ATLANTA, GA - JULY 20: Bryce Elder #55 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the third inning during the game against the San Diego Padres at Truist Park on July 20, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jack Casey/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a nice extra-innings win to start the weekend series on Saturday, the Braves hope to secure an early series win with Bryce Elder on the mound at Camden Yards. The Orioles will counter with the big 27-year-old righty Brandon Young.
Bryce had a good start to the season, but has had a rough time recently. That said, he was reportedly dealing with some fatigue and had a better start coming out of the All-Star break, so lets hope that was him getting back on track a bit. He still profiles as a back of the rotation starter on average, with season numbers basically in line with his career average, but the variance can be pretty wide with him from game to game. He’s been throwing his cutter and sinker a decent bit more in June and July, so that will be something interesting to keep an eye on as we hope for another good Bryce Elder night.
Brandon Young has less than a year of MLB service time, but is nearly 28. Through 28 starts and 149 innings, the 6’6 righty has a career 4.53 xFIP and 4.43 FIP, but his ERA is a nice 3.25 this year. His fastball is a tick below average velo and he shows average extension, but he has some nice induced vertical break on the pitch that makes it play well from a moderately high 43 degree arm angle. He mixes in a splitter, slider, sinker, and curve off of his four-seamer, but the four-seamer is by far the most impressive pitch of the bunch. As such, he only strikes out 7.31 batters per 9 innings, walking a solid 3.26. He isn’t an especially impressive pitcher, so if the Braves can avoid chasing his sub-par secondaries, they should be able to find some success.
Both the San Diego Padres and Miami Marlins are trying to hit the reset button for the second half of the 2026 season. Neither team is playing good baseball. Despite the poor play, this weekend series is vital for the Padres and Marlins to remain in the wildcard chase.
Friday’s Results
With the game tied at two, Friars pinch-hitter Luis Rengifo hit a game-winning two-run home run that propelled the team to a 4-2 victory over the Marlins. The loss extended the home team’s losing streak to 10 games, as they are on the verge of tying the franchise record of 11 games. It has been done three times, with the last occurring in June 2011.
Miami’s two runs came on solo home runs by Joe Mack and Heriberto Hernandez. The Padres’ other two runs came on an RBI single by Manny Machado in the fifth inning and a sacrifice fly by Jackson Merrill in the fourth inning.
Taking the mound: Randy Vasquez (SD) vs Eury Perez (MIA)
Randy Vasquez will be the opener for today’s game. But no complaints from the Friar Faithful about the results from JP Sears (2-3, 4.38 ERA) with the Padres in 2026. He has been steady in his five starts after being called up in late June. The lone negative is that Sears only averages five innings per start, which is why he is the bulk pitcher this afternoon. But Friars manager Craig Stammen will not complain, as Sears has kept the games close for the offense to do their late-inning magic.
The left-hander’s control has been outstanding, as he struck out 20 batters while giving up only eight walks. Opponents are hitting .242 against Sears; he has been excellent at generating weak contact with runners in scoring position.
He may not be a hard-throwing starter, but Sears is an ideal back-end rotation option.
The Marlins have an elite starting rotation, as Eury Perez (5-7, 3.53 ERA) has been outstanding this season. He has anchored the rotation in the absence of Max Meyer and Sandy Alcantara’s inconsistencies. Perez has struck out 104 batters in 91.2 innings pitched, as he generates plenty of swing-and-misses in his starts. The 23-year-old has been dominant with his outstanding fastball (99-101 MPH), a devastating slider, and a sweeping changeup that keeps hitters guessing.
In 17 starts, opposing teams are hitting .199 against him. And over his last seven starts, he has allowed two runs or fewer for a 1.14 ERA. Unfortunately, the Marlins offense has been non-existent when he is on the mound.
The Buffalo Sabres could go a number of different ways as the NHL is in the midst of trade season following the NHL Draft and the opening of free agency on July 1. With the departure of winger Alex Tuch and defenseman Bowen Byram, GM Jarmo Kekalainen is expected to seek out offensive reinforcements to make up for the 44 goals lost by their departures.
