Worldwide Sports News

Captain’s back.

As expected, the Mariners have reinstated shortstop J.P. Crawford from the IL, where he landed on July 30 with right wrist inflammation. And emphasis on the “shortstop” part of that sentence, as Colt Emerson, who was playing short in J.P.’s absence earlier in the year and then even when he returned, is done for the year with a similar wrist issue that he’s scheduled to have surgery on today. (If you’re curious about why one player might opt for season-ending surgery and another might come back after an IL stint for the same injury, read yesterday’s report on Colt Emerson, where I dove into the specifics of this injury and how it affects players differently (standard Not A Doctor caveat applies).)

Crawford completed a rehab stint with the Rainiers, playing three games with Tacoma over this past week. After going hitless in his first game, he went on to have a three-hit game with a homer the next day, and collected another hit in his final appearance. His last hurdle was returning to T-Mobile Park to go through a standard daily pregame workout with the team, which he cleared yesterday, leading to his activation today. Crawford was out for early batting practice again today, lasering hits all over the field, including a solid power round where he cleared the right field fence multiple times and even banged one off the ribbon board there.

“Great getting J.P. back,” said manager Dan Wilson pregame. “Obviously, we talk a lot about what he brings to the clubhouse in terms of his leadership and just what he means to this organization…It feels a little bit more like the family’s getting back together.”

With J.P. back, the Mariners lineup recovers some of the on-base ability lost when Brendan Donovan went on the concussion IL, and a veteran presence known to work a lengthy at-bat at the top or bottom of the lineup, offering manager Dan Wilson some flexibility in writing his lineup. That flexibility extends to the left side of the infield, where Crawford can play either short or third while Donovan is out, although from pregame activities yesterday he was taking reps exclusively at short.

Wilson says Crawford will bounce between short and third, likely settling in at short when Brendan Donovan returns. As a corresponding move, the Mariners opted to send infielder Leo Rivas back to Tacoma, leaving rookie Brock Rodden with the big-league club for a little more seasoning before he’s likely optioned back to Tacoma as well to make room for Donovan, who is on the concussion IL but eligible to come off of it on Saturday, assuming he doesn’t suffer any lingering effects from being hit in the head with a batting practice pitch on Saturday. Donovan was out on the field playing catch pregame but needed to take a few minutes to recover afterwards with his hands on his knees, still obviously feeling the nausea from his concussion. Wilson called sending Rivas to Tacoma a “tough decision”, but highlighted that the team feels Rodden has done a “really nice job” at short as well as putting up some good at-bats.

“Felt like Brock brought a little bit of a spark, and that’s a big reason why he’s here,” said Wilson.

After dropping the first two games against the Mariners in soul-crushing fashion, the Cubs put an exclamation mark on the series with a 19-2 rout on Sunday. Rookie Pedro Ramírez was right in the middle of it all, going three for six with three runs scored and five RBI, four of which came on his first career grand slam [VIDEO].

But the game of baseball moves fast, and just as Ramírez is getting his shot at everyday playing time, Matt Shaw started a rehab assignment in Iowa. That means the Cubs will soon have a decision to make: Should Shaw or Ramírez man the keystone while Nico Hoerner covers for Swanson at shortstop? It’s admittedly a good problem to have, so let’s dive into the numbers and see if there’s a clear answer.

Ramírez has been excellent this season. The 22-year old was called up at the end of May after posting a .312/.395/.547 slash line with nine home runs and a wRC+ of 136 through his first 196 plate appearances for Triple-A Iowa. He paired that production with an excellent 16.3 percent strikeout rate and a 10.7 percent walk rate. It would be totally reasonable to expect a player who was young for Triple-A to struggle at the big league level, but Ramírez didn’t get that memo. In his first 171 MLB plate appearances he’s hit .290/.347/.439 with three home runs and a wRC+ of 117. The strikeout rate is up slightly at 18.7 percent, but that’s still ahead of the league average of 22.1 percent. His 8.2 percent walk rate is ever so slightly below the league average of 8.9 percent.

