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Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in White Sox fans and fans across the country.

It might not be the best time to ask this, as the White Sox have been just a 50/50 team so far in the second half, but this week we’re looking ahead to where the team finishes in the playoff race. As of now, the White Sox are sitting pretty, 2 ½ games up in the AL Central. And by virtue of the AL West being dog food, that first-place positioning means the White Sox are the AL’s No. 2 seed despite only the fourth-best record.

But, with 31 games remaining, will the White Sox be able to keep their loftly placement? Everything (but, realistically, getting hot and taking over the No. 1 seed) is on the table:

For most of this season, the only National Leaguers who seemed to be getting any play when it came to the Rookie of the Year talk were Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt and Reds catcher Sal Stewart.

They were the ones who started hot, were being covered the most, and whose betting odds were far and away the best.

We wrote last week about why that was curious, as we detailed the serious candidacy of Mets right fielder Carson Benge, who has remained on fire in the week since. 

On Aug, 18, Benge's odds to win the award (via BetMGM) were +1400. Now, his odds are up to +650. He's still not being properly recognized, but that's an argument for another day.

Today's argument is for Mets right-hander Nolan McLean, who has surged into the conversation -- perhaps because it became apparent that two uncharacteristically bad starts three months ago shouldn't define his season.

McLean is still tinkering with his pitch mix while working to harness his otherworldly stuff. His arsenal includes three fastball variations, a curve, a changeup, and a sweeper, and he has fought himself at times this season as he works his way into games. 

As he decides which of his pitches to rely on most, McLean's two-seam and four-seam fastball usage has ticked up while he has used his sweeper much less often (throwing it 13.2 percent of the time this season after using it 25.7 percent of the time in 2025). And a look at his advanced stats via Baseball Savant show that McLean's fastball run value is in the 98th percentile, which is near the very top of the league. 

As part of the learning process, McLean has sometimes found himself on the ropes early before locking in and shutting down the opposition.

In his two most recent outings, McLean gave up just one run in 12.0 innings but worked around plenty of traffic on the bases -- due in large part to walking four batters in each start.

But when you put it all together, McLean has been nails. And he is in rarefied air when it comes to rookie starting pitchers.

Over his first 26 starts of the season, here's how the numbers look:

IP: 148.2
ERA: 3.21
WHIP: 1.14
K's: 168 (10.2 per nine)
H/9: 6.8
BAA: .208
HR/9: 0.9
BB/9: 3.5

McLean, who has moxie and a bulldog mentality to go along with his phenomenal stuff, has also been pitching deeper into games as the season has gone on, completing 6.0 innings or more in 11 of his last 12 starts. Overall this year, McLean has gone 6.0 innings or more 17 times.

What he's doing is impressive enough when you single him out as a rookie, but McLean's numbers also handle scrutiny when you remove him from that category.

Here's how McLean ranks in the NL when it comes to all qualified starting pitchers:

BAA: 3rd
H/9: 4th
K's: 6th
ERA: 7th
IP: 8th

The only starting pitchers in the NL who have a better BAA than McLean? Jacob Misiorowski and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

The only starting pitchers in the NL who have allowed fewer hits than McLean? Misiorowski, Yamamoto, Chris Sale, and Chase Burns.

The only starting pitchers in the NL who have struck out more batters than McLean? Misiorowski, Jesus Luzardo, Cristopher Sanchez, Paul Skenes, and Cade Cavalli.

So while McLean's Rookie of the Year case is strong, his case as simply one of the best and most dominant pitchers in the NL is also legitimate.

Given how Wetherholt and Stewart's candidacies have been viewed for a while, and factoring in how highly a large swath of the voters still value RBI (Stewart is currently leading the league with 98), it will likely be an uphill battle for either McLean or Benge to nab the award.

But both of them have a serious case over Stewart (who plays half of his games in one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks in baseball) and Wetherholt (who has a .681 OPS since May 1).

For McLean to nab the award, he would probably have to be dominant from now through the end of the season, pushing his ERA under 3.00 as his strikeout totals continue to open eyes.

But when you consider that McLean has a 1.97 ERA in 59.1 innings over his last 10 starts dating back to June 30, him spinning a bunch of gems between now and when the regular season concludes on Sept. 27 wouldn't come as a surprise.

1913
The White Sox purchased the contract of a future Hall-of-Famer, pitcher Urban “Red” Faber, from Des Moines for $3,500. Faber would go on to win 254 games, with four seasons of 20 or more wins with Chicago. In the 1917 World Series win over the Giants Faber went 3-1, throwing 27 innings, with two complete games and a 2.33 ERA. 

1940
Playing in front of 70,740 fans in New York, the White Sox split a Sunday doubleheader at Yankee Stadium. Ted Lyons won the opener with a masterful, 1-0 shutout over Red Ruffing, the deciding run scored at the beginning of the ninth inning thanks to a Luke Appling single and Taffy Wright double. The White Sox were held to just five hits in the nightcap, losing, 3-1.

The crowd remains the sixth-biggest the White Sox have played in front of during the regular season.

Interestingly, the series finale that Tuesday drew only 6,942 fans.

1959
The White Sox acquired first baseman Ted Kluszewski from the Pirates for Harry Simpson and minor-leaguer Bob Sagers. “Big Klu” helped provide hitting down the stretch (.297 in 31 games) for the pennant, and hit .391 with three home runs and 10 RBIs in the six-game World Series loss to the Dodgers, with five of those RBIs coming in an 11-0 Game 1 rout.

1967
After criticizing A’s owner Charlie Finley, power hitter Ken “Hawk” Harrelson was waived by Oakland, making him a free agent — an utter rarity for the era.

With the White Sox in the middle of a four-team race for the pennant, later that same day White Sox GM Ed Short called Harrelsonin his Baltimore hotel room and offered him a one-time contract for $100,000. Short said it was a “take it or leave it” offer because he did not want to get into a bidding war. Manager Eddie Stanky also got on the phone, trying to talk Harrelson into joining the White Sox.

Harrelson turned down the offer, saying in his autobiography that he just wanted more time to consider his situation. He would later agree to a deal with the Red Sox for $118,000, officially signing on August 28. Boston would go on to win the pennant and lose the World Series in seven games to the Cardinals.

Harrelsoneventually made his way to the White Sox, joining their broadcasting team for the 1982 campaign and spending almost 40 straight years in some capacity on the South Side.

1968
The tensions surrounding the Democratic National Convention in Chicago spilled over to Comiskey Park. During a game against the Twins, supporters of Alabama Governor George Wallace and Minnesota Senator Eugene McCarthy got into an altercation in the lower left-field seats after some of the Wallace supporters were accused of shouting racial slurs at White Sox left fielder Tommy Davis. Security quickly separated the groups and averted a larger brawl. 

1981
White Sox pitcher Dennis Lamp carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning of a night game against the Brewers in Milwaukee. Robin Yount led off that inning with a bloop double to left, breaking it up. The Sox won the game, 5-1, as Lamp settled for a one-hitter, punching out six and walking one.

1986
Jack Perconte was a sold second baseman/utility player for six years before coming to the White Sox in the 1986 season. His debut with the team came on this night at Comiskey Park, in a 2-0 loss to the Royals.

