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There’s not much time left in the minor league calendar, and the playoff races are heating up. While one affiliate has already punched their ticket, the other three are still searching for late runs to power their way there.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

Record: 31-23 (68-60), 2.5 GB in the International League East after a 3-3 week against the Worcester Red Sox (Red Sox)

Run differential: +28 (+31)

Coming up: Home vs. Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Phillies)

The RailRiders wrapped up a rough month of August with a contentious split, keeping them within an arm’s length of a playoff spot with three weeks to go. They got a bit of a rough deal with Worcester hosting three different rehab assignments this week, including Roman Anthony, but fared pretty well until a rough day on Sunday.

The offense has a lot of name-brand talent already, but they decided to add another former top prospect to their ranks with a mid-week signing of Jarred Kelenic for the playoff push, because why not? Additionally, Mitch Garver is currently in roster limbo after exercising an assignment clause, but the fact he hasn’t been added to the active roster by now likely closes the door on him getting recalled without an injury. Anthony Volpe (now getting reps at third base) and Marco Luciano carried the offense this week, combining for seven home runs on 18 hits.

The two prospects who’ve been here all season did not get to pitch here this week due to promotions to the big leagues, as Elmer Rodríguez is making a pair of spot starts until the schedule evens out while Brendan Beck was needed as the 27th man on Saturday. Alexander Cornielle won International League Pitcher of the Week with eight terrific shutout innings in the best start of his pro career, but the headline on the farm was the return of Kyle Carr, who got double duty on Tuesday and Sunday. He combined to allow three runs in three innings with Xavier Rivas as the piggyback. Let’s just say it’s not going well for the Ole Miss alum since his promotion.

The team needed two bullpen games due to the promotions, which we saw with Hayden Merda starting both games and tossing three solid innings combined. Eric Reyzelman and Eli Morgan both had terrific weeks as well, and with the rapidly thinning bullpen depth becoming an issue (one attempt to be resolved by claiming John Schreiber on waivers), both could be on the major league radar for cameos down the stretch.

Players of Note:

Jasson Domínguez: .269/.347/.420, 7 HR, 29 RBI, 11 SB, 101 wRC+
Anthony Volpe: .235/.313/.504, 8 HR, 20 RBI, 15 XBH, 106 wRC+ (134 PA)
Oswaldo Cabrera: .286/.343/.443, 17 HR, 59 RBI, 31 XBH, 103 wRC+
Brendan Beck: 9-2, 2.75 ERA, 3.35 FIP, 1.05 WHIP, 19.9 K-BB% (121 IP)
Elmer Rodríguez: 8-3, 2.59 ERA, 3.72 FIP, 1.26 WHIP, 13.1 K-BB% (97.1 IP)

Double-A Somerset Patriots

Record: 30-27 (67-59), 3.5 GB in the Eastern League Northeast after a 3-3 week against the Akron RubberDucks (Guardians)

Run differential: +13 (+49)

Coming up: Away @ Erie SeaWolves (Tigers)

Somerset had a perfectly fine week, trading wins and losses without anything too good or bad happening. The problem was, in a heated playoff race, splitting sometimes isn’t good enough. They lost 2.5 games of ground this week, with scorching hot Reading going up 3.5 games. With 12 to go, these guys are going to have to play some of their best baseball.

It was a fairly pedestrian week for the offense. Jace Avina has had a really crummy month (.213/.314/.258) and will look to turn the page next week, while Roderick Arias and Josh Moylan continue to excel after summer promotions. I want to highlight Manuel Palencia here, who’s been one of the best hitters in the system for two months now. After entering July with an abhorrent .504 OPS, he’s slashed .351/.380/.596 with a 157 wRC+ in 121 plate appearances over the last two months. His stock is finally gaining some helium.

For the bruised and battered rotation, we saw a struggle of a start from Cade Smith (5.2 IP, 5 R), a 10-strikeout quality start from Dom Hamel, and a rehab appearance by Clarke Schmidt. The two big storylines were two guys who weren’t here last week. Bryce Cunningham made his Double-A debut on Tuesday and played double duty on Sunday, combining to allow nine runs in 11 innings with 13 strikeouts. We also saw the return of the struggling Chase Hampton, who missed three weeks on the temporarily inactive list. He tossed four solid innings with six strikeouts, hopefully a sign of things to come.

It was an uneven week for the bullpen, which technically counts Rory Fox’s piggyback effort behind Schmidt, where he tossed 5.1 solid innings. Trent Sellers, Michael Arias, Kevin Stevens, and Geoff Gilbert all excelled this week, while others struggled to put up zeroes.

Players of Note:

Jace Avina: .250/.347/.466, 19 HR, 62 RBI, 48 XBH, 23.6 K%, 119 wRC+
DJ Gladney: .268/.331/.509, 23 HR, 85 RBI, 19 SB, 121 wRC+
Coby Morales: .280/.372/.486, 20 HR, 77 RBI, 44 XBH, 131 wRC+
Cade Smith: 7-8, 4.98 ERA, 5.43 FIP, 1.44 WHIP, 12.5 K-BB% (110.1 IP)
Ben Hess: 3-4, 4.45 ERA, 4,69 FIP, 1.45 WHIP, 13.7 K-BB% (56.2 IP, injured)

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades

Record: 34-26 (64-60), 3 GB in the South Atlantic League North after a 3-3 week against the Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets)

Run differential: +46 (+55)

Coming up: Away @ Wilmington Blue Rocks (Nationals)

Hudson Valley extended their win streak to nine games on Tuesday, but struggled the rest of the week as their momentum fizzled out and their playoff hopes dwindled with it. Suddenly, they’re going to need to make up three games this week against Wilmington to get in. The division-leading Frederick Keys won the first half, which would invoke other tiebreakers, but the Renegades would lose out on a playoff spot in that scenario to Greensboro, so they’ll need to jump two teams here.

The split wasn’t because of any offensive ineptitude. David McCann homered twice, Jackson Lovich had four extra-base hits, Kyle West had three, and Hans Montero went 6-for-10 across three games. With only a week left in the regular season, you’re looking for guys to finish strong, and that’s certainly what Lovich is doing. After striking out nearly 40 percent of the time in his first few weeks at the level, he’s put up a 10-game stretch where he’s limited them while walking at a significantly higher rate. He was an early-season darling, but is putting together a good body of work in his first full season in the pros.

The bullpen was really ugly this week, so they get most of the blame instead of the starters, who actually pitched quite well. Allen Facundo tossed a quality start (6 IP, 2 R), Luis Serna struck out seven in 4.2 shutout innings, Sean Paul Liñan allowed three runs in five innings, and both Danny Flatt and Brandon Decker pitched brief, scoreless outings in emergency roles. The former had been sent down to the FCL two weeks ago, so that was his High-A debut.

