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The Washington Nationals dropped the first two games of this series by multiple runs.

With a hot offense and an advantage on the mound, my Yankees vs. Nationals predictions and MLB picks see the home team flipping the script in the series finale.

Who will win Yankees vs Nationals today: Nationals moneyline (-110)

The surface stats would tell you there isn’t much separating Will Warren and Cade Cavalli. The underlyings tell a much different story — particularly over the last month.

Cavalli has posted a strong 2.49 xFIP and struck out 29.3% of opposing batters. It’s a much different story for Warren, who owns a 4.64 xFIP and 16.0 strikeout rate in that time.

Warren has struggled with power along the way, allowing 2.19 homers per nine innings. The Washington Nationalslead the majors in homers and OPS vs. RHP in July, making them the perfect team to back against him.

Bet this up to -120.

COVERS INTEL: Will Warren owns a 5.04 xFIP on the road, 24th among today's projected starting pitchers.

Yankees vs Nationals Over/Under pick: Over 9 (-115)

This is a matchup where the offenses should be front and center. The Nationals have hit for extreme power lately while also getting on base at a high rate. That should continue against Warren, given he ranks in the 12th percentile in pitcher run value and enters in poor form.

While Cavalli is solid, he's still conceded multiple earned runs in six of his last seven starts. The New York Yankees sit second in homers against righties this month and have the power to pounce on any mistakes.

Play the Over to -130.

Yankees vs Nationals weather

Temperatures in the low 80s are expected with winds blowing west. Small bump to the bats.

Yankees vs Nationals odds

• Moneyline: Yankees -110 | Nationals -110
• Run line: Yankees -1.5 (+145) | Nationals +1.5 (-170)
• Over/Under: Over 9 (-115) | Under 9 (-105)

Yankees vs Nationals trend

The Nationals have cashed the Over in 31 of the last 50 home games for +13.50 units and a 24% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Nationals.

How to watch Yankees vs Nationals and game info

Yankees vs Nationals latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The Pittsburgh Pirates came away from yesterday’s day one of the 2026 MLB Draft with a haul of players. Here’s the total list along with the MLB.com post draft info on each.

Pick #5 – Derek Curiel – OF, LSU

Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 45 | Run: 55 | Arm: 45 | Field: 55 | Overall: 55

Curiel plays a “special center field” and has shown command of the strike zone with upside in his damage profile. Curiel played with shortstop Konnor Griffin on the USA travel circuit, and the two committed to LSU together for the 2024 class.

Curiel could rise through the ranks quickly. The pick was a bit of a surprise, as many mock drafts leading up to the Draft had Pittsburgh expected to take Santa Barbara pitcher Jackson Flora. When Flora went fourth to the Giants, the Pirates had the choice between multiple college and high school bats. Ultimately, they went with the experienced Curiel.

The 6-foot-2, 192-pound outfielder was once considered a first-round pick out of high school in Southern California, but he decided to forgo the 2024 Draft after a subpar senior season. After two years at LSU, he has proven himself as one of the best pure hitters in the Draft class, batting .349 with a .975 OPS in two seasons with the Tigers. Just a sophomore — eligible for the Draft by virtue of turning 21 in May — in 2026, Curiel led his team in batting average (.353), runs (64) and hits (82) while trying for the team lead in total bases (122). He also has plus speed, stealing a team-high 13 bases in just 15 attempts.

Pick #44 – Aiden Ruiz – SS, Stony Brook

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 40 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 65 | Overall: 50

Many thought Ruiz, a smooth-fielding, switch-hitting (and switch-throwing – he throws lefty when he plays the outfield!) shortstop, might go in the first round.

An undersized switch-hitter who is listed at 5-foot-10 and 168 pounds, Ruiz is arguably the best defensive shortstop in the class. He’s an elite defender with a plus arm and range, great hands and outstanding footwork. Unlike with many young players at the premium position, Ruiz not only makes the spectacular, acrobatic plays, throwing on the run, he also slows the game down and makes the routine plays as well. It’s future Gold Glove-caliber defense. 

An above-average runner whose instincts help him be a successful base-stealer, Ruiz’s bat is behind his glove. He makes a ton of contact with an idea of what he’s doing at the plate, excellent bat control and no fear, showing an ability to turn around premium velocity

Pick #51 – Chris Rembert – 2B, Auburn

Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 45 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

Rembert has some of the best bat speed in college baseball and an advanced approach, though his swing and patience have regressed a bit while he dealt with an ankle injury this spring. He manages the strike zone very well and focuses on drilling line drives from gap to gap. It’s unclear if he’ll provide more than 15 homers annually because he makes too much groundball contact, though he has the strength and bat speed to do more damage if he turns on more pitches and adds more loft to his compact right-handed stroke.

Rembert is an average runner with arm strength to match, which limits his usefulness on the bases and in the field. Some scouts once wondered if he’d wind up in left field, but he’s looking more comfortable at second base in college than he did at shortstop in high school. He has reliable hands and provides steady defense at the keystone.