It was a memorable one in one respect … the name on the back of his jersey was spelled wrong: “Preconte,” instead of the proper spelling!

Jack went 0-for-2 on the night with a walk. For the year, he hit .219 in 24 games for the White Sox before being released at season’s end. He played the full year of 1987 at Triple-A in the Dodgers system, but Perconte would never again play in the majors.

2013
It was a feat that hadn’t been achieved since 1947: Jordan Danks homered in a game his brother, John, won. John went six innings in a 5-2 win over the Texas Rangers to improve his record to 4-10 on the season. Younger by just 16 months, John cracked his third home run of the season, in the fourth inning of the win.

It wasn’t even set up to happen this way. Avisaíl García started the game in right field, but was injured crashing into the wall as he tracked Jeff Baker’s home run in the fourth inning. Jordan entered the game as a defensive replacement, and in the bottom half of the same frame, cracked a massive home run to right. In his next at-bat, Jordan singled, and finished the day 2-for-3 with bragging rights, for once, over his big brother.

2020
In surreal surroundings — no fans at Guaranteed Rate Field due to the pandemic — White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito no-hit the Pirates, 4-0. Giolito allowed only one base runner, on a walk in the fourth inning. He struck out 13 hitters on 101 pitches, one of the most dominating performances in no-hitter history. 

Tim Anderson (seventh inning) and Adam Engel (two outs in the ninth inning) made terrific defensive plays to save the no-hitter.

It was the 19th no-hitter in franchise history, making the White Sox the all-time American League leader in that category.

2022
Over the decades the most incredible, strange, bizarre things seem to happen to the White Sox in Baltimore. Case in point once again, a night game in Baltimore on this date.

The Sox led the Orioles, 3-2, with two out and the bases empty in the last of the ninth inning. Sox closer Liam Hendriks was working on his 20th consecutive save. Baltimore outfielder Kyle Stowers sliced a fly ball that drifted into foul ground in left field, apparently ending the game.

White Sox outfielder Adam Engel ran to the area, put his glove up … and dropped the ball.

The error gave Stowers a second chance, and he promptly hammered a flat curve from Hendriks into the seats for a game-tying home run. Baltimore wound up winning the game, 4-3, in 11 innings.  

2024
A 9-4 loss to the Tigers at Guaranteed Rate Field gave the White Sox 100 losses for the 2024 campaign. It marked the first time in franchise history the Sox lost 100 or more games in consecutive seasons. In 2023, the Sox lost 101 games.

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With all 30 teams on the schedule today, that's a big crop of pitchers to dig into for MLB player props and punchouts, and it's been a great run in August to date.

Jackson Jobe has a growing leash that might not be priced into his short strikeout prop, Tyler Glasnow is coming back from a lengthy injury with plenty of paths for his plus-money Under, and Aaron Nola is still a pitcher to fade every five days.

These are my favorite pitcher and strikeout props for Tuesday, Aug. 25.

Best MLB strikeout props and starting pitcher picks today

Player	Pick	Odds
Jackson Jobe	Over 3.5 strikeouts	+104
Tyler Glasnow	Under 5.5 strikeouts	+124
Aaron Nola	Under 17.5 outs	+100

Strikeout prop: Jackson Jobe Over 3.5 strikeouts (+104)

Jackson Jobe is getting a longer leash after three starts, going from 71 to 74 to 86 pitches in that stretch. He could push 90 pitches today, and his 15.5-out market is juiced to the Over, suggesting more than 15 outs is expected at home against the Rays.

He isn't a K/inning guy, but getting to four punchouts at plus money isn't a big ask. He projects for 87 pitches and 3.97 strikeouts today, putting the fair price around -135. He's hit this Over in two of his three starts and is backed by a bullpen with little trust and the fifth-worst FIP in August, which only helps his leash.

The projections already like the Over, and that's based on a pitch count that still has room to climb today. His Over is making the MLB picks page.

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Detroit SportsNet, Rays.TV

Strikeout prop: Tyler Glasnow Under 5.5 strikeouts (+124)

This is a big price for a pitcher who hasn't pitched in the MLB in four months on a roster that is handling its pitching staff very carefully with the postseason in sight.

Tyler Glasnow is coming off the IL with a back injury that has sidelined him since early May. He built up to 77 pitches in his rehab outings, but the Dodgers have no reason to push the right-hander today, making the projected 87-pitch workload feel aggressive. The Under is already showing value at this number.

Covers' MLB prop projections have Glasnow at 5.51 Ks on 87 pitches, which feels high to me. The Dodgers were off yesterday, so the bullpen is fully rested and ready to pick up the slack. The fair price based on those projections is around -115.

Glasnow is an elite pitcher, but this is the spot to fade him. I see a shorter leash and fewer outs than the market is pricing in.

• Time: 7:15 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: BravesVision, SportsNet LA

Pitcher outs prop: Aaron Nola Under 17.5 outs (+100)

Aaron Nola hasn't pitched terribly of late, but this is still a pitcher on the downswing of his career who remains one of the hardest-hit pitchers in baseball. Only nine other MLB starters have a worse BlastContact% than the Philadelphia right-hander.

Nola is also coming off a 100-pitch outing, something he hadn't done in 20 straight starts. That extra workload could negatively affect his efficiency today, and it's not like he has been regularly getting to 18 outs. He's 4-11 O/U on this number across his last 15 starts.

It's a road start against a Mariners team that finally got Cal Raleigh going, while the Phillies have all three of their left-handed reliever options available today. Fading Nola is a no-doubt look.

• Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Mariners.TV, NBCSP

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A full slate blesses us today, with matchups kicking off later tonight.

Here are my MLB moneyline predictions for tonight's slate, which include backing a lot of pricey favorites on Tuesday, Aug. 25

Before we dive in, be sure to check out our MLB picks to see where our experts see value!

MLB moneyline picks for August 25

Matchup	Pick
TB at DET	-126
BOS at MIA	-155
COL at WSH	-148
HOU at NYY	-142
KC at TOR	+114
MIL at NYM	-155
LAD at ATL	-155
TEX at CWS	+140
BAL at STL	-126
CLE at LAA	+129
CHC at ARI	+101
PIT at SD	-121
MIN at ATH	+134
PHI at SEA	-103
CIN at SF	-107

Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of 8-25.

Expert MLB moneyline picks for August 25

Rays vs. Tigers: Rays (-126)

Rays win probability: 55%

No chance I take a risk backing the Detroit Tigers at plus money at home. Their bats are frozen, sporting a 63 wRC+ over their last six games.

Meanwhile, right-hander Jackson Jobe has been shaky since returning, posting a 5.49 xERA while allowing a 12% barrel rate to opposing hitters.

Ian Seymour has been solid over his last five starts, making the Tampa Bay Rays the more trustworthy option in this matchup.

Red Sox vs. Marlins: Red Sox (-155)

Red Sox win probability: 60%

Sox or nothing here. Pay the juice; Payton Tolle is good for it, and so should the Boston Red Sox bats. 

One of the most exciting under-the-radar pitchers this season has easily been the Boston southpaw, who has a 2.58 xERA and 1.09 WHIP on the year.