Players of Note:

Eric Genther: .273/.407/.441, 12 HR, 57 RBI, 31 XBH, 128 wRC+
David McCann (FCL/A/A+): .284/.374/.572, 16 HR, 54 RBI, 26 XBH, 136 wRC+
Jackson Lovich (A/A+): .287/.363/.506, 22 HR, 84 RBI, 36 SB, 28.6 K%, 123 wRC+
Luis Serna: 6-5, 3.98 ERA, 3.59 FIP, 1.15 WHIP, 20.5 K-BB% (108.2 IP)
Allen Facundo: 5-3, 4.64 ERA, 4.43 FIP, 1.44 WHIP, 11.6 K-BB% (94.1 IP)

Single-A Tampa Tarpons

Record: 39-18 (71-46), 9 GA in the Florida State League West after a 5-0 week against the Jupiter Hammerheads (Marlins)

Run differential: +112 (+135)

Coming up: Home vs. Dunedin Blue Jays (Blue Jays)

These guys just keep raking. They outscored a good Jupiter team 41 to 15 in a five-game sweep, marking a 10th consecutive series without a defeat. They’re 8-0-2 in series since mid-June and clinched the Florida State League West Division with nine games to spare. It’s been a truly special few months for the Tarpons.

The offense is still really good. We’re going back to the running tally:

• Yostin Pena continues to be a wrecking ball. He went 5-for-13 with a monster home run on Sunday, while also drawing six walks. That last part is important, as he had entred this week with a grand total of one walk in several weeks in Single-A.
• Dax Kilby went 4-for-18 with a home run, double, and seven walks. No guy is more content to take ball four than Kilby, who also hit a new max exit velocity at 108.9.
• Paul Gutierrez-Contreras II went 6-for-13 with a home run.
• Bear Harrison, who was off to a horrible start to his pro career, went 4-for-12 with two doubles and five RBIs. Good week for him.
• Tyce Armstrong went 8-for-16 with three homers and two doubles, winning FSL Player of the Week. This is a guy who hit nukes at Baylor and should rise quickly.

The rotation didn’t need to be spectacular this week, but they were pretty good. Wyatt Parliament seems to be getting load-managed down the stretch, only tossing 3.1 scoreless innings. Edinzo Marquez and Tyler Boudreau both tossed five one-run innings, but the latter was awarded a complete game due to rain shortening his start. Sabier Marte struck out nine but gave up five runs in his start, but the crown jewel of the week was J.T. Etheridge’s best start of his pro career, striking out 10 in six magnificent innings.

Pretty much everyone in the bullpen looked sharp, with the exception of Antonio Gomez’s second outing of the week. His stuff is still nasty, but he’s a work in progress. The guy of note here is Matthew Tippie, who throws a forkball and has been brilliant for a few months now. Since May 14, he’s pitched to a 0.86 ERA with a 20.9 K-BB% in 31.1 innings. There’s also Justin West, who struck out nine in a piggyback start and continues to be electric over the last two months.

Players of Note:

Luis Escudero: .281/.460/.540, 10 HR, 28 RBI, 17 SB, 160 wRC+
Yostin Pena (DSL/A): .368/.444/.632, 13 HR, 79 RBI, 34 SB, 154 wRC+
Dax Kilby: .272/.444/.437, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 11 SB, 142 wRC+ (135 PA)
Tyler Boudreau: 7-3, 3.51 ERA, 4.04 FIP, 1.06 WHIP, 17.1 K-BB% (100 IP)
Justin West: 10-3, 4.08 ERA, 3.82 FIP, 1.24 WHIP, 19.1 K-BB% (108 IP)

FCL Yankees

Record: 29-29, 7.5 GB in the FCL North

Run differential: +2

Missed playoffs. Season over.

DSL Yankees & Bombers

DSL Yankees:
Record: 33-21, 2 GB in DSL East. Eliminated in DSL Cup Pool Play
Run differential: +141

DSL Bombers:
Record: 25-29, 11 GB in DSL Southeast. Missed playoffs
Run differential: +8

Season over.

Players of Note:

Isaias Castillo: .294/.408/.629, 14 HR, 49 RBI, 35 XBH, 28 SB, 132 wRC+
Juan Torres: .385/.470/.644, 8 HR, 65 RBI, 36 XBH, 26 SB, 159 wRC+
David Carrera: .333/.502/.594, 9 HR, 41 RBI, 23 XBH, 160 wRC+
Fredy Penuelas: 52 IP, 1.56 ERA, 3.91 FIP, 1.00 WHIP, 18.4 K-BB%
Cesar Acosta: 51.2 IP, 3.31 ERA, 3.35 FIP, 1.01 WHIP, 24.1 K-BB%

Prospect of the Week: Tyce Armstrong

Weekly Stats: 8-for-16, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 2 2B, 2 BB, 5 K, 1 SB
Season Stats: .328/.427/.656, 5 HR, 22 RBI, 10 XBH, 16.0 BB%, 25.3 K%, 170 wRC+ (75 PA)

Welcome back to the Minor League Roundup!

As a reminder, you can find this roundup — covering everything you need to know about each of the Brewers’ minor league affiliates — every Tuesday morning right here on Brew Crew Ball. For consistency, all organizational prospect rankings will reference MLB Pipeline unless otherwise noted.

Triple-A Nashville Sounds

Current record: 71-58
Record this week: 3-3
This week’s opponent: @ Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
Next week’s opponent: vs. Louisville Bats

Standout weekly performances:

Tyler Black: 7-for-15, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 7 BB, 4 K
Akil Baddoo: 8-for-19, 2 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 3 BB, 4 K
Bo Naylor: 6-for-20, 3 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 1 BB, 3 K
Brock Wilken: 6-for-21, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 1 BB, 6 K
Colton Gordon: 11.0 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 13 K
Brandon Sproat: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
Tyson Hardin: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Coleman Crow: 5.0 IP, 11 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 8 K

With rosters expanding on Sept. 1, it’s likely that one of the Sounds’ position players will be in Milwaukee by the time this article is published. Lefty reliever JoJo Romero seems like a good bet to be activated, but there are a couple of possibilities for the second and final roster spot.

Three of those options had big weeks against Jacksonville. Tyler Black, Akil Baddoo, and Bo Naylor all recorded four extra-base hits; Black went 7-for-15 with seven walks, good for a ridiculous 1.586 OPS, while Baddoo’s OPS (1.320) wasn’t far behind.