Over the next few weeks, we will continue to look at potential options for the Sabres, now that veteran Patrick Kane has returned with Chicago. Some of the possibilities are not going to match Tuch’s stats, but any additions could provide some relief to the pressure that youngsters Konsta Helenius, Jiri Kulich, or Noah Ostlund will be under to make up the deficit.
Buffalo native Patrick Kane signs with the Chicago Blackhawks
Kekalainen ideally would like to make up as much of the 60-to-70 point production that he lost with Tuch, or someone who can fill the leadership gap and/or add some snarl and sandpaper to the middle-six.
Someone who has yet to be signed, and has won a pair of Stanley Cups is veteran winger Vladimir Tarasenko. The 34-year-old has become a gun for hire since being dealt from the St. Louis Blues in 2023. The talented Russian scored 30 or more goals six times in 10 seasons with the Blues, after which he has played for New York, Ottawa, Florida, Detroit and Minnesota. In two of the last three seasons, with Ottawa/Florida and Minnesota, Tarasenko has scored 23 goals.
The veteran forward is not strong defensively, but still has the skill to play on a second power play unit or in the middle six. Tarasenko would not be the equal of Kane as a playmaker, but has more of an ability to put the puck in the net and in a pinch, can move up higher in the lineup and fit in on the top power play. His last two contracts have been short term (one year with Ottawa, two years with Detroit) with a cap hit of $4.75 to $5 million.
Still being unsigned at the end of July could mean that Tarasenko is open to a lesser amount or an performance bonus-based deal, which could be a better fit for the Sabres in their current cap situation.
Jul 25, 1991; Chicago, IL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Toronto Blue Jays infielder Ed Sprague in action against the Chicago White Sox at Comiskey Park. Mandatory Credit: Imagn Images
Today marks the 59th birthday of Ed Sprague, former third baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Sprague spent eight seasons with the Blue Jays, from 1991 until his trade to the Oakland Athletics on July 31, 1998. In return, the Jays acquired Scott Rivette, who ultimately never reached the major leagues.
During his time in Toronto, Sprague posted a .245 batting average, a .315 on-base percentage, and a .419 slugging percentage, tallying 113 home runs and 418 RBIs over 888 games.
While Sprague may not have been a superstar, he, like his predecessor Kelly Gruber, delivered one standout season that exceeded his usual performance. However, Gruber was known for his stronger defensive skills.
Sprague’s breakout year came in 1996, when he set career highs in runs (88), hits (146), home runs (36), RBIs (101), walks (60), and slugging percentage (.496). It stands among the best single seasons by a Blue Jays third baseman—a true outlier in his career. Notably, this was also during a period when Roger Clemens’ “trainer” was around the team.
Ed later admitted to using steroids, as well as amphetamines—a common practice among players at the time to combat the fatigue of baseball’s long season. Energy drinks like Red Bull weren’t available then, and amphetamines were not banned in baseball until 2006.
One of Sprague’s most unforgettable moments came in Game 2 of the 1992 World Series, when he launched a dramatic, go-ahead two-run homer in the ninth inning off Atlanta closer Jeff Reardon. For a year, it stood as the biggest home run in Blue Jays history until Joe Carter’s iconic walk-off in 1993. Without Sprague’s clutch hit, Toronto might have fallen behind two games to none—a daunting deficit to overcome.
Beyond his standout 1996 campaign, Sprague’s career was solid but unspectacular. He made the National League All-Star team in 1999 as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates, batting .267/.352/.465 with 22 home runs. He later played for San Diego, Boston, returned to San Diego, and finished his career in Seattle.
Over 11 major league seasons, Sprague hit 152 home runs and compiled a .247/.318/.419 career slash line.
Sprague’s father, also named Ed, was a major league pitcher for eight seasons. His wife, Kristen Babb-Sprague, is an Olympic gold medalist in synchronized swimming.