Over the BoSox's last 12 games, their bats have started to heat back up, owning a 131 wRC+, .363 wOBA and .828 OPS. On the other side, the Miami Marlins' bats have gone cold — owning a 92 wRC+, .301 wOBA and .657 OPS over their last six. 

Rockies vs. Nationals: Nationals (-148)

Nationals win probability: 58%

Keep the favorite leans rolling, as the Washington Nationals are the side worth being on this evening.

Sure, both lineups have been pretty chilly as of late, but Washington has not been striking out and has been drawing a ton of walks. Back the lineup that has been getting on base more over their last six games.

Plus, Andrew Alvarez has been very solid in his last five starts, posting a 2.36 ERA and 1.01 WHIP while limiting hard-hit and barreled balls.

Astros vs. Yankees: Yankees (-142)

Yankees win probability: 58%

Both lineups have been cold over the last month, but the New York Yankees' wRC+ has finally crept above triple digits for the first time in over two months. They are now generating more hard-hit balls and winning the games they should.

Even with Will Warren's recent struggles, the Yanks are the side to be on with how cold the Houston Astros' bats have been.

Royals vs. Blue Jays: Royals (+114)

Royals win probability: 46%

Such a tough spot with how well Max Scherzer has been in his most recent starts. The future Hall of Fame right-hander owns a 3.04 xERA and 1.26 WHIP while limiting hard-hit and barreled balls over his last three starts. On the other side, Seth Lugo has posted similar numbers in his most recent outings.

Both offenses have been on a tear, so taking the underdog against a guy going toe-to-toe with Father Time is the move here.

Brewers vs. Mets: Brewers (-155)

Brewers win probability: 60%

Yes, another favorite lean.

It is extremely tough to look at the Milwaukee Brewers' numbers over their last six games and ignore their 144 wRC+, .377 wOBA, and .863 OPS. Meanwhile, the New York Mets have posted just a 104 wRC+, .315 wOBA, and .175 ISO over that same stretch.

Milwaukee left-hander Kyle Harrison has some strong underlying metrics across his last five starts, making him a very trustworthy arm this evening.

Dodgers vs. Braves: Dodgers (-155)

Dodgers win probability: 60%

I'm not sure how we can even trust the Atlanta Braves when their team has been a complete corpse for weeks. Atlanta has a 91 wRC+, .300 wOBA, and .680 OPS over its last 21 games. The Braves are also generating just a 4% barrel rate over their last six games.

We know what the Dodgers are capable of. Pay the juice. (Again).

Rangers vs. White Sox: White Sox (+140)

White Sox win probability: 48%

After getting blown out, the Chicago White Sox will look to bounce back against Jacob deGrom, who has been allowing a concerning amount of hard contact in his most recent starts.

Across the veteran's last three outings, he is allowing a 56% hard-hit rate and 12% barrel rate to opposing hitters.

The White Sox are always due to boom, and they have plenty of bats capable of producing hard contact. At +140 to bounce back, this price is worth taking.

Orioles vs. Cardinals: Cardinals (-126)

Cardinals win probability: 54%

Real simple, Chris Bassitt has been horrible in his most recent outings and on the road this season. The veteran right-hander owns a 7.28 ERA and 1.96 WHIP on the road — with just a 10.96% strikeout rate and 11.64% walk rate.

St. Louis Cardinals southpaw Matthew Liberatore has struggled a bit in his last few starts, but his underlying numbers point toward improvement, as he sports a 2.94 xERA over his last five starts.

With the Baltimore Orioles' bats starting to cool off, the Cardinals seem to be in a better spot this evening.

Guardians vs. Angels: Angels (+129)

Angels win probability: 43%

Getting a little frisky here backing a lineup that has been lifeless for over a month, but they send out right-hander Walbert Urena, who has been very solid for the Los Angeles Angels this season.

Over his last five starts, Urena owns a 2.84 ERA and 1.03 WHIP while limiting hard-hit and barreled balls.

Gavin Williams has been a strikeout machine as of late, but he does own a sub-1.50 WHIP over his last three starts while allowing a barrel rate over 13%.

Cubs vs. Diamondbacks: Diamondbacks (+101)

Diamondbacks win probability: 49%

I am snagging the Arizona Diamondbacks as a home underdog while Brandon Pfaadt is playing some of his best ball of the season in his most recent starts. 

Yes, the Chicago Cubs have been on a complete tear over the last few weeks. However, the Diamondbacks have been hitting the ball very well too. Over their last 12 games, they own a 117 wRC+, .786 OPS, and .342 wOBA.

Trust Pfaadt!

Pirates vs. Padres: Padres (-121)

Padres win probability: 54%

Quick and simple, there is no reason to back the Pittsburgh Pirates with Paul Skenes on the mound until further notice. He has completely fallen off this season and cannot be trusted right now. 

The Pirates star has a 6.56 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, allowing 44.64% hard hit and 12.07% barrel rate in his last five starts.

Twins vs. Athletics: Athletics (+134)

Athletics win probability: 42%

The desire to trust Taj Bradley is there, but not in Sacramento, where the weather is always great for hitting. Plus, Bradley is a heavy fastball pitcher who gives up a ton of hard-hit balls.

He does have great underlying metrics over his last five outings, but he still owns a near-5.00 ERA and 1.54 WHIP over his last five starts.

The Athletics have a 118 wRC+, .339 wOBA, and .761 OPS over their last 12 games. Tonight, they should get on top of everything Bradley puts over the plate.

Phillies vs. Mariners: Phillies (-103)

Phillies win probability: 50%

After getting completely dominated, the Philadelphia Phillies will look to return the favor this evening as they draw struggling right-hander George Kirby. The Seattle Mariners starter owns an 8.31 ERA and 2.15 WHIP over his last three starts.

Meanwhile, Aaron Nola has been very sturdy in his most recent outings, sporting a 2.51 ERA across his last five starts.

The Phillies should even the series this evening.

Reds vs. Giants: Giants (-107)

Giants win probability: 51%

Death. Taxes. Never trust the Cincinnati Reds.

Brady Singer takes the mound this evening for Cincinnati, owning a 5.00 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, and 12.7% barrel rate over his last three outings.

The Giants send out Adrian Houser, who has been very consistent as of late, posting a sub-1.00 ERA and 1.05 WHIP while limiting barreled balls over his last five starts.

Both lineups are frozen, so back the better pitcher in the matchup. Go Giants.

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The Phillies have been hot. Winners of nine of their last ten, they have vaulted themselves back into the National League East race to at least make things interesting there while also tightening their grip on a wild card position. There is still plenty of time to go in the season and a lot can still happen, but their recent play has at least made it plausible that they can still be playing baseball once the calendar flips to October.

What has been interesting of late has been that this recent brand of winning baseball has been led not by the bedrock of their roster construction plan, the starting rotation, but by a lineup that has suddenly become deep and dangerous. Once a group that has been allergic to getting on base with any kind of regularity, they have now shown that they can do so at any point in the game. Since the All-Star break, as a team, they are fifth in the game with a .340 on base percentage, sixth in batting average with a .261 mark and have the fourth best strikeout rate with an 18.9% mark. They aren’t striking out as much, they are hitting the baseball and they are getting on base.

Weird how that can actually work, right?

