DiamondCentric

The Minnesota Twins have already seen a handful of their top prospects make their big-league debuts during the 2026 season. Kaelen Culpepper and Gabriel Gonzalez have officially cracked the majors, and Culpepper even looks likely to lose rookie eligibility and prospect status this season, as Connor Prielipp and Andrew Morris have already done. That leaves the organization with a new question to answer: Who will be the next top prospect to make the jump to the majors? There is an obvious answer sitting in Triple-A. Walker Jenkins has been one of the hottest hitters in the Twins organization since returning from his shoulder injury, and his production at St. Paul has made it increasingly difficult to justify keeping him in the minors. But Jenkins isn't the only prospect whose timeline is becoming clearer. Minnesota has several young players moving through the system at different speeds. Some could arrive before the end of 2026, while others aren't likely to see Target Field for several more years. Here is an updated look at the projected MLB ETAs for Twins Daily’s top 10 prospects. OF Walker Jenkins — St. Paul Saints ETA: August 2026 At this point, there doesn't seem to be much left for Jenkins to prove in the minor leagues. The former first-round pick has been tearing the cover off the ball at Triple-A, with a .512 slugging average since June 23. His performance has put him on the doorstep of the major leagues. The Twins could use another impact bat. Jenkins's arrival would give Minnesota another potential middle-of-the-order presence and provide a glimpse at one of the most important pieces of the organization's future. Arguably, though, he would be an even bigger upgrade for the team on defense, where he profiles as a plus defensive outfielder. On a nightly basis, the team is feeling the pain of Luke Keaschall's struggles to field any position. Jenkins's debut isn't just possible. It feels imminent. C Vahn Lackey — Fort Myers Mighty Mussels ETA: May 2028 Lackey represents a much longer-term investment. Some fans may want to see the Twins move their newest top prospect through the system quickly, but there are several reasons to take a more patient approach. Catchers generally take longer to develop than many other position players because of the demands of the position, both physically—the grind of a professional season is unlike anything one can experience in college, especially at catcher—and off the field, where the ability to work with pitchers and to clearly understand the organization's methods of preparing for opposing offenses are vital. There is also the possibility of a lockout next offseason, which could shorten the big-league season and not allow the necessary runway for player call-ups. Lackey has plenty of time. If Minnesota takes the conservative approach, his path could include multiple seasons of development—including at least one full season in the minors—before he is ready to take over behind the plate in the majors. SS Marek Houston — Wichita Wind Surge ETA: July 2027 Houston has answered plenty of questions during his first full professional season. The shortstop has been excellent defensively, while also showing that he can more than hold his own offensively (124 wRC+). That combination has made him one of the most intriguing prospects in the organization and one possible answer to Minnesota's long-term shortstop problem. Houston doesn't need to be rushed, but he's passed some crucial tests already. If he continues progressing at his current pace, a 2027 debut is becoming a realistic possibility. Culpepper is getting an opportunity now, but the Twins could move Culpepper to second or third base to accommodate Houston by this time next year. RHP Riley Quick — Wichita Wind Surge ETA: September 2027 Quick is currently Minnesota's top pitching prospect, but that doesn't mean the Twins need to accelerate his timeline. The organization can afford to let him finish the 2026 season at Double-A and begin next year at the same level. If he continues to perform, a move to Triple-A around the middle of the 2027 season would make sense. From there, Quick could become a September call-up. That timeline would allow him to build up innings and experience without putting unnecessary pressure on a young pitcher to immediately become a major-league starter. On the other hand, as we've seen, the organization likes to avoid wasting bullets in the minors. If Quick stays healthy and continues to thrive, a fast-track debut akin to those of Zebby Matthews or Connor Prielipp could be in play. OF Emmanuel Rodriguez — St. Paul Saints ETA: September 