DiamondCentric

Before coming to the Toronto Blue Jays in the trade that sent Kevin Gausman to the Chicago Cubs, Brett Bateman's chances of an MLB debut this season were slim. He was blocked in the outfield by the Cubs' everyday starters, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki, and Ian Happ, and by their deep farm system with higher-rated prospects waiting patiently for their call-up. However, the Blue Jays desperately needed a spark for their offense, and Bateman has unexpectedly been that catalyst. He's played in six games since making his MLB debut last Friday (as of August 13), when his first at-bat resulted in a double off Philadelphia Phillies star Zack Wheeler. The rookie has a hit in five of his games, two runs, and three RBIs. The Blue Jays have also won five of the games that Bateman has played. He received the day off when they lost to the Boston Red Sox on August 13. The Blue Jays have shown a massive amount of faith in Bateman. He has played nearly every day and hit in the top two spots of the lineup. His speed gives the team a threat they have been lacking. He's yet to steal a base, but that'll likely change soon, as he had 83 stolen bases in 101 attempts in the minors. Toronto is known to adjust its lineup based on the matchup, but the rookie has avoided a platoon; as a left-handed bat, he has started half of his games against a lefty. The rookie has also shown the ability to provide a solid glove while handling center field. Filling the position was a major question mark after 2024 Gold Glove Award winner Daulton Varsho was traded to the Houston Astros at this season's deadline. A clear answer wasn't in the minor leagues. However, Bateman has filled in nicely. The sample is small, so the Blue Jays will see how the rest of the season plays out before they know if the rookie is their long-term answer. He doesn't provide power, which the Blue Jays also desperately need, but he offers reliable on-base skills and speed. He also possessed great plate vision in his minor league career, with a 0.86 walk-per-strikeout rate over four seasons. However, that hasn't translated to the majors yet, as he has a 0.33 walk-per-strikeout rate in his five games. He had two walks in his MLB debut but has yet to draw one since, while striking out six times. Bateman has given a positive first impression, allowing him the rest of the season to show the Blue Jays that he can be their center fielder for the foreseeable future. The Blue Jays threw him in the deep end and said, "Learn to swim." So far, Bateman has shown signs of being ready for the challenge. View the full article

TRANSACTIONS It’s a rarity, but on Friday, there were no transactions in the organization. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul, Iowa (Postponed by rain) Box Score I feel like I haven’t seen any rain for a month. But over the past 24 hours in Des Moines, they have had more than two inches of rain and it’s still coming down. So, Friday night’s game has been postponed, and the teams will attempt to play two games on Saturday. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 1, Corpus Christi 0 Box Score It was a little cooler in Wichita on Friday than it was on Thursday. At game time on Thursday, the temperature was 104. On Friday night at first pitch, it was down to just 103 degrees. Wisely, the two teams decided to play a quick game. Wind Surge pitchers were fantastic. Preston Johnson made the start and tossed five shutout innings. He gave up just one hit, walked none, and had five strikeouts. Sam Armstrong came in next and struck out three batters over three scoreless innings. He gave up three hits. Hanging on to a 1-0 lead, Paulshawn Pasqualotto earned the save with a perfect ninth inning. Wichita pitchers gave up just four hits in the game. Wichita hitters recorded just four hits in the game. They also walked four times and twice were hit by pitches. In the fourth inning, Brandon Winokur and Garrett Spain walked. With two outs, Jake Rucker came through with a line-drive single to center field. Rucker went 2-for-2 with a walk and the lone RBI. Spain had a single and a walk. KERNEL NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 0, Wisconsin 6 Box Score One night after the Kernels shut out the Timber Rattlers, Wisconsin returned the favor by shutting out Cedar Rapids. Justin Mitrovich started and gave up one run on four hits over four innings. He walked three and had seven strikeouts. Merit Jones came in and gave up four runs (2 earned) on three hits and two walks over 3 2/3 innings. He had four strikeouts. Mike McKenna came in and gave up an unearned run on three hits over the final 1 1/3 innings. He also had a balk and a wild pitch. The Kernels had just five hits and two walks in the game. They also struck out 13 times, nine of them credited to Ethan Dorchies who tossed 6 2/3 innings for the Rattlers. Jayson Bass went 1-for-2 with two walks. The team was 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left eight on base. The Rattlers are the High-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. For more on the Brewers, Rattlers and the Milwaukee organization, check out fellow DiamondCentric site, Brewer Fanatic. Most of their Top 20 prospects have spent time in Wisconsin this season but are now up in Biloxi including outfielder Braylan Payne who played in Cedar Rapids on Thursday and was promoted to Biloxi on Friday. #2 Prospect Luis Pena is a Top 20 global prospect and 2026 draft pick, and #16 Prospect Sawyer Strosnider are with the Rattlers. MIGHTY MATTERS Fort Myers 10, Clearwater 12 Box Score First the game was delayed. They started 66 minutes after the scheduled start time. And then they played the longest, nine-inning game of the season, three hours and 26 minutes. When the Threshers scored seven runs in the top of the fifth, it gave them a 12-4 lead. To that point, they had scored in each of the first five innings. To the Mussels' credit, they didn’t give up. Even in the bottom of the ninth, there was a short time when the game-tying run was at the plate. But the comeback came up shy. The Mussels scored 10 runs on 12 hits and seven walks. They also were 9-for-9 in stolen base attempts. Merphy Hernandez has become an intriguing prospect. On Friday night, he went 3-for-4 with a walk and four stolen bases. He now has 39 steals this season. Ramiro Dominguez went 2-for-4 with two walks and his 23rd and 24th doubles. He stole his 23rd base. Isaiah Lane was 2-for-5 with his third double and third triple. Luis Fragoza went 1-for-2 with two walks and his 11th and 12th steals. Charlie Scholvin went 1-for-3 with two walks and a stolen base. The only other extra base hit was off the bat of Vahn Lackey, his second triple. He also accomplished his first Golden Sombrero, his first four-strikeout game. While he will shortly be making the move north to Cedar Rapids (and rightfully so), he has hit just .200/.365/.350 (.715) with two doubles, two triples and five RBI. Cristian Hernandez made his second Mussels start. The 21-year-old gave up three runs on five hits in 1 2/3 innings. He struck out one batter. Brent Francisco came on and gave up four runs on five hits and a walk over 2 2/3 innings. Brad Rudis gave up five runs on four hits and a walk in 1 2/3 innings. Adam Falinski came in and gave his team what they needed, three shutout innings. Of note, as I expected when the Twins traded Jhomnardo Reyes to the Orioles for Dean Kremer, the Twins promoted Yovanny Duran from the FCL Twins to the Mighty Mussels. In seven games, he has hit .231/.344/.423 (.767) with two doubles and a home run. He also has five walks to four strikeouts. Certainly not huge numbers, but having watched several of his plate appearances, he is holding his own. Jordan Smith has him hitting leadoff now, and he’s earned it with quality plate appearances. Defensively, he had two outfield assists on Friday night. And he won’t turn 19 until November 3rd. COMPLEX CHRONICLES DSL Twins 18, DSL Phillies 19 Box Score Most of the time when your offense starts the game with innings scoring three, three, five, and six, there’s a decent chance you’re going to win. Weird stuff can happen in the DSL. The DSL Phillies scored 11 runs in the first innings and then they scored four in the fifth inning and three more in the top of the sixth. The Phillies scored their 19 runs on 14 hits and 14 walks. The Twins scored 18 runs on 17 hits and five walks. Phillies defenders committed four errors. The Twins defense had five errors. Yosangel Braffit started and was charged with five runs in the first inning and got just one out. Aldwin Morillo came on and gave up six runs (5 earned) on three hits and three walks and he got just one out. Arthur de la Cruz came in and got the final out of the first inning. Braffit came back in for the second inning and went two scoreless innings. Like the rule or not, this is what it is meant for. And remember, the DSL players are six promotions from the big leagues. Stats are fairly meaningless. It’s all about development. Braffit could struggle, sit back down, think, get coached, overthink, and then go back on the mound and work on things. Miguel Martinez came in. He gave up one run on one hit and two walks and recorded just two outs. Jesus Moreno gave up four runs on three hits and three walks in 1 1/3 innings. Herkyn Taveras came on and worked the final two innings. He gave up three runs (1 earned) on four hits and a walk. Jhon Gonzalez went 4-for-5 with his fifth triple. He scored twice and drove in five runs. Jeferson Abreu went 2-for-4 with a walk, his eighth double, and his fifth home run. Fabian Ulloa went 2-for-4 with three runs and three RBI. Daiyer Barboza was 2-for-5. Abel Sosa was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Enmanuel Merlo was 2-for-4. Luis Duarte went 1-for-2 with two walks. Jendy Martinez went 1-for-3 with a walk and was hit by a pitch. He scored three runs and drove in two runs. PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter(s) of the Day Merphy Hernandez (Fort Myers): 3-for-4, BB, 2 R, 2 RBI, 4 SB (39) Jhon Gonzalez (DSL Twins): 4-for-5, 3B(5), 2 R, 5 RBI, Pitcher(s) of the Day Preston Johnson (Wichita): 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K, 54 pitches, 42 strikes (77.8%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects. See how they did today. UPCOMING PROBABLES Saturday, August 15 St. Paul @ Iowa (DH @ 4:08 pm CT) - LHP Kendry Rojas (2-0, 3.72 ERA), RHP Trent Baker (3-3, 5.40 ERA) Corpus Christi @ Wichita (6:05 pm CT) - RHP Cory Lewis (1-7, 3.97 ERA) Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 pm CT) - LHP Cesar Lares (0-5, 13.00 ERA) Clearwater @ Ft. Myers (5:05 pm CT) - RHP Ramiro Villanueva (0-4, 4.96 ERA) FCL Twins - Season Complete. DSL Tigers @ DSL Twins (9:00 am CT) - No Game CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 60-63 St. Paul Saints: 66-50 Wichita Wind Surge: 45-65 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 44-66 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 61-49 FCL Twins: 33-26 DSL Twins: 17-33 Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss today’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related! View the full article

