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It is no secret that the Cardinals have stockpiled minor league talent, but how did that talent develop in 2026? Let’s take a look at every player who started the season as a ranked prospect in the system. 

Here are the rules: 

• Only players who started the year in the organization will be considered, so trade deadline acquisitions and the 2026 draft class are out of scope.
• I will use the preseason FanGraphs list since it goes 53 deep and casts the widest net of any prospect list. 
• Every player must be given one of four designations:
  • Stock Up = the player improved at least one grade tier (e.g. 45+ to 50 Future Value)
  • Stock Ticking Up = the player had a positive season, but not enough to change their grade
  • Stock Ticking Down = the player had a negative season, but not enough to change their grade
  • Stock Down = the player regressed at least one grade tier 

I will go in reverse order of the FanGraphs preseason ranking. I am not including the future value tier that FanGraphs assigned to each prospect because I do not want to muddy the waters with debating where the player should have ranked coming into the year. For example, I would not have ranked Pete Hansen in my top-20 Cardinals prospects with a 40+ FV, as FanGraphs did. So, my evaluation for Hansen of “Stock Ticking Up” means that I think he had a positive season, not that I agree with his FanGraphs grade. Said another way, I’m not re-grading every prospect, just judging which direction each one moved, regardless of where he started. Clear as mud. Alright, on to the list! 

53. Branneli Franco, RHP, Low-A – Stock Ticking Down

Franco was terrible in the Complex League, but then put together 15 solid innings in Palm Beach as a 19-year-old. He showed impressive stuff with a fastball in the mid-to-upper 90s, but the 7.54 season ERA is ugly. 

52. Sebastian Dos Santos, SS, Low-A – Stock Up

Dos Santos put together the second-best age-18 season of any Cardinals hitting prospect in the last two decades. He already has great plate discipline and an ability to drive the ball in the air and should be hitting national top-100 lists early next season. 

51. Carlos Carrion, SS, DSL – Stock Ticking Down

Carrion was the Cardinals’ second-biggest international signee after Emanuel Luna, but missed most of the season with injury and was unproductive in his 10-game cameo in the DSL. 

50. Chase Davis, CF, Triple-A – Stock Ticking Down

Davis made it to Triple-A and showed off above-average plate discipline and incredible exit velocity metrics. Unfortunately, he still has not figured out how to turn this skill set into production as he struggled to an 81 wRC+ in Memphis.

49. Won-Bin Cho, OF, Double-A – Stock Up

Cho had a breakout year, finally cracking the High-A level on his third try and earning a promotion to Springfield. He more than doubled his ISO to .231 and improved his K/BB rate substantially to give the Cardinals a hard 40-man roster decision this offseason. 

48. Jack Gurevitch, 1B/3B, Double-A – Stock Up

Gurevitch advanced from Palm Beach to Peoria and finally to Springfield while swatting 32 home runs and carrying a 127 wRC+. He has real big swing-and-miss issues, but he definitely juiced his prospect status with his in-game power results.

47. Bryan Torres, UT, MLB – Stock Ticking Up

Torres completed his personal odyssey to triumphantly reach St. Louis. He might have just enough versatility to stick around in some capacity. 

46. Colton Ledbetter, OF, Triple-A – Stock Ticking Down

Ledbetter salvaged his season after a stint on the development list and ran a 125 wRC+ over his last 68 games. He improved offensively while advancing a level, but it may not be enough to earn him a 40-man spot this offseason. 

45. Randel Clemente, RHP, Double-A – Stock Ticking Down

Clementeimproved his BB%… from 26.1% to 19.9%. He has some of the best stuff in the system but is running out of time. 

44. Yordy Herrera, LHP, Low-A – Stock Down

Herrera was released in July. 

43. Matt Pushard, RHP, MLB – Stock Down

Pushard did not stick in St. Louis after being selected in the Rule 5 draft.

42. Frank Elissalt, RHP, High-A – Stock Down

Elissalt, part of the return package for Ryan Helsley, missed the entire season with an injury, but at least he has returned to action in the AFL.

41. Mason Molina, LHP, Triple-A – Stock Up

Molina was one of the biggest risers in the system as he dismantled Double-A and finished the season in Memphis in his age-22 season. His 150 strikeouts ranked 12th in MiLB, and he now looks like a potential back-of-the-rotation arm as early as next season. 

40. Ethan Young, RHP, Low-A – Stock Ticking Down

Young only managed to pitch 31 innings, but ended the year healthy. Despite a 7.26 ERA, he had decent underlying numbers and flashed good stuff at Palm Beach.

39. Jack Martinez, RHP, High-A – Stock Ticking Up

Martinez struck out 121 batters in 93.2 innings at the Low-A and High-A levels. His slider was ranked as one of the best in the minors by Baseball America. 

38. Skylar Hales, RHP, Triple-A – Stock Down

Hales walked too many and carried a 6.34 ERA at Memphis while losing a tick off his fastball. He is Rule 5 eligible and seems unlikely to be protected.

37. Jose Davila, RHP, Double-A – Stock Down

Davila converted to relief and posted decent, if unspectacular, numbers while finishing in Double-A. 

36. Braden Davis, LHP, Double-A – Stock Ticking Down

Davis held his own in Double-A and cut his walk rate from 16.6% to 14.4%, but his strikeout rate fell from 33.8% to 28.3%.

35. Blake Aita, RHP, Double-A – Stock Ticking Down

Aita advanced to Double-A and threw over 100 decent innings on the year, but did not distinguish himself in a loaded system and struggled to keep the ball in the yard.

34. Nate Dohm, RHP, Double-A – Stock Down 

Dohm battled injuries and command problems while pitching to a 7.19 ERA over 61.1 innings. He still has huge stuff and potential upside, but 2026 was a setback.

33. Yhoiker Fajardo, RHP, Double-A – Stock Up

Fajardo was one of four teenagers to pitch in Double-A across all of baseball and one of the biggest risers in the system. His fastball is not overwhelming, but he rode his off-speed pitches to a sensational 22.3% K-BB% on the year. 

32. Austin Love, RHP, Triple-A – Stock Down

Love struggled to a 6.52 ERA at Springfield and Memphis and walked almost a batter per inning after his promotion. 

