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.
Florida Complex League Yankees:W, 3-2 (7) vs. FCL Phillies
3B Richard Matic 0-4, 3 K DH George Lombard Jr. 1-2, HR, RBI, BB, CS — first AB back was a dinger! RF Wilberson De Pena 0-3, 2 K C Queni Pineda 1-2, BB, passed ball 2B Leni Done 1-3, 3B, RBI, 2 K CF Jose Castro 0-3, 2 K LF Francisco Vilorio 0-3, 2 K SS Dexters Peralta 0-3, 2 K 1B Justin Capellan 1-3
Anthony Mena 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 HR Sunayro Martina 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 4 K (win)
🚨George Lombard Jr CRUSHES 2nd pitch of his rehab for a solo shot!
Dominican Summer League Bombers:L, 16-10 at DSL Phillies — between this scoreline and the line for the DSL Yanks, the DSL is clearly a land of contrasts
2B Dariel Santana 1-4, RBI, BB C Alessandro Rodriguez 0-2, RBI, BB, SF, throwing error SS Carlos Bello 1-5, RBI, K, fielding error DH Kenneth Melendez 1-3, 2B, 2 BB RF David Carrera 0-1, 3 BB 1B Poly Ojeda 2-4, 2B, RBI, K, fielding error 3B Germayhoni Beltre 1-3, 2 RBI, 2 BB, SB, two throwing errors LF Sebastian Pinto 0-3, RBI, BB, K, SF CF Alfiery Matos 1-3, 2B, 2 BB, K, SB, CS
Randy Angomas 0.1 IP, 3 H, 7 R (2 ER), 4 BB, 1 K (loss) — poor Randy has had a rough go of it, with 5+ runs allowed in five of seven starts Breidy Adames 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K Oscar Vasquez 2 IP, 3 H, 4 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR Mauricio Vargas 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K Josue Silvestre 2.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 2 K Andre Avila 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Jul 13, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (35) before the home run derby at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
How are you spending your four days off from Orioles baseball (assuming you hadn’t already bailed on Orioles baseball by, like, May)? Me, I’m going to take care of important things around the house, by which I mean catching up on TV. I’m still working my way through the Fallout season that ended in February, so there’s a hefty backlog.
Of course, there’s still baseball to enjoy if you’d like to do so. The MLB All-Star Game is tonight at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, airing on Fox at 8:00. It’ll be the usual fun showcase featuring the majors’ biggest stars, but unfortunately precious few Orioles. The Birds’ lone representative, Adley Rutschman, will be among the American League reserves, so we should see him come in midway through the game.
Rutschman is a deserving All-Star, but the fact that he’s the Orioles’ only one is kind of a bummer. I know this season hasn’t gone particularly well for the Birds, but it’s not as if they just have one good player. There are worse AL teams with more representatives. Fellow sub-.500 teams like the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Twins, and Tigers all have multiple All-Stars. Even the lowly Royals and Athletics have two apiece.
I’m a little surprised that Pete Alonso didn’t get selected to the team, especially after a fellow first baseman, the Athletics’ Nick Kurtz, bowed out with injury. The Polar Bear is already a five-time All-Star and is putting up another strong year in his Orioles debut. But I suppose the AL is stacked with first basemen even without Kurtz (and the fan-voted starter, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who also won’t be playing), as Boston’s Willson Contreras, the Yankees’ Ben Rice, and White Sox rookie Munetaka Murakami are already on the roster. At the very least, I would’ve liked to see Alonso participate in the Home Run Derby, which he has won twice in his career (including a defeat of the Orioles’ Trey Mancini in 2021, which was annoying at the time).
Still, the 2026 Orioles’ fate won’t be decided by how many guys they’ve got playing in the All-Star Game. They’ve got 65 more games of baseball to play when the season resumes on Friday. And with a little momentum on their side after heading into the break on a four-game winning streak, they’re going to need to stay hot for pretty much the entire second half to stay in contention. So let’s hope that Adley enjoys his time at the Midsummer Classic, and that the rest of the team gets a nice breather and comes back ready to win a lot of games.
There aren’t normally a lot of stolen base attempts in the All-Star Game anyway, but I don’t think the National League will dare try it when Adley is behind the dish.
The O’s acquired Cam Sanders, and before you ask, no, he’s not a third baseman, and he’s not even joining the major league roster. We’ll have to wait another couple days to find out who Blaze Alexander’s replacement will be.
Alexander called out Lucas Erceg for quick-pitching him on the fateful HBP, and got in a dig on Vinnie Pasquantino for good measure. Blaze’s troll game is on point.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! And there’s a good chance that you used to play for the Orioles, because a whopping nine players in O’s history were born on July 14. I would venture a guess that that’s more O’s birthdays than any other date on the calendar, but I’m not going to do the legwork of looking it up.
That lengthy birthday list includes three players currently active in the majors or minors: infielders Joey Ortiz (28) and Andrew Velazquez (32) and right-hander Isaac Mattson (31). It also includes the Orioles’ most recent Cy Young Award winner, right-hander Steve Stone (79). Other ex-Orioles born on July 14 include infielders Bernie Castro (47), Victor Rodríguez (65), and Billy Smith (73); outfielder Derrick May (58); and the late catcher Earl Williams (b. 1948, d. 2013).
On this date in 2012, the Orioles pulled off a wild win in a season full of them with an 8-6 walkoff against the Tigers at Camden Yards. After closer Jim Johnson blew a 4-1 lead in the ninth to allow Detroit to tie, the Tigers took a 5-4 lead in the top of the 11th, only for Adam Jones to deliver a two-out RBI single to tie it in the bottom half. The Orioles fell behind again in the 13th, but J.J Hardy promptly tied the score with a solo homer, and light-hitting backup catcher Taylor Teagarden — making his team debut — played the hero with a walkoff two-run blast. It was the Birds’ 10th consecutive extra-innings win, a streak that would eventually reach 16.
