who can make a simple entry pass without activating him in the pick-and-roll?
Smart meets the criteria. If Sengun can’t succeed with him, there are bigger conversations to have about his viability as a star player. He’s also the perfect point-of-attack defender to offset his limitations on that end of the floor:
Should he be the starter in 2026-27?
Rockets must explore all backcourt options
It’s going to be a committee, and that’s perfectly fine.
VanVleet has earned the initial nod. The Rockets should see who he is in 2026-27 before making systemic changes.
If he isn’t the man he used to be, it’s fair to assume Smart is next in line. It’s probably more optimal to maximize the minutes Sheppard spends piloting the second unit. His minutes will ideally increase in 2026-27, but a higher spike in his usage would be more significant.
If he’s wildly successful in that role, he should be starting by the end of the year. Sheppard is, above all else, confounding. One would like the third overall pick to be starting at the beginning of his third season, but painful as it is to accept, Sheppard is a tremendous defensive liability. He’ll likely have to be a top 5 shooter in the NBA to be worth starting, so that’s the bar he should be looking to clear with the second unit to begin the season.
If VanVleet is good to go, or Sheppard breaks out, it shouldn’t affect Smart too much. He’s probably a natural two, and he can even play the three. Smart can get in where he fits in.
Then, there’s Thornton. Pencil him in for the Aaron Holiday role – for now. With his unique weight and strength for his height, Thornton plays bigger than 6’1″. By the end of the year, he may be making a case for a bigger role in 2027-28:
Although we’ve only seen him in two Summer League games so far.
TORONTO, CANADA - JULY 7: Kyle Lowry poses for a photo during his retirement ceremony on July 7, 2026 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 Jim Poorten/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Lowry’s legacy is bigger than himself, and every basketball fan should know that
7. 7. is for #7
Kyle Lowry calls it a career, and he couldn’t have asked for a better ending to it. The franchise legend signed a one-day contract with the Toronto Raptors seven days ago, capping off a storied career in the most poetic way possible. His resume speaks for itself. Lowry is the franchise leader for assists, steals, triple-doubles, and three-point field goals, and to top it off, he’s a champion.
Despite his accolades, some fans think that he still falls short of the highest recognition in basketball — a Naismith Hall of Fame induction. A netizen commented on X, “Not quite an NBA Hall of Famer but a Raptors legend,” while another fan stated, “He’s not a HoF, but he’s a hell of a ball player,” on a video clip from Sportsnet where Lowry is greeted by a round of applause as he bids farewell in the ceremony.
Discussions like these may feel reductive for a Raptors great among Toronto fans, but comments such as these also subtly indicate what it is that makes us consider him a potential Hall-of-Famer that others may overlook.
Vince put Toronto on the map, but Lowry elevated them to a winning territory
The 2010s saw a mediocre expansion team become the fourth-winningest franchise in the decade, and Lowry was an instrumental piece to that turnaround. In hindsight, no one saw this coming. The Raptors were just four seasons removed from their last playoff contention in 2008. Their star power forward, Chris Bosh, left in free agency to join the superteam in Miami. The Raptors thought they had found a franchise saviour in Bosh — someone who could finally get them over the hump, especially after Vince Carter left on estranged terms.
Carter was the Raptors’ first superstar. He and a rookie Tracy McGrady filled the seats not just in Toronto, but in visiting cities as well because of their high-flying dunks and electrifying playing style. During his stint, however, the Raptors didn’t see much post-season success, with the second round being the farthest they have gotten. Vinsanity made the Raptors a spectacle, which barely translated into winning basketball.
Fast forward to the 2012 off-season, and the Raptors took a chance on a journeyman guard whose reputation shadowed his upside. Lowry got traded from the Houston Rockets after growing frustrated with his backup role. Lowry’s growing pains persisted for a while, as he tried to get used to head coach Dwane Casey’s system while playing second-fiddle to Jose Calderon. Instead of allowing himself to stunt, Lowry brought the same defining characteristic he had to practice to win the starting job — his tenacity.
Coach Casey recalled, “Kyle would come in on a mission every day in practice and kick Jose’s butt… Kyle was on a mission to prove that ‘hey, I’m better than Jose Calderon,’ which it turned out he was, and the rest is history.” The following season, the Raptors secured a postseason berth for the first time since 2008. The Raptors have made the playoffs in each of the next six years, but the same critique always stuck with this team, especially Lowry — the inability to deliver when games finally matter.