That begs the question though: is this just a hot streak, or a legitimate change that can be depended on once the chips are down?

We all know that this type of play is all well and good for the regular season as it lets them be able to even entertain the thought of playing in October, but the real test will come once the quality of pitching is at its peak. When they are facing the best pitching staffs in the game when the playoffs are on the line, will this approach continue to aid their winning baseball games?

What say you?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Phillies fans and fans across the country.

There is a certain type of guy that just sticks around. For about a half-decade, Adam Warren was just that for the New York Yankees. That doesn’t just happen either, as highly competent pitching has a way of sticking around, and for a while, Warren was a certified Guy On The Team. In three different stints in New York, Warren was often very effective on the mound, and an important piece in the relief corps in parts of six seasons.

On his 39th birthday, let’s take a look at the career of pitcher who did plenty of dirty work, and did so well enough to stick around longer than most.

Adam Warren
Born: August 25, 191987 (Birmingham, AL)
Yankees Tenure: 2012-15, 2016-18

After playing his high school and college baseball in North Carolina, Adam Warren was initially drafted in the 36th round of the 2008 draft, before finding a better spot in the ‘09 draft, when the Yankees scooped him up in the fourth round.

Warren spent three seasons climbing the ranks in the Yankees’ minor leagues, working his way up to a full season in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2011. In June of 2012, the right-hander made his Major League debut, in what turned out to be a real clunker against the White Sox. Warren started the game and surrendered six runs on eight hits across just 2.1 innings. It was a rough welcome to the bigs, and was his only appearance in 2012, but he’d obviously make a return.

When the 2013 season rolled around, Warren found a much better spot for himself, and played a significant role for the Yanks that season. Primarily working out of the ‘pen, starting just two of his 34 games, the then-25-year-old managed a solid 3.39 ERA in 77 innings of work. Working multiple innings in many of his outings, Warren provided some real stability in a sometimes challenging role. His importance that season began a multi-year run of Warren’s presence in the Bronx.

In 2014, the righty was even better in 78.2 innings, posting a sub-3 ERA and improved strikeout and walk rates in a new career-high work load. A season later, he set a new high-water mark for himself. In a new-found role, spot starting and still often pitching in relief, Warren pitched in 43 games, which included 17 starts, resulting in a significant career-high in innings with 131.1. Being asked to wear several different hats on the mound, Warren didn’t blink an eye, maintaining his same solid production in his most prevalent year yet.

After the 2015 season ended, the Yankees capitalized on Warren’s value at the time by trading him to the Cubs in the deal that brought Starlin Castro the New York. After a rough half-season in Chicago, he was actually shipped back to the Yankees, along with Gleyber Torres, when the Cubs acquired Aroldis Chapman. He pitched much better in the second half once he returned to the Yankees, and rolled that performance right into another excellent season in 2017.

That year, he posted a career-low 2.35 ERA in his 46 appearances, in a role that once again saw him recording more than three outs fairly often. Warren also got some work in the exciting 2017 postseason run, where he allowed a run in 4.1 innings of work, including 3.1 scoreless frames in the ALCS against the Astros.

Despite his continued good work out of the bullpen, he was shipped out once again, this time in a deal that sent him to Seattle. After the 2018 season, Warren inked a deal with the Padres, which would turn out to be his final stop in an eight year Major League career.

Between 2019 and ‘20, Warren actually re-signed with the Yankees a couple of times, but was unable to climb his way back to the big club. In just shy of 500 Major League innings, across eight seasons, Warren managed a solid 6.6 bWAR and a 117 ERA+ for his career. Always a valuable long reliever, and at times a vital part of the bullpen, Warren certainly made a mark with the Yankees in his time there, while also being part of several high-level trades.

Here’s to a happy 39th for the former bullpen stalwart!

Emmet Sheehan is on a nice run since getting optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City, and on Monday was named Pacific Coast League pitcher of the week after a dominant start in Sugar Land, Texas.

Sheehan struck out nine in six scoreless innings on Sunday in the series finale against the Houston Astros’ Triple-A affiliate. He worked around two walks and a double, his only hit allowed.

Sheehan was active with the Dodgers last week for the final two games against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field for extra bullpen coverage, but he did not pitch. That meant he was on 10 days rest for his Sunday gem, but his start before that was also fantastic, striking out eight in 5 2/3 scoreless innings against Albuquerque on August 12.

Five Oklahoma City Comets have won Pacific Coast League player or pitcher of the week this season — James Tibbs (March 31—April 5 and May 25-31), Alex Freeland (May 11-17), Jack Suwinski (June 9-14), Ryder Ryan (June 9-14), and Sheehan

Sheehan also won PCL pitcher of the week from June 24-30, 2025.

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Kalshi on Tuesday announced marketing partnerships with five Major League Baseball clubs.

Key Takeaways

• Kalshi entered multi-year partnerships with the Braves, Red Sox, Dodgers, Padres, and Giants.
  
  
• The operator had not previously partnered with an MLB franchise but now has a deal with nearly 17% of teams.
  
  
• Kalshi said trading on baseball event contracts has grown more than 36-fold year over year

The platform has become an official prediction market partner of the Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, and San Francisco Giants. Each partnership was listed as “multi-year” arrangements in what is the operator’s first time joining forces with MLB franchises. 

“The idea is that fans are already engaging with their favorite teams on Kalshi, so it only makes sense to extend that fandom to some of the most beloved baseball teams in America,” said Adam Barrick, head of sports partnerships at Kalshi. 

The associations will grant Kalshi advertising access on in-stadium signage and LED boards, social and online channels, radio, and fan activations. 

As an example, Kalshi will receive naming rights for Dodger Stadium’s Gold Glove Bar, an indoor sports bar inside the stadium directly underneath the Left Field Pavilion with a direct view of the Dodgers’ bullpen. Fans will also receive access to special bonus offers and exclusive on-site activations in Centerfield Plaza hosted by Kalshi.

MLB fans can also trade on team outcomes, including games, player performances, and future outcomes, in prediction markets provided by Kalshi.

Today, we’re partnering with five of the most iconic teams in baseball: Dodgers, Braves, Giants, Red Rox, and Padres.

Baseball fans have made Kalshi part of how they engage with the game. We’re excited to keep investing in them and in the sport. pic.twitter.com/m1wPXjAFmg

— Kalshi (@Kalshi) August 25, 2026

Kalshi builds MLB footprint

Before Tuesday’s announcement, Kalshi’s sports partnership portfolio included the NHL, Chicago Blackhawks, LALIGA North America, and the Argentina Football Association.

The Red Sox and Dodgers had already provided glimpses of the partnerships before Tuesday’s announcement. Boston shared a post featuring Kalshi branding on Friday, while Kalshi signage had appeared at Dodgers games.

The plans for this weekend ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/Rd7n32v6W0

— Red Sox (@RedSox) August 21, 2026

The Kalshi-Red Sox partnership comes as a Massachusetts injunction targeting the platform’s sports event contracts remains paused during an appeal.

Newcomer Novig became the first prediction market platform to partner with an MLB franchise by teaming up with the New York Mets on July 30. Polymarket, Kalshi’s top competitor in the industry, then reached a deal with the New York Yankees on Aug. 6.