31. Luis Gastelum, RHP, MLB – Stock Ticking Up

Gastelum carried a mediocre 4.64 ERA and 19/12 K/BB ratio through his first 18 Triple-A games before turning into a terror, posting a 0.00 ERA and running a 30/5 K/BB ratio over his final 18 games. He started off rocky in St. Louis but pitched to a 2.31 ERA with a 34/7 K/BB ratio over his final 23.1 innings.

30. Emanuel Luna, OF, DSL – Stock Ticking Up

Luna turned heads in just nine games by hitting three DSL bombs, carrying a 226 wRC+, and hitting a ball 115.8 mph. It is an incredibly small sample size, but his K% of 18.2% was encouraging as well.

29. Juan Rujano, C, CPX – Stock Down

Rujano entered the season with some hype from the third-party outlets after a solid DSL debut in 2025, but struggled to a 68 wRC+ in the Complex League in his stateside debut. 

28. Leonel Sequera, RHP, High-A – Stock Down

Sequera had decent strikeout and walk numbers, but for a player with a questionable fastball, the 1.92 HR/9 and 7.23 ERA are too much to overlook. 

27. Cesar Prieto, IF, MLB – Stock Ticking Down

Prieto had the best Triple-A numbers of his career in 2026, but was downright horrible in his St. Louis cup of coffee. 

26. Blaze Jordan, 3B, MLB – Stock Up

Blaze crushed Triple-A with a rare blend of power and contact, had solid underlying offensive metrics in 58 major league games, and graded out above average defensively at third. After being left exposed to the Rule 5 draft last offseason, he put himself back in the team’s plans with a strong 2026.

25. Nathan Church, CF, MLB – Stock Ticking Up

Church ended with a slash line remarkably close to his preseason ZiPS projection, so this is a tough one. His status as the presumed starting center fielder shows the Cardinals have confidence in him beyond his surface-level numbers, so that will be the tiebreaker.

24. Tanner Franklin, RHP, Double-A – Stock Up

Franklin has been an up-arrow guy since the day he was drafted. Recently, Baseball America argued that he might have the best stuff of any pitcher in the minor leagues. 

23. Cade Crossland, LHP, High-A – Stock Ticking Down

Crossland was a strikeout and walk machine in Palm Beach, but showed improved control at the end of the season in Peoria. He averaged only 92.1 mph on his fastball after topping out at 98 mph in college, so his ceiling may be more limited than we thought on draft day.

22. Sem Robberse, RHP, Triple-A – Stock Down

Robberse had a second season mostly wiped out by injury. 

21. Cooper Hjerpe, LHP, MLB – Stock Ticking Up

Hjerpe successfully returned from Tommy John and earned his call-up by striking out 13.07 per nine across 42 minor league innings. The control and health remain huge question marks, but it was a positive year for Hjerpe.

20. Jesus Baez, SS, Double-A – Stock Up

Baez entered the year as a nice lottery ticket with tools to dream on. He leaves it with 39 home runs and underlying metrics that ranked him as the second-best 21-year-old hitter in the minors according to Baseball America’s HIT+, trailing only Josue De Paula.

19. Pete Hansen, LHP, Triple-A – Stock Ticking Up

Hansen actually posted decent numbers in Memphis with ERA, FIP, and xFIP between 4.18 and 4.53 across 101.1 innings. His upside seems limited to a John King-type career, but he will probably debut for someone at some point.

18. Hancel Rincon, RHP, MLB – Stock Ticking Up

Rincon followed up his breakout 2025 campaign in Springfield with a nice run at Memphis that led to his St. Louis debut and a 40-man roster spot. He has already moved to the bullpen, but his 21.4% K-BB% was the best in Triple-A for pitchers who threw 70+ innings. 

17. Brycen Mautz, LHP, MLB – Stock Down

Mautz looked like a back-end rotation candidate with upside following his 2025 breakout in Springfield. After a rough season, you would be thrilled if he turned into a meaningful relief piece.

16. Ixan Henderson, LHP, Triple-A – Stock Down

Henderson started the year injured, made it back for one start at Memphis, and then landed back on the 60-day IL. His status going into next year is unclear, but this year was an unfortunate setback for one of the big 2025 breakout prospects. 

15. Chen-Wei Lin, RHP, Double-A – Stock Ticking Up

Linhad a solid season behind the more heralded pitching prospects in the Springfield rotation, cutting his BB% from 17.5% to 11.2% across 102.2 innings. It wasn’t a full breakout, but it was progress for a pitcher with substantial upside. 

14. Tai Peete, CF, Double-A – Stock Up

Peete started to translate his raw power into game power in 2026, posting an ISO of .254 while advancing to Double-A. His hit tool is still a question, but he improved his contact rate in Springfield and is obliterating the AFL.

13. Ryan Mitchell, OF, Low-A – Stock Ticking Up

Mitchell is still a bit of a project and will need to add strength to keep advancing through the system. Still, he held his own in full-season ball as a 19-year-old who had limited exposure to elite competition in high school.

12. Tekoah Roby, RHP, Triple-A – Stock Ticking Up

Roby missed the entire season, as expected, so you cannot dock him for that. Back on the mound in the AFL, he has struck out 13 in 9.2 scoreless innings while topping out at 99 mph. 

11. Tink Hence, RHP, Triple-A – Stock Down

Hence was injured and ineffective while losing his 40-man roster spot. 

10. Quinn Mathews, LHP, MLB – Stock Ticking Up

Mathews showed marginal improvements in his second go at Memphis, but the walks were still concerning. His first nine starts for St. Louis were impressive, and if the improved control sticks, he will be a fixture in the rotation for years.

9. Leo Bernal, C, MLB – Stock Up

Bernal continued his methodical climb through the minors with an excellent showing in Triple-A as a 22-year-old. His impressive major league debut was enough to finally put him on the national radar and in top-100 prospect lists where he belongs.

8. Yairo Padilla, SS, High-A – Stock Ticking Up

Padilla showed off exceptional Statcast data in the Florida State League, posting above-major-league-average exit velocity numbers as a 19-year-old shortstop. Injuries limited him to 37 games and kept him from having a true breakout, but I was highly encouraged by the improvements we saw.

7. Joshua Baez, OF, MLB – Stock Ticking Up

Baez gave up some of the contact gains that fueled his 2025 breakout, but showed the power was real, hitting 41 home runs between Triple-A and the majors. His productive 30-game MLB trial run is enough for me to come away feeling positive about his season overall. 

