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Charlotte Knights 12, Nashville Sounds 4
Completely redeeming themselves from Saturday, the Knights (49-44) popped off for 15 hits and blew out the Sounds (53-40), 12-4, splitting the series with three wins each. Two homers and five RBIs in the game from Nolan Jones and a grand slam from Michael Turner in the fourth accounted for nine of the 12 runs, and Edgar Quero blasted three hits and an RBI. Five of the nine Charlotte batters posted multi-hit days, as both Ryan Galanie and Caden Connor went 2-for-5, with the final RBI attributed to Mario Camilletti. The Knights also walked four times, with Rikuu Nishida accounting for three of them, scoring all three times he reached base, stealing one along the way.

Nolan Jones hits another bomb to Alex, but he switched seats with his buddy!! Still a good effort! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/tjtJTZ0Fqf

— Charlotte Knights (@KnightsBaseball) July 12, 2026

After a pair of rehab starts with the Winston-Salem Dash, Shane Smith was officially reinstated to the Knights roster and tossed four solid frames with one run scoring on three hits and a walk, striking out five in the process.

Shane Smith is fired up after a sharp start today. His first outing with the Knights since April 30th.

4 IP, 1 ER, 1 BB, & 5 K make up his final line.@KnightsBaseball#WhiteSoxpic.twitter.com/OIy1W9soDA

— Kendall Smith (@SmithKendall__) July 12, 2026

Righthander Tanner McDougal made his third appearance since being activated from a longer IL stint, and he has yet to surrender a hit in his three innings, adding another scoreless frame today with two walks and two strikeouts. Lucas Sims ended up with his second win of the season after a hitless frame, though Sims hasn’t been consistent at all this season, holding an 8.10 ERA in 14 games and 13 1/3 innings.

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Columbus Clingstones 7, Birmingham Barons 4
Neither side of the ball was positive for the Barons (32-55), as they struck out 12 times at the plate, went 2-for-9 (.222) with runners in scoring position, and the pitching allowed six in the first 4 2/3 innings to drop five of six to the Clingstones. Lefthander Lucas Gordon has struggled in 2026 with the Barons, reaching a 5.15 ERA in 18 starts (87 1/3 frames), and he wound up with his fifth loss of the season in Sunday’s series finale. The main issue with Gordon is a high (11.5%) walk rate, and he gives up a home run or two nearly every outing. Only five of his 18 starts have gone without a home run allowed, and his 1.73 HR/9 is nearly double last season’s (0.84 HR/9). Until he makes an adjustment to prevent the long ball, he could have a tough time working his way up to the majors.

Only two players were able to drive runs in, and Alec Briley started the scoring for the Barons with an RBI base hit in the top of the third that had cut the lead in half for Birmingham, 2-1, Columbus. The other three belonged to Brenden Dixon, who smashed a three-run shot in the seventh for his third home run of the year, but the offense left four on base and couldn’t close the gap.

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Winston-Salem Dash 10, Asheville Tourists 4
Scoring in every inning except for the sixth, the Dash (50-37) outhit the Tourists (20-56), 11-7, to even out the series at three, 10-4. It also helped that Asheville committed an error that provided an unearned run to Winston-Salem, and thanks to five homers for the Dash, it didn’t matter that they went 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position with 10 left on base. Jeral Perez was a triple short of the cycle with three hits on the day, and Arxy Hernández led the team with three RBIs on two hits, including a three-run bomb in the fourth. Both he and James Taussig have homered in back-to-back games, with the other two stemming from Ryan Burrowes and George Wolkow.

Appearing in his sixth rehab appearance with the Dash, lefthander Tommy Vail made his first start since returning from the IL, tossing for 2 1/3 with two runs allowed (just one earned) on three hits and three strikeouts, but he struggled with free base runners with four walks on the day. In his 7 2/3 frames with Winston-Salem, Vail holds an 11.74 ERA with a frightening 2.87 WHIP, on top of walking three more batters (10) than he’s struck out (seven). Working as Sunday’s bulk reliever, righthander Jake Curtis took over for four scoreless, earning his third win of the season.

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Delmarva Shorebirds 6, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 5
The pitching couldn’t hold the Cannon Ballers (44-43) lead, as Marco Barrios blew the save in the sixth that allowed the Shorebirds (31-56) to take the lead and win the game, 6-5. The Ballers still won the series, but they ultimately lost a four-run lead, and Truman Pauley did not set Kanny up for success with four runs allowed in his 3 2/3-inning start. Barrios was the only rough part of the bullpen, however, as Ryan Schiefer, Jesus Mendez and Jordan Morales all finished with a scoreless outing.

All five runs came from two innings, though the Cannon Ballers couldn’t buy a run after the fourth. A squeeze bunt from Efren Teran and a two-run double from Jaden Fauske scored three for Kannapolis early in the top of the second, while Matthew Boughton recorded the other two RBIs with a two-run single just a couple innings later. Adrian Gil also walked twice, scoring both times, but none of the Ballers put up multi-hit days.

PHILADELPHIA — There is nothing unique about the Yankees developing a hard-throwing and effective reliever, the type the club regularly churns out (and regularly deals at the trade deadline).

There is nothing unique about the Yankees finding a gem later in the draft, a recent organizational strength that is on display this week with first-time All-Stars Ben Rice and Cam Schlittler.

So maybe Ben Grable, an 11th-round pick out of Indiana University last year who has sawed through competition at High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset, making him a late addition to Sunday’s All-Star Futures Game, is not unique.

On the mound, though, there really is no major leaguer like him.

Grable said he is averaging 96.1 mph with his four-seamer and about 20.5 to 21 inches of induced vertical break — essentially the movement generated from how the ball spins. The more vertical break, the more the ball seems to rise (and the more hitters tend to swing under the pitch).