Kalshi's five team partnerships represents nearly 17% of MLB, and the clubs have an estimated 60 million-65 million fans, according to national polling. They also have about 9 million combined followers just on X.

MLB prediction markets have surged over the last year. Kalshi reported that baseball trading has grown more than 36-fold year over year, and the company is investing to meet that demand. Nearly $60 million has been traded in Kalshi's World Series future market alone.

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The Texas Rangers head into tonight's clash with the Chicago White Sox as a-116 road moneyline favorite, due in large part to who is on the hill. 

Behind Jacob deGrom, my Rangers vs. White Sox predictions are targeting Texas to win another game at Rate Field this evening. 

Find out more in my MLB picks for Tuesday, Aug. 25. 

Who will win Rangers vs White Sox today: Rangers moneyline (-116)

It’s hard not to back the Texas Rangers given Jacob deGrom’s current form. The right-hander owns a mind-boggling 0.59 FIP across his last two appearances, and his monthly FIP sits at an impressive 2.10.

The Chicago White Sox may be swinging it well, but they scored just two runs Monday, and deGrom is dealing.

Anthony Kay is also pitching well for Chicago, posting a 3.36 xERA over his previous five appearances with respectable home numbers. What makes the difference for me is Texas’ success against lefties, with the Rangers posting a 110 wRC+ this season.

I expect a pitcher’s duel, but Texas has the offensive edge versus Kay.

Play to -130.

COVERS INTEL: The Rangers have a 46.7% hard-hit rate over the last week compared to their 39.9% season average.

Rangers vs White Sox Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (-107)

I'm leaning to the Under tonight with two good arms on the bump. 

Even though Texas has strung together runs against southpaws, I don’t expect Kay to implode. He’s pitching well right now. deGrom is locked in too, and is coming off arguably his best start of the entire year.

The bullpens are also holding things down. The Texas relief corps owns a 3.19 FIP over its last 19 2/3 frames while allowing just 0.92 HR/9. Chicago has been dangerous lately, but the Rangers’ pitching profile suggests they can keep the White Sox contained.

Chicago’s pen had a rough evening on Monday, but overall, it has been impressive, posting a 2.97 FIP over the last week.

This should be a low-scoring affair. Play to -130.

Rangers vs White Sox home run prediction: Ezequiel Duran (+850)

Ezequiel Duran is swinging it well at the moment. The 27-year-old has clubbed just one homer in his last six games, but the underlying numbers are promising. Duran has put 50% of his contact in the air during that span while posting a 64.7% hard-hit rate.

He’s showing gap-to-gap power, too, with a .300 ISO over his previous six contests. While Kay is not especially prone to the long ball, he has allowed a 46.2% fly-ball rate across his last two outings, and the White Sox 'pen showed real vulnerability Monday.

Play this pick down to +750.

Rangers vs White Sox weather

Weather at Rate Field looks clean tonight, with partly cloudy skies and temperatures falling from 77°F to 71°F. Winds are light around 6-7 mph, and rain chances are basically nonexistent. Overall, conditions look neutral with no delay concern or major weather edge.

Rangers vs White Sox odds

• Moneyline: Rangers -116 | White Sox +105
• Run line: Rangers -1.5 (+146) | White Sox +1.5 (-168)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-107) | Under 7.5 (-107)

Rangers vs White Sox trend

The Rangers have hit the Under in 13 of their last 17 games (+9.75 Units / 51% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Rangers vs. White Sox.

How to watch Rangers vs White Sox and game info

Rangers vs White Sox latest injuries

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Every season, a couple of times a year, we rank our Top 30 prospects in the Atlanta Braves system. However there are still prospects within the Braves system who have never made a Top 30 prospect list that are still interesting prospects to some extent. While a couple of these guys seem headed for our next Top 30, some of these guys might not have the highest upside, but they still have the tool(s) and/or production which could get them to Atlanta at some point.

In order to be eligible for this list a prospect has to have never appeared on a Battery Power Top 30 prospects list (that’s why Patrick Clohisy won’t be included). I am also excluding players who have not yet reached Low-A ball yet, as those guys don’t quite fit into what this article is about and will still have plenty of chances to make a Top 30 at some point in their careers. I am also going to exclude players who were never on a BP Top 30, but would have made a Top 30 for a previous team in their career (Jordan Groshans, Cade Doughty)

Cristobal Abreu, RHP

Cristobal Abreu is a 20-year-old pitcher who missed last year injured, but has intriguing stuff. He opened the year in Augusta and has spent his time between there and the FCL. To date he has thrown 29.1 innings (27 with Augusta), and pitched to a 2.76 ERA, though his WHIP is 2.49 thanks to the fact that he has 42 walks in those 29 innings. Abreu hasn’t missed bats the way his stuff should this year, with just 21 strikeouts, but if he is able to harness his stuff he could start to get interesting. Abreu has gone over 96 MPH with his fastball in games this year, and I have seen him over 98 MPH in workouts, and he’s got a promising slider as well. He is going to need work on that command and time to get there, but the arm is quite talented.

Daniel Brooks, RHP

I’ve been talking a lot about Daniel Brooks lately, but that’s because he is on an incredible run right now. An undrafted free agent from last year, Brooks opened this year as a FCL reliever, got promoted to Augusta, eventually earned himself a starting job, and just this past weekend made his first start with Rome. With a pair of pitches that both get whiffs, a fastball that is 92-93 with a Stuff+ grade of 100 due to the movement and extension, and a slider with a Stuff+ grade of 127, Brooks has allowed three total runs in 31.2 innings between Augusta and Rome, striking out 52. Brooks is a very strong candidate to make the next updated Top 30 list because of both the stuff and the results. His ceiling is still to be determined as we haven’t seen the rest of his arsenal yet and he is pitching on fairly low pitch counts due to being stretched back out into a starter role, but he does have a change and curve that could get used more frequently next season. Even if starting doesn’t work out, he just might be the best relief prospect in the Braves system right now – but it looks like they are going to give him a chance to start because of his dominance.

Aiven Cabral, RHP

In the 18th round last year the Braves took Aiven Cabral from Northeastern, after he was the ace of the team who made a surprising run in the NCAA Tournament. He didn’t make his pro debut until this year, where he has spent half the year split between both Augusta and Rome. His Augusta numbers are slightly better than the Rome numbers, but they are fairly similar. Combined he has a 3.01 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 79 strikeouts in 104.2 innings. His stuff isn’t big, but he’s a pitchability guy who excels at pitching to contact. The hope with him is that his stuff might tick up as he moves into a future bullpen role for shorter stints. His three-pitch mix is all mostly fringy to average, but he is comfortable with switching between his pitches and moving locations. If his fastball could gain another 1-2 MPH from topping out at 93 MPH, he might have a chance in a relief role.

Logan Forsythe, RHP

Logan Forsythe was the Braves 13th round pick out of Louisiana Tech last year. He previously pitched at Mississippi State, but never got much playing time there because of struggles with his command. Forsythe is a power armed reliever, though one with command question marks to answer. In Augusta this year he has a 4.03 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, and 55 strikeouts in 51.1 innings. He has also walked 45 hitters in that time. When he’s on he can be hard to make contact against, as his 6.3 H/9 ratio shows, which makes him worth tracking. This year his fastball has been up to 96-97 MPH with a sweeper that also gets swings and misses, and he could possibly be holding back a little bit on his stuff in order to be able to command it better. What he could become is fully dependent on where he is able to improve the command to, but he is worth the team taking a flier on.