Since Dansby Swanson hit the injured list with an oblique issue, Ramírez has been the everyday second baseman for the Cubs. It’s been an adjustment for the last week, although his .292 BABIP during that time is low relative to his history in the minors. Back-to-back big games against the Mariners and Diamondbacks have already improved his numbers since taking over the full-time role considerably, and he looks like he’s settling into the everyday job. He does have two fielding errors so far this season, one at second base and one at third base, but honestly it’s such a small sample size he doesn’t qualify for the Statcast leaderboard unless you adjust the qualifier. He does have two Outs Above Average so far as a fielder this year. While the scouting report sees Ramírez as an average or slightly above average fielder, he does have some webgems so far this year, like this excellent play to rob Andy Pages of extra bases in August:

Matt Shaw was a Gold Glove finalist at third base for the Cubs last year as a rookie, but by comparison he had -1 OAA last season. Despite that gap, most evaluators would say Shaw is the superior defender despite the initial results show them as reasonably close to each other defensively. Shaw also offers a bit more defensive flexibility than Ramírez. He’s already played a decent amount of outfield and while there have been some hiccups there at time, he’s also flashed some promise as a corner outfielder:

Shaw has shown improvements at the plate so far in 2026. His wRC+ of 106 through his first 147 plate appearances is 22 points higher than the 94 he posted through 437 plate appearances last season. Those improvements are visible across multiple stats, including his slashline which has improved from .226/.295/.394 to .246/.322/.415. His walk rates are relatively similar, he posted an 8.7 percent BB rate in 2025 and an 8.2 percent BB rate in 2026, but the real improvement is in his strikeout rate. During his rookie campaign Shaw struck out 21.5 percent of the time. So far in 2026 he’s struck out 18.4 percent of the time.

Where Shaw does have an advantage over Ramírez is raw power. He has four home runs in 24 fewer plate appearances than Ramírez this season, and hit 13 in 437 plate appearances last year:

One complication is that both Shaw and Ramírez are better against lefties. Shaw has posted a .279/.353/.492 slashline with a wRC+ of 135 and two of his four homeruns in 68 plate appearances against southpaws this year compared to a .217/.295/.348 slashline with a wRC+ of 81 in 79 plate appearances against righties in 2026. He had similar splits in a larger sample last season. Ramírez is a switch-hitter, but hits better from the right side of the plate where he’s slashing .370/.414/.556 with a wRC+ of 171 in (an admittedly tiny sample size of) 29 plate appearances against lefties compared to a .262/.324/.381 slashline with a wRC+ of 94 in 140 plate appearances as a lefty against right-handed pitchers. That gap was similar in a larger sample size of his minor league plate appearances this season.

Which all leads to the big question: Who should be the primary second baseman when Shaw is ready to return from his rehab in Iowa? At the beginning of the season, it would have undoubtedly been Shaw’s job, but Ramírez is in the midst of an outstanding rookie debut and manager Craig Counsell has been known to ride the hot hand. Who would you play at second base while Dansby is out?

Boy, this is a really different lineup than we’re used to… sorta.

Mauricio Dubon has hit cleanup twice this season (both against right-handers, like Tyler Glasnow), but not since the first few days of July. Michael Harris II has hit fifth here or there, but hit leadoff on Sunday and has largely hit fourth. The big thing is the Braves alternating handedness with no left-handed batter back-to-backs.

As for the Dodgers, well, you know most of these guys:

With Andy Pages now injured, the Dodgers have largely moved up their usual 3-4-5 into 2-3-4 behind Shohei Ohtani.

Batter versus pitcher for tonight is silly. Everyone in the Los Angeles lineup but their catcher has faced Bryce Elder before, with double-digit PAs for the top four in the lineup. Most guys in their lineup have crushed Elder; the aggregate line is 75 PAs with a .389 xwOBA… but just a .314 wOBA. That won’t necessarily keep up, but if Elder and the defense can hold the Dodgers to a .314 wOBA, that might be pretty welcome.

Every Brave but Dubon has faced Glasnow; Matt Olson, Austin Riley, and Ozzie Albies have double-digit PAs against him. The aggregate line: 58 PAs, a .282 xwOBA, and a .204 wOBA. Almost nowhere to go but up for the Braves against Glasnow, at this point. Amusingly, Sean Murphy has seen five pitches from Glasnow in two PAs (both in 2023). He struck out looking on four pitches, and then hit a first-pitch down-the-pipe fastball for a homer.