2026 Rodriguez is perhaps the most complicated player on this list. His talent has never really been the question. His health has been the biggest obstacle, and that has prevented him from making his major-league debut despite spending parts of three seasons at Triple-A. However, because he's played just enough in each of five professional seasons to qualify those campaigns as complete, Rodriguez will be out of minor-league options heading into next season. The Twins need to determine whether he can be an everyday player in 2027, and that means he needs an opportunity to establish himself at the major-league level—or, failing that, to be showcased as trade bait. A September debut would give Minnesota a chance to evaluate Rodriguez before making decisions about next year's roster. There's still plenty of upside here. It could be the possibility of promoting Rodriguez instead that has led the team to take it slow with Jenkins. OF Hendry Mendez — St. Paul Saints ETA: June 2027 Mendez has been one of the organization's biggest risers this season, with a 114 wRC+ in the upper minors. He has moved all the way to Triple-A and has put himself firmly into the conversation for a future major-league role. The problem is that Minnesota has plenty of left-handed corner outfielders competing for similar opportunities, including Jenkins, Rodriguez, and Alan Roden. That organizational depth could make Mendez an interesting trade candidate this winter. If he remains with the Twins, a 2027 debut is realistic. But the front office could also view Mendez as a valuable trade chip, as it attempts to address other areas of need on the roster. C Eduardo Tait — Cedar Rapids Kernels ETA: August 2028 Tait is still one of the youngest players in the organization, so there's no reason for Minnesota to rush his development. He will probably spend 2027 at Double-A, with an opportunity to reach Triple-A at some point. Even if he spends all of 2028 at Triple-A, he could still reach the majors in his early 20s. That's a perfectly reasonable development path for a 19-year-old catcher. The Twins can afford to be patient with Tait. His ETA may be further away than some of the other prospects on this list, but that doesn't diminish his long-term importance to the organization. RHP Charlee Soto — Cedar Rapids Kernels ETA: September 2029 Soto has the longest projected timeline among Minnesota's top prospects, and there are good reasons for that. Injuries have limited him throughout his professional career. He's thrown just 15 2/3 innings over the last two seasons, making it difficult to establish a normal development progression. He's also only 20 years old. There's no reason for the Twins to push Soto through the system simply because he's a highly regarded prospect. A healthy 2027 season at High-A, followed by Double-A in 2028 and Triple-A in 2029, would give him plenty of time to rebuild his workload and continue developing. If everything goes according to plan, Soto could make his major-league debut during the 2029 season. As with Quick, he could also debut much sooner—but unlike Quick, right now, there seems to be a great deal of development left to do, in addition to building innings and avoiding injury. The Twins' prospect timeline is about to get very interesting. Jenkins is the clear next man up, and it would be surprising if he isn't wearing a Minnesota uniform before the end of August. Rodriguez could follow later this season, giving the organization another important evaluation before the offseason. The next wave isn't far behind. If the team gets their scouting and development right, this season should be the start of a lengthy window of competitiveness. Do you agree with the ETAs listed above? Whose would you change? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Fish On First LIVE discusses how Griffin Conine stacks up to some of the very best hitters in baseball in terms of both his recent production and under-the-hood data.View the full article

