Texas Rangers @ Chicago White Sox
Monday, August 24, 2026, 6:40 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)
Rate Field
RHP Kumar Rocker vs. RHP Jose Urquidy
Go Rangers!
Game 132 Game Day Thread – Texas Rangers @ Chicago White Sox
Trae Young’s historical comps have something in common, and that could be a problem
Sometimes Past Me annoys Present Me. Today is one of those times.
Past Me promised a statistical doppelgänger article about Trae Young. Present Me looked at the numbers and wants to write about Something Else. But…well…crap, a promise is a promise.
The first challenge is that Young didn’t play much last season. Just 10 games for the Atlanta Hawks and five for the Wizards. He totaled 384 minutes, which isn’t enough to say much of anything. Except, bright side: his on-court performance this past season was pretty similar to his 2024-25. And his 2023-24, for that matter.
So, I used Young’s 2024-25 numbers in the statistical doppelgänger machine to find statistical comparisons. For the record, I tried using Young’s 2025-26 age with his 2024-25 stats, and it made no difference in his comps. I tried adding in his 2025-26 play, and it made basically no difference.
Why am I grumpy? Because the comps are giving me the same message they did when I did a similar analysis when John Wall was about to sign his maximum contract extension, which is basically the same message I delivered using an entirely different process when Young signed his extension earlier this summer.
The TLDR is that every way I look at things, I keep coming back to the same conclusion: the Young extension is a mistake. It has a high chance of ending up a blunder. Probably not as high as getting into a land war in Asia, but…I think it’s going to be one of the worst contracts in the NBA, if it isn’t already.
What makes this even more annoying is that I like Young. I’ve enjoyed watching him play, even when he grifted free throws so much the league literally changed the rules to make him stop. And by the way, new rules or not, Young’s free throw attempts per possession barely changed. Either he found new ways to grift, or he’s actually a pain in the butt to defend. (It’s the latter.)
Liking Young and appreciating his offensive game doesn’t replace analysis of his overall impact on the game. His defense has been a problem. His overall production has drooped the past few seasons. Still good, but not at the level of the mustache-twirling villain who tortured the New York Knicks. His old team was willing to trade him for the worst team in the NBA’s discards.
And the Wizards gave him the max. Despite there not being anyone else interested in paying close to that much.
Okay, enough with all that.
This is the fourth installment in the annual ritual of running players through the Statistical Doppelgänger Machine to see which player seasons are most like the reference player. The Machine uses 14 categories, which include per possession box score stats, playing time, and age. Factors like size and position are not included, but players tend to get comparisons similar in both.
So far this summer, we’ve looked at Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, and Kyshawn George.
To the doppelgängers:
- Deron Williams | 2011-12 | New Jersey Nets | Age: 27 — Williams was a major problem for opponents. From age 23 to 25 he had three straight seasons with a PPA of 167 or higher. The year he got traded, he rated over 150. This was his first full season with the Nets, and it was bad by his standards. He bounced back for a 151 PPA at age 28 and then declined fast. By age 30, he was basically average…and he dropped more from there.
- Michael Adams | 1990-91 | Denver Nuggets | Age: 28 — This comp works for me — small guard, unorthodox and herky-jerky, shot tons of threes, didn’t defend. This was Adams’ best season (161 PPA). He returned to Washington the following season…and declined. He was decent at 29 and 30 (131 and 123 PPAs) and average by 31. He hung on for a couple more years as a seldom-used reserve with the Charlotte Hornets.
- John Wall | 2016-17 | Washington Wizards | Age: 26 — My mental math on this is Young is kinda like Wall plus shooting, minus the strength, athleticism, and defense. This was Wall’s best season. Then, as predicted by analysis I did back in 2017, his performance dropped precipitously as he encountered a series of major injuries. He was out of the league after his age 32 season.
- John Wall | 2017-18 | Washington Wizards | Age: 27 — YOU SEE WHY I’M ANNOYED? The Machine is saying the Wizards of today have just committed long-term to a player very much like the John Wall who got hurt and got worse…right after signing an expensive long-term contract!
- Kemba Walker | 2017-18 | Charlotte Hornets | Age: 27 — Another small guard who was really good. Walker’s prime went from a 172 PPA at age 25 to a 166 at 29. Not bad. Except, after being an iron man in previous seasons, he started getting hurt at 29 — a pattern that persisted to the end of his playing career at 32.
There’s a trend here — quick guards who peaked early and declined quick. Guards who changed teams and got worse. Guards who started getting hurt and couldn’t stay healthy.
There are a few more hopeful comps further down the list. Names like Damian Lillard (though Lillard did eventually change teams and get worse), or Tim Hardaway who changed teams, did decline, but stayed fairly productive to age 34 — though with some injury issues after age 31.
The point here is one I’ve been making for years — smaller guards tend not to age well. As their quickness wanes, so does their production. And their health becomes an increasing issue as they approach and pass 30. When I’ve discussed this topic with coaches and executives around the league, I often hear variations on the idea that the “old” analysis of career trajectories isn’t applicable because guys take better care of themselves.