Naylor, who went 6-for-20 with seven RBIs, still feels like the most likely option. Milwaukee already has plenty of outfield options, making Baddoo somewhat redundant, and the same goes for Black, whose defensive fit on the current roster isn’t particularly obvious.

Meanwhile, Naylor gives the Brewers a third catcher with major league experience, which is important because Contreras will need days off to keep him fresh for the playoffs and Gary Sánchez isn’t a Gold Glover. With a .903 OPS in 60 at-bats since the trade, Naylor has also shown that he has enough offensive upside to be useful off the bench. It’s worth mentioning, too, that the Brewers liked him enough to go out and get him from Cleveland, trading away outfielder Blake Perkins and reliever Craig Yoho at the deadline.

Jeferson Quero is another possibility, and he’s had a solid season at the plate with a .755 OPS and 15 home runs, but there are reasons to think Milwaukee might prefer Naylor for September. Quero has thrown out a little under 16% of attempted base stealers this season in 116 attempts, and there are still questions about how much of a workload he can handle behind the plate. From June 28 through Aug. 15, Quero didn’t catch a game, appearing exclusively at DH. Add in Naylor’s previous major league experience, and he seems like the safer choice for a team with World Series aspirations.

Elsewhere, Brock Wilken continued his recent surge with two more homers, while Colton Gordon turned in a strong week on the mound. Gordon worked 11 innings across two appearances, allowing four earned runs while striking out 13 and walking only two. Brandon Sproat struck out seven over four one-hit innings, although he allowed two runs and walked three.

Double-A Biloxi Shuckers

Current record: 59-63
Record this week: 3-3
This week’s opponent: vs. Knoxville Smokies
Next week’s opponent: vs. Birmingham Barons

Standout performances:

Andrew Fischer: 6-for-16, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 3 BB, 7 K
Braylon Payne: 8-for-22, 2 2B, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 7 K
Mike Boeve: 6-for-18, 0 RBI, 3 BB, 5 K
Luis Peña: 6-for-19, 0 RBI, 3 BB, 3 K
Dylan O’Rae: 5-for-20, 1 3B, 0 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K
Bishop Letson: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Jaron DeBerry: 4.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 5 K
J.D. Thompson: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 4 K
Manuel Rodriguez: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Jack Seppings: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

Jesús Made has finally encountered something resembling a speed bump.

Made went 4-for-18 this week to bring his line for the month of August to .204/.299/.280. It’s hardly concerning for a player who is still just 19 years old and has rocketed through the system, but the Southern League has provided a considerably tougher test than the levels below it. Made’s overall numbers (.773 OPS) remain impressive considering his age and aggressive assignments, but his production has cooled as the season has progressed.

Andrew Fischer has dealt with some adjustments of his own since arriving in Biloxi, hitting .183 over the month of August. He spent this week reminding everyone exactly why he’s one of the fastest-rising prospects in the organization, though, going 6-for-16 with four home runs and eight RBIs — three of those homers coming in a monster performance Thursday. He finished the week with a 1.575 OPS despite striking out seven times in 20 plate appearances.

While Fischer still had an .820 OPS last month, his batting average is worth watching, as are the strikeouts — although he hasn’t actually been striking out all that much more in Double-A (82 Ks in 246 Single-A plate appearances vs. 90 in 258 Double-A plate appearances). Still, he’s hit 42 home runs this year. Progress isn’t linear, and both Made and Fischer have proven enough so far that one down month doesn’t mean much. If both struggle tremendously to end the year, then it becomes a conversation, but as of now, it’s somewhat premature.

Braylon Payne continued his breakout season with another great week, going 8-for-22 with two doubles and two homers, while Mike Boeve went 6-for-18 with three walks.

Biloxi also got a trio of impressive performances from its pitching staff, headlined by Bishop Letson, who allowed just one earned run over five innings while striking out five. Jaron DeBerry and J.D. Thompson also held the Smokies to one run in their respective starts, although each pitcher issued five walks.

High-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

Current record: 63-55
Record this week: 3-3
This week’s opponent: vs. South Bend Cubs
Next week’s opponent: @ Beloit Sky Carp

Standout performances:

Eric Bitonti: 9-for-23, 7 2B, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 4 BB, 7 K
Sawyer Strosnider: 9-for-24, 3 2B, 1 3B, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 4 K
Luis Lameda: 4-for-11, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K
Tyler Rodriguez: 5-for-15, 2 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 4 K
Daniel Dickinson: 7-for-24, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 4 K
Wande Torres: 6.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
Josh Knoth: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Michael Fowler: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Andrew Healy: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
Jarrette Bonet: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K

Eric Bitonti, who I highlighted as the Player of the Week in last week’s column, almost one-upped himself this week. He absolutely demolished South Bend pitching, going 9-for-23 with seven doubles, two home runs, and 12 RBIs. That’s nine extra-base hits in six games, good for a .391 average and 1.438 OPS. His best performance came Thursday, when he collected three hits, including a homer, and drove in four.

Bitonti, still only 20, is now hitting .273 with a .929 OPS, although he was far from the only notable Brewers prospect to have a strong week. Sawyer Strosnider continued to hit after his promotion to High-A, finishing 9-for-24 with three doubles and a triple. It’s hard to ask for a better start from Strosnider than a .328/.438/.507 line through his first 67 professional at-bats. Also, for the “eye test” people out there, look at this absolute beauty of a swing:

Daniel Dickinson also had another productive series, going 7-for-24 with a double, triple, homer, and three walks while striking out only four times in 29 plate appearances.

Wisconsin got two noteworthy performances from its pitching staff courtesy of Wande Torres and Josh Knoth. Torres, the Brewers’ Pitcher of the Month for July, might win again this month after putting up a 1.75 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 25.2 innings in August. He turned in the best start of the week, tossing 6 2/3 scoreless innings while allowing only three hits and two walks. Knoth wasn’t quite as dominant, but put together another solid start of his own, allowing two earned runs across six innings while walking just one. Also of note: Knoth was promoted to Double-A Biloxi last Thursday, August 27th.

Knoth’s development remains particularly worth watching down the stretch. The former second-round pick missed all of 2025 following Tommy John surgery, so simply seeing him continue to accumulate innings is important. The results (4.33 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 4.42 FIP, 4.27 xFIP, 8.65 K/9, 3.41 BB/9) are becoming increasingly relevant, too, as Milwaukee gets a better idea of where he fits in among their top pitching prospects.