There are three qualified major leaguers (Alex Vesia, Tobias Myers and Dylan Lee) whose four-seamers average 20 inches of vertical break. None has a fastball that buzzes at even 94 mph.

There are plenty of pitchers whose fastball are as fast as Grable’s, but none fight gravity like his four-seamer. The closest comparison might be the Padres’ Jeremiah Estrada, whose heater has averaged 95.8 mph with 19.8 inches of vertical break this year. In the past three years in San Diego, Estrada has often been untouchable with a 3.26 ERA and 225 strikeouts in 154 ²/₃ innings.

That is as close to company as exists for Grable, whose fastball’s combination of velocity and spin makes it like no one else’s.

“When I got to Indiana, they sort of taught us the metrics and all that,” Grable said before throwing two pitches and recording one out in a brief appearance at the Futures Game. “I didn’t really know how good it was until I got into New York.”

The 6-foot-4 right-hander was not the first choice to represent the organization at Citizens Bank Park — George Lombard Jr. and Carlos Lagrange were scratched with injuries — but he was a worthy choice in what has been a quietly incredible season.

His 2.61 ERA is good. His peripheral numbers are better. Among the 1,602 affiliated minor leaguers who have thrown at least 30 innings (Grable has thrown 31 innings in 28 relief appearances), Grable ranks fourth in WHIP (0.77), 16th in strikeout percentage (40.2 percent) and eighth in opponents’ batting average (.127) while walking 2.90 per nine innings.

A Southern California native who pitched two years at Northwestern and one at Indiana, Grable underwent Tommy John surgery in 2024. He returned to start and relieve for the Hoosiers, posting a 4.31 ERA in his final collegiate season before becoming one of 10 pitchers the Yankees drafted last year (and the first to shoot through the system).

He is a different pitcher than he was at college, where he said his fastball averaged 92 mph at Indiana and where he threw a different slider.

He said he “cleaned up my mechanics,” now pitches exclusively from the stretch, worked on a fastball the Yankees believed “can be a whole lot better” and watched his velocity spike.

“It’s a unique profile and shape in comparison to a lot of other fastballs out there,” said Somerset manager James Cooper, who was the AL’s third base coach. “Just when teams were starting to figure that out, that’s when he started landing the secondary stuff, and I think that’s what’s been making him special.”

His tight slider is not unique, but that is kind of the point: Seeking a different grip about a month and a half ago, Grable wound up watching a Pitching Ninja online interview with Reds All-Star Chase Burns. He scrolled through the video feed, found the grip and tried it because, “I figured he’s got a pretty good slider, similar heater shape.”

The next day Grable threw it during a touch-and-feel bullpen session. He then took the mound that night and “punched [out] three,” he said, with what would become his new slider.

“He’s been able to dominate the game with those two pitches,” Cooper said.

The domination brought him to a showcase and a seventh-inning face-off with star Brewers prospect Luis Peña, who flied out on the second pitch and first slider he saw.

Grable’s takeaway?

“It’s pretty fun to pitch in a big league stadium.”

LSU Baseball’s emotional leader since 2023, Gavin Guidry, was taken at #480 over by the New York Mets in the 16th round.

With the 480th pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, the New York Mets select Gavin Guidry!@GavinGuidry5 | @Metspic.twitter.com/XpMJMInmbL

— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) July 12, 2026

Guidry’s LSU career was full of success, but there were also some speedbumps along the way that tested his resolve.

After getting to Baton Rouge as one of the top-ranked shortstops in 2023, the Barbe product played sparingly behind Jordan Thompson in the infield. Halfway through the season, the Tigers pitching staff suffered two season-ending injuries to Chase Shores and Garrett Edwards, putting them in a tough spot. Guidry transitioned to the mound and hit the ground running. He became one of the most important pieces of that bullpen, even recording the final out of the 2023 National Championship.

He followed that up with a solid sophomore campaign in 2024, but the troubles began in 2025. After being scratched from an early season midweek start, he was said to be week-to-week with a back injury. He attempted to work his way back, but he continued to hit roadblocks and was eventually shut down for the year. The veteran then became an extra coach, often seen mentoring younger players on the team. Even from the dugout, Guidry was instrumental in Jay Johnson’s team winning their second title in three years.

His return on Opening Day of the 2026 was electric. He jogged out from the bullpen to a massive ovation from the Alex Box crowd and picked up right where he left off, striking out hitter after hitter with his “hammer” of a breaking ball. As the season went on, Guidry seemed to wear down and his performance slipped. He still has eligibility, but he said following the season that he was hoping to begin his professional career. He considered 2026 a “bonus year”, as he had hoped to move on after 2025 before he got hurt.

Guidry will go down as one of the most important players of the Jay Johnson era. At least the beginning of it. He stepped up time-and-time again and will almost surely head to the MLB with a lot to be proud of.

In three seasons for the Tigers, Guidry finished with a 10-3 record. He pitched 96.2 innings and had a 4.66 ERA. That number is only inflated by his late season struggles this past year. In his first two seasons, his ERAs were 3.77 and 2.59, respectively. He struck out 137 hitters in three years.

The New York Mets are getting a bulldog, who’s as competitive as they come.

Blaze Alexander suffered a fractured left hand after he was hit by a pitch in the Orioles’ 8-2 win over the Royals, setting off a benches-clearing incident. 

No punches were thrown, but the third baseman ended up with a non-displaced fracture in his left hand, Orioles manager Craig Albernaz told reporters after the game. The Orioles skipper called the injury a “gut punch.” 

Royals reliever Lucas Erceg missed way outside the strike zone with a 1-2 pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning, which resulted in Alexander being hit. 

Alexander was visibly upset and turned to jaw at Erceg, and the Orioles staff quickly came out to restrain him from escalating the situation further. 

