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Sitting in the hot seats at the Rockies game on Sunday, I glanced around and was surprised at two things: more Brewers fans and more empty seats than I expected. 

A summertime Sunday at Coors Field usually means jam-packed concourses and concession lines, but the crowd of 32,270 was pretty manageable. We had empty seats all around us on the third level above third base. With the temperature at 91 degrees at first pitch, the weather went from sunny to cloudy, and there were periods of a whipping wind and stagnant heat, but, overall, the weather wouldn’t be a reason not to go on Sunday.

A Dinger bobblehead giveaway to the first 15,000 fans was a big draw, and the theme package honored Denver’s new women’s soccer team — the Denver Summit FC — which is why I went. Both likely provided a bump to the total crowd number. Surrendering seven runs in the sixth inning and another four in the ninth probably emptied out the stands earlier than normal in the 12-4 loss.

While it’s still very early in the season, it seemed like a good time to check on the Rockies attendance numbers. Entering 2026, I was really interested to see whether a new front office would give fans enough hope to buy more tickets, or whether six straight losing seasons — including a historic 119-loss season last year — would continue to keep some fans away. 

With 31 home games in the books, the Rockies finished the weekend ranked No. 18 in average attendance at 27,016 and season total of 837,514. With colder temperatures in April and May, the Rockies usually see bigger crowds as the summer rolls on, but that’s the case for a lot of teams. Right now, the Rockies are three spots below where they finished last year when they finished at No. 15 with 30,057 fans per game. 

This season, the biggest turnout, of course, came at the home opener when 48,366 turned out to see the Rockies lose 10-1 to the Phillies. Coors Field has surpassed 40,000 two other times vs. the Dodgers this season. With the Cubs coming to town tomorrow and home games against the Dodgers, Red Sox and Cardinals still on the schedule, along with fireworks games on July 3 and 4 against the Giants, there are still some big draws on tap.

The lowest attendance of the season came on May 6 when a spring snowstorm hit Denver. Even though the snow stopped and the sun returned for a 41-degree first pitch temperature, only 11,155 came out to see the Rockies host the Mets.

Most recently, the June 5-7 weekend crowd hit at least 30,000 for each of the three games against the Brewers for a total of 93,939. It’s a number that many teams would be happy with, but one that is lower than average for the Colorado Rockies. 

The first weekend series in June in 2025 saw 113,717 fans show up to see Colorado host the Mets. After 31 games in 2025, Coors Field had hosted 811,108 fans, lower than this season, but 2026 is also lower in the MLB rankings. The Rockies were 12-53 overall in 2025 and 6-25 at home.

There are countless factors, that impact attendance, including giveaways, weather, opponent and more. The question for the Rockies is how much the quality of the play and the chances for a victory weigh in.

This season, the Rockies are 24-42 and 12-19 at home. So, the team is better this year and attendance is slightly up in terms of total through 31 home games, but still lower in terms of average turnout per game. 

As expected, the numbers are still nowhere near their highs when the Rockies made back-to-back playoff appearances in 2017-2018.

As summer heats up and high-interest teams come to Denver, it will be interesting to see what happens to the game average and MLB ranking this season, especially as connected to the Rockies perfomance.

Have you been to a game this year? Do you plan on going to more? How much do the record and the new front office influence your decisions on buying tickets?

Let us know in the comments!

Personally, I have been to three games so far. The first was great as the Rockies beat Houston 9-1. However, the last two have been blowout losses — 9-1 and 12-4. I think I’ll wait a bit before going back again. I need to see some offense.

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The summer is here, and that means trade season will soon be upon us. The Royals are still deciding whether or not they will be buyers or sellers, but like most years, they will likely be sellers.

Sometimes the team makes a good trade that sets the team up for the future. It hurt to lose Zack Greinke, but getting back Alcides Escobar, Lorenzo Cain, Jake Odorizzi, and Jeremy Jeffress set the Royals up for their World Series runs in 2014-15.

In those years, the Royals made a push to win-now, acquiring Johnny Cueto for three players (John Lamb, Brandon Finnegan, and Cody Reed), and Ben Zobrist for pitchers Sean Manaea and Aaron Brooks.