And maybe that’s true. It could be that it’ll be borne out in the data when we look back in 2036.
I’d still rather not have the Wizards staking a maximum contract on that idea.
Next up: Bub Carrington.
Carson Whisenhunt reflects on ‘weird' season as injury leaves Giants concerned
Carson Whisenhunt reflects on ‘weird' season as injury leaves Giants concerned originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants, after getting swept by the Red Sox in an emotional and deflating three-game series in Boston, snapped a four-game losing streak with an improbable win against Chase Burns and the Cincinnati Reds on Monday.
But manager Tony Vitello began his postgame press conference with concern and sorrow after Carson Whisenhunt exited the game early with elbow pain.
“Well, anytime a guy comes out of the game, you’re concerned,” Vitello said after San Francisco’s 5-0 win. “And also your heart goes out for him because you want to see him fall through with the outing. But more importantly, you just want to see guys stay healthy. But he’s got discomfort. Obviously, he’s pitching on the elbow area. So he’ll get it looked at tomorrow and see what it says.”
Whisenhunt will get an MRI on Tuesday morning.
The timing couldn’t be worse for the lefty, but that’s on brand with the luck the Giants have had with injuries all year.
Whisehunt has struggled this season, and he entered Monday’s game with a 7.03 ERA following last week’s outing against the Cleveland Guardians in which he allowed seven runs (six earned) on nine hits with one strikeout and two walks in four innings.
But he, at least in a small sample size, was tossing his best stuff against the Reds on Monday through the third inning before he felt something was off in his final two pitches.
“I felt great,” Whisenhunt said postgame. “It’s honestly probably the best I felt all year. Just mechanical, good shapes, velo, everything just felt really good today until the last two pitches.”
Whisenhunt added that he’s never felt this type of pain before, and it’s “a very different feeling” than the elbow sprain he suffered in 2023.
The 25-year-old had his elbow wrapped as he spoke to the media postgame.
Another thing he wore was cautious optimism on his face, as he smiled through the pain during the four-minute media scrum. Asked where his personal level of concern was awaiting the MRI Tuesday, Whisenhunt will leave that up to the medical experts.
“Um, trying not to think about it, honestly,” he said. “But [I’ve] never really felt anything like this. I don’t really know kind of where to be at with it. So just kind of play it by ear and get the MRI tomorrow, and then go from there. I think all the work we’ve been putting in lately has probably been the biggest contributor, like working on mechanical stuff, pitch shapes, just kind of everything all together, but just not overthinking it.
“Honestly, just kind of letting it happen. But just kind of go from there, and obviously not an ideal situation, but just see what happens from here.”
Whisenhunt felt as comfortable as he has been all year with his two- and four-seam fastball, and, as opposed to his past couple of starts, faced little command issues.
“Yeah, I mean, as far as how he was throwing the ball, I think it would have been consensus from the dugout that he was throwing the ball as well as he had,” Vitello said. “No command issues whatsoever till the ninth hitter, and even that was a competitive at-bat. So he was in the zone a ton, too. I think, in order for his slider to continue to improve, he’s got to throw it more, which he’s been doing. But you judge it off how do the misses look, and I thought the misses looked really good there.
“And then same for every pitcher: your best pitch needs to be effective, and his changeup was really, really good. I thought he was doing well. His delivery and his tempo in his delivery can get a little rushed at times; that’s where I’ve been coming from with my adrenaline theory, like when he’s fired up in the first couple innings, in particular. His tempo on almost every pitch was awesome.”
Monday’s outing continued a rollercoaster season for Whisenhunt, but in a different way.
The only way he can explain it sums up how the year has gone for the rest of the Giants.
“I’d say probably in the same boat of a weird year,” Whisenhunt said. “Just very back and forth. But I mean, physically, I felt great all year. It just kind of, to me, came out of nowhere. But just being able to be consistent in the weight room and doing my stuff in the training room every day that I need to, just to be able to go out there, but obviously, not trying to have an injury. But [it’s] part of the game.
“So just kind of see where we’re at after the MRI, and hopefully it’s nothing, just a pinched nerve or something like that. But we’ll see.”
Whisenhunt finished his media session and went to hang out near his teammates in the clubhouse. At one point, he even sat down at the table toward the back end of the room and watched his teammates play cards. He was all smiles and appeared to be in good spirits.
Hope has let the Giants down a lot lately, and we’ll have to wait and see if it’s on Whisenhunt’s side the rest of the season.
Game Thread: Maybe stepping away from the AL East will make things easier
Go Rays!
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GameThread: Detroit Tigers vs. Tampa Bay Rays, 6:40 p.m.
