LeBron James is headed to Philadelphia.Photograph: Jae C Hong/AP
LeBron James is signing with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year, $8m deal that includes a player option. Klutch Sports Group CEO Rich Paul confirmed the terms of the agreement to ESPN, and James addressed the move in a post on X on Friday morning, saying it came after he strongly considered retirement.
“I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time,” he said.
The move pairs the NBA’s all-time leading scorer with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and the newly acquired Jaylen Brown as Philadelphia bolster their roster in pursuit of a first NBA championship since 1983. James arrives after spending the past eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The deal gives James the flexibility to become a free agent again after one season while limiting the 76ers’ long-term financial commitment. James made nearly $53m with the Lakers last season.
The 41-year-old wrote in his X post that he believed he was “done” and had played the final game of his storied NBA career before deciding to sign with Philadelphia for a record 24th season.
“I wasn’t ready to announce it, and I knew I needed some time to really decide, but I was pretty sure I played my last game,” James rote. “I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and deicide if I still love this game. I still truly love this game, and I have more to give.
“The last few weeks have really been special. I’ve never been able to have no clue what to do and take real time to just think. I’ve had an incredible few months with all the people I love trying to figure it all out. This is my last decision. I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point? I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship.”
The 76ers went 45-37 last season and were swept in the second round of the playoffs by the eventual champion New York Knicks. They have been active this offseason, acquiring Brown, a five-time All-Star and the 2024 Finals MVP, earlier this month via trade. They have not advanced past the second round of the playoffs since 2001.
James is a four-time NBA champion, four-time MVP and the league’s all-time leading scorer. He is the NBA’s oldest active player and averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists for the Lakers last season. His announcement at the end of June that he would not return to the Lakers led to much speculation about his next destination, with Golden State, Cleveland and Miami – he led the latter two teams to championships – all floated as potential landing spots.
The signing will become official once it is completed under NBA rules.
“Thank you LA. Miami I’ll forever love and Northeast Ohio will always home!” James said in his post.
LeBron James took his time pondering where he would play next after eight seasons with the Lakers. (Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
After nearly a month of mulling his options, LeBron James announced in a social media post that he will sign with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year $8 million contract.
James, a small forward, will join guards Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe, forward Jaylen Brown and center Joel Embiid in a star-studded 76ers lineup. James’ deal includes a player option, Klutch Sports Group CEO Rich Paul told ESPN.
In a series of X.com posts, James said he contemplated retirement before choosing the 76ers over several other suitors.
“I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and decide if I still love this game. I still truly love this game, and I have more to give,” he said.
I thought I was done when the season ended. I wasn't ready to announce it, and I knew I needed some time to really decide, but I was pretty sure I played my last game. I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and deicide if I still love
James will hope to break a 43-year championship drought for the 76ers, much the same way he erased a 52-year streak without a title for the city of Cleveland when he won a championship with the Cavaliers in 2016.
This likely will be the final free agency decision James will make as the 41-year-old enters a record-breaking 24th season. He said winning a fifth NBA title is his primary motivation.
“This is my last decision. I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point?” James wrote on X. “I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship.
“I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time.”
The 76ers finished 45-37 and seventh in the NBA Eastern Conference last season. However, they traded for Brown, a bona fide superstar, sending Paul George, two first-round draft picks and two second-round picks to the Boston Celtics on July 6. Brown, a nine-year veteran, averaged 28.7 points a game last season and helped the Celtics win the NBA title in 2024.
This was the fourth foray into free agency for James, 41, who will begin his unprecedented 24th NBA season in October. He played the previous eight seasons with the Lakers, his longest continuous stint with any franchise.
It was widely reported that James would accept the $3.9 million veterans’ minimum exception. He will be paid far less than the approximately $57 million new teammates Embiid and Brown each will make, but James has made a record $584 million in career salary and his net worth is an estimated $1.4 billion thanks to endorsements and investments.
Reaction to the signing was swift. Nobody seemed more excited than Dawn Staley, the decorated South Carolina women’s basketball coach and a Philadelphia native. A longtime friend of James and his family, she posted a video while courtside at a game.
“Yo Philly, yo Philly, yo Philly! We got the King, y’all!” Staley said before telling James’ wife, Savannah, that she is available for advice on a school for the James’ daughter. “Savannah, we got you! ‘Bron, ‘Bron, good, great choice. My guy!”
James, an Akron, Ohio, native, played his first seven seasons with the Cavaliers after being the first overall draft pick in 2003 at age 18, spent four with the Miami Heat then returned to Cleveland for an additional four years before signing with the Lakers ahead of the 2018-2019 season. He has won four NBA championships, including one with the Lakers in 2020.
James informed the Lakers on June 30 that he would be signing elsewhere. Since then several teams made pitches for his services, with the Golden State Warriors, Heat, Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves considered favorites along with the 76ers.
Not only were fans of those teams anxious to learn his decision. Last week, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the regular-season schedule had not been set because the league was waiting on James.
“We have to finish up the schedule. And where LeBron plays will affect the schedule,” Silver said at the CNBC Sport x Boardroom Game Plan Summit in New York. “So I would like him to make his announcement already, so we can finish the schedule, because, as you might imagine, the teams are calling us, the networks are calling us, and everybody wants to lock in the schedule. But it will influence how we set the schedule, how we set opening week, Christmas Day, etc. So I need him to make a decision.”
A day later, James stood on stage at Fanatics Fest in New York and said he wanted to join a team that “shares the same model as myself, and that’s like practicing championship [habits] every day, but trusting the process more than anything.”
A false alarm became part of the narrative when the Heat posted a link July 21 to a scheduled live stream titled “LeBron James Introductory Press Conference” to its YouTube channel. A team spokesperson said it was a mistake, that the club’s social media department was preparing for the possibility of James’ signing. The post was deleted.
James has announced his agreements with new teams in various ways. When he left the Cavaliers in 2010 to team with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Heat, he announced his choice on a live television special called “The Decision,” saying “I’m taking my talents to South Beach.” On Friday morning, a thread on X relayed the big news.
Fans in Cleveland burned his jersey, and Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert posted a letter on the team website calling James’ decision a “cowardly betrayal.”
Four years and two NBA championships with the Heat later, James returned to his home state of Ohio to play for the Cavaliers again in 2014. His first-person Sports Illustrated essay written with senior writer Lee Jenkins shared his “I’m Coming Home” choice with the world.
“I always believed that I’d return to Cleveland and finish my career there,” James wrote. “I just didn’t know when. After the season, free agency wasn’t even a thought. But I have two boys and my wife, Savannah, is pregnant with a girl. I started thinking about what it would be like to raise my family in my hometown. I looked at other teams, but I wasn’t going to leave Miami for anywhere except Cleveland.”
