MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JULY 7: Taj Bradley #26 of the Minnesota Twins (R) celebrates with Brooks Lee #22 as he returns to the dugout after pitching against the Cleveland Guardians during the seventh inning of the game at Target Field on July 7, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A year ago, the Twins were major sellers at the trade deadline, sending 11 players away in trades including Carlos Correa, Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, and Louis Varland. But they kept most of their core young players, and a year later the organizations is hovering near .500, just a few games out of first. However they may decide to be aggressive sellers again, with pitcher Joe Ryan and catcher Ryan Jeffers drawing major trade interest. Whether Minnesota buys or sells this week could depend in part on how it performs against the Royals, making this series important for both clubs as the trade deadline looms.
Kansas City Royals (45-62) vs. Minnesota Twins (53-54) at Target Field, Minneapolis, MN
Byron Buxton is ninth among all hitters with 25 home runs, but is just 4-for-23 in his six games since coming off the Injured List from a hip injury. Trevor Larnach is hitting .342/.400/.562 with three home runs in his last 21 games. Ryan Jeffers is hitting .300/.379/.500 at home this year. Austin Martin has a .412 on base percentage against lefties. Josh Bell is hitting .327/.378/.598 with runners in scoring position.
Brooks Lee is hitting just .207/.276/.310 against lefties. Ryan Kreidler is hitting just .169/.197/.271 in 19 games in the month of July. The Twins are fourth-worst in Outs Above Average at -21 with Royce Lewis, Brooks Lee and Luke Keaschall each performing poorly in the infield.
The Royals haven’t yet announced starters for Wednesday or Thursday. Randy Dobnak seems like a good bet to face his former team, and the Royals could go with an opener again on Thursday ahead of Noah Cameron.
Taj Bradley is 4-1 over his last seven starts with a 2.93 ERA. He has the tenth-highest walk rate among qualified starters. He has a 3.14 ERA at home compared to 4.14 on the road.
Joe Ryan was scratched from his last start over the weekend with arm fatigue, after giving up eight runs in his last outing. He has dominated the Royals over his career, going 8-2 with a 2.49 ERA in 13 starts. Vinnie Pasquantino is 6-for-22 (.273) against him with a home run and two doubles.
Bailey Ober lasted just four innings, allowing four runs and had his fastball clocked in the high 80s in his last start. He has a 4.74 ERA in 14 career starts against the Royals. Ober throws his change up 35 percent of the time, with a 23 percent whiff rate, while opponents are hitting .298 against his four-seamer.
The Twins traded away much of their bullpen a year ago, but have assembled a collection of no-namers to post the tenth-best bullpen ERA this year at 3.32. They have just 12 blown saves – only four teams have fewer. Yoendrys Gómez has a 1.78 ERA in 30.1 innings since the Twins purchased him from the Rays in May. Kody Funderburk has a 59.5 percent groundball rate. Right-handed hitters are batting .314/.380/.529 against Taylor Rogers.
This could be a big week for the Twins as they assess their chances of competing in a weak division. They have dropped five of seven to the last place Royals this year, so they can hardly afford another disappointing series.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 20: Zac Veen #13 of the Colorado Rockies greets manager Warren Schaeffer #4 as teams are announced on the opening day of Spring Training games at Salt River Fields on Friday, February 20, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Kyle Cooper)
The swing scouts wrote poems about in 2020 has finally shown up in a box score, and it arrived without the wreckage that usually accompanies it.
Zac Veen (PuRP No. 9), in his second full season at Triple-A Albuquerque, is doing damage at a rate he has never approached as a professional. He is slugging .562, up from .468 at the same level a year ago. His isolated power (ISO) has climbed from .179 to .256. He has 49 extra-base hits in 88 games — 27 doubles, six triples, and 16 home runs — after producing just 39 in 90 games in 2025.
ZAC VEEN WILL NOT BE STOPPED! His second home run of the day ties it up!
Gains that size come with a bill, and it is usually paid in the strikeout column. Veen has struck out in 21.0 percent of his plate appearances this season, against 20.4 percent in 2025. He is missing at the same frequency he did a year ago and doing considerably more with the pitches he catches.
The bill that never came
That distinction matters for a player with Veen’s history. Colorado drafted him ninth overall in 2020 out of Spruce Creek High School in Port Orange, Florida, on the strength of a left-handed swing that scouts believed would eventually produce power. It mostly didn’t, and the reasons were a mix of injury and approach: season-ending left-wrist surgery in 2023, a thumb injury that limited him to 65 games in 2024, and stretches where the pursuit of that projected power produced elevated strikeout totals instead. He struck out in 26.3 percent of his plate appearances at Low-A in 2021 and 24.4 percent across two levels in 2022.
A bigger player, not a different hitter
Part of the answer is that he is simply a bigger player than he was a year ago — and that he wasn’t trying to be a different hitter. Asked during spring training whether the added muscle explained his newfound power, Veen said he considered himself a hitter first, focused on driving line drives. He described an offseason getting back to the basics, hitting the ball up the middle, and said that as he got bigger and stronger, the ball simply started jumping more. He was explicit that he did not see himself as a power hitter. Four months of Triple-A slugging suggest that was right about the process and wrong about the label.
The straightforward reading of the rest is that he stopped chasing the power and it arrived anyway. The evidence supports it.
He is not selling out for loft — the strikeout rate would show it — and he is not living on home runs, either. The 27 doubles already match a career high at any level, and the six triples are tied for the most among Isotopes hitters. This is a hitter driving the ball to the gaps at a rate he has never previously sustained.
The walks disappeared June 1
The complication is the calendar, and it deserves more than a footnote.
Veen hit .358/.500/.617 in May, drawing 23 walks in 106 plate appearances. That is the best month of plate discipline in his professional career, and it ended abruptly. Since June 1, he has walked seven times in 173 plate appearances — a rate of 4.0 percent, against a strikeout rate of 20.7 percent. The hitter who controlled the zone in May stopped showing up in June and has not returned.
The PCL Player of the Month award for June goes to Mr. Veen!
He slashed .366/.385/.782 with 13 doubles, four triples, seven homers and 19 RBI. Also led the PCL with 37 hits and all of MiLB with 79 total bases in June.
Across the full stretch since June 1, he is still hitting .307/.335/.639, with 32 of his 51 hits going for extra bases. A collapsed walk rate and a .650 slugging percentage are not generally supposed to coexist for two months.
They stopped coexisting in July. Veen is hitting .215/.261/.415 this month with 16 strikeouts and just four walks in 69 plate appearances. The approach had been deteriorating since the start of June: what changed this month is that the contact quality finally followed it down. The only thing that hasn’t moved is his strikeout rate.
Whatever Veen lost in June and July, it wasn’t his bat-to-ball. He is putting the ball in play as often as he did when he was slugging .782; he is simply swinging at more of the wrong pitches and getting less out of them.
The case for a second look
Which leaves the Rockies with a genuine question rather than an obvious answer.
Veen is on the 40-man roster and holds 0.015 years of service time from a 12-game debut in 2025 that produced four hits and 14 strikeouts in 37 plate appearances. He turns 25 in December. The full-season profile — more power, same contact, a career-best .944 OPS — is the strongest argument he has ever made for a second look.