Detroit Tigers (61-69) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (77-53)
Time/Place: 6:40 p.m., Comerica Park
SB Nation Site:DRaysBay
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: LHP Framber Valdez (8-8, 4.35 ERA) vs. RHP Drew Rasmussen (13-5, 3.01 ERA)
| Player | G | IP | K% | BB% | GB% | FIP | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valdez | 25 | 138.2 | 18.1 | 8.8 | 53.6 | 4.15 | 1.5 |
| Rasmussen | 24 | 134.1 | 26.1 | 4.7 | 43.7 | 3.00 | 3.7 |
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Atlanta Braves off day chat and discussion: August 24
The Atlanta Braves are on a much-needed off day after taking a very tough trip across the midwest and getting put through the ringer by a trio of Central Division teams. The showdowns aren’t over, though, as the Braves will have to welcome the Dodgers into town for three games starting on Tuesday night.
For now, it’s time to go a night without Braves baseball before they embark on nine-straight days that’ll take them into September. What does the future hold? Hopefully enough wins to help carry the Braves across the finish line for the Divisional title and into the Postseason but we’ve got to cross that bridge before we get to it. Hopefully the offense can get back going soon, though!
What am I watching?
The Cubs and the Diamondbacks could be a potential Postseason preview, so that’s probably the most interesting game on the schedule tonight as far as October ramifications go. Meanwhile, Phillies games have once again gone past simply being hate-watches and they’ve gone back into the territory of being legitimate scoreboard watching. Philadelphia is on a West Coast swing starting tonight, as they’ll be facing the Mariners for three games before getting the Angels this weekend and then taking on the Diamondbacks this time next week. Maybe they’ll trip up heading out West like the Braves usually do? I don’t care man, someone please beat them.
Anyways, the floor is now yours.
Savor another Chase Burns start tonight while you still can
We simply do not know how the Cincinnati Reds are going to manage ace Chase Burns as he nears an arbitrary innings limit this season. What we do know, though, is that they’re almost 100% certain to have one, and that it’s rapidly approaching soon.
Burns is sitting on 136.0 IP so far during this breakout season of his, a good bit out in front of the 109.1 IP he logged across all levels last year. That’s on the back of a 100.0 IP season the year prior with Wake Forest, and as the Reds slip further and further into the standings abyss after dismal losses akin to the one from yesterday in Arizona, the reality is that they aren’t going to run him into the ground in an already-lost season.
Burns gets the ball tonight as the Reds begin their series against the San Francisco Giants on the west coast, so you’ll need to put on a pot of coffee and stay up late to catch him. However, there’s a very real likelihood that he’s on the mound for only two or three more turns this season, so forfeiting the chance to see a true ace at work becomes infinitely more important than a) sleep or b) any serious conversations you plan on having before 10 AM tomorrow morning.
First pitch this evening is set for a cozy 9:45 PM ET.
Here’s how the Reds will line up to start:
Red Sox at Marlins lineup: Ranger danger in Miami
Last week at this time, the Diamondbacks hadn’t yet posted their lineup because Ketel Marte was MIA. Today the Red Sox are in MIA, facing former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara and an uncharacteristically competent Marlins team at 6:40 p.m. Ranger Suarez is on the hill for the Sox, with Andruw Monasterio getting the day off as the Sox look to continue rolling after destroying the hapless Giants:
Here are da fish:
Go Sox. Enjoy these quiet days while they last. The real stuff gonna start as soon as that Labor Day grill fires up.
Washington Nationals vs Colorado Rockies Game Thread
The Nats just finished up a brutal 1-8 road trip. Now they are back home and face a beatable opponent in the Rockies. However, with how they have played lately, there is no such thing as an easy win. This four game set will be a good test for the battered and bruised Nats.
CJ Abrams is back, but he is only able to DH today. It is still a huge boost for this team. He is leading off and Daylen Lile will be moved down to the 4 spot. Brady House is back at third and Keibert Ruiz is behind the plate. It is Cade day, as the red hot Nats ace takes the mound.
The Rockies have a lefty heavy lineup with only two true righties in Connor Norby and Ezequiel Tovar. This Rockies team has some firepower at the top of the order with Jake McCarthy, Mickey Moniak and TJ Rumfield having productive years. Ryan Feltner will be on the mound for Colorado.
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Game Info:
Stadium: Nationals Park
Time: 6:45 PM EST
TV: Nationals.TV
Radio: 106.7 The Fan
If there was ever a time to get back on track, it would be tonight. You have Cavalli on the mound against a Rockies team who struggles on the road. Hopefully the Nats can make the end of this season at least somewhat watchable. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
The Devils Gave Up On Simon Nemec. Now He Wants To Make Them Pay
Simon Nemec hasn't forgotten what happened in New Jersey.
The former second-overall pick spent years waiting for the opportunity to prove he could become the star defenseman the Devils envisioned when they drafted him. Instead, he found himself on the outside of a crowded blue line, fighting for ice time and ultimately being shipped out of town before he ever received the role he believed he deserved.
Now, Nemec has a new team, a new contract and a chance to turn the Calgary Flames into the vehicle for his revenge.
"I just want to prove to everyone that New Jersey wasn't right," Nemec told The Hockey News' David Alter.