James led the Cavaliers to four consecutive NBA Finals and a championship in 2016 when Cleveland overcame a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Warriors. It was the greatest NBA Finals comeback in history and brought the Cavaliers their first title.
But it turns out most of his child-rearing came in Los Angeles. In 2018, James decided not to pick up his player option and signed a four-year, $153.3-million contract to play for the Lakers, choosing them over the 76ers and a return to the Cavaliers. His salary escalated each year, rising to $52.6 million last season.
“LA has welcomed the arrival of Rabbit, Logo, Stumpy, Big Dipper, Captain, Silk, Magic, Big Game, Diesel, Mamba, Spaniard and now welcomes a King!!” Lakers co-owner Joey Buss tweeted.
In James’ second season in L.A., the Lakers won their 17th NBA championship in a bubble at Walt Disney World to cap the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. James notched a triple-double in the clinching Game 6 and earned Finals most valuable player for the fourth time in his career.
James set the league all-time scoring record while wearing the purple and gold, but his eight seasons with the Lakers also included failures. The 2021-2022 season is widely regarded as the most disappointing in team history. The overwhelming favorite in Las Vegas to win the championship when the season began, the Lakers finished 33-49 and missed the playoffs.
The Lakers never made it past the Western Conference finals over the next four seasons, including getting swept in the conference semifinals by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2026. James averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists last season while adding to his list of NBA records, setting marks for games played, all-time wins and field goals made.
The Lakers pivoted quickly after James announced he wouldn’t return, overhauling the roster to complement star guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. They traded for 7-foot-2 center Walker Kessler and signed free agents Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams and Kevon Looney.
Meanwhile, James methodically listened to pitches from a handful of teams, ultimately settling on the 76ers.
Rich Paul, James’ agent and close friend, said on a podcast Monday that the ample time James took making the decision was necessary because the choice was difficult.
“I think it’s important for people to understand: We’re not making this about attention and a spectacle,” Paul said. “It’s not about a ‘Decision’ or anything like that. He has a choice to make. He has a business choice to make.”
Giving himself the best shot at a fifth title was key. James has played in 302 postseason games, by far the most of any NBA player, and scored 20 or more points in 261 of them. His teams are 42-15 in playoff series and 188-114 in games. He has scored the most points in the playoffs (8,521) in addition to the most points in the regular season (43,440).
“It’s amazing what he’s done for the sport, for the league, and he deserves the opportunities that were presented to him to be able to make his own decision on what’s best for him and his family,” Silver said last week. “So I completely respect that.”
James will sign a two-year, $8 million contract with a player option, a person with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.
The person spoke under the condition of anonymity because they were not publicly authorized to comment on the contract details.
“This is my last decision,” James said in his post on social media. “I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point? I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship.
“I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time.”
This deal brings James back for the 2026-27 season, which will be his 24th and will extend his record for most seasons played in NBA history.
This is a clear indication that the 76ers intend to compete with the New York Knicks and other top teams in the conference for supremacy in the East. After rallying from a 3-1 series deficit in the first round of the playoffs, Philadelphia upset the Boston Celtics, winning three consecutive games to advance into the conference semifinals.
I thought I was done when the season ended. I wasn't ready to announce it, and I knew I needed some time to really decide, but I was pretty sure I played my last game. I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and deicide if I still love
That, however, was a different story. The Knicks completely overwhelmed the Sixers, sweeping them en route to New York’s first championship in 53 years. With James and Brown, Philadelphia’s offense will be a fascinating watch. Because of the availability issues with Embiid and former 76er Paul George, Maxey was forced to carry the scoring burden for much of the season. Maxey was also Philadelphia’s primary ball-handler, and James instantly brings a play-making force to help initiate offense.
Adding Rookie of the Year finalist VJ Edgecombe to the mix, the 76ers and coach Nick Nurse will need to find a way to distribute the ball cleanly and ensure that each player has his role clearly defined.
This is, to be sure, a good problem to have. But with all these stars on the roster, expectations – both internal and external – will be astronomical. So much, so that the only acceptable result, assuming full health, would be a deep run in the playoffs, at least with a trip to the conference finals.
This comes in the wake of Los Angeles getting swept in the Western Conference semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a series during which the Lakers were missing star player and NBA leading scorer Luka Dončić.
James became an unrestricted free agent after he played the final season of his contract in 2025-26, which was a player option. James and his agent, Rich Paul, had acknowledged in June 2025 that the Lakers were building for the future – a future that seemingly might not have included James.
The Lakers played extremely well down the stretch during the games when James, Dončić and Austin Reaves were healthy and available. Los Angeles won 16 of the 18 games prior to April 2, which was the night Dončić suffered a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the year. The team then lost three in a row (including the game that Dončić left early), but James was instrumental in elevating the play of the Lakers, who also missed Reaves for extended stretches.
In particular, James, who turns 42 in December, was exceptional during the first-round series against the Houston Rockets, a series Los Angeles won in six games.
James is set to sign a 2-year contract with the 76ers worth $8 million and it includes a player option for the second season, a person with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed to USA TODAY Sports. This means James will essentially make the veteran's minimum during the 2026-27 season and will be the cheapest contract he has ever signed. Why?
Because he had the leverage and ability to do so, even at 41 years old. Here's more on why James signed such a small deal compared to other NBA superstars:
Although he tied for the lowest scoring average of his career this season, James nonetheless scored 20.9 points per game, adding 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds, and shot 51.5% from the field, 31.7% on 3-pointers and 73.7% on free throws. He made the All-Star team for a league-record 22nd consecutive time.
“I thought I was done when the season ended,” James said. “I wasn’t ready to announce it, and I knew I needed some time to really decide, but I was pretty sure I played my last game. I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and decide if I still love this game.
“I still truly love this game, and I have more to give. The last few weeks have really been special. I’ve never been able to have no clue what to do and take real time to just think. I’ve had an incredible few months with all the people I love trying to figure it all out.”
A 22-time All-Star and four-time MVP, James is also a four-time NBA champion – with four NBA Finals MVP trophies along the way. He’s a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team and had stops with the Cleveland Cavaliers (twice), the Miami Heat and the Lakers. He won at least one NBA championship with each squad.
James is also a three-time Olympic gold medalist (2008, 2012, 2024) and won bronze in 2004.
On Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, after the Lakers drafted his eldest son, Bronny, the pair also became the first father-son duo to appear in a regular-season game together, in a 110-103 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
James already holds several NBA all-time records, including points scored (43,440), field goal attempts (31,502), minutes played (61,030) and he also holds the all-time record for nearly every major individual playoff statistic.