The last four weeks are the argument against, and they’re the ones happening now.
Albuquerque opened its six-game home set against the Round Rock Express (Texas Rangers) with a pair of wins, then watched the rotation come apart. The Isotopes dropped the final four, including both ends of Saturday’s doubleheader, and were outscored 38-9 over that stretch as three different starters allowed at least three earned runs. The back of the bullpen was largely untouched — John Brebbia and Nick Frasso combined for scoreless work across the series — but the early deficits proved too deep.
⬆️ Stock Up: Stevens stays scalding
Chas Stevens was one of the few Isotopes who never cooled off, collecting eight hits in 18 at-bats (.444) with a triple, a stolen base, and three multi-hit games in five appearances. He scored four times and reached base in four of the five games he played, keeping his season average at .332. On a club that managed nine runs across the final four games, Stevens kept putting himself in position to score. The Isotopes are losing ground quickly, now sitting in fourth place and nine games back of the PCL East second-half lead.
Chad Stevens leads off the third with a triple! He then comes in to score on a sac fly to put us on the board.
Adael Amador managed just two hits in 15 at-bats over five games, a .133 stretch that dropped his season average to .259. Both hits went for doubles, so the contact he did make had authority, but they were isolated moments in a series where he otherwise struggled to reach — he drew three walks and drove in a single run. For a player trying to make his case for another look at the big-league level, it was a step in the wrong direction.
Upcoming
The Isotopes head to El Paso for a six-game series against the El Paso Chihuahuas (San Diego Padres).
Hartford spent a week in Richmond trading games with the best team in the Eastern League and never strung two together in either direction — the Yard Goats alternated wins and losses across all six, finishing 3-3 against a Flying Squirrels club (San Francisco Giants) that closed the week at 57-37. Mike Antico’s three-run homer and five RBIs carried the doubleheader opener; Jack Mahoney followed with six innings of one-run ball in a 3-1 win, and Stu Flesland III took the third victory with 6.2 innings on Saturday. The losses were competitive outside of a 7-0 shutout, in which Hartford managed five hits. Andy Perez was the most complete bat of the trip, homering twice, stealing two bases, and driving in four while playing all six games. Hartford sits at 11-16 in the second half, but has already clinched a postseason spot after winning the first half division title.
⬆️ Stock Up: Prosecky shuts the Squirrels down twice
Michael Prosecky (PuRP No. 25) took the ball first in two of six games and didn’t allow a run in either. He worked 4.2 innings across the pair, scattering three hits and two walks while striking out seven — including five in a 2.2-inning turn in Sunday’s finale. Both outings were short by design, but the results were identical: no damage against a lineup that scored 26 runs in the series. His season ERA dropped to 4.08.
⬇️ Stock Down: Kokoska can’t find a hit
Zach Kokoska went 0-for-13 across four appearances, striking out four times and failing to find barrels. He drew a pair of walks, but the hitless stretch pulled his average down to .258.
Upcoming
The Goats return home for six games against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Toronto Blue Jays)
High-A: Spokane Indians (2-4, 46-50 Overall)
Spokane won the opener against the Tri-City Dust Devils (Los Angeles Angels), then lost four in a row before salvaging the finale with a 12-run outburst. Two of the losses turned on a single frame: a two-out grand slam off Tyler Hampu in the fifth on Thursday, and a seven-run seventh on Friday in which Justin Loer was charged with all seven (five earned) while recording one out. Tanner Thach homered three times and drove in eight despite hitting .174 for the week, and Bryson Hammer was excellent across two appearances, striking out 13 over nine innings with one earned run. The Indians remain tied for first place in the Northwest League second-half standings.
⬆️ Stock Up:Tommy torches Tri-City
Tommy Hopfe put together another strong week for the Indians. He collected 13 hits in 24 at-bats (.542) with a home run, two doubles, and eight RBIs across five games, opening with a 3-for-5 night and closing with a three-hit, three-RBI performance in the finale. He owns a .973 OPS since June 1 and is making a real case for a promotion.
Justin Loer’s second half has gone sideways in a hurry. He was charged with five earned runs while recording just one out in Friday’s seventh inning, walking three and surrendering a home run in an outing that turned a 3-1 game into a route. It was a near-copy of his previous appearance against Everett, when he allowed four runs and walked four while again only getting one out. Across those two outings, he has faced 15 batters, retired only two of them, and watched his ERA continue to climb.
Upcoming
Spokane heads north of the border to face the Vancouver Canadians (Toronto Blue Jays) in a six-game set.
Low-A: Fresno Grizzlies (5-1, 54-42 Overall)
Fresno dropped the opener to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Los Angeles Angels) and then didn’t lose again, reeling off five consecutive wins to close the home stand. Two of them came in the last at-bat — a three-run ninth to steal the second game and a 10-inning walk-off on Saturday— the Grizzlies bookended the stretch with blowouts, scoring 17 runs on Thursday and 19 on Sunday. Carlos Renzullo hit .423 over all six games, Kyle Fossum added a grand slam in the finale, and the bullpen quietly did its part: Luke Hansel, Yanzel Correa, Dylan Crooks, and Seth Clausen combined for 7.2 scoreless innings. Fresno is now in a three-way tie for first in the California League North.
⬆️ Stock Up:Wilder goes wild
Wilder Dalis (PuRP No. 24) was the best hitter in the entire California League this week. The shortstop went 12-for-23 (.522) with four home runs, three doubles, four stolen bases, and 12 RBIs, playing all six games and homering in three straight to open the series before adding a fourth in Sunday’s rout. His 4-for-5, four-RBI finale capped a stretch that pushed his season average to .300 with 11 homers and 51 RBIs.
It’s never fun to put a new addition in the stock down section, but Vidourek made a pretty good case this week. He managed just one hit in 17 at-bats across five games, striking out nine times, including four in an 0-for-6 finale. To his credit, he kept working counts — seven walks in the series meant he still reached regularly — but the contact never came, and his season average slipped to .161.
Upcoming
The Grizzlies hit the road to face the Ontario Water Buzzers (Los Angeles Dodgers) for a six-game series in Ontario.
ACL: ACL Rockies (3-1 in final regular-season week, 40-19 overall; 2-1 in the postseason)
The complex-league Rockies closed the regular season the way they spent all of it — on top. They took three of four in the final week, including a 10-2 win over the Guardians and a combined four-hit shutout of the Athletics, to finish 40-19 and win the ACL East. Then came the postseason: a 13-9 win over the ACL Angels in the one-game semi-final, followed by a 9-8 survival test against the ACL Reds in Game 1 of the ACL World Series. That one nearly slipped away after a ninth-inning grand slam made it a one-run contest. The Rockies fell 6-4 in 11 innings on Monday, setting up a winner-takes-all game three Tuesday night.
⬆️ Stock Up:Arguelles doesn’t cool off
Cristian Arguelles finished the regular season hitting .455 (5-for-11) over three games with a home run, a double, and three stolen bases, finishing at .402 for the year. Then he raised it: 5-for-8 with four RBI across the semi-final and the World Series Opener. Ten hits in 19 at-bats over the week in games of increasing consequence — Arguelles has been the most reliable bat in the ACL this season and hasn’t blinked in the postseason.