For Nemec, this is no longer simply about a fresh start.
It's about making the Devils regret the day they decided they could live without him.
The 22-year-old arrives in Calgary carrying the weight of enormous expectations, but also with a rare opportunity to finally establish himself as the type of defenseman many believed he could become when New Jersey selected him second overall in the 2022 NHL Draft.
The Flames are betting heavily that opportunity was exactly what Nemec needed.
Calgary acquired Nemec and forward Maxim Tsyplakov from the Devils in June in exchange for two conditional first-round picks, a second-round selection and defense prospect Etienne Morin. The Flames then doubled down on their belief in the young defenseman, signing him to a five-year contract worth $7.25 million annually.
That is a significant investment in a player who has yet to fully establish himself at the NHL level.
But Calgary isn't paying for what Nemec has already accomplished. The Flames are paying for what they believe he is about to become.
Nemec showed flashes of that potential last season, setting career highs with 11 goals and 26 points in 68 games. Yet his development in New Jersey was complicated by a crowded defense corps and limited opportunities to take on the offensive responsibilities typically afforded to a player with his pedigree.
For a former No. 2 overall pick, being asked to wait his turn can be frustrating. For Nemec, it eventually became impossible to ignore.
"I think I couldn't play my best hockey," Nemec said. "I wasn't given the opportunity that I want, and at the end of the day, they decided it's best for me - and for them - to get traded. And I'm happy with that."
The move may ultimately prove beneficial for everyone involved.
But Nemec clearly has no intention of quietly moving on from New Jersey.
He believes there is more to his game than the Devils ever had the chance—or willingness—to see.
In Calgary, he could finally get the opportunity to prove it.
The Flames offer a considerably different landscape for Nemec. Instead of competing for offensive responsibilities behind established names, he enters an organization that has made a substantial long-term commitment to him and appears prepared to give him every opportunity to become a central piece of its future.
That could include a larger role on the power play, more responsibility at even strength and the type of consistent minutes Nemec believes were missing during his time with the Devils.
The opportunity is there.
Now comes the part Nemec has been waiting for: making New Jersey regret letting him go.
"I feel like they need a player like me," Nemec said. "I can play a lot of minutes there. I can be part of the future there and be one of the leaders of the team."
Those are ambitious words from a 22-year-old still looking to establish himself.
But Nemec is entering Calgary with something more dangerous than confidence.
He has a score to settle.
The Devils made their decision. They determined that moving the former second-overall pick was in their best interest.
Nemec now has five years in Calgary to convince them they were wrong.
Six D’Backs Middle Infield Prospects You Should Know
Introduction
For no particular reason, and definitelynot in light of any recent events involving the Diamondbacks, I thought it might be a good idea to examine a few of the middle infielders in the Arizona farm system, specifically second baseman. In this article I’m going to go into the middle infield prospects that stood out for various reasons.
The Omissions
There are two glaring omissions that are very close to the major leagues that I didn’t include in this writeup, only because each got their own dedicated article that I’ve put out in the last couple months. If not for that fact, Demetrio Crisantes and Danny Serretti would have their own section spotlighting them here in the ‘top prospects’ section. Crisantes is the team’s de facto top prospect overal, and the heir apparent at second base. He’s likely a year away from being ready at the earliest, while Serretti is a AAA Rule 5 guy who’ll need to be put on the 40 man roster at the end of the season if the Dbacks don’t want to see him taken in the MLB portion of the Rule 5 draft this winter.
Although I’ll still use this as an opportunity to give a quick update on both players, you can read my article on Demetrio Crisantes here, and my article on Danny Serretti here. Crisantes has gotten off to a slow start since his promotion to AAA Reno. He has 29 hits (including 5 doubles, a triple, and HRs) in 110 plate appearances, with 5 walks and 22 strikeouts. That translates to a triple slash line of 264/.299/.355 which works out to just a 52 wRC+ along with a .298 wOBA. His .232 xwOBA shows he’s probably been a bit lucky to even put up those meager numhers.
Meanwhile, Danny Serretti spent a couple months in Reno with an OPS above 1.000 at the end of July. Serretti began slumping over the following three weeks, with his statistics dropping down to a (still good) .934 OPS by August 18th, when he was sent back to AA Amarillo, although not for perfomance related reasons. Serretti currently has a .924 OPS in AA Amarillo.
The Top Prospects
John Samuel “JD” Dix (FG| B-Ref )
Bats/Throws: Switch/Right Height/Weight 6’2″ / 190 DOB: 10/12/2005 in Chicago, IL
Tools: Hit: 55. Power: 50. Run: 50. Field: 50. Arm: 50
Drafted in the Competive Balance-A round (35th overall) by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2024 draft, JD Dix signed for $2,150,000. Dix was the top prospect out of the state of Wisconsin in that 2024 draft class, attending the same Whitefish Bay HS that Dbacks 2001 World series alumni Craig Counsell attended.