Welcome to Shape of the Blue Jays, my column where I dig into Statcast numbers to analyze recent pitch shape and swing shape trends for Toronto Blue Jays players and discuss how they have impacted their performance. Click here to read the last edition. All stats entering August 14, 2026. Quick Hits: Where'd the Barrels Go? Entering Thursday, the Blue Jays were 10-4 in their last 14 games and had climbed to within 1.5 games of the final Wild Card spot. Given this, I'd start this week's column on a more positive note in an ideal world, but this nugget was too good not to mention: They finished their 7-0 loss in the finale against the Red Sox with an expected batting average of .157. That is their fourth-lowest single-game xBA of the Statcast era, in games where they struck out five or fewer times. Yes, they were up against Payton Tolle, a very good pitcher. In fact, Tolle was coming off a 14-strikeout performance against the Athletics, and he failed to record one until the seventh inning against the Jays. It sounds like an accomplishment, but they only had three hard-hit balls all afternoon, and all of them were on the ground. This game perfectly encapsulated the fact that being a low-strikeout offense means nothing if you can't hit for power. The 2026 Jays have shown us this time and again. It was encouraging to see the team come out of the trade deadline with a new sense of energy and reinsert themselves into the conversation in the still-muddy American League. Ultimately, though, their recent stretch is probably unsustainable if they don't start putting balls over the fence more consistently. José Soriano The changes we saw from José Soriano in his first start with his new team were pretty much what was expected throughout the industry. Shoutout to Jays Centre's own Mike LeSage for sharing this video in our writers' Slack channel that summarizes them well. (Pitching development content with sarcastic undertones is on Instagram Reels now? My hope for the future has been restored.) On Wednesday against Boston, Soriano (6 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 4 K, 2 BB) pulled a different lever by throwing his sinker a season-high 45.6% of the time. While he largely avoided throwing four-seamers to lefties for a second consecutive start, he reintroduced the pitch to righties (33% usage). 37 of the 46 pitches he threw to righties were either sinkers or four-seamers. During his second trip through the order, he suddenly fed Boston's lefties a ton of splitters to great effect (60% chase). Beyond the creativity with his arsenal, I appreciated Soriano's willingness to throw his sinker at the top of the zone to lefties. He didn't do this with the Angels, but he dropped eight sinkers above the vertical center of the zone and got four called strikes, one foul, and one groundout, missing just once. Of course, he continued to pound the bottom rail too. If this is a pitch that's going to play at both ends of the zone to opposite-handed hitters, his former team is going to look foolish for not experimenting with more different strategies with him. José Soriano Sinker Locations vs LHH, 8/12 (Statcast) Brett Bateman Brett Bateman has quickly endeared himself to the fanbase after his first six games as a major leaguer. His .259/.310/.333 slash line is nothing to write home about, but he's 3-for-6 in high-leverage at-bats. Small sample, but many inexperienced players will get humbled in big moments, and Bateman has passed that test so far. The 24-year-old center fielder has a short, compact left-handed swing. It's rather unique in its high-tilt yet oppo-oriented, let-it-travel profile. I have a personal tool that displays similarity scores for any hitter based on their bat speed, swing length, tilt, attack angle & direction, and intercept point. Bateman's closest mechanical left-handed comps so far are Jonathan Aranda, Brice Turang, and Nathan Lukes. Aranda is an example of a hitter who has figured out how to lift a ton of balls with this type of swing, while Turang and Lukes are more groundball/line drive guys, similar to Bateman's smaller-sample batted ball distribution. The latter two are, of course, some of the better bat-to-ball hitters in the game, a skill Bateman is also known for. Given his speed, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if Bateman continues to hit the ball on the ground half the time. Perhaps Aranda could be a useful model if he were to work on adding power. Brett Bateman Swing Mechanics Comps, 2026 Player Bat Speed Swing Length Swing Tilt Attack Angle Attack Direction Contact Pt Y Brett Bateman 68.0 mph 6.90 ft 36° 6° 9° 24.5" Jonathan Aranda 70.0 mph 7.09 ft 34.9° 7.6° 5.6° 26.1" Brice Turang 69.9 mph 6.76 ft 35.9° 8.1° 9.9° 30.8" Nathan Lukes 67.0 mph 6.39 ft 31° 6.7° 7.8° 26.8" Max Scherzer Since turning 42, Max Scherzer has authored his best stretch of the season, posting a 2.20 ERA with 13 strikeouts and three walks in three August starts (16.1 IP). One of those 13 strikeouts put him inside the top 10 all-time leaderboard, and on Thursday, he surpassed the 3,500 innings mark. It continues to be extremely cool that Scherzer chose to be a Blue Jay at this later stage of his career. The biggest factor at play in his resurgence is better stuff. In his outing