And sometimes the team makes very under-the-radar moves that end up being huge. Acquiring Jeff Montgomery for Van Snider. Getting John Mayberry for Lance Clemons and Jim York. Amos Otis for Joe Foy. Jermaine Dye and Jaime Walker for Michael Tucker and Keith Lockhart.

What was your favorite trade in Royals history?

The NCAA Transfer Portal opened on June 1 for college baseball and will close on June 30. Through the first week or so of the portal, there’s already plenty of talent. Below you’ll find the top 25 overall players who have entered their names so far, as of June 8.

While the portal is open, the season is still ongoing. The College World Series will get underway in Omaha on Friday, June 12.

For a full rundown of college baseball’s transfer portal, bookmark On3’s tracker with the latest entries and commitments. On3 also has the latest intel on players in the portal.

1. Notre Dame OF Bino Watters (committed to LSU)

Bino Watters has been one of the ACC’s most productive hitters in his two seasons at Notre Dame. As a freshman in 2025, he hit .317 with nine home runs and a .984 OPS, driving in 39 runs with 26 strikeouts to 32 walks.

This season, Watters broke out even more. In 2026, he hit .362 with 10 homers and 51 RBI. He finished with a 1.057 OPS. He’s our top-ranked transfer at this point.

2. Clemson C Nate Savoie

2026 was Nate Savoie’s first at Clemson, and he had quite the season. He hit .329 in 57 games with the Tigers, belting 16 home runs with 52 RBI in addition to a 1.009 OPS.

Savoie was also a star in 2025 at Loyola Marymount. In his two-year career, he’s hitting .316 with 36 home runs.

3. Gonzaga RHP Landon Hood (committed to LSU)

Landon Hood was one of the best pitchers in the country this season at Gonzaga. While he only made four starts, he tossed 54.1 innings as a key piece of the Gonzaga bullpen.

In 16 appearances, Hood posted a 2.48 ERA with 78 strikeouts to just 21 walks. He finished the season with five saves. He’s already committed to LSU.

4. Washington OF Jackson Hotchkiss

Jackson Hotchkiss is one of the best power bats available in the college baseball transfer portal right now. He took an enormous step forward in 2026 after hitting .241 with six homers as a freshman in 2025.

This season, Hotchkiss hit .339 with 20 home runs and 47 RBI. He’s also stolen 16 bases through his two seasons.

5. Northwestern State LHP Brody Trosclair (committed to Tennessee)

Brody Trosclair is one of the most intriguing players available to this point. The lefthander just wrapped up his freshman season at Northwestern State, posting a 1.89 ERA in 10 appearances (four starts).

Trosclair tossed 38 innings in 2026, striking out 55 batters with just 11 walks. He earned First Team All-Southland Conference and Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year honors as a freshman.

6. UConn LHP Cayden Suchy

Another intriguing left-hander, Cayden Suchy was the Big East Pitcher of the Year in 2026 at UConn. He made 14 starts and threw 82.1 innings, with one complete game.

Suchy posted a 2.84 ERA in 2026. He struck out 94 batters with just 23 walks on the season.

7. Fairleigh Dickinson OF Hunter Ray

Hunter Ray made some real noise in 2026. The FDU outfielder was the NEC Player of the Year after finishing second in the country with 32 home runs.

Ray didn’t just hit for power, as he finished with a .345 average this season. He drove in 81 runs and also stole 24 bases, making him a well-rounded and coveted bat in college baseball’s portal.

8. Mercer C Eli Stephens (committed to Georgia Tech)

Eli Stephens hit .267 in limited action as a freshman in 2025 at Mercer, but he broke out in 2026. The sophomore catcher hit .374 this season, belting 20 home runs with 64 RBI.

Stephens was a big part of Mercer’s success in 2026. He finished with an OPS of 1.224. He’s committed to Georgia Tech.

9. Florida Gulf Coast C Jon Embury (Florida commit)

Jon Embury was one of the nation’s top catchers in 2026, finishing as a semifinalist for the Buster Posey Award. He hit .364 this season with 17 home runs and 60 RBI.

Embury finished the season with a 1.084 OPS. He also hit 13 doubles. And Embury has already committed to Florida for 2027.

10. Kansas State OF AJ Evasco

AJ Evasco has had two productive seasons at Kansas State. As a freshman in 2025, he hit .311 with 11 home runs and 52 RBI.