In recent years, Ed Sprague Jr. has served as the Director of Player Development for the Oakland Athletics. He was at the celebration for the World Series winning teams last week.
Jul 24, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Grant Holmes (center) meets with coach Jeremy Hefner (left) and catcher Joey Bart (right) during the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images
Grant Holmes’ starts this season are getting to be a bit like a choose-your-adventure book where no matter what choices you make, the story ends up the same.
He hasn’t had a truly disastrous start in terms of putting the team in a hole this season, getting charged with more than three runs just once (five on May 1 at Colorado). In fact, he’s been charged with exactly two or three runs in well more than half of his appearances (13 of his 20).
That’s not bad on its face, but it’s a stat that becomes worse when you realize he’s thrown six innings just three times just once in his last 16 outings after doing so twice in his first three starts of the season.
His last four starts have been exactly five innings, and he didn’t make it through five innings in the four appearances before that. With a depleted rotation and a bullpen that the team treats as taxed due to shorter-than-preferred outings by the rotation, Holmes-as-starter is part of the problem rather than part of the solution.
He’s got a 3.79 ERA (89 ERA-), which is very nice, but a 4.82 FIP (116 FIP-) and a 4.63 xFIP (109 xFIP-), which are both below-average marks. Essentially, he’s been continuing to get away with it, at least to a degree, helped in part by the strong defense behind him. That the Braves have continued to need to rely on him as heavily as they have through the first four months of the season drills home their need to add one, if not two starters before the August 3 Trade Deadline.
In a perfect world where Atlanta had a healthy Spencer Schwellenbach and A.J. Smith-Shawver, Holmes’ role would likely have been different. A rash of in-season starter injuries during the season have only amplified the Braves’ need to consistently throw Holmes out there as a starter every five or six days. But no one who follows the Braves feels any more confident about Holmes being tasked with starting a playoff game than they did at the start of the season.
And yet, pending a few ongoing rehabilitations, that could be the case as things currently stand considering Holmes’ ERA is third-best on the team among starters behind only Chris Sale and Martín Pérez. (In theory, the Braves shouldn’t even consider that given how much worse his peripherals are… but…)
Holmes has served his role this season. He’ll continue to serve a role once the Trade Deadline has passed, But his five-inning outing in Friday’s 7-6 win over Baltimore where he allowed three on six hits was more proof of this critical starter role not being what would best serve the Braves as the stretch run approaches.
The sad thing is, Holmes has been good, if not dominant through nine batters: a 2.98 FIP and 3.92 xFIP. In his starts so far, he’s allowed just two homers to the first nine batters, has a 48/17 K/BB ratio, and has seen four or more of the first nine batters reach base just five times in all of his starts. Even on a pure runs basis, the first nine batters have scored in just six of his starts. There’s a clear role for him that isn’t “take the ball every five days and hope that the game is still within reach by the time the team sees fit to remove him, while trying to balance their chance of winning the game against their desire to rest the bullpen.” The Braves even shunted him in that role for a little bit, before injuries pulled him back into a starting spot.
The starts expected to be made the rest of this series by Bryce Elder and Reynaldo López, who have similar problems with less obvious solutions, are likely to only add more fuel to the fire of the Braves’ need to make a starter move (or two).
DETROIT, MI - JULY 24: Tarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers pitches during the game between the Kansas City Royals and the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Friday, July 24, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Izzy Rincon/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Thanks in part to the 3rd wild card and mostly to the bizarre mediocrity of most of the teams in 2026, here we are 9 days before the trading deadline and only 8 of the 30 teams are not at least within 4 games of a wild card spot.
This is what happens when a team can lead the AL West with a record of 52-51 and playing .529 ball gets you sole possession of 1st place in the AL Central. In the National League even the 51-53 Padres sit just 4 games back of WC 3 in a league that has 3 “haves” (Dodgers, Brewers, Braves) and a whole lot of meh.
Some Q’s and A’s around the upcoming flurry of activity, with a note that sadly the Q’s have a better shot at the post-season.
Q: Will There Be 22 “Buyers”?