⬆️ Stock Up:Wilmes turns it on in the playoffs
Ben Wilmes finished the regular season at .405 after being signed by the organization on June 11, and found another gear once the games started counting double. He went 5-for-8 across the semi-final and the World Series opener with four RBIs, driving in three in the 13-9 win over the Angels and adding a double, a steal, and another run driven in against the Reds. Throughout the full week, he collected 10 hits in 21 at-bats and scored nine runs.
DSL: DSL Colorado (4-1) & DSL Rockies (2-3)
The two Dominican Summer League affiliates went in opposite directions again. DSL Colorado won four of five, opening with an 11-run third inning against the Mets Blue and closing with a 12-3 rout of the Rangers Blue, to move to 27-12 and hold first place in the DSL Southeast. Larry Suero homered twice and drove in five, Jendry Guaraco added a grand slam among his six RBIs, and Williams Ferrufino tripled twice while stealing four bases. DSL Rockies took two of five and sit at 18-20, fifth in the DSL East, though not for lack of drama — trailing 7-0 through seven innings on Saturday, they scored six in the eighth and six in the ninth to win 12-9. Carlos Mota drove in a team-high eight runs for the week, and Victor Castellano earned both Rockies victories.
⬆️ Stock Up: De Paula Keeps the Line Moving
Rosniell De Paula was on base constantly for DSL Colorado, going 7-for-19 (.368) with a triple, a double, and four RBI across all five games. What stands out is what happened after he reached: he scored nine runs, tied for the most on the club, and touched home in every game. He’s up to a .350 batting average on the year.
⬇️ Stock Down: Cancro Goes Cold
Danny Cancro managed two hits in 13 at-bats. The .154 stretch came with no RBIs and four strikeouts over four games. He remains one of the more productive bats in the Rockies’ order, which is what makes this quiet stretch worth watching rather than worrying about.
Many of you didn’t care for that idea as Detmers is more of a fly-ball pitcher.
So, let’s look at Soriano, who is known as more of a ground-ball type who might really be helped by the elite Cubs infield defense.
Soriano is a few months older than Detmers, but both are in their age-27 season in 2026. Soriano got off to a fantastic start this year, including six shutout innings against the Cubs March 31 at Wrigley Field. He was sailing along with an ERA of 0.84 and a WHIP of 0.938 at the end of April (in seven starts) when he went through a stretch much like the one Shōta Imanaga had. In 11 starts in May and June Soriano posted a 5.34 ERA and 1.605 WHIP and nine home runs allowed in 57.1 innings. (Okay, not quite as bad as Imanaga, but you get the idea.)
He’s returned to better pitching in July, posting a 2.74 ERA and 0.957 WHIP in four starts this month, with no homers in 23 innings.
He throws hard, but also has a good selection of offspeed stuff:
Like Detmers, Soriano comes with two years of team control after 2026. He’s making $2.9 million this year so the Cubs would be absorbing a bit under $1 million of contract if they trade for him, which they can certainly handle.
The Angels, according to a person briefed on their pursuits, are interested in acquiring a young catcher. Owen Ayers, the Cubs’ No. 10 prospect according to The Athletic’s Keith Law, might qualify. Ayers, 25, started the season in High A and is now at Triple A.
I wrote that I’d do that deal, Ayers for Detmers. I’d do the same thing for Soriano.
The Red Sox have been on a hot streak that has not only turned around their season and gotten them into a wild-card spot, but it’s also reshaped the futures markets.
Key Takeaways
The Red Sox won 15 consecutive games in July and are 18-3 over the month.
Kalshi gives Boston a 68% chance to make the postseason.
The team’s odds to win the AL went from +8,000 to +850 in five weeks.
The Red Sox, who are 18-3 in July, currently sit +850 at BetMGM to claim the AL pennant and are listed fourth in the operator's market behind the favored New York Yankees (+210), Tampa Bay Rays (+550), and Seattle Mariners (+550).
“The Red Sox season appeared to be over in June, but a historic 15-game winning streak has Boston back in contention,” BetMGM senior trader Matthew Rasp said. “Since the All-Star break, 50% of money wagered has been on the Red Sox to win the American League.”
Boston’s odds to win the World Series have gone from +15,000 to +2,200 over the last five weeks, though eight teams still have shorter odds and 10 have attracted more money in the World Series market.
What a run
The Red Sox looked destined to be sellers at the Aug. 3 trade deadline before its July surge changed the outlook. Instead, Boston is seven games back in the AL East and up two games in the wild-card hunt, with the club now reportedly seeking a shortstop upgrade before the deadline.
Boston, which has the second-best run differential in the AL, has won three of its last four games heading into Tuesday’s contest against the Athletics and sits 55-50.
At prediction market platform Kalshi, the Red Sox have a 68% chance of making the postseason. Their chances were as low as 12% on July 3, the day the 15-game streak began.
The Red Sox opened the regular season at +750, the fifth-shortest odds to win the AL. That number spiked to +8,000 on June 22 when they were 31-45 after losing six of eight contests. They went 6-3 over the next nine games and were 37-48 on July 3.
That incredible win streak started with a 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels. Boston’s odds to win the AL were +4,000 on July 6. By July 20, the Red Sox were down to +1,000 after winning 14 consecutive games. They won the first of a doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles on July 22 but lost the nightcap, ending the run. Boston is 3-2 since the streak ended.
Market battles
The Red Sox have taken 9.5% of the tickets and 7.6% of the handle in the AL winner market at BetMGM, but the Chicago White Sox are the biggest liability with odds that ballooned as high as +20,000 in May. Chicago is down to +1,200 and getting 5.7% of the bets and 4.1% of the money.
The AL Central-leading White Sox are also the second biggest liability in BetMGM’s World Series winner market, second only to the NL basement-dwelling Colorado Rockies.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, who own MLB's best record, are the most-bet team by tickets (11.8%) and handle (21.6%). Their odds have shortened from +350 when the World Series winner market opened to +170 this week.
The Yankees have also shortened from +800 to +550, and they are second with 9.1% of the bets and 9% of the money.
We are now approaching a month since the beginning of the 2026 free agency, and several former Florida Panthers players are without a contract.
The Panthers' lineup is likely full, as the team currently has just $34,286 of cap space with 22 players signed to their NHL roster, according to puckpedia.com.
The Panthers may sign some AHL deals or possibly two-way deals before now and training camp, but for now, the roster is set, which means the players who played for the Panthers last season won’t be returning.
Those players are highlighted by Luke Kunin, Jeff Petry, and Tomas Nosek. Other former Panthers players who remain unsigned include Reilly Smith, Mike Reilly, Evgenii Dadonov, and Vladimir Tarasenko.
Luke Kunin, C
Kunin signed a one-year deal with the Panthers last off-season, hoping to win the role of the fourth-line center.
It didn't pan out for Kunin, as the 28-year-old skated in just 62 games, serving as a healthy scratch for a large part of the season. Kunin mustered just four goals and 10 points and averaged a career low in ice time at just 9:41.