The Royals and Orioles benches did empty out, but tensions cooled down shortly after as both teams retreated to their dugouts. 

Benches emptied earlier today after Blaze Alexander was hit by a pitch.

Alexander suffered a non-displaced fracture in his left hand as a result of the HBP, per Craig Albernaz. pic.twitter.com/lRCaVakMbr

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) July 12, 2026

After the game, Erceg told reporters that he did not hit Alexander intentionally. 

“There’s no ill intent. That’s baseball,” Erceg said. “I mean, guys are going to get hit, and you have to, I guess, kind of understand the situation. I understand why he’s mad. Obviously, you don’t ever want to get hit, especially in the hand. So sorry about that.”

The injury is a tough break for the Orioles with Alexander batting .312 at the moment and Baltimore riding a four-game winning streak into the MLB All-Star break. 

Neither club has been doing particularly well this season, with both the Orioles and Royals sitting near the bottom of the standings in their respective divisions. 

The Orioles are fourth in the AL East and 11.5 games back of the first-place Rays. 

The Royals find themselves in the basement of the AL Central and 13 games back of the first-place White Sox. 

Kansas City is also 21 games under .500 heading into the All-Star break.

After a season that left much to be desired for Kentucky Baseball, and primarily the pitching staff, all eyes were focused on the 2026 MLB Draft to see what would happen with Grayson Willoughby.

The star recruit has now decided to withdraw from the MLB Draft and head to Lexington for his collegiate career, UK has announced.

Now that the news of the coveted right-handed pitcher heading to Kentucky for his college baseball career is official, he will have to spend two seasons in school before being eligible for the 2028 MLB Draft.

By way of Trinity High School (Louisville, Ky), the 6-foot-2, 195-pound Willoughby has been committed to Kentucky since August of 2024. Since then, Willoughby has had quite a high school career: Back-to-back state championships with his Trinity Shamrocks, being named Mr. Baseball, and being named the 2026 MaxPreps National Player of the Year.

His advanced mid-80s changeup is considered his best secondary pitch, while his slider continues to develop into another quality offering.

What separates Willoughby is his command. He repeats a clean three-quarters delivery, consistently throws strikes, and already shows the ability to locate all three pitches. Scouts also believe there is additional velocity to come as he continues to add strength.

Although Willoughby starred as a two-way player at Trinity, his future is on the mound. He capped his senior season by throwing a one-hit shutout in the Kentucky state championship game, helping Trinity secure another state title.

Willoughby is also ranked No. 31 in his class in Perfect Game rankings. On their site, they described him as “Polished starter package with three quality pitches including a 92-96 mph fastball, slider and changeup, dominated at PG national.”

This is a massive pickup for the Bat Cats, especially since they were in dire need of more pitching.

‘26 Grayson Willoughby (@GWilloughby24)

Showing well in his last HS start today Willoughby comes out dominating the zone.

Showing command of the FB in zone & flashing the sinker. Quality swing & miss through 4 IP w/ allowing zero hits.

FB: 95-97
SL: 81-82
SK: 90-92… https://t.co/RDdcppaaRSpic.twitter.com/dcSDwhJWKZ

— Prep Baseball Kentucky (@PrepbaseballKY) June 13, 2026

The back half of the MLB Draft is where we leave the bonus pool minimums behind. Some players might sign for pretty decent amounts, but it’s the wild west and most will not demand much compensation to fill the Rays org needs.

Out of their 21 selections overall, the Rays took 17 pitchers, and that includes every pick in rounds 11-20. Here’s how it shook out.

RHP Logan Georges (HS, CA) – 11/323

He's a mudder…
Logan Georges (2026) of @CloHighBaseball with 9 K's over 5 1/3 innings of work on a pretty chunky mound. Worked 90-93 T94 w/ the 4 SM, SL 81-84 t 85. Flashed a CH early at 85, but didn't really need it. 3 hits allowed for the @TCU_Baseball commit, no hard… pic.twitter.com/EsNZ8vGOGt

— Perfect Game California (@California_PG) April 1, 2026

The star of the show for picks 11-20, he’ll be in line to demand whatever is left of the Rays bonus pool. He’s 6-foot-5.

While Georges has long had size and arm strength, his path to being a high-level Draft prospect was anything but certain. As a sophomore at Clovis High School outside of Fresno, California, Georges blew out his elbow and required Tommy John surgery. He returned to the mound in time for league play as a junior in 2025, then put the injury further in his rearview by throwing at a myriad of summer showcase events, including Major League Baseball’s All-American Game, Perfect Game National and the Area Code Games. While Georges’ senior year has had some ups and downs, he still brings an ideal 6-foot-5 pitching frame to the mound with the chance to have a quality three-pitch mix with excellent metrics under the surface. He’ll throw his fastball in the 92-96 mph range; it can have carry and ride, and he also has a two-seamer with good sink. He’ll flash a plus low-80s slider that can miss bats, giving him an effective sinker-sweeper combination at times. He’s shown glimpses of a very solid 84-85 mph changeup with sink and fade he’ll throw to hitters on both sides of the plate. Georges hasn’t always thrown quality strikes this spring, and at times, things can snowball for him on the mound. He’ll also be 19 come Draft time, which might ding him in some teams’ models. Even so, his stuff and the data behind it could be enough to get teams interested in signing him away from his commitment to Texas Christian.

[MLB Pipeline – 126]

[…] high-spin pitch mix and a chance for multiple plus offerings. His fastball is regularly in the low 90s and has been up to 94-95 mph […] low-80s slider, which has impressive late biting action and easy plus potential. […] solid mid-80s changeup. […] a well-rounded starter profile.

[Baseball America – 288]

RHP Cole Stokes (4YR JR, Florida State) – 12/353

Surprisingly, Stokes is only the third Seminole drafted by the Rays in franchise history.