A: No, there are 22 contenders still in theory, but now is when teams need to take a serious look at themselves and ask, “Do we really have a team that’s likely to beat out a crowded field?”
The reality is that for so many of these teams, not only might they have several teams to pass in the standings or several teams nipping at their heels, their actual record suggests their roster isn’t really all that.
What makes it murky for some teams is that they might be riding a hot streak or bouncing back from a woeful start, but do you mistake momentum or sustained improvement? Teams will have to make hard decisions and while most will probably want to push their chips closer to the middle of the table, some will take a “reality check” and step back.
Q: What domino effects might we see?
A: One that comes to mind is the crucial decision the Detroit Tigers have to make around Tarik Skubal. At the end of May, the Tigers sat at 22-38 and were 2 months away from at least cashing in big on Skubal’s value as a deadline rental. But Detroit has won 16 of its last 21 and suddenly sits just 3.5 back of a wild card spot and 5 games out of 1st place.
This comes with a series of caveats: The Tigers are still 4 games under .500, have 4 teams to pass in the wild card, 3 in the division. And they can’t reasonably to keep winning 75% of their games.
The domino effect comes with Skubal being on or off the market. If on the market the bidding war for him will be fierce but if the Tigers decide to keep Skubal in a quest to make the post-season and go deep into it, attention will turn to the perceived “2nd best SP” on the block and some of the next tier SPs will see their value rise. Those possible names include Freddy Peralta, Clay Holmes, and Robbie Ray.
Q: So Are There Going To Be Serious Discussions Around Shea Langeliers?
A: What’s known about Langeliers is that he is under contract control through 2028 and is regarded around the league as one of the best overall catchers in MLB, albeit with some known flaws.
The A’s public position is, “We have zero interest in trading Langeliers,” which is what they should say if they have zero interest and what they should say if they have lots of interest. Other teams’ stance is, “Well sure we would love to add Langeliers,” which is to say they have a catcher who isn’t as good and buyers tend to want to get better.
So what is reality behind the public smoke? Probably that the A’s aren’t keen to move Langeliers unless they are approached like they were last July by AJ Preller determined to pry away Mason Miller. He offered a deal “too good to pass up” and the A’s felt they had to say yes even though they had not intended to move Miller.
The truth, though, is that while most teams are trying to contend with a primary catcher providing less value there are not very many of them who are going to inquire, seriously, about adding a good catcher at the deadline. If you look at the teams most in need of an upgrade at catcher, they are probably more focused on Skubals and Holmeses and Peraltas and Rays than they are on Langeliers.
Now there are exceptions. The Red Sox (Patrick Sandoval, presumably by season’s end Garrett Crochet) and the Yankees (Max Fried and Gerrit Cole) recently got starting pitchers back and have deep enough rotations that they could prioritize adding a top notch catcher. The Rays also have pitching depth and the White Sox just lost their primary catcher, Kyle Teel, so they could pivot to catcher as a first priority.
The question is whether any of those teams match up well with the A’s — do they have the right controllable pitching/prospects and would they part with them — and would they overpay to make it worth the A’s while? Generally you don’t see controllable catchers moved at the deadline; it’s more of an off-season conversation as it was with Sean Murphy. So I’d bet against it.
Q: How Active Will The A’s Be?
A: Given the unlikelihood of any serious conversations around Langeliers, probably not nearly as active as you might want to see given how many holes have sprung up on the SS Athletico. The A’s don’t have the pitching buyers are seeking, they are not going to offer recently extended core pieces in Tyler Soderstrom and Jacob Wilson, and Lawrence Butler’s poor performance has put his contract squarely under water anyway.
A natural trade chip in Mark Leiter Jr. has been paused by a hip impingement that make take Leiter Jr. entirely off the market, same with Luis Severino’s sore shoulder. Carlos Cortes might have been intriguing to teams when he was hitting well over .300 with a sky high OBP, but lately he has been really into “bouncers to the right side” and his defensive limitations have been exposed greatly. His 5 for 47 June with one extra base hit probably cratered his value to where he won’t bring back much even as a two-way player (6 pitching appearances!).