While the four San Diego Padres full-season affiliates only went 1-3 Friday, there were plenty of performances that were headline-worthy. The Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas fell to Salt Lake 8-2, the Double-A San Antonio Missions were stunned by Frisco 14-12, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps got walked off by Quad Cities 5-4 and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm cruised past Inland Empire 12-4. Padres Minor-League Transactions San Antonio Missions placed OF Jake Cunningham on the 7-day injured list. OF Alex McCoy assigned to San Antonio Missions from Fort Wayne TinCaps. Lake Elsinore Storm placed RHP Michael Salina on the 7-day injured list. RHP Victor Lizarraga assigned to Lake Elsinore Storm from ACL Padres. Musgrove Stretches Out To 70 Pitches In Chihuahuas' Loss Padres rehabbing right-hander Joe Musgrove looked good while throwing 70 pitches, but the host Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas were held hitless for 6⅔ innings in an 8-2 loss to the Salt Lake Bees. Musgrove went 4⅔ innings, the longest of his three rehab starts, and threw 47 of his 70 pitches for strikes as he looks to return to the mound for the first time since the 2024 postseason following Tommy John surgery. While the five runs on nine hits might not look good in the box score, Musgrove was regularly sitting around 96 mph in the first three innings, hitting his highest velo of 96.8 mph in the third inning. He struck out five and walked one. The fourth inning did see his four-seamer velo drop a couple ticks, although he did hit 96.3 and then 95 in the fifth. Musgrove did get tagged for a three-run homer by Omar Martinez in the second inning on a 96 mph four-seamer. Right-hander Daison Acosta followed Musgrove with 2⅓ scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out two. Right-hander Ty Adcock gave up three runs in the eighth, while recently acquired Hunter Stratton pitched a hitless ninth. Bees right-handed starter Brett Kerry took a no-hitter into the seventh, then retired the first two hitters on groundouts. But Nick Solak foiled the bid with a line-drive single to right. Ethan Salas, Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect, followed with a single of his own before the next batter was retired. The Chihuahuas' runs came in the eighth as Rodolfo Duran, who caught Musgrove, had a one-out double and scored on Dustin Harris' single, and in the ninth when Solak walked and Salas had his fifth double in 13 Double-A games to plate Solak. Salas has reached in every game he has played with the Missions. EP_0814.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Dustin Harris, CF 4 0 1 1 0 0 Gage Workman, SS 4 0 0 0 0 1 Carlos Rodríguez, LF 4 0 0 0 0 0 Nick Solak, RF 3 1 1 0 1 0 Ethan Salas, DH 4 0 2 1 0 0 Will Wagner, 3B 1 0 0 0 3 0 Mason McCoy, 2B 4 0 0 0 0 1 Nick Pratto, 1B 2 0 0 0 1 1 Marcos Castañon, PH 1 0 0 0 0 1 Rodolfo Durán, C 4 1 1 0 0 1 Totals 31 2 5 2 5 5 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Joe Musgrove (L, 0-1) 4 2/3 9 5 5 1 5 1 Daison Acosta 2 1/3 1 0 0 0 2 0 Ty Adcock 1 3 3 2 1 1 0 Hunter Stratton 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Totals 9 13 8 7 3 8 1 Alex McCoy Smashes 2 HRs In Double-A Debut, Braedon Karpathios Has 2 HRs, 6 RBIs But The Missions Lose Late Alex McCoy homered twice, including in his first at-bat, as part of a 4-for-5 night in his Double-A debut, while Braedon Karpathios also went deep twice, including a grand slam, and drove in six, but the San Antonio Missions gave up a six-run eighth inning and fell to the host Frisco RoughRiders 14-12. The Missions had a 10-4 lead after a five-run top of the sixth and 12-8 in the eighth. The Missions hit six homers, while giving up four. It was the second two-homer game of the season and career for McCoy, Padres Mission's No. 8 prospect who was promoted from High-A Fort Wayne before the game and now has 17 on the season. His other came Aug. 1 vs. Great Lakes. Karpathios, Padres Mission's No. 9 prospect, had his first two-homer game of the season and third of his career. He has 14 homers this year, one short of his career high set last year. Albert Fabian and Luis Verdugo hit solo homers for the Missions. McCoy, playing right and batting third, hit a solo homer to left in his first trip to the plate in the first inning and a two-run shot to dead center in the eighth, his final at-bat. McCoy, who leads the Midwest League with 27 doubles, hit his first in the Texas League to drive in a run in fifth. Karpathios had a two-run blast to right, a 436-foot shot, in the fifth inning and followed that with his grand slam in the five-run sixth. Verdugo hit his solo shot in the sixth. The Missions brought the winning run to the plate in the ninth after pinch-hitter Romeo Sanabria walked with two outs and Ryan Jackson singled. With McCoy on deck, Tirso Ornelas grounded out to second to end the game. SA1_0814.mp4 SA2_0814.mp4 SA3_0814.mp4 SA4_0814.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ryan Jackson, SS 5 2 2 0 1 1 Tirso Ornelas, DH 5 2 1 0 1 2 Alex McCoy, LF 5 3 4 4 0 1 Braedon Karpathios, RF 4 2 3 6 1 1 Jack Costello, 1B 5 0 0 0 0 1 Albert Fabian, LF 4 1 2 1 1 1 Kai Roberts, CF 0 0 0 0 0 0 Luis Verdugo, 3B 5 1 2 1 0 1 Wyatt Hoffman, 2B 3 0 0 0 0 1 Brendan Durfee, C 3 1 1 0 1 1 Romeo Sanabria, PH 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals 39 12 15 12 6 10 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jamie Hitt 5 7 4 4 0 5 1 Francis Peña 0 2/3 3 3 3 0 1 0 Harry Gustin 1 3 1 1 0 1 0 Bernard Jose (H, 3) 0 2/3 5 4 4 0 1 1 Garrett Hawkins (L, 0-1) (BS, 2) 0 2/3 4 2 2 0 0 2 Totals 8 22 14 14 0 8 4 TinCaps Walked Off By River Bandits After two days off due to weather, both teams came out swinging, but it was the host Quad Cities River Bandits who swung last in beating the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps 5-4 on a walk-off single by Zion Rose, the sixth overall pick in this year's draft by the Kansas City Royals. Fourth-round draft pick Robbie Lavey hit his first career homer, making it five of six Padres who have debuted in the last two weeks and homered. All did so in their first two games played. It was also Lavey's first career hit. The first two TinCaps reached to open the game, Justin DeCriscio on a walk and a stolen base and Ryan Wideman (Padres Mission's No. 2 prospect) also walked, when Rosman Verdugo went opposite field with a three-run homer, his 13th this year. The River Bandits got a two-run homer of their own in the bottom of the first. Lavey, a left-handed hitter, then drilled a 1-2 pitch out to right field off River Bandits left-hander Mason Miller to make it 4-2 in the fourth inning. But that would be it for the TinCaps as the River Bandits tied it in the eighth and won it in the ninth. Lamar King Jr., Padres Mission's No. 10 prospect, had two hits for the TinCaps. TinCaps right-handed starter Carson Montgomery allowed three runs over four innings on four hits and two walks with four punchouts, while right-hander Winyer Chourio (Padres Mission's No. 17 prospect) pitched four innings of relief, giving up one run on three hits with two walks and four strikeouts. FW_0814.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin DeCriscio, SS 3 1 0 0 1 1 Ryan Wideman, CF 4 1 1 0 1 1 Rosman Verdugo, 2B 4 1 1 3 1 0 Robbie Lavey, DH 4 1 1 1 0 1 Lamar King Jr., C 4 0 2 0 0 1 Luke Cantwell, 1B 3 0 1 0 1 1 Kerrington Cross, 3B 4 0 1 0 0 3 Dylan Grego, LF 1 0 0 0 1 0 Kasen Wells, RF 4 0 0 0 0 2 Totals 31 4 7 4 5 10 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Carson Montgomery 4 4 3 3 2 4 1 Winyer Chourio 4 3 1 1 2 4 0 Sean Barnett (L, 0-1) 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 Totals 8 8 5 5 5 8 1 Trio Of Homers Power Storm Past 66ers Jorge Quintana, Truitt Madonna and Qrey Lott homered, while Alex Conover had two hits and drove in three as the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm crushed the host Inland Empire 66ers 12-4. Quintana, Padres Mission's No. 7 prospect, had a three-run homer in a five-run third inning that also saw Lott go deep. It was Quintana's sixth and Lott's seventh of the season. Madonna, Padres Mission's No. 15 prospect, hit a solo shot in the second to trim the Storm's deficit to 3-1, his fourth this season. After Lott homered and Conover (fourth-round compensation pick) singled in a run to tie the game, Quintana's blast put the Storm on top for good at 6-3. After getting single runs in the fourth and fifth, the Storm put this one away with a four-run eighth. Sixth-round draft pick Nu'u Contrades drew a bases-loaded walk, Conover had a two-run single and Ty Harvey (Padres Mission's No. 5 prospect) an RBI groundout. Right-hander Victory Lizarraga, who was sent from Double-A San Antonio down to the Arizona Complex League after 17 games on July 14, returned to the Storm for the first time since 2022 and started, going three inings and allowing three runs while striking out six. After right-hander Yoesmerli Beltre tossed a scoreless fourth, right-hander Adler Cecil struck out seven over the next four innings, allowing just one hit and an unearned run with a walk. Right-hander Jordan Valenzuela pitched a scoreless ninth. LE_0814.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Nu'u Contrades, 3B 5 2 2 1 1 0 Alex Conover, CF 5 1 2 3 0 0 Chris McHugh, DH 5 0 1 0 0 2 Ty Harvey, 1B 4 2 1 1 1 2 Jorge Quintana, SS 4 1 1 3 1 1 Jose Verdugo, 2B 4 0 1 1 0 0 Truitt Madonna, C 4 2 2 1 1 1 Jesmaylin Arias, RF 4 1 0 0 0 0 Qrey Lott, LF 3 3 2 1 2 0 Totals 38 12 12 11 6 6 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Victor Lizarraga 3 3 3 3 0 6 1 Yoesmerli Beltre 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Adler Cecil (W, 1-0) 4 1 1 0 1 7 0 Jordan Valenzuela 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Totals 9 6 4 3 1 14 1 Padres Mission's Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: 2-for-4, 2B, RBI Ryan Wideman: 1-for-4, R, BB, K Coleman Borthwick: In Arizona Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Ty Harvey: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, 2 R, BB, 2 K Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season Jorge Quintana: 1-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, BB, K Alex McCoy: 4-for-5, 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 R, K Braedon Karpathios: 3-for-4, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 2 R, BB, K Lamar King Jr.: 2-for-4, 2B, K Elliot Lascelles: In Arizona Tucker Musgrove: DNP Jagger Haynes: DNP Jake Cunningham: DNP Truitt Madonna: 2-for-4, HR, RBI, 2 R, BB, K Eric Yost: DNP Winyer Chourio: 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K Jesus Castro: DNP Michael Salina: On injured list Rosman Verdugo: 1-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, R, BB View the full article