Pick #80 – Jason Decaro – RHP, UNC

Scouting grades: Fastball: 45 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

As a New York high schooler, DeCaro reclassified from the 2024 Draft to ’23 and got an early jump on his college career at North Carolina. He looked like a potential 2026 first-rounder when he cracked the Tar Heels rotation as a 17-year-old freshman, but scouts aren’t sure what to make of him because his stuff has leveled off since. His feel for pitching allowed him to make the U.S. collegiate national team after each of his first two seasons and rank third in NCAA Division I with 11 victories while serving as the ace of the College World Series runners-up in his third.

While DeCaro gets outs, he doesn’t miss a lot of bats or land his secondary pitches in the zone consistently. His fastball has ordinary velocity (91-94 mph, peak of 97) and shape and relies on generating weak contact. His fading low-80s changeup has regressed a bit during his junior season and is now more of an average offering, as are his tight low-80s slider and upper-70s curveball.

DeCaro keeps batters off balance by sequencing his pitches well and he throws consistent strikes from an upright delivery. Unless he improves the velocity and quality of his arsenal, he profiles more as a durable high-floor starter than someone who will pitch in the front half of a rotation. He’s extremely young for a college junior (20 years, three months on Draft day) but doesn’t have a lot of projection remaining in his strong 6-foot-5 frame.

Pick #108 – Andruw Giles – OF, Nevada HS

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 50 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

Strong and compact, Giles has the chance to be a solid offensive performer. He shows off hitterish traits from the left side, showing a solid, balanced approach and the ability to make a lot of solid contact. He looks like he’s more of a hit-over-power guy, but he can drive the ball to all fields. He’ll show off the raw power he can keep learning to tap into in BP, the kind of pop that will surely impress in workouts. 

An average runner, Giles does have the chance to play center field, though not everyone thinks he can stick there. A once easily plus arm that fired mid-90s fastballs from the mound now looks more above-average after he dealt with elbow soreness that forced him into a DH role during last summer’s Area Code Games. It’s still plenty for an outfield corner, though that move will put more pressure on his bat. To some, it gives him a little more of a tweener profile, but those who see every day player potential will consider signing him away from his commitment to Oregon. 

Here's what happened in Mets Land on Saturday, in case you missed it...

• At the MLB Draft, New York took RHP Carson Wiggins, OF Aiden Robbins, and LHP Shane Sdao
• SNY's Joe DeMayo wrote about the club taking a home run swing on the righty Wiggins and his tantalizing stuff
• WATCH: Mets VP of Amateur Scouting Kris Gross and Director of Scouting Drew Toussaint spoke about Wiggins
• In Queens, the Mets' bats went silent against the Red Sox in a 4-0 loss
• Interim skipper Andy Greenexpressed about getting shut out for the ninth time this year
• It has been a "difficult" stretch, but there was some encouragement taken at the start from Freddy Peralta
• Ahead of Saturday's game, Green had updates on several Mets' injuries
• Green also spoke about Sunday's starter Zach Thornton's development and Kodai Senga's bullpen role
• WATCH: Highlights of first-round pick Wiggins at the University of Arkansas
• WATCH: Wiggins reacts to being drafted by New York

Astros 9, Rangers 3

• That was unfun.
• Kumar Rocker? Well, I guess he pitched okay, if you ignore the home runs.
• The home runs? They kind of put a damper on things.
• Allowing Yordan Alvarez to launch one to the moon? Okay, that happens. Pretty much every time Alvarez plays the Rangers, really.
• Allowing LaMonte Wade Jr. to hit a grand slam off of you? That’s bad.
• Rocker did make it into the sixth at least, which is helpful. MacKenzie Gore will be starting Sunday’s game on short rest, but the Rangers probably aren’t going to want to push him too hard, so not having to ask the pen to handle six innings or something on Saturday was good.
• Gavin Collyer and Robby Ahlstrom each acquitted themselves with scoreless outings, which is nice to see. And which has to be particularly rewarding for Ahlstrom, whose last two outings were rather bad.
• Chris Martin, pitching on back-to-back nights, allowed a pair of runs on a single, a double, a balk and a sacrifice fly. The single was of the infield variety, and weakly hit, but still…Martin’s ERA is now a nice, round 9.00 on the year.
• Much like Friday’s game mirrored the opener of the Angels series, this defeat largely followed the script of the middle game against Anaheim. The starter allowed seven runs in that game as well, and Gavin Collyer and Robby Ahlstrom both pitched. Also, Ranger reliever who pitched the ninth gave up two runs in both games, though in on Wednesday against Anaheim it was Kyle Higashioka who handled the ninth, not Martin.
• Collyer and Ahlstrom each gave up two runs in that previous game, so maybe this is a sign of progress.
• Oh, and Rangers only scored one run against the Angels in that blowout loss, compared to three in this game.
• All the runs for Texas came on Ezequiel Duran homers — a solo shot in the fourth and a two run shot in the ninth. Duran is now slashing .272/.322/.439 on the year.
• Evan Carter had a couple of hits, which, you know, that’s good to see. Cam Cauley had a pinch hit single, so way to go Cam.
• The Mariners lost, at least, which means that not only are the Rangers still a game and a half up on Seattle in the West, Texas is guaranteed to spend the All Star Break in first place.
• Kumar Rocker hit 95.6 mph with his sinker, averaging 93.5 mph. Gavin Collyer’s fastball touched 98.5 mph. Robby Ahlstrom hit 95.7 mph with his sinker. Chris Martin’s fastball touched 95.4 mph.
• The only ball in play above 100 mph was Ezequiel Duran’s fourth inning homer, at 100.3 mph.
• One more to go before the Break.