And on this day in 2019, the Orioles nearly became the victims of the first combined perfect game in MLB history, as two Rays pitchers — Ryne Stanek and Ryan Yarbrough — combined to retire the first 24 batters of the game. Hanser Alberto finally broke up the perfecto in the ninth with a leadoff single. The O’s lost, 4-1.
Random Orioles game of the day
On July 14, 1973, the Orioles beat the White Sox, 5-4, in Chicago. The O’s pounded out 12 hits, including three from DH Tommy Davis and a homer by Paul Blair. Earl Williams, on his 25th birthday, contributed two RBIs. Hall of Famer Jim Palmer worked eight strong innings for the win, but gave up three runs in the ninth before reliever Bob Reynolds escaped a bases-loaded jam on a game-ending double play.
MESA, ARIZONA - MARCH 22, 2026: José Anderson #97 of the Milwaukee Brewers in the field during the seventh inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Athletics at Hohokam Stadium on March 22, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Welcome back to the Minor League Roundup!
As a reminder, you can find this roundup — covering everything you need to know about each of the Brewers’ minor league affiliates — every Tuesday morning right here on Brew Crew Ball. For consistency, all organizational prospect rankings will reference MLB Pipeline unless otherwise noted.
Triple-A Nashville Sounds
Current record: 53-38 Record this week: 3-3 This week’s opponent: @ Charlotte Knights Next week’s opponent: vs. Norfolk Tides
Standout performances: Luke Adams: 7-for-15, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 1 K Tyler Black: 7-for-16, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 6 BB, 4 K Ethan Murray: 8-for-19, 1 2B, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 4 K Thomas Pannone: 6.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
With Luis Lara and Cooper Pratt now in the big leagues, the Sounds are down to just one Top 100 prospect in Jett Williams, who appeared in only one game this week. Nashville still features Luke Adams and Jeferson Quero (7-for-24), both of whom continued to produce, but the promotions of Lara and Pratt have opened up more playing time for some of the organization’s less-heralded players — and they’ve taken advantage.
Four Sounds hitters batted over .400 this week. One was Adams. The other three? Ethan Murray, Darrien Miller, and Tyler Black. None are currently considered to be among the Brewers’ top 30 prospects (though Black once was), but all three have played an important role in Nashville’s success. Murray is hitting .272 with a .712 OPS on the season, while Black owns a .781 OPS and has continued to show the on-base skills that earned him opportunities in the majors. Miller has only been in Triple-A for a few weeks after earning a promotion on June 27, but before leaving Biloxi he posted a .943 OPS with the Shuckers.
— Nashville Sounds (@nashvillesounds) July 9, 2026
A lot of attention naturally goes to the organization’s biggest names, but weeks like this are a reminder that a healthy farm system needs more than just blue-chip prospects. Players like Murray, Miller, and Black may not generate the same headlines as guys like Lara and Pratt, but they’ve consistently produced, helped their clubs win games, and provided the kind of depth that allows top prospects to develop in competitive environments. Not every player has to become a star to play an important role in the organization’s success.
The offense carried the Sounds this week, but the pitching staff had a much tougher time. Only four pitchers logged more than three innings: Coleman Crow, Carlos Rodriguez, Gerson Garabito, and Thomas Pannone. Pannone was the lone bright spot, holding the Charlotte Knights to two earned runs over six innings. The other three, however, struggled.
Crow, who recently completed his rehab assignment and was optioned back to Triple-A, allowed four runs on four hits and two walks over 3 1/3 innings. Rodriguez made two appearances as an opener, surrendering eight runs (four earned) in 4 1/3 innings, while Garabito was tagged for seven earned runs across five innings.
Tyson Hardin also turned in a solid outing, allowing one earned run on two hits over three innings while striking out three. His ERA is now down to 3.63 through his first 10 Triple-A starts.
Double-A Biloxi Shuckers
Current record: 46-37 Record this week: 3-3 This week’s opponent: @ Knoxville Smokies Next week’s opponent: vs. Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Standout performances:
Matthew Wood: 5-for-13, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 4 BB, 3 K Mike Boeve: 6-for-20, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 4 BB, 2 K Josh Adamczewski: 5-for-21, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 3 K Andrew Fischer: 5-for-21, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 4 BB, 10 K Jaron DeBerry: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 11 K Braylon Owens: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K Bishop Letson: 5.1 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
This part of the column is getting so predictable. Guess who this week’s standouts were? Yep: Josh Adamczewski, who had more hits than strikeouts yet again. Andrew Fischer, who racked up four extra-base hits, including another home run, despite striking out in nearly half of his at-bats. Mike Boeve hit .300 and walked more than he struck out. Rinse, repeat.
Adamczewski is now officially a top-100 prospect after MLB Pipeline updated its rankings. He wasn’t even a top-30 Brewers prospect at the start of last season. It’s been a meteoric rise for Milwaukee’s new No. 6 prospect, who has done nothing but hit since joining the organization. Frankly, the recognition from Pipeline feels overdue.
No baseball for a couple days.
Just wanted to show you guys a couple of #Brewers prospects (Andrew Fischer and Josh Adamczewski) who are absolutely MASHING in MiLB this year!
On the pitching side, Jaron DeBerry continues to impress. He hasn’t allowed more than three runs in a start since May 17—almost exactly two months ago. After that outing, his ERA sat north of six. Following this week’s seven-inning, two-hit, 11-strikeout gem, it’s all the way down to an even 4.00. Braylon Owens was excellent as well, allowing just one run on four hits over six innings.