Prior to Tuesday's series opener against the Houston Astros, the Yankees made a couple of moves to their 40-man roster.

First, New York selected the contract of right-hander Justin Topa, calling him up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and adding him to the 40-man roster. He will be available starting Tuesday night against the Astros.

To make room for Topa on the 40-man roster, the Yankees transferred Giancarlo Stanton to the 60-day IL following his injury setback during rehab.

Topa, 35, has pitched in the big leagues for the last seven seasons and was pitching for the Minnesota Twins this year before getting DFA'd and subsequently released in May after pitching to a 8.05 ERA in 23 appearances. New York signed him to a minor league contract on Aug. 14.

The right-hander pitched well for the Twins in 2025, owning a 3.90 ERA across 60 innings in 54 games. His best season, though, came with the Seattle Mariners in 2023 where he saw action in 75 games and had a 2.61 ERA.

With the RailRiders in Triple-A, Topa had a 1.80 ERA in four appearances before getting promoted.

In his career, Topa owns a 4.27 ERA in 168.2 innings pitched.

On the latest episode of The Mets Pod, Connor Rogers and Joe DeMayo turn to the youth for positivity as the Mets turn down the light a bit on the 2026 season.. 

Following a 4-3 week for the team, the guys discuss the NL Rookie of the Year cases for both Nolan McLean and Carson Benge. 

The Mets Pod Answering Machine shouts out voicemails about the bullpen and the solid catching situation, then Joe sits down for an exclusive interview with 2026 Mets third-round draft pick Aiden Robbins, as the outfielder gets his pro journey started at Single-A St. Lucie.

The show wraps up with a Mailbag that unwraps questions about Tobias Myers, the struggles of prospect Ryan Clifford, and protection decisions ahead of the Rule 5 Draft

Be sure to subscribe to The Mets Pod at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Kalshi is expanding its presence in professional sports with partnerships involving five of Major League Baseball's most recognizable franchises — including four located in states where traditional sports betting remains illegal.

The federally regulated prediction market announced Tuesday that it has entered exclusive, multi-year partnerships with the Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants.

The agreements represent another significant step in prediction markets' push into mainstream sports, even as Kalshi remains locked in legal battles across the country over whether its sports event contracts should be regulated exclusively as financial products at the federal level or also be subject to state gambling laws.

The geography of the new partnerships is particularly notable.

Traditional online sports betting remains illegal in California — home of the Dodgers, Padres and Giants — as well as Georgia, home of the Braves.

Massachusetts has legal sports betting, but a state court issued a preliminary injunction in January preventing Kalshi from offering sports event contracts there without complying with state gaming laws.

The five deals therefore span states where traditional sports betting is either prohibited or where Kalshi's sports contracts have faced a direct legal challenge.

The partnerships will give Kalshi a presence through in-stadium advertising, digital and radio promotions, branded spaces and fan activations, according to the company's release. Financial terms were not disclosed, and MLB declined to comment on the announcement.

The Dodgers' agreement includes Kalshi-branded LED signage throughout Dodger Stadium, naming rights to the Gold Glove Bar and fan activations in Centerfield Plaza.

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

Kalshi said baseball activity on its platform has increased dramatically over the last year. Nearly 13 billion baseball-related contracts have been traded in 2026, according to Fortune, up from roughly 355 million over the same period last year.

The company could eventually establish an even larger relationship with baseball.

Kalshi is in discussions with MLB about a potential league-wide partnership, Fortune reported, citing a person familiar with the company's plans. MLB previously announced an exclusive partnership with Polymarket in March.

The five agreements come amid a broader race among prediction markets to establish relationships with professional sports organizations. Polymarket recently partnered with the New York Yankees, while Novig signed a multi-year agreement with the New York Mets in July. Polymarket also struck a deal with Major League Soccer in January.

MLB itself has also become more involved with the emerging industry. The league entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in March intended to facilitate information sharing surrounding the integrity concerns of baseball event contracts.

Blue Jays starting pitcher Shane Bieber has been added to the 15-day IL with right teres major inflammation. Chad Dallas is being called up from the AAA Buffalo Bisons to take his roster spot.