against the Phillies last Saturday, his fastball averaged 94.2 mph, a season-high. While it returned to 92-93 on Thursday, his secondaries were quite strong, particularly his curveball (44% whiff, 50% chase, 3/3 first-pitch strikes). He's been getting more drop on it in recent weeks: After it averaged around -5 to -6 inches of induced vertical break for most of his season, it's down to -7/-8 territory so far in August, averaging -8" for a second consecutive start on Thursday. His changeup (43% whiff on Thursday) averaged 16" of run after running more than usual in his prior two starts as well. John Schneider put it beautifully when he said sustainability is no longer a consideration for his bullpen at this point in the season. The length Scherzer has given them as of late, then, could not have come at a better time. Max Scherzer Swings and Misses (Curveball & Changeup only), 8/13 (Statcast) View the full article

I’ve carried water for Wilyer Abreu since he was brought to Boston in the trade that sent Christian Vazquez to the Astros in 2022. He has provided Gold-Glove-caliber defense since he was called up to the big-league club, but he’s been a bit hit or miss at the plate for much of his career. Thankfully, 2026 has revealed a new-and-improved version of Abreu. While his numbers have taken a bit of a tumble against right-handed pitching, he’s been an absolute monster against lefties this season. He’s been one of the most productive bats in the lineup all season, but so far in August, he’s been the standout offensive player. He’s currently slashing .324/.432/.824 this month with a 1.255 OPS and team-leading 221 wRC+, despite the fact that he's getting slammed with bad luck (.231 BABIP). To go along with those astronomical numbers, he’s slugged five home runs, driven in 11 runs, walked eight times, and only struck out five times. This begs the question; has Abreu made some substantive changes at the plate, or has the adjustments he made earlier finally fully clicked together? If we go back to June and July, we’re quite obviously working with a much larger sample than just the month of August, but we see just how much Abreu had cooled off as the summer began to heat up. For those two months he slashed just .206/.287/.439 with a .729 OPS, .221 BABIP, .311 wOBA, and a 94 wRC+. He hit 10 home runs, drove in 29 runs, walked 21 times, and struck out 52 times. After riding a heatwave through the start of the season, he suddenly was put in the freezer for two months. Now, though, he seems to have thawed out and become an even better offensive version of himself than he had been. If he keeps up this torrid streak, he’s going to be in the running for AL Player of the Month and could claim the top spot for our top hitters of the month as well. I went back to the beginning of June through the end of July to analyze his batting stance and swing path and compared it to what he’s doing in August. Spoiler alert: the swing path is exactly the same, down to the bat speed. The only slight changes we see come in his stance. Throughout the months of June and July, Abreu’s stance was as follows: 30.3” depth in the box, 26.7” distance off the plate, 34.1” distance between his feet, and a 26° open stance angle. In August though, we see some slight differences: 31.3” depth in the box, 26.4” distance off the plate, 33.4” distance between his feet, and a 27° open stance angle. The numbers are slightly negligible, but they may be the key to his unlocked consistency this month. It’s been well documented that Abreu has shortened his swing against left-handed pitchers this season and that has contributed to his success in a big way. His swing length is at 7.2 feet this season and that, combined with his newfound placement in the box and stance, has given him maximum time to react at the plate. He’s pretty much as far back in the box as you can legally be now, which lets the ball travel farther and gives him a longer time to watch the ball travel. He’s come in just a hair to the plate so he’s able to whip the bat through the zone quicker without as much extension in his arms. The distance between his feet is almost an inch closer than it has been the last two months, which lets him rotate his hips quicker and that helps against the high velocity pitching that is prevalent in the majors today. Finally, his stance is a degree more open, which theoretically gives him a slightly better vantage point to the pitcher's release. That likely also helps explain why he’s walked far more than he’s struck out this month too. In short, Wilyer Abreu is finally becoming the offensive player we all hoped he would be since his career with the big-league club started in 2023. He’s made massive offensive changes going into the 2026 season that seem to have finally fully clicked against both left and right-handed pitching, making him not just a regular in the lineup, but a true star. View the full article