6. Brandon Clarke, LHP, Double-A – Stock Ticking Down

Clarke was electric in limited innings and seemed to be improving his control as the season went on. Still, he threw only 29.2 innings, failing to alleviate the biggest concern in his profile.

5.Jurrangelo Cijntje, RHP, Triple-A – Stock Ticking Up

Cijntje quietly put together an excellent season and, unlike many recent Cards prospects, had no issue adjusting to Triple-A. Finishing second in MiLB in strikeouts and the strong finish at Triple-A are enough for me.

4. Jimmy Crooks, C, MLB – Stock Ticking Down

Crooks doubled his Barrel% and cut his chase rate by 5% in Triple-A while putting up video-game numbers. But he is already 25 and failed to prove it in St. Louis in his second cup of coffee.

3. Rainiel Rodriguez, C, Double-A – Stock Up

Rodriguez had huge expectations coming into the season and was largely living up to those in the first half, earning a promotion to Double-A after tearing up the Midwest League. Then in July he went ballistic and hit .390 with 16 bombs over his final 44 games to establish himself as the best hitting prospect in the minors. 

2.Liam Doyle, LHP, Double-A – Stock Ticking Down

Doyle had an adjustment period to Double-A but finished strong over his final 11 starts with a 1.78 ERA, a 30.3% strikeout rate, an improved 12.4% walk rate, and only 0.49 HR/9. He basically held serve throughout the season, but since he has nudged down slightly on top-100 lists, we will be conservative. 

1. JJ Wetherholt, 2B, MLB – Stock Up

Wetherholt’s offensive performance was in line with preseason projections and his defense wildly exceeded expectations. His .029 gap between expected and actual wOBA was the third unluckiest among qualified hitters.

And finally, here are the players who were not ranked coming into the year who should be ranked in the Cardinals’ top 30 heading into next season. 

Miguel Hernandez, SS, Low-A

After a successful run in the Complex League, Hernandez bashed out a 163 wRC+ over 103 plate appearances in Low-A as an 18-year-old. Like Dos Santos, he will start making noise on national lists with a good start to 2027.

Deniel Ortiz, 1B/3B, Double-A

Ortiz was criminally omitted from the FanGraphs preseason prospect list, but that surely won’t happen again. He improved his contact rate by 10% while moving up to Double-A and mashed a 120 wRC+, despite a wrist injury that sapped some of his power.

Jacob Odle, RHP, High-A

It was Jacob Odle, not Tanner Franklin or Liam Doyle, who graded out as having the best starting-pitcher Stuff+ in the system by Baseball America (sixth in MiLB). Odle will need to improve on his 15.5% BB%, but his 34.1% K% was the best in the system. 

Xavier Cruz, RHP, Low-A

Cruz came out of nowhere in 2026, flashing an upper-90s fastball and insane spin rates in the Complex League and at Palm Beach. In Jake Wood’s excellent podcast earlier this week, Moises Rodriguez compared his arm talent to that of Tanner Franklin. 

The Final Tally

Stock Up: 12

Stock Ticking Up: 15

Stock Ticking Down: 13

Stock Down: 13

Brycen Mautz and Nate Dohm were the two I was highest on who took a step back this year. You are always going to have some pitcher injuries, and Elissalt and Henderson both losing a year was disappointing. Tink Hence is really in a separate category since his decline started in 2025 and he just did not bounce back the way we hoped. The rest of the prospects who slipped a full grade, by my evaluation, were lower-impact.

The raw numbers understate just how successful this season was from a development perspective. Top prospects’ performance has an outsized impact on the health of a system. The Wetherholt, Bernal, and Rainiel seasons alone would have been enough to make this a pretty positive season for the system. No players in the preseason top 10 performed poorly enough to move them down a FV tier. When you add the Franklin, Fajardo, and Molina breakouts on the pitching side along with the emergence of Dos Santos, Jesus Baez, and Miguel Hernandez on the hitters’ side, you have to be incredibly happy with the results. 

Final Grade: A+

Now, the important part. Which player evaluations do you disagree with? Who did I miss? 

Good morning Birdland,

The Fall Classic is underway, and the Milwaukee Brewers have taken the early lead. The Brewers were able to hold off a late Rays rally to take Game 1 of the World Series 3-2 on Friday night.

Trevor Megill, Milwaukee’s closer, got himself into quite a jam in the ninth inning, loading the bases with one out and a two-run lead. He got Liam Hicks to ground into what seemed like a game-ending double-play, but replay revealed that shortstop Cooper Pratt’s foot had come off of second base prior to receiving the initial feed. The runner at second was called safe, the runner at first was out, and Tampa’s second run of the day had scored.

That made it a one-run lead with two outs and Jonny DeLuca at the plate. But rather than becoming a iconic moment in Rays history, Megill was able to win the battle, striking out DeLuca to secure the victory.

That sets the stage for Game 2 tonight at 8 p.m. Drew Rasmussen is on the bump for Tampa. The 31-year-old has been terrific this year, posting a 2.67 ERA over 172 innings in the regular season and then dominating in the postseason as well with a 1.29 ERA over 21 frames. Perhaps, if it was really even necessary, there is the added incentive for Rasmussen to pitch well against his former club. After making his big league debut earlier that season, he was dealt from Milwaukee to Tampa back in 2021 as part of the Willy Adames deal.

As the World Series inches closer to a conclusion, baseball will be faced with the hard reality we have all been concerned about for years now. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred re-affirmed just prior to first pitch last night that he was off the opinion that the league needed a salary cap. Obviously, the players and MLBPA disagree. A lockout is coming. How long it lasts, no one really knows.

That likely future could make the typical offseason calendar rather useless. MLB free agency will technically start five days after the World Series ends. But most players don’t sign anywhere until after Thanksgiving. The lockout is set to start on December 1. And the possibility that the league will be implementing a salary cap of some sort makes it almost impossible for some front offices to sign major contracts until they know what sort of budget they are working within.

Enjoy these few days where the focus will be on the field. Because once it’s over, we might instead be fixated on some office building in New York for the months that follow.

Links

Can Jared Banner fix the Orioles? Here’s what his mentors said. | The Banner
The Orioles front office needs fresh perspective. It seems like Banner can provide that. But Mike Elias is still going to be the chief baseball decision maker. One change to an underling can only do so much.