Most likely to move might be Jonah Heim, the booby prize for teams not getting Langeliers. His right-handed bat has some value to teams looking to get something from their catcher and he is a rental. But Heim was acquired just a couple months ago for cash, and for all his penchant for dramatic hits his time with the A’s has yielded all of a .240/.285/.445 slash line with neutral defensive ratings.
Like it or not it’s probably going to be a “couple of minor deals” type of deadline for the A’s — unless you can think of a big deal you think David Forst and company might be pondering and discussing on the sly. Can you?
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 22: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on during the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on July 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Caean Couto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers have won five of seven games on a road trip that concludes this weekend at Citi Field, with two more games against the New York Mets. But the offense hasn’t been humming along, winning twice while only scoring two runs on the trip.
Corner outfielders have been practically nonexistent in July for the Dodgers, as Tesocar Hernández has just eight hits, batting .145/.217/.236 in 60 plate appearances. Fill-in outfielder Alex Call has one hit this month in 12 at-bats, plus two walks.
Shohei Ohtani leads the Dodgers with four home runs in July, one two-run shot and three solos to lead off games, hitting just .239/.297/.463. Max Muncy has three home runs this month, which moved him past Ron Cey for fifth place in franchise history with 229 home runs. No other Dodger has more than two home runs in July, a month in which they have hit only 17 runs as a team in 18 games.
Tommy Edman leads the team with an .846 OPS in July, and he has the only two sacrifice bunts for the team. Muncy is the only other with an OPS that begins with an eight (.843), though Freddie Freeman (.799) and Dalton Rushing (.798) are close.
The Dodgers in July have scored three runs or fewer 10 times in 18 games, including two runs or fewer six times. As a team they are hitting only .236/.311/.382 this month and their 90 wRC+ ranks 23rd in the majors. On the season, their 113 wRC+ is tops in the league. Yet despite the offensive struggles they are 10-8 in July, the lead in the division just as secure as at the start of the month, dropping from 12 games up to now 11 ahead of second-place Arizona.
On Saturday the Dodgers face Mets rookie Nolan McLean, who has only allowed 12 earned runs in his last nine starts, and has lasted at least six innings in each of his last six starts.
The Dodgers turn to their ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, coming off a complete-game win last Sunday at Yankee Stadium and leads the majors averaging 6.65 innings per start. In three career starts against the Mets, Yamamoto has a 3.00 ERA in 18 innings, with 24 strikeouts against only two walks.
Konigsberg Castle, also known as Monreale, Faedo, Piana Rotaliana, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy, 13th century. | De Agostini via Getty Images
Hickory played a pair.
In Game One, Hickory starter Mason McConnaughey threw four shutout innings, striking out one.
Jay McQueen had a hit and a walk. Pablo Guerrero had a hit and a stolen base. Paulino Santana had a hit and a pair of walks. Curley Martha and Yolfran Castillo each had a hit.
In Game Two, Evan Siary allowed one run in 4.1 IP, striking out five and walking one. Louis Marinaro walked one and struck out three.
Yolfran Castillo had a hit and a stolen base. Jay McQueen had a hit. Paulino Santana had a hit and a walk. Daniel Flames and Pablo Guerrero each had a hit.
In Game One, starter Caden Scarborough struck out six and walked one while allowing one run in 4.1 IP. Case Matter struck out three and walked one in 1.1 IP, allowing a solo homer.
Gleider Figuereo was 2 for 4 with a homer and a stolen base. Casey Cook had a double and a walk. Eduardo Mejia was 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. Marcos Torres had a pair of hits and a stolen base. Maxton Martin had a hit.
Kamdyn Perry started Game Two, allowing a run in four innings, striking out five and walking three.
Cody Bradford made his latest rehab appearance for Frisco, throwing three shutout innings with 39 strikes out of 48 pitches, striking out four and walking none. Aidan Curry struck out six and walked three in 5.2 scoreless innings. Thomas Ireland struck out the one batter he faced.