For those who, like me, didn’t know what a teres major is, it’s a muscle that runs from your shoulder blade to your humerus. The good news is that it’s a different injury from the elbow-forearm issue that cost him the first half of the season. The bad news is that Bieber, who’s managed just 20 appearances over the past three seasons combined, will now be out for a large chunk of the remainder of the season if not all of it.

This is a blow for a team that had been playing its first good baseball of the season. They Jays just won six of seven series in a stretch that included 23 games in 24 days and wins at the contending Phillies and Astros and against each of the three AL East rivals in the playoff picture. They’re currently two games out of the third wildcard, and don’t play another team with a winning record this year. Bieber himself has been a part of that run, with a 2.96 ERA and 22:6 K:BB ratio in August.

The Jays’ rotation right now starts promisingly with Cy Young contender Dylan Cease and deadline acquisition Jose Soriano, but then it’s Max Scherzer (age + ERA rounds to 50), Spencer Arrighetti (himself just off the IL and with very shaky numbers), and ???. Simeon Woods Richardson has worked as a starter this season, but has recently been converted to the bullpen and probably isn’t stretched out for 4+ innings anymore. Dallas himself converted to the bullpen a little over a month ago and hasn’t gone two full innings since. Ditto Spencer Miles, who at any rate has more than tripled his previous pro innings total (not high, total) so far in 2026. He’s also been good enough that the team should be treating him as a part of the 2027 plan and beyond, so protecting his arm is a priority. Trey Yesavage and Jameson Taillon were both reported to be throwing on flat ground last week, but neither seems likely to jump directly back into the rotation soon. Jake Bloss, the most promising AAA option, has missed a month and a half (coincidentally also with a teres major strain) and is most likely done for 2026.

I imagine we’ll see a lot of openers and maybe SWR and Dallas piggybacked to try to cobble six innings together every fifth day. The bullpen, which has already pitched the fourth most innings in the majors, will probably have to pick up even more slack.

We are approximately 24 hours removed from the Houston Astros and GM Dana Brown having a mutual parting of ways (i.e. – he was fired) and the team announcing it would finish the year with a three-headed monster of the team’s current assistant GM’s and special advisor Jeff Bagwell running things under the supervision of team owner Jim Crane.

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

Following the 2022 season, one in which Houston was crowned World Series champions, this same scenario essentially played out. The things that most stand out from that situation are:

• the ill-advised contract given to RP Rafael Montero
• the failed contract given to 1B Jose Abreu
• the power struggle between new GM Dana Brown and future Hall of Fame manager Dusty Baker
• it seemed Dana didn’t have the keys to the car his first year-plus in the organization

There is no defending the Montero deal. One of the basic tenets of being a GM is never give a journeyman reliever a big contract following a career year that is a massive outlier from career norms. That deal was always going to bust, and the fact that no one around Crane stood up and expressed just how awful an idea that was is mind boggling.

The Abreu contract was understandable, it simply failed. The Cubs had reportedly had an offer on the table to Abreu for 2 years at $20M per. There were upwards of 5 teams bidding on his services. Houston was in desperate need of a 1B, and their top choice (Anthony Rizzo) re-signed with the Yankees. Crane pushed in, and went to 3 years at the same $20M per to make sure he won the bid. No one expected Abreu to fall off as sharply as he did, but such are the risks of signing older players.

The power struggle between Dusty and Dana was real. Dusty had just won a power struggle with former GM James Click, evidenced by his ability to convince Crane to reject a trade Click had with the St. Louis Cardinals to send SP Jose Urquidy to St. Louis for C Willson Contreras. A GM in the final year of his contract having a trade rejected by the owner that made sense for the franchise was the writing on the wall that Click would not be back (sounds familiar?). Winning the World Series couldn’t change that.

Dusty was now waging war with Dana Brown. An old school manager, Baker didn’t want the front office telling him what to do. It didn’t matter to Dusty who the GM was, he was the manager and he believed he should be the only one calling the shots in the dugout. Modern front office/manager relationships didn’t work that way anymore.

However, it should have taught Crane a valuable lesson about making sure his manager reported to his GM. Everyone can’t have a lifeline right to the owner, or discord will follow. Astros fans who are also Texans fans remember how that situation played out when both Texans HC Bill O’Brien and GM Rick Smith answered to team founder Bob McNair directly, instead of O’Brien answering to his GM.