Single-A Wilson Warbirds

Current record: 64-59
Record this week: 1-6
This week’s opponent: vs. Hickory Crawdads
Next week’s opponent: @ Fredericksburg Nationals

Standout performances:

Frederi Montero: 5-for-11, 2 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 0 K
Handelfry Encarnacion: 4-for-11, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K
Kyle Jones: 8-for-23, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K
Rylan Mills: 7-for-21, 1 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 3 BB, 10 K
Brailyn Antunez: 5-for-21, 1 2B, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 8 K
Miqueas Mercedes: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Thomas Conrad: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 5 BB, 3 K
Tyler Renz: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Hayden Robinson: 7.0 IP, 8 H, 8 ER, 6 BB, 7 K

It wasn’t a great week for Wilson as a team; the Warbirds went just 1-6 and were officially eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday. They’ll wrap up their inaugural season next week with a series against the Fredericksburg Nationals.

While I’ll refrain from talking about everything until next week’s season recap (covering both A-ball affiliates), there’s a lot to be excited about down in Wilson.

Catcher Rylan Mills, who has an .813 OPS in 187 at-bats with the Warbirds, went 7-for-21 with three home runs, six RBIs, and three walks. Even more impressively, he put together multi-hit games with a homer on both Friday and Saturday. Mills’ power came with plenty of swing-and-miss — he struck out 10 times in 24 plate appearances — but three homers in a week will always play.

Kyle Jones had a slightly quieter week at the plate, although it wasn’t exactly quiet. He hit .348 with a double and three RBIs while striking out only twice. Jones, the Brewers’ third-round pick in this year’s draft, is hitting .304 through his first 69 professional at-bats.

On the mound, Miqueas Mercedes delivered easily the best performance of the week. Mercedes tossed seven scoreless innings, allowing only four hits without issuing a walk. He struck out three, relying more on contact management than overpowering hitters, but the results — seven shutout innings with a 0.57 WHIP — are hard to argue with.

Finally, as always, Handelfry Encarnacion and Brailyn Antunez continued to produce. Encarnacion went 4-for-11 with a pair of doubles, two RBIs, and only two strikeouts, finishing the week with a 1.007 OPS. Antunez went 5-for-21 with a double, four RBIs, and two walks, though he struck out eight times.

Play of the Week:

Shortstop Dylan O’Rae broke the Shuckers’ single-season franchise record for stolen bases with his 53rd of the season last Friday.

On Sunday afternoon in Springfield, Missouri. The St. Louis Cardinals’ top hitting prospect, Rainiel Rodriguez, launched his 24th Home Run of the season, split between High-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield. The Crack of Rodriguez’s bat echoes whispers of top prospects who came before, but only names we revere through recent Cardinals minor league history. Rainiel is compiling stats during his age-19 season at a level whose average age is 5 years older than his.

What he’s doing currently, only 1 other minor leaguer has done in the last 20 years. At age 19 or younger, posting an OPS above .950 at the Double-A level: Mike Trout. While I don’t project Rodriguez to be quite the same 5-tool megastar that Trout became, what he’s doing with the bat is undeniable and impossible to ignore. So far, in 351 plate appearances at Double-A, Rodriguez is slashing .316/.393/.572 -> .966 OPS with a .257 ISO, .419 wOBA, and a 143 wRC+. It is not hyperbolic to say that the young Cardinals backstop is producing video game-like numbers.

Other notable recent Cardinals farmhands age 20 or younger at Double-A to produce an above .800 OPS and at least a 100 wRC+ include Colby Rasmus, Oscar Taveras, Dylan Carlson, and Jordan Walker. That’s an exclusive list of names in recent Cardinals prospect lore. Interestingly enough, they’re all outfielders, except Rodriguez, which makes what he’s doing from an offensive perspective as a primary catcher all the more impressive.

I reached out to a couple of good friends who cover Cardinals prospects more deeply than pretty much anyone out there. From our friend Kyle Reis of thecardinalnation.com on what makes Rainiel Rodriguez special:

“A lot of it is mechanical, in my opinion. He has strength and balance throughout his swing that is unique and innate in a way that cant be taught. He’s capable of adjusting his swing without adjusting his body and his foundation, and thats easier said than done. From there he has the bat speed and direction with his hands to do all that he needs to do to maintain success.

There’s a maturity to the person that he is, as well as, how he goes about the work that he puts in. He’s incredibly driven and dedicated, and he learns and applies that at an instantaneous thus rare level.

I’m not a fan of Joe Rogan or his podcast. I’m about as neutral on it as a person can be. But a lot of times i think about something he said about Elon Musk. Im no fan of Musk but i do appreicate his engineering brilliance. Rogan said that you can tell that Musk is both completely engaged when you talk to him, but that it’s also clear that his brain is thinking about many other important and heavy topics at the same time. That’s how Rainiel’s mind works but about baseball.“

Kyle, as we know him, is one of the most unique observers of talent. With the connections he possesses and has created throughout the industry, and his long history of evaluating prospects, he jokingly wrote on X recently that Rainiel is so good that it’s almost boring to him because of just how good he is and how consistently he can tap into his talent.

From more of a scout perspective to one who is more immersed in baseball from a data analysis standpoint, my good friend Kareem Haq of cardinalsprospects.com and host of “Birds on the Farm” Podcast had this to say about the emerging Redbird slugger:

“What’s so special about Rainiel is his ability to consistently hit the ball in the air. Last year, we mostly saw him find success pulling the ball, but he’s now showing his prodigious power to all fields. We’ve also seen major gains in his bat-to-ball ability recently, and he even went through a stretch of 42 consecutive plate appearances without striking out.”

For Context, this season across two minor league levels, Rodriguez has a 40.7 FB%. Double-A hitters are generally in the 34-36% range on average. How does that translate to the MLB level? MLB hitters average between 34-38%. Rodriguez has a genuine knack for making high-quality contact and being able to also lift and drive the ball with that quality of contact. Famously, Jordan Walker, when he first arrived in the big leagues, would show great quality of contact with high EV’s but could not effectively lift the ball off the ground, thus limiting his ability to do damage. One of the primary reasons we were able to witness his breakout this season was a decrease in GB%. 2025 – 47.9% -> 2026 -41.2%. Rodriguez will be able to step into a big-league batter’s box, already possessing that skill.

I understand that sometimes part of my responsibility on this site is to temper expectations and try to speak in terms that are less hyperbolic and more realistic. I see no reason for every single Cardinals fan not to dream BIG about what Rainiel Rodriguez could accomplish in the near future. Baseball isn’t supposed to be as easy as he can make it look, and perhaps there will be growing pains and adjustments needed as he continues to ascend, but so far in his young career, his roadblock moments have appeared to be more “oppositional suggestions” than real hindrances in his ascension towards the show. “Hulk,” as his teammates affectionately have nicknamed him, should be showing off his immense power in St. Louis in the near future as he stomps his way around the bags at Busch.