The Mets (40-56) take on the red-hot Boston Red Sox (45-48) in the final game of the season's first half at 1:40 p.m. on PIX11. Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...

Mets Notes

• Zach Thornton will climb the hill for his third career big league start and look to build off his last outing when the left-hander allowed one run on five hits and a walk over six innings with seven strikeouts
• The Red Sox are sending out a lefty of their own in Payton Tolle, who carries a 3.14 ERA and 1.071 WHIP into the start over 80.1 innings with 80 strikeouts to 24 walks.
• New York was shut out for the ninth time this season in Saturday's defeat. In the series against Boston, the club has gone hitless in 16 at-bats with runners in scoring position after going 21-for-45 with RISP in the previous five games

Today's Lineups

Though the Atlanta Braves have lost the series, they still have a chance to end the first half of the season on a high note before heading into the All-Star break.

MLB Braves’ beat writer Mark Bowman had announced on Friday that, as Hurston Waldrep would be sent back down to Triple- A, JR Ritchie would be taking his place in today’s matchup against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Ritchie’s rookie season has had its ups and downs. After spending some time in Triple-A when the Braves optioned Carlos Carrasco to the active roster earlier this month (July 5), Ritchie is looking to make an impact to give the Braves a solid start to hold down the Cardinals, who have been getting the best of them on offense throughout the series.

Holding a 4.60 ERA with 10 games under his belt (three as a reliever), Ritchie is still trying to find his footing and what works constantly for him to stick with. If he has the Braves’ offense on his side today, he might have the push he needs to spark a quality outing on the defensive-end for his first matchup against St. Louis.

As for Cardinals starter Dustin May, he’s looking to help St. Louis clinch their first series sweep for the first time since early June. Holding a 4.55 ERA currently, with a 1.25 WHIP, May also hasn’t been the most consistent in his starts, and is 0-2 when facing the Braves in his three starts against them.

In his last matchup against Atlanta on July 2, he gave up five runs off five hits with only one strikeout. This could work to the Braves’ advantage if he finds the same trouble commanding the strike zone. He did, however, get a better showing in his most recent matchup against Milwaukee, allowing four hits, no earned runs and seven strikeouts just this past Monday.

This matchup will honestly be a toss-up on which version of these two pitchers we’re going to get to close out the first half of the regular season. Ritchie is looking to avoid the sweep and May is looking to get one. Both are hoping for a quality outing after suffering some shaky starts; the question is, who wants it more?

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Sunday, July 12, 2:15 p.m. ET

Location: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO

TV: BravesVision

Streaming: MLB.tv

Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan, Los Bravos

After selecting two players on Saturday, the Dodgers conclude their 2026 MLB Draft with 14 picks on Sunday, beginning with the seventh round.

On Saturday the Dodgers drafted high school shortstop Bo Lowrance with the 40th overall pick out of South Carolina. They also selected Florida pitcher Russell Sandefer with their fourth-round pick, number 132 overall.

Their first pick on Sunday comes in the seventh round.

Dodgers Day 2 picks

• 7th round, 223rd overall
• 8th round, 253rd overall
• 9th round, 283rd overall
• 10th round, 313th overall
• 11th round, 343rd overall
• 12th round, 373rd overall
• 13th round, 403rd overall
• 14th round, 433rd overall
• 15th round, 463rd overall
• 16th round, 493rd overall
• 17th round, 523rd overall
• 18th round, 553rd overall
• 19th round, 583rd overall
• 20th round, 613th overall

It’s all streaming the rest of the way, with Sunday’s coverage on MLB.com and MLB.tv.

MLB Draft Day 2 particulars

• Rounds 5-20, through picks 136-613
• Time: 8:30 a.m. PT
• Streaming: MLB.com, MLB.tv

Following what everyone would consider a failure of a year, Jay Johnson has been hard at work on returning LSU Baseball to the mountaintop as he’s done twice in his first five years. Helping him to that mountaintop were a few of the players that heard their name called on day 1 of the MLB Draft yesterday. While it’s been fairly clear which Tigers may be destined to advance their career to professional baseball, when they would be drafted was the big question. We got answers for three of those players, as Derek Curiel, Jake Brown, and Deven Sheerin each were drafted in the first four rounds.

While the additions from the transfer portal have been phenomenal, the core of the program is built through homegrown talent with recruiting classes. Classes that include players like Curiel and Brown. Unfortunately for those involved with building college baseball programs, the MLB Draft and it’s process can lead to a lot volatility. While coaches generally have an idea of who may or may not make it to campus, things can change quickly and that leads to ongoing questions about who will actually put on an LSU uniform.