Sebastian Walcott was 4 for 5 with a double and a stolen base. Dylan Dreiling was 2 for 4 with a double and a stolen base. Arturo Disla was 2 for 4 with a double. Yeison Morrobel had a double.
Detroit Tigers shortstop Kevin McGonigle (7) throws towards first base against Philadelphia Phillies during the eighth inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Sunday, July 12, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Detroit Tigers (50-54) vs. Kansas City Royals (43-62)
Time/Place: 1:10 p.m., Comerica Park SB Nation Site:Royals Review Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Casey Mize (4-6, 2.79 ERA) vs. RHP Michael Wacha (5-7, 3.66 ERA)
DENVER, COLORADO - JULY 17: Tyler Stephenson #37 of the Cincinnati Reds celebrates after the win against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on July 17, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees’ catching situation is one of the worst in baseball. Austin Wells has developed into an excellent framer and a solid defensive player overall, but he just can’t seem to produce anything offensively. It’s incredibly frustrating how one of the most promising prospects in the early 2020s and a Rookie of the Year finalist in 2024 has posted a 50 wRC+ so far in 2026.
This week, The Athletic suggested that the Yankees, in their quest for a catcher, could potentially look at Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson as an alternative. The soon-to-be-30 backstop has been an above-average hitter throughout his career with a 104 wRC+ and is at 92 in 2026. Stephenson has been connected to New York in rumors, but is he an option that the team should consider? Well, it’s not an easy answer.
The offensive floor seems to be significantly higher than Wells: his worst offensive season came in 2023, when he posted an 85 wRC+. He has been over 90 in every other year, and has cleared the 100-wRC+ threshold three times. It’s important to note that though Wells’ ceiling is as high as Stephenson or possibly even higher, the Reds’ catcher did have a 3.1-fWAR season back in 2024, when he homered 19 times and posted a 113 wRC+.
There are two main issues with Stephenson, though.
One is that he hasn’t really been great against left-handed pitchers this year, which is kind of the point of acquiring a platoon partner for Wells. Stephenson boasts a 70 wRC+ versus southpaws and a 99 mark against righties. In case you were wondering, the split for his career is 111 vs. lefties and 101 vs. righties, so his 2026 sample might be a bit fluke-ish. It’s a bit of a risk, but it could be one worth taking from that point of view, at least. The other situation regarding Stephenson, however, is more problematic and it has to do with his work behind the plate.
The Yankees value framing and solid defensive contributions from their catchers more than anything else, perhaps even more than offense itself. Stephenson, however, ranks in the first percentile in Framing Runs with -10. He is an amazing blocker behind the dish, but the framing is just abysmal. He is also not great at throwing out runners.
Of course, it helps that he’s such a good blocker, giving the pitching staff more confidence when the time comes to throw some breaking balls in the dirt. The overall package is not overly enticing, though, not defensively at least.
So, should the Yankees pursue Stephenson? It depends on how much defense they want to sacrifice in order to avoid the catcher spot being an offensive black hole. Knowing how the front office thinks and operates, however, the Reds’ veteran will probably not be their preferred choice. Another name connected to the Yankees, Ryan Jeffers, is also not a very solid defensive catcher, although he is an above-average framer. He is below-average everywhere else besides, well, offense.
Stephenson is a solid offensive player, and that has been the case for years. He isn’t the most consistent of hitters, but right now, he looks like prime Jorge Posada next to Wells. The two could complement each other well at the plate, but it all depends on how the Yankees view him defensively and if they think they can work with him to improve, not to mention on the organization meeting the Reds’ own valuation of Stephenson. It’s a distinct possibility, particularly if deals for Jeffers, Hunter Goodman, and Shea Langeliers don’t work out for one reason or another.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JUNE 28: Kameron Misner #26 of the Kansas City Royals stands on first base against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on June 28, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Daniel Bartel/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A trade! A trade with Kansas City!
The Phillies acquired Kameron Misner from the Royals for cash considerations. Misner optioned to Triple-A. To make room on the 40-man roster, OF Steward Berroa DFA’d.