-Thanks for reading

Phillies News:

• Phillies make a big move and send minor-leaguer Tommy Pham to the Chicago White Sox. The ever popular Cash Considerations comes back to the Phillies.
• The Lehigh Valley IronPigs got no-hit on Sunday night.
• Should the Phillies re-sign Luis Arraez?

MLB news:

• August Winners and Losers according to ESPN
• Apple has a new way to watch baseball, if you are into that
• If you needed a laugh, Tony Vitello will return as the Giants’ Manager in 2027
• Another MLB labor proposal boasts revamped free agency and rules

The Detroit Tigers dropped the series opener against the Minnesota Twins, 11-1, at Target Field on Monday night in a game that everyone wants to quickly forget. Jackson Jobe managed to escape trouble through the early innings, but it finally caught up with him in the fifth, when a three-run dinger opened the gates for the eventual rout.

Taking the mound in Game 2 for the Olde English D is right-hander Troy Melton, who has given up as many earned runs over his last two outings as he had in his 10 starts prior. After a stretch of absolute excellence, the 25-year-old has posted a 4.26 ERA and 4.98 FIP over 12 2/3 innings, allowing 14 hits (two home runs) and three walks while striking out seven and hitting a batter.

Melton’s only appearance this summer against the Twins back on June 9 in Detroit was his worst game of the season, surrendering eight hits — four of them solo homers, representing all of the runs he gave up — but no walks while striking out five over five frames. He still managed to earn his third win as the Tigers ultimately prevailed, 10-4.

For Minnesota, left-hander Connor Prielipp will toe the rubber for the 20th time of his rookie campaign. The 25-year-old has had a brutal August, putting up an ugly 7.76 ERA but a less-offensive 4.73 FIP over five games stretching across 26 2/3 innings, allowing 31 hits (five home runs) and 13 walks while striking out 30 batters. He earned a pair of losses while his team was defeated in all five starts.

Here is a look at how the two match up for Tuesday night’s American League Central battle.

Detroit Tigers (63-74) vs. Minnesota Twins (66-72)

Time (ET): 7:40 p.m.
Place: Target Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota
SB Nation Site:Twinkie Town
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 138: RHP Troy Melton (7-3, 1.86 ERA) vs. LHP Connor Prielipp (3-7, 5.55 ERA)

MELTON

PRIELIPP

MJ Melendez

Week: 6 G, 24 AB, .333/.360/.792, 8 H, 5 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 1 BB, 8 K, 0/0 SB (Triple-A)

2026 Season: 58 G, 206 AB, .243/.330/.578, 50 H, 14 2B, 2 3B, 17 HR, 27 BB, 64 K, 5/10 SB, .264 BABIP / 56 G, 120 AB, .192/.315/.350, 23 H, 5 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 17 BB, 50 K, 0/1 SB, .284 BABIP (MLB)

It’s too bad that the roster construction of the Mets works out that MJ Melendez is left high-and-dry. He wasn’t good in the limited at-bats he got earlier this season, but he wasn’t particularly bad, either. Likewise, his performance isn’t so exceptionally good in Triple-A that David Stearns needs to figure out how to get Melendez back to the majors, but he’s having a nice little run. The veteran outfielder seems like a generally cool dude and apologized to fans for not being good enough when he was sent back down to Syracuse, which makes the fact that he hasn’t really found his footing more annoying.

If nothing else, I wouldn’t be against bringing Melendez back as minor league depth next season.

Jonah Tong

Week: 1 G (1 GS), 7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K (Triple-A)

2026 Season: 23 G (23 GS), 107.0 IP, 88 H, 64 R, 54 ER (4.54 ERA), 59 BB, 126 K, .261 BABIP (Triple-A) / 3 G (0 GS), 10.0 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 4 ER (3.60 ERA), 7 BB, 7 K, .219 BABIP (MLB)

In Game One of a double-header against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Jonah Tong set batter after batter after batter down at the plate, and before we knew it, it was the seventh inning and Tong had yet to allow a hit. I’m not a fan of treating the two the same, but 7 innings is a regulation game in minor league double-headers, just like 9 innings is regulation under normal circumstances, and Tong was three outs away from throwing a no-hitter. The first batter he faced, right fielder Gabriel Rincones Jr., flew out to left field. The second batter he faced, third baseman Otto Kemp, struck out on three straight fastballs down-and-away. With one out to go, centerfielder Kameron Misner laced a cutter down and in into right field for a hit. With the no-hit bid over, Tong struck out the next batter, Carter Kieboom, on four pitches and had to settle for a one-hit shutout.

It was obviously a great game for Tong, and overall, August has been a strong month for him. Coming into August, batters were hitting .238/.349/.447 against Tong, but in August, they hit .170/.271/.436 against him. A big reason for that was his fastball and cutter both being more effective than they have been all season, especially his cutter; batters hit .125/.239/.325 against his fastball and .158/.238/.158 against his cutter in August as opposed to .213/.353/.386 and .300/.386/.540 entering the month.

I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer, but since none of the underlying metrics for either pitch, such as velocity or spin rate or movement, are appreciably different, I think the recent success is more a case of a .148 BABIP than Tong finally compensating for his velocity/IVB dip stemming from his arm angle change or his change from a traditional slider grip to a traditional cutter grip, but it would be great if I was wrong.

With September here, the right-hander having a strong month or two, and the Mets not exactly having a fifth starter, it is all but guaranteed that Tong gets called back up the Queens and appears in a few games. I’m not sure how well he will perform- honestly, I do have a bit of trepidation, since International League hitters have hit him hard- but here’s hoping he performs well enough to avoid the Mets analyzing the small sample of his MLB performance and switching him to sidearm while having him scrap his changeup for a gyroball.

Players of the Week 2026

Week One/Two (March 27-April 5): Hayden Senger/Cam Tilly

Week Three (April 7-April 12): A.J. Ewing/Christian Scott

Week Four (April 14-April 18): Randy Guzman/Jose Chirinos

Week Five (April 21-April 26): A.J. Ewing/Channing Austin

Week Six (April 30-May 3): A.J. Ewing/Jonah Tong

Week Seven (May 5-May 10): Ryan Clifford/Jonathan Santucci

Week Eight: (May 12-May 17): Jacob Reimer/Zach Thornton

Week Nine: (May 19-May 24): Ryan Clifford/Channing Austin

Week Ten: (May 26-May 31): Ryan Clifford/Jose Chirinos

Week Eleven: (June 2-June 7): Vincent Perozo/Frank Camarillo

Week Twelve: (June 9-June 14): JT Benson/Nicolas Carreno

Week Thirteen (June 16-June 21): Nick Morabito/Jonathan Santucci

Week Fourteen (June 23-June 28): JT Benson/Daviel Hurtado

Week Fifteen: (June 30-July 5): MJ Melendez/Daviel Hurtado

Week Sixteen: (July 7-July 12): Daiverson Gutierrez/Jonathan Santucci

Week Seventeen (July 13-July 19): MJ Melendez/Noah Hall

Week Eighteen: (July 21-July 26): Ronny Mauricio/Conner Ware

Week Nineteen: (July 28-August 2): Mitch Voit/Jonah Tong

Week Twenty (August 3-August 9): Mitch Voit/Noah Hall

Week Twenty-One (August 11-August 16): Elian Peña/Jose Chirinos

Week Twenty-Two (August 18-August 23): Yonatan Henriquez/Xzavion Curry

Today’s Reflections

Oh, man, I was really wanting this article to be a celebration of PCA, the MVP(?) and a win of the series and start another streak of series wins.