RHP Cole Stokes (@FSUBaseball) came out firing bullets at 96-98 from a loose arm & does so easily. Wipeout SL up to 88, can add/subtract & land in zone too. Jr./‘26 elig. @PG_Draftpic.twitter.com/VEZtHNzIAo

— PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) April 13, 2026

Stokes is a stuff monster with a pair of pitches that could be plus or better, but his command and pitchability hold him back. Stokes is a California native who spent two seasons with Oregon, then transferred to Florida State for the 2026 season. […] gnarly 22.7% walk rate. Listed at 6-foot-6, 230 pounds, Stokes has a big league frame and a quick, whippy arm that he delivers from a low slot. He throws a turbo sinker that’s consistently in the upper 90s and has touched 97. He pairs the fastball with a mid-80s sweeper with tons of gloveside break. Both pitches are swing-and-miss offerings, but he also has a career walk rate hovering around 20%, which would be unplayable in pro ball. If he can figure out a way to throw the ball over the plate more frequently, he could be a useful weapon in a major league pen.

[Baseball America – 385]

RHP Steven Gonzalez (HS, FL) – 13/383

A prep arm with extension that jumped his fastball into the low 90’s with consistency this season. He’s a Mater Academy HS (Hialeah Gardens in Miami, FL) graduate committed to FSU.

Steven Gonzalez (‘26, FL)

Athletic arm, does a really good job holding the backside down the mound. OT slot w/ intent downhill showing fast hand speed w/ both pitches.

FB: 86-90 mph / Ride
SL: 74-77 mph / Bite#MiamiWS | #Uncommitted

👤https://t.co/faEw6oo6Ukpic.twitter.com/yJbCT11kP0

— Prospect Select Scout (@PSBaseballScout) November 8, 2025

Ben’s take: 3/4 slot, easy mechanics with a fastball in the low 90s and feel for a couple breaking balls. 6’3 frame, projectable.

RHP Mason Bixby (4YR JR, Oklahoma) – 14/413

6′ 7″ 239lbs and 100 mph fastball. What more do you want?

five punchies for @biggz_23 🥊 pic.twitter.com/hmo02yuamI

— Oklahoma Baseball (@OU_Baseball) April 11, 2026

RHP Ashton “Amp” Phillips (4YR JR, South Carolina) – 15/443

Ashton Michael Phillips, a.k.a. Amp, is a 6-foot-1 fireballer with a kick change.

Big strikeout for Amp to end the seventh! pic.twitter.com/VD3zI73r1l

— South Carolina Baseball (@GamecockBSB) March 21, 2026

[…] high-energy pitcher whose competitiveness is evident every time he takes the mound. He started his career at Spartanburg Methodist, but missed most of the 2024 season with a back injury, then transferred to South Carolina Upstate in 2025 and South Carolina in 2026, where he added plenty of volume as a starter […] reliable strike-thrower, but is a bit undersized with a compact, slight frame. Phillips averages 92-93 mph and touches 95-96 with his fastball. He has solid command of his fringe-average, slurvy slider in the upper 70s and low 80s, and will mix in a shorter, mid-80s cutter. Phillips has thrown a mid-80s changeup more often in 2026. While he pitched as a starter for two seasons, his size and fringy strikes could allow him to profile better as a reliever in pro ball.

[Baseball America – 342]

RHP Alex Philpott (4YR JR, South Carolina) – 16/473

An intra-SEC transfer from Florida to USC, going from bullpen to starter for his new school, he’s 6′ 6″.

Alex Philpott ends the seventh with a strikeout 🤙 pic.twitter.com/yoeY0P9vH3

— South Carolina Baseball (@GamecockBSB) March 28, 2026

He missed time early in the season with elbow discomfort, but returned to the mound in mid March and posted a 6.51 ERA over 16 appearances and 27.2 innings. […] up to 98 mph in the past with his fastball, though he mostly threw it in the 93-95 mph range in 2026. He has an assortment of solid secondaries, including an upper-80s changeup and cutter, a low-80s slider and a slower curveball in the upper 70s. He’s a below-average strike-thrower, and probably a reliever because of that, but there’s a lot in the tank to work with if a team can help him execute a bit more consistently.

[Baseball America – 463]

RHP McCarty English (4YR JR, Southern Mississippi) – 17/503

English put himself out there this morning hoping for a summer transfer away from USM, but found himself as draft selection instead. His video won’t embed for now, so here’s the link: https://twitter.com/MccartyEnglish/status/2062571192356139365

LHP Nate Smithburg (4YR SR, Oklahoma) – 18/533

A submarine southpaw, standing 6′ 2″ 257lbs, and profiled by Baseball America in “5 Deep Cape Cod League Sleepers With 2026 MLB Draft Upside”:

Fresh off helping Oklahoma win a national championship […] release height of roughly four feet. He generates above-average extension for a pitcher with his delivery and separates himself from most of his demographic with unusual velocity. His fastball sat 90-91 mph and touched 94 with massive armside run, high spin efficiency and movement that creates difficult looks for hitters on both sides of the plate. The pitch dives away from righthanders and runs in on the hands of lefties, generating five whiffs Thursday.

Smithburg complements his fastball with a low-80s cutter […], a mid-80s changeup with negative vertical break and armside run, and an upper-70s-to-low-80s sweeping slider that glides across the plate because of his extreme release point.

Though his high-major track record is limited, Smithburg is unusual even among submarine relievers because of his velocity, extension and assortment of distinct movement profiles. It is a clear bullpen projection, but one with enough deception and bat-missing ability to warrant consideration late in the draft.