Rising prospect Anderson wraps strong season with stellar homecoming | Orioles.com
It was nice to see Ethan Anderson take a step forward this past season. He’s a switch hitter that seems to have really found himself at the plate this last year. Finding a spot for him on the field could be an issue. The Orioles want him to catch, but there are questions about his ability back there. He may have no choice if he stays in the organization since Pete Alonso won’t be leaving any time soon at first base.

Orioles infield coach Miguel Cairo on Gunnar Henderson: “I want to have 26 guys like that’ | Baltimore Baseball
A team of 26 Gunnar Henderson’s would probably be pretty light on pitching, but I take Cairo’s point. Gunnar is a gamer. He cares. And he is super talented. He also needs to sort out some things at the plate to get back to the MVP level he expected to be at the last two years.

Orioles birthdays

Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!

• Colin Selby turns 29 today. The bearded reliever pitched in 14 games for the Orioles between 2024 and ‘25. He remained in the organization for 2026 as well, but did not get on the field due to labrum and rotator cuff injuries that eventually needed surgery.
• Omar Quintanilla is 45 years old. He bounced around the league as a utility infielder for nearly a decade. That included a 36-game stay with the Orioles in 2012.
• Arthur Rhodes is 57 today. The southpaw was a key part of the Orioles pitching staff from 1991 through ‘99, eventually transitioning from the rotation to the bullpen. In total he tossed 622.1 innings for the O’s across nine seasons.
• Dave Johnson turns 67. The Baltimore native would spend parts of three seasons with the Orioles from 1989-91, most often working as a starter. Over 353.1 innings with the O’s, Johnson had a 4.84 ERA. His son, Steve, would later pitch for the Orioles as well, and Johnson himself would be a contributor to MASN and the Orioles Radio Network well after his playing career ended.

This day in O’s history

It’s been a slow date in Orioles history, according to Baseball Reference. So, instead, here are some happenings from beyond Birdland:

1926 – Harry Houdini’s last performance takes place at the Garrick Theatre in Detroit.

1931 – The George Washington Bridge opens to public traffic over the Hudson River.

1946 – A camera on board the V-2 No. 13 rocket takes the first photograph of earth from outer spcae.

1992 – The Toronto Blue Jays become the first Major League Baseball Team based outside of the United States to win the World Series.

2003 – The Concorde supersonic airliner makes its last commercial flight.

2004 – Arsenal Football Club loses to Manchester United, ending a row of 49 matches unbeaten, a Premier League record.

The Brewers’ formula this postseason has followed a similar recipe in many of their wins: hope your starter makes it two turns through the lineup, rely on your middle-inning groundball specialists, and then hand the ball off to Aaron Ashby and Trevor Megill for the final three innings. The tale of the tape in Game 1 followed this script almost to a T, Milwaukee jumping out to an early lead, Jacob Misiorowski going two turns, Abner Uribe recording a dominant four outs, and Ashby and Megill locking down the final 2.2 innings to secure the opening game of this edition of the Fall Classic in front of a packed and frenetic Miller Park crowd, 3-2.

World Series Game 1

Milwaukee Brewers 3, Tampa Bay Rays 2

(Milwaukee leads, 1-0)

As untouchable as Misiorowski pitched during the regular season — leading MLB in ERA (1.80), FIP (2.17), strikeouts (252), and pitcher fWAR (6.6) while throwing more pitches over 100 mph (1,115) than every other starter combined to virtually guarantee NL Cy Young honors — he has looked mortal in the playoffs. During the regular season, his four-seamer induced a 40.2-percent whiff rate and held batters to a .174 average, but in the postseason the whiff rate plummets to 16.1-percent while the batting average against skyrockets to .364. The velocity is holding steady, but he’s lost life on the pitch while throwing a much higher percentage down in the zone. Fastballs that hitters had been whiffing beneath are now a fair bit easier to foul off, leading to inlfated pitch counts early and a dearth of strikeouts.

The Miz made a partial adjustment in Game 1, commanding his four-seamer belt high or above with better consistency than his starts against the Padres and Dodgers, and it allowed the Brewers’ ace to complete five innings for the first time this postseason. The strikeouts didn’t return, Misiorowski punching out just three of the 19 batters he faced, but for the most part he was able to stay out of trouble thanks to some brilliant defensive plays by his teammates.]

The traffic started early, Misiorowski giving up consecutive one-out singles in the first to Jonathan Aranda and Chandler Simpson, but he got Junior Caminero to roll over a cutter for the inning-ending double play. One of the many marks of a good team is the ability to immediately punish your opponents for failing to capitalize on a scoring opportunity, and that’s just what happened in the bottom of the first. Jackson Chourio led off with a single, and after a Jake Bauers pop out, Christian Yelich lined an 0-2 Nick Martinez cutter into the gap in right-center. Center fielder Jonny DeLuca covered a ton of ground and went fully horizontal on the diving attempt, but the ball clanged off his glove for an RBI triple.

William Contreras then ambushed the next pitch Martinez threw, another cutter that the All-Star catcher rocketed to the left side of the infield. Taylor Walls couldn’t get his glove up quite in time, and the liner ricocheted off the webbing into left field to easily plate Yelich and spot Misiorowski an early 2-0 lead. For all that has been made of the elite defense from the Rays outfielders and Walls this postseason, you just had this feeling that both those tough liners would have been caught had they been hit by Yankees batters.

Misiorowski settled down to retire the side in order in the second and third, but encountered his toughest test in the fourth. A leadoff walk from Aranda followed by a Caminero double put runners on second and third with one out. Liam Hicks then topped a weak grounder to the right side to get the run in from third and cut the deficit in half. Misiorowski refocused to get DeLuca to fly out and strand Caminero at third.

In the Miz’s final inning of work, he allowed a leadoff single to Victor Mesa Jr., who then advanced to second on a Ben Williamson grounder. The Rays right fielder bailed the Brewers out though, committing a cardinal sin by making the final out at third base on an ill-advised steal attempt that drew a pinpoint throw from Contreras.

Martinez posted the lowest strikeout rate and walk rate of any qualified starter during the regular season, but it was he instead of Misiorowski who won in the strikeout department in Game 1 with five in five innings. Martinez stranded Sal Frelick at second in the second following a single and sac bunt by striking out Chourio on a backdoor sinker. He then faced the minimum across his final three innings of work, aided by a sparkling defensive play from Mesa to atone for his blunder. Speedster David Hamilton laced a grounder down the right field line and was thinking triple immediately out of the box. However, a stumble around second paired with a perfect throw and relay from Mesa and Williamson beat Hamilton to third by half a step.