In a potentially big blow to the Milwaukee Brewers, right-handed reliever Abner Uribe was placed on the 15-day injured list Friday with a strained flexor in his right forearm. Right-handed reliever Grant Anderson was called up from Triple-A Nashville. The severity of the injury was not immediately known. Uribe has been the primary setup man for the Brewers after initially sharing closer duties with right-hander Trevor Megill. Uribe has a 3.08 FIP (2.05 ERA) in 49 games and 48⅓ innings this season. He has converted six saves in eight chances this season, while having a 9.4% walk rate and 25.1% strikeout rate. His strikeout rate is down about 5 points from last year's 30.2%. Losing Uribe for any length of time will be difficult for the Brewers' bullpen, but especially as the NL Central-leading team approaches the postseason. While Anderson fills that roster spot, filling that role will be more critical for manager Pat Murphy and pitching coach Chris Hook. Anderson has been at Triple-A Nashville since Aug. 4, when the Brewers activated left-handed starter Kyle Harrison from the 15-day IL. In 44 games and 48⅔ innings, Anderson has a 4.44 FIP (3.70 ERA) with a 9.4 walk rate and 21.5% strikeout rate. Also, the Brewers outrighted right-handed reliever Lyon Richardson to Triple-A. Richardson has the option of becoming a free agent or reporting to Nashville. View the full article

The Minnesota Twins have a problem that is usually considered a good problem to have. They're too versatile, and that versatility is holding them back. Not only is it blocking top prospects like Walker Jenkins, but it's also impacting performance on the field. View the full article

Austin Martin may have played the best game of his Twins career on Monday night against the Baltimore Orioles. He went 4-for-5 with a double, a home run, three runs scored, and a stolen base, putting together the kind of performance that reminded everyone why Minnesota was so excited to acquire him at the 2021 trade deadline. Martin was the top prospect coming back to the Twins in the Jose Berrios trade, and Monday provided a glimpse of the player the organization hoped he could eventually become. Unfortunately, one excellent game doesn’t erase what has been a prolonged stretch of poor offensive performance. For the first six weeks or so of the season, Martin looked like he was finally becoming the hitter the Twins envisioned when they acquired him. He was never expected to provide much power, but he was making up for it by leaning into the strengths that had always defined his offensive game. Martin was making consistent contact, showing impressive strike-zone awareness, and finding his way onto the bases with regularity. Through May 14, he owned a .333 batting average and a remarkable .454 on-base percentage, while drawing more walks than strikeouts. His 155 wRC+ during that span suggested Minnesota had found a legitimate high-level contact bat. At the end of April, Twins Daily named Martin the team’s Hitter of the Month, which was especially encouraging based on his strong finish to 2025 (108 OPS+ in 50 games). That early-season success made Martin's subsequent collapse even more difficult to understand. Since May 14, he is batting just .186/.290/.273 for a .563 OPS over 200 plate appearances. His strikeout-to-walk ratio during that stretch is 40-to-20, and he has been worth -0.83 WPA. Over a 162-game pace, that comes out to roughly -2.0 WPA. Those aren't numbers that simply suggest a player is going through a minor slump. They're the kind of numbers that make it difficult for a team trying to remain competitive to justify keeping a player in the lineup. The Twins have also tried to put Martin in situations where he can succeed. He has received some protection from right-handed pitching because the platoon numbers are so different. Martin owns a .587 OPS against right-handed pitchers compared to a much better .809 OPS against lefties. Still, some of those positive numbers versus southpaws came in the season’s early weeks. The problem is that opponents have also figured out that there isn't much reason to fear Martin's power. His .337 slugging percentage against fastballs is nearly 40 points lower than it was in 2025, while his contact against breaking and offspeed pitches has been particularly problematic. He is batting below .175 against those pitch types, making it increasingly difficult for him to consistently reach base the way he did earlier in the season. That's where the roster fit becomes especially difficult to defend. Martin's best traits are supposed to be his ability to make contact and get on base, but when neither of those things is happening consistently, there isn't much else to carry his offensive profile. He isn't providing enough power to make up for a low batting average, and the current version of Martin isn't getting on base at a high enough clip to justify sacrificing offense elsewhere in the lineup. The Twins also have a fairly easy solution available if they decide it's time for a reset. Martin has one minor league option remaining, meaning Minnesota can send him to Triple-A without having to expose him to waivers and potentially lose him for nothing. There is precedent for taking this approach with a talented player who has struggled at the big-league level, as the Twins did with Royce Lewis earlier this season. A trip to the minors could give Martin an opportunity to get regular at-bats, work through his swing, and rediscover the approach that made him so effective during the first six weeks of the season. The timing could make even more sense with Byron Buxton expected to return as early as this weekend. Instead of trying to find another way to squeeze Martin into an already crowded roster, the Twins could use Buxton's return as an opportunity to make the move. Martin can go to Triple-A and work on getting back to the player he looked like in April and early May, while Minnesota puts a more productive lineup on the field during a critical portion of the season. Monday's performance should not be ignored, either. Going 4-for-5 with a home run, double, three runs, and a stolen base is exactly the type of game that can remind a player and an organization what is possible. But the Twins can't make roster decisions based on one night, especially when the previous 200 plate appearances have been this poor. Martin still has time to change the narrative surrounding his Twins career. The organization invested heavily in his potential when it acquired him as part of the Berríos trade, and his early-season production showed that there may still be a legitimate big-league hitter somewhere in there. Right now, though, the Twins need production more than they need potential, and Martin hasn't provided enough of it for nearly half a season. Does Martin need a reset at Triple-A? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Winners of 16 of their last 20 games, Worcester is playing some of their best baseball at exactly the right time. Since traveling to Syracuse at the end of June, the WooSox have gone 24-10, vaulting themselves up the standings and into the conversation of being the potential second-half winners of the International League. In Triple-A, the season has been broken into two halves since 2022. In the International League, the team that has the best record between the two divisions at the end of each half secures a playoff spot. The Memphis Cardinals were this season’s first-half champions, securing home field for a best-of-three series to determine the league champion; the winner of that gets to play in Las Vegas against the Pacific Coast League’s champion to determine a Triple-A champion. Following a 2-1 win on August 12, the team sits just half a game back of Indianapolis for first place. The WooSox have put themselves into a situation where they have a shot to compete for their first championship since they moved to Worcester and the playoff format changed. To say that the thought of a playoff race isn’t on the team’s mind would be wrong. “I’m not gonna say I’m not thinking about it, cause I’d be lying if I wasn’t,” acting manager Iggy Suarez admitted to the media back when the team was two games back of first. “You look at the standings and kind of see where you are. You don’t scoreboard watch too much, you look where you are after games. But you can’t help to check. “We’re not talking about it around here. It’s like, we just gotta do what we do and whatever happens, happens. That’s all we can do." This isn’t the first time Suarez has been involved in a playoff chase. When he was a player back in 2006 with the Portland Sea Dogs, he was called up from the Wilmington Blue Rocks to help the team as they were competing for the Double-A championship. The team would go on to capture the franchise’s first Eastern League Championship that season. It wouldn’t be the only time Suarez was involved in a playoff race, as he was the manager of the Greenville Drive when they swept the South Atlantic Championship Series in 2023 with a roster that had a few guys who are now in Worcester. “It’s a cool time to be in. I’ve been fortunate enough as a player to do it, 2006 in Portland. I’ve done it as a manager, we won in ’23 [in Greenville]. The players know. Let’s keep playing our game and what we do.” Worcester’s season has been defined by not just one player carrying the team, but thanks in part to everyone stepping up at different times. Early in the season, they lost key players such as Payton Tolle, Jake Bennett, Mickey Gasper and Nick Sogard to the parent club. Despite that, the team hovered around .500 thanks to the contributions of guys like Allan Castro, Anthony Seigler, Raymond Burgos and Vinny Capra. Even when Seigler was promoted to Boston and the team lost a key offensive piece, others stepped up as Tyler McDonough and Max Ferguson were brought up from Portland and contributed immediately. Now in the second half, that playstyle has evolved. Since traveling to Syracuse at the end of June, the offense has been rolling. In the month of July, the team had 10 position players with an OPS over .700. Castro just missed that with an OPS of .690. Eight players had at least nine RBIs for the month and Brett Harris and Capra were tied for the team lead with 14. On the pitching side, the bullpen has stepped up all season. Without more than one available starting pitcher until late July, the team was constantly throwing bullpen games, sometimes four times a week as they navigated a lack of arms. Innings have been tough to cover, but the bullpen led by Angel Bastardo, Wyatt Olds, Seth Martinez, Eduardo Rivera and recently traded reliever Tyler Uberstine held down the fort in the month of July. Then, reinforcements from Double-A came in the form of Blake Wehunt, John Holobetz and Gage Ziehl. “When I got the text from Dan [Delucia] and it’s not all TBDs, when you see actual names, I was like is it for real. It’s a breath of fresh air. I bet the bullpen is pumping their fist in the ‘pen, give them a little bit of rest,” Suarez joked when the topic of the new starters was approached. The heavy reliance on the bullpen hasn’t gone unnoticed; following the August 12 game against Buffalo, Worcester has deployed 31 bullpen games. Overall, their record has been 19-12 across those games, a sign of how dominant their bullpen has been. “Before, we were asking a lot out of them and I think they understand the situation. They’ve stepped up. It’s not an easy thing to do, especially doing it as many times as we’ve done this year. I think it’s a mindset they’ve grown accustomed to and they’ve been getting better at. I’ve never seen this many like we’ve had this year, but again it’s a testament to how they prepare and are able to give us good outings.” For most of the season, the team would have four, sometimes five pitchers available each night. The plan was to navigate outs rather than plan innings. Most pitchers would deliver two innings a night, and some such as Noah Song and Hobie Harris have been able to provide length and give three innings. The hope was that the team would make it through each game with the four arms. If not, it was likely a position player such as Juan Montero or Nathan Hickey who would take the mound. “It’s a breath of fresh air. There’s still some hiccups that can happen here and there, but to be able to have starters that can give us three or four innings in the beginning of the game to go into the bullpen as opposed to going into the bullpen first and then Hickey’s coming in the seventh.” And now with everything starting to click for Worcester, the potential the team always had is now being shown. The players who kept the season alive are still thriving, but now with assistance from the next wave of incoming prospects. The roster has mostly stayed the same, but the latest additions that have been optioned from Boston and promoted from Portland has allowed the team to flourish. Each time it seemed they were out of a game during the second half, the team has fought back in and managed to win. Against Jacksonville on July 22 the team was trailing 7-0 and then 10-4 in a seven-inning game before eventually walking them off 13-12. “There’s an energy in the dugout knowing that if we’re within striking distance we’ll have a chance even if we’re behind. I think any kind of lead, we don’t panic. It’s just a matter of just giving ourselves good at-bats. Again, you feel the energy whether it’s in the dugout with our bats or coming from the bullpen and our pitchers on the mound. Once you have that energy and that mentality there’s no doubt we’ll be in it,” Suarez explained about the team’s recent hot streak. Worcester has never had a losing season since moving from Pawtucket, but this season has a different feel to it. The team has been a cohesive unit all year despite the roster being in a constant state of change. Led by players such as Arias, Campbell, Castro and Capra on the field, Worcester is now riding high and aiming for a trip to Las Vegas. View the full article