Getting the GM hire right is paramount for this team in it’s current state. That GM also has to be able to sell Jim Crane on their vision for the franchise, whether it’s rebuild, retool, re-focus, the owner must be on board.

Crane is one of the most hands-on owners in the sport. He is incredibly competitive. He wants to win, and he doesn’t accept excuses.

Reports say the Astros are looking at candidates from the Cleveland Guardians, Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays, and that an in-house candidate may be considered. Crane has gone to the Tampa tree before, with Click. Click was on point with his numbers, but struggled to build a strong relationship with the owner, something paramount for the GM role in Houston.

I’ve even seen some say that Crane is open to bringing back former GM Jeff Luhnow, although I have a very hard time believing Crane would even consider the idea of re-hiring someone who previously sued him for breach of contract. It is unknown how other owners or the league office would ever feel about a Luhnow return in Houston or elsewhere, but he is technically eligible to return as his suspension from MLB ended following the 2020 season.

Choosing a GM from a small market tree is no guarantee of success. The Mets are the most recent example, as their current President of Baseball Operations David Stearns has drawn heavy scorn for the failed team he built this season despite it’s enormous payroll. Stearns is not only a small market success story in Milwaukee (where he was GM and later POBO) but is also from the Jeff Luhnow tree where he was Luhnow’s sole assistant GM in Houston until he accepted the GM role in Milwaukee.

Hiring an unproven GM always comes with risk, regardless of the size or market they may come from. Hiring a GM with experience in one market does not always translate in another. It is a difficult process where personality and ability to mesh with the owner are also a big part of the equation, along with aptitude, experience, prior success, and philosophy.

We have seen in the not too distant past that Crane cannot act as sole GM, not even with 3 assistants advising him. Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio and Reggie Jackson weren’t a successful triumvirate in advising Crane as GM perviously and swapping Jackson for Enos Cabell likely will not change that today.

Crane has to get this pick right. It can’t be a hire to ‘work the margins’ as Click was or to ‘restock the minors’ as Brown was, but someone who has experience in building both the minors and majors for success simultaneously or ability to sell their vision on the owner that Crane truly believes it and is willing to be on board 100%.

The major league team is very much at a crossroads. Ravaged by injury for 3 straight seasons, it has suffered loss of star power and has not been able to backfill the losses as it had during the prime of the Golden Era. The lack of high end prospects has prevented the team from replenishing it’s stars or trading for them. Various developed minor leaguer position players who weren’t top prospects promoted to the majors have had brief success before flaming out (Chas McCormick) or never really made much impact (Jake Meyers, Joey Loperfido). Recent call ups (Zach Cole, Brice Matthews) have struggled badly. The MLB club is in desperate need of a talent influx.

The minor league system is still ranked low but has legitimate high end talent, it is simply at lower levels of the minors. Brown has put a lot of talent in the system in the 17-20 year old range, but that fruit cannot be harvested for several more years. None of that top talent is available to help the team now or next season.

The Astros missed a potential big opportunity to sell at the deadline and inject the franchise with a lot of young talent by selling off players who were pending free agents or a year away from free agency. Some of those players could have helped next season, some could have been used to get players who would help next season. Instead they refused to sell, did practically no buying either, and find themselves in the situation they are due to inaction and a severe lack of foresight.

The next person hired as GM will be the difference between the Astros extending a real window of opportunity or going to the bottom of the division for an unknown period of time. No one wants to see Jose Altuve’s twilight of his career spent on a bottom feeder team. No one wants to see Yordan Alvarez’ prime years wasted for nothing. No one wants to see Hunter Brown being the last high quality starter on the team, only to watch him leave and be a star elsewhere.

Whatever direction Crane goes with his new hire, Crane himself has to have a real plan that he and his new GM share. Whether it’s re-tooling, rebuilding, bringing in the talent to make this current team a contender again, they need an actual plan and it needs to be the right plan.

If it isn’t, the plan will be crashing out, and it will be chosen for them.

Andrew Baker will tell you, politely but firmly, that the pitch chasing him around scouting reports right now is not a cutter.