Last year, Jay Johnson lost eight members of his recruiting class to the MLB Draft, including each of the top-6. Seven of those were gone by the end of the 4th round, which made for a really tough result for the Tigers and their crop of incoming freshman. Although a few guys like Omar Serna and Mason Braun burst on to the scene, hindsight makes you wonder what could have been.

So far in the 2026 Draft, things are looking far more promising for Johnson and co. Only three members of this year’s class were selected on day 1, which consists of the first four rounds. Shockingly, there are quite a few names still on the board that most expected to be gone by this point. Will they all make it to campus, absolutely not. But, if LSU is able to land one or two of the otherwise considered “longshots”, the future continues to look special for the program.

Current LSU players drafted

#5 – Derek Curiel by Pittsburgh Pirates (1st round, slot value $8,336,500)

After being one of the big surprises to pass on the draft and head to LSU in 2024, Curiel stepped on to campus and immediately became an impact player. He helped lead the Tigers to their 8th title as a freshman, then followed it up with another fantastic year after shifting from left to centerfield. In two seasons in Baton Rouge, Curiel hit .349 with a .452 on-base %. He drove in 101 RBIs and scored 131 runs. Pittsburgh is getting a super-athletic fielder and an elite bat-to-ball hitter. He struck out just 99 times in nearly 500 at-bats and also has incredible plate vision, drawing 87 walks.

#65 – Jake Brown by Seattle Mariners (2nd round, slot value $1,382,600)

Although his LSU career ended with a hamate injury in the back half of 2026, Jake Brown had a fantastic career as a Tiger. From forcing his way in to the starting lineup as a freshman in 2024, to becoming a top power bat in the SEC this past season, the junior became a fan-favorite. There was word that he was strongly considering a return to LSU for his senior season like Steven Milam, but when he showed up to the MLB Combine and scouts saw that he was one of the most athletic outfielders in the draft, the odds of 30 teams letting him slip back to campus were low. In his three season, Brown hit .304 with 28 homeruns and 110 RBIs. He was easily on pace to surpass 20 bombs in 2026, already having 16 when his season ended with 4 weeks left in the regular season. Seattle is getting an incredibly dynamic athlete that will be one of the fastest players on whatever team he’s on. He has a cannon for an arm, which is what got him drafted in the 19th round out of high school as a LHP. Brown will look to reunite with a former teammate and fellow member of LSU’s 2024 freshman class, Kade Anderson.

128 – Deven Sheerin by Philadelphia Phillies (4th round, slot $597,400)

Although Sheerin was a Tiger for two years, he only played in one season this past year. He bounced back from missing all of 2025 by being LSU’s most consistent pitcher this past season. He finished with a 4.78 ERA in 37.2 innings of work, striking out 58 along the way. Philadelphia is getting a massive, attitude driven competitor that looks like he’s trying to throw the baseball through his catcher. As a nightmare matchup against righties, he could become one of the top bullpen arms at the very least. With only 107.2 innings on his arm over the past three years, Sheerin is fresh and has even more projectability in his arsenal.

2026 recruits drafted

#59 – LHP Logan Schmidt by Cleveland Guardians (2nd round, slot $1,598,900)

The past few weeks have been a rollercoaster for Schmidt’s projection. A month ago, he was considered a lock to be selected early in the draft. Then, after some poor interviews at the combine, he suddenly changed agents just a few weeks before the draft, which is never a good thing. Seemingly requesting a high number for his signing bonus, it will be interesting to see what the Guardians ended up giving him to convince him not to go to LSU.

#84 – RHP Jensen Hirschkorn by Atlanta Braves (3rd round, slot $973,700)

Hirschkorn, too, had his projection in question leading in to the draft. He had always been considered a lock to be drafted and sign, doubts about his signability started to spread over the past week. His number was said to be up as high as $4 million, but as you can see with the slot value above, it’s likely that the Braves were able to negotiate his price down. Scouts believe that he would become a 1st rounder after a few seasons in college had he chosen that route, so Atlanta most-certainly had to still pay up to convince him to sign.

#115 – OF Wessley Roberson by Miami Marlins (4th round, Marlins: $677,500)

Never really expected to make it college, Roberson was the first position player of the class to be selected. He’s lefty with good contact and was ranked #175 by ESPN.

Stayed tuned in with us at ATVS more nonstop coverage of day 2 with rounds 5-20!

The Heartbeat of Fenway

In a grueling 162-game season, conventional wisdom says players should keep an even keel and remember it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Willson Contreras defies that rule every single day, playing at a full, unapologetic boil. Since arriving in Boston via trade from the St. Louis Cardinals, he has been exactly what this franchise desperately needed: not only a right-handed power bat, but also the nexus where skills, passion, and elite production meet. He has been the undeniable heartbeat of the 2026 Boston Red Sox.