But, Shota. Craig Counsell said, “We need Shota. We need Shota. We need him to have good starts.” That’s good to say, but there needs to be a replacement ready to go for the playoffs — and maybe before to make sure they even make the playoffs. The comfortable Wild Card lead is no longer comfortable, especially with the Brewers the focus over the next 10 games.

Counsell is not wrong — Imanaga has not had a bad season. He’s had a season full of CSPSHRs*, but now they are turning into two- and three-run home runs. “Needing him to have good starts” would be a drastic improvement from recent results, and a lot to hope for.

Yeah, that took a bit of the air out of the PCA bubble, but he can handle all the self-promotion with that magic bat of his. There’s been 40-40 talk for a few weeks now, and it was natural to assume that getting the homers are the hardest part. After Sunday, he’s two homers away. You can’t tell him to walk or turn every hit (inside the park) into a single just to steal eight more bases, especially with the playoffs are on the line. But I’m sure there will be opportunities for him to stack a couple of SBs here and there, so we’ll see.

You know all of PCA’s stats for each game, but for posterity, in the two games, PCA went 6-for-11 with six runs scored, five home runs and eight RBI. The Cubs need to keep him in bubble wrap between games.

For the other hitters this weekend — most of the action was on Saturday (obviously) but these two had a good pair of games. Alex Bregman went 4-for-9 with a run scored, two doubles, a home run and three RBI. Nico Hoerner quietly went 3-for-8 with two RBI.

Saturday saw Carson Kelly go off — 2-for-4 with a walk, a double, a home run and 4 RBI. Tyrone Taylor keeps impressing, going 4-for-5 with a double and three runs scored. Seiya Suzuki went 3-for-5 with a walk, three runs scored, a home run and two RBI. And Pedro Ramirez went 2-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored.

Sunday had Ian Happ adding a 2-for-3 day with a walk and two runs scored.

It’s a good thing that the Cubs scored so many runs Saturday. Kevin Gausman allowed five runs over five innings, with five hits and two walks, but two of those hits were home runs. He did strike out seven. Hope it was just a little blip.

In the two games, the bullpen was (cautiously) good after the meltdown Friday. Over eight IP, the bullpen allowed one run (on Trent Thornton’s HR allowed), four total hits, three walks and six strikeouts.

Complimentary Starting Pitcher Solo Home Run*

*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.

Sunday’s Game Stories:

• Jeff Agrest (Chicago Sun-Times): Cubs stand behind Shota Imanaga after he allows three homers in loss to Reds. “At least Imanaga lasted longer than the two innings he pitched in his last start a week before in Seattle, going five innings.”

• Jesse Rogers (ESPN): Pete Crow-Armstrong adds 2 more HRs, but Cubs fall to Reds. “Chicago dropped its third consecutive series.”

Saturday’s Game Stories:

• Andy Martinez (Chicago Tribune {$}): Pete Crow-Armstrong hits career-high 3 HRs to fuel Chicago Cubs’ 17-5 rout: ‘It’s a lot of fun to watch’. ““If anything, the most intimidating part of today was doing my pregame routine in front of Sammy Sosa and Billy Williams,” Crow-Armstrong said.“

• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): Bregman, PCA power 17-run outburst in Cubs’ huge win. “Meanwhile, Bregman has been playing at an exceptionally-high level for the past month as well.”

• Sean Holland (Cubs Insider): Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (8/29/26): Cubs 17, Reds 5 – MVPete Homers Three Times in Rout. “A massive offensive explosion was the deciding factor on Saturday.”

• Sean Sears (Chicago Cubs On SI): Cubs Rout Reds: 17 Runs, 3 HRs for Crow-Armstrong, Legends Fill Wrigley. “PCA gave the 150th Cubs anniversary team a show this Saturday afternoon!

Combo PCA-Mania — Sammy Sosa’s Magic Prediction — Cubs and MLB History — OH! and MVP Race:

• Jeff Agrest (Chicago Sun-Times): The anatomy of Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong’s potential MVP season. “While working with assistant hitting coach John Mallee at Citi Field, Crow-Armstrong walked out of the cage and essentially said, “I found something that I’m going to be able to repeat for a long time.” He has.“
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Even Cubs legends are in awe of Pete Crow-Armstrong’s MVP campaign. “Jake Arrieta said, “For his third at-bat, his fourth at-bat, his fifth at-bat, we were glued to the actual gameplay live. I didn’t want to just watch it on TV. I wanted to see it happen live. We’re all standing there and you’re kind of shaking your head.”“
• Tom Ruminski (The Score): Cubs’ PCA: Sammy Sosa ‘told me I was gonna hit 3’ homers. “Cubs star outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong said a Chicago baseball legend predicted his historic three-homer performance Saturday.”
• Andrew Gitto (Sporting News): How Pete Crow-Armstrong’s 3-homer day, Shohei Ohtani injury could help Cubs star pull ahead in NL MVP race. “The Dodgers announce that Shohei Ohtani’s return to the mound is now postponed. He had been scheduled to start Sunday.”
• Matthew Sullivan (Sporting News): Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong makes MLB HR history not seen in 32 years. “Whenever someone can be compared to Ken Griffey Jr., it’s typically a great thing.”
• Gavin Groe (The Big Lead): Pete Crow-Armstrong pulls off what no Cubs player has done in 125 years. ““Pete Crow-Armstrong is the youngest Cub since 1901 to have a 3HR game,” wrote Cubs sideline reporter Taylor McGregor on X.“

• Cole Blair (Bleacher Nation): Pete Crow-Armstrong … and Other Cubs Bullets. “It was one of those ‘where were you when’ type games.”
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune {$}): Column: Pete Crow-Armstrong crashes Chicago Cubs’ 150th anniversary party with historic day at Wrigley Field. “Fast forward 150 years, and a self-possessed player named Pete Crow-Armstrong homered three times to power the Cubs to a 17-5 win over the Reds before a packed house at Wrigley Field and a who’s who of all-time franchise greats.”
• Dayn Perry (CBS Sports): Pete Crow-Armstrong adds to his NL MVP case with three-homer showcase in Cubs win over Reds. “Crow-Armstrong is in the midst of a historic output in the month of August.”
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong makes NL MVP case with 3-homer day. ““Sometimes you feel it in your bones that you got a day like today in you,” Crow-Armstrong said. “And I did today.”“
• Brian Sandalow (Chicago Sun-Times): Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong hits three home runs to bolster MVP case. “Crow-Armstrong has 36 home runs and entered Saturday leading the sport in wins above replacement per FanGraphs and Baseball Reference.”