Kunin will likely be required to sign a professional tryout prior to pre-season and will aim to earn a league-minimum contract. He has previously shown he can be a viable player, but the 2025-26 campaign has hurt his stock. With 496 games of NHL experience, Kunin should find an NHL home.
Petry also signed a one-year deal with the Panthers last off-season, looking to serve as the Panthers' sixth defenseman. Unfortunately, Petry couldn't really find his footing with the Panthers and was traded to the Minnesota Wild at the trade deadline.
At 38 years old, Petry is no spring chicken. Petry was once a solid offensive defenseman, but he doesn’t have the foot speed to be reliable and a difference-maker offensively. There is a real possibility that Petry is unable to find a team next season.
Nosek served valiantly for the Panthers in their second Stanley Cup victory, but a knee injury knocked the 33-year-old out for most of the 2025-26 season, and the Panthers ultimately decided to move on.
Lars Eller and Cole Schwindt are expected to take over the roles Nosek and Kunin occupied last season.
Nosek has accumulated 514 games of NHL experience, proving to be an effective fourth-line center. Like Kunin, if Nosek is hoping to continue his NHL career, he'll be required to sign a PTO.
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 24: Max Muncy #13, Shohei Ohtani #17 and Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after defeating the New York Mets at Citi Field on July 24, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
That series in Arlington wasn’t a complete disaster thanks to that come-from-behind victory on Sunday, but the Mariners were pretty thoroughly outplayed by the Rangers over the last four games. That puts Seattle in a really tough position. The team clearly isn’t good enough as constructed — they’re also supposedly a buyer ahead of the trade deadline too — but it feels like the issues on the roster are deep enough that pasting over a few acquisitions this week won’t solve the underlying problems (namely, massive underperformance from Cal and Julio). Anyway, the M’s will be making big decisions about the rest of their season while playing a three-game set against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Good luck.
The Dodgers are well on their way towards becoming the first team since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees to win three championships in a row. They’ve got the best record in baseball, a 12.5 game lead in the NL West, and are essentially in cruise control until they reach the playoffs. They’ve dealt with their fair share of injuries this year — Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Edwin Díaz, and Will Smith are all currently on the IL and a knee injury is preventing Shohei Ohtani from pitching at the moment — but the depth on this roster has reduced the impact from all those issues. This team is truly the best in baseball.
Player
Position
Bats
PA
K%
BB%
ISO
wRC+
Shohei Ohtani
DH
L
447
23.0%
13.9%
0.329
143
Andy Pages
CF
R
452
20.1%
8.4%
0.191
115
Freddie Freeman
1B
L
446
16.6%
11.2%
0.190
140
Max Muncy
3B
L
367
24.0%
12.0%
0.244
133
Mookie Betts
SS
R
296
12.2%
7.8%
0.181
90
Tommy Edman
2B
S
113
18.6%
7.1%
0.153
153
Kyle Tucker
RF
L
413
19.4%
12.1%
0.138
99
Teoscar Hernández
LF
R
282
27.7%
9.2%
0.139
97
Dalton Rushing
C
L
231
27.7%
10.0%
0.217
119
While the impact from Ohtani’s knee injury has been focused on his work on the mound, it’s possible the injury has been affecting him at the plate somewhat. He injured the knee on June 11; since then he’s produced a merely human 107 wRC+. The Dodgers have two other former MVPs in their lineup and they’re aging in very divergent ways. Freddy Freeman is in the midst of another fantastic season (140 wRC+) while Mookie Betts has really struggled for the second consecutive season (90 wRC+). Los Angeles also hasn’t gotten much from Kyle Tucker, a huge offseason acquisition; he’s limped to a 99 wRC+ in what has been the worst season of his career. Despite uncharacteristically poor production from two of their superstars, Max Muncy (133 wRC+), Andy Pages (115 wRC+), and Tommy Edman (153 wRC+) have picked up a lot of the slack.
Justin Wrobleski has been one of the unsung heroes of the Dodgers pitching staff. Surrounded by big name pitchers, he’s posted the second lowest ERA and FIP among the starters on Los Angeles’ roster — better than Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, and Blake Snell. Wrobleski isn’t overpowering opposing batters, running one of the lowest strikeout rates among qualified starters. He doesn’t walk many either, which helps his strikeout-to-walk ratio look really good. The key to his success is inducing a ton of weak fly ball contact. That’s suppressed his BABIP and he’s been lucky enough to keep all that elevated contact inside the park. His 4.14 xFIP is nearly two runs higher than his ERA and a run higher than his FIP.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Eric Lauer
82
15.0%
8.1%
14.7%
31.4%
4.83
6.11
Emerson Hancock
105.1
23.4%
6.3%
11.1%
41.6%
3.16
3.73
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
44.1%
43.7%
91.0
84
95
87
0.367
Cutter
18.4%
22.6%
87.2
96
85
116
0.354
Changeup
19.5%
0.8%
84.3
79
43
84
0.319
Curveball
14.2%
8.3%
75.7
93
60
124
0.315
Slider
3.8%
24.6%
82.6
102
34
84
0.257
Eric Lauer enjoyed a nice bounce back season in Toronto last year after spending all of 2024 in Korea. He couldn’t keep up the improvements and he was traded to the Dodgers in May. His ERA has come down in Los Angeles, but his peripherals are still pretty rough and his limited success can probably be chalked up to the greatly improved team context he’s pitching in now. The biggest problem for him is the total collapse of his strikeout rate; it’s dropped nearly nine points and it’s currently at a career-low. Both of his breaking balls have seen their whiff rates drop dangerously low. Without those pitches earning swings and misses, he doesn’t have any other weapons to keep batters from pounding his fastball.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Roki Sasaki
93.2
23.6%
9.0%
18.9%
42.0%
4.71
5.19
Bryce Miller
68.2
26.9%
4.2%
12.8%
36.3%
2.75
3.65
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
39.1%
45.1%
97.8
98
89
105
0.409
Splitter
23.9%
28.4%
90.2
126
105
123
0.264
Forkball
8.6%
10.1%
85.4
121
94
133
0.225
Slider
28.4%
16.4%
86.6
110
121
113
0.236
Roki Sasaki’s introduction to the major leagues has been pretty rough. A shoulder injury interrupted his adjustment period last year, though he did return late in the season to play a critical role out of the Dodgers bullpen. This year, he’s tweaked his pitch mix to reintroduce a hard splitter to give him two different offspeed pitches to attack batters with. His command is still pretty spotty and his fastball hasn’t given him much of a foundation to work off of. Still, he’s shown spurts of promise with his expanded repertoire and honed mechanics. He may be working through his development process in the big leagues, but he’s shown a lot of resilience in the face of high expectations and tons of failure.