With both starters out of the game after five, Uribe was the first man out of the Brewers bullpen. Normally more of a groundball specialist than a strikeout artist, Uribe rung up three of the four batters he faced. The most important one was to finish the sixth. After Aranda reached on a one out single, the Brewers executed a textbook strike-‘em-out, throw-‘em-out double play to end the inning, Simpson going down swinging on a back-foot slider and Contreras gunning down Aranda at second for his second caught stealing of the contest.

Kevin Cash selected Steven Matz as his first reliever out of the ‘pen, and the veteran southpaw was wayward with his command, issuing three walks while recording five outs between the sixth and seventh. The final of those free passes came back to haunt him, Cooper Pratt drawing the walk to lead off the seventh and advancing to second on a Hamilton grounder. That brought sidewinding righty Kevin Kelly out of the Rays bullpen to neutralize Chourio with a runner in scoring position with two outs, but the Brewers’ young star inside-outed a first-pitch sinker just inside the bag at first and beyond Aranda’s diving attempt to plate Pratt. The score was 3-1, Milwaukee.

With this extra insurance run, you felt that the Brewers’ lead was unassailable with Ashby and Megill primed for their lanes. Ashby entered the Fall Classic with the most innings (12.1) of any postseason reliever yet had not surrendered a single run, and it was more of the same in the seventh and eighth innings. He retired all five batters he faced, three via the strikeout thanks to his deadly sinker-changeup duo.

That left it up to Megill to secure his fifth save of these playoffs, but this game had one more dose of high drama in store. Aranda and Simpson reached on a pair of one-out singles and Caminero worked a six-pitch walk after falling behind, 1-2, to load the bases with one out. Hicks appeared to ground into the game-ending double play, but replay review revealed that Pratt prematurely took his foot off the bag at second before the ball had contacted the inside of his glove. The call on the field was overturned, Caminero ruled safe at second while pinch-runner Jorge Mateo scored on the play and Simpson advanced to third.

Megill had to do it all over again, this time facing DeLuca with runners on second and third with two outs. However, Brewers fans could exhale and celebrate for a second time as he made quick work of the Rays center fielder, striking him out on a filthy knuckle curve below the zone to secure the Brewers’ first win in a World Series in 16,077 days (Game 5 in 1982) by a score of 3-2.

The Brewers will look to maintain the momentum of this narrow victory into Game 2 tonight. Rays ace Drew Rasmussen is set to face off against Logan Henderson with first pitch scheduled for 8:00 pm ET.

Box Score

Good morning, baseball fans!

The 2026 MLB Playoffs continue this weekend with Game 2 of the World Series between the visiting Tampa Bay Rays and the Milwaukee Brewers.

As usual, this is being written before Game 1 has taken place, because I live in the past. So I don’t know who won Game 1 Friday night. But you do, lucky you!

Game 2 will be Saturday night at 5:00 p.m. PT, broadcast on Fox/Fox One, with national radio coverage available on ESPN Radio.

Right-hander Drew Rasmussen is scheduled to start for the Rays. Rasmussen ended the regular season with a 2.67 ERA, 2.82 FIP, with 174 strikeouts to 32 walks in 172 innings pitched. This will be his fourth start of this postseason, his most recent was in the Rays’ 3-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians on October 18th, in which he allowed one run on four hits with six strikeouts and a walk in seven innings.

He’ll be facing off against Brewers right-hander Logan Henderson, who ended the regular season with a 2.47 ERA, 3.32 FIP, with 110 strikeouts to 19 walks in 98.1 innings pitched. This will be his third start in this postseason, his last was in the Brewers’ 7-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on October 12th, in which he allowed four runs (two earned) on three hits with two strikeouts and and two walks in four innings.

Who are you rooting for in Game 2?

Today’s Reflections

Good morning. If you recall, I moved from Oklahoma a little over a year ago, leaving things like baseball-size hail and tornadoes behind. Tornado watches are a part of life in Oklahoma, just like brushing your teeth. Warnings? You stop what you’re doing and go watch what going on out your front door. You know how to quickly get in your hidey hole. So pull up a chair if need be.

So why were there four unconfirmed (thus far) tornadoes in Northern Arizona?!?! The tornado warnings were the first ones since 2010! I live hours from these areas, but I guess I brought some bad mojo for them.

And for my area — golf ball- to baseball-sized hail pummeled several areas around town, luckily not my part. As a former insurance manager, I’m blue in the face telling people to call their insurance agent if they have comprehensive coverage so a claim can be started. “No, it won’t be covered — It’s an act of God.” It could be looked at like an Act of God, but that is one that is covered. “No, you need a special rider.” (?) I have the same insurance coverage as I did in OK, and it would be covered here. “Oh, you must have gotten a waiver.” (??)

I’ve been out the biz for a while. I forgot how stubborn and stupid people are about insurance.

ANYWAY (sorry for the rant), World Series Game 1 was pretty exciting! Good ballgame, the Brewers survived a ninth-inning rally by the Rays and won 3-2.

I appreciate your reading.

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The Beginning of Cubs’ Award Season!

• Tony Marchese (OnTapSportsNet): Pete Crow-Armstrong Named Sporting News MLB Player of the Year. “Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong was named Sporting News MLB Player of the Year on Thursday, as voted by his fellow players.”
• Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): Pete Crow-Armstrong, Alex Bregman and Cubs’ Team Defense Win Fielding Bible Awards. “The first major awards honoring the best performers of 2026 were handed out Thursday afternoon. The Cubs, predictably, racked up substantial hardware.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): The Cubs Cleaned Up in The Fielding Bible Awards, Though There Was One Bizarre Element. “There is an explanation in the way the voting works, so no hate for Sports Info Solutions … but I think we can nevertheless concede that it’s nonsense.”