Assorted Pitching Stories:

• Jon Greenberg (The Athletic {$}): Why Greg Maddux, known for elite command, says he threw a wild first pitch at Wrigley Field. “Greg Maddux was known for two things in his Hall of Fame pitching career: immaculate command of the strike zone and a love of practical jokes.”
• Anthony Kerr (DaWindyCity): Javier Assad has no business being in Iowa amidst Cubs fight for the playoffs. “Chicago’s questionable roster decision has left them with a serious pitching problem.”
• Charlie Wright (MLBTradeRumors): Cubs Release Hoby Milner. “Milner passed through waivers unclaimed and is free to sign with another team.”
• Michael Gaither (Yardbarker): Why Cubs should promote Jaxon Wiggins before the postseason. “The Chicago Cubs don’t need Jaxon Wiggins to become a major-league starter overnight. They need another weapon for their struggling bullpen.“
• Jeff Agrest (Chicago Sun-Times): Cubs’ key relievers might be regressing to mean at worst time. “After David Peterson at least gave the Cubs a chance to win, Trent Thornton all but removed it, allowing five runs in the sixth inning of a 10-8 loss to the Reds.”
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Cubs may have uphill battle to keep Clay Holmes after latest MLB insider intel. “Maybe the Cubs won’t act like the Cubs for once.”

Assorted Batting Stories:

• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): The Chicago Cubs have something rare: A bench full of players capable of starting. “As the Cubs inch closer to a healthy roster, Craig Counsell has a chance to lead one of the deepest, most versatile groups of position players he’s had the luxury to manage.”
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune {$})): Sammy Sosa basking in rebuilt relationship with Cubs. “Of his relationship with the team he defined for 13 seasons, Sosa said he and the Cubs have put their old differences to the side.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Cubs Utility Prospect BJ Murray Reportedly Getting the Call to the Big Leagues. “The defensive versatility will help his big league bench profile, as will his ability to switch-hit.”
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Cubs get another scare from top prospect carrying injury concern since being drafted. “Because, of course he has.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Cubs Release Former Top Draft Pick Ed Howard. “Howard’s professional career was forever altered by a devastating hip injury.”

Assorted Stories:

• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune {$}): Column: Interrupting the Chicago Cubs’ ceremonies for a National League wild-card race update. “We interrupt this regularly scheduled celebration of the Chicago Cubs’ past to remind you there’s an extremely tight wild-card race developing in the National League.”
• Jordan Bastian and Adam McCalvy (MLB.com): Cubs’ divisional fate rests on the results of their next 10 days. “With seven games between the Cubs and Brewers over the next 10 days, this is Chicago’s chance to try to swing the momentum in this year’s division race before it is too late.”
• Jori Parys (CBS Sports): Jon Lester, Jody Davis both proud to be Cubs Hall of Famers. “Former pitcher Jon Lester, catcher Jody Davis, and broadcaster Vince Lloyd were all inducted into the Cubs Hall of Fame over the weekend.”
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Cubs’ 2026 success looks even better when remembering the Frank Schwindel era. “Frank Schwindel has forced me to confront realities.”
• Andrew Carter (Chicago Tribune {$}): One Wrigleyville corner hangs on to its roots and ballhawks as Chicago Cubs mark 150th anniversary. “The corner, though, remains the corner. Lawn chairs. Lifers. Good banter, some of which is even suitable for children.”

Food For Thought:

Altered Five Blues Band (originally known as Altered Five) is an American five-piece blues band. Formed in 2002 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, they have released six albums since 2008. Altered Five smokes, smolders and burns like a swig of good whiskey. The hip Milwaukee quintet is known for its strong brew of tough, original blues and hard-hitting live shows. Blues Blast raves that barrel-chested front man Jeff Taylor possesses a “smooth, warm-toned voice as monumental and undeniable as Howlin’ Wolf with the finish and flourish of B.B. King.” Downbeat declares stealth guitarist Jeff Schroedl “reaches the high bar of mixed invention and fluidity.” Fueled by a rhythm section laying down the deepest grooves this side of the MGs, the award-winning group has remained at the forefront of contemporary blues for more than two decades, performing in 13 countries around the world. 

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.

Happy Tuesday, Camden Chatters. We made it to September!

The Orioles are still out west for the last few games of their long road trip. I personally find this stretch of games to be a touch on the ridiculous side. After an off-day on Monday, August 24th, the Orioles traveled to St. Louis. That kicked off 16 straight days without a day off. That is a really long stretch of games, but the travel on top of that is too much.

The Orioles traveled St. Louis (Central time zone) to Sacramento (Pacific) to Denver (Mountain). When their series with the Rockies is over, they will travel home to Baltimore (Eastern). They will play seven games in Baltimore before an off day. Sixteen games, four time zones, zero off days. I’m sorry, that’s bonkers.

Yesterday afternoon, the Orioles claimed outfielder Luis Robert Jr. off waivers from the Mets. The Mets are currently a last-place team with a bloated payroll, and the move saves them millions of dollars. Robert is still owed about $3 million of this year’s salary, which the Orioles will now cover. His contract also holds a $20 million club option for 2027 with a $2 million buyout. The Orioles are also on the hook for that. And because the Mets payroll is so large, they were paying 110% luxury tax on Robert’s salary. Getting another team to take Robert for 25 games is saving them north of $8 million.

The Orioles, for their part, are hoping that Robert can harness some of the talent that he showed earlier in his career. The White Sox signed Robert to a six-year contract with two club option years back in January 2020, when he had never played a single Major League game. That year, Robert came second in AL Rookie of the Year voting and locked up a Gold Glove for his defense in center field.

Since then however, he has been unable to stay healthy and productive. He has played over 100 games just twice. In 2023, he hit 36 doubles and 38 home runs in 145 games, racking up a 5.4 bWAR. And in 2025, he played in 110 games with a drop in both power and OBP. His offensive production dropped off significantly of his last three injury-marred seasons.