Good news: Bishop Letson allowed three runs while striking out six over 5⅓ innings. Bad news: he also walked four and surrendered eight hits. As soon as Logan Henderson graduates, Letson will become the Brewers’ top pitching prospect, but he’s taken a step back in his first full season at Double-A. He owns a 4.62 ERA and a 4.91 BB/9, and the command has been inconsistent. If he can tighten that up, the stuff is still good enough to make him a successful major league starter.
Jesús Made and Blake Burke both went 3-for-20 this week, which happens. It’s baseball. Check back next week.
High-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
Current record: 46-33 Record this week: 3-3 This week’s opponent: vs. Beloit Sky Carp Next week’s opponent: vs. Quad Cities River Bandits
Standout performances:
Luiyin Alastre: 5-for-11, 2 2B, 0 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K Blayberg Diaz: 5-for-11, 0 RBI, 1 BB, 4 K Daniel Dickinson: 9-for-20, 2 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 7 BB, 6 K Tyler Rodriguez: 6-for-14, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 7 BB, 2 K Braylon Payne: 4-for-11, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K Wande Torres: 7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K Ethan Dorchies: 9.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 11 K Daniel Corniel: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K Garrett Hodges: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K Tanner Perry: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Wisconsin’s top performer this week was Daniel Dickinson, who turned in arguably his best performance of the season. The 2025 sixth-round pick went 9-for-20 (.450) with two doubles, three home runs, nine RBI, and seven walks, good for a ridiculous 1.593 OPS. Dickinson got off to a slow start in his professional career, but he’s quietly raised his OPS to .786 through his first 225 at-bats and is beginning to look like the polished college bat the Brewers thought they were drafting.
Daniel Dickinson won the Midwest League Player of the Week award 🏅
Dickinson had a 1.593 OPS on the week, getting on base more than half of his PA and smacking 3 home runs and 2 doubles 🔥
He has played all of his 72 games in High-A Wisconsin his first full professional season… pic.twitter.com/1cXUQiSvUt
— Brewers Player Development (@BrewersPD) July 13, 2026
Eric Bitonti struck out 10 times in 20 at-bats, but he also collected five hits — three of them home runs. Not bad. Some evaluators started to sour on Bitonti after his strikeout issues persisted this season, and while 109 strikeouts in 254 at-bats is still a glaring concern, he’s also hitting .264 with an .894 OPS and 15 home runs. Bitonti nearly fell out of the Brewers’ top 30 prospects before the latest rankings update, but he’s continuing to make adjustments at the plate. He’ll spend the rest of the season as a 20-year-old, so there’s no reason to rush the development of a player with this kind of raw power.
Bitonti is 20 years old still, he has 15 homers and an .896 OPS in High-A. He’s also been playing third base a lot more since Fischer went to Biloxi, and I still think that’s a position he can handle.
Braylon Payne continued his breakout campaign, going 4-for-11 with a home run and four RBI. At this point, he’s officially on promotion watch. Tyler Rodriguez also stayed hot, going 6-for-14 with seven walks against just two strikeouts. Through his first 11 games with Wisconsin, Rodriguez is hitting .368 with a .974 OPS. Listed as a shortstop, he’s spent this season exclusively in the outfield and at first base, making him another intriguing player to watch as he settles into High-A.
The pitching staff had plenty to celebrate this week as well. Wande Torres and Ethan Dorchies, both of whom have struggled at times this season, turned in their best outings of the year against Beloit. Torres tossed seven scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while walking nobody and striking out eight. Dorchies was nearly as impressive across two starts, surrendering just two earned runs over 9⅓ innings while striking out 11. Daniel Corniel also contributed four solid innings of one-run ball, while Garrett Hodges and Tanner Perry each chipped in quality performances to help Wisconsin secure the series win.
Single-A Wilson Warbirds
Current record: 47-38 Record this week: 4-1 This week’s opponent: vs. Fayetteville Woodpeckers Next week’s opponent: @ Hickory Crawdads
Standout performances:
Juan Ortuno: 6-for-15, 3 2B, 4 RBI, 5 BB, 4 K Brady Ebel: 5-for-14, 3 2B, 1 RBI, 6 BB, 1 K Alexander Frias: 6-for-18, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K Filippo Di Turi: 4-for-13, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 4 K Pedro Ibarguen: 4-for-13, 1 2B, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K Jarrette Bonet: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K Miqueas Mercedes: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 7 K Andrew Healy: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K Enderson Mercado: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K
Alexander Frias went 6-for-18 with a home run and eight RBIs, only striking out twice. After posting a .441 average in rookie ball, the 18-year-old is showing he belongs in full-season ball.
Brady Ebel, whose brother was drafted by the Brewers with the 25th pick in this weekend’s MLB Draft, notched three extra base hits and six walks while only striking out once. Juan Ortuño matched Ebel with six hits of his own while adding three doubles, four RBIs, and five walks, continuing a quietly productive season in Wilson. Filippo DiTuri and Pedro Ibarguen both also hit over .300 with four RBIs apiece.
The best performance of the week wasn’t any of those guys, but rather Jose Anderson. In true Jose Anderson form, Anderson had five hits this week, but four of them were home run — bringing him to 21, the most in the Carolina League.
Jose Anderson’s 2nd HR of the game and 20th of the season is a walk-off homer for Wilson
The strikeouts remain a big issue for him, but the power is definitely impressive pic.twitter.com/7yUtU67r6K
Led by the usual suspects, the pitching staff also turned in another strong week. Jarrette Bonet was dominant, striking out seven over four scoreless innings while allowing just three hits. Miqueas Mercedes went six innings of one-run ball, striking out seven, and Andrew Healy limited Fayetteville to one run over five innings. Enderson Mercado allowed nine batters to reach base over just 4 2/3 innings, but managed to escape while only allowing two runs.
Player of the Week
I’m giving this one to the only Brewers prospect to hit four home runs this week. No, it’s not Andrew Fischer again.