No team has improved more during the 2026 NBA offseason than the 76ers. Not only did they ink LeBron on a two-year, minimum contract, they also traded Paul George and two first-round picks to add Jaylen Brown to their starting lineup. Adding those two talents to a strong core that already featured Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe could allow Philadelphia to emerge as the team to beat in the Eastern Conference.
Governor Josh Shapiro has added some declarations to the mix, making today LeBron James Day. — Gabe Zaldivar
LEBRON IS COMING TO PHILLY.
By the power vested in me as the Governor of the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a die-hard Sixers fan... I hereby proclaim today to be LEBRON JAMES DAY.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 7: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers smile during the game on December 7, 2025 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant /NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Normally, when we write something along the lines of “it’s never a dull moment with the Sixers,” something either horrible or incredibly annoying has taken place.
For once, the news is unquestionably exciting.
LeBron James, arguably the greatest player to ever touch a basketball and one of the most successful athletes on the planet, is going to be a Philadelphia 76er.
BREAKING: LeBron James is signing with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year, $8 million deal with a player option, Klutch Sports Group and Klutch CEO and Game Over show host Rich Paul tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/ALOlTkgdAV
So, I’m just going to type that again to allow you to truly soak it in.
LeBron James is going to be a Philadelphia 76er.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the four-time MVP and 22-time All-Star, will spend his 24th NBA season in the City of Brotherly Love. He will join Philadelphia on a two-year, $8 million deal with a player option.
Again, this is another opportunity for you to catch your breath and comprehend what is happening.
James, who will turn 42 in December, still appeared to have plenty left in the tank last season. In 60 games, he averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds in 33.2 minutes per game. He slots in seamlessly with a starting group already featuring Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid. The biggest way he helps the Sixers is with his elite passing and basketball IQ. With so many mouths to feed, LeBron’s unselfish brand of basketball will be a very welcomed addition to the starting group.
James released a statement on social media following the announcement. You can read the full thread here, but here is a big highlight:
“This is my last decision. I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point? I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship. I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time,” James wrote.
How they’ll manage James and Embiid throughout the regular season will be interesting to follow. With the presence of Maxey and Edgecombe, along with the headlining addition of Brown, games both former MVPs miss should be winnable.
The Summer of Mike Gansey continues. The Sixers’ new front-office boss has objectively had one hell of an offseason. Signing one of, if not the greatest player of all time is quite the cherry on top.
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 5: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers plays defense during the game against LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers on February 5, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
LeBron James has opted out of the storybook ending many in Northeast Ohio were hoping for. Instead of a retirement tour with the Cleveland Cavaliers, James has decided to head one state over and chase a championship with a new-look Philadelphia 76ers team. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, he’s signing a two-year, $8 million deal.
The Sixers have been the undisputed winners of the offseason. Swapping out an aging Paul George for Jaylen Brown is widely regarded as the best trade this offseason. That move alone would’ve vaulted them into contention in a competitive Eastern Conference. Now, they may be the favorites to win it.
This is a tough blow for the Cavs.
Not only would this have been an ideal ending for James’s career from the Cavs’ perspective, but he also would’ve filled a gaping hole on Cleveland’s roster. The Cavs need a wing (or preferably two) that can shift between playing the three and four with the loss of Dean Wade in free agency. James could’ve filled that role nicely. Now, the Cavs will have to shift their attention elsewhere to fill that need.
More than that, this move cemented the Sixers as a team ahead of the Cavs in the Eastern Conference hierarchy. Cleveland’s path through the conference is expected to be much tougher this season than it was at any point in the core four era.
This upcoming season will be James’s 24th year in the league. The Sixers will be the fourth separate franchise he’s suited up for. Last season, James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.1 rebounds in 60 games with the Los Angeles Lakers.
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired reliever Ron Marinaccio from San Diego in exchage for signing bonus pool considerations.
The club, which is part of a congested race for a National League wild card spot as the trade deadline nears, made the move in the hopes of bolstering a bullpen that has faltered in key moments this season.
The 31-year-old Marinaccio went 1-0 with a 4.79 ERA in 33 games this season for the Padres. Pittsburgh will be the right-hander’s third MLB stop. Marinaccio pitched for the New York Yankees from 2022-24.
To make room for Marinaccio on the roster, Pittsburgh designated reliever Dennis Santana for assignment. Santana appeared to be the Pirates’ closer of the future after finishing with a career-best 16 saves last year, but the 30-year-old has struggled this season. He is 2-5 with a 6.05 ERA and two saves in four opportunities.
Another classic in the summer months is for writers who specialize in prospects to do redraft exercises. This week, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler did the exercise for the 2023 NHL draft. That year, the Montreal Canadiens had picked fifth overall and elected to select David Reinbacher, leaving talented Russian winger Matvei Michkov on the board.
The pick wasn’t well received by fans and sparked a social media storm, with an incredible number of disappointing comments from largely uninformed people. It certainly wasn’t the best way for Reinbacher to be introduced to the Canadiens’ intense fan base, but he was a victim of his position. Fans were foaming at the mouth at the thought of landing a Russian offensive dynamo and were upset at the acquisition of a blueliner that wasn’t exactly known for his offensive and electrifying style.
Three years on, Wheeler is off the view that the Habs should have used the fifth overall pick on Michkov, meaning he would have been selected two ranks before where he was actually picked up, seventh overall by the Philadelphia Flyers. Initially, before the draft, Wheeler had him going second overall, and he conceded that he was charmed by the mix of hockey IQ and skills. Michkov is already an established NHLer, but he hasn’t been a perfect acquisition for the Flyers either.
After finishing his rookie season with 63 points in 80 games and receiving the 4th-highest total of voting points in the Calder Trophy race, his sophomore season didn’t live up to the expectations. He showed up to camp in less-than-impressive form and ended his season with 51 points in 81 games. While some believed that not having to play under John Tortorella would serve him well, it turned out that playing under Rich Tocchet was no better for him.
While Michkov was indeed an impressive prospect at the draft, the Canadiens have very good ties in Russia and had perhaps an inside track to evaluate Michkov not only as a player, but as a person and a character, which is something the organization highly values, as they keep telling us, most recently, when Ivan Demidov signed a team-friendly contract.
As for Reinbacher, Wheeler believes he should have gone 16th overall to the Calgary Flames. Before the draft, he had him 12th overall on his list and adds that, in any case, the right-shot defender belongs in the teens, not in the top-10, let alone on a top-five list.