Dix made his debut the following year in the Arizona Complex League. In 39 games for the ACL Dbacks, Dix had 178 plate appearences, hitting .342/.421/.493 with a .427 wOBA and 142 wRC+.Dix would get a promotion to the A ball level Visalia Rawhide, where he’d spend the remaining 50 games of his 2025 season. In 230 plate appearances for the Rawhide, Dix hit .261/.391/.335 with a .368 wOBA and 114 wRC+.
Overall, in the 89 games and 408 plate appearances total between the rookie level Arizona Complex League and the A Ball level California League in 2025, Dix hit .297/.404/.406 with 2 HRs, 29sb .394 wOBA 126 wRC+. 14.2% bb% 20.8% strikeout percentage.
I’ve embedded a video below of an interview that Visalia Rawhide posted to their official channel.
Dix began his season back in the California league to start the 2026 season. In 48 games, Dix received 235 plate appearances, hitting .253/378/.468 with a .382 wOBA and a 116 wRC+. At first glance those numbers don’t look like much of an improvement outside of the better wOBA and wRC+, Dix had a slightly worse walk percentage and strikeout percentage, he had much worse luck with a Batting Average on Balls In Play (BABIP) that was .052 lower.
The real improvement though was reflected in JD’s power: He had the same amount of triples, but hit three more doubles and seven more homers in two fewer games, which resulted in Dix’s isolated slugging percentage (ISO) having a massive surge from .074 to .216. In addition, Dix stole just as many bases (19) but was caught stealing only once, as opposed to four times the year before.
The Dbacks promoted JD to the A+ level Hillsboro Hops in the much less hitter friendly Northwestern League, where he’s had a much tougher time. In 48 games, Dix has recieved 212 plate appearences, hitting .245/.325/.351 .314 wOBA with an 80 wRC+. His power outburst slowed down, with only a pair of homeruns. He’s continued to be a burner on the basepaths, stealing 16 bases so far. However, he hasn’t been quite as successful with Dix getting caught stealing four times. Weirdly Dix has managed six more singles and three more triples than he had in Visalia.
The defensive picture is a lot more opaque compared to the offensive side of his game. Lingering effects from a labrum injury in highschool rendering his right arm strength too weak for him to play shortstop, however, Dix was put on an arm strength program over the last offseason. I have not heard much in the ways of his current arm strength, so someone in the comment section can hopefully chime in, since as far as I can tell, Dix has only played seven innings at shortstop in the complex league last year. This season he’s played all but 10 innings at second base, with those appearances coming at designated hitter.
Carson Kerce (FG | B-Ref )
Bats/Throws: Right Height/Weight 5’11 / 200lbs Born: 11/29/2004 in Atlanta, GA
Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 40 | Speed: 55 | Field: 45 | Arm: 50
Drafted in the 2nd round of the 2026 draft with the 53rd overall pick by the Diamondbacks, Kerce essentially went from an afterthought in a potent Georgia Tech lineup his freshman year, to an offensive force as a leadoff hitter by his junior year, his last season going professional.
You can easily see the progress Kerce made year to year just looking at his wOBA and wRC+ statistics. Kerce put up a below average .360 wOBA and a 79 wRC+ his freshman season, improved to a slightly above average .403 wOBA and 103 wRC+ his sophomore season, before breaking out as a hitter with a robust .497 wOBA and 148 wRC+ his junior season. He also cut his strikeout percentage from 22% down to 15.2%, then even further to 13.3% in that same time span. Below I’ve embedded a video featuring highlights from Kerce’s time with Georgia Tech.
Kerce has played in 15 games with the Visalia Rawhide, and has 17 hits in 69 plate appearences, with three doubles, a HR, and 10 walks and two HBP. That works out to a triple slash line of .298/.420/.404, with a .393 wOBA and a 122 wRC+. He’s stolen five bases successfully in six attempts as well.
Kayson Cunningham (FG | B-Ref )
Bats/Throws: Left/Right Height/Weight: 5’10/182lbs Born: 6/25/2006 in Tucson, Az
Scouting Grades: Hit: 60+ | Power: 45 | Run: 55 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50
When I last talked about the Dbacks 2025 first round pick, Cunningham had demolished the California League. In 43 games he hit .381/.471/.506 with a .451 wOBA and 157 wRC+. He showed excellent plate discipline with 30 walks (14.5 bb%) to his 38 strikeouts (18.4 SO%). I’ve embedded a video below with highlights from the first half of season prior to his promotion.
The Dbacks promoted Cunningham to the A+ level Hillsboro Hops on June 9th, and the new level and league has proven to be much more of a challenge. In 53 games with the Hops, Cunningham is hitting .246/.360/.382 with a .344wOBA and a 98 wRC+. While he’s seen a slight uptick in his walk percentage by .01% to 14.6%, he’s also seen his strikeout percentage jump from 18.4% to 22.2%. Some of that decline in numbers may just be the result of his luck changing. In Visalia, Cunningham had an unsustainable .482 BABIP, while in Hillsboro it has swung back in the other direction to a .310 BABIP. He hasn’t been unlucky necessarily, just not as lucky.