The Big Picture:
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Rangers
54-52
0.509
—
-21
L-W-W-L-W
Astros
53-55
0.491
2.0
-45
W-W-W-L-W
Mariners
52-55
0.486
2.5
+8
L-L-L-W-L
Athletics
44-62
0.415
10.0
-127
L-W-L-L-L
Angels
42-65
0.393
12.5
-67
L-L-L-W-L
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Yankees
60-46
0.566
+6.5
+88
W-W-W-L-W
Red Sox
55-50
0.524
+2.0
+48
L-W-L-W-W
Guardians
54-53
0.505
—
-18
L-L-L-L-L
Twins
53-54
0.495
1.0
-27
W-W-L-W-W
Astros
53-55
0.491
1.5
-45
W-W-W-L-W
Mariners
52-55
0.486
2.0
+8
L-L-L-W-L
Orioles
52-55
0.486
2.0
-11
W-L-W-L-W
The Mariners slipped to third place in the division after the Astros won the first game of their series against the Angels yesterday. Los Angeles was leading 4-2 in the ninth, but allowed four runs on one hit in the top of the ninth to blow the game. After beating up on the Mariners, the Rangers will head to Tampa Bay to face the best team in the AL. Over in the Wild Card race, the Guardians play in Cincinnati this week while the Twins host the Royals.
Dinger Tuesday is here, and this might be the most generous wind day for hitters and MLB player props that I've seen in weeks.
Dean Kremer is circled heavily today as a home-run-prone pitcher, with 18-mph winds blowing out, and despite playing indoors, Aaron Nola has to find his name on the home run card, and I'm double-dipping with a pair of Marlins bats that measure up well against the beleaguered right-hander.
These are my favorite MLB home run predictions for Tuesday, July 28.
UPDATE: Added another HR pick + parlay.
Best MLB home run props today
Player to hit a HR
Odds
Kevin McGonigle
+488
Kyle Stowers
+373
Heriberto Hernandez
+474
💲Today's HR parlay
+11648strong/strong
Home run pick: Kevin McGonigle (+488)
Dean Kremer is always a good pitcher fade and even better today on the road with 18-mph winds blowing out to center field. Lefties always give the Baltimore starter trouble, with 70% of his home runs allowed this year and 66% since 2024. That puts me on a Detroit Tigers left-handed bat, and I'm settling on the rookie, Kevin McGonigle, at +488.
The AL Rookie of the Year odds favorite (-240) has a fair price of around +420, with his last HR cashing at +375 vs. another righty in Ryan Johnson. Looking under the hood, his IdealAtkAng% tops the team over the last week, and he is getting a ton of balls in play with just a 4% walk rate and hitting .306 over his last nine games, which comes with a hit in all but one of those games.
Is he crushing the ball right now? Not exactly, but this matchup and wind are enough to aid any hitter, especially one who owns a .859 OPS vs. right-handers and might not have to face any left-handed options out of the Baltimore bullpen today.
Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Detroit SportsNet, MASN
Home run pick: Kyle Stowers (+373)
The left-handed Kyle Stowers gets to unleash his Top-50 bat speed against one of the most homer-friendly pitchers in baseball, Aaron Nola. Only Jeffrey Springs has allowed more home runs this season, and Springs at least has the excuse of pitching at Sutter Health Park. Nola doesn't.
Left-handed hitters have done the most damage, hitting nearly twice as many home runs as righties against the Phillies starter since 2024. He ranks 25th among MLB starters in HR/9 and 24th in HR/FB rate. Six of Nola's last eight starts have turned into multi-homer outings, with 14 long balls allowed over that 42-inning stretch.
You could make a case for several Marlins bats today, but I like the price on Stowers the most. He also projects as Miami's most likely hitter to go deep. Heriberto Hernandez at +450 or better was another strong consideration, and pairing the two in an HRRBI stack at plus money is worth a look.
Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Marlins.TV, NBC Sports Philadelphia
Home run pick: Heriberto Hernandez (+474)
Call me lazy, but I'm doubling down on Nola. I already have Stowers on the card, but Hernandez is just as appealing at this price.
Since the start of July, Hernandez leads the Marlins in home runs (7), slugging percentage (.684), ISO (.382), and xwOBA (.384). He's not just taking advantage of one side of the plate either, as he has shown power against both right- and left-handed pitching.
Only five players in MLB have hit more home runs than Hernandez during July, and his power surge lines up perfectly with today's matchup.
Nola might be the best home run target on the slate, and I'm happy to double-dip with these Marlins bats.
Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Marlins.TV, NBCS Sports Philadelphia
Josh Inglis' 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 25-141, -20.23 units
Today’s HR combo
Kevin McGonigle
Trade Now +11648
Kyle Stowers
Heriberto Hernandez
Want more baseball parlays? Check out our MLB parlay picks page!
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Tuesday's full slate is here, and I have a couple of player props I'm fired up to dish out! I'm backing a pair of red-hot bats in prime spots, while fading a southpaw who looks destined to get shelled early.
Out of the gate, if you're not in the business of laying juice, you can grab the Boston Red Sox first five team total Over 2.5 at -125. Regardless, it's "Fade Gage Jump" day.
The Athletics southpaw is the third lowest rated pitcher on today's slate according to Batters-Box. He also grades out poorly in matchup wOBA, ISO, and hard contact. To make matters worse, he draws four elite-rated Red Sox hitters and four more with strong ratings, giving Boston the highest-rated offense on the slate.
Jump has been shelled over his last 11 innings, posting an 11.45 ERA and 5.77 xERA, while allowing a 55% hard-hit rate, 15% barrel rate, and just a 30% ground ball rate. Opposing hitters have produced a .727 xSLG, .384 xwOBA, and .362 ISO during that stretch.
Boston has mashed left-handed pitching all season, posting a 117 wRC+, .342 wOBA, .775 OPS, and .176 ISO. With this game being played in Sacramento, I think the Red Sox keep the bats rolling and get all over everything Jump leaves over the plate.
Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NESN, NBCSCA
Willson Contreras Over 1.5 total bases (-115)
Yup, after failing to cash this prop last night, I am running it right back against lefty Gage Jump. Red Sox slugger Willson Contreras finds himself in another smash spot, carrying an elite Batters-Box rating while covering 84% of Jump's pitch mix.
Contreras has crushed left-handed pitching all season, and his recent numbers back that up. Over his last 30 at bats against lefties, he owns a .600 slugging percentage, 1.000 OPS, and .320 ISO, while generating a 50% hard-hit rate and 18.2% barrel rate.
Jump has been getting torched by right-handed hitters. Over the last 60 he's faced, opponents own a .404 xBA, .667 xSLG, .365 xwOBA, and .360 ISO. They've also generated a 55.6% hard-hit rate, 14% barrel rate, and 52.8% elevation rate.
Freeman enters Tuesday with an elite rating on Batters-Box, where he continues to produce some of the most consistent elite-rated trends in the game.
Through 16 elite ratings this season, he has cashed this prop nearly 69% of the time, recording two or more total bases in seven of his last 10 elite-rated matchups.
Even over a much larger sample of 109 elite ratings across the last three seasons, he's still clearing this number 52.29% of the time.
On top of that, Freeman has been one of the hottest bats in the Dodgers lineup. Over his last 30 ABs against right-handed pitching, he owns a .407 batting average, .519 slugging percentage, .952 OPS, and .411 wOBA. In his last five games against a right-hander, he has posted a ridiculous 300 wRC+ with a .600 batting average.