“It’s technically not a cutter,” the Colorado Rockies right-hander said. “It’s like a gyro slider.”

Public pitch-tracking systems still file it that way — Baker’s version averages 87.8 mph and has been his most-used weapon at Triple-A Albuquerque this year, thrown 49.7% of the time — but by his own account, it’s really two different sliders wearing one label.

“I have a sweeper that’s anywhere from 84 to 86, and the hard gyro is the 88 to 91 one,” he explained. “I just don’t call it a cutter. I like calling it a gyro slider, and that’s technically what it is.”

However, it gets classified; the pitch has become a legitimate weapon to pair with a fastball that sits at 97.3 mph — a combination that shows up clearly in the underlying numbers. Bakers’ swinging-strike rate and overall whiff rate both rank near the top of the Triple-A population this season, and his strikeout rate has climbed into elite territory (29.7% at Triple-A, and better than 35% during his time in Double-A). The pitch itself didn’t exist in his repertoire two years ago.

“Last year, I was in High-A with the Phillies, just trying to figure out everything, and my pitching coach there, Ryan Buchter, brought it to me, and he just said he thought that it was something that would really help me,” Baker said. “I just started throwing it then, and it’s slowly turned into probably my best pitch other than my fastball. It’s gotten better and harder, and it’s really working for me.”

Adjusting to life at altitude

That development has coincided with a career year, one that’s come with its own new challenge: pitching a mile above sea level. Since being promoted to Albuquerque, Baker has had to recalibrate both his body and his stuff.

“It’s definitely different as far as the recovery goes here. It just seems like it’s a little bit more enhanced as far as the soreness, and it takes a little bit longer to get over,” he said, crediting time spent with Craig Kimbrel for instilling recovery habits that have helped him adjust.

The pitch shapes themselves haven’t been immune, either.

“There are times where I’ll throw a slider, and it won’t move like I want it to, and I’m kind of like, well, I did everything correctly there to make it do what I wanted it to do, and it didn’t,” Baker said.

Rather than fight it, he’s adapted his approach pitch to pitch.

“You just have to adjust to that and really set your sights where you need to put the pitch, so that if you do miss, it’s not just a dead-zone home run pitch. I’ve changed sights with certain counts and against certain hitters, according to scouting reports. It’s just a new game out here, being at altitude.”

A championship run in Puerto Rico

Baker credits part of his 2026 breakout to a decision that he made well before the season started: spending four months pitching winter ball in Puerto Rico. He suited up for Cangrejeros de Santurce, helped the club win the Puerto Rican championship in his first year on the island, and then represented Puerto Rico at the Caribbean Series in Guadalajara, Mexico, facing off against the Dominican Republic, Panama, and two Mexican League clubs.

“It was a blast, man — it turned out to be a complete dream the entire time,” he said. “It’s just one of those once-in-a-lifetime deals.”

He views the grind as directly connected to his performance this year.

“I think that’s kind of the reason why I’m having a lot more success this year, because I made the sacrifice to go down there for four straight months and continue to play, and that kind of paid off.”

The trade: A phone call before first pitch

The season also brought a jolt that Baker didn’t see coming.

After six seasons in the Phillies organization — six years in which he’d never pitched above Double-A — he was off to a strong start in his return to Reading in April and May, striking out 13.24 batters per nine while walking just 2.65, when the phone rang before a game in Portland, Maine on Friday, May 22.

“The farm director calls me, and I run outside, and it was pretty blunt, straightforward,” Baker recalled. “He told me they were trading me to the Rockies for international bonus money, told me they appreciated everything and how good of a kid I was, and that was pretty much it.”

Baker described the moment as sentimental, but not bitter.

“I knew that was the best thing that could have happened for me. I’ve been there for six years and never made it past Double-A. At the end of the day, they traded me up for a better opportunity, and they gave me a lot of opportunity as well. No bad blood there.”

From catcher to Rockies prospect

Part of what makes Baker’s rise notable is where he started: behind the plate, not on the mound. He caught for most of his life and, by his assessment, didn’t become a full-time pitcher until he signed with the Phillies as a 2021 draft pick out of Chipola College, following a shortened college run that included a semester at Auburn before COVID-19 hit.