While it’s fair to say that Reinbacher hasn’t lived up to his draft rank so far, that has been influenced by the fact that he has had to deal with numerous injuries. So far, he’s only played 78 AHL games and 2 NHL games in the last three seasons. There’s plenty left to see and assess in Reinbacher, and this season will be incredibly important to him. It feels like the organization still believes that he could eventually blossom into Lane Hutson’s ideal top-four partner. At this stage, it’s much too early to say that the pick was a bad one, not only because of the injuries, but also because it can take longer for defensemen to come into their own in professional hockey.
Interestingly, Wheeler has the St. Louis Blues drafting Jacob Fowler 10th overall, a 59-spot bounce for the netminder whom the Habs actually drafted 69th overall in the third round. That year, the Canadiens didn’t have a second-round pick since they had traded it to the Colorado Avalanche to acquire Alex Newhook.
DENVER, CO - JULY 22: The Washington Nationals celebrate after their 8-0 win against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on July 22, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After back to back series wins on the road, the Nats set up one of their most important matchups in years. They come home to square off against a Diamondbacks team that currently holds the third Wild Card spot. The Snakes are two games ahead of the Nats, which makes this series a massive one.
For new President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni, this series will probably be the one where he decides his direction for the trade deadline. If the Nats drop this series, selling the likes of Foster Griffin and Luis Garcia Jr. will become inevitable. It could even pave the way for a CJ Abrams trade if the right offer comes.
However, if the Nats win the series, it could be time to buy. Our guy Paul Cubbage put together a good list of candidates if the Nats were to buy. Controllable pitching will be what the Nats would likely go after. The likes of Jose Soriano, Reid Detmers and Joe Ryan could be on the table.
Nats Update: -Abrams listed at 25% probability of being traded, Foster listed but without odds of trade -Listed as fits for Joe Ryan, Luis Arraez, Reid Detmers, and Jose Soriano -Backlist RP I’d watch for the Nats: Chase Silseth (LAA), Ryan Zeherjahn (LAA), Elvis Alvarado (ATH) https://t.co/MYfMbndDdf
They still need to go out and perform in this series though. The pitching matchups this weekend point to some potentially high scoring games. Today, Carson Palmquist will open for Zack Littell. Foster Griffin pitches Saturday, which is good for the Nats. However, Miles Mikolas will get the ball on Sunday.
On the other side of things, the D-Backs are calling upon three lefties. The experienced Eduardo Rodriguez will take the ball tonight. He is having a great season with a 2.62 ERA, but is outperforming his underlying numbers by a lot. On Saturday and Sunday, the D-Backs have the rookie duo of Mitch Bratt and Kohl Drake on the mound.
Those guys have made a combined 4 MLB starts in their careers. On paper, this should be a good matchup for the Nats high powered offense. One player we will see a lot of this weekend is Andres Chaparro, who is flying high after a massive road trip. The burly first baseman hit three homers including a 467 foot blast in Sacramento.
Chaparro staying productive this weekend will be a major key in this series. Other lefty mashers like Curtis Mead and Dylan Crews will also be important players to watch. The Nats have a well rested bullpen that performed well on the road trip, but as we all know, they remain a massive question mark.
The clubhouse knows how important this series will be. Blake Butera talked about the importance of this stretch in a presser the other day. He knows that these players are aware of what the standings look like and that the trade deadline is looming. Now these guys have a chance to force the front office into buying.
Blake Butera said that it felt extremely important for the Nats to win today's game. Why? ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/WCCyhSEoU5
There have been a lot of times this season where the vibes are very high after a successful road trip. However, a lot of times the home stand that follows brings those vibes down. The Nats are going to need to perform at home this weekend, and reverse a season long trend.
They are 20-31 at Nationals Park this year. That is the worst home record in all of baseball. This team will have to change that if they want to go on a real playoff push, and it has to start right now. The Washington Nationals are starting their most important series of the 2020’s, and I am fired up!
Yankees' Joe Oliver tags Royal's Carlos Beltran out at home during a Spring Training game against the Kansas City Royals in Tampa, Florida Saturday March 3, 2001. | Tanya Breen/Asbury Park Press / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
As we continue through the summer months of our illuminating Yankees birthday series, we are taken to every corner of baseball history. In the case of a day like today, we may dive into a career that was solid in one way or another, but only features a brief chapter with the Yankees. Joe Oliver played in over 1,000 big league games over the course of a 13-year career, won a World Series, and of course, made a brief stop with the New York Yankees as it was winding down. Today, the former world champ turns 61.
Joe Oliver Born: July 24, 1965 (Memphis, TN) Yankees Tenure: 2001
Born in Tennessee in July of 1965, Joseph Melton Oliver developed his game in Florida, attending Boone High School in Orlando as a standout behind home plate. His time there was convincing enough for the Cincinnati Reds to select him in the second round of the 1983 draft.
Although Oliver first became a professional when he was just 17, it was a longer road through the minors, but he would finally make his big league debut in the 1989 season. Oliver registered a hit in his very first MLB at-bat, and his career was off and running. He’d play in 49 mostly fine games during the ‘89 season, but would begin to make a much bigger mark in the following year.
Oliver played in 121 games in 1990 for the Reds, coming to the plate more than 400 times as their primary catcher during the regular season as Cincinnati went wire-to-wire under new manager Lou Piniella to claim the NL West division title, their first since 1979. Most notably, the young catcher helped propel his club to a World Series upset over a stacked Oakland club led by the likes of Rickey Henderson and the Bash Brothers. In the Fall Classic, Oliver went an impressive 6-for-18, with no hit bigger than his walk-off knock down the left-field line against Hall of Fame closer Dennis Eckersley, securing Game 2 for the Reds. They soon swept away the shocked A’s.
It was the last World Series game ever played at Riverfront Stadium, the home of the “Big Red Machine,” which closed in 2002. To date, the Red have never made it back to host another Fall Classic.
Oliver continued to play a significant role with the Reds through the strike-shortened 1994 season, with perhaps the finest year of his career coming in ‘92, when he posted a 92 OPS+ in 143 games, part of a three-year stretch with double-digit homers as well.
From that point on, the veteran catcher followed a journeyman’s path over the next seven seasons. He made a one-year stop with the Brewers in ‘95 before returning to a fairly prominent role role with the Reds in the next two seasons, playing at roughly the same level the club was likely accustomed to. Oliver then spent the 1998 season splitting time between Detroit and Seattle (reuniting with his old Reds skipper Piniella), before spending ‘99 with the Pirates. Each of those stops were mostly a disappointment relative to the rest of his career, as he had a cumulative 51 OPS+ during the final two seasons of the 20th century.
Piniella brought Oliver back to the Mariners for a second time for the 2000 campaign, and he actually put up solid numbers in 69 games, posting a career-best 105 OPS+ with 10 homers in his limited time — though Piniella gave him a little more down the stretch due to the offensive struggles of longtime starter (and future M’s manager) Dan Wilson. Seattle won a Wild Card spot, and Oliver was finally back in the postseason for the second time in his career. Appearing in his first playoff game in a decade, Oliver celebrated with a homer off Jim Parque in the ALDS opener against the White Sox, the beginning of a sweep over the team that finished 2000 with the American League’s best record.