José Anderson is one of the more fascinating prospects in the system. The power is impossible to ignore — he’s already up to 21 home runs on the season, and his .752 OPS is respectable — but the swing-and-miss remains a major hurdle. Anderson has struck out 125 times in 328 plate appearances, good for a staggering 38% strikeout rate. Despite his OPS, he’s hitting under .200. That’s simply not sustainable as he climbs the minor league ladder.
Still, the raw tools are intriguing. Power like Anderson’s doesn’t grow on trees, and if the Brewers can help him make enough contact and refine his approach at the plate, there’s a legitimate player in there. I’d love to see him put it all together and eventually tap into that power in Milwaukee.
Most HR in the minors by players under the age of 20
Jose Anderson (MIL, A) – 18 HR Emil Morales (LAD, A+) – 17 HR Braylon Payne (MIL, A+) – 16 HR Nathan Flewelling (TB, A+) – 16 HR Eduardo Tait (MIN, A+) – 15 HR Ching-Hsien Ko (LAD, A) – 15 HR Josiah Hartshorn (CHC, A+) – 15 HR
Arber Xhekaj could have filed for arbitration, but he chose not to, and that’s likely part of the reason why Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes is getting calls about the gritty defenseman. According to BPM Sports and RG.org’s Marco D’Amico, multiple teams have called to enquire about the supersized defenseman. At 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, the blueliner of Albanian descent brings a special mix of skills to the table but is one of the victims of the congestion at the Habs’ blueline.
Clearly, the organization is aware of what it had in Xhekaj and what he can bring to the table, but there seems to be a bit of a disconnect between what the executives think about the eldest Xhekaj and what the bench boss thinks. While Hughes has always been firm about not wanting to trade him away, Martin St-Louis barely uses him when he dresses him. The big defender didn’t see a single game of action in the third round of the playoffs against the Carolina Hurricanes, and in his last game against the Buffalo Sabres, he spent only 1:52 on the ice.
While Xhekaj is a great teammate who never complains about the situation, the fact that he didn’t file for arbitration, which means he remains eligible to offer sheets, suggests he’d be willing to go somewhere where he’d see more action. The Canadiens already have four left-shot defensemen signed for the upcoming season in Mike Matheson, Lane Hutson, Kaiden Guhle and Jayden Struble. That’s not even taking into account the fact that Adam Engstrom is knocking on the big league’s door. Matheson, Hutson and Guhle are all signed long-term.
It would be easier for Xhekaj if he were a right-shot rear guard, but he isn’t, and he did look 100% comfortable when the Habs tried to play him on his off-side. Noah Dobson is the only right-shot who’s signed long-term with the Canadiens. The organization hopes that David Reinbacher will be able to graduate to the NHL this season, while Alex Carrier will be playing the last year of his deal. Russian right-shot prospect Bogdan Konyushkov has also been signed this offseason. While he will spend the season in the KHL, the plan is for him to come over afterwards, and he, too, could challenge for a spot in the lineup for the 2027-28 season.
It’s more than likely that Xhekaj’s representatives want to know what the plan is for him in the organization, but they’re not having the conversation with the right people. The GM can sign you to a contract, but he cannot guarantee how much ice time you will get. That’s up to the coach. It’s a tricky situation Xhekaj finds himself in. There’s no doubt that he likes the team and where it’s headed, especially since his brother could soon make the jump to the NHL, but if he thinks about his future as an NHL player, it may be better for him to land on a team that won’t be reluctant to both use and trust him.
The 2008 World Series MVP isn't captivated by Sánchez's velocity. Instead, his eyes are drawn to his mechanics: Every pitch that leaves the left-hander's hand looks nearly identical – a trait that has helped turn him into one of the National League's top starting pitchers.
"If I didn’t see him give the pitch, I would think they’re the same because his mechanics look the exact same," Hamels tells USA TODAY Sports of what he sees with Sánchez. "His arm action and his release point are the same. You can see the spin and it looks identical.
"There’s slight variations (in his mechanics), but you can’t see that with the human eye."
Sánchez is set to make his first All-Star Game start for the National League on Tuesday, July 14 at 8 p.m. ET in front of the hometown crowd at Citizens Bank Park.
Getting the nod from Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts makes Sánchez the first Phillies pitcher to start the Midsummer Classic since Roy Halladay in 2011, serving as a culminating moment for the Dominican Republic native’s rise in the Phillies organization.
"Pretty special, really exciting, even more so than being here at home," Sánchez said on Monday at All-Star Media Day. "I'm just super excited so I can come here tomorrow and just take it all in and enjoy it overall. … It's a result of a lot of discipline and a lot of hard work that we put throughout the season."
Sánchez’s journey began as a 16-year-old in the Tampa Bay Rays system after he was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2013. He was traded to the Phillies in 2019 for then-Phillies prospect Curtis Mead after the Rays did not add him to their 40-man roster.
It took a few spot starts and trips up and down from Triple-A Lehigh Valley before Sánchez earned a spot in the rotation. He ultimately had a breakout season in 2024, when he went 11-9 with a 3.32 ERA in 181⅔ innings after going 3-5 in 18 starts with a 3.44 ERA the year prior.
Since then, Sánchez has emerged as one of baseball’s top pitchers, finishing as the NL Cy Young Award runner-up last season – a race in which he’s once again firmly entrenched.
"A lot of guys are so focused on velocity and swing-and-miss and striving for that swing-and-miss. I feel like he’s just trying to throw strikes," Hamels said. "He’s not trying to nibble and he’s not trying to shy away from bats and barrels. He’s out there throwing strikes, being consistent in the zone and allowing his pitches to work."
Sánchez is 11-4 with a 2.62 ERA and 144 strikeouts – third-most in the majors – in 127⅓ innings pitched this season.