Anchoring the Offense and Defense

Contreras has stabilized the middle of the order and the infield all year. He has solidified first base, a position that was a black hole last season after Triston Casas got injured. Offensively, he has anchored the lineup as an elite run producer. When the rest of the lineup struggled throughout most of the early season, he kept the lights on. He’s having what will likely be a career year, and will almost certainly far surpass his previous high for home runs (24).

• Batting Average: .285

• Home Runs: 20

• Runs Batted In: 61

• OPS: An elite .921, ranking 10th in MLB

Playing for a Purpose

Contreras has not only shouldered the Red Sox offense, he has hefted up an entire country and carried it with him following the tragic, devastating earthquakes in his native Venezuela. Since that time, he has used his platform to advocate for his country. He’s channeled his raw grief into his game, hitting an emotional three-run homer then pounding his chest and helmet and shouting “Venezuela!” as he circled the bases. He’s personally collected relief contributions from fans outside Fenway Park and drawn the media spotlight to Venezuela again and again. And he wasn’t afraid to let us see him crying.

The Full Contreras Experience

After signing with the Sox in the offseason, he promised to be polarizing.

“I play to win, I don’t play to mess around, I don’t play to make friends on other teams.”

Tell it like it is, Willson. We saw that fire boil over in the recent bench-clearing incident against the Nationals, resulting in a seven-game suspension that was ultimately reduced to five games. (Personally, I was disappointed that Cade Cavalli’s suspension was equally reduced.) While Willson apologized, saying that he could have “handled [it] better,” and lumping it together with a benches-clearing against the Yankees earlier in the week, that intensity is the exact same fuel that powers his 440-foot home runs. You cannot decouple his high-leverage heroics from the emotion that drives them. He plays with his heart on his sleeve, and the team is better for it.

All-Star Bound and Home Run Derby Ready

Justice was finally served this week when Contreras was named to the All-Star team as a well-deserved replacement. Even better, he has accepted an invitation to the Home Run Derby. He will be the first Red Sox player to participate in fifteen years, looking to join David Ortiz as the only champions in franchise history. And he’s already dedicated all his upcoming home runs this season to Venezuela, so he’s really got something to swing for.

Though the recent contusion on his foot has him temporarily sidelined (alongside his suspension), he has said he’s not concerned about it. So expect him to be ready to mash at Citizens Bank Park.

Willson Contreras has given everything he’s got to Boston this season. I wanted to take a moment to put my own heart on my sleeve and show him that same love right back.

Let’s take this time to keep Venezuela in our hearts too. Even as life moves on, the recovery efforts still need help. If you can, please donate through the Red Sox Foundation. Do it for Willson.

Saturday saw the beginning of the 2026 MLB Draft. After a season that saw them get a win away from a national championship, the North Carolina Tar Heels baseball team are likely to see several players picked in this year’s edition. For example, Owen Hull (#67), Jake Schaffner (#75), Ryan Lynch (#98), Jason DeCaro (#133), and Gavin Gallaher (#200) are all listed in MLB Pipeline’s top 250 ranked players eligible for the 2026 draft.

The MLB Draft can be a little harder to project than in other sports. In one way that’s true is in the players’ futures. Sure, other sports all have busts too, but in baseball even the best players need more seasoning in the minor leagues before making it to MLB. Some players won’t even make it to the majors at all. Figuring out what will happen in the couple years between when you draft a player and how they develop can be a bit of a different skill than in the NFL or NBA Drafts.

It can also be a little harder to predict just where the players go. With the MLB Draft rules and teams having only a certain amount of money to dole out among all their draftees, some teams go in with specific strategies that might lead to an unexpected selection. Plus, with so many players from high school and college, it can also just take one team having a differing opinion from the collective wisdom for a player to shoot up the board.

Recognizing all that, I still have to ask, what Tar Heel eligible for this year’s draft do you think will go on to the best MLB career?

Going by the aforementioned rankings, the Super Regional hero Hull is some people’s best bet. He hit .393 with a 1.115 OPS last season, so he certainly has the ability to hit, and that could translate to the professional level. I personally have a sneaky suspicion about Gallaher, though. With 12 home runs last season, he has a decent amount of power for a second baseman. While he’s not a blazing fast runner, he was successful on eight of nine stole base attempts last year too. I’m not sure if there’s ever going to be one particular thing that makes him standout, but I could see him turning into a perfectly good all-around MLB level player.

That’s my answer, but what about you? Put on your projection hat and guess which Tar Heel will have the best MLB career?

The 2026 edition of the Major League Baseball Draft is well underway! The action got started early on Saturday afternoon with the Chicago White Sox making UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky the No. 1 overall selection, and though the New York Yankees had to wait 34 more picks to get their first in, they seemingly got a good one to set the tone.

MLB set up Day 1 of the draft to include the first four rounds, and since the Yankees didn’t lose any due to free agent-signing qualifying offer compensation, they subsequently had four picks. Arkansas lefty Hunter Dietz, British Columbia prep southpaw Sean Duncan, Oklahoma catcher Brendan Brock, and Cal State Fullerton outfielder Paul Gutierrez-Contreras II became the newest Baby Bombers. Jonathan wrote up a full analysis of the Day 1 activity in Yankeeland.