If you were here expecting a bigger deadline deal with the Royals, I have some bad news for you. Misner is likely no more than better organizational depth than what Steward Berroa was. Once a compensation pick for the Marlins, Misner is now floating in between the majors and minors with regularity.
That said, in Omaha, Misner put up a solid .289/.378/.563 line with 14 home runs, 54 RBI and 14 stolen bases. He’s walking at a solid rate, even if his strike out rate is kind of high in the minors. No matter, the team is likely bringing him aboard so that if something happens to a major league outfielder, what they would be bringing up in Misner is better than anything else they have to promote.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JULY 21: Jac Caglianone #14 of the Kansas City Royals bats during the third inning against the San Francisco Giants at Kauffman Stadium on July 21, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s another day, so another game against the Tigers. Can the Royals win this one? Your guess is as good as mine, but if history proves accurate, I wouldn’t bet on it.
Michael Wacha will take the mound for the Royals. It might be his final start for the boys in blue. I wouldn’t hold your breath on that either, but I’d put the odds at least as good that he is traded before the deadline as that he leads KC to victory today.
Casey Mize gets the start for the bad guys. He has a five-pitch mix featuring a four-seam fastball, a slider, a splitter, a sinker, and the occasional slurve. All of his pitches have performed well this season. The Royals will have their work cut out for them.
Lineups
Jac Caglianone, after pinch-hitting last night, is back in the starting nine. Unfortunately, so is Andrew Velazquez. The Royals continue to bat Salvador Perez fourth and Vinnie Pasquantino fifth. I should be done complaining about it by now, but it sure seems like the numbers would tell you that Nick Loftin and Michael Massey should be batting ahead of them. And, honestly, Collins, too. I know it doesn’t matter anymore, but it still irks me.
David Reinbacher is a prospect whom the Montreal Canadiens are hoping will emerge as a very important part of their roster in the future. The 21-year-old defenseman has the potential to blossom into an impactful player, but he is still looking to make the jump to become a full-time NHLer.
Reinbacher showed promise last season in the AHL with the Laval Rocket, posting five goals, 19 assists, 24 points, and a plus-18 rating in 57 games. This was after he was limited to only 10 games with Laval during the 2024-25 season due to injury, where he posted two goals and five points.
Reinbacher's solid play in the AHL this past season with Laval also helped him land his first call-up to Montreal's roster. In his first two career NHL games with the Habs, he recorded one assist, one hit, and two blocks. Overall, the youngster had a solid first look in the NHL, and he will now be looking to take a big step with his development in 2026-27.
It is clear that this upcoming season is a very important one for Reinbacher. The Canadiens will be hoping that he can continue to grow his game. If he does, it should open the door for him to receive more opportunities at the NHL level in 2026-27.
It will be interesting to see if Reinbacher can make the jump to the NHL level next season. The young blueliner has a lot of potential, and he is a big prospect to watch in 2026-27 because of it.
One of the newest members of the Florida Panthers is preparing for the upcoming NHL season in a unique way.
It’s not unheard of for Brady Tkachuk to work some non-hockey training into his offseason regimen.
The physical forward has been known to utilize MMA training to help sharpen his skills in the past, and this summer is no different.
Earlier this week, former UFC fighter Nick Cantone shared an image on social media from a workout session that included himself, Tkachuk and MMA fighters Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev and Usman Nurmagomedov.
Tkachuk can be seen wearing his gold medal from the 2026 Winter Olympics in the photo.
The hangout took place at Cantone’s gym, the Nicholas Scott Cantone Training Center, which is located in Brick Township, New Jersey.
In joining the Panthers, Tkachuk knew that he was going to be asked to play in a very aggressive and physically demanding system, so to see him gearing up and honing those skills when we’re still over a month from training camp is no surprise.
During his career, Tkachuk has never shied away from playing a tough game and going into the dirty areas of the ice.