Hamels said with Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola anchoring down the rotation at the time, he believed it allowed Sánchez to just "be himself" and develop trust with his pitches as he gained more big-league experience and reps.
He also said he believes Sánchez being around Ranger Suárez – another left-handed, homegrown success for the Phillies, now with the Boston Red Sox – was just as beneficial. Suárez is not an overpowering arm but one that leans on command and pitch sequencing, something that Sánchez now mirrors.
"I really do think Sánchez watched that and realized, 'Wait a sec, I can do that too. I'm just going to do it with about four or five miles per hour more. Why would I overstress? Why do I try to overdo it?'" Hamels said.
"I think that's really helped him stay within his mechanics and stay within his arm slot and trusting the fact that whenever he is behind in a count, he can get out of it because he's seen guys do it with a little bit lesser sort of stuff."
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 16, 2026
That approach carried over into Sánchez's pitch mix. Rather than having a large arsenal, he has largely relied on three pitches: sinker, changeup and slider. With this simple approach, Sánchez doesn’t necessarily need to show off his velocity. That instead allows him to just throw strikes and be consistent in the zone.
"He’s not trying to get too complicated," Hamels said of Sánchez’s minimum-arsenal approach. "Because of that, it allows him to stay more fluid and be able to repeat his delivery because he’s not having to add different arm angles or different sorts of breaking pitches.
"He really does keep it simple."
Sánchez’s usage of the sinker, his fastball pitch, is slightly down this season from last year. He’s thrown it 42.4% of the time, compared to 46% from last season. But it's still effective, which Hamels attributes to Sanchez’s lengthy 6-foot-6 frame and position on the left-hand side of the mound toward first base.
"It’s coming at such a sharp angle that a lot of hitters are looking for the sinker but you don’t know the vertical drop and what type of run that it’s going to have," Hamels said. "It has more run and drop than I think most guys' sinkers do from that angle."
His changeup – which Kansas City Royals All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. called one of the best pitches in baseball – remains his bread-and-butter punch-out pitch, which Hamels believes is a byproduct of Sánchez recognizing hitters are OK with letting a changeup fool them in an at-bat – compared to letting a 90-plus-mph fastball blow by them.
"No one hits his combo," Roberts said on Monday during his news conference.
His whiff and chase rates are both up this season as well: He's in the 98th percentile of MLB pitchers with a 38.4% chase rate, while his whiff rate is in the 91st percentile (32.3%).
"Oh jeez. That's a sinker and a change that look exactly the same," Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman told USA TODAY Sports on Monday. "… It's just not a fun at-bat."
Freeman added with a joke: "When we don't draw him in a three-game series, I'm OK with that,"
Earlier this season, Sánchez ran a streak of 50⅔ scoreless innings that spanned six starts, a streak that ranks fifth all-time and finished nine innings short of topping Orel Hershiser's all-time record of 59.
In the midst of his streak, Sánchez broke the Phillies' longest scoreless streak record, previously owned by Grover Cleveland Alexander for 115 years. His 50⅔ scoreless innings are the most by a left-handed pitcher in MLB history, as well.
"That was so impressive," Hamels said. "We’ve never seen anything like that in a long time. So to get as close up to Orel Hershiser’s record in this day and age, that’s very difficult to do."
Hamels said Sánchez still has some room to evolve, including building up his "bag of tricks" and different sequences for the postseason, something of which he has encouraged the southpaw to work on in the bullpens that he has sat in.
"It’s just learning tricks," Hamels said. "… There’s so much research now going into trying to beat you that you have to then have some certain surprises that you can feel confident doing."
In the meantime, Sánchez will continue to prepare for his All-Star Game start and the second half, where he is one of the leading Cy Young contenders alongside the Milwaukee Brewers’ Jacob Misorowski.
It's a race Hamels believes Sánchez can separate himself from — if he keeps it simple.
"He’s good with what he’s doing," Hamels said. "If he consistently just keeps putting up the numbers, people are recognizing it now. … That’s where the votes come."
For the 96th time, the National League and American League will square off in the MLB All-Star Game, which will be played at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, as part of the ongoing America 250 celebration.
First pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 14.
The NL won last year's Midsummer Classic 7-6 after Kyle Schwarber went 3-for-3 in the home run swing-off tiebreaker. It hasn't beaten the AL in back-to-back All-Star Games since winning three in a row from 2010 through 2012.
Here's what to know:
What TV channel is the MLB All-Star Game on today?
Fox will broadcast Tuesday's MLB All-Star Game. Joe Davis and Hall of Famer John Smoltz will call the game from the booth at Citizens Bank Park, with Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci serving as field reporters.
Streaming options include the Fox Sports Go app (with a TV login) and Fubo, which carries Fox.
The first pitch for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game is set for 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 14.
MLB All-Star Game location
The 2026 MLB All-Star Game will take place at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies, in Philadelphia. It is the fifth time that the Midsummer Classic has come to the 215, and the first since 1996.
He is 10-4 this season and has struck out a video-game-like 167 hitters in his 18 starts in the first half, which is the most strikeouts for a pitcher before the All-Star break since Gerrit Cole (170) and Max Scherzer (181) in 2019.
If all that wasn't impressive enough, opponents are hitting just .148 against him in 2026.
Misiorowski, however, won't be pitching in Tuesday's MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, despite being named to the National League roster. So what gives?
Here's what to know about why Misiorowski won't be pitching in the 2026 Midsummer Classic:
MLB rules state a pitcher who starts on the final Sunday of the first half is ineligible to pitch in the All-Star Game two days later. Therefore, if Misiorowski had made his scheduled start on the final day before the All-Star break, he would have been ineligible for that reason. However, his ineligibility is strictly medically related, as Misiorowski is dealing with a small bout of fatigue, according to Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network.