Castillo has struggled against left-handed hitters on the road this season, allowing a .282 batting average, .540 slugging percentage, and .382 wOBA while producing a 69.6% elevation rate and 40.4% hard-hit rate.
I want to ride the hot bat against an inconsistent arm.
Take this down to -115.
Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: SNLA, SEAM
Colby Marchio's 2026 Transparency Record
Prop picks: 343-666, -12.6 units
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Mets starting pitcher Freddy Peralta is likely to be dealt ahead of the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline.
Here is the latest buzz on the right-hander...
July 28, 1:20 p.m.
One of the teams interested in adding Peralta ahead of the trade deadline is a club the right-hander is very, very familiar with.
According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Mets have have had talks regarding Peralta with the Milwaukee Brewers, the club from which the Mets acquired the righty this past offseason.
"One thing I did hear this week… is that the Mets have been talking to the Brewers about Freddy Peralta," Passan said. "I don’t know if that’s going to happen, but it’s the kind of deal where you see what they could get back from Milwaukee considering what they gave up."
The Mets sent infielder Jett Williams and right-hander Brandon Sproat, two of the club's top prospects, to Milwaukee this past offseason to bring Peralta to New York.
Williams has a .726 OPS with Triple-A Nashville this season, while Sproat has a 5.05 in 20 games (18 starts) with the Brewers.
July 28, 11:02 a.m.
The Tampa By Rays have expressed interest in trading for Peralta, while also showing interest in Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, according to FanSided's Robert Murray,
The Rays have the best record in the American League, and while their rotation has been a strength, Peralta is only due roughly $3 million for the rest of the season and is a free agent at the end of the year, making him an intriguing option for any team in search of starting pitching depth.
While Peralta has struggled to the tune of a 4.99 ERA with the Mets this season, Murray notes that some evaluators believe he could benefit from a change of scenery, which is almost certain to happen as the deadline draws nearer.
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 25: Foster Griffin #22 of the Washington Nationals pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Nationals Park on July 25, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The trade deadline is less than a week away now. There are a lot of rumors swirling around Nationals players, but one name who feels fairly likely to move is Foster Griffin. The All-Star has been an absolute revelation for the Nats this season. However, he is a free agent after the year, and this could be a good opportunity for the Nats to sell high.
It was reported the other day that scouts from the Rays and the Phillies were watching Griffin’s last start. Honestly, it would take a lot for me to trade Griffin to the Phillies. Their farm system is shallow and Toboni should put an in division tax on his ace. The Rays on the other hand intrigue me a lot more.
— MLB Deadline News (@MLBDeadlineNews) July 26, 2026
Tampa would be a cool landing spot for Griffin, and it would allow the Nats to have a piece of one of the deepest farm systems in the game. If Tampa is unable to land a big fish like Tarik Skubal or Joe Ryan, Griffin seems like a good fall back option for them. It would be a good outcome for the Nats as well.
The Rays have some upper minors pitching that could be on the table for the Nats. Two names that could be packaged together are number 8 prospect Michael Forret and number 10 prospect Ty Johnson. Both of those guys are in AAA and will be MLB ready by 2027 at the latest.
Rays would be a perfect fit for Foster Griffin if the Nationals are looking to do the buy/sell thing
Multiple near-bigs pitchers like Ty Johnson or Michael Forret in the system, who could potentially join the rotation immediately and help out in Griffin’s place. https://t.co/mzAIRfD0af
— Stars and Strikes – Daily Nats Content (@starsstrikesbb) July 26, 2026
Forret would be the bigger piece here. The 22 year old was involved in the Shane Baz trade this offseason, and has kept on pitching well in the Tampa system. He has a 3.31 ERA with 96 strikeouts in 87 innings across AA and AAA. Forret has a sinker, four-seamer, slider, changeup, cutter and occasional curve.
That three fastball attack has become a popular approach, and it something Griffin himself deploys quite effectively. Forret is a high floor option who should be at least a back of the rotation arm, but has upside to be more than that. His velocity is average, sitting around 93-95, but he has a deep mix and knows how to pitch.
Johnson is starting right now, but his mix has the feel of a reliever. He relies heavily on a fastball/slider mix. The heater is only in the low to mid 90’s, but his funky delivery, elite extension and good carry on the fastball help everything play up. He seems like a safe bet to be a good reliever and I think the fastball velocity would tick up in shorter spurts.
A Forret/Johnson package is a good example of the kind of haul I think the Nats could get. Maybe the Rays would throw in one smaller piece. If the Nats just wanted to do a 1 for 1, they might be able to get a back end of the top 100 guy.
The thing about Griffin is that it is pretty tough to predict where he will go. Just about everyone in the league needs a number 2 or 3 starter, and that is what Griffin will provide. He is also not some massive commitment either. Griffin is not expensive at all financially, and is only a rental. That will be appealing to a lot of teams.
“You look at the number of teams who are contending and who need starting pitching, and it’s almost 100% overlap.”@spencernusbaum_ discusses Foster Griffin trade rumors. pic.twitter.com/EtFM2bnaLk
Teams like the Padres, Brewers, Cubs, Braves, White Sox and Diamondbacks are all teams I could see pursuing Griffin as well. If the Nats were to trade with a team like the D-Backs though, I would want to see a bit of a tax. Paul Toboni has to account for the fact that the Nats are still in a playoff race.
If Griffin were to be traded, ideally he would head to the American League or a team like the Brewers who are locked into a playoff spot. However, if a team like the Padres or Snakes blow you away, it will be tough to turn down.
Both of the Chicago teams feel like they could be all over Griffin, and would be good fits. A White Sox package headlined by Tanner McDougal or even Hagen Smith would intrigue me. The Cubs package would have to be more volume driven, especially considering how much a guy like Jaxon Wiggins has fallen off this year.
Honestly, I think the Early trade might have marked the end of Foster Griffin in DC. I hope the Nats can pull a cat out of the bag and get an extension done. However, a trade feels more likely at this point, unless the Nats are in a playoff spot after this week.
Griffin was such an amazing Nat, and honestly, they should go back in for him in free agency this offseason. Like Curtis Mead though, Griffin was found money. It seems like Toboni is very happy to cash in on those winnings to get guys with more pedigree or to build the farm. Sadly, that is what I see happening here. However, I think the Nats will get an impressive haul for the crafty lefty.
The Sixers are sending Johni Broome to Los Angeles as a necessary roster tweak following their free-agent deals with LeBron James and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday that the Sixers are trading Broome and a second-round draft pick to the Clippers in exchange for cash considerations. NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark confirmed the news. Jake Fischer reported the pick is “the second most favorable of the Sixers’ three seconds in 2027.”
The Sixers needed to remove a player from their roster in order to add James and Caldwell-Pope while staying under the first luxury tax apron. They are hard capped at the first apron because they’ve used the non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
The Auburn big man’s game didn’t translate effectively to the NBA as a rookie. A physical player and standout rebounder in college, the 6-foot-9 Broome does not possess much traditional athleticism. Broome was outside of the Sixers’ rotation last season and only appeared 11 times in the NBA. He posted 21.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game for the Delaware Blue Coats over 26 G League contests.