Free Agent/Trade Stories:

• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): One final rebuttal of Cubs’ deadline push for Reid Detmers reveals one offseason reality. “Can we finally be done with this now?”
• Michael DeRosa (Newsweek): Cubs Urged to Make Bold Trade for Dodgers Starting Pitcher. “He would be a fascinating pitcher for the Cubs to take a chance on with a trade.”
• Doug Schwamb (Chicago Cubs On SI): Cubs Rumors: Steven Kwan Makes Sense as Offseason Trade Target. “The Cubs may have an opportunity to trade for Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan, but would it be a good fit.”
• Justin Binkowski (Chicago Cubs On SI): 6 Starters With Opt-Outs or Options Who Could Reshape MLB’s Pitching Market. “Several big-name pitchers could become available.”
• Michael Canter (Cubs Insider): The Rundown: Time for Cubs to Go Big or Go Home, Plenty of Pitching Available, World Series Game 1 Starters Announced. “Jed Hoyer’s offseason to-do list is akin to any crusty handkerchief you see some octogenarian blowing his nose into at the grocery store checkout.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Cubs Mentioned Again as a Possible Tarik Skubal Suitor. “I just don’t see the Cubs committing the largest deal in franchise history (by a mile) to a pitcher.”
• Jason Ross (North Side Baseball): Teruaki Sato Is Headed West. Does He Make Sense to Fill One of the Chicago Cubs’ Outfield Openings? “NPB’s Hanshin Tigers will post standout slugger Teruaki Sato this winter. Would he make sense for a Cubs team in need of a new corner outfielder?”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Another Member of the Cubs’ Staff is Reportedly Up for the Mariners’ Managerial Gig. “Kanzler has helped lead a very strong procession of offensive graduates from the Cubs’ farm.”
• Sam Caulder (North Side Baseball): Three Cubs Prospects Who Will Be Prime Trade Chips This Offseason. “The Cubs have their sights set on competing again in 2027, and their farm system could help them get there. These three prospects could be valuable pieces in a deal for proven talent.”

Pitching Stories:

• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Something Unique About Cubs Reliever Ryan Zeferjahn This Season. “How do you wind up with that weird combination of extreme numbers?”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Chicago Cubs Pitching Prospect Dominick Reid Turning Some Heads in Arizona. “It wouldn’t be October without a Chicago Cubs prospect putting together a strong showing out in the Arizona Fall League.”

Hitting Stories:

• Brandon Glick (Cubbies Crib): Cubs have a simple offseason solution that Seiya Suzuki’s Gold Glove nod reinforces. “Why replace something that isn’t broken?”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Scoring More or Scoring Consistently, Kelly and the Catcher Market, Cashman, Oda, and Other Cubs Bullets. “The Cubs were BY FAR the most up-and-down offense in baseball this year.“
• Zoe Grossman (Chicago Cubs On SI): What the Cubs Must Learn From the Two World Series Teams. “The Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays each play a brand of baseball that’s punched their ticket to the World Series.”

Assorted Stories:

• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): PCA Bears Down, World Series Arrives, Cubs Poach, Old Friend Returns, and Other Cubs Bullets. “Finally, after a week of waiting, we get baseball back tonight at 7pm CT in the form of the Small Market World Series.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): How Much Does Payroll Actually Impact Competitiveness? Some! But Arguably Not a Ton. “Are the haves and the have-nots actually throwing things out of whack, or are there just some outliers in both directions here and there?”

Food For Thought:

Mamie Smith (néeRobinson; May 26, 1891 – October 23, 1946) was an American singer. As a vaudeville singer, she performed in multiple styles, including jazz and blues. In 1920, she entered blues history as the first African-American artist to make vocal blues recordings. Robinson was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1891. When she was around age 10, she found work touring with the Four Dancing Mitchells, a white act. As a teenager, she danced in Salem Tutt Whitney’s Smart Set. In 1913, she left the Tutt Brothers to sing in clubs in Harlem and married William “Smitty” Smith, a singer.

On February 14, 1920, Smith recorded “That Thing Called Love” and “You Can’t Keep a Good Man Down” for the Okeh label in New York City, after African-American songwriter and bandleader Perry Bradford persuaded Fred Hager to break the color barrier in black music recording. Although this was the first recording by a black blues singer, the backing musicians were all white. Hager had received threats from Northern and Southern pressure groups saying they would boycott the company if he recorded a black singer. Despite these threats, the record was a commercial success and opened the door for more black musicians to record.

Smith’s biggest hits were the August 10, 1920 recordings of a set of songs written by Perry Bradford, including “Crazy Blues” and “It’s Right Here for You (If You Don’t Get It, ‘Tain’t No Fault of Mine)”, again for Okeh Records. A million copies were sold in less than a year. Because of its historical significance, “Crazy Blues” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1994 and was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress in 2005.

Although other African Americans had been recorded earlier, such as George W. Johnson in the 1890s, they were performing music that had a substantial following among European-American audiences. The success of Smith’s record prompted record companies to seek to record other female blues singers and began the era of what is now known as classic female blues.

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.

Good morning, Rockies fans!

There’s little need to spend much time discussing what Hunter Goodman brings to the table as the Colorado Rockies’ starting catcher. His 41 home runs in 2026 speak for themselves.

And when I talk about Colorado’s catching depth, I’m not necessarily talking about who’s immediately behind Goodman.

Brett Sullivan offers a left-handed bat but leaves plenty to be desired defensively. Braxton Fulford is baseball’s fastest catcher by Statcast sprint speed, but hasn’t shown much offensively outside of Triple-A. Neither is guaranteed a role in Colorado going forward.

No, it’s what’s happening further down in the organization that gets interesting.

Bryant Betancourt (No. 32 PuRP), Colorado’s No. 27 prospect according to MLB.com, hit .271 with 17 home runs and an .815 OPS, reaching Triple-A at just 22 years old while boasting a plus throwing arm.

Cole Messina (No. 45 PuRP), Colorado’s 2024 third-round pick, reached Double-A Hartford, hitting .226 with eight home runs, 21 doubles and 21 stolen bases while earning above-average grades for his defense and arm.

Colorado’s No. 6 and No. 9 prospects per MLB, Daniel Jackson (No. 12 PuRP) and Jack Natili (No. 20 PuRP), combined for 10 home runs in just 37 games at Fresno after being drafted in 2026. Natili also brings a plus arm behind the plate. Not bad for their first taste of professional baseball.

Jack O’Dowd (No. 35 PuRP), son of former Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd, came through independent ball before hitting .307 with 23 home runs across three levels this season. He’s now hitting home runs in the Arizona Fall League, though his future might be at first base.

None of these players is guaranteed to become an everyday big-league catcher. But for an organization with more questions than answers at most positions, Colorado’s catching pipeline might actually be something to get excited about.

Rockies News & Links

O’Dowd and Thomas deliver in the Arizona Fall League | MLB.com

Speaking of O’Dowd, he went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI in Wednesday’s 7–5 win over Scottsdale, while Jared Thomas added two hits, three RBI and two stolen bases.