One of the better stories of the season in the San Diego Padres' system is movin' on up. Left fielder Alex McCoy, Padres Mission's No. 8 prospect, was promoted from High-A Fort Wayne to Double-A San Antonio on Friday. To make room on the Missions' roster, outfielder Jake Cunningham was placed on the seven-day injured list. The 24-year-old right-handed hitter signed with the Padres as an undrafted free agent in 2024 and has done nothing but hit since. This year with the TinCaps, the 6-foot-5, 240-pound McCoy slashed .268/.351/.469 with 15 homers and 55 RBIs, while stealing 20 bases in 97 games. He got off to a blazing start this year, posting a .354/.386/.683 in 22 April games. McCoy hit his Midwest League-leading 27th double in his last game Tuesday (the TinCaps have had their last two games wiped out by weather) as he had a hand in all four of Fort Wayne's runs in a 5-4 loss to the Quad Cities River Bandits. McCoy ranks in the top five in the Midwest League in three other categories: third in extra-base hits with 43, fourth in hits with 99 and fifth in total bases with 173. He leads the TinCaps in runs with 59, homers, RBIs, steals, multihit games with 27 and multi-RBI games with 15. View the full article

On Thursday, the Phillies and Twins played in Dyersville, Iowa continuing MLB's Field of Dreams Game series. The day after MLB's return to the cornfields of Iowa, Major League Baseball announced that the Royals will play the Boston Red Sox in next year's edition. The Royals will be listed as the home team, and the game will take place on Thursday, August 12 with NBC Sports providing coverage. Both teams will get a day off on the 13th before resuming the three-game series at Kauffman Stadium on August 14-15. This will be the fourth edition of the Field of Dreams Game. The series took a break following 2022 in order to renovate and expand the complex in Dyersville next to the original film site before resuming the series in 2026. Teams participating in the Field of Dreams Game have traditionally worn throwback uniforms. While the Royals have not changed their look drastically in their history, expect a look reminiscent from the early years of the franchise. The Royals are the first true expansion franchise to participate in the series, although the Twins previously wore the original uniforms from their first season in Minnesota after relocating from Washington. View the full article

You can listen by downloading us from: iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, GleemanAndTheGeek.com, or by clicking this link, or by watching/listening below. View the full article

The San Diego Padres have starting pitching? The San Diego Padres have starting pitching. The San Diego Padres have starting pitching! Randy Holt and Steve Drumwright recap the week that was, meaning a 5-1 homestand, including a sweep of MLB's best team, that vaulted them into the No. 2 NL wild-card spot. That is because the trade-deadline acquisitions of Robbie Ray and Casey Mize suddenly have made the starting rotation a strength instead of a question mark. That newfound depth also has a trickle-down effect that can only strengthen the Padres as they head into September. After checking in on the latest draft picks to make their pro debuts, Randy and Steve then look ahead to a six-game road trip to play the Cleveland Guardians and New York Mets. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/padres-mission-podcast/id1896922834 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033xclmydmbLmEp0exYuYz Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-padres-mission-podcast-336930560 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@padresmission View the full article

For better or for worse, the human brain is wired to make instantaneous evaluations of strangers. Within seconds, we’ve determined whether we should view them positively or negatively. It was a built-in safety feature for primal humans that has survived all of the rigorous years of evolution. Once we’ve formed that first impression, we filter all of our future impressions of this person through that lens, and we subconsciously seek confirmation to prove that our first perception was correct. Whether we like to admit it or not, we do the exact same thing with baseball players that suit up for our favourite teams. Jays fans will immediately think of J.P. Arencibia hitting a homer on the first pitch he saw in the big leagues and finishing his debut 4-for-5 with two homers and a double. Arencibia rode that debut through the next three years as the Jays’ primary catcher despite never really living up to his hot start for any extended stretches. A busy trade deadline and some roster churn have given Jays fans plenty more first impressions, and it’s hard not to be excited about a few of them. As smart baseball fans rather than hunter-gatherer cavemen, we do our best to turn off that primal instinct, watch the process and wait for a larger sample, rather than making determinations based on the immediate results from a guy’s first couple of times putting on the uniform. But that doesn’t mean we can’t overreact slightly to what we’ve seen from the newest Blue Jays in their first couple of opportunities with their new team. For example, I can’t blame you if you’re on the Brett Bateman bandwagon. The centre fielder was acquired from the Cubs in exchange for Kevin Gausman and made just two appearances in Buffalo for the Jays before Luis Urías went on the IL, opening up a spot on the major league roster. Bateman didn't have to wait for his welcome-to-the-big-leagues moment because his first start came against Zack Wheeler, a veteran of 12 major league seasons and one of the best pitchers of the last decade. Wheeler’s first pitch to the nine-hitter was a heater up in the zone, which Bateman mashed off of the left field fence for a double. The first hit of his career on the first pitch he saw. Bateman worked walks in both of his next two plate appearances against Wheeler and finished his debut 1-for-2 with a run scored. You can understand fans buying into the hype of a successful debut, but it really opened my eyes to just how impressed the manager was when the next day’s lineup came out and Bateman was batting in the two-hole against Aaron Nola. John Schneider obviously likes his fit at the top of the lineup, because when he’s been in there, the only time he’s found himself not in the two-hole since his first start against Wheeler was when he hit leadoff against Jesús Luzardo. The best part is that Bateman’s delivered. He’s got hits in five of his first six games, and at least one run scored or batted in in four of those games as well. Obviously it’s been tough to watch this Jays team that’s scored the second fewest runs in baseball, and Bateman putting up quality at-bats in key spots amidst a stretch of winning baseball has made him a quick fan favourite. But seriously. It can’t be understated how perfectly timed his hits have been. The defense has been quiet in a good way. He also adds a good pair of legs to a Jays team with the third lowest average sprint speed in baseball, and so far the hits have come at the right times. Long-term, there are still questions as to whether or not there will be enough power to justify an everyday role, and in the tiny sample, none of his batted ball numbers look very exciting. But first impressions matter, and it’s hard to make a better one than Brett Bateman has so far. A bit of a smaller-profile first impression has come in the form of Josh Smith. Picked up from the Texas Rangers in exchange for Adam Macko in a slightly head-scratching deal at the deadline, Smith had a 65 wRC+ across 154 PAs for the Rangers. The Jays liked the contact-heavy profile as well as the defensive versatility and saw Smith as a buy-low candidate. The early returns are relatively positive. The overall numbers are carried by a 3-for-4 with a homer day against the Phillies, but he’s also stolen a base and gotten a sacrifice bunt down. It’s not sexy. He’s nobody’s new favourite player, but he’s represented a fundamental soundness that the Jays have severely lacked at times this season. Would we look on him this fondly and talk ourselves into Josh Smith if the Jays had lost seven and won four since the deadline instead of the other way around? No way! But the Jays are winning, and Smith is contributing, so his first impression is a good one. The guy Jays fans were most excited to get our eyes on following the trade deadline has now completed two appearances, and the results on his first impression are in: José Soriano is going to be a very productive Blue Jay. I’m almost as confident as when he was first acquired. He’s done a great job of showing us what could be on the table going forward without actually doing it. Racking up 18 whiffs in his Blue Jays debut last week against the Phillies was certainly intriguing, but it only translated to three strikeouts across 4.2 innings. His second Jays start came against the Red Sox, and while he was able to work a quality start, only allowing one run over six innings, he lacked a certain dominance. He worked around four hits and a pair of walks. It’s really interesting that in his most recent start, Soriano threw 45.6% sinkers and 14.4% knuckle curves – his highest and lowest marks of the year, respectively – but again, the goal here isn’t to make any sweeping declarations about Soriano based on his first couple starts with his new team. There is obviously a plan with him that extends well beyond the final six weeks of 2026. If you gave Jays fans a truth serum and asked what they thought about Soriano’s first couple starts, I bet a lot of them would be forced to admit they’re a bit disappointed. Not because he’s been bad. But because when you acquire a pitcher with the stuff that Soriano has, and acquire him for a prospect with as much helium as Arjun Nimmala, you start to dream of dominance. The good thing for Soriano: We’re not cavemen, and he’s got plenty of runway to shape the narrative of his Blue Jays tenure. View the full article