Oliver and the Mariners fell to the Yankees in a six-game ALCS after the sweep, but that slight renaissance in his age-34 season likely helped to keep him around for a bit longer. In fact, in the early stages of that offseason, Oliver joined those same now-three-time defending champions who had just eliminated his team.
Signed as one of Jorge Posada’s many backups during the 2000s and donning his pal Piniella’s old No. 14, Oliver’s time in pinstripes ended up being largely unremarkable. Posada was in his prime and manager Joe Torre put him behind the plate as much as possible. Oliver mustered only a 62 OPS+ across 12 games and 40 plate appearances with the Yankees. One of those games led to a Yankees loss as well, as Oliver’s passed ball in extra innings on May 10th led to the Twins beating Mariano Rivera.
Posada suffered a minor thumb injury in early June that limited him to DH duty, and the Yankees had to call up another catcher to make sure they had a backup to Oliver in that time. That turned out to be Todd Greene, who was six years younger and hit the ground running with a 4-for-7 series in Baltimore. So when Posada returned to health and the Yankees made a trade to acquire infielder/future Pedro Martinez frenemy Enrique Wilson from Pittsburgh on June 13th, they had a decision to make on Posada’s backup. Although Oliver had hit his first Yankees homer on June 10th (a rare old Yankee Stadium “black seats” homer against Greg Maddux, no less), New York elected to keep Greene and designate Oliver for assignment.
As far as fill-in backup catchers go, teams could have gone far worse than with Oliver, even late in his career. And honestly, Greene didn’t really hit at all for the remainder of 2001. To put it lightly, Torre had good reason to lean on Posada.
Oliver got picked up by the Red Sox but only made it into five MLB games. That split-season would ultimately prove to be his final action on a big league field, but just as he started it, Oliver managed to tally a hit in his final career at-bat.
After a hiatus from the game, Oliver once again became involved in affiliated ball, this time as a manger in the Red Sox minor league system. He served as a manager at various levels in the system from 2014-19.
On his 61st, we wish the former, albeit brief, Yankees backstop a happy birthday.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
ATLANTA — Braves right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. could be activated from the injured list and return to the lineup for the team’s three-game series in Baltimore, Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said.
Acuña is scheduled to play Thursday night with Triple-A Gwinnett.
“We’re just trying to rack up some at-bats for him so that the timing is there when he shows up,” Weiss said following his team’s 6-5 win over the Padres. “There’s certainly a chance we can see him in Baltimore.”
Acuña was placed on the injured list with a left hamstring strain on June 9, the second time this season it prompted a trip to the IL. Acuña missed 15 games in May with the same injury.
“A lot of it depends on how he performs,” Weiss said. “He has to feel right about his timing and all that stuff. So I’m hoping he gets a couple of hits tonight and he feels good about it.”
The 2023 MVP has played seven minor league games during his rehab assignment, three with the Braves rookie league affiliate in Florida and four with Triple-A Gwinnett. He’s played the outfield twice and on Wednesday was a designated hitter — he was 2 for 5 with two runs scored and a stolen base, aggressively running the bases and appearing to be 100%.
“Physically, he’s good to go,” Weiss said. “This is all about him being ready to be impactful when he gets here.”
Acuña is hitting .251/.373/.793 with 15 stolen bases in 53 games. The Braves are 37-16 with Acuña in the lineup and 23-26 without him this season.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 12: Franklin Arias #19 of the American League Futures team takes the field during the 2026 All-Star Futures Game Presented by Nike at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, July 12, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Many will love the Franklin Arias move to Triple-A so he can showcase his power and contact tools at the next level, facing guys who have pitched in the Majors before. On Thursday, while their old manager (and current Major League manager) Chad Tracy was inducted into the WooSox Hall of Fame Class of 2026, the team didn’t even need the 20-year-old infielder to pop off against guys who have made their debut in the Show, such as Braxton Garrett and Amos Willingham. Behind Raymond Burgos’ best start of the year (in which he retired eleven batters in a row at one point), all they did was collect 18 hits, 9 with runners in scoring position, and six extra-base hits. Andrew Knizner got on base six times, Allan Castro hit a home run in the seventh that put an exclamation mark on the game, Braiden Ward had three hits at the bottom of the lineup, and simply put, the WooSox dominated the Jumbo Shrimp. (Marlins AAA)
John Holobetz had a fantastic performance along with the rest of the pitching staff; the staff as a whole held Binghamton (Mets AA) scoreless all the way until the ninth, but Holobetz was the clear standout, striking out ten and keeping the Sea Dogs in the contest. Which leads us to the biggest story of the minor league system right now: in Franklin Arias’ final game in Portland, all he did was hit his 19th home run of 2026, which, in a one-run game, made all the difference. The team announced on Thursday night that he’d be joining the Triple-A roster, as the promising prospect will be taking the trip down 95 south… or, since I guess they’re in Binghamton, he’ll be going 88 to the Thruway to the Pike. Anyway! This is big news. Many in the 2025 Mikey Romero camp have departed it for reasons not entirely his fault, so this gives them another infielder to watch until Jack Winnay inevitably tears the cover off the ball next year. I do not see Arias getting promoted again at his young age, and I also don’t see him being any part of a trade to bolster this year’s roster; he seems untouchable and really a piece the team wants to make sure develops correctly (however arbitrary “correctly” is)… but baseball is baseball and we’ll have to see.
Greenville: PPD, Rain (Make-Up Today)
Rain, rain, go away. The Drive play two against Spartanburg (Astros High-A) today. (Rhyme intentional)
The pitching wasn’t exactly at the top of their game in hosting Greensboro (Braves A), but they didn’t have to be. They did strike fourteen out despite allowing seven runs on ten hits and walking nine, and those strikeouts played a part in the Green Jackets stranding a dozen, which Salem took full advantage of. Kleyvar Salazar had his second consecutive home run with a game (I’m still convinced he was about to hit one when Tuesday’s game was rained out) and due to three consecutive innings with runs, the RidgeYaks were able to hold off a ninth inning rally to narrowly escape with a W.
One of the biggest question marks of the offseason for the Detroit Red Wings was whether or not future Hall of Fame winger Patrick Kane would return to Hockeytown, and on Thursday, the answer finally arrived.
The 37-year-old Buffalo native is heading back to where his hockey journey began, agreeing to a two-year, $16 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, the franchise that made him the first overall pick in 2007 and turned him into a franchise icon over 16 seasons and three Stanley Cup championships.