The height of his slump came against the Washington Wizards in the 2015 playoffs. Despite holding home-court advantage, the Raptors got swept by the Wizards. Lowry was held to a playoff-low 12.3 points on a 31.6 per cent shooting from the field and 21.7 per cent from deep. Lowry also faced major criticism after his 0-point performance in the playoff opener against the Orlando Magic in the 2019 playoffs.
Reducing Lowry based on these playoff woes discredits the improvements he has made to be able to contribute to a winning team. In his postseason appearances with the Raptors, he averaged 17.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists, with consistent shooting percentages across three levels. In the biggest game of his career, Lowry put up 15 points on 5-6 shooting (a perfect 4-4 from three) to build a sizeable advantage for the Raptors in the first frame, setting the tone for the title-clinching game of the 2019 NBA Finals.
Lowry was never the 1A on the Raptors, but for many, he’s the greatest to have ever worn their colours. Lowry understood his role on the floor — a point guard who sets plays for teammates to put them in the best possible position to score. While scoring is not his main priority, he also has a knack for it when the defence allows him. On the other end, Lowry took on a scrappy, “bulldog” persona, and Raptors fans know this play all too well. Lowry was willing to put his body on the line to draw charges, and Toronto came to embrace him for it. As great as he is on the floor, his body of work transcended his playing career. His teammates, past and present, reflect the legacy Lowry has had as a basketball player, as they continue to grow in their respective careers.
“Those guys are my little brothers (…) they’re making me proud every single day”
When asked about getting the chance to play with eventual stars, Lowry credited their work ethic and expressed his delight at seeing them flourish on the court. “They worked hard (…), but those guys were [also] talented, and they wanted it,” said Lowry. Norman Powell, Pascal Siakam, and Fred VanVleet were all named All-Stars at some point in their careers. While not having earned an All-Star nod himself, OG Anunoby is the only 2x champion from that crop. While known for his team-first mentality, Lowry was not shy about taking responsibility in player development, considering the work ethic he and former running-mate DeMar DeRozan displayed on the court.
A place in basketball history
NBA history wouldn’t be complete without each of the 30 teams that have competed for the past 75 years. For the Raptors, many chapters have been written about them. From its early years with Vince, to being stuck in mediocrity, to finally bringing a title back to the country where basketball was invented, Toronto always has its place in basketball history.
During the press conference, GM Bobby Webster announced that number seven will be hung in the rafters, immortalizing the career and legacy of arguably the Greatest Raptor of All-Time. While his name doesn’t scream the likes of Vince Carter, Kawhi Leonard, or even his former teammate, DeRozan, Lowry made the Raptors a winning franchise, not as its alpha, but as an impactful player who settled for a role that his team needed him to fill. Through his strong work ethic, Lowry also inspired a crop of would-be stars, who continue to prosper with their respective teams.
His story does not belong to just Raptors fans. Lowry left an indelible mark on Raptors history. For that, he deserves to be memorialized in the Hall of Fame.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - MAY 03: Trajan Langdon (C), President of Basketball Operations of the Detroit Pistons, looks on prior to Game Seven against the Orlando Magic in the First Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on May 03, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. 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. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images) | Getty Images
While the official start to offseason free agency is less than a month old, teams are beginning to slow down with their roster maneuvering after a flurry of opening-week moves. With the dust settling, the team dove into the Pistons’ offseason so far.
1. The offseason is far from over, but it seems the Pistons’ offseason is near completion. Where do you think the Jalen Duren negotiations land?
Brady Fredericksen: I don’t see a world where he isn’t back. The FO likes him, Cade Cunningham likes him — it’s going to come together… just not as Duren or his agent envisioned. I’m guessing he lands a deal in the $35 million a year range over 3-4 years, which is likely $10-15 million less than he wants and more than the Pistons want to pay him. I could see him talking a shorter deal to get another swing at that max-level contract sooner, though.
Wes Davenport: I’ll guess a 4-year, $150M deal with a player option at the end of it. At this point, I just can’t imagine he turns down a contract to take the QO, so his camp pushes for a player option to save face.
Justin Lambregetse: The Pistons will split the difference with Jalen Duren and come to an agreement on a contract for $40 million a year in the next week or two. I don’t think they let this drag out into August.
Robbie Bettelon: He gets 5-years, $180 million. It’s basically the same total any other team can offer him ($177m), but over five years instead of four. This feels like a fair middle ground ($36m AAV) for both sides.
Brennan Sims: He’ll be back in Detroit on an Alperen Şengün-type deal ($185M/5Y). Maybe even a little less. I don’t see another ending to this story. Duren was phenomenal in the regular season, but the playoff woes were enough to pump the super-max brakes, especially in the second apron era.