Sixteen more draft picks joined the Yankees on Sunday. Since there were so many players in one day, we batched them into three different posts that you can review in the following links:

• Rounds 5-10
• Rounds 11-15
• Rounds 16-20

To help conveniently track all of the Yankees’ picks — from the selection process to any known eventual signing news — I’ve assembled this tracker that will also be regularly updated throughout July. If available, I’ve included their Instagram handles if you have any interest in following them.

Draft pick signing news can be a slow process and team assignments might be even fuzzier, but we’ll do our best to keep you posted. Players have until 5:00 PM ET on July 27th to sign unless they’re college seniors who have already used up their years of eligibility. As always, give us a shout in the comments section of this post if you see any news that needs to be added.

Note: Teams are allotted $150,000 per pick for each selection from Rounds 11-20. This doesn’t count toward their total bonus pool, though they are permitted to use any leftover bonus funds to increase their offers beyond $150,000 to these players.

Post-draft updates

7/13: That was quick! First-rounder Hunter Dietz has already signed, per the man who runs the Yankees’ draft himself, VP of scouting Damon Oppenheimer. We do not yet know slot value. (Update: MLB.com’s Jim Callis reported that Dietz signed for $2,497,500, or $329.2K under slot that the Yankees can distribute elsewhere.)

7/14 (1): Some day-after catch-up notes here. The Tennessean reported that second-rounder Sean Duncan, a Vanderbilt commit, is “expected to sign” with the Yankees, so we’ll call him “Should Sign.” Cal State Fullerton and Texas A&M respectively said that fourth-rounder Paul Gutierrez-Contreras II and fifth-rounder Bear Harrison are “heading to” the Yankees, so if their own schools are saying that, then that’s enough for us to put them under “Will Sign.” Both were college juniors. Third-rounder Brendan Brock has “@yankees” in his Instagram bio, so while that’s less certain, we will tag a “Should Sign.”

7/14 (2): The 13th-round pick, Virginia high schooler Lee Garris, did a “next stop” post on Instagram with the Yankees’ logo and he has it in his bio, so he seems like a safe “Will Sign,” forgoing his commitment to James Madison University. And in a similar “Will Sign” vein to the above note…

• East Tennessee St. said that seventh-rounder Michael Harpster is “going pro”
• Dallas Baptist posted that eighth-rounder Luke Pettitte “is a pro”
• Pittsburgh said that ninth-rounder David Leslie is “heading to the Bronx”
• UC San Diego said of 11th-rounder Anthony Potestio: “AP to NY”
• Miami Ohio said “Berggy to the Bronx” of 12th-rounder Austin Berggren
• St. Mary’s said “Diggy is a Yankee” of 14th-rounder Diego Castellanos
• Grand Canyon referred to 16th-rounder Garrett Ahern in the past tense and said he went to the Yankees
• Florida said “Gotham got CYRious” of 18th-rounder Blake Cyr
• Baylor said “Legendary home run hitter heading to a legendary of franchise” of 19th-rounder Tyce Armstrong
• Arizona State said of 20th-rounder: “[Dean] Toigo to the Bronx”

Austin, Pettitte, Berggren, Cyr, and Armstrong now have “@yankees” in their Instagram bios as well, and so does 10th-rounder Bayram Hot, though we’ll have him as “Should Sign” since that’s it for the moment on him. (Pettitte also has “@yankees” in his Twitter bio.)

7/14 (3): Hat tip to community member CON MEN in the comments (say that 10 times fast), who linked to articles confirming that 15th-rounder William Cutshall will sign and 17th-rounder Jason Krieger had signed. Cutshall told Upstate Today that he is on his way to Tampa to sign, and Krieger’s head coach at Maine confirmed Krieger already signed. The university later posted a photo of him signing on their Instagram.

7/14 (4): Baseball America’s signing tracker reported ninth-rounder David Leslie’s bonus at $37.5K, or $166K under slot. He was a senior sign, so this was fairly expected; look for his surplus to go toward one of the prep guys or possible transfers who they’re trying to convince to go pro.

7/15 (1): Eighth-rounder Josh Pettitte and 15th-rounder William Cutshall have officially signed, per their Instagrams and related stories. Also, second-rounder Sean Duncan and his girlfriend are already wearing Yankees gear in their stories, so I feel comfortable bumping him up to “Should Sign.”

7/15 (2): Sixth-rounder Andrew Gonzalez signed today, per his high school’s Twitter. It really looks like the Yankees will sign everyone in this class! It will be interesting to see what bonus they gave him to forgo his commitment to Texas Tech.

7/16: Fifth-rounder Bear Harrison has signed for full slot ($437,200), per MLB.com’s Jim Callis. Also, 13th-rounder Lee Garris has officially signed, and given that 18th-rounder Blake Cyr’s Instagram photo is now him in a Yankees uniform, that was almost certainly also his signing. We’ll count it.