It was a fun three seasons with Kane in the Motor City, and Chicago appears to be about the only other team Red Wings fans can't be upset to see him leave for. Kane produced 57 goals and 103 points in 189 games as a Red Wing, and along the way he authored some moments Detroit fans won't soon forget. With his return to Chicago official, here's a look back at his best moments in the Winged Wheel.
Still Elite After Major Injuries
Kane's first season in Detroit may have been his most improbable. After undergoing hip resurfacing surgery in June 2023, he didn't make his Red Wings debut until December, but he still finished the year with a near point-per-game average at 47 points in just 50 games, showing he could still perform at an elite level despite the layoff and recovery.
That stretch run helped keep Detroit in playoff contention into the final weeks of the season and set the stage for three more productive years in the Winged Wheel, ones that Red Wings fans will remember fondly even as Kane heads home to Chicago.
Showtime Returns
Kane's first game back at the United Center as a visiting player, on February 25th, 2024, turned into one of the most emotional nights of his career. A sellout crowd of gave him a lengthy standing ovation during a video tribute in the first period, and things only built from there.
With the Red Wings and Blackhawks tied 2-2, Kane found himself alone at center ice in overtime, skated in on a breakaway, and beat goaltender Petr Mrazek glove side to win it.
Kane called it a night full of emotions, saying he simply wanted to show Chicago fans he'd always have his heart there. It marked the first time in nearly two decades that Kane had faced the Blackhawks, and he became just the sixth player in NHL history to score an overtime winner in his first game against a former team he'd played at least 1,000 games for.
Two days after tying the mark with an assist against the Los Angeles Kings, Kane recorded another helper against the Washington Capitals on this past January, reaching 1,375 career points and officially becoming the highest-scoring American-born player in NHL history, passing Hall of Famer Mike Modano.
The moment came on a secondary assist on a Ben Chiarot goal, and it set off a celebration as Detroit's bench emptied to mob Kane at center ice. Modano, who had held the record since passing Phil Housley in 2007 and who finished his own career with the Red Wings in 2010-11, sent Kane a prerecorded video message of congratulations that played on the videoboard at Little Caesars Arena.
500th Career Goal
Three weeks earlier, Kane reached another milestone against the Vancouver Canucks, scoring twice in a 5-1 Red Wings win, including an empty-net goal that made him the 50th player in NHL history to score 500 career goals.
He became just the fifth American-born player to reach the mark, joining Modano, Keith Tkachuk, Jeremy Roenick and Joe Mullen. Kane said afterward he was relieved to get the milestone out of the way, and Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin gave a speech in the locker room honoring the achievement as teammates wore commemorative T-shirts.
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DENVER — If the trade rumors prove accurate, Hunter Goodman soon could be receiving a big promotion in the standings. Should that happen, though, it comes with a price — saying so long to teammates bonded through losses.
The name of the Colorado Rockies’ two-time All-Star catcher has been bandied about leading into the trade deadline on Aug. 3. He tries to keep his focus on launching fastballs out of the park, not conjecture away from the field.
“Looking at the stuff like that, it does more bad for you than good,” Goodman said before an 8-0 loss to the Washington Nationals. “So there’s no point, because it’s all out of your control anyway. So, yeah, just try not to look at (the rumors).”
This has become a tight-knight bunch linked through losing seasons. Since Goodman made his major league debut on Aug. 27, 2023, the team has gone 156-305 — a .338 winning percentage. This version of the Rockies, though, is trending in an upward direction behind a new front office led by Paul DePodesta and Josh Byrnes. This squad, at 41-63, is two wins away from matching the total of last season (43-119).
“I definitely want to be a part of this place turning around,” said Goodman, a fourth-round pick in 2021 out of the University of Memphis. “We’ve made strides this year already. If you look at where we were at this point last year, I mean, we’re a lot better baseball team.
“Even our losses are a lot better losses, for the most part. It’s one-run games, two-run games. We’re in it late in the game. It’s just better baseball overall, and it’s been a lot more fun this year.”
Any trade offer certainly would figure to be significant to get the Rockies to deal away a catcher who hits for power. Goodman’s not simply a Coors Field creation, either, with 18 of his 31 homers this season being hit away from the hitter friendly park.
His 31 homers already have matched his career high from a year ago when he made his first All-Star team and won the NL Silver Slugger award. He’s the fourth NL catcher to have 30-plus homers in consecutive seasons, joining Todd Hundley (1996-97) and Hall of Famers Mike Piazza (1995-2002) and Roy Campanella (1950-51).
Concerned that trade rumors could weigh on Goodman?
“I ain’t worried about Hunter Goodman,” said Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer, whose team opens a three-game series at Milwaukee. “He’s got his head on his shoulders. All these guys do. … All these guys that are in trade rumors — they’re bigger than that. They’re stronger than that.”
Rockies outfielder Mickey Moniak realizes this can be an anxious time for players. Moniak, the No. 1 overall pick by Philadelphia in 2016, has first-hand experience. He was dealt by the Phillies to the Los Angeles Angels for pitcher Noah Syndergaard as part of a deadline deal in 2022.
“I’ve learned over the years that whatever’s going to happen is going to happen,” said Moniak, who’s hitting .279 with 16 homers and could be a target of teams in need of a left-handed bat. “Their job up there (in the front office) is to make the best decision for the club, what they see fit. Our job is to go out and play baseball.”
That’s been Goodman’s approach as he continues his power surge. Last Sunday, he had a three-homer game for the second time this season. He followed that up with a go-ahead solo home run in the eighth inning in a win over Washington.
“Just trusting in your routine,” said Goodman, who had 27 homers at the All-Star break, the most by an NL catcher since Hall of Famer Johnny Bench hit 28 in 1970. “Some days you’re seeing it well, and some days (pitchers) miss and give you good pitches to hit. You’re not going to get that every day in this league but on those days, if you can capitalize, it’s huge.”
The trade deadline is less than two weeks away, which will shake up lineup trends in a meaningful way. Now that we’re past the All-Star break, these next couple of weekly lineup reports are best treated as a pre-deadline benchmark. The changes will be more noticeable if we establish where things stand now. Let’s dive in.
Ryan Waldschmidt returned to the majors before the All-Star break, but he's hitting eighth or ninth without playing every day. Tim Tawa is splitting time between first base and center field. Gabriel Moreno has started and hit cleanup in every game since June 29.
Athletics
This lineup is hurting without Nick Kurtz, Brent Rooker, and Zack Gelof. Even Joshua Kuroda-Grauer and his .462 BABIP hit the IL this week. Jacob Wilson is leading off as a result, followed by Tyler Soderstrom and Shea Langeliers. Carlos Cortes,Donovan Walton, and Jeff McNeil are in strong-side platoons, and McNeil is mixing in starts at first base. Lawrence Butler has started against only one of three lefties since the All-Star break. Tommy White has started five of six since being called up, splitting time between both corner infield spots.