The 24-year-old suffered a right knee lateral meniscus tear in February. He rehabbed the injury and was available to play again by the NBA playoffs. At this year’s Las Vegas summer league, Broome played in three games and averaged 14.7 points and 9.0 rebounds.
TAMPA, FL - MARCH 21: Dax Kilby of the New York Yankees is interviewed during the Spring Breakout game against the Atlanta Braves at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 21, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The trade deadline is a week away, so there’s heightened focus on the Yankees’ farm system, but this is not a good week for there to be such a microscope on it.
Despite recent returns from the top two bats in the system, injuries are decimating the organizational pitching depth and potentially damaging the value of the organization on the trade market. And with the FCL season over, a chain of promotions is bubbling up as the new week begins tonight.
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
Record: 16-9 (53-46), 2 GB in the International League East after a 3-3 week against the Syracuse Mets (Mets)
Run differential: +34 (+37)
Coming up: Away @ Iowa Cubs (Cubs)
It was an inconsistent week for the RailRiders, who are still in the thick of the second-half race in the International League. They won by eight on Tuesday and won via shutout on Thursday, but lost back-to-back uncompetitive games to start the weekend before gritting out a 3-2 win to secure a split on Sunday against Syracuse.
Spencer Jones spent half the week down there before being recalled due to a doubleheader on Wednesday and for good when Cody Bellinger went down on Saturday night, where he kept hitting, as did J.C. Escarra as he continues to stay ready. Marco Luciano has heated up, while Tyler Hardman is cooling down. It remains the George Lombard Jr. show, as he stayed consistent all week to extend his hitting streak to 18 games with an 8-for-18 week with two doubles and five walks. Garrett Martin has been ruled out for the season with an undisclosed injury, ending a breakout campaign.
The three veterans (Kloffenstein, Hamel, and Cornielle) all had choppy outings this week, so it’s no surprise that the two prospects who made their starts picked up all three winning decisions. Brendan Beck won International League Pitcher of the Week with 6.1 shutout innings and seven strikeouts on Thursday, while Elmer Rodríguez drew the Tuesday/Sunday double feature, allowing four runs in 10.1 innings. The Sunday game was encouraging, as he struck out seven without a walk, bucking a recent trend of shoddy command. Kyle Carr went on the 7-day injured list on Tuesday.
Congratulations to RHP @brendan_beck3 for being named International League Pitcher of the Week 👏
It was an inconsistent week for the bullpen, as it seems like every notable arm gave up hard contact and runs. Bradley Hanner, Yerry De los Santos, Eric Reyzelman, and Yovanny Cruz traded good and bad outings, while guys like Carson Coleman and Chris Kean had bad blowup outings.
Record: 13-14 (50-46), 3 GB in the Eastern League Northeast after a 5-1 week against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Blue Jays)
Run differential: +11 (+47)
Coming up: Home vs. Richmond Flying Squirrels (Giants)
It wasn’t a positive start to the week for Somerset, with a Tuesday postponement and a Wednesday loss, but they ran the table against New Hampshire, winning five games in four days for their best week in several months. They’re still in the playoff race, even with their miserable start to the second half.
What worked so well for Somerset this week was their slumping offense getting contributions up and down the lineup. Kevin Verde and Miguel Palma, for example, combined for three home runs and nine RBI on Sunday. Jace Avina has remained the constant in the lineup, but Coby Morales (9-for-25, HR, 4 RBI, 3 XBH) has started to heat up again in a big way, as did DJ Gladney (12-for-26, 3 HR, 10 RBI).
There was some good and some bad in the rotation. Ben Hess threw another five strong innings with seven strikeouts to finish a strong month, as did Jack Cebert and Xavier Rivas. Cade Smith also allowed just two runs in five innings. Chase Hampton had another choppy start as he has struggled to get back on track this season, and the bad news truly hit when Cebert, who has a 1.74 ERA in 20.2 innings this month, was placed on the injured list late in the week.
Not the best week for the bullpen, but it didn’t matter in the wins and losses. The notable point here is that 2024 UDFA Tony Rossi allowed his first career home run on Tuesday after not allowing an opponent to leave the yard through 77.2 career innings over the last two seasons.
Record: 16-14 (46-48), 2 GB in the South Atlantic League North after a 3-3 week against the Wilmington Blue Rocks (Nationals)
Run differential: +31 (+40)
Coming up: Home vs. Jersey Shore BlueClaws (Phillies)
Hudson Valley also did not play on Tuesday due to a rainout, but split the eventual doubleheader on Thursday. A heartbreaking loss on Sunday solidified a series split and squandered an opportunity to pull within one game of a playoff spot.
With Kaeden Kent still out, the offense has been carried by a rejuvenated Eric Genther and the consistent bats of Wilson Rodriguez and Roderick Arias, but reinforcements are needed. Core Jackson left Saturday’s game in the third inning for an undisclosed reason, and while he hasn’t been put on the injured list, we’ll monitor the situation. There are rumblings that the promotion carousel might get them reinforcements in the form of star Tampa bats Jackson Lovich and Willy Montero.
It was a mixed bag for the pitchers. Bryce Cunningham and Franyer Herrera struggled, Allen Facundo and Henry Lalane failed to finish five innings due to choppy command, and Luis Serna struck out eight in 5.2 innings but was undone by his defense. The best-performing starter was Rory Fox, who threw a six-inning complete game and picked up another quality start. The Notre Dame product has a 3.29 ERA in 41 innings since the start of June after a rough start to his debut season.
The bullpen took a step back. Hansel Rincon and Wilmy Sanchez had good weeks, but it was rough for Bryce Warrecker and several arms traded good and bad outings. There’s not much going on here after some of the earlier promotions, but maybe some Tampa call-ups could help them.
Record: 21-9 (53-37), 4.5 GA in the Florida State League West after a 3-3 week against the Bradenton Marauders (Pirates)
Run differential: +42 (+65)
Coming up: Home vs. Lakeland Flying Tigers (Tigers)
For the first time in a while, Tampa looked human this week, failing to win a series for the first time since mid-June. They still got a split and remain comfortably ahead of the pack in the FSL West, but there’s no time to take your foot off the gas pedal.
There’s going to be a lot of change with the offense next week. With Lovich and Willy Montero heading to Hudson Valley, the team will need some reinforcements (which they’ll be getting, more on that in a bit). It helps that Dax Kilby is back from rehab and raking. Luis Escudero returned from injury and has continued to hit after missing three weeks, while the catching platoon of David McCann and Luis Puello have been the best-performing catcher bats in the system. The other catcher, Engelth Urena, even hit a big home run late in the week.
The starting pitching is getting decimated by injuries. Thatcher Hurd made his first rough start in a while on Tuesday and was placed on the injured list for the second time this season shortly after. Neither Wyatt Parliament nor JT Etheridge provided any length either, so the success stories of the week are reduced to a six-inning, three-run quality start by Justin West and Tyler Boudreau (5.2 IP, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K) continuing a fantastic season.