"A little forearm stuff," Misiorowski said. "Nothing crazy. Just didn’t bounce back. A little quick on the days off between but nothing crazy. We also have this long break."
Added Brewers manager Pat Murphy: "He didn’t recover well. His arm doesn’t feel great. His body doesn’t feel great. There’s no imaging or any of that stuff going on. Just giving him a rest. We need some time away from throwing right now.
"He’s had a big load. We’re making that decision to give him a break. His throwing program today was a little clunky. We didn’t like what we saw and we’re going to hold him out."
Jacob Misiorowski stats
Misiorowski finished the first half of the season with a 10-4 record and a 1.62 ERA in 18 starts and 111 innings pitched. He leads all MLB pitchers with 167 strikeouts on the season.
Verlander was almost in utter disbelief that someone could seriously ask him the question.
“Justin, have you ever been pulled out of a perfect game or no-hitter in your career?"
Are you kidding?
“No,’’ he said. “It was never even a conversation. No!"
How could someone ask?"
This is a man who has pitched for 22 years, won three Cy Young awards, two World Series championships, an MVP award, been selected to 10 All-Star teams, and will have his plaque mounted in Cooperstown in six years.
Do you actually believe that he would allow a manager to pull him out of a game when he has the opportunity to make history?
“It's very hard," Verlander said in disgust, “for me to watch."
There was not a single pitcher who ever had a perfect game through six innings who was ever pulled from a game from 1901-2015.
In the last 10 years, it occurred three times.
It happened twice in four days last week.
Verlander can’t comprehend it, but then again, he has difficulty understanding how people actually believe that wins are overrated for starting pitchers, knowing the impact of individual victories.
‘‘I know that wins is a stat that people kind of are poo-pooing now,’’ Verlander says, “but you look around. Starting pitchers definitely don't go as deep in the game. They don't throw as many pitches. And because of that, wins are coming way down.
“I think maybe on a given year or a given day, the win isn't a great stat. But over time, if you consistently win baseball games, you're doing all of the things that you want as a starting pitcher. You're going deep. You're limiting runs. You're giving your team a chance. And if they start winning more often than not, then you're doing a good job.
“So maybe short term, I get it, but macro view, I think wins tell you a much larger picture.’’
Verlander, who won at least 15 games in 12 seasons, pitching more than 200 innings 12 times, badly wanted to win 300 games before he retired. He knew he could be the last 300-game winner in baseball history. Now, even with 266 victories, he wonders if anyone will ever win 250 again.
He’ll fall short of 4,000 strikeouts, but with 3,554, it’s still the eighth-most all-time, with only two current pitchers within 1,000 strikeouts of him.
Verlander, 43, the oldest athlete in North American team sports, doesn’t want to sound like he’s Bob Feller, and that the game stinks compared to how it was when he broke in on July 4, 2005, but man, are times different.
He worries about the game, too, particularly with the potential of a lengthy lockout on the horizon threatening the integrity of the 2027 season.
“Obviously, I want the players to to get what they're deserved," Verlander says, “but I think you want the game to just be in a great place. That's it.
“But I'm really worried about it, to be frank, because the game is, in my opinion, in a really great place. Its viewership is doing great. The fan bases are responding. ..Ultimately, the game's in a good place, and I would hate to see that get disrupted and lose momentum that we have, and the opportunity that we have to continue to grow the sport.
“There are so many reasons why I think a real work stoppage in losing games would be detrimental."
Simply, if the system ain’t broke, Verlander claims, why fix it?
“This current system must be working OK if the game is as popular and rising as it is, right?" Verlander says. “I don't see any shortage of people wanting to buy a MLB team, so it must be a decent investment, right? You know, people are fighting for the chance to buy an MLB team, so it can't be that bad."
Then again, Verlander says, nothing is like it used to be upon his arrival. When he came up and made his first All-Star Game at the age of 24, he was too scared to say a peep in the American League clubhouse, intimidated by the sight of Derek Jeter, Ichiro Suzuki, David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez, and not worrying about his brand or silly social media accounts.
Even today, he politely declines to talk about his future entrance into the Hall of Fame, or what cap he’d wear on his plaque.
When he came up and developed into one of the most dominant right-handed pitchers in the last 50 years, he never forgot to praise Nolan Ryan for being his all-time idol and the impact Kenny Rogers made on his career, even recommending the purchase of a designer bed to reduce his back woes.
“He just taught me how to be a professional," Verlander said. “He’d been in the game so long, and I just always admired the older players. Whenever I had a chance to speak to them, All-Star games or whatever, trying to absorb information, I would do it."
Well, here we are 20 years later, and Verlander is that man.
Verlander announced last week that he would retire after the season, and since the decision became official, Verlander has everyone from Bryce Harper and Mike Trout requesting autographed jerseys and balls, with others seeking advice.
“Looking forward to talking to him these next few days," Trout said. “He’s one of the toughest pitchers I ever faced. I was messing with him the other day when he said he’s retiring.
“I said, 'Bro, you threw me a slider, and I hit in in our bullpen. And the next 48 or 50 at-bats, I didn’t see one slider. And if he did, he bounced it.
“He’s just a competitor, one of the toughest I’ve ever faced. He’s going out strong.’’
This is why Verlander, who has made just one start this season, desperately wants to pitch again this year. He wants to step on that Comerica Park mound at least one more time. He still dreams of being on the mound in October, helping the Tigers win their first World Series since 1984.
“Look, it’s not like I'm sitting here saying like this is going to be it for the season," Verlander confidently says. “I wholeheartedly believe that I can come back and pitch, and hopefully pitch well on a team that has a chance to be in the playoffs. So, it's something I'm still working daily at.