[Baseball America]

LHP Nate Smithburg (@OU_Baseball) entered to escape the jam & got a big K. Lefty submariner & lived low-90s w/ a big sweeping SL. R-Jr./'26 elig. pic.twitter.com/u1fjw2ZerJ

— PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) May 25, 2026

RHP David Horn Jr. (4YR SR, Middle Tennessee State) – 19/563

6′ 5″ 235lbs, with velo that played up in the Draft League.

Three straight strikeouts in the second from David Horn Jr. (@crosscutters) gives him 4️⃣ through two innings.🪓

The @MT_Baseball right-hander has yet to allow a hit and his fastball has been up to 93.9mph.🔥@draftleaguedata | #MLBDraftLeaguepic.twitter.com/ungTq8W0JE

— MLB Draft League (@mlbdraftleague) June 3, 2026

RHP Ivan Sabater (HS, FL) – 20/593

This West Broward HS graduate has already reached 95 mh and top spin rates, and stands to add more as a professional.

'26 RHP Ivan Sabater (FL) went 5 up, 5 down & punched 4. Bumped 95, sat 93-94 & didn't drop below that range. Buried sharp SL that drew some chases at 82-85. Athletic w/ impressive arm talent. #Canes commit pic.twitter.com/6uO3UukkD0

— Perfect Game Florida (@Florida_PG) January 26, 2026

In addition to what likely will be a sell-off at the trade deadline, the 2026 draft was a very important draft to help the Mets replenish a farm system that dropped to the No. 24 ranked system in baseball according to Baseball America. 

The final tally for the Mets 2026 draft class:

19 Total Players Selected

17 College Players Selected

2 High School Players Selected

12 Pitchers Selected

7 Position Players Selected

It all starts at the top with the Mets selecting Arkansas right-hander Carson Wiggins with the No. 27 overall pick, who was a home run swing type of pick. While surprising to Mets fans based on public rankings, it wasn’t considered earth shattering in the industry that he went this high.

The Mets are banking on stuff, which Wiggins has an abundance of, as well as their player development system being able to mold him into a potential frontline starting pitcher. If that doesn’t come together, he can be a high leverage reliever that is capable of hitting 102 mph on the radar gun with a wipeout slider. Assuming he signs, he will be the first pitcher the Mets drafted and signed in the first round since David Peterson in 2017.

Day one of the draft for the Mets concluded with two value selections, starting with Texas outfielder Aiden Robbins in the third round, No. 92 overall, who received a ton of first-round buzz leading up to the draft, including being heavily linked to the Mets as an option at No. 27. 

Robbins’ college career was a tale of two different players. At Seton Hall he was a hit over power type of player, hitting .422 as a sophomore and slugging just 12 home runs across two seasons for the Pirates. 

Robbins then had a breakout performance with a wood bat at the Cape Cod League, where he led the league in average (.307), slugging percentage (.545) and OPS (.936). He transferred to Texas and became more of a power over hit player, doubling his career home run total at Seton Hall, hitting 24 home runs in his one season with Texas. There are some questions about his ability to consistently hit breaking balls as well as his future defensive home, but the Mets were ecstatic to land a player with above average power and a history of a hit tool at No. 92.

In the fourth round at pick No. 120 overall, the Mets selected Texas A&M left-hander Shane Sdao. Sdao had a breakout 2024 that had some believing he would be a top two round selection in the 2025 draft. Sdao ended up missing the 2025 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. Statistically his 2026 season was not what he expected (7.03 ERA in 71.2 innings), but his stuff continued to tick back up as he continued to get healthier as the spring wore on. 

The Mets believe there is some physical maturation still to come on his 6-foot-3, 185-pound build. As part of that, they think there is more in the tank for his fastball that touched 97 mph this year. His best pitch isn’t the fastball, but his low-mid 80s slider that grades out above average. 

Sdao may not have the stuff that someone like Wiggins does, but he is a strike thrower who locates a five-pitch mix, all of which look to be at least average offerings. He currently looks like a back-end type of starter, but it’s possible there is a little bit more there.

As day two kicked off, the Mets selected four college pitchers in a row, starting with Florida right-hander Luke McNeillie in the fifth round, who was mostly a reliever at Florida. In 18 appearances, he posted a 3.97 ERA with 48 strikeouts in 34 innings. He primarily throws a fastball that touched 99 mph and a mid-80s slider. He also has a changeup that he used exclusively against left-handed hitters. 

I think McNeillie could be the next in a long line of college relievers being converted to professional starters by the Mets. They did similar with Christian Scott, ironically also a fifth-round pick who had a similar repertoire while at Florida.

In the sixth round they selected Auburn right-hander Alex Petrovic. Petrovic has had to persevere through some tough injuries in college. He had two separate stress fractures in his throwing arm that limited him to 14 games his first two years at Auburn. He was fully healthy for the first time in 2026, and things really started to come together when he posted a 3.21 ERA in 17 starts as Auburn’s Sunday starter.

His stuff ticked up without sacrificing command, as Petrovic has always been a strike thrower. His fastball was up to 96 mph with a plus changeup and he also throws a sweeper and cutter. One scout told me: “Petro is a tough kid. I wouldn’t bet against him.”

In the seventh round, the Mets selected right-hander Aidan Keenan from Stanford. He only got into seven games this season for Stanford due to an oblique injury. He posted a 5.82 ERA in 21.2 innings with 25 strikeouts.

It is important to note that in the MLB Draft, teams are not drafting for college statistics. They are drafting traits and tools, and Keenan has traits. At the MLB Combine, he sat 96-99 mph with 19 inches of induced vertical break on his fastball and threw a mid-80s slider, low-90s changeup and a cutter. He has not been a consistent strike thrower, likely profiling as a reliever at the next level. The Mets could try him as a starter to begin his pro career just to get innings under his belt.