Chicago Cubs Transactions N/A. Ben Cowles Drives In Five As Iowa Routs St. Paul, 10-3 The Iowa Cubs sent 11 batters to the plate in the first inning, scored six runs, and never gave the lead back in a 10-3 win over St. Paul. Owen Miller opened the scoring with a home run. Kevin Alcantara walked, Greg Jones singled, and Ben Cowles followed with a three-run home run. Ethan Hearn hit a home run of his own, Ed Howard singled, Hayden Cantrelle was hit by a pitch, and Justin Dean singled home the sixth run. Cowles was not done. He singled home Jones in the second, and he and Jones hit solo home runs in the fifth, and then Hearn drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth for the final Iowa run. Add it all up, and Cowles finished 3-for-3 with two home runs, five RBI, a walk, and two runs scored. Jones went 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk, an RBI, and three runs scored. Howard added two hits, and Alcantara drew two walks. Iowa totaled 10 hits, five home runs, and 10 RBI, and left seven runners on base. Kohl Franklin started and worked four innings, allowing three hits and one run with two walks and three strikeouts. Evan Taylor took the win after two innings of two-hit relief with two strikeouts. Antoine Kelly gave up two hits over 1 1/3 innings and struck out three. Eduarniel Nunez finished with 1 2/3 innings, one hit, two runs, one walk, and three strikeouts. Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin Dean 5 0 1 1 0 2 BJ Murray 5 0 0 0 0 2 Owen Miller 4 2 1 1 0 0 Kevin Alcantara 3 1 0 0 2 2 Greg Jones 4 3 2 1 1 1 Ben Cowles 3 2 3 5 1 0 Ethan Hearn 3 1 1 2 1 0 Ed Howard 4 1 2 0 0 2 Hayden Cantrelle 3 0 0 0 0 3 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kohl Franklin 4 3 1 1 2 3 1 Evan Taylor 2 2 0 0 0 2 0 Antoine Kelly 1 1/3 2 0 0 0 3 0 Eduarniel Nunez 1 2/3 1 2 2 1 3 1 Knoxville Breaks A 1-0 Deficit With Four-Run Seventh In 6-1 Win The Knoxville Smokies collected five hits without scoring through six innings before turning the game around in a 6-1 win over Rocket City. Trailing 1-0, Knoxville strung together a four-run seventh. Carter Trice singled, Karson Simas singled, and leadoff man Kane Kepley walked to load the bases. Alex Ramirez singled home a run, and Miguel Useche doubled to clear the bases and put Knoxville up 4-1. Two more runs followed in the eighth. Dom Krupinski walked, Alex Madera singled, Simas singled home a run, and Kepley doubled home another. Ramirez led the offense at 3-for-5 with an RBI. Simas matched him with three hits in four at-bats, an RBI, and a run scored. Useche went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI, the most of any Smokies player. Brody McCullough started and gave Knoxville five innings, allowing three hits and one run without a walk while striking out eight. Daniel Palencia followed with a hitless inning on a rehab assignment. Yenrri Rojas earned the win with two innings, one hit, no runs, and two strikeouts. Tyler Ras closed it out with one inning and one hit. Knoxville pitching held Rocket City to five hits, walked none, and struck out 10. Player AB R H RBI BB K Kane Kepley 4 1 1 1 1 0 Alex Ramirez 5 1 3 1 0 0 Miguel Useche 4 0 2 3 0 1 Andy Garriola 3 0 0 0 0 1 Dom Krupinski 3 1 0 0 1 1 Carter Trice 3 1 1 0 1 1 Ariel Armas 4 0 1 0 0 2 Edgar Alvarez 0 0 0 0 0 0 Alex Madera 4 1 1 0 0 1 Karson Simas 4 1 3 1 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Brody McCullough 5 3 1 1 0 8 0 Daniel Palencia 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Yenrri Rojas 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 Tyler Ras 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 South Bend Rallies Late But Falls At Great Lakes, 8-6 The South Bend Cubs spotted Great Lakes eight runs over the first four innings and could not close the gap, losing 8-6. South Bend answered in the first when Kade Snell walked and Josiah Hartshorn singled him home. Logan Poteet hit a home run in the second. Matt Halbach hit a home run in the seventh. Hartshorn drove in Snell again with a single in the eighth. The ninth inning brought South Bend within two. Alexey Lumpuy singled, Poteet singled, and Brennan Hudson doubled home a run. Snell grounded out to bring in another before Angel Cepeda struck out to end the game with Hudson standing at third. Hartshorn finished 2-for-4 with two RBI, and Halbach went 2-for-4 with a home run, an RBI, and a run scored. Poteet also had two hits, a home run, an RBI, and two runs scored. Lumpuy added two hits and a run. Nazier Mule started and took the loss, allowing six hits and eight runs, seven of them earned, over 3 2/3 innings with three walks and three strikeouts. Yoendris Gonzalez followed with 2 1/3 innings, four hits, no runs, and two strikeouts. Ethan Bell added two innings, two hits, no runs, and two strikeouts. Player AB R H RBI BB K Kade Snell 4 2 0 1 1 2 Angel Cepeda 4 0 0 0 1 2 Josiah Hartshorn 4 0 2 2 0 0 Jose Escobar 4 0 0 0 0 1 Matt Halbach 4 1 2 1 0 0 Alexey Lumpuy 4 1 2 0 0 1 Logan Poteet 4 2 2 1 0 0 Brennan Hudson 4 0 1 1 0 2 Geuri Lubo 4 0 0 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Nazier Mule 3 2/3 6 8 7 3 3 2 Yoendris Gonzalez 2 1/3 4 0 0 0 2 0 Ethan Bell 2 2 0 0 0 2 0 Derniche Valdez Drives In Four As Myrtle Beach Pulls Away, 11-4 The Myrtle Beach Pelicans broke a 4-4 tie and then buried Hill City with a six-run eighth inning in an 11-4 win. Myrtle Beach led 4-1 through three innings. Ethan Conrad singled home Jose Silva in the first with a well-placed chop to shallow right. Juan Cabada brought in Derik Alcantara on a force out in the second, and Corey Nunez doubled home Caden Sorrell before Derniche Valdez added a sacrifice fly in the third. Hill City tied it in the fifth without a hit. Nunez singled home Conrad to put Myrtle Beach back in front, then the eighth broke the game open. Ivan Cespedes was hit by a pitch, Cabada doubled, Silva singled in a run, and Sorrell singled in another. Nunez walked, and Valdez tripled to clear the bases. Nunez finished 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, two RBI, and two runs scored. Valdez drove in four on his triple and sacrifice fly. Cabada, Silva, Sorrell, and Conrad each had two hits. Myrtle Beach totaled 13 hits and left nine runners on base. Chase Meyer started and gave the Pelicans 3 1/3 innings, allowing two hits and one run with three walks and six strikeouts. Geovanny Vasquez did not allow a hit over 1 2/3 innings but walked three and gave up three runs, two of them earned. Jordan Henriquez worked one inning with one hit, one walk, and one strikeout. Luke Alwood took the win with three innings, one hit, one walk, and five strikeouts. Player AB R H RBI BB K Juan Cabada 5 1 2 1 0 0 Jose Silva 4 2 2 1 0 1 Caden Sorrell 5 2 2 1 0 2 Ethan Conrad 5 1 2 1 0 2 Corey Nunez 4 2 3 2 1 0 Derniche Valdez 4 1 1 4 0 1 Derik Alcantara 3 1 0 0 2 0 Fernando Cruz 4 0 0 0 1 3 Ivan Cespedes 3 0 1 0 0 1 Jan Luis Reyes 0 1 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Chase Meyer 3 1/3 2 1 1 3 6 0 Geovanny Vasquez 1 2/3 0 3 2 3 2 0 Jordan Henriquez 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 Luke Alwood 3 1 0 0 1 5 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Jefferson Rojas: DNP Pedro Ramirez: DNP Jaxon Wiggins: DNP Josiah Hartshorn: 2-for-4, 2 RBI Kevin Alcantara: 0-for-3, 2 BB, 2 K Ethan Conrad: 2-for-5, 3B, RBI, 2 K Kane Kepley: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, BB Owen Ayers: DNP Jonathon Long: DNP Kaleb Wing: DNP James Triantos: DNP Brooks Caple: DNP Mason McGwire: DNP Ty Southisene: DNP Will Sanders: DNP Juan Cabada: 2-for-5, 2B, RBI Eli Lovich: DNP Ariel Armas: 1-for-4, 2 K Jostin Florentino: DNP Grant Kipp: DNP View the full article

Spencer returns to the show as he and Jack assess the level of concern after a three-game sweep in San Diego. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brewer-fanatic-podcast/id1740648724 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5CY8mWsQayqjDXqw9OT2Td iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-brewer-fanatic-podcast-166534588/ Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/ommzz627 Watch On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@brewerfanatic View the full article