Atlanta Braves
All eyes are on Ronald Acuña Jr.'s return from a hamstring injury this weekend, and it could come as early as Friday. He's been the leadoff hitter when healthy, which bumps Drake Baldwin to the two-hole and Ozzie Albies into the middle of the order. Austin Riley has been better lately and hit as high as cleanup a couple of times this week. Jim Jarvis has been the primary shortstop in July with Ha-Seong Kim sidelined and Jorge Mateo phased out.
Baltimore Orioles
Taylor Ward and Gunnar Henderson enter Thursday inside the top three in PAs this year, with Pete Alonso also in the top 10. Colton Cowser is platooning with Leody Taveras in center field. Christian Encarnacion-Strand is getting some run at third base with Blaze Alexander on the IL, though Coby Mayo remains involved. Chadwick Tromp and Sam Huff figure to split time behind the plate after Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo both got hurt this week.
Boston Red Sox
Jarren Duran hasn't hit higher than seventh this month and sits against some lefties. Anthony Seigler has been the primary second baseman and leadoff option in July. Romy Gonzalez and Jahmai Jones are lefty-hitting specialists at the moment. Masataka Yoshida is the strong-side DH.
Chicago Cubs
Plenty of consistency here outside of a revolving door at DH. Alex Bregman and Michael Busch are both top five in PAs as of Thursday. Kevin Alcántara is on the big-league roster but hardly playing. James Triantos is reportedly being called up to make his major league debut this weekend.
Chicago White Sox
Munetaka Murakami went right back to the two-hole upon returning from the injured list. Tristan Peters has cemented the primary center field role lately. Braden Montgomery has sat just twice since being called up June 9. Kyle Teel (ankle) is unfortunately set to miss meaningful time for the second time this season.
Cincinnati Reds
Spencer Steer has at least ten starts at first base, second base, and each corner outfield spot this year. Ke'Bryan Hayes is back off the IL but starting only half the time. Edwin Arroyo had taken over second base even before Matt McLain hit the IL.
Cleveland Guardians
Steven Kwan has been on a tear and reclaimed the leadoff role Sunday. José Ramírez came off the IL this week. Brayan Rocchio opened the season hitting exclusively in the bottom third of the lineup, but he's been mostly in the top half since the middle of June. Chase DeLauter has hit second or third in every start since coming off the IL on June 28, and he's six-for-six in starts against southpaws.
Colorado Rockies
Jake McCarthy has hit leadoff in all but two games since June 29. Cole Carrigg has been sitting a bit more often lately but remains the primary center fielder. Kyle Karros has been the third baseman all year and recently moved up to the middle of the order. Neither Edouard Julien nor Tyler Freeman is playing consistently enough to be a fantasy factor. Ezequiel Tovar has a 37 wRC+ in over 350 PAs in 2026.
Detroit Tigers
Colt Keith is back to hitting third against RHP, swapping spots with Kerry Carpenter, who has fallen to the middle of the order. The Tigers continue to maximize Dillon Dingler's playing time. James Outman is still platooning with Matt Vierling in center field. Gleyber Torres returned from the IL again this week.
Houston Astros
Jeremy Peña regains the leadoff job every time he returns from injury. Jose Altuve is batting fourth or fifth but struggling. LaMonte Wade Jr. is platooning with Zach Dezenzo in left field. Cam Smith has had the entire week off so far after regressing a bit from his rookie campaign.
Kansas City Royals
Carter Jensen has hit leadoff against every RHP since May 30. Lane Thomas has hit in the top four in every game since late June. Andrew Velazquez has started both games at shortstop since Bobby Witt Jr. landed on the IL.
Los Angeles Angels
Vaughn Grissom is back to near everyday opportunities while bouncing around the infield, taking time away from Denzer Guzman at the hot corner. Wade Meckler's opportunities have evaporated with Mike Trout healthy again.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Andy Pages has hit second in every start since May 26. Kyle Tucker remains stuck in the bottom half of the order in a hugely disappointing campaign. Tommy Edman is playing all over but mostly seeing time at second base. Dalton Rushing is getting a chance to show he's a starter during Will Smith's lengthy absence. Teoscar Hernández has sat against three right-handers this month, which is worth monitoring.
Miami Marlins
Kyle Stowers is up to 28 starts at first base against 40 in the outfield this season. Heriberto Hernández has started 11 straight while mostly hitting second or third. Xavier Edwards is the primary cleanup hitter while Otto Lopez fills the table-setting role.
Milwaukee Brewers
Garrett Mitchell has started 20 of 21 in center field in the midst of a career year. Luis Lara has started only seven of 14 since being called up. Cooper Pratt is the shortstop and Joey Ortiz is the third baseman with David Hamilton sidelined.
Minnesota Twins
Luke Keaschall has started exclusively in the outfield since June 23. Royce Lewis is the primary first baseman and Kody Clemens is the primary second baseman, so this infield has really shifted around in 2026. Trevor Larnach leads off against RHP while Austin Martin does so vs. southpaws.
New York Mets
Very interesting deadline team. A.J. Ewing wrestled the leadoff spot away from Carson Benge, though Benge still hits fifth. Luis Robert Jr. and Marcus Semien each returned from the IL recently. Jared Young has been the primary first baseman against RHP.
New York Yankees
Jasson Domínguez has started all but one game since June 17. Paul Goldschmidt starts against every LHP but not all righties. Anthony Volpe's playing time has become sporadic again.
Philadelphia Phillies
Same story here. They need some outfield upgrades at the trade deadline. Justin Crawford and Gabriel Rincones Jr. have been platooning with Derek Hill and Edmundo Sosa, respectively.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Esmerlyn Valdez has hit cleanup in every game this month, providing thump with Oneil Cruz and Konnor Griffin sidelined. Jake Mangum is getting most of the leadoff opportunities lately. Nick Gonzales has held the third base job all season.
San Diego Padres
Fernando Tatis Jr. is heating up. He hasn't played much second base lately, but he'll still qualify at the position in 2027. Ty France is the everyday first baseman and has been red-hot of late.
San Francisco Giants
Bryce Eldridge has reclaimed the two-hole as the best hitter on this team. Matt Chapman could return from injury soon, which will again leave someone as the odd man out, though the trade deadline could help.
Seattle Mariners
Dominic Canzone has taken over the three-hole against RHP, dropping Josh Naylor to fifth. Cole Young has started every game this season. Colt Emerson remains the primary shortstop with J.P. Crawford shifting to third base. We'll see what happens once Brendan Donovan returns from the IL, though Crawford has battled a wrist issue this week too.