In the eighth round, the Mets took Ole Miss right-hander Landon Koenig. Koenig is from Mayville, North Dakota, a town with a population under 2,000. He attended North Dakota State before transferring to Ole Miss for his final season where his swing and miss took a big step forward pitching out of the Rebels’ bullpen.

In 2025 at NDSU, Koenig struck out 8.9 batters-per-nine. In 2026 at Ole Miss, that number spiked to 13.1 strikeouts-per-nine. The physical 6-foot-6, 245-pounder is a pure power reliever who sat 95-96 mph on his fastball and touched 98 with a hard slider and splitter. 

In the ninth round, the Mets drafted someone who will be catching all these pitchers in Cal Poly catcher Ryan Tayman. Tayman is an offensive minded catcher who was named the Most Outstanding Player in the Los Angeles regionals in Cal Poly’s run to the Super Regionals in 2026.

Tayman hit .357/.447/.672 with 18 home runs in 63 games for the Mustangs. He dominated fastballs, even high velocity ones in 2026. The questions are with handling breaking balls as well as the feasibility to stick behind the plate as a catcher long-term. 

The Mets closed out the top 10 rounds with their second Ivy Leaguer drafted in the last two years in Dartmouth right-hander Nate Isler. Last year they took Truman Pauley in the 12th round out of Harvard, who was traded last winter to the Chicago White Sox in the deal for Luis Robert Jr.

Isler posted a 4.85 ERA in 65 innings with 80 strikeouts for the Big Green. The 6-foot-6, 235-pound right-hander has a four-pitch mix, with a fastball up to 96, a curveball, slider and changeup, according to MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo.

The MLB Draft as a concept is in a lot of ways a giant dart throw. Rounds 11-20 are the ultimate dart throws. Some of the Mets late picks that stood out to me: 

11th rounder, Arkansas outfielder Kuhio Aloy. He is the younger brother of Orioles 2025 first-rounder Wehiwa. Aloy has plus-raw power, it comes with swing and miss, but he hit a 97 mph fastball 469 feet at 117 mph off the bat this year. On a personal note, on his bio on Arkansas’ website, it says he can hit a golf ball 400 yards. I am quite jealous.

12th rounder, UC Santa Barbara right-hander AJ Krodel who has a low-90s fastball that will touch 96 mph with excellent shape. His primary secondaries are a sweeper and changeup that will flash plus at times while mixing in a curveball. Baseball America called him a player development opportunity.

13th rounder, catcher Jacob Madrid from Notre Dame high school in California. Notre Dame high school is the alma mater of Hunter Greene of the Cincinnati Reds and Giancarlo Stanton of the Yankees. The Oregon commit is considered a plus-defensive catcher, being lauded as one of the best defensive catchers in the entire class with both a strong and accurate throwing arm. 

He has some raw power, and a scout told MLB Pipeline “if he hits at all, he’s a big leaguer”. It remains to be seen if Madrid is signable. The deadline to sign draft picks is July 27 at 5 p.m. ET.

Given the Mets had the third smallest bonus pool in the league this year due to their first pick dropping 10 spots and losing two selections for the signing of Bo Bichette, I think the Mets fared well in this draft. I’d give it a solid B, bordering on B+. They went heavy with college talent, but not just the “they are what they are” type of college players, but ones where there is a vision for squeezing more potential out of.

They drafted some intriguing arms with big power stuff that may need some harnessing that are now in the hands of the player development staff that over the last three years has done an excellent job of developing pitchers. Despite some inconsistent results on the farm in 2026, they are still considered among the best pitching development groups in the sport.

The most exciting part about the MLB Draft is you never know when a prospect can be the next impact player for the Mets. They can come from any round and any signing bonus amount. While what they did in college and high school matters, their professional story begins now.

If I can just rant about something, MLB knows that one of the things that draws in younger fans is the idea of new, young talent coming into the game. So why do we then play the Futures Game on a Sunday morning (OK, early afternoon Eastern Time) opposite an entire slate of MLB games and the Draft? And why is it only seven innings?

Futures Game

The American League beat the National League 6-1.

Josiah Hartshorn played right field and got two at-bats. He grounded out to first and he ended the game in the bottom of the seventh with a fly out to center field.

Mason McGwire faced two batters in the seventh inning. He hit the first one and then sent him to second on a wild pitch. He then struck out the next batter on a 96.3 mph fastball. McGwire then left the game and the runner on second scored and was charged to McGwire.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were excommunicated by the St. Paul Saints (Twins), 5-4.

Jordan Wicks started and took the loss after he allowed two runs on four hits over three innings. The good news was that Wicks struck out five and walked no one, although he did hit one batter.

Center fielder James Triantos hit a solo home run in the second inning, his seventh on the year. Triantos went 2 for 4 with the double and the home run.

DH Moisés Ballesteros cracked a two-run home run in the fifth. Ballesteros was 2 for 3 with two walks.

Triantos’ home run.

James Triantos has matched his career high for home runs in a season! pic.twitter.com/2Us3oCZSYo

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) July 12, 2026

Mo Baller goes just to the right of dead center.

BALLY BOMB! pic.twitter.com/g00gfAjUQe

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) July 12, 2026

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies were cracked by the Biloxi Shuckers (Brewers), 3-1.

Brody McCullough had been on the injured list since April 0f 2024. Today he was activated by the Smokies and got the start. He didn’t pitch poorly, but he still got the loss after allowing two runs on two hits over four innings. Both runs scored on a two-run home run in the third inning by Blake Burke. One of the two runs was unearned. McCullough struck out four and walked two, but he also hit three batters.

Right fielder Alex Ramírez singled home first baseman Drew Bowser with the only Smokies run of the game. Ramírez was 1 for 4. Bowser went 0 for 2 and he was hit by a pitch.

The Smokies managed just three singles.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs popped the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Twins), 5-2.