Austin Flores: The Pistons probably want to keep it close to $30 million annually, and I think that would be fair given the totality of last season for Duren. There are only a select few big men in the league who are really worth a significant percentage of a team’s cap, and we’ve seen several teams make the mistake of overpaying bigs that don’t fit that mold. That’s not to say Duren isn’t a contributor to winning and can’t get better at 22, but with his limitations as a creator on offense, it’s hard to justify.
Max Sturm: I think they land somewhere in the middle, like others have said. The Pistons have some things going for them here. There doesn’t seem to be any other serious suitors for Duren at this stage in the game. The second apron continues to spook teams into making large commitments to guys who aren’t top 15 players. If Boston wanted out of the Jaylen Brown business, why would they want to turn around and max Duren? People forget that restricted free agency often goes into the late summer. I’m not sweating this…yet.
2. What is your favorite move this offseason and least favorite (or lack thereof) move?
Brady: Isaiah Joe is my favorite add by far. He’s one of the great shooters in the NBA, and we saw how valuable those types are. OKC and Philly were both oodles better with him on the floor. He’s a winner. The Pistons’ spacing was a hell of a lot better when they had two 3-point aces in Malik Beasley + Tim Hardaway Jr. As for my least favorite move, it’s related: the lack of an established, off-the-bounce scorer. Joe fills a big need, but I’m not ready to give the keys to Ebuka Okorie as the other outside scorer/creator yet.
Wes: My favorite move is probably the rookie, Okorie. We had Stephen Gillaspie on the Pindown before the draft, and he really solidified my already high opinion of Okorie. He has a high ceiling and offers something the Pistons plainly do not have — the ability to create a half-court paint touch at will in isolation. My least favorite would have to be losing Tobias Harris to the Spurs. Both because I’ll miss Harris’s game and locker room leadership, and because he went to the Spurs.
Justin: I really love the Joe trade. I think he’s better and cheaper than any shooter the Pistons could have gotten on the market this year, and only trading 2 seconds is not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things.
Robbie: My favorite move is getting Joe for two seconds as I expect him to start and have a career year next to Cad. I also enjoy the archetype of John Collins at power forward for this team over the Tobias archetype, but I have some frontcourt depth concerns. One Jalen Duren sprained ankle means a center rotation of Paul Reed and Tolu Smith with no true backup PF.
Brennan: It hurts to lose Tobias from a shot-making and leadership perspective, but Collins is more comfortable sitting in the corner acting as a spacer. That could help the offense and clear the lane a bit for the core three. He’ll need to up his volume and remain efficient from deep to be a true spacer, but the pickup is interesting. He’s a great lob threat for Cade when he does cut. Detroit hasn’t addressed the creation hole on their team in a major way. Maybe Okorie can prove that wrong.
Austin: We may look back at gaining Joe for just 2 second round picks as one of the bigger steals Detroit has made in a while. I think he has a lot more to give than what he showed in OKC, and that’s probably not a secret. He certainly fills a much-needed role for this team in the short term, with potential for maybe being a part of larger plans if things break right for him. But for next season, Joe undoubtedly makes them better.
Max: My favorite move by far was the Joe trade. For the first time since drafting Çade, the Pistons can surround him with 2-3 elite shooters in each lineup. This team can trot out lineups like the ones the Cavs and Lakers surrounded prime LeBron with. Cade has shown he is that special. Losing Isaiah Stewart stings, as he was a massive part of the culture shift and defensive identity in Detroit. With Ausar Thompson, Ron Holland and Daniss Jenkins sticking around, plus J.B. Bickerstaff still manning the sidelines, there should still be enough there for this team to be a top 10 defense.
3. Assume the Duren situation plays out how you expect, grade Trajan Langdon’s third offseason in Detroit.
Brady: The lack of a real difference-making addition puts me at about a C-minus. The whole thing is “I guess.” I wanted more this summer and, though I’m not oblivious to the circumstances around a lot of their reported targets, I just don’t think the team is better suited to win the East. It’s about what it was last year, except it makes more sense offensively. The lack of a true sidekick scorer outside for Cade is glaring, and their status in a much-improved East will make for an extremely interesting trade deadline.
Wes: C-plus, expectations are a b****. If you told me, when the season ended, this would be the offseason, I would have been happy, though bummed to lose Harris and Stew. But as the rumors started to swirl, from Herro to Kawhi to Murphy III and even Reaves, the idea of that big swing became more tantalizing. Ultimately, the price was too high. That bit of disappointment from what could have been holds back a stronger grade.