St. Louis Cardinals
Iván Herrera sat for the first time all year on Thursday. Lars Nootbaar is mainly hitting fifth against righties while starting only half the time against lefties. Blaze Jordan sat seven times in a 12-game stretch this month, but he's been in the lineup for five straight since. Interested to see how soon Joshua Baez gets a major league opportunity after the trade deadline.
Tampa Bay Rays
Chandler Simpson is beginning to run wild again but hasn't hit leadoff since the beginning of June. Victor Mesa Jr. has been hot to open the second half, though he isn't a true everyday option. Cedric Mullins is still the primary cleanup hitter vs. RHP.
Texas Rangers
Corey Seager (back) remains sidelined, but there's otherwise been some consistency to start the second half. Wyatt Langford is healthy and Brandon Nimmo survived a shoulder scare. They hit second and fourth, respectively, against righties, with Josh Jung and Jake Burger also in the middle of the order. Joc Pederson leads off versus righties while Justin Foscue gets a top-two lineup spot against southpaws.
Toronto Blue Jays
This lineup ranks last in the majors in runs scored and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. still hasn't homered at home this season. Ernie Clement is hitting in the top third of the order. Yohendrick Piñango is back up from Triple-A with Jonatan Clase injured.
Washington Nationals
Curtis Mead has sat against two of three righties since the All-Star break. He's better against lefties but has a 128 wRC+ versus righties. It's very odd. James Wood leads MLB in PAs. Dylan Crews has essentially been an everyday player since his call-up but hasn't shown the improvements so many other hitters in this organization have this year.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 21, 2026: Diego Tornes #61 of the Atlanta Braves bats during the third inning of a Spring Breakout game against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 21, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The FCL Braves season has come to a close. On paper it wasn’t a great year at just 18-39, but we did get to see some players emerge with the Braves lowest level affiliate within the US this season. This article will highlight some of the successes and failures of the team’s season, as well as picking the team’s hitter and pitcher of the year.
FCL Hitter of the Year: Manuel Campos, SS
Manuel Campos pretty easily took this home this year. It looked like it would be Michael Martinez’s award, but considering he was promoted after just 11 games while Campos spent the entire year here, this was an easy choice. The 18-year-old switch hitter from Venezuela hit .310/.408/.429 with eight doubles, three triples, two homers, 30 steals in 35 attempts, 27 walks, and 37 strikeouts over 196 plate appearances.
FCL Pitcher of the Year: Gensi Angeles, RHP
This wasn’t quite as easy as the hitter, as Gensi Angeles had Briggs McKenzie to compete with, but once again the body of work heavily slanted things towards Angeles. Angeles was the ace of the team, pitching to a 2.26 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 45 strikeouts to 27 walks over 55.2 innings. The 18-year-old Dominican continued the success he had last year in the DSL – 3.57 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and 24 strikeouts in 35.1 innings. He’s just 6’0” and 165 pounds and sits mostly in the upper 80’s while touching the low 90’s, but he has been quite efficient to start his career. It is worth noting that he saw his K/9 jump by 1.2, his H/9 only increase by 0.3, and his HR/9 drop from 1.0 to 0.3, though his walk rate nearly doubled in going from 2.5 to 4.4 BB/9. Despite his success in the lowest levels, Angeles won’t rank high on prospect lists because with the stuff he’s shown he is the kind of pitcher who will need to keep proving himself every time he moves up a level.
Hitting
Even if you exclude the slew of guys just here for rehab assignments (Ronald Acuna, Owen Carey, Conor Essenburg, Ha-Seong Kim, Andrew McCutchen, Carlos Santana, and Will Verdung), the FCL squad had more bright spots than you might expect from a team with this record. We already got into the season that Manuel Campos had, while Michael Martinez earned a fairly quick promotion to Augusta with his .375/.522/.781 line in 11 games. However other players also had solid showings here. As a team they hit .234/.354/.334 with 21 homers, though three of those homers came from the rehab group and another four came from Martinez’s short stint early in the season. The team average and OBP both ranked 13th out of 15 teams in the league, with the worst slugging percentage – 15 points below the team ahead of them.
Yamvier Carrero emerged a bit in his first season after signing as an undrafted free agent from high school last year, hitting .259/.407/.294 – though his season ended a bit early due to injury, and he cooled off a bit towards the end of his time after a solid start. Caden Merritt was another first year high school undrafted free agent, and he slashed .237/.384/.405 with five doubles, four triples, three homers, and 20 steals in his first full season as he split time between here and Augusta. Diego Tornes also had his season end early due to injury, and although his stat line wasn’t particularly impressive at .196/.274/.304 – the underlying metrics on him do paint a brighter picture than the stat line would indicate. Catcher Manuel Dos Passos (.693 OPS) and catcher/first baseman Johan Rodriguez (.747 OPS) also put up solid seasons. Among the guys who weren’t here long from the DSL team, Jorwin Pulido (1.098 OPS) and Elias Reyno (.763 OPS) each had shown some flashes – though neither played even 10 games. Pulido is especially noteworthy as he is a 17-year-old catcher who only signed at the beginning of 2026, and it’s become very rare for the Braves to promote a younger prospect in his first season beyond the DSL. Each of those players will be talked about more in the DSL recap once that season ends in roughly three more weeks.
Pitching
It was a rough year on the pitching side of things. The team ERA was 6.78 with a 1.81 WHIP, along with an 8.4 K/9 against a 7.8 BB/9. That last sentence tells a story of the reason this team lost so many games, though to be fair the young defense didn’t do the pitching staff many favors. It is also worth noting that the walks and defense aren’t Braves-specific issues as much as a common theme in the league, so this is to be expected.
Gensi Angeles was already talked about above, but Briggs McKenzie gave him a real run for the team’s top pitcher this year posting a 0.79 ERA and 0.71 WHIP with nine strikeouts to two walks over 11.1 innings in three outings. Ultimately he fell short as his body of work paled in comparison to what Angeles did here, due to his fairly quick promotion to Augusta and then Rome. Outside of Angeles and McKenzie the most successful pitchers here to pitch even 10 innings had to be Brody Fowler, Luis Arestigueta, and Daniel Brooks. Fowler pitched to a 4.91 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with 46 strikeouts to 13 walks in his 40.1 innings. Arestigueta was 4.63 ERA and 1.37 WHIP with nine strikeouts in 11.2 innings. Brooks had a 6.17 ERA and 1.46 WHIP, but 11 strikeouts in 11.2 innings. After that group of pitchers, most of the other pitching either really struggled or was not here very long.
Eric Samulski