Evasco improved his average to .348 in 2026, while he hit eight homers and 51 RBI. So far across his two seasons, he’s a career .330 hitter with 19 homers, 103 RBI and a .949 OPS.

College Baseball Transfer Portal Rankings: 11-25

11. Baylor IF Travis Sanders
12. Wake Forest RHP Blake Morningstar (Miami commit)
13. Texas State SS Dawson Park (LSU commit)
14. Texas Tech SS Linkin Garcia (Texas commit)
15. Mercer 1B/RHP Braydon Kersey (Tennessee commit)
16. South Carolina LHP Alex Valentin
17. Coastal Carolina IF Walker Mitchell (South Carolina commit)
18. Pittsburgh C Sebastian Pisacreta
19. Cal Baptist SS Chris Ramirez
20. Florida State C Hunter Carns
21. UCF SS Jordan Lodise (Georgia Tech commit)
22. Georgia State C/OF Brady Christman (Mississippi State commit)
23. Georgia State IF Wills Maginnis
24. Jacksonville State RHP Maddox McDougall (Florida commit)
25. William & Mary SS Jamie Laskofski (North Carolina commit)

Many a Cincinnati Reds season has seen the club hold its own, keep its head above water, and even position itself to be one of the premier clubs in the National League Central…only for the team to head west to face their old National League West rivals and see their season implode in short order. For the first time in 2026, that’s what’s on the plate for the Reds to start this week as the club is in San Diego to face the Padres in Petco.

You can make a pretty compelling argument that this Reds season is already imploding, or even has already imploded. The Reds are just 2-8 over their most recent 10 game stretch, just got swept by a St. Louis Cardinals club that’s a) supposed to be ‘rebuilding’ and b) is now 5 games ahead of them in the standings, and Elly De La Cruz is on the shelf with a hamstring injury for the foreseeable future. The team’s starting pitching outside of Chase Burns is a mess, their bullpen is a ragtag bunch of ball-throwers, and the swag and confidence this team displayed in April hasn’t shown through in the dugout in ages.

I’m not even sure the last time I saw Geno Suarez smile. That’s alarming!

The one thing Cincinnati might have going for it is that the Padres might be the one team in a bigger funk than them at the moment. The Friars are just 4-13 over their last 17 games, the offensive woes that have plagued them all season finally catching up to them after their brilliant 31-20 start to the season. In many ways, they’re going through a very similar season to the Reds in that they roared out of the gate with wins in unsustainable ways and the flaws that were papered-over during that span have begun to bite them more often than not.

I doubt there’s a player in their locker room right now that views this upcoming series against Cincinnati as anything other than a get-right series, though.

Monday’s series opener will feature Andrew Abbott on the mound for the Reds, who’ll hope he can continue to round back into good form and provide their bullpen with some relief with an outing deep into the night. Walker Buehler, meanwhile, will start for San Diego, and he’ll throw the game’s first pitch at 9:40 PM ET.

Put on a pot of coffee and stay up for some Late Night Reds the next three days!

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Toronto Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement profiles well against Philadelphia Phillies ace Cristopher Sanchez, making his Over 1.5 total bases market at +120 an attractive price. 

Read on for my Phillies vs. Blue Jays predictions and MLB picks for Monday, June 8. 

Phillies vs Blue Jays predictions

Phillies vs Blue Jays best bet: Ernie Clement Over 1.5 total bases (+120)

Cristopher Sanchez has been one of the best pitchers in baseball, sporting a 1.92 ERA with 103 strikeouts. 

His stuff relies primarily on swing and miss, ranking in the 97th percentile in chase rate and 93rd percentile in whiff rate. 

That profile plays directly into Ernie Clement's strengths as one of baseball's premier contact hitters. 

The Toronto Blue Jays infielder swings a ton, but has a knack for squaring up the baseball with a 91.2% contact rate in the zone, and an impressive 74% contact rate out of the zone.

Over his last 20 outings, Clement owns a .380 average with a 1.003 OPS, averaging 2.4 bases per game. 

I’d play Clement Over 1.5 bases down to +105, even against a pitcher of Sanchez's caliber.

COVERS INTEL: Sanchez relies on a lot of chase and swing and miss, which matches up well to Clement, who ranks in the 97th percentile on squared-up rate, despite a first-percentile chase rate.