Jostin Florentino started his first game in almost two weeks. He was very strong, surrendering just one run on two hits over four innings. The one run came on a solo home run. Florentino struck out six and walked just one.

Eli Jerzembeck pitched the next two innings, didn’t allow a run and collected the win. Jerzembeck surrendered one hit. He didn’t walk anyone and struck out one.

Cole Reynolds got a three-inning save. Reynolds gave up one run on one hit and one walk. He struck out one.

Center fielder Kane Kepley scored a run in the sixth inning and hit an RBI triple in the seventh. He went 1 for 3 with the triple and a walk.

Second baseman Michael Halquist was 1 for 3 with a double and a walk. He scored once.

Kepley’s triple.

Have a day, Kep!#SBCubspic.twitter.com/S8j3qC5K33

— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) July 12, 2026

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were vetoed by the Fredericksburg Nationals, 8-6.

Starter David Avita took the loss after getting knocked around for four runs on give hits over three innings. He walked two and struck out one.

The Pelicans were trailing the FredNats 8-0 going into the bottom of the ninth and they managed to score six times and get the tying run to the plate. Left fielder Ethan Conrad hit a two-run home run, his second on the year and first with the Pelicans. Conrad went 1 for 4 with a walk.

Catcher Ivan Cespedes was a perfect 2 for 2 with a a double and two walks. He scored on a wild pitch.

First baseman Edward Vargas hit a two-run double in the ninth. He went 2 for 4 and also scored on Conrad’s home run.

Third baseman Derniche Valdez was 2 for 5.

Conrad’s home run [VIDEO]

ACL Cubs

Off day.

You might have missed it because MLB is terrible at marketing its own product, but today was the Futures Game, the de facto All-Star game for minor-leaguers. It was also the second day of the MLB Draft, covering sixteen rounds in a single day, and the final day of the Mariners’ current Road Trip From Hell, all conveniently happening at the same time – early on a Sunday here on the west coast. Like, 9 AM early. And also streamed on Peacock. Apparently while a helicopter hovered overhead directly next to the on-field mics. So it’s actually more surprising if you did watch the American League prospects defeat the National League prospects, 6-1.

If you did tune in, hopefully it wasn’t too late, because Kade Anderson appeared in the game for a flash. He was the AL squad’s starting pitcher, and needed just ten pitches for his first and only inning of work. The box score will tell you that Anderson threw six of his ten pitches for strikes and the box score is a liar, because HP umpire Alex Shears engaged in a bit of nominative determinism and clipped Anderson for two pitches at the bottom of the zone that should have been ruled strikes.

Anderson’s outing will likely be overlooked in favor of Pirates prospect Seth Hernandez – who might have been a Mariner if the Angels had actually taken Anderson as everyone expected them to instead of whatever it was they did in the 2025 draft – as Hernandez had a clean 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts where his fastball touched 101 mph. Big stuff, very nasty (was gifted a strike call outside the zone, not that I’m counting).

But Anderson was a quiet assassin on the mound, a model of efficiency cutting through the top of the NL lineup. He elicited a weak contact popout from leadoff hitter Eli Willits of the Nationals on the second pitch of his at-bat on a perfectly located fastball up and in. Anderson fell behind his next hitter, the Rockies’ Roldy Brito, 2-1, as he couldn’t quite get the feel for his changeup, but then dropped in a slider Brito swung over for a weak contact comebacker cleanly fielded by Anderson. The Brewers’ Jesús Made ruined what should have been a clean 1-2-3 inning for Anderson, swinging at a 95 mph fastball in at his knees in a 1-1 count (should have been an 0-2 count) and managing to parachute it weakly into right field, where it dropped into no-man’s-land between the second baseman and right fielder. But Anderson recovered against Rockies prospect Charlie Condon, getting a first pitch flyout on a slider that was actually the hardest hit ball all day against Anderson at 97 mph. Maybe it’s a factor of pitching at Dickey-Stephens Park, but Anderson seemed to know without turning around that the ball was destined for an outfielder’s glove.

It was a stark contrast for Anderson from his last national showcase outing, the Spring Breakout game this spring training. The spring game between the Mariners and Brewers drew a lot of national attention, with one of the densest collections of Top-100 prospects in baseball, and Anderson did not perform well on the big stage. The normally pinpoint command Anderson walked an unheard-of four hitters in two-plus innings of work, struggling to land his fastball and falling behind in counts. He left pitches on the plate that got damaged, most notably a three-run homer on a hanging slider. It was a poor enough performance that it seemed to affect his prospect stock, with certain national prospect writers and fans alike quick to anoint Ryan Sloan – who pitched three perfect innings to open the game – the true ace of Seattle’s system.

Anderson has sufficiently silenced those critics as he’s torn through the Double-A level this year, obliterating hitters with his same strikeout stuff while actually cutting down his walk rate from college, making it easy to write off the spring breakout performance to the triple-digit Arizona heat and the fact that Anderson, a creature of routine, wasn’t the day’s starter. His performance in today’s Futures Game is an exclamation mark on what’s been a truly extraordinary first professional season for him, and an opportunity to stake a claim as one of the best pitching prospects in the game.

The thrill of having a two-headed pitching monster in the Futures Game means Mariners fans had to wait until the fifth inning of this seven-inning contest to see another Mariners prospect. Ryan Sloan came on in the fifth with the AL leading 6-1 and had to fight a little harder against the NL hitters. In a flip-flop from the spring breakout game, this time it was Sloan who seemed to have a little trouble with fastball command, pumping plus velocity – he was up to 100 mph on his fastball – but missing with it out of the zone.