7/17 (1): Baseball America has updated its signing tracker and noted $150K bonuses for 16th-rounder Garrett Ahearn and 17th-rounder Jason Krieger, as well as $75K for a 20th-rounder in Dean Toigo. None of these bonsues exceed the threshold for the picks beyond Round 10 that would chip away at the overall pool value.

7/17 (2): Second-rounder Sean Duncan, third-rounder Brendan Brock, and eighth-rounder Michael Harpster have all officially signed, per their Instagram posts. Callis later reported Brock’s bonus at $789,800, only a little under slot.

7/18: We have a whole of signing news with slot values! Rather than just relay all the info from Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo, we’ll just include his tweets relating to Paul Gutierrez-Contreras II (Round 4), Andrew Gonzalez (Round 6), Michael Harpster (Round 7), Luke Pettitte (Round 8), and Bayram Hot (Round 10). Also, MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo reported that second-rounder Sean Duncan signed for $2,497,500. If that dollar amount sounds familiar, it’s exactly the same as what first-rounder Hunter Dietz got, just over-slot for the prep arm Duncan rather than a little under slot.

7/19: We’re almost to the end of the line! Baseball America dumped a whole bunch of post-10th round signings on their tracker and the only one who hasn’t signed yet at this point is 19th-rounder Tyce Armstrong — who again, has Yankees listed in his Instagram bio, so he probably has and we just can’t say for sure yet. All the post-10th rounders who we hadn’t yet reported on got $150K bonuses, with $300K going to 13th-rounder Lee Garris since he was a well-regarded prep pick (so $150K over “slot”).

7/20: That’s Yahtzee! Tyce Armstrong has signed. We don’t know bonus info yet, but that’s a perfect 20-for-20 on picks signed this year. Thanks for following along, everyone!

Another weekend of travel, this time to St. Louis for the Braves series, means an earlier than usual Sunday story. Before continuing, I wanted to shout out the fans who keep making it out. I’ve been here two days and both nights were fun, including last night in the Tarps Off section! Everyone feels welcomed (unless you are wearing the other team’s apparel) and the shtick isn’t overdone on me. Final shout to Jordan Walker for the nice toss!

The Cardinals have given us plenty to be annoyed at over the past week or so, but Wednesday’s team win at least paused those feelings for another 24 hours. Besides a winning result, Oli Marmol continued some lineup tweaks and moved Lars Nootbaar to center field for the fourth time since being activated from the injured list.

Grading as an above-average fielder in every season except for the last two, it is possible we have been selling Nootbaar’s defense in the outfield short thanks to his faulty heels. Since the surgery, Noot has been running faster and providing more value with the glove, doing so while also lengthening the lineup with his solid lefty bat. All told, Noot’s return was what the team needed, both on the field and in the clubhouse.

Lars Nootbaar and Joshua Baez can co-exist on this St. Louis Cardinals team

Since the start of last season, it appeared that Victor Scott II was the only sure outfielder to get everyday run, with Nootbaar continuously fighting injuries and Jordan Walker measuring as one of the worst players in all of baseball. While Noot was still on the shelf, Scott saw his leash run out quickly while Walker upped his game to All-Star caliber. Nathan Church stole the job from VSII and the Cardinals ran through a smattering of Jose Fermin, Thomas Saggese, and Bryan Torres in left field until Noot returned to full strength.

As Church’s bat settled into league-average territory, Oli Marmol saw this as an opportunity to try out a new setup in the outfield. Power bat Nelson Velazquez was promoted and when he played left field, Nootbaar swung over to center. On the surface, that outfield alignment would give Cardinals pitchers a heart attack whenever a ball is hit in the air, but new-heel Noot has been just fine up the middle until late-game defensive replacements allow him to shift back to the corner.

While it has only happened four times in his 28 games since returning, Noot has made every play hit his way in center field. He of course will not have the same range as defensive wizards Scott and Church, but making the routine play goes a long way. With Church and Noot both being lefty hitters, any flexibility in Noot’s game could give him the opportunity for more run as a better producing bat. “But Scott, why does it have to be Noot OR Church? ¿Por que no los dos?”

The payoff. Nootbaar’s ability to play center, even if it is just at the bare minimum level, makes him less likely to be traded but could still open a spot for a promotion of Joshua Baez. With this season that is not supposed to end in a postseason run, average defense will be just fine to get the team through 162 without having to go through a massive roster churn. I have been tying Baez and Nootbaar together for some time, but with Baez proving to be ready for a promotion and Noot keeping the team involved, there is no use of tearing it apart right now.

Holding onto Noot and using an option on Bryan Torres or testing the DFA wire with Velazquez or Fermin keeps Nathan Church on the active roster as a platoon option or defensive specialist. Church’s calling card has never been his power bat and even though he has left the yard eight times this year, a part-time role might help him maintain his effectiveness. A Baez promotion should only happen with everyday playing time and worst case scenario, Church and Baez could form a platoon to keep both youngsters involved.

Nootbaar would not have to play center field everyday and likely still just once a week in this scenario. Baez has been seeing semi-regular time up the middle so he is capable of handling innings in the grass. With Ivan Herrera sticking as a DH and catcher, there are only so many bat-only opportunities available and Marmol may opt to use that for a Nootbaar or other veteran rest day.