“That transition from catching all my life to becoming a pitcher — it was tough. I won’t lie to you,” he said. “But I think I’m turning the corner now, as far as throwing strikes and everything. You remember your athletic traits and combine them with what you’re learning with the pitching, and it’s working out pretty good right now.”

He points to a stretch after a 2024 demotion from Double-A back to High-A as the real turning point in how he approaches the job mentally.

“I just drew the line — I’m going to get myself right, make sure everything I’m doing outside the field is good, and get a better mentality about this baseball,” he said. “You can’t let results get to you. I just think that comes with experience.”

Trusting the stuff over the iPad

That same even-keeled approach shows up in how Baker treats the data available to him. Despite pitching in an era saturated with scouting information, he’s deliberately kept his distance from it as a reliever.

“I don’t look at the iPad. I care about my velo and making sure my stuff is there, but I just go out there and compete,” he said. “I don’t even look at the scouting reports on hitters. They tell me right-left before I go in there, and that’s it. My stuff’s pretty good, and I do my best when I’m just getting here and preparing to play.”

Life off the mound

Off the field, Baker carries a piece of his childhood with him: he lost hearing completely in his right ear after being struck by a line drive at age 11. It hasn’t affected him on the mound.

“Physically, no. It’s kind of literally like I’m walking around covering my right ear, but it’s fully one,” he said. “I’ve lived with it since I was 11, and nothing’s really changed drastically — other than I just need to make sure that the PitchCom is on the left side of my head.”

Six years after being a modest, 11th-round pick out of a Florida junior college, Baker has turned a converted arm, a devastating slider, and a stint pitching more than a mile above sea level into one of the more interesting relief profiles in the Rockies’ system. If the fastball velocity and the whiff numbers hold as he continues climbing, Coors Field may not be far off.

Weekly Pebble Report: August 18th-24th

Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes (1-5, 62-64 Overall)

Albuquerque lost five of six at home to the Las Vegas Aviators (Athletics) and slipped from two games over .500 to two under. The series had a single explanation: with runners in scoring position, the Isotopes went 15-for-73 in the five losses and 7-for-12 in the lone win, a 14-4 rout on Saturday. Sterlin Thompson (PuRP No. 16) homered twice and scored seven runs, Ryan Ritter and Adael Amador each collected six hits, and Jose Cordova homered in back-to-back appearances behind the plate.

⬆️ Stock Up: Betancourt Drives In Everything

Bryant Betancourt (HM PuRP) hit .471 over four games, going 8-for-17 with three doubles and a team-high six RBIs despite sitting for a third of the series. His best afternoon came Saturday, when he went 3-for-4 with two doubles and four RBIs in the only game Albuquerque won all week. It was comfortably his most productive stretch of the year for the Isotopes.

⬇️ Stock Down: TJ gets Shook

TJ Shook came in on Friday with Albuquerque leading 3-2 and left having allowed four runs in the ninth, taking both the blown save and the loss. It was his only appearance of the series, and it’s worth saying plainly that he’s been largely excellent for the Isotopes so far this season.

Upcoming

The Isotopes hit the road to meet the Round Rock Express (Texas Rangers) for six games.

Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats (2-4, 57-62 Overall)

Hartford took two of six from Somerset and slipped to five games under .500 for the season. Four of the six were decided in the eighth inning or later, and Hartford lost three of them. Cole Messina drove in eight runs across four games with a pair of home runs, Stu Flesland III delivered another gem in a game the club lost after he left, and Friday’s doubleheader captured the week in miniature: an eight-run afternoon, then a one-hit shutout at night.

⬆️ Stock Up: Wimmer finds the gaps

Braylen Wimmer went 6-for-15 (.400) over five games, and three of those hits went for extra bases — a home run, two doubles, and a pair of stolen bases as well. He reached base 11 times in all, adding four walks and a hit-by-pitch. His homer and double keyed Monday’s 6-5 win.

⬇️ Stock Down: Juarez Can’t Close the Door

Victor Juarez faced 18 batters over two appearances and allowed 10 hits and 10 runs while recording five outs. The finale was the worst of it — he entered Sunday with a 6-4 lead in the ninth and left having surrendered five runs, taking the loss.