“I got agonizingly close there. I made my like final rehab start, and then had my hamstring pop on me. You know, it's just like really frustrating. I'm trying to do everything I can and take the big picture.’’
He really didn’t want to retire, hoping to pitch until he’s 46 and he had those 300 wins, but his body simply wouldn’t cooperate. It was his hip that put him on the IL. Then, his hamstring.
“You know, I feel like I've been like plugging holes in a leaky boat," Verlander says. “I think the one thing I've done really well in my career is be objective about myself, and that's allowed me to adapt when I need to and be successful on the mound. I know what I need to do mechanically to be healthy and compete at this level, but my body's not letting me do that.’’
He also believes this might be the ideal time to leave, with the collective bargaining agreement expiring Dec. 1.
“Nobody knows what's going to happen at the beginning of next season,’’ Verlander says. “There's a lot of conversation about that. I just feel like it's the right time. And if I want to control my own destiny, which I do, I don't want to leave a game when I'm ready to go and not have the game force me out.’’
Now that he’s been sidelined since the first week of the season, selected to the All-Star Game by Commissioner Rob Manfred as one of his legend picks, it has allowed him time to reflect, knowing the end of a fabulous career and glorious era is ending.
“I think the game has changed a lot," Verlander says. “When I first came in, I think the average length of game wasn't long enough that the pitch clock was an issue. But I saw it evolve into games that were taking routinely three hours, 40 minutes, and the pitch clock has resolved that. That's been a great addition.
“I think the advent of analytics has positives and negatives. I have definitely benefited from it, but it it can become a crutch for people and organizations. ... That’s made a dramatic difference in the game."
And now, here he is, wondering where time has gone, while knowing his time is near.
“You know, it's such a blur while you're in it,’’ Verlander says, “and then you know you get towards the end and say, “Man, I wish I had enjoyed X, Y, and Z a little bit more. So, to have the opportunity to come back in this situation and really absorb it and know it's your last time, it's a really special feeling.
“I think it's cool for the game. Seeing some of the greats that I played against and admire for a long time. Just get the opportunity on a national stage to be sent off and be involved in the game again in a big way is a cool thing the commissioner did.’’
Now, for perhaps the final time on the national stage, Verlander has a chance to say good-bye, perhaps even getting an ovation to remember Tuesday night from the sellout crowd at Citizens Bank Park. He pitched in the American League all but two seasons but baseball fans know he played the right way, always respecting the game, with the game respecting him right back.
“It's hard for me to look back in hindsight and change anything," Verlander says. “I honestly believe that. I made some mistakes for sure, but that really is what led me to being where I am today, and I don't regret those things.
PHILADELPHIA — They will flock to Citizens Bank Park from both sides of the Delaware River, a contingent from Millville, New Jersey, taking I-76 over the Walt Whitman Bridge, another coming from the other direction on the interstate, or simply on surface streets from the proud territory the locals simply call Delco.
Mike Trout has secured 20 tickets for friends and family and knows many more will flock to Philly, intent on seeing the surefire Hall of Famer in what he acknowledges might be his goodbye to the All-Star Game.
Kevin McGonigle didn’t put a number on his ticket count, the Detroit Tigers’ outstanding rookie simply describing the entry fee to his inner circle for this, the first of what the baseball industry expects will be many Midsummer Classics for him.
“I want everyone here that helped me get here. I wouldn’t be in this seat without them,’ McGonigle said one day before the Tuesday, July 14 All-Star Game.
“I think they should take the whole experience in with me.”
This Brotherly Love All-Star Game will mark both joyful beginnings and wistful remembrances, the circle of baseball life connecting a first-time Tiger and a long-time Angel playing in his 12th, yet humbled by injury and the feeling of athletic mortality.
“I never take anything for granted in this game. You never know when your last game is, or when an injury can pop up,” says Trout, the three-time MVP with 422 career home runs yet with three seasons of 82 or fewer games played in his last five.
“Especially these last few years, it’s been tough for me. But I’m just excited. I’m honored to put on the jersey every day.”
It is also an ode to the Philly guy, a specimen typically brash and unyielding, their fandom for the Phillies and Eagles and Sixers and Flyers often crass, occasionally cruel.
Trout, he of the $427 million contract, has sat in the finest seats at Lincoln Financial Field for Eagles games, his 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame hard to miss in the end zone viewing area.
McGonigle? Heck, just four years ago, he was that Philly bro in the stands at the World Series in Citizens Bank Park, heartily heckling the Houston Astros alongside his high school buddies.
This week, he is American League teammates with one of those Astros – slugger Yordan Alvarez.
In their All-Star journeys, Trout, 34, and McGonigle, 21, each show how quickly life can come at you.
The ties that grind
The top prospects and showcase ponies of the modern era are usually bred in the Sun Belt, where high school ball starts in February, rainouts are infrequent and exposure is high.
This was not the life Trout and McGonigle lived.
An area scout had to convince the Angels to spend the 25th pick on Trout in 2009. McGonigle played tons of ball growing up, of course, but he says it was the buddies around him, not the reps, that made him who he is.
Trout has noticed the shared traits.
“He’s a stud,” says Trout of McGonigle. “I think being from the East Coast, we’re not playing year-round like the guys in Florida and Texas. I think that has something to do with it.
“You look at high schools, now they’re playing a lot of games. I just found out there’s kids in California that don’t even really go to school. They’re just home schooled and straight play baseball.
“That’s extreme to me. I went to class every day. After school day, had lunch and played games. It was a lot different.”
McGonigle comes from an almost entirely different baseball generation. But he can relate.
When he landed in Philly on Sunday after the Tigers finished the first half in Detroit, he was picked up at the airport by a friend and headed straight to Michael Anderson’s house.
McGonigle and Anderson are thick as thieves, and this was a big weekend. Not only was McGonigle arriving a conquering hero, but Anderson, who went on to play baseball at Penn State, was drafted that day, fifth round, Texas Rangers.