The biggest downside in holding onto Nootbaar past the trade deadline is that he becomes what JoJo Romero has turned in trade rumors. Last season, Romero seemed like a sought after trade piece after putting together a great late-inning season, but Bloom opted to hang onto the lefty for the beginning of the 2026 campaign. With JoJo ceding the closer role and seeing his overall stats take a step back, the return in a trade surrounding the reliever is much less than it would have been at this time last year.

The trade market for hitters is likely to be calmer than for pitching, creating another pro to seeing this season through with Nootbaar getting another shot to put it all together. We have heard the vibes in the clubhouse being a reason the front office has not wanted to shake up the roster in a major way and keeping Nootbaar would be another example of that. Of course, if the team continues to stick around in the thick of the Wild Card, trading a fan-favorite in Noot while in contention would be met with plenty of negative fanfare.

With under a month until the official trade deadline, I could be swayed either direction in the Lars Nootbaar trade conversations. As of Wednesday evening, I find myself open to the idea of keeping him around for the vibes, the offense, and the thought that more teams would be interested in him during the winter.

As of July 12, what would you do with Nootbaar? Is Joshua Baez directly tied to Noot or can there be some finagling around Nathan Church and others? Convince me either way and I’ll reply to the strongest argument to get a Cardinals card or giveaway of some sort.

Thanks as always!

Good morning Birdland,

Yesterday was a good one to be an Orioles fan. The team won their third in a row, came within two games of the final wild card spot, and selected several young players that they seem very excited about.

Of course, every team likes their draft picks, or else they wouldn’t have selected them in the first place. But the Orioles did seem to get solid value. They also mixed ages and positions well, which is something they haven’t always done in the draft. They have a bunch more picks to make today, though they may not be as initially exciting as the guys they have already added. But oftentimes it is these later picks that make for a better quality draft overall.

On the field, the Orioles turned in one of their most definitive wins of the season. Kyle Bradish dominated on the mound, even without his best stuff. And the offense launched four home runs, scoring five of their six total runs on long balls.

Despite what has been an up-and-down first half for the Orioles, they still find themselves in the thick of the playoff hunt. And you can make a pretty easy argument that, on the whole, they have underperformed and should have their best baseball ahead of them.

Is that reason enough for Mike Elias and the front office to go all in at the trade deadline and supplement this squad with external talent? Eh, probably not. But the reality is that these guys need to win games. There is pressure on everyone, from the players to the coaches, and especially the decision makers in the warehouse. They only need a minor indication that these guys can make it to October. Getting to four wins in a row today, on the final day of the season’s “first half” would feel like a sign from above.

I can’t really complain if that’s what happens. It would be nice to watch competitive baseball for the next two-and-a-half months. An aggressive trade deadline should make that happen. Let’s see it!

Links

More this, that and the other | Roch Kubatko
Roch notes that the Orioles, at this moment, have an 18.1 percent chance to make the playoffs, according to FanGraphs. Considering how poor they have looked for stretches across the last few months, that’s not too bad. It helps that the American League is so mediocre overall.

Orioles closer Ryan Helsley avoids surgery on elbow; Keegan Akin has surgeon appointment | The Baltimore Banner
This is very good news for both Helsley and the Orioles. The hard-throwing righty has a player option for 2027. Right now, it seems like he will pick it up. But at least there is a chance he will pitch through it, maybe even teaming up with Félix Bautista at the back of the bullpen. The news is not as good for Akin, who sounds like he is heading for Tommy John.

Orioles Activate Yaramil Hiraldo From 60-Day IL | MLB Trade Rumors
The Orioles need some bullpen depth. Hiraldo will provide that down in Norfolk. Orioles fans probably don’t want him in key situations up here anyway, but with both Helsely and Akin out for a while, this is good news.

Orioles strike balance of upside, high floors with Day 1 picks | The Baltimore Sun
It’s impossible to say right now whether the Orioles have had a good draft or not. But the process seems sound, and praise has been universally positive. That’s worth noting, even if it is not the end all be all of the draft.

Orioles birthdays

Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!

• The late Jack Harshman (b. 1927, d. 2013) was born on this day. He spent parts of two seasons in Baltimore from 1958-59, accumulating a 3.55 ERA over 283.2 innings.

This day in O’s history

1969 – Mike Cuellar tosses a complete game three-hitter to beat the Red Sox 4-0. Red Sox outfielder Tony Conigliaro has all three of their hits. Cuellar becomes the first pitcher in major league history to throw two complete game three-hitters in which one opposing hitter accounts for all of the hits. He achieves this feat in back-to-back starts (Yankees, July 8th).

2022 – The Orioles win their ninth straight game, beating the Cubs 4-2 at Wrigley Field. This win puts the Orioles at .500 for the first time all season.

2024 – Benches clear when Orioles youngster Heston Kjerstad is struck in the head by Yankees closer Clay Holmes. O’s manager Brandon Hyde takes exception to something he hears from the Yankees dugout and has to be restrained by Yankees catcher Austin Wells.