Justin: I’d give him a B. I like going all in on adding shooting if the price for getting a secondary creator is too much. I like the John Collins signing in a vacuum, but losing Tobias in the process does worry me a bit. Add that on to also losing Stew and you are really banking on Cade and Ausar (and Duren) to take on the mantle as the culture setters. I think they are ready for it and will all get better, but not being able to get a secondary creator does leave me worried come playoff time.
Robbie: I’ll give this offseason a B-minus. I was hoping Murphy III was going to be the prize catch this summer, but the idea of getting a bunch of 40% three-point shooters to surround Cade/Ausar/Duren has grown on me. This roster seems constructed to give additional playmaking duties to Ausar and Duren in the starting lineup while being able to make that bigger move at February’s deadline. I’m on board for seeing how Detroit’s Big 3 operate with the most spacing they’ve had yet.
Brennan: A solid B seems fine. Detroit needs shooting and creating around their superstar. Joe, Taurean Prince and Collins were good shooting additions, and Duncan Robinson should be back next year. You wanted to see Detroit snag a more established creator, but there weren’t a ton of guys available and willing to come to Detroit who fit that bill. Murphy III was supposedly available, but the Pelicans’ asking price was a bit rich. I understand the hesitancy.
Austin: If a Duren (and possibly Ausar) signing is truly the end of this offseason, I’ll give it a C-. It’s been reported that Langdon tried to get Cade as his running mate but fell short of his top options. At this point, it makes sense to play out the first half of the season and try to get a Robin during the deadline when the asking price is lower. But even with some of the additions I like, they not only missed out on finding a secondary scorer but also lost their best one from last season in Tobias. Collins brings a unique skillset, but he’s not the type of player you can run an offense through like we saw with Harris in the playoffs. Not to mention losing their best front-court defender, and did nothing to really supplement that. They improved in some areas like shooting, but if Detroit doesn’t at least find a serviceable/seasoned player to get buckets before the season starts, I’d be concerned.
Max: I’ll give them a B-. The team got loads of shooting around Cunningham, which should help them maximize his skill set. But this iteration has less secondary creation and scoring than last year’s team did, and that is a major concern. It’s been rumored that the team went after Kevin Durant and Murphy III, but it ultimately takes two to tango, and Langdon can’t be faulted there. If Ausar shows that he can consistently do more with the ball in his hands or Jenkins takes a step as a scorer/creator, maybe this turns into a B+ or A-. But as it stands, losing Tobias hurts as he was the only other guy who could routinely get his own shot beyond Cade. I’d love to know who Detroit was bidding against for Kevin Huerter’s services. I would have much rather seen the team bring back Luke Kennard or Tim Hardwaway, Jr. as both inked shorter and cheaper deals than Huerter. That move alone makes a B feel generous.
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As always, play along and let us know your thoughts in the comments!
1. The offseason is far from over, but it seems the Pistons’ offseason is near completion. Where do you think the Jalen Duren negotiations land?
2. What is your favorite move this offseason and least favorite (or lack thereof) move?
3. Assume the Duren situation plays out how you expect, grade Trajan Langdon’s third offseason in Detroit.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 11: Labaron Philon #00 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket during the game against the Indiana Pacers on July 11, 2026 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 Mike Kirschbaum/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Summer Sixers have gotten off to a hot start in the desert, winning their first two games against Detroit and Indiana. Two more wins and they’ll be on their way to the Summer League semifinals, in search of the organization’s first Summer League title since Hollis Thompson and Casper Ware were doing their thing in Orlando back in 2014.
Encouragingly in the big picture sense, this squad’s success has been led by the two Sixers under standard NBA contracts. Rookie guard Labaron Philon has averaged 21.0 points and 6.5 assists across the two games, and despite some inefficiencies inside the arc, is very much looking the part of a three-level scorer. Meanwhile, second-year big man Johni Broome is also averaging 21.0 points per game, along with 12.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. I understand the notion of wanting to see Broome do it against NBA-level competition, but you can only play the opponent in front of you, so it’s at least an encouraging sign for a better sophomore season from the 2025 35th overall pick.
The Houston Rockets are 1-1 in Las Vegas, topping Denver in their opener before losing to the Raptors. Here’s a look at Houston’s group for Summer League action:
Bruce Thornton is a guy to keep an eye on this afternoon. The 31st overall pick out of Ohio State exploded for 27 points in the opener against Denver, and chipped in 17 points and five steals against the Raptors. 6-foot-6 guard Quadir Copeland is on a two-way contract with Houston after going undrafted out of NC State.