The White Sox picked up the first of Robert’s two options last November. In January, they traded him to the Mets. In six seasons with the White Sox, Roberts played in 577 games. He hit .253/.313/.455. He has always been considered a strong defender.

Robert broke camp with the Mets in March and was an everyday player until he went on the IL at the end of March with a lumbar spine disc herniation. He was not playing well when he went on the IL, and he got off to a slow start upon his return on July 2oth.

But for the month of August, he has been much improved. In 24 games, Robert had six home runs and seven walks in 84 plate appearances. His hitting line was .267/.321/.520 (.841 OPS). Once a pretty good base stealer, that has dried up. But he is still fast on the base paths.

With Tyler O’Neill on the IL and Leody Taveras atrocious against left-handed pitchers, the Orioles need a right-handed bat in the outfield. They just spent a lot of money to try and improve over the final 25 games of the season (and playoffs!), and it’s a risk I appreciate. I don’t care about their money; they should spend it all, as far as I’m concerned. But I know that some other clubs wouldn’t in the same position. That includes the John Angelos era Orioles.

Will it make a difference? None of us really knows. But it has the potential to, which makes it exciting. Let’s all hope Luis Robert Jr. stays healthy and productive and keeps Taveras where he belongs against lefties: on the bench.

Links

What will it take for the Orioles to clinch an AL wild card spot? – The Baltimore Banner
Written before last night’s game, Andy Kostka predicts it’ll take 83 wins, or 15-10 over the final 25 games. The story includes what several Orioles players are thinking about the odds as well.

Albernaz excited about addition of Robert; Bautista needs more rehab games; Orioles not committing to 6-man rotation – Baltimore Baseball
Notes about Luis Robert, who will join the team today. Also an update on Félix Bautista.

Because You Asked – The Bone Temple – MASN Sports
Roch Kubatko has a Q&A for the fans. He says it’s a mailbag, but is someone out there really asking about Nick Raquet? (Get well soon, Nick Raquet)

Birthdays and History

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have two Orioles birthday buddies, although neither is particularly memorable for their time in Baltimore. Eduard Bazardo is 31 years old today. He pitched 2.1 forgettable innings for the 2023. The Orioles traded him to the Mariners at the trade deadline of that year and he’s spent the last three-plus seasons in Seattle. He’s been particularly good out of the bullpen in the last two years. The trade return, Logan Rinehart, is no longer playing professional baseball.

Also born on this day in history is another pitcher, Dean Stone (b. 1930, d. 2018). Stone pitched in eight Major League seasons, the last of which was 1963 with the Orioles. A relief pitcher, Stone had a 5.12 ERA in 17 games. Cool name, though.

On this day in 1999, Albert Belle hit his 40th home run in a 3-1 win over the Rays. It marked his eighth straight season with 30+ home runs. It was also his final season with 30.

In 2000, the Orioles turned a triple play in Cleveland. With runners on first and second, Sandy Alomar Jr. hit a pop-up into shallow left-center field. Shortstop Melvin Mora raced out to catch it, but at the last second let it drop. The infield fly rule was not called. Mora threw to second base where Jerry Hairston applied the tag to Travis Fryman and stepped on second base to retire Wil Cordero. The third out came from Alomar, who assumed it was an infield fly and went right into the dugout.

In 2005, the Orioles released pitcher Sidney Ponson. He had one year and $10 million remaining on his contract, but the Orioles contended that his off-field conduct (multiple DUIs, one judge punching) warranted termination. MLBPA filed a grievance on Ponson’s behalf, and the two sides later settled.

In 2007, Clay Buchholz no-hit the Orioles in his second career start. That was embarrassing.

In 2011, the Rangers and Orioles completed the trade that sent Mike González to Texas at that year’s trade deadline. The PTBNL turned out to be Pedro Strop.

And on this day last year, the Orioles beat the Padres 4-3. They got to Dylan Cease for two runs in four innings, then added on two more against the bullpen. Kyle Bradish allowed two runs in four innings as well, but Baltimore’s bullpen was better. Jeremiah Jackson had three hits, including a home run. Samuel Basallo doubled twice.

The dog days of August are over and the final month of the MLB regular season has arrived. Leading the Wild Card race, the Yankees are in good shape to return to the playoffs for the ninth time in the last decade (and 27th time in 32 years dating back to 1995), but they have a tall task ahead if they want to run down the surprising Rays for the division title and a first-round bye. Otherwise, a likely Wild Card Series rematch with the Red Sox awaits, with the winner behind the eight-ball in terms of pitching before they square off with Tampa Bay in the ALDS — the same scenario that the Yankees got burned by in 2025 with Toronto.

But let’s ponder the AL East for a second and be hopeful. FanGraphs gives the Yankees a 16.9-percent chance of winning the division. That’s not great, but 2025 AL MVP runner-up Cal Raleigh is hitting .171, so consider the odds about the same as Raleigh getting a hit in a given at-bat this year. Unlikely, but not impossible! Here’s how Yankees’ September lines up:

• September 1-2: @ Angels
• September 4-6: @ Padres
• September 8-10: vs. Rockies
• September 11-13: vs. Mets
• September 14-16: @ Twins
• September 18-20: @ Diamondbacks
• September 22-24: vs. Rays (doubleheader on 9/23)
• September 25-27: vs. Orioles

That’s 24 games. If they win, say, two-thirds to take 16, then they’ll need the Rays to only win 11 of their 25 to fully make up the deficit (unless they can sweep that four-game set against Tampa Bay to get the tiebreaker, which I’m not counting on). It’s a tall task, and while I have skepticism about the Rays, in my gut, I don’t think they’re a team that will have a losing month. I actually am optimistic enough on the Bombers that they can get a 16-win month against that batch. My concern is that—like their 18-win September 2025—it might not be enough.

But despite that missed opportunity last night, I can hope! Remember when the 2017 Dodgers were on an absurd win pace and then utterly bombed in September? And this Rays team is no 2017 Dodgers. What do you think?

Today on the site, Dani will discuss the new SB Nation app that just came out to help make your experience on the site (and others around SBN) much smoother! We’ll also have Michael’s weekly minor league report, Madison on the Rivalry Roundup, Kento on the birthday of a forgotten Yankee who starred at Dartmouth long before Ben Rice, Peter’s monthly GM poll, and Jonathan and Matt on our monthly check-ins on the AL Central and AL West, respectively.

As a programming note, there’s no minor-league recap today because none of the Yankees’ affiliates were in action.

Today’s Matchup:

New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels

Time: 9:38 p.m. EST

TV: YES, ABTV

Venue: Angel Stadium, Anaheim, CA