“I gave him a big hug,” says McGonigle. “He’s a big part of why I’m here today, the way we pushed ourselves growing up. To see him get drafted after everything he’s been through, is truly an inspiration to me.
“Hanging out and getting better with him was the biggest thing, growing up.”
It wasn’t just structured ball, but silly competitions: Whiffle ball, bike rides, or simply racing each other back to the car on the frequent occasions Anderson’s mother, Ellen – “She’s like a second mom to me,” says McGonigle – gave him a lift to a baseball game.
Now the dream is to “share a field one day” in the big leagues, says McGonigle.
They’re all part of the fabric that makes up Delaware County, a land just west of Philly proper that’s taken on a sense of place and pride all its own.
Former Phillie Mickey Morandini cuts promo adds for Delco, whose credo is that it’s “not just a location, it’s a lifestyle.” One of its unincorporated communities is Wawa, the actual home of the gas and convenience store synonymous with Philly.
The Delco flag can be spotted on tents and easy-ups dotting the Jersey shore; one ambitious tattoo artist, Roddie Cooper, once hoisted the flag in triumph at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, saying he had to “rep Delco for the rest of the world.”
Bryce Harper can relate. He and many Phillies have a T-shirt with the words “Clearwooder” on them, or how a Delco accent might pronounce the name of their Florida spring training site.
Harper’s a Philly guy going on seven seasons now and appreciates where the region's favorite sons came from.
“McGonigle,” says Harper, “has had a great career thus far. I said it the other day: I wish he was a Phillie just because he was from here and everything else. But he’s an amazing player.
“The other day, I asked him, ‘Where were you at in (the) ’22 (World Series)? You were in high school, still?’
"He said 'yeah, we were up in the stands yelling at all the other people for you.'"
It is something of a rite of passage. Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz, also a first-time All-Star, hails from Lancaster County, about 75 miles away, earning him the “Big Amish” nickname from teammates. But he considers himself a Philly bro, growing up going to a bevy of Phillies games, the most memorable a 2008 NL Division Series battle against Milwaukee.
“I was young,” says Kurtz, who was 5 years old at the time. “CC Sabathia was pitching against the Phillies, and the whole crowd was chanting, ‘CC sucks!’ and I started chanting it.
“And my dad said, ‘This is a bad word.’ That’s a moment I’ve come to remember right away.”
Now 6-5 and 240 pounds, Kurtz was a baseball prodigy, on the Team USA pipeline as a youngster and he eventually attended boarding school in Tennessee to get more ball in. But he knows the kind of player it takes to get out of Philly and its surrounding environs.
“You gotta be grindy,” he says. “There’s bad weather, you don’t know what you’re getting that day. It’s kind of part of who we are growing up here.
“It’s not a clean, nice city. It’s gritty and grindy and that’s the reasons you love it.”
McGonigle attended a parochial school in Delaware County, playing in a league where there was “a lot of trash talking, a lot of stuff like that, but that’s what made it fun.”
With 99 hits in 93 games for the Tigers, along with an .812 OPS and an absurd 4.7 WAR, McGonigle, an infielder, can work out with whomever and wherever he wants. Yet for now, he still stays on his grind in the area, and believes there’s something in the, um, wooder where he grew up.
“I think the East Coast guys, with the winter, being stuck inside training – I think it helped me,” he says. “It gave me a little more edge to get better, surrounding myself with the right group of guys from this area – Delaware County area. Blue collar as everyone knows.
“It took me a lot to get to where I am today. And Delco helped me a lot.”
An appointment at the Bank
Trout grew up on the Jersey side of things, coached by his dad Jeff, a minor leaguer from Millville who raised his family there. While Harper was the anointed superstar from the time he was 16, Trout was a bolt out of the Mid-Atlantic, debuting at 19 like Harper.
They played in their first All-Star Games in 2012, several children and a few baseball lifetimes ago.
“I love Mike, man. We played Fall League together, became friends. It’s great to see him back and healthy,” says Harper of Trout, who has avoided serious injury but recovered from a hamstring hiccup to make the AL squad. “We all pull for him in the league, because we know how talented he is, and how good he is.
“So anytime he’s able to get on a national stage – he’ll probably go deep tomorrow, I’d imagine, because that’s who he is – and it’s a lot of fun to see a guy like that be able to do it in his hometown of Philly.”
McGonigle was 8 years old when Trout made his first All-Star Game. This week, they will share a clubhouse, and McGonigle has not forgotten the example Trout long ago provided.
“Seeing that inspired me to get better each day,” says McGonigle. “The work ethic he puts in and being from this area is really cool.”
He has already passed the torch in some ways. During Trout’s early, electric years with the Angels, fans from Millville and surrounding areas would invade nearby ballparks, largely Baltimore’s Camden Yards and Citizens Bank for the rare Angels appearance in Philadelphia.
The Trout 27s would be impossible to miss.
Now, it is McGonigle’s No. 7 that could be seen in the seats of Camden Yards or on the streets and nearby pubs surrounding the stadium. Life goes on.
Trout said scoring 20 All-Star tickets is “a lot,” given that other players will almost certainly use their allotment. In a sense, it’s fortuitous this date in Philly and Trout’s health and performance – he has 18 homers and an .863 OPS – aligned.
“I know a lot of people that are coming,” he said. “It’s been on the calendar a while.”
Not so much for McGonigle. He debuted with three hits on Opening Day and has only turbocharged his rookie season since. Suddenly, the hometown All-Star Game was on the horizon and then an almost certainty.
Now, the kid who idolized Chase Utley will take to his infield grass, surrounded by the greatest players in the world, a group he now counts as peers.
“First game in the Bank is gonna be an All-Star Game?” he asks.