Cunningham has an argument for being the best pure hitter in the Diamondbacks farm system, or at least in my opinion, the potential to be the best pure hitter in the system once he develops more as a hitter. (I’d argue right now that the best pure hitter is Demetrio Crisantes, with Cunningham a tic behind, mostly as a result of the former being further along in his development) Cunningham has played shortstop or designated hitter exclusively, and he certainly has the tools to stick at the position. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up at second base, third base, or somewhere in the outfield potentially.
The Underperforming but still young prospects
Not only were Jansel Luis and Cristofer Torin were signed as amateur international free agents signed in January of 2022, but both players have had their prospect stock fall in 2026 thanks to having bad seasons playing in the most hitter friendly ballpark in the already very hitter friendly Texas League. I have seen comments here on the Snakepit and on the Azdiamondbacks sub-reddit writing off both players’ status as prospects, with some even going so far as to label them busts.
Jansel Luis (FG| B-Ref )
Bats/Throws: Switch/Right Height/Weight 6’0 / 170lbs Born: 3/6/2005 in San Pedro de Macoris, DR
Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 50 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50
Jansel Luis is coming off an impressive season playing for the Hillsboro Hops in the Northwestern League. In 102 games played in a pitcher friendly ballpark, in a pitcher friendly league, he hit .304/.342/.422 with a .346 wOBA and a 106 wRC. Add in the four games played in the ACL, and that bumps his numbers up to .311/.347/.435 with a .353 wOBA and a 110 wRC+.
So with Luis headed to a hitter friendly ballpark, in a hitter friendly league, his underwhelming 2026 season is much more disappointing. Through his first 108 games in 2026, Luis has hit .270/.315/.445 with a .336 wOBA and a 78 wRC+. Though his walk percentage has dipped down from 6.0% to 5.0%, his strikeout percentage has shown a much more signifant increase from 16.3% to 25.1%. That’s right at the edge of still being acceptable, any worse and it’s a major red flag going forward. In general, the lack of walks combined with too many strikeouts are always a recipe for failure, and that combined with an erratic approach at the plate have been noted by other prospect evaluators as major red flags.
I wouldn’t write Jansel Luis off just yet, he’s still below the league average in age, and he’s got impressive tools all around. Jansel’s biggest weakness is his propensity for aggression at the plate, swinging too often at pitches he has no business trying to hit. That said, he’ll need to tone down the aggression and become more selective ar the plate to get back on track down the stretch, and he’ll need put up above average numbers in AA in his next season.
Primarily a shortstop and second baseman in the past, Luis has not played at second base in 2026. Instead, he’s now seen more time at third base instead, though he is still getting starts at short as well as DH on occasion. Some scouts think he’d be better off in outfield position, but the Dbacks have not played him at all in the outfield, at least in-game.
Cristofer Torin (FG | B-Ref)
Bats/Throws: Right Height/Weight 5’10/155lbs Born: 5/26/2005 in Acarigua, Venezuela
Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 30 | Run: 40 | Field: 60 | Arm: 60
Torin had solid 2024 season in his second go around in A ball level Visalia, hitting .255/.381/.344 with a .360 wOB and a 106 wRC+ in 108 games. He followed that up with a breakout 2025 season for the A+ level Hillsboro Hops, hitting .287/.381/.385 with a .360 wOBA and a 115 wRC+ in 122 games. He then had an impressive cup of coffee with AA Amarillo to end his 2025 season, getting eight hits with four of those being doubles, a stolen base, and three walks in 25 plate appearences. That works out to triple slash of .381/.440/.571 with a .449 wOBA and a 159 wRC+.
Considering all of that, Torin’s 2026 season in AA Amarillo has proven to be extra disappointing, much like Jansel Luis’ 2026 season. In 102 games and 476 plate appearences, Torin is hitting a very meager .270/.335/.418 with a .337 wOBA and a 79 wRC+.
Probably the most interesting fact about his season is that while his walk percentage has dropped from 12.1% to 8%, his strikeout percentage has improved from 14.3% to 11.1%. In addition, he’s hit four triples and twelve homeruns, career highs in both, the latter being more than the previous two seasons combined.
Torin is an impressive defender at shortstop, enough so that he really doesn’t need to hit all that much to be a positive contributor in the major leagues. He’s always had an impressive ability to limit his strikeouts, while also drawing walks at a fairly impressive rate. Prior to this season he had only one season where he walked less than a 12% of the time, 9% in A ball in 2024. Considering Torin has needed a second try at a level in the pasr, it’s not surprising he’s struggled making the second hardest jump in professional baseball. If he struggles in his next try at AA, then I would start writing him off as prospect. As I stated with Jansel Luis, he’s still young for the level, so it’s not that big of deal if he’s back in AA next season.