It was a step forward for the bullpen, particularly the guys who’ve been throwing the high-leverage innings: Jose M. Rodriguez, Jose Martinez, and Pedro Rodriguez. Greysen Carter’s multi-month revival took a step back with a few bad outings, but at least he isn’t walking the population of a small country anymore. Edinzo Marquez will help this unit nicely in long relief after being promoted from rookie ball.
Record: 29-29, 7.5 GB in the FCL North after an 0-3 week.
Run differential: +2
The first of the seven affiliates has concluded its season, as the FCL Yankees sleepily lost their final three games and will go into the semi-instructional league that they have at the complex, integrating some of the 2026 draftees over the coming weeks. It’s a real shame; they broke the FCL home run record and finished first in OPS and fifth in runs, yet missed the playoffs with a 6.19 team ERA.
Wilberson De Pena is reportedly heading to Tampa, and he deserves it. He had arguably the greatest rookie ball season ever, winning the first true FCL Triple Crown in history after breaking the GCL/FCL home run, RBI, and total base records. I cannot wait to see Statcast readings for this guy.
According to an AI slop image from his agency, FCL Yankees OF Wilberson De Peña has won the Florida Complex League Triple Crown.
He led the league in BA (.358), HR (16), RBI (67), R (46), H (81), 2B (20), SLG% (.677) and OPS (1.088). He was 15th in BB (23).
Leni Done and Jose Castro should also merit some consideration, but it’s not all sunshine and roses. Seven-figure international signing Francisco Vilorio struggled badly in his first season stateside after being underwhelming in the DSL. Danny Rowland’s seven-figure deal history continues to look worse and worse.
Most of these pitchers are probably done for the season, and for good reason, but injuries in Tampa require some promotions, namely Marquez and Danny Flatt.
DSL Yankees: Record: 23-16, 0.5 GB in DSL East after a 1-4 week Run differential: +84
DSL Bombers: Record: 18-22, 7.5 GB in DSL Southeast after a 3-2 week Run differential: +1
It was a rare bad week for the DSL Yankees, who nearly went winless until walking it off on Monday. Their offense has cooled down a bit after being unbelievable in the first six weeks, but Isaias Castillo has heated back up, seemingly irked by an All-Star snub. He leads the entire DSL with 11 home runs and is in rarified air. Juan Torres is also excelling as a more well-rounded hitter.
The storyline of the week is Yostin Pena, an 18-year-old outfielder who signed for $350,000 last year and is slashing .375/.457/.646 with 57 RBI and 27 stolen bases in just 37 games. Beyond the fact that he was on pace to shatter RBI records, he was the recipient of an extremely rare in-season stateside promotion on Monday, but here’s the catch. He’s not just going to the complex; he’s skipping the FCL and going directly to Tampa. It’s a super bold move for a guy this young, but he’s been unbelievable in the little we’ve seen from him.
October 6, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder J.D. Martinez (28) celebrates with Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder David Peralta (6) his solo home run hit in the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game one of the 2017 NLDS at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Diamondbacks fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
It would be very nice if the Diamondbacks were able to acquire a player with as much impact on their season, as the trade deadline arrival of J.D. Martinez in 2017. In just 62 games, he hit 29 home-runs, with an OPS for Arizona of 1.107. It has to be the most impactful move at the deadline in team history – and likely ranks very high all-time in baseball. There’s no doubt the team this year has holes, and GM Mike Hazen has made it clear he wants to buy – if the existing players give him reason to do so. However, they are likely to be constrained by resources, both on the financial and prospect sides. One significant move may be all the team is able to carry out.
So, with less than a week remaining until the trade deadline, where do you foresee the team spending their capital? Will it be a starting pitcher, to help shore up the rotation until those on the injured list return? A first-base/DH type to shore up one of the weakest levels of production in baseball history? An outfielder, with CF hardly producing any better? Or even a reliever, with Paul Sewald looking shaky, and the bullpen in general wobbling since the All-Star break? Or will the team just stand pat, and trust in the current roster, however those chips might fall? That’s what this week’s poll is about. Answer below, and explain your reasoning in the comments…
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 12: Blake Mitchell #8 of the Kansas City Royals on the American League Team talks with Kendry Chourio #34 of the Kansas City Royals on the American League Team during the 2026 MLB Futures Game at Citizens Bank Park on July 12, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
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The trade deadline is coming next week, but one good thing about the Royals having played so poorly is that we can still dream on all the prospects in their system because none of them are going anywhere. We might even have a new favorite next week! But until then, it should be fun to talk about who our favorites currently are.
Kendry Chourio gets a lot of the love lately for being an exceptional young pitcher – still a teenager in High-A! – who throws hard and throws strikes. That’s a combination it can be difficult to find, and those are two of the requirements when you’re looking for the next Cam Schlittler or Jacob Misiorowski. I’m not promising Chourio will be as good as either of them, but he might be the only guy in the system with even a remote chance.
Zion Rose just got taken sixth overall in the MLB Draft, so he hasn’t played a professional inning yet. But he’s drawing rave reviews from some scouts and analysts, including Keith Law, who says that Rose had a top-10 bat and was held back on draft boards for his defense. But his speed and work ethic indicate he could be a guy who could figure out the glove side of the ball, too.
Blake Mitchell was the first first-round draft pick taken after J.J. Picollo became the general manager, but before Brian Bridges had joined the team. It was a risky pick considering Kyle Teel was right there, but the Royals are still hoping it could pay off. Mitchell has become a three-true-outcomes monster in the minors, striking out more than 1/3 of the time, but walking more than 1/5 of the time, and crushing 17 dingers – tied for fifteenth in High-A.
Josh Hammond is a 2025 draftee who is doing quite well for himself in Low-A as a 19-year-old. For that reason, he’s jumped onto FanGraphs’ updated 2026 top 100 prospects. He’s playing a lot of shortstop right now, but he’ll probably move to third base sooner rather than later. He’s only whacked 5 home runs in 87 games, but he was always projected as a power-over-hit guy, so you have to imagine the power will come as he matures.
David Shields would be the apple of many eyes in the Royals’ farm system were it not for Chourio. But Shields is a lefty who doesn’t throw quite as hard, though he’s equally adept at throwing strikes and less than a year older than Chourio. He’s the only one in this group who made neither the FanGraphs top-100 nor their honorable mentions because of it. There’s still hope he could add some velocity as he matures, but even if he doesn’t, the stuff and strikes seem like they’ll eventually be playable in the big leagues.
If there was one guy in the Royals’ farm system I would want to highlight that isn’t among those top 5, it’s probably Angeibel Gomez. Gomez was an international free agent signed in January. He’s already jumped onto FanGraphs’ top-100 at 84, and he’s yet to make it stateside. Like Chourio before him, he’s getting a lot of hype that we don’t normally get for prospects who haven’t yet debuted in at least the complex leagues. He walks more than he strikes out, his BABIP is only two points higher than his .346 batting average, and he’s whacked 6 homers and stolen 12 bases in only 33 games. You don’t want to read too much into DSL numbers, but all signs are pointing up for the Venezuelan 17-year-old.
Kevin McGonigle
Kyle Stowers
Gage Jump 
Willson Contreras 
Freddie Freeman