Kevin Kilpatrick Jr., OF

A toolsy outfielder, Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. is in the middle of his best pro season for Columbus. As of today he is hitting .247/.328/.373 with six homers, 19 extra base hits, and 27 steals with 27 walks to 76 strikeouts in 287 plate appearances. Those numbers may not jump off the page, but since May 29th he is running a .774 OPS after a slow start to his season. Kilpatrick is going to turn 26 this winter, so he is probably not going to hit enough to end up as a big league regular. However if the gains he has made with the bat can make some additional progress, he would have a chance to be a fourth or fifth outfielder. That is because he is a speedy player with a little bit of pop in his bat and is capable of playing all three outfield spots. It’s not the sexiest profile, but he could potentially work his way to the big leagues.

Carter Lovasz, RHP

Carter Lovasz was an eighth rounder out of William & Mary last year who pitched for a short time in Augusta last season. He started in Augusta and pitched to a 3.56 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 55 strikeouts in 48 innings. He was promoted to Rome and has allowed one run in 5.2 innings over two appearances so far. Lovasz is a pure reliever – all 29 of his appearances this year are as a reliever, and only eight of his career college appearances were starts over four years, but looks like a reliever capable of going multiple innings in a Brent Suter-like role. Similar to Suter, Lovasz doesn’t touch 90 MPH, but he has a five pitch mix that he is able to mix and match with and use his pitchability and command to succeed without the biggest stuff. Because of his lack of velocity he is going to need to prove himself at every level of the minors to keep moving up, but he does stand a chance.

Cooper McMurray, 1B

Last year the Braves signed Cooper McMurray as an undrafted free agent after an impressive college career. In his last three years at Auburn he hit exactly 14 home runs every year with an OPS of at least 1.053 in each season. He struggled in 21 games last year with Rome and got sent to Augusta to open this season. Things looked like he might not last very long as a pro early this spring as he had an OPS of .488 after April, following a .498 last summer with Rome. However that’s when things started to change, and he has an .853 OPS since May 1. Overall he is hitting .250/.373/.399 with 15 doubles, a triple, 10 homers, and 64 walks to 128 strikeouts over 391 plate appearances. In order to have a future as a bench bat he is likely going to need to continue to cut down on the strikeouts, though he has seen some growth with his hit tool this year which gives hope for that.

Davis Polo, RHP

Davis Polo came into this year as a bit of a mystery after missing last year due to injury. However he has looked so good that he is putting himself in position to be a part of our next Top 30, pitching to a 3.25 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 9.6 K/9 in 99.2 innings with Augusta – though a 1.99 ERA and 0.95 WHIP over his last 45.1 innings. He has a four pitch mix led by a fastball that touches 94, but is more of a sinker/slider pitcher who can get swings and misses. He uses his pitches fairly evenly overall and has solid feel for his command of them. Of course due to the injury and missed time he is already 21 and Rule 5 eligible after this season, but there is #3/4 starter upside in there, and a chance we could see even more from him next year as he gets another year out from surgery.

Brett Sears, RHP

A cheap senior sign in the 7th round of the 2024 MLB Draft, Brett Sears has been on an incredible run for the past two years. Last year he started in Augusta and ended up reaching Gwinnett, posting a combined 3.65 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 9.5 K/9 between the four levels. This year he has made 17 of his 19 appearances with Columbus, with single appearances in both Gwinnett and the FCL, posting a 3.11 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 10.9 K/9. His stuff isn’t the biggest, but it has slightly improved from last year. His six pitch mix now has a fastball that touches 94 MPH, and his command and pitchability help it to play up from its velocity. Sears ceiling is probably a backend starter to potentially a multi-inning reliever, but it is hard to ignore his performance. Ideally he’d have more time in Triple-A by now since he is 26, but he is only two years out from being drafted.

Tanner Smith, C

The Braves signed Tanner Smith out of Miami as an undrafted free agent last year. However prior to his year as a Hurricane he had spent three years catching at Oregon State and brought 619 college plate appearances with him to pro ball. He got eight games last year split between Augusta and Rome before opening this year back in Augusta. With Augusta he hit .234/.309/.440 with 11 homers and 22 walks to 84 strikeouts in 243 plate appearances. He has since been promoted to Rome, though he only has three games played there so far. Smith isn’t a particularly high upside prospect, but he is a catcher with good intangibles, a history of being a winning player, and does bring some pop in his bat. The ceiling is probably a backup catcher, and even that would require he cut down the strikeouts and increase some walks – but the offensive bar is a little lower for backup catchers, so it is a possibility.

Luis Vargas, RHP

Luis Vargas has been in the Braves system since making his pro debut back in 2019, but only converted into a reliever last year. This is his second season as a reliever and he has looked good in that role. With Columbus he has pitched to a 3.51 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 86 strikeouts over 56.1 innings – good for a 13.7 K/9, and even better than last year’s 12.0 (though just 21 innings). At this point he is mostly a two pitch pitcher, with a fastball that has touched 98 MPH and a nasty slider. His command can come and go, and he isn’t always consistent with the shape of his slider, but there is a real chance that Vargas could become a power arm out of the pen for the Braves in the next year or two.

Derek Vartanian, RHP

The Braves signed Derek Vartanian as an undrafted free agent out of Campbell after the 2024 season – a season where he appeared in just three games before getting injured. Prior to that he spent two years in JUCO. That injury caused him to miss all of last season, so he entered this year with 11 innings of D1 experience plus a two year layoff due to injury. So far he has pitched to a 4.12 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 97 strikeouts in 102.2 innings for Augusta in his first year back from injury. He has touched 95 MPH on his fastball with good movement and has a solid four-pitch mix that he is comfortable in using all of his pitches. It’s a bit soon to say what Vartanian is, but he is a guy I am interested in watching next year, once he gets another year out from injury plus a full healthy offseason.

Adam Zebrowski, C

Zebrowski was a 13th round pick out of a small college in New York back in 2021, and until this year seemed to be more of an organizational depth piece. But he’s hit 15 homers in 46 Double-A games this season, plus three more in 21 games with Gwinnett. Zebrowski probably isn’t going to be a big league starter, but the power is very real and he hits the ball very hard. He could potentially get a look as a backup catcher, one who is there for his power bat more than anything. He might need to start to take more walks to increase his OBP to reach that ceiling, but he has a .350 OBP with Columbus this year, which is his highest mark since Augusta back in 2022. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up getting sent to the Arizona Fall League this year to see how he fares against that level of pitching.

Yonatan Henriquez

Week: 5 G, 25 AB, .360/.429/.920, 9 H, 2 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 3 BB, 3 K, 1/1 SB (High-A)

2026 Season: 87 G, 353 AB, .212/.273/.363, 75 H, 22 2B, 2 3B, 9 HR, 28 BB, 100 K, 21/30 SB, .266 BABIP (High-A)

It has not been a good season for Yonatan Henriquez. Assigned to the Brooklyn Cyclones for the entirety of the season, missing roughly a month early on because of an injury, the utilityman has hit .212/.273/.363 with 9 home runs, 21 stolen bases, a 7.1% walk rate, and a 25.9% strikeout rate.