NHL forwards who typically play a more physical game than others will average around three to four hits per game and generally are rare to turn down an opportunity to drop the gloves when challenged.
Through his eight seasons, all with Ottawa, Tkachuk has averaged 3.4 hits per game and racked up 821 career penalty minutes, which averages out to just over 100 per season. Of all those penalty minutes, 185 of them have come from his 37 fighting majors.
Now it’s worth noting that Tkachuk has been fighting less in recent years. He only fought three times last season, the lowest amount since his rookie campaign in 2018-19.
Compare that to 24-25, when he fought five times, or 23-24, when he dropped the gloves six times, or the season before that when he was called for eight fighting majors, or the 16 combined times he dropped the gloves in the three years before that, from the 19-20 season to 21-22.
Perhaps as he’s gotten older and more mature, Tkachuk is prioritizing his ice time a little differently and understands a player of his caliber is needed more on the ice than in the penalty box.
Regardless, Tkachuk continues to train in many different ways and focus on an abundance of areas that improve both his hockey and overall physicality.
We’ll see how that translates into the way he plays for the Panthers, arguably the most physical team in the league.
Photo caption: Jan 20, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Ottawa Senators left wingBradyTkachuk(7) and Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman John Marino (6)fightduring the third period at PPG Paints Arena. The Penguins won 6-4. (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)
Not everyone is sold on the Colorado Avalanche’s biggest offseason extension.
Just weeks after Colorado committed to veteran defenseman Brett Kulak with a five-year, $22.5 million contract carrying a $4.5 million average annual value, one prominent NHL publication has already labeled the deal among the league’s worst.
In its annual ranking of the NHL’s best and worst contracts, The Athletic placed Kulak’s extension at No. 8 on its list of the least favorable deals, pointing to concerns that the 32-year-old’s underlying performance has declined significantly despite earning a long-term commitment.
Kulak arrived in Colorado after the Olympic break in a trade that sent Samuel Girard and a second-round draft pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins. His offensive numbers were never going to jump off the page, but the veteran quickly carved out an important role on the Avalanche blue line. He stabilized the team’s top four, eventually settling in on the second pairing alongside Sam Malinski, and logged stretches next to Cale Makar on the top pair whenever Colorado needed him there.
The criticism, though, isn’t about his counting stats at all.
The Athletic built its case around Kulak’s underlying defensive metrics, especially his relative impact on expected goals at five-on-five. The outlet argues his numbers slid throughout the season, and that the decline showed up no matter which team he was skating for.
“His drop-off at five-on-five wasn’t exactly an isolated incident; it was consistent across three different playoff teams,” The Athletic wrote. “Kulak’s relative impact on xG was minus-0.48 in Edmonton, minus-0.14 in Pittsburgh, and a ghastly minus-1.2 in Colorado. In all three locales, his impact on goals was even worse.”
Where I Push Back
This is where I part ways with the analytics crowd — the writers who lean so heavily on the numbers that they lose sight of everything else happening on the ice. The Athletic zeroed in on one narrow slice of data here, when there are plenty of other indicators suggesting Kulak has actually been a net positive for this team.
There’s also a metric these rankings tend to overlook entirely: watching the game. Since Kulak joined the Avalanche, I’ve noticed — without needing a spreadsheet to tell me so — that there’s been a real stretch where he simply wasn’t on the ice for a goal against. For a defenseman, whose entire job description is keeping the other team from piling on his goaltender, that’s no small thing.
He backed it up in the playoffs, too. Kulak was effective for most of Colorado’s run and scored the game-winning goal that sent the Avalanche past the Minnesota Wild and into the Western Conference Final. Yes, his third-round performance dipped — but so did nearly everyone else’s on that roster. Singling him out doesn’t feel fair. Furthermore, Kulak is a pure defensive defenseman, so getting on his case for not having glamorous offensive prowess doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
Analytics has its place. It’s a genuinely useful lens for evaluating performance, and I’m not arguing otherwise. But leaning on numbers alone leaves gaps, and those gaps matter. There’s still no substitute for actually watching the games — at least not in my book.