Sloan had to battle his first hitter, Cubs top prospect Josiah Hartshorn, for seven pitches before dropping in a cutter for a groundout; the cutter was his friend again for a first-pitch groundout with his second hitter, the Giants’ Gavin Kilen. In a 1-1 count, Sloan tried to go back to the off-speed again against another Giants hitter, Dakota Johnson, who was coming in on a heater after a three-homer game for Eugene on Friday. Johnson caught a sweeper that got too much plate and was able to knock it down the left field line for a line-drive double (97.4 mph EV, not softly hit but not exactly the “laser” described on the broadcast). Sloan recovered to hang a zero for the inning, but it wasn’t easy against the Brewers’ Jesus Made – part of the same spring breakout lineup Sloan dominated this spring – who battled him for six pitches before flying out on a sweeper in on his hands. Like Anderson, Sloan also signaled for the inning-ending flyout, but couldn’t help but watch it to make sure it got caught:

It wasn’t the sharpest inning for Sloan but it was an exciting opportunity to benchmark the Sloan of the early spring against the Sloan of today. This spring, Sloan leaned almost exclusively on his heater, using it to annihilate the Brewers hitters. Today, lacking his usual fastball command, he was able to dig into a deeper arsenal, showcasing his cutter, sweeper, and changeup (Gameday is labeling it a splitter).

It’s been more of an up-and-down season for Sloan at Double-A this season – as one would expect for a pitcher as young as he is being challenged at the level – but he’s continuing to build volume and efficiency while still developing his arsenal and gaining experience against more advanced hitters, several of whom he saw up close at today’s event.

Right-hander Alex Petrovic grew up in Cypress, Texas, a suburb of Houston, the son of parents who played basketball at Oberlin College. Alex’s physical gifts manifested themselves on the baseball diamond rather than the basketball court, and the youngster quickly began standing out on the sandlots around Texas. He attended Concordia Lutheran High School in Tomball, Texas, where he dominated as both a hitter and a pitch, earning TAPPS First Team All-State honors in 2022 and 2023. Inflammation in his right arm kept him off of the mound for the majority of his senior year, and may have cost him a selection in the 2023 MLB Draft; despite solid results, Petrovic was not considered an elite talent, and he ended up going undrafted, leading him to honor his commitment to Auburn University.

His career with the Tigers began inauspiciously, as the inflammation in his arm returned that fall. It calmed down to the point that, when the spring began, the right-hander was able to take the mound for his new team after missing the first three weeks of the season. Appearing in 7 games for Auburn, Petrovic allowed 7 earned runs in 11.0 innings, good for a 5.73 ERA, giving up 15 hits, walking 3, and striking out 17. There is a chance that the right-hander might have improved as the weather continued warming, but Petrovic sustained a stress fracture in his right elbow in early April, ending his season prematurely.

The right-hander had surgery on his elbow, having screws inserted into it, and returned to the mound at Plainsman Park for the 2025 season. Improbably, the exact same thing almost happened a second year in a row. The right-hander appeared in 7 games, starting 5, and posted a 4.34 ERA in 18.2 innings, allowing 13 hits, walking 4, and striking out 25, but once again, an injury on a different spot on his arm sustained in early April ended his season early. His velocity had backed up from the low-90s into the high-80s and his breaking balls did not look as sharp, and it was only a matter of time before something in his arm went off. A draft-eligible sophomore because of his age, Petrovic did not hear his name called in the 2025 MLB Draft.

When his arm felt better later that summer, the right-hander went to a baseball training facility in Lakeland, Florida- the Florida Base ARMory- and worked on making subtle changing his mechanics to put less stress on his arm and elbow and hopefully prevent a third-consecutive season-ending injury in 2026.

The 22-year-old returned to Auburn for his redshirt sophomore season armed with new mechanics and not only was he able to make it through the entire year without an injury, but Petrovic also had a very solid season. His fastball having gained a few ticks from the mechanical changes that were made and his secondary stuff looking sharper, he appeared in 17 games, starting all of them, and posted a 3.21 ERA in 92.2 innings, allowing 70 hits, walking 24, and striking out 92.

Standing 6’5” and weighing 235-pounds, the big Serbian is well-proportioned and athletic, not exactly striking an imposing figure. Likewise, his stuff is not exactly imposing, but it got the job done, as the right-hander was one of the best SEC pitchers in 2026. Petrovic throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot, working exclusively from the stretch with a high leg kick and long arm action through the back, throwing with downhill plane, getting good extension. Petrovic is a strike thrower, commanding his arsenal well and pounding the strike zone. He throws a four-seam fastball, circle changeup, sweeping slider and cutter.

Prior to the 2026, while he was pitching compromised and/or in pain, his fastball sat in the low-90s, often backing up into the high-80s. In 2026, the pitch was sitting more in the low-to-mid-90s, reportedly hitting as high as 96 MPH. In addition, the pitch featured above-average spin rates between 2400-2500 RPM, giving the pitch as much as 18 inches of induced vertical break, a well above-average, borderline elite measurement.

His changeup is his go-to secondary pitch, a high-70s-to-low-80s offering that features a high spin rate, giving it a ton of fade when he is able to turn the ball over properly in addition to . The pitch tunnels extremely well with his fastball, and the pitch gets a fair amount of whiffs against left-handed batters and right-handed batters alike. Thanks to the amount of run the pitch has, Petrovic can sometimes have trouble commanding it and can get gun shy about using it when behind in the count or with runners on base.

The right-hander’s sweeping slider sits in the high-70s-to-low-80s, while his cutter sits in the low-to-mid-80s. At present, his slider is a bit more advanced than his cutter, with the pitch being more likely to develop into an average offering; at present, the pitch relies more on big loopy movement rather than bite and batters going fishing for it outside of the strike zone, particularly right-handed batters.

While not exactly a groundball machine, Petrovic posted a strong 44.2% groundball rate in 2026, a consequence of batters making poor contact with his fastball, changeup, and slider.