The two kept hitting Thursday, despite Salt River’s 15–8 loss. O’Dowd launched his AFL-leading fifth home run, while Thomas finished with a double, triple and four RBI.

O’Dowd is now batting .350 with five home runs and a 1.206 OPS through 10 games. The Rafters sit at 9–7, just 1.5 games out of first place, and return to action Saturday against Surprise at 4:30 p.m. MDT. Fans can watch AFL games for free on MLB.com.

One realistic offseason decision the Rockies can’t afford to swing and miss on | SI.com

Trading Hunter Goodman after a 41-homer season? That’s certainly one way to shake things up. Scott Roche makes the case that Colorado could follow Baltimore’s approach with Adley Rutschman and cash in on its biggest trade chip. I’m not convinced Goodman is going anywhere, but if Paul DePodesta decides to move him, he’d better get a haul.

The Quiet Deadline Addition for the Rockies | Last Word on Sports

Connor Norby didn’t receive much attention when he arrived from Miami in the Victor Vodnik trade, but he quietly became one of Colorado’s better hitters down the stretch. After batting .309 with an .829 OPS in September, the 26-year-old enters 2027 with a chance to establish himself as a regular contributor. Augustus Oswald takes a closer look at one of the Rockies’ less-heralded deadline acquisitions.

October 24, 2007: The Rockies make their World Series debut | Baseball-Reference

Nineteen years ago today, the Rockies took the field at Fenway Park for the first World Series game in franchise history. The Rocktober magic lasted approximately zero innings. Josh Beckett and the Red Sox handed Colorado a 13–1 beating in Game 1, and, well, we know how the rest of that series went.

Who are the Rockies’ biggest trade pieces heading into the offseason? | DNVR Rockies(Podcast)

The Rockies have plenty of roster holes and not nearly enough established talent to fill them all. So who could Colorado actually afford to trade? Christian Saez and the DNVR crew run through the possibilities, potential returns and what could be a busy winter for Paul DePodesta.

Around Baseball

Union head calls MLB’s salary cap proposal a ‘nuclear bomb’ ahead of World Series opener | Associated Press

Well, this should be fun. With the CBA expiring December 1, MLBPA executive director Bruce Meyer described the owners’ salary cap proposal as a “nuclear bomb.” Rob Manfred, meanwhile, continues to argue that baseball needs a more competitive economic system. The two sides don’t appear particularly close, and another lockout is looking more and more likely.

Robin Yount and Brewers’ broadcast team pay tribute to Bob Uecker by borrowing from his wardrobe | Associated Press

This is pretty cool. Robin Yount threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Milwaukee’s first World Series game since 1982 while wearing one of Bob Uecker’s plaid sport coats. The Brewers’ radio crew joined in, wearing jackets from Uecker’s personal wardrobe. A wonderful way to make sure Harry Doyle — er, Mr. Baseball — was part of the moment.

Mathemadage: The Inevitable Reliever Blowup Theory | FanGraphs

Ever watch a bullpen game and think, “There’s no way all six of these guys are going to have it today”? Apparently, that feeling isn’t supported by the numbers. Ben Clemens digs into years of data and finds surprisingly little difference in blowup rates between bullpen games and games started by non-ace starters. It’s a fascinating look at something that feels obvious until you actually do the math.

World Series starter Griffin Jax’s journey to baseball’s biggest stage took off at Cherry Creek, Air Force | The Denver Post($)

From Cherry Creek High School to the Air Force Academy to the World Series. Not a bad baseball journey. Kyle Newman traces Griffin Jax’s path to Tampa Bay, where the former reliever has returned to the rotation and is expected to start Game 4 against Milwaukee. A fun Colorado connection to this year’s Fall Classic.

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With each day that the World Series plays a game, we get closer to the start of free agency. The Phillies promise to be active, but the thing that I am most interested in is arbitration. Which players are going to be tendered contracts, which players won’t be. That discussion will lead to more free agents entering the market, a big thing considering that the market isn’t that great to begin with.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• Don Mattingly was ready to sit back and just be a bench coach until the 2026 Phillies “rekindled” his desire to manage again.
• The Phillies have needs in the outfield and should consider making another run at acquiring Steven Kwan.

MLB news:

• The Marlins are Marlins-ing again, this time being willing to listen to offers for Xavier Edwards and Otto Lopez.
• Cleveland loves Stephen Vogt and he loves them back, enough to not entertain other ideas of managing in other places.
• Sebastian Walcott might be a top three prospect in the game today, so the Rangers are trying him in other spots to fast track him.

The first game of the 2026 Fall Classic was a nailbiter, with Milwaukee using some timely hits, excellent pitching, and a tense ninth inning to survive a 3-2 victory over Tampa Bay. It was the Brewers’ first World Series game in 44 years, and—much to the pleasure of the home crowd—they fortunately slammed the door on their first World Series win since then as well. It had been over 16,000 days ago! My parents were barely married at that point, and I’m older than most of the players at this point. So yeah, it’s been a little while. Congrats to the Brew Crew, who really needed to win the Jacob Misiorowski vs. Nick Martinez start that was closer than it should’ve been. Now, we’ll see if the Rays counter by winning their own apparent mismatch on paper.*

*This is no shade to Logan Henderson, who I very much like. But we’ve soon too much of what Drew Rasmussen can do when he’s rolling.

Today on the site, Peter will recap the World Series opener, Michael will run through the third week of Yankees prospect action in the Arizona Fall League (shouts to Dax Kilby), and Nick will celebrate the 139th birthday of the Deadball Era’s Hugh High. Later, Andrés will take Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner to task on his blame game and John will examine where the Yankees’ budget stands as the offseason begins.

Today’s Playoff Matchup:

World Series Game 2
(Brewers lead 1-0)

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Tampa Bay Rays
(RHP Logan Henderson vs. RHP Drew Rasmussen)

Time: 8:00 p.m. EST

TV: FOX/FOX One/Fox Deportes

Venue: American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI

Questions/Prompts:

1. Who was the MVP of World Series Game 1?

2. Were you surprised to see the replay review center overturn this call at second on the possible game-ending double play in the ninth?

Friday night was the second scrimmage of the third week of fall ball for LSU. It was the first intra-squad of the session that was closed to the public, as they hosted members of the Coaches Committee and players’ families. Media was allowed to attend, though, so I was able to get another full night of observations.