Jacob Reimer caught the hitting bug that has been going around at Binghamton. On Thursday, it was his turn to make an opponent sick. Reimer launched a three-run home run in the seventh inning to break open the Rumble Ponies' 10th consecutive victory, a 6-2 triumph over Portland. It was his first long ball since returning from a rehab assignment at High-A Brooklyn on Aug. 4. But even without much slug (two extra-base hits), he has been productive at the plate. He has driven in runs in six of seven games, and the homer gave him 10 RBIs in that stretch. He's up to .300 (9-for-30) after a third consecutive two-hit night. The surge is a welcome development for the 22-year-old corner infielder, who appeared to be on the fast track after his 61-game stretch at Binghamton last year (.853 OPS, nine home runs). He stumbled through the first 2 1/2 months this year before going on the injured list in mid-June with a groin tweak. He's up to a .729 OPS and seven homers in 57 games for the Rumble Ponies. His contribution Thursday was also important because he's fighting a few newcomers for at-bats on a suddenly stacked infield. Top prospect Jefferson Rojas and slugging Billy Amick were acquired around the trade deadline. Corey Collins came up from Brooklyn last month. All have been making an impact with the Ponies. Elsewhere in the organization: Syracuse's game at Jacksonville was suspended in the top of the fifth inning because of rain, with the Mets trailing 3-2. Zack Short was on third base with one out and Vidal Brujan was at the plate with a 2-0 count when play was halted. The game will be completed Friday, beginning at 5:05 p.m. The clubs' regularly scheduled game will follow. Brooklyn scored three runs in the seventh inning and two more in the eighth to beat Jersey Shore 6-1. Daiverson Gutierrez broke a 1-1 tie with an RBI double in the seventh. The bullpen gave up one hit over five scoreless innings. St. Lucie scored all its runs in the final three innings as it defeated Jupiter 7-2. Ethan Lanthier struck out nine over 3 2/3 innings and Elian Pena homered for the third time in the series. DSL Mets Orange shut out DSL Giants Black 3-0. Maxgregori Harvey and Olmedo Barria combined on a one-hitter with 11 strikeouts. DSL Mets Blue lost a 16-10 slugfest to the DSL White Sox. Adrian La Rosa had three hits and three RBIs. New York Mets Transactions No Roster Moves Morabito Stars, Santucci Stumbles Before Syracuse Game Suspended Nick Morabito drove in both Mets runs before the rains hit. He led off the game with a home run, and he brought home another run with a groundout in the third. Mets starter Jonathan Santucci failed to get out of the first inning. He was hooked after throwing 36 pitches (19 strikes). He was charged with two runs (one earned) on one hit and three walks. Reimer Caps Binghamton's Comeback The Rumble Ponies overcame an early deficit with a pair of three-run innings. They took the lead with three in the fifth and then added on with Reimer's homer. Corey Collins started the fifth-inning rally by drawing a walk. D'Andre Smith doubled to move him to third. Kevin Parada lined a single to right to score Collins. A throwing error on the play allowed Smith to score and move Parada up to second. Mitch Voit reached on a fielding error that moved Parada to third. Marco Vargas bunted into a fielder's choice, switching places with Voit. Vargas then stole second, and Parada scored on an error by Portland's catcher. Dakota Hawkins and Zach Conley piggybacked the start. Each went three innings, Hawkins was touched up for two runs on four hits, while Conley allowed two hits and no walks over three scoreless frames. He was the pitcher of record when Binghamton took the lead. Player AB R H RBI BB K Mitch Voit 5 0 0 0 0 3 Marco Vargas 5 0 0 0 0 2 Jefferson Rojas 4 1 0 0 0 2 Jacob Reimer 4 1 2 3 0 0 Chris Suero 2 0 0 0 2 1 Billy Amick 4 0 0 0 0 3 Corey Collins 2 1 0 0 2 1 JT Benson 0 0 0 0 0 0 D'Andre Smith 4 1 2 0 0 1 Kevin Parada 3 2 2 1 1 1 Totals 33 6 6 4 5 14 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Dakota Hawkins 3 4 2 2 1 2 2 Bryce Conley 3 2 0 0 0 3 0 Bryce Jenkins 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 Saul Garcia 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Garrett Stratton 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals 9 7 2 2 3 8 2 Brooklyn Takes Its Time In Beating Jersey Shore The Cyclones finally got to work in the seventh. Antonio Jimenez tripled to right with one out and scored on Gutierrez's double to left. Gutierrez moved to third on a fly out by Eddinson Paulino, Chase Meggers walked, and then Trey Snyder singled to center to bring in Gutierrez for a 3-1 lead. Ronald Hernandez was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Henriquez then walked to force in Meggers. Meggers and Snyder extended Brooklyn's lead with RBI singles in the eighth. Joel Diaz started and went the first four innings. He allowed Jersey Shore's run and four hits. Hunter Hodges, Parker Carlson and Gregori Louis followed and limited the Blue Claws to one hit over the final five innings. Player AB R H RBI BB K Trey Snyder 5 0 3 2 0 1 Ronald Hernandez 3 0 1 0 1 1 Yonatan Henriquez 4 1 1 1 1 1 Jamari Baylor 3 0 0 0 1 1 Colin Houck 3 1 0 0 1 2 Antonio Jimenez 3 2 2 1 1 1 Daiverson Gutierrez 4 1 1 1 0 0 Eddinson Paulino 3 0 0 0 1 0 Chase Meggers 3 1 1 1 1 1 Totals 31 6 9 6 7 8 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Joel Díaz 4 4 1 1 1 1 0 Hunter Hodges 2 1 0 0 1 3 0 Parker Carlson 2 0 0 0 2 4 0 Gregori Louis 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals 9 5 1 1 4 9 0 Peña In Middle Of St. Lucie Comeback Peña started the winning rally in the eighth with a one-out double. He scored on a double by the next batter, John Smith III. He capped the scoring in the ninth with his eighth home run of the year, a two-run shot. Kooper Schulte had put the Mets up 5-2 one batter earlier with a two-run single. Peña reached base three times in all with two hits and a walk. The Mets tied the game in the seventh with an RBI double by Bohan Adderley and a run-scoring groundout by Vladi Gomez. Lanthier allowed just a solo home run in his dominant outing. Christian Rodriguez piggybacked off him and wound up earning the win as he allowed a run and four hits over 3 2/3 innings. Miguel Mejias got the final five outs for his fifth save of the year. He struck out three. Player AB R H RBI BB K Elian Peña 4 2 2 2 1 2 John Smith III 5 0 2 1 0 1 Eli Serrano III 4 0 0 0 1 2 Ryan Tayman 2 1 0 0 3 0 Yovanny Rodriguez 4 1 1 0 0 1 Bohan Adderley 3 1 1 1 1 0 Vladi Gomez 4 1 1 1 0 1 Reed Stallman 4 0 0 0 0 2 Kooper Schulte 3 1 1 2 1 1 Totals 33 7 8 7 7 10 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ethan Lanthier 3 2/3 1 1 1 2 9 1 Christian Rodriguez 3 2/3 4 1 1 3 3 0 Miguel Mejias 1 2/3 0 0 0 0 3 0 Totals 9 5 2 2 5 15 1 Top-20 Prospect Performance Jonah Tong: DNP Jack Wenninger: DNP Ryan Clifford: DNP Elian Peña: 2-for-4, 2B, HR, BB, 2 K Nick Morabito: DNP Jacob Reimer: 2-for-4, HR Mitch Voit: 0-for-5, 3 K Jonathan Santucci: DNP Zac Thornton: DNP Chris Suero: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K Will Watson: DNP Wandy Asigen: DNP Eli Serrano III: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K Randy Guzman: DNP Dylan Ross: DNP Ryan Lambert: DNP Antonio Jimenez: 2-for-3, 3B, BB, K R.J. Gordon: DNP Jonathan Pintaro: DNP Marco Vargas: 0-for-5, 2 K View the full article

Josh Donaldson has never been shy about sharing his opinion, and the former Minnesota Twins third baseman is making waves with some rather unflattering comments about his former team and the state of Minnesota. On a recent episode of his Get It Done League podcast, Donaldson was discussing Jeff Hoffman being traded to the Twins at the deadline and his thoughts on Minnesota as a destination. Donaldson did not exactly give his former home a ringing endorsement. "He's going to get to go to Minnesota, where it's 'Minnesota Nice'... people in Minnesota... I don't think they even care about baseball that much... Playing there for two years, I thought it was mediocre at best," Donaldson said. Parker Hageman of Twins Daily shared a clip of Donaldson's comments on X, and it quickly generated plenty of engagement from Twins fans, many of whom remember Donaldson's own two-year run in Minnesota quite well. Donaldson signed with the Twins as a free agent ahead of the 2020 season and spent two seasons with the club. While he was productive when on the field, posting a .829 OPS, many fans had a sour taste in their mouths over Donaldson's time in Minnesota. Injuries limited him to just 163 games over those two years, and he missed the Twins' 2020 postseason run because of injury. Donaldson's tenure in Minnesota was also defined by his personality. He became a polarizing figure among Twins fans, with his attitude, controversial comments and perceived lack of leadership rubbing plenty of people the wrong way. After spending the 2022 and 2023 seasons in New York and Milwaukee, Donaldson retired following the 2023 season. He now hosts Get It Done League alongside former teammate and All-Star Russell Martin and veteran broadcaster Arash Madani. Now, his comments about Minnesota have given Twins fans another reason to revisit the Donaldson era. What do you make of Josh Donaldson's comments? And what is your overall opinion of Donaldson's time with the Twins? Let us know in the comments. View the full article

Owen and Jesse have a busy four-game series against the Boston Red Sox to break down, but they start by debating what has changed for the Blue Jays over this recent stretch of five straight series wins. They break down the series game-by-game, focusing on the viral "fourth out rule" that broke our brains in game one, Charles McAdoo's contributions, Brett Bateman's explosion onto the scene, and José Soriano's strong but slightly disappointing second start as a Blue Jay. All that and so much more on an extremely excited episode of the Jays Centre Podcast. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jays-centre-podcast/id1846108462 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bi7SzfpcqMo5xYWnbCeoL Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-jays-centre-podcast-300304824/ Listen on Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/2qk9wqxd Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayscentre View the full article