Promising Start, but Too Young to Worry About
Leonardo Sivilla (FG|B-Ref)
Bats/Throws: Switch/Right Height/Weight 5’10/180lbs Born: 12/17/2007 in Santa Clara, Cuba
Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 70 | Field: 45 | Arm: 50
Sevilla signed for $750,000 on January 15th of 2026. He’s had a solid debut in the Domincan Summer league, hitting .293/.435/.395 with a 106 wRC+ in his first 53 games. Sevilla definitely lives up to that 70 grade speed, as he’s stolen 29 bases, though he has been caught seven times.
There’s not much else to say about Sevilla just yet as he’s likely three to four years away, he’s worth mentioning as a player expected to move through the farm system quickly, and for having all of his tools grade out as above average.
Colorado Rockies at Washington Nationals game discussion: Ryan Feltner vs. Cade Cavalli
August hasn’t been kind to the Colorado Rockies.
A dreadful 0-6 homestand against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland Guardians pushed their home losing streak up to nine games, tied for the longest home drought since the 1993 club accomplished that feat. It also puts the Rockies at 7-13 for August, on pace for their worst month since May.
They hope to turn the tides with a trip to the nation’s capital to take on the Washington Nationals for a four-game series. The Nats are also slumping, losers of their last four and eight of their last 10.
The Rockies come in with a 50-80 record to the Nationals’ 61-71. The two teams met at Coors Field back in July, with the Nats taking two of three games.
Ryan Feltner is set to take the mound for the Rockies, his 20th start of the season. So far, he is 5-7 with a 5.97 ERA, a 1.533 WHIP, and 64 strikeouts. He got lit up by the Dodgers in his last start, surrendering seven runs on eight hits in five innings of work.
Washington will counter with Cade Cavalli. Cavalli is 11-5 through 27 starts, with a 3.22 ERA, a 1.220 WHIP, and 162 strikeouts (11th most in the majors). His last start was a scoreless quality start, earning the win after six innings pitched with just three hits surrendered along with 11 strikeouts. He’s averaged nearly 10 strikeouts across his last three games. He’s also picked up a win in six of his last seven starts.
The two teams enter today’s matchup sharing a rough stretch recently, but the Nationals bring in a hotter starting pitcher on paper. Both teams’ bats have struggled as of late, so today might come down to who blinks first.
First Pitch: 4:45 p.m. MDT
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM and KNRV 1150 (Spanish)
Nationals SB Nation Site: Federal Baseball
Lineups:
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How would you grade the Cavs offseason?
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cavaliers fans and fans across the country.
It has been an interesting summer for the Cleveland Cavaliers. They’ve improved a position of need by trading for Peyton Watson, but getting to that point wasn’t exactly a straight line. Let’s go through the timeline of events.
- May 30 – Mike Gansey leaves the Cavs to lead basketball operations for the Philadelphia 76ers.
- June 23 – The Cavs trade out of the first round of the NBA Draft.
- June 24 – The Cavs draft Meleek Thomas in the second round.
- June 27 – The Cavs re-sign Thomas Bryant to a one-year deal.
- June 30 – LeBron James announces he’s leaving the Los Angeles Lakers and enters free agency.
- June 30 – Keon Ellis leaves in free agency and signs with the Brooklyn Nets.
- June 30 – Dean Wade leaves in free agency and signs with the 76ers.
- July 7 – The Cavs agree to a four-year contract extension with Donovan Mitchell worth $263 million.
- July 24 – LeBron James chooses the 76ers over the Cavs in free agency.
- July 26 – The Cavs sign Mario Hezonja to a one-year minimum contract.
- August 14 – The Cavs trade Dennis Schroder and cash to the Charlotte Hornets for Tre Mann.
- August 19 – The Cavs trade Max Strus, a 2031 first-round pick, and Tre Mann for Peyton Watson and Cam Whitmore.
- August 20 – The Cavs re-sign James Harden to a three-year, $97 million deal.
Not captured above is the fact that the Cavs went from a team in the second apron last season to being hard-capped at the first apron. Shedding money and improving the on-court team would be a win.
With the dust mostly settled, how would you grade the overall offseason for the Cavs? Let us know in the poll and comments below.
Red Sox begin road trip with stop at Marlins, fishing for runs
Sweep! The best kind of weekend. Didn’t hurt that it was an NL West team. Those Diambondbacks were kinda pesky too. Nice to just finish the week at 5-1.
Ranger Suarez needed a good outing against those Dbacks and he, well, sorta kinda got it. There was a grand slam but the Boston bats carried the team to a 9-4 victory. Suarez and the ‘pen allowed just those four runs. Sandy Alcantara was an ace. Then he got hurt. Last season he was back but a mess and this year has had some rough spots. But the last month he’s been cruising. Seven innings in three of his last five starts. He didn’t even allow a run over three of his last five outings. He’s not back to his 8.0 bWAR form from 2023 but he’s leading the NL in innings and starts and looking healthy.