Although a few pitchers had some success on Thursday night, the offense was really good. Like I had mentioned, 10 of the 18 starters drove in at least one RBI and while there was only one ball that left the stadium for a homerun, it seemed like productive at-bat after productive at-bat.

On Friday, pitching fought back. Landon Hood and Danny Lachenmayer were two of the names that had very good outings, which is a continuation of what we’ve seen from them for the past three weeks. I firmly believe that Hood is a name to watch to land in that all-important weekend rotation come the spring.

Opposite of Hood was two-way stud, Lucas Nawrocki, who started on the mound after hitting a homer the night before. That’s two weeks in a row that he’s done that. He had his moments of struggle, but still flashed plenty of signs to be excited about.

Dylan Minnatee, Parker Loew, and Angel Laya each notched 2 hits, but the big swings were very limited against Nate Yeskie’s pitching staff.

Before we get going, I’ll list off the lineups for each team and who pitched. Cumulative stats for Thursday night are included. We’ll then transition to some bullet point notes.

Lineups

Gold (visitors)

1.) CF – Nate Davis-Cleary (0-4)

2.) 2B – Cade Kurland (1-3, BB)

3.) RF – Angel Laya (2-4)

4.) C – Cade Arrambide (1-3, BB)

5.) 1B – Mason Braun (0-1, 2 BB)

6.) SS – Dawson Park (1-2, RBI/BB)

7.) 3B – Jack Ruckert (0-2, RBI/BB)

8.) DH – Jordan Martinez (1-3, RBI)

9.) LF – Eddie Yamin (0-3)

SP – Landon Hood (3.0 IP/3 H/0 R/4 K/1 BB/61% strikes/6-11 1st pitch strikes)

RP – Cooper Williams (2.2 IP/4 H/2 R/3 K/3 BB/57% strikes/8-14 1st pitch strikes)

Purple (home)

1.) CF – Jason Wachs (1-3, RBI)

2.) C – Omar Serna (0-3)

3.) SS – Steven Milam (0-1, 2 BB)

4.) LF – Dominic Santarelli (0-3)

5.) 2B – Parker Loew (2-2, RBI/BB)

6.) 3B – Malachi Washington (1-3, RBI)

7.) 1B – Dylan Minnatee (2-2, 2B/BB)

8.) RF – William Patrick (0-2)

9.) DH – Lucas Nawrocki (1-2, 2B/RBI)

SP – Lucas Nawrocki (1.2 IP/1 H/1 R/3 K/4 BBs/40% strikes/1-9 1st pitch strikes)

RP – Kaden Smith (2.0 IP/3 H/1 R/1 K/0 BB/67% strikes/5-9 1st pitch strikes)

RP – Danny Lachenmayer (3.0 IP/2 H/0 R/5 K/2 BB/60% strikes/9-13 1st pitch strikes)

Scrimmage notes

• Lucas Nawrocki struggled with his command out of the gate. He struck out 2 in the 1st inning, but walked 3, which led to them calling the inning with just 2 outs. After he walked the leadoff in the 2nd, he locked in. Velocity was up to 96, but it was his offspeed that struggles, leading to plenty of pitches in the dirt, including some wild pitches. After he finished pitching, he walked down to the batting cages with a bat and eventually came in to the game. He hit an opposite field double to drive in a run in his second plate appearance.
• Landon Hood was REALLY good, once again, featuring his 4-pitch mix and getting up to 96. He threw 14 pitches in his 2nd inning with 9 strikes, then had a quick 1-2-3 with the help of a double play turned by Ruckert to Kurland to Braun.
• Jack Ruckert’s stat line doesn’t jump off the page tonight, but it was another game in which he found a way to be productive at the plate. His first AB was with a runner on 3rd and less than 2 outs and he did what he’s supposed to do by driving in a run on a hard hit ground ball out.
• Omar Serna threw out Dawson Park, adding to his list of caught stealing.
• Speaking of throwing runners out, Cade Arrambide gunned down Parker Loew twice tonight. Both catchers have thrown out quite a few guys through these early fall scrimmages.
• Dylan Minnatee continues to make noise at the plate, ripping a double deep in to the right-center gap. Davis-Cleary actually almost made a gold glove play because of his elite speed, but was unable to corral a tough sliding catch on a well-hit ball.
• Kaden Smith had probably his best outing in 3 weeks. He was up to 95 and showed grit. In his first inning, he got 2 quick outs, but gave up back to back singles to Laya and Arrambide, then started Braun 3-0. He fought all the way back with 4 straight strikes to get out of the inning without damage.
• Jason Wachs has a pretty good arm. He almost threw out Park trying to tag from 2nd with a good throw from CF, but Washington was unable to reel in the short up in the dirt. That’s something that will take time to get used to for the former outfielder.
• Dawson Park manufactured a run mostly by himself by singling and stealing 2nd with 0 outs, then moved to 3rd on that flyout to Wachs, which put him in position to score on a groundball with the infield in.
• Cooper Williams was up and down. He first came in and got 2 quick outs, but then issued a 2-out walk on 5 pitches. He immediately tried a pick off, but missed his target, allowing the runner to move in to scoring position, which promptly bit him on a single that drove the runner in.
• Danny Lachenmayer threw 9 of his 10 pitches for strikes in his first inning of work. His command slipped to start his second inning, walking 2 of the first 3, but then struck out Martinez and Yamin to get back on track. He went right back to pumping strikes in his third inning, holding strong through 50 pitches.
• Cade Kurland flashed his former shortstop defensive skills on a tough pick and throw up the middle.
• Cooper Williams breaking balls to lefties looked unhittable, but it’s the righties that he needs to find his out pitch for.

Player of the night

Although Landon Hood was very good, I’m going with Danny Lachenmayer. He struck out 5 threw 3 innings of work for the second week in a row.

As far as a positional player of the game, Dylan Minnatee and his 2-2, including a nice double, were probably two of the best swings of the night.

Next up

LSU has one more intra-squad game for the week and potentially for the fall session. With the next 3 weeks being their exhibitions against Samford, Troy, and SLU, I’m not sure if they will have any more public scrimmages. It’s possible, but we will keep you guys informed.

As for this weekend, they return on Sunday at 1 pm for first pitch. It’s back to being open to the public with gates opening at 12:45 and entry/parking free.

Below is my video recap that I do after every single game. Follow me on X @DCBilliotJr for much more!