Brooks Lee’s first few seasons in the major leagues haven’t exactly been what we all hoped for. Across his first 305 big-league games, Lee slashed just .238/.289/.383. For a player whose bat was supposed to be his calling card coming out of the draft, that isn’t the kind of production the Twins were looking for—and he's already slid to third base, where his glove looks good but not great. There have been flashes, but nothing consistent enough to suggest that Lee was becoming the hitter Minnesota had hoped for. However, something does appear to be changing in 2026. Through 466 plate appearances, Lee is hitting .247 with a .303 on-base percentage. Those numbers certainly aren’t eye-popping, but they represent a noticeable step forward from what we’ve seen during his first two seasons. The biggest area of growth has been his power production. Lee’s slugging percentage is .054 higher than it was a year ago, and he has already established new career highs in doubles, triples and home runs. Pair that with the highest walk rate of his career, and on the surface, it looks like Lee might finally be breaking out. But is he actually doing so? While Lee’s surface-level numbers are comfortably the best of his young career, the underlying data suggest that the improvement hasn’t necessarily come from him making better contact. In fact, compared to 2025, his quality of contact has regressed. Lee’s average exit velocity has dipped from 88.6 mph to 87.7 mph, while his hard-hit rate has fallen considerably, from 38.5% to 31.7%. His barrel rate (as a share of his batted balls) has also dropped by more than two percentage points. That’s not exactly what you want to see from a hitter whose offensive production is supposedly taking a step forward. His expected batting average sits at just .224, while his expected slugging percentage is a whopping .095 lower than his actual mark. While Lee’s production on the surface has been as good as ever, he's making less impressive contact. The obvious question, then, is which indicator we should trust. Is Lee breaking out, or just shuffling sideways? I’m going to say the surface-level numbers carry more weight, for now. Maybe that’s just me trying to be optimistic about a former top prospect who hasn’t quite lived up to expectations yet, but there are legitimate reasons to believe Lee’s improvement is more than just a statistical mirage. For starters, his calling card has always been his hit tool, and that part of his game has taken a step forward this season. Lee’s whiff rate and strikeout rate are both lower than they were a year ago. He’s putting the ball in play more often, and naturally, good things tend to happen when a hitter consistently gives himself a chance to produce. No, he isn’t hitting the ball quite as hard as he was a year ago. Yes, his hard-hit and barrel rates have gone backward. But if he’s putting the ball in play more frequently and giving himself more opportunities to find gaps, reach base and take advantage of defensive mistakes, hitting it hard becomes less vital. There’s also been a pretty clear change in Lee’s overall approach at the plate. He’s pulling the ball more often this season, while also hitting the ball in the air at a higher rate. Those two changes tend to go hand in hand with increased extra-base production, even when the hitter isn’t consistently producing barrels. Lee has been more aggressive on pitches in the strike zone, too. That would suggest his improvement isn’t simply coming from getting lucky on balls in play. There’s intention behind some of the changes he has made at the plate. Even if the resulting contact isn’t always particularly loud, that approach gives him a better chance to turn his natural bat-to-ball ability into actual offensive production. None of this means Lee is suddenly going to become a superstar. He probably isn’t going to be the type of hitter who puts up 30 home runs in a season. He’s probably never going to rank among the hardest hitters in baseball, either. But that’s alright. He doesn’t need to become that player to have a successful major-league career. He just needs to become the player the Twins thought they were drafting: a smart, fundamentally sound hitter who consistently puts the ball in play and can do enough damage to make pitchers pay. At 25 years old, there should still be plenty of room for that player to emerge. The numbers underneath Lee’s 2026 breakout are certainly worth monitoring, and if the quality of his contact doesn’t eventually catch up, there’s reason to believe his current production could regress. But for the first time in his young career, there are also signs that Lee is figuring out how to make his skill set work at the major-league level. View the full article

That catching prospect Ethan Salas escaped the trade deadline still a member of the San Diego Padres organization served as a mild surprise. Once it became evident that the team would be buyers, there wasn't really an existent threshold between a pathway to improving the current roster and A.J. Preller's penchant for dealing away prospects in pursuit of a win-now mentality. Fortunately for the Padres, Salas never really appeared to be in danger of moving as the Padres worked in tiers other than the very top of the market in order to improve their rotation. Which means now the conversation around Salas can transition to his future in San Diego. Of course, the immediate question in such a conversation becomes just how quickly that future can come to fruition. Salas is still only 20 years old (and has been for just a couple of months), but carries the weight of the entire farm system on his back. He rose through the minor-league ranks rapidly between 2023 and 2025, with injuries slowing him down from what could have been a Triple-A appearance as a 19-year-old last season. Nevertheless, he progressed to El Paso at the end of July of this year and now stands on the precipice of a major-league appearance. The sample with the Chihuahuas remains minuscule (11 games, 52 plate appearances), but after earning his promotion, Salas has done nothing but rake since his promotion. It's not even just that the numbers have been good (Salas has slashed .326/.404/.605 with a .279 ISO, good for a 133 wRC+); it's that the underlying trends look incredible. Salas is showing an advanced approach even as a youngster in Triple-A. He's swinging a lot, but he's not chasing. That's allowed him to maintain a high rate of contact (much of which has been quality) and a 14.0 percent walk rate that holds up well against a strong 16.3 percent strikeout rate. Considering the lack of questions about his defensive acumen (again, even given the age), it's only natural to wonder if a call-up upon roster expansion could be imminent. Such a question might be absurd for a contending team in the midst of a playoff chase. But starting catcher Freddy Fermin has struggled mightily (.197/.275/.320, 69 wRC+) at the plate, and Luis Campusano, while improved defensively, profiles more as a backup with the ability to DH than as someone you're going to entrench in the starting gig over long stretches of time. The former issue has been at least temporarily solved. Fermin hit .292 in July and is well over .300 through our small sample in August. He's also hitting the ball hard at his highest rate (37.5 percent) since April. So, there's some steady improvement with the bat there, in addition to the fact that his Fielding Run Value ranks sixth among qualifying catchers. That's not exactly a trend you want to remove from regular work, and the Padres aren't going to be inclined to have Salas sit on the bench behind him when everyday reps will surely benefit him more in the long run. However, it's not as if Fermin is a surefire option for the long haul. While he's excellent with the glove in his hand, his bat has been more of the streaky variety, especially since his arrival in San Diego last season. It's entirely possible that the team could give Salas a cup of coffee upon the expansion of rosters in September just to get him some exposure to the top level. More realistically, though, we're looking at him as legitimately part of the catching mix come next spring. That alone is a really exciting possibility. Franchise catchers are a rarity in the game, and Salas has spent a healthy 2026 looking, once again, like he has the chops to become just that. The stall in his development because of last year's health issues appears to be behind him and, regardless of what the timeline could look like, it doesn't seem like it'll be too much longer before an opportunity presents itself. View the full article

The Minnesota Twins have built their roster around a simple idea: availability is the best ability. It is a philosophy that traces back to the Derek Falvey-Thad Lavine front office, and for years it worked. Guys like Marwin Gonzalez, and later Willi Castro, and now Kody Clemens thrived by playing multiple positions and giving the team flexibility. However, watching this 2026 club, I think we have found the exception to that rule. An overabundance of versatility is not making this team better. It is holding it back and blocking the prospects who should be helping to move it forward. In the outfield, Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez (to a lesser extent and for different reasons) are knocking on the door. In fact, I think Jenkins should already be up in the big leagues. Instead, he is stuck behind a group of outfielders who all do a little bit of everything but nothing exceptionally well. A group of serviceable veterans is blocking both players in an outfield that is below average defensively, and (aside from Buxton) average offensively. However, that is just one part of the larger core issue with this roster. The Twins have too many players who can capably fill in at multiple spots, and while it looks like a strength on paper, it has been less than ideal on the field. Look at what has happened at the infield corners this season. Brooks Lee opened the year at shortstop while Royce Lewis manned third base. That pairing did not work for either player, so the Twins shuffled them around the infield. Lewis slid over to the right side of the infield, and Lee moved to third. That shuffle then forced Luke Keaschall to the outfield, a position group that was already crowded before he ever got there. One move created a chain reaction, and none of the resulting fits looked ideal. First base has been its own carousel. Josh Bell and Victor Caratini have gotten time there, and so have a few other options who can technically play the position without excelling at it. Shortstop, meanwhile, was a rotating door between Tristan Gray and other fill-ins before the promotion of Kaelen Culpepper (who also may not be a shortstop long-term). Frankly, neither of those stopgap options gave fans much to be excited about. Then there is the outfield beyond Jenkins and Rodriguez. Of course, Byron Buxton is the primary center fielder when healthy, and Trevor Larnach is in the middle of a career year, so those two spots are locked down. But after Matt Wallner was sent down to Triple-A, the Twins turned to a rotating mix of players who could serviceably cover the outfield grass without anyone truly claiming the job. It has been useful in a pinch, sure. But useful is not the same as good, and the difference shows up in the numbers. By defensive runs saved, the Twins currently rank third worst in all of baseball at -25 runs, trailing only the Athletics and Mariners. That is not a coincidence. When you build a roster full of players who are passable at several positions instead of excellent at one, the defense suffers, as does the pitching. I understand the appeal of building a roster this way. It is genuinely helpful to have players who can slide around the diamond when injuries hit or when a young player like Wallner needs more seasoning in the minors. That kind of flexibility has bailed the Twins out more than once this season. But there is a cost to it, and right now the Twins are paying that cost on defense, in the win column, and in playing time for prospects who have earned a real shot. The Twins do not need more players who can capably fill in everywhere. They need players who are genuinely excellent somewhere, even if that means committing to a defined role and letting the versatile depth pieces support from the bench instead of starting every night. Until that changes, expect the shuffling, the defensive miscues, and the frustration from fans watching top prospects wait behind a roster of jacks of all trades. Do you think the Twins’ defensive struggles trace back to too much roster shuffling and a lack of true standouts at each position? Let me know what you think in the comments! View the full article

Dean Kremer struggled to a 6.50 ERA before the trade deadline, but he's been dominant through two starts with Minnesota. Here's what's behind the turnaround. View the full article

Don't write off a division title quite yet; there's a path for the Chicago Cubs to catch the Milwaukee Brewers. Sitting only 4 games back this race is not even close to being over. Cubs still have to face the Brewers 7 more times and with the Brewers traveling to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers. The Cubs could close the gap as soon as this weekendView the full article

Hoping to build on both the goodwill generated by and fan response to this year’s Field of Dreams game, MLB announced that Saturday’s Twins/Phillies game would be played in Forks, Washington, home of the vampire baseball scene in the 2008 film Twilight. “Field of Dreams is a generational touchstone for so many baseball fans,” said MLB commissioner Rob Manfred. “And the same can be said for the story of Bella and her immortal vampire lover Edward in Twilight. The fact that a game of baseball is foundational to her acceptance into Edward’s family of fellow sparkly vampires makes this an ideal sequel to our game in Dyersville.” The game was originally slated to be played at Target Field. Anyone with tickets to the game will have them honored if they make the trek to the remote Washington town. “We understand it’s a bit of a haul from the Twin Cities to Forks,” said a source in the Commissioner’s office. “And there obviously aren’t any direct flights. What we’re hoping is that people will hop in the minivan for a fun weekend road trip with the family to share the beauty of baseball. I don’t really drive. Gas is still cheap, right?” When told that it’s actually quite expensive at this time and that there might be some age gap discourse given that Bella is 18 while Edward is 108, the source pointed out the window and said there was a beautiful baby bird. No such bird was observed, and when this reporter turned back around, the source was gone. Team sources say the Twins and Phillies will be wearing old-timey uniforms like the vampires do in the Twilight scene. The players will be allowed to add as much sparkly glitter to their skin as they are comfortable with. While many MLB greats replicate the Field of Dreams scene where legends enter the diamond from the adjacent corn field, It’s not known how they would be utilized in a Twilight-themed game. At least one Hall of Famer is skeptical. “Vampires are pretty scary,” said Twins great Joe Mauer. “And if they’re sparkly? No way, Jose. Real rough stuff.” View the full article