Given a $104,000 signing bonus when he initially signed with the team out of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic on January 15, 2022, Henriquez was valued for his athleticism and versatility; the 17-year-old did not stand out in any one specific facet of his game, but because he could do so many things well enough, there variety of ways he might develop His career path highlights that, when a player so young lacks a true carrying tool, career progression can sometimes be a true uphill battle.

The 17-year-old Henriquez made his professional debut a few months after signing, hitting .247/.390/.344 in 31 games with the DSL Mets 1 with 3 doubles, 2 home runs, 5 stolen bases, and 18 walks to 27 strikeouts. In 2023, he came stateside, assigned to the FCL Mets and appearing in 43 games with them, hitting .221/.353/.300 with 8 doubles, 1 home run, 7 stolen bases, and drawing 29 walks to 34 strikeouts. He remained in the Florida Complex League for most of the 2024 season, appearing in 40 games and hitting .289/.464/.377 with 6 doubles, 2 triples, 0 home runs, 15 stolen bases, and 34 walks to 23 strikeouts. He was promoted to the St. Lucie Mets at the beginning of August and spent the last month of the season there, appearing in 26 games and hitting .169/.245/.202 with 3 doubles, 0 home runs, 0 stolen bases, and 7 walks to 26 home runs.

In 2025, the 20-year-old began the season with St. Lucie and appeared in 104 games with them, hitting .264/.354/.395 with 18 doubles, 2 triples, 8 home runs, 33 stolen bases, and drawing 51 walks to 72 strikeouts. He was promoted to Brooklyn at the end of August and appeared in 7 games for the Cyclones, going 7-28 with 1 double, 1 triple, 2 stolen bases, and 4 walks to 8 strikeouts.

At the plate, Henriquez has some pretty unique pre-swing mechanics, and as a switch hitter, he has different mechanics from either side of the plate. As a left-handed hitter, he stands extremely open and holding his bat low at the letters, almost perpendicular to the ground. As he begins his load, he closes off and raises his hands into proper hitting position. As a right-handed hitter, he also stands square, with his hands at the letters, almost resting the bat on his shoulders until his load. He has had more success in his career from the left-side, and is currently is hitting .226/.288/.383 in 274 at-bats as a left-handed batter and .169/.226/.299 in 77 at-bats as a right-handed batter.

Henriquez is a true Swiss army knife defensively, playing second base, third base, shortstop, left field, centerfield, and right field this season. This season, he has 182.0 innings at second, 213.2 at third, 35.0 at short, 63.0 in left, 201.0 in center, and 41.0 in right. He has been used similarly since turning pro and, in total, has accrued most of his time in the field in center (854.2 innings), with a third base a not-so-distant second (730.1 innings). His quick-twitch athleticism, reactions, and speed help both at the hot corner and in centerfield.

Xzavion Curry

Week: 2 G (2 GS), 9.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (Triple-A)

2026 Season: 13 G (11 GS), 61.0 IP, 57 H, 26 R, 26 ER (3.84 ERA), 14 BB, 36 K, .249 BABIP (Triple-A) / 7 G (0 GS), 16.0 IP, 14 H, 5 R, 5 ER (2.81 ERA), 7 BB, 10 K, .250 BABIP (MLB)

Xzavion Curry had a week bookended with two strong starts, throwing five scoreless, no-hit innings on Tuesday against the Worcester Red Sox and then coming back on Sunday and pitching an additional 4.2 scoreless. In total, he pitched 9.2 innings without allowing a run, scattering 2 hits, walking 1, and striking out 4.

The 28-year-old right-hander was signed to a minor league contract back at the beginning of May. He had elected for minor league free agency in November 2025 but received no offers at the time and signed a contract with the Tigres de Quintana Roo of the Mexican League when the 2026 season began. He has been one of Syracuse’s most consistent starters since. Additionally, not only has Curry looked good with Syracuse, but in the handful of MLB opportunities he has been given this season, he has been effective; appearing in 7 games out of the bullpen, the right-hander has a 2.81 ERA in 16.0 innings, allowing 14 hits, walking 7, and striking out 10.

The right-hander, who was initially drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 7th round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Georgia Tech, feels like he should not be having the success that he is, but yet here he is. All of his pitches- he throws a four-seam fastball, slider, splitter, curveball, and sinker- are hittable, he walks more batters than you’d like, his strikeout rate is nearly non-existent, and his batted ball breakdowns are extremely problematic. Everything says that Curry should be a lot worse than he has been, but the right-hander has almost 80 combined innings at the highest levels of professional baseball this season and he’s been making it work. I have no personal knowledge regarding how the Mets feel about the right-hander or if they might be interested in having him return for the 2027 season, but given how Curry has been able to thrive despite so many factors saying he shouldn’t, it might be worth looking into.

Players of the Week 2026

Week One/Two (March 27-April 5): Hayden Senger/Cam Tilly

Week Three (April 7-April 12): A.J. Ewing/Christian Scott

Week Four (April 14-April 18): Randy Guzman/Jose Chirinos

Week Five (April 21-April 26): A.J. Ewing/Channing Austin

Week Six (April 30-May 3): A.J. Ewing/Jonah Tong

Week Seven (May 5-May 10): Ryan Clifford/Jonathan Santucci

Week Eight: (May 12-May 17): Jacob Reimer/Zach Thornton

Week Nine: (May 19-May 24): Ryan Clifford/Channing Austin

Week Ten: (May 26-May 31): Ryan Clifford/Jose Chirinos

Week Eleven: (June 2-June 7): Vincent Perozo/Frank Camarillo

Week Twelve: (June 9-June 14): JT Benson/Nicolas Carreno

Week Thirteen (June 16-June 21): Nick Morabito/Jonathan Santucci

Week Fourteen (June 23-June 28): JT Benson/Daviel Hurtado

Week Fifteen: (June 30-July 5): MJ Melendez/Daviel Hurtado

Week Sixteen: (July 7-July 12): Daiverson Gutierrez/Jonathan Santucci

Week Seventeen (July 13-July 19): MJ Melendez/Noah Hall

Week Eighteen: (July 21-July 26): Ronny Mauricio/Conner Ware

Week Nineteen: (July 28-August 2): Mitch Voit/Jonah Tong

Week Twenty (August 3-August 9): Mitch Voit/Noah Hall

Week Twenty-One (August 11-August 16): Elian Peña/Jose Chirinos

Another day in the feast part of the feast or famine season for the Cubs is just fine by me. The nail biters will return any day. When we aren’t in nail biting season, I’ll take a fairly comfortable Cub win any day. Like the Sunday blowout of the Mariners, this one was largely closer than the final score makes it appear. This one got comfortable a little faster, reaching 5-0 in the sixth and its final score by the seventh. Still, I was up late enough to not feel totally comfortable when I went to bed (they were up 2-0).