Payton Tolle was a little bit of a hard luck loser last time out. He wasn’t at his best but a few bad bounces and one thing led to another and it was a less than perfect outing for the team’s most enthusiastic jumper. Is he running out of gas as the innings pile up? Maybe? But his two starts before this were each masterpieces. The Red Sox are seemingly trying to find him extra rest but so far he’s still just having an impressive first full MLB season. His opponent hasn’t been announced, maybe the Sox finally catch a team short handed?
Closing out the series is legitimate Cy Young candidate Sonny Gray. Last time out against the Giants wasn’t his best work but 4 runs in 7.0 innings is enough for the offense to work with. Ryan Gusto has made 12 starts in his 17 appearances this year and has tossed 57.2 innings in total. He strikes out 8.0 per nine innings and has 3.40 times as many Ks as BBs. The righty has two starts longer than 4.2 innings and also rarely (4 times) goes over 68 pitches. This is one to watch if Nick Sogard starts fouling off pitches early.
Remember Otto Lopez? Big time trade candidate? He’s hitting just .215/.273/.241. So, small sample size and all but when you’ve got Sogard on the roster who needs the Otto mobile.
Probable Pitching Matchups
Monday, August 24: Ranger Suarez (3.41 ERA / 2.87 FIP) vs. Sandy Alcantara (3.46 ERA / 3.84 FIP)
Tuesday, August 25: Payton Tolle (3.08 ERA / 3.16 FIP) vs. TBD (— ERA / — FIP)
Wednesday, August 26: Sonny Gray (2.79 ERA / 3.60 FIP) vs. Ryan Gusto (4.37 ERA / 4.00 FIP)
Thursday, August 27: Merciful day off
When/Where to Watch
Monday, August 24: 6:40 PM ET on NESN
Tuesday, August 25: 6:40 PM ET on NESN
Wednesday, August 26: 6:40 PM ET on NESN
St. Louis Blues NHL Prospect Rankings: No. 7, Milton Gastrin
As the anticipation for the 2026-27 NHL season grows, TheHockeyNews.com will be taking a look at the top 10 prospects in the St. Louis Blues' system, with versatile Swedish forward Milton Gastrin coming in at the seventh spot.
The players in this ranking do not have extensive NHL experience and are all 23 and under. Therefore, players like Jimmy Snuggerud, Dalibor Dvorsky, and Logan Mailloux, among others, won't feature in this ranking for those reasons.
The order of these rankings reflects a mix of their ceilings and potential, as well as how they've performed over the past year with their respective clubs.
Gastrin and Buchelnikov, two prospects acquired in trades, could have easily been swapped, but Gastrin is just 19 years old and brings a more well-rounded game than Buchelnikov does.
Gastrin was originally a second-round pick (37th overall) of the Washington Capitals in the 2025 NHL draft. The Blues acquired him, alongside Connor McMichael and a first-round pick, in a deal that sent Jordan Kyrou to the Capitals.
While McMichael and the first-round pick, which was used to select Maddox Dagenais, feel like the best part of the return, there is a real possibility that Gastrin turns out to be just as important an acquisition as any player in this deal.
Playing in the HockeyAllsvenskan this past season, Gastrin posted 10 goals and 24 points in 39 games with MoDo Hockey. Gastrin signed his entry-level contract with the Capitals last summer and was loaned back to Sweden for the season.
Blues Loan Recently Acquired Forward Back To SHL; Set To Represent Sweden At World Junior Summer ShowcaseSt. Louis Blues prospect Milton Gastrin will be loaned to the SHL for the 2026-27 season and will also represent Sweden at the upcoming World Junior Summer Showcase. The Blues will do the same, as they have loaned him to Brynas IF, which will be playing in the SHL next year. Gastrin will hopefully be given additional ice time and a bigger role before joining the Springfield Thunderbirds in the AHL to end the season.
Additionally, Gastrin will almost assuredly make Team Sweden's World Junior Championship roster once again, but this time around he'll play a more prominent role.
Gastrin was part of Sweden's gold medal-winning team but played as a depth forward, skating in six games without recording any points. With players like Anton Frondell, Ivar Stenberg, and Viggo Bjorck all possibly playing in the NHL, Sweden will need players like Gastrin to step into bigger roles.
St. Louis Blues NHL Prospect Rankings: No. 8, Dmitri BuchelnikovComing in at No. 8 on our top 10 St. Louis Blues prospects is a silky Russian winger, Dmitri Buchelnikov.In all, Gastrin is a two-way center with the versatility to play on the wing. His ability to play center or on the wing will be important as he attempts to crack the Blues' lineup. The Blues aren't short on center prospects, but if Gastrin can play both positions, he'll find time in the lineup eventually.
Offensively, Gastrin is more of a playmaker than a shooter, but with his 6-foot-1 frame, he has shown he can get to dangerous areas of the ice to score as well.
There's real NHL middle six upside within Gastrin, but it's up to the Blues to get him there.
St. Louis Blues Prospect Rankings:
Honorable Mentions: Love Harenstam, Marcus Gidlof, Juraj Pekarcik, Zach Dean, and Lukas Fischer
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