Cubs outfield prospect Kane Kepley has one of the more intriguing profiles that you’ll come across in the minor leagues. Chicago used their second-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft on Kepley out of the University of North Carolina, and he's quickly established himself as one of the more interesting young players in the organization. He currently ranks as North Side Baseball’s No. 5 prospect, and while he might not have 30-homer upside, there’s a lot more to his offensive profile than raw power. In fact, what Kepley lacks in that department, he makes up for in just about every other area. Across 98 games between High-A South Bend and Double-A Knoxville, Kepley is hitting just .253. That number obviously isn’t going to jump off the page, especially for a prospect who ranks inside the Cubs’ top five. But look a little deeper, and the picture becomes considerably more interesting. Kepley’s on-base percentage sits at .436, while his OPS is at .853. Those numbers are being driven largely by one of the most impressive traits in his game: his plate discipline. His walk rate currently sits at an outstanding 21.3%. He’s averaging more than a walk per game. It often feels like opposing pitchers don’t even want to give him anything to hit; they're too frustrated to bear down on the hard task of getting him out. He’s swinging at just 34.4% of the pitches he sees, so he’s taking nearly two-thirds of everything thrown his way. For context, most hitters are swinging at nearly half of the pitches they see. Kepley doesn’t chase very often, and that level of selectivity is extremely encouraging for a young hitter—particularly one who’s still adjusting to professional pitching. He isn’t getting himself out by expanding the zone, and when he does reach base, he has the skill set to make opposing teams pay for it. That brings us to another huge part of what makes Kepley so interesting: his speed. After stealing 45 bases in his final season with the Tar Heels, it was fair to wonder how much of that athleticism would translate once he started facing professional competition. The answer has been pretty emphatic. Kepley has already logged 53 stolen bases on 58 attempts this season. If you walk him, you better be prepared for him to take second. And if he reaches on a single, there’s a good chance he’s already thinking about how he can turn it into something more. That speed is a massive part of his overall profile. Obviously, being a center fielder makes that speed even more valuable. Kepley has the range to run down balls in the gaps, and his instincts and reaction time allow him to get to plenty of balls that other outfielders simply wouldn’t. He can cover a ton of ground, and while he likely won’t be needed in center field long-term (with Pete Crow-Armstrong already there), his defensive ability will still be extremely valuable. In fact, the two could eventually form one of the best defensive outfield tandems in baseball. Kepley’s speed doesn’t only show up defensively, or when he’s running the bases. He’s also a legitimate threat to take the extra base when he puts the ball in play. He has already recorded seven triples this season, along with 34 total extra-base hits. He might not be a traditional power threat, but he can absolutely drive the ball into the gaps and turn his speed into extra bases. And, interestingly enough, his power has improved since joining the Cubs. Kepley hit just 13 home runs over the course of his three-year college career. He's already hit eight this season, and that’s after making the transition from a metal bat to a wood bat. Obviously, that uptick in power is over a fairly small sample, and it would be premature to suddenly project significant home run power onto his profile. But it’s certainly an encouraging development, especially when you consider that the rest of his offensive game is already built around getting on base and creating pressure once he does. He might not have the highest ceiling among the Cubs’ top prospects. There are players in the organization with considerably more raw power, louder tools and a clearer path toward becoming middle-of-the-order hitters. But prospects aren’t only about the ceiling outcome. Sometimes, the players with the highest floors can become incredibly valuable major leaguers, and Kepley feels like one of those players. He has great speed, he’s a terrific defender, and he has plate discipline that’s clearly well beyond his years. He can steal bases, take extra bases, and drive the ball into the gaps, and he has even shown signs that his power could be developing into more than initially expected. There are still things he’ll need to prove, particularly as he continues climbing through the upper levels of the minor leagues. His batting average shows that there is still plenty of room for improvement as a hitter, and his long-term power ceiling remains a question. But there are enough established strengths in his game to make him one of the more fascinating prospects in the Cubs’ system. Kepley might not be the prospect with the highest upside. He might, however, be one of the prospects with the highest floor. And if he continues to show this kind of discipline, speed and defensive ability while refining the rest of his offensive game, it’s entirely possible that we see him in the majors at some point in 2027. View the full article

Where did that damn magic go? The Brewers—these Pat Murphy Brewers, who are some extension of the Craig Counsell version that emerged almost a decade ago but are a different thing, too; who are transcending what that team was and maybe what baseball teams themselves are—are supposed to have a durable magic that makes them unique. They hit with runners in scoring position. They string together gritty at-bats and line drives and bloopers. They drive you insane as they drive you, slowly, into the dirt. They beat you with timely hitting that no other team can produce as consistently. But suddenly, they couldn't produce it, either. The sweep in San Diego laid that bare. The Crew had 28 at-bats with runners in scoring position over three games, and collected just three hits. That's not even the half of it, though. It's been weeks of this: living life as a normal team. It sucks. It's hard. And it's been eroding their cushion in the NL Central. This team that has frequently felt like an exception to baseball's rigid rules of regression and sequencing and old-fashioned luck has been mortal, lately. Too many damn fastballs. It's the perpetual lament of Jack Stern and the bane of so many Brewers' fans existence. This team throws too many damn fastballs. They do it for good reasons. They're not bucking the prevailing trends of an ever-smarter league out of unbridled hubris. Still, it's a strategy that comes with costs, and sometimes, those costs are maddening. Sometimes, those costs feel avoidable and massive and far greater than the benefits. In the bottom of the sixth inning Thursday night, Antonio Senzatela and William Contreras decided to throw too many damn fastballs. Senzatela's cutter is about 5 MPH slower than his true heaters, a sinker and a four-seamer, and it works a bit like a slider. Throwing his cutter to Max Muncy wasn't such a terrible idea. But Contreras felt the pull back to the fastballs he loves to call, and he obeyed that pull too readily. When the cutter didn't go quite where Senzatela wanted it to, he tried to help his pitcher power his way out of trouble. A sixth straight hard pitch was plenty for Muncy. He got on time and launched a scoreboard-flipping three-run home run. It was too many damn fastballs, is all. A bad loss—a very, very bad loss. Another one. That's what this game was sure to be. After three losses in San Diego, this was going to be a fourth in a row. This team has kept winning, even while rendered mortal by their sudden lack of runners-in-scoring-position magic and even while throwing too many damn fastballs, but now, they're not winning. And those pesky Cubs won't stop coming. They lost Thursday in Washington, but they've been winning too much lately; they're closing the gap. This wouldn't just be any other bad loss. It would be one more lost opportunity for a much-needed turnaround win. Contreras was right back in the center of the frame. He's looking like the goat, even on a team that hasn't lost anything important and doesn't have to cast blame anywhere at the moment. The Dodgers' first run scored when Contreras tried to sweep a tag down on an incoming runner faster than the play required, and left the ball behind. Their other three scored when he wouldn't stop calling fastballs. And when he came up to lead off the ninth inning against Edwin Díaz, he did everything wrong. Of the three competitive pitches Díaz threw him, he swung at the one outside the zone and stared at the two that caught it. One up, one down. And then: magic. It all came rushing back, and, funny thing: it happened because Díaz threw too many damn fastballs. First, Joey Ortiz got one on the inner third and hit a line-drive single. It was just a spark, but you can't have fires without those. Next came David Hamilton, whom Díaz had right where he wanted him after he got a swing on a slider slicing in toward Hamilton's legs to get ahead 1-2. He tried another slider, but it was a bit less tempting, and Hamilton laid off. On the ensuing 2-2 offering, he went back to the fastball, and made another mistake. Another line drive; another single. A bit of real heat, now. Jackson Chourio has begun to show that locked-in understanding of the strike zone that was missing before. If he can hold onto that skill, he's headed for superstardom, after all. He didn't come up with a game-breaking long hit against Díaz, but he put together a great, gritty at-bat. Poor Díaz. He made mistakes to Ortiz and to Hamilton, but you're supposed to be able to get away with those against those guys. He executed superbly against Contreras, and other than missing the outside edge with a fastball on the fourth pitch, he executed everything against Chourio. Still, reaching out to protect the plate with two strikes, Chourio flipped a bloop single into right field, spoiling an out pitch of a slider. This is how the Brewers drive you crazy. Suddenly, the Brewers just needed one more hit to tie to the game. They just needed one more player to take a perfectly good pitch and ruin it. Garrett Mitchell did just that. Díaz hit the inside edge with a first-pitch fastball, but Mitchell knew that that would beget a biting slider headed down and in off the same plane on the next pitch. He got it, and he hit another line drive. Simple, but magical. It was time to get greedy. How back was the magic? Could the Crew actually take the lead? Dave Roberts tried to stop the bleeding by going to Alex Vesia and putting Jake Bauers in a left-on-left matchup. Maybe if Vesia had stuck to his own fastball, that would have worked. Unfortunately for the Dodgers, after getting ahead with two fastballs up and away, he got worried that Bauers would adjust and cover that pitch. He tried to get him out with a slider down. In fairness to Vesia, Bauers didn't hit a line drive. He didn't even dunk a blooper into the outfield. He hit the ball pretty much straight into the ground, but lo, it snuck through. Magic, made of line drives and bloopers. A few too many fastballs, but from the opponents this time. And after Trevor Megill slammed the door shut, Thursday night turned out to be a good win—a very, very good win. Another one. Every time you think what has made the Brewers unique is starting to falter, they flip the switch back on. Every time you think they might let up too much and get caught by the onrushing Cubs, they snatch an unexpected victory away in their last at-bat. Their resiliency might be their real magic, and unlike sequencing or batted-ball luck, it might be something they can sustain for a few more years. View the full article