Am I crazy for thinking that this is the deepest Cub team I’ve ever seen? The top four Cubs in the lineup, generally their most productive this season, were a combined 2-for-18 with a double, two walks, an RBI and two runs scored. If we ignore the runs and runs batted in part which are largely context statistics that largely rely on contributions from other players, 2-for-18 with two walks and a double feels like you are going to lose a game. Obviously a large part of this win falls on the pitching staff throwing a shutout. But, seven runs behind an off night from the whole top of the lineup? That’s because the bottom five in the order were a combined 8-for-18 with a double, a triple and two homers. They drove in five and scored six.

The big hat tips at the bottom of the order go to Pedro Ramirez who became a regular on this team when Dansby Swanson was injured, and Michael Conforto. Conforto has been a bench piece, but now he and Tyrone Taylor are more or less splitting the DH spot (very effectively). I just can’t decide if this is actually a deeper team or if it is just like an oasis in the desert. Afterall, these last couple of years, it’s felt like there wasn’t one usable piece on the Cub bench. Most days, it has felt like the Cubs have 11 or 12 interchangeable parts this year that will all help contribute on any given day. That’s a nice luxury to have. With the addition of Taylor, once Matt Shaw is healthy, this team gets really long.

This team was built to reach the playoffs, no question about it. I’ve often talked about the regular season being largely about how deep your roster is. In the regular season, it’s about how strong your roster is from 21-40 and your ability to go past 40 to fill in gaps in the roster. You win by being able to keep your roster productive over the grind of the season. Injuries will happen. Prolonged slumps will happen. You need a village essentially to reach the playoffs. Then it becomes more about how strong you are 1-20, 1-15, 1-10 on your roster.

Stars shine at the biggest times. We’ll all remember the contributions that some end of the bench guy made in the post season. If the series goes seven games, the odds that somebody down past 20 on your roster has a significant role. In the most important Cub game played in any of our lifetimes, Albert Almora, Jr. who was somewhere past 20 on the pecking order of that team, had one of the most significant contributions to the win. Mike Montgomery might have eked into the top 20, but got the most important out in Cubs history.

Those are the exceptions though. A key starter might largely will a win for you by themselves along the way. Again, thinking about the 2016 Cubs World Series run, there was the Kyle Hendricks game to send them to the World Series and the Jon Lester game against Johnny Cueto to get things started. Your slugger might hit a couple of homers and give you a comfortable win along the way. The stars do the heavy lifting in the postseason.

I posit that as rough as the Angels teams were through the years when Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani were together, that they would have had a punchers chance in a playoff series. That’s where those guys might really shine. They are incredibly hard to just shut down. In that vein, once this Cub team reaches the postseason, it’s going to matter a ton what Pete Crow-Armstrong can do on the biggest stage. We know he won’t shy away from the moment. Can Seiya Suzuki get hot? Can Michael Busch look more like the 2025 version? Has Alex Bregman found the fountain of youth?

It’s also going to matter an awful lot if the Cubs can get some effectiveness from their rotation. Kevin Gausman gave the Cubs a huge lift Monday night. That was great to see after a bit of a unicorn game for the Cubs on Sunday. Usually when the Cubs win, they get a reasonably decent start. But that wasn’t the case Sunday. Aaron Civale came in and turned that game around when it looked like the game might have been lopsided the other way. While it looks like the Cubs just swing their way to every victory they get, there is usually pretty good pitching early on the nights where they win.

It’s a whole lot of fun when both halves contribute like this. Hopefully, Gausman can continue rounding into form along with the other big trade deadline acquisition, Clay Holmes. Always remember, with trade deadline acquisitions, the production you get in August and September is a bonus. They are acquired to help you win games in October. So these two months are about getting them right. To that end, I’ll hat tip Ryan Zeferjahn for working a totally boring inning Monday night. The game was lopsided and perhaps that was a good time to slow things down and just post a good result. He certainly has the stuff to be a difference-maker.

Three Positives:

• Kevin Gausman turned back the clock to a time when pitching ruled the day. Three hits, one walk, six strikeouts. Dominant performance against an offense that is pretty good.
• Michael Conforto was unstoppable. Three hits, one a homer, another a double. He was walked, drove in two runs and scored two.
• Pedro Ramirez drove in the first run with a triple in the second. Added another hit on top of that and scored a run. This offseason, we are going to have some fun conversations about how to handle Ramirez and Matt Shaw.

Game 132, August 24: Cubs 7, Diamondbacks 0 (76-56)

Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Kevin Gausman (.331). 7 IP, 24 BF, 3 H, BB, 6 K (W 7-11)
• Hero: Michael Conforto (.225). 3-3, HR, 2B, BB, 2 RBI, 2 R
• Sidekick: Pedro Ramírez (.116). 2-4, 3B, RBI, R

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Pete Crow-Armstrong (-.125). 0-5
• Goat: Alex Bregman (-.065). 1-5, R
• Kid: Nico Hoerner (-.058). 0-3, SF, RBI

WPA Play of the Game: The Cubs were up to when Michael Conforto’s two-run homer in the sixth inning blew the game open. (.147)

Diamondbacks Play of the Game: Corbin Carroll’s steal of third base with two outs in the fourth, when the Cubs were only up one. (.143)

Cubs Player of the Game:

Game 131 Winner: Ian Happ received 55 of 93 votes.

Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)

The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.

• Pete Crow-Armstrong +25
• Alex Bregman +23
• Trent Thornton +13.5
• Carson Kelly +12.5
• Javier Assad +12
• Seiya Suzuki/Nico Hoerner -11
• Edward Cabrera -12.5
• Jameson Taillon -13
• Dansby Swanson -17
• Caleb Thielbar -18.5

Scoreboard Watching: Quiet night around the league and in games that affect the NL postseason. The D-backs loss drops them a full seven games behind the Cubs. The Padres lost (five back). The Phillies lost (three back). So the Cubs gained at least half a game on everyone. A nice nudge in the right direction after a long weekend.

Up Next: Another late one Tuesday night in Arizona. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, it’s the last 2026 game scheduled to be played past my bedtime here on the East Coast. Clay Holmes (5-6, 2.49) starts for the Cubs. He is 1-2 with a 2.81 in 16 innings as a Cub. He was a tough luck loser in the last one, allowing only a run over 5.1 innings to the White Sox. His one road start was his only rough one as a Cub. Let’s hope that was more rust than a road thing and he can give the Cubs another good start.

27-year-old Brandon Pfaadt (7-1, 3.39) spent some time in the Diamondbacks bullpen and was briefly demoted to Triple-A this year after a rough start to his season. He has been back in the rotation since June 30 and has really turned his season around. He had a 5.92 ERA through June 3. He came back to the majors and won his first five starts after returning. In fact, in nine starts between June 30 and August 14, he pitched at least five innings in every game and didn’t allow more than two runs in any start. The last five of those starts were all quality starts. Then in his last start, the Red Sox put five runs on him in 5.2 innings in Boston. So he’s coming off of his worst start of the year after nine good to great starts.

Pfaadt has been very good as the D-backs have made a playoff push. This is a tough game. I like to peek at Fangraphs for curiosity. They have the Cubs essentially getting a slight edge in a coin flip game. This one could be a pitcher’s duel. Not sure how I feel about that on the road in a place where the Cubs often struggle.