Phillies vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)

Like Clement, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. profiles well against Sanchez, who throws sinkers and change-ups most often. Vlad owns a .371 average against those pitches and also has a .917 career OPS against Sanchez.

I’m also going to fade the struggling Phillies bats, who own a lowly .687 OPS this season, while ranking dead last in batting average against Jays starter Patrick Corbin’s two most utilized pitches (sinker/slider). The veteran hurler has gone Under 2.5 earned runs in seven of his 11 starts this season, and I'll take him to do it again.

Phillies vs Blue Jays SGP

• Ernie Clement Over 1.5 total bases
• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 0.5 hits
• Patrick Corbin Under 2.5 earned runs

Phillies vs Blue Jays home run pick: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (+625)

Sanchez doesn’t give up much hard contact and has been tagged for just three home runs in 13 starts this season, so we’ll make this just a half-unit wager.

A Vlad breakout is coming.

The power numbers have been trending upward over his last 40 at-bats with a 58.8% hard-hit rate, up from his season average of 44.6%, which suggests production may soon follow.

Furthermore, in that same stretch, his hard-hit rate against the sinker/changeup, Sanchez’s most utilized pitches to right-handed hitters, is 87.5%.

Phillies vs Blue Jays odds

• Moneyline: Philadelphia -170 | Toronto +145
• Run line: Philadelphia -1.5 (+100) | Toronto +1.5 (-120)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-105) | Under 7.5 (-115)

Phillies vs Blue Jays trend

The Toronto Blue Jays have hit the Game Total Over in 8 of their last 9 games (+6.90 Units / 71% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Phillies vs. Blue Jays.

How to watch Phillies vs Blue Jays and game info

Phillies vs Blue Jays latest injuries

Phillies vs Blue Jays weather

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Let's start the week right with a three-pack of MLB same-game parlay predictions for the shortened slate on Monday, June 8.

My top MLB picks begin with a high-scoring bout between the Seattle Mariners and Baltimore Orioles and wrap up with the Milwaukee Brewers winning in the nightcap.

Today's best MLB SGP picks

Game	SGP Odds
SEA vs BAL	+315
PHI vs TOR	+395
MIL vs ATH	+500

Mariners vs Orioles SGP: Bombs away in Baltimore

Sure, Seattle Mariners righty Emerson Hancock has pitched well (3.40 xFIP), but there’s also a huge statistical correction coming to his unsustainable .243 BABIP and 85.7% strand rate considering he posted respective .289 and 72.2% marks last year.

The Baltimore Orioles pack punch at the dish with a sixth-ranked wOBA against righties, too, and Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo lead the way in the metric with a matching .378.

Of course, Orioles starter Trey Gibson sports a discouraging 5.28 xFIP in limited action, so I expect this total to fly Over the number tonight.

This SGP is playable down to +300.

• Time: 6:35 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MASN, SEAM

Phillies vs Blue Jays SGP: Sanchez boosts Cy Young bid

Toronto Blue Jays lefty Patrick Corbin sports a 7.46 ERA with 5.4 BB/9 while allowing a monster .442 wOBA and 1.035 OPS across 35 innings against the Philadelphia Phillies since the beginning of the 2022 season, so the Phils have a huge edge on the mound with NL Cy Young odds favoriteCristopher Sanchez toeing the rubber tonight. 

Turning to Adolis Garcia, he’s sporting a rock-solid .351 wOBA and .807 OPS against lefties this season and is positioned to fill out the box score, hitting behind the big bats in the Philadelphia lineup.

I recommend backing this SGP as short as +370.

• Time: 7:07 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Sportsnet, NBCSP

Brewers vs Athletics SGP: Milwaukee makes it four straight

The Milwaukee Brewers are dealing with a slew of bullpen injuries, so I’m anticipating star lefty Kyle Harrison having a long leash against the Athletics on Monday. Harrison has spun an elite 2.86 xFIP while holding opposing hitters to a minuscule .262 wOBA and .576 OPS, so I also expect him to pave the way to a Milwaukee win. 

The odds for this SGP climb with the potentially uncorrelated Over 4.5 hits allowed by Harrison, but the deeper into the game Harrison deals, the more opportunities the A's will have to record five or more tonight.

This SGP is still in play down to +475.

• Time: 10:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NBCSCA, BREW

See full analysis of this game in our Brewers vs. Athletics predictions.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.