We’ve seen a pair of entertaining games so far from the Summer Sixers. Let’s hope TJ Dileo has the guys ready to play once again to keep the undefeated stretch in Vegas intact.
Game Details
When: July 14, 4:00 p.m. ET Where: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus, Prime Video Follow:@LibertyBallers
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 12: The Boston Red Sox celebrate after defeating the New York Mets at Citi Field on July 12, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On paper, this cross-country road trip is where even the most optimistic Red Sox fans were supposed to reach a capitulation point. Despite a mostly successful 5-2 homestand to close out June against the Yankees and Nationals, reality and time were growling at the door in the form of an abysmal record and the aggressively approaching trade deadline.
The team was still 11 games under .500, and they were flying to California with no games at Fenway Park appearing on the schedule until July 17th. Suspensions for Willson Contreras and Nate Eaton were handed down and had to be served within days, and to make matters worse, Connelly Early just hit the IL, joining Roman Anthony, Garrett Crochet, Trevor Story, Marcelo Mayer, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Johan Oviedo, Nick Sogard, Tristan Casas, and Kutter Crawford without a timeline. The final death blow of this woefully disappointing season felt imminent and inevitable — Probably in the form of some walk-off in LA while the clock appropriately struck midnight on the east coast. Barring a miracle, this thing was over, and colossal consequences were coming.
And yet, in quintessential baseball fashion, this is the exact moment the seas parted, and the ship turned. Because baseball, despite being its own galaxy of numbers that revolves around strict rules, trends, data, and deep statistical blueprints, will every once in a while take all that logic and math, and light it on fire.
There’s no way this lineup, down on power to start the year, down Roman Anthony and Trevor Story for half the season, and down Willson Contreras for half this road trip should’ve had enough ammunition to make it through any game, let alone nine straight wins and the best Red Sox road trip since 1977. But it did.
There’s no way this rotation, down 80 percent of the guys who made the first five starts of the season (Garrett Crochet, Ranger Suarez, Connelly Early and Brayan Bello) for a solid chunk of the trip, should have pieced together a collection of gems that would make a pirate blush. But it did.
There’s no way Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, and Anthony Seigler — all three guys the Sox got back in the Kyle Harrison trade with Milwaukee — should have started making major, meaningful contributions on a nightly basis right when the team was at its most vulnerable, but they did.
None of this makes sense, and that’s exactly why it’s so magical. We watch the 99 percent of the time to get the high off the one percent where everything goes haywire. In simplest terms, THIS IS THE GOOD STUFF!
As a proud nerd who spends hours looking at spreadsheets, tables, and trends, it’s the moments where sanity melts under a mushroom cloud of chaos that make life interesting, and in turn, baseball worth watching for weeks on end.
People complain life is monotonous and baseball is boring, and much of the time, they’re right ….. Until they’re absolutely not! Every once in a while, the daily box of possibilities bursts at its barriers and deals you an extreme, unexpected fate (good or bad) — And the next thing you know, you’re in a car accident, you receive a profoundly positive update after a cancer diagnosis, you’re meeting your soulmate for the first time, a tornado siren is blaring through your neighborhood, or the most disappointing baseball team you’ve ever watched is going on a road trip with a WooSox looking lineup and rescues the baseball summer that felt stolen three weeks ago.
It doesn’t have to make sense. It’s better that way.
If the Red Sox continue their heater into the second half and make a deep playoff run in the fall, the active roster will most certainly look a lot different than the group that just pulled the wagon from the cliff’s edge while traveling the Oregon Trail in reverse. (It has to if this front office is remotely serious about trying to take advantage of this historically weak American League.)
But while this group who just played their hearts out may not get October playing time, they could end up being the reason those opportunities exist at all, making their efforts an integral chapter in a much longer, more complex story.
Deep within the DNA of any successful baseball season are things like Tsung-Che Cheng’s three straight multi-hit games while playing solid defense at short, Patrick Sandoval returning to a Major League mound for the first time in two years while holding an explosive White Sox lineup to a single run, and Eduardo Rivera and Brayan Bello being great straight out of Worcester to help keep a long winning streak alive. They just don’t usually come piled on top of each other in such short order.
But for a week and a half, these delightful surprises fell like snowflakes in a ferocious February blizzard. Only here, they came in the blistering heat of summer, and turned a Red Sox road trip that was supposed to be a funeral, into a miraculous resurrection.