Upcoming

The Yard Goats head to New Hampshire for a six-game series with the Fisher Cats (Toronto Blue Jays)

High-A: Spokane Indians (2-4, 54-65 Overall)

Spokane scored 39 runs in six games at home against Hillsboro (Arizona Diamondbacks) and lost four of them, including a 15-13 defeat Saturday in which the Indians scored eight runs in the first inning. The Hops arrived below .500 and took the series anyway. There were bright spots — the bullpen was much sharper than the previous series, with Seth Clausen, Justin Loer, and Grif Hughes combining for 11 innings of one-run ball, and Clausen recorded two saves after a difficult stretch. The Indians sit five games back of a playoff spot.

⬆️ Stock Up: Calaz Carries the Offense

Robert Calaz (PuRP No. 26) hit .480 with four home runs, collecting 12 hits in 25 at-bats and driving in seven runs across all six games. He opened the series 4-for-5 with a homer, then hit two more in Saturday’s slugfest along with five RBIs and added a fourth in the finale. His 12 hits and eight runs scored both led the club by a wide margin, and for a prospect who had spent much of the season struggling, it was encouraging to see this level of production.

⬇️ Stock Down: Herrera Can’t Miss Bats

Yujanyer Herrera allowed 18 hits over 7.2 innings across two starts, giving up 16 runs. He worked 4.2 innings in Tuesday’s opener and surrendered 12 hits — Spokane won that game 12-10 anyway — then lasted three innings Sunday, allowing seven runs. He didn’t walk many, issuing three all week, but nearly everything he threw got put in play, and most of it found a gap.

Upcoming

Spokane will visit the Vancouver Canadians (Toronto Blue Jays) for a six-game set.

Low-A: Fresno Grizzlies (4-2, 65-55 Overall)

Fresno won four of six at home against Stockton (Athletics), closing with a 10-9 walk-off in 11 innings on Sunday. The bullpen carried much of it: three different arms finished the series without allowing an earned run. Ronny Ugarte hit .444, Cristian Arguelles (PuRP No. 5) added a triple among eight hits, and Jack Natili (PuRP No. 20) drove in five, including a three-run homer. Bryson Van Sickle had a rough week, taking his first loss of the season Tuesday and allowing 10 earned runs across two starts. Fresno is now tied for a playoff spot in the California League with 12 games to play.

⬆️ Stock Up: The Rhino has arrived

Daniel Jackson (PuRP No. 12) hit .571 this week, going 12-for-21 with two home runs, two doubles, eight RBIs, and 11 runs scored across all six games. He reached base 19 times in total, adding seven walks, and struck out only twice in 21 at-bats. He was 3-for-3 with a homer Thursday and 4-for-6 with three RBIs in Sunday’s walk-off win. Whatever the adjustment period was supposed to be, Jackson appears to have skipped it.

⬆️ Stock Up: Cole Locks Down the Late Innings

Ethan Cole threw seven innings across two relief appearances without allowing an earned run, striking out six and giving up three hits. He worked three scoreless innings for his first save Wednesday, then went four innings Sunday to earn the win in the 11-inning finale.

Upcoming

The Grizzlies hit the road for six games against the Inland Empire 66ers (Seattle Mariners)

DSL: DSL Colorado (4-1, Season Complete)

DSL Colorado’s season ended Saturday with an 8-2 loss to the DSL Reds, with the winner advancing to the DSL Cup semi-finals. DSL Colorado finished the season at 38-19.

They went out playing well. The week opened with a 7-6 walk-off win over the Marlins, followed by a 9-1 win in which the staff allowed just three hits. Pool play began with a 19-5 rout of the DSL Tigers 2 — 19 hits, a Jeandry Guaraco grand slam among his five RBIs, and a 10-for-12 mark with runners in scoring position — followed by a 6-2 win over DSL Yankees in which five relievers combined for five hitless innings.

⬆️ Stock Up: Morejon Finishes Strong

Luis Morejon closed his season by reaching base 11 times in four games, hitting .429 (6-for-14) with a home run, a double, two stolen bases, and a club-leading six runs scored. His biggest swing came in Friday’s postseason win over the Yankees — a two-out, two-run homer in the third that gave Colorado the lead and effectively decided it.

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