In late June, the New York Mets moved struggling pitcher Kodai Senga to the bullpen. Since then, the only game he started was when the team decided to scratch the soon-to-be-traded Freddy Peralta, so he’s officially a relief pitcher now. To be fair, the experiment hasn’t gone terribly well from a results standpoint in the strictest sense, as he has a 5.40 ERA in 20 innings with a 23:12 K:BB ratio and a 4.53 FIP. However, most of those frames came as part of outings in which he was asked to give the club more than three outs. Of the nine games he pitched in since he became a full-time reliever (including that unexpected start), Senga has pitched exactly one inning in four of them. Here are his stats in those appearances: no hits, no runs, two walks, five strikeouts. There’s a reason behind this dominance: Senga can throw much harder in one-inning spurts, without pacing himself over four, five, or six frames. His four-seamer is sitting in the 96-99 mph range in his new role, and the velocity of his secondary offerings is also up. Now that he seems keen to get most of the save opportunities while Devin Williams is on the injured list, we will see the Mets deploy Senga more frequently in this manner. Besides the obvious increase in velocity, it allows him to focus on the ‘ghost fork’ as the main secondary offering almost exclusively. The formula worked to near-perfection on Monday, when he notched his first MLB save. That day, he threw 18 pitches: 11 four-seamers, four forkballs, two sweepers, and a cutter. The heater touched 99.9 mph, and even though it just earned him one called strike and no whiffs, it helped him get a weak 85.5-mph fly out. He got two strikeouts with his signature ‘ghost fork’, a pitch that clocked 2.9 mph faster than his yearly average in the outing. As Mets fans probably know by now, everything will come down to command with Senga. Even his most dominant version, the one that earned him second place in the NL Rookie of the Year Award voting in 2023, walked 4.17 batters per nine innings. This year, the number is up to 6.42. That’s just not going to cut it. It would certainly help if Senga got more called strikes or whiffs on the four-seamer. The forkball is an excellent put-away pitch, but we would love to see the primary offering, which is the fastball, become more consistent. The velocity is there, particularly in his new role as a reliever, but this probably isn’t sustainable if it can’t generate more strikes. For now, it will at least keep hitters hones. There are always pitfalls in the transition from starting to relief—not to mention the inherent loss of value once a pitcher stops consuming huge gobs of innings at once—but Senga has the raw stuff to succeed in his new role. With the Mets already planning for 2027 and beyond, it'll be useful to keep experimenting with him in these high-leverage, one-inning situations. View the full article

TRANSACTIONS The Twins activated Byron Buxton as their 27th man for the Field of Dreams Game in Dyersville, Iowa. After the game, it was announced that catcher Alex Jackson was DFAd. Hopefully he will clear waivers and remain in the organization. The Saints released RHP Eduardo Salazar, and RHP Alejandro Hidalgo was placed on the Development List. The Twins signed RHP German Marquez to a minor-league deal. The 31-year-old former All Star had been released by the San Diego Padres last week. When he debuted with the Rockies in 2016, he was one of the youngest players in the big leagues. Pitching in Colorado makes it difficult to know just how good he was. From 2017-2022, he was worth 15.8 bWAR. Since then, he has fought injuries and the struggles of returning from a major injury. Over the past four seasons, he has been worth a total of -1.3 bWAR. Between 2023-2024, he pitched in just five total games. He was 3-16 with a 6.70 ERA in 126 1/3 innings in Colorado. He signed a deal with the Padres this spring and went 4-2 with a 5.26 ERA in 13 games (53 innings). Side Note: This is the type of signing that the Twins should consider over the next three weeks. While there can’t be any more trades of players on 40-man rosters, teams can make trades of minor leaguers for minor leaguers. They can also sign players to minor league deals. Is Marquez good? Not really. Can he eat innings in St. Paul and in Minnesota if needed? Sure. And if he turns out good? By having him in the organization before September 1st, he can be eligible for the playoffs. If he’s really bad? He costs them pretty much nothing. If he’s somewhere in the middle, he can opt out. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 3, Iowa 10 Box Score I would guess that a lot of Twins fans, especially those who follow prospects, were hoping that Walker Jenkins would have just stayed in Dyersville, Iowa. So, on Thursday night, when Walker Jenkins led off a game in Iowa with an opposite field home run, maybe a few people thought that he had received The Call. He hadn’t. He was with the Saints in Des Moines. Unfortunately, the Iowa Cubs scored six runs in the bottom of the first inning and ran away with this one. Down 10-1 in the eight, Hendry Mendez lined a homer over the wall in right field to cut the deficit to a touchdown with an extra point. The Saints were unable to get any closer. Ricky Castro started and was charged with six runs on five hits and a walk. He gave up three home runs and only got two outs in the first inning. C.J. Culpepper came in to get out of the first inning. He gave up one run in 2 1/3 innings. He had five strikeouts. Matt Bowman gave up two solo home runs over two innings of work. Garrett Acton gave up a run on three walks in the sixth. Marco Raya and Julian Merryweather each had 1-2-3 innings. Jenkins led the Saints offense. He went 3-for-5 with his seventh home run. Cody Morissette went 2-for-4. Mendez went 1-for-3 with a walk and his seventh homer. Gabriel Gonzalez walked twice. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 5, Corpus Christi 1 Box Score The Caden Kendle train continues to role. On Thursday night, he got the scoring started with a two-out, first-inning home run. In the second inning, Kyle DeBarge and Graham Brown walked. With two outs, Marek Houston drove in DeBarge with a single. Brandon Winokur walked to load the bases. That brought Kendle to the plate, and he came through again with a two-run single to give his team a 4-0 lead. Riley Quick made the start, and it was easily his best start since joining the Wind Surge. He gave up one run on four hits in four innings. He walked two and had four strikeouts. Chris Vallimont came on and struck out six batters over four scoreless, hitless innings. He walked two batters. Hunter Gregory struck out one batter in a perfect ninth. Garrett Spain homered for the third time in his last two games in the seventh inning to give the team a 5-1 lead. That gives the minor-league Rule 5 pick 21 homers this season. Kendle went 2-for-4 with his sixth Surge homer and three RBI. In 26 Double-A games, the former fifth-round pick is hitting .400/.469/.674 (1.143) with eight doubles and six home runs. Houston went 2-for-5 and stole his 23rd base. Andrew Cossetti walked three times. Graham Brown walked twice. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 4, Wisconsin 0 Box Score More high-quality pitching for the Kernels and specifically another tremendous outing for Adrian Bohorquez. The young right-hander tossed five shutout innings. He gave up one hit, walked two, and he had four strikeouts. Michael Ross came on and got a four-inning save. He gave up two hits, walked none and had three strikeouts. The Kernels didn’t score until the fifth inning. Quinn McDaniel led off the inning with his seventh Kernels double. With two outs, Byron Chourio switched places with him, recording his first Kernels double. Chourio scored on a Jacob McCombs single to center to make it 2-0. Jump to the eighth inning. With one out, Yasser Mercedes doubled. With two outs, JP Smith walked and stole second. Danny De Andrade walked to load the bases. McDaniel came up and drove a single past a diving second baseman. Mercedes and Smith scored to make it a 4-0 game. The Kernels scored their four runs on seven hits and four walks. McDaniels was 2-for-4 with his seventh double and sixth stolen base. McCombs was 2-for-4 with his 16th stolen base. Smith went 1-for-2 with two walks and his second steal. Yasser Mercedes went 1-for-3 with his 18th double and 33rd stolen base. MIGHTY MATTERS Fort Myers 10, Clearwater 4 Box Score After two scoreless innings, the Mussels scored in each of the next six innings. This was a solid all-around game for the Mussels, power, speed and some pitching in key moments. Matt Barr started and gave up three runs on eight hits over 4 1/3 innings. He struck out three batters. Lefty Matthew Becker came in and struck out four batters over 1 2/3 scoreless innings. He gave up two hits and walked a batter. Jake Covey came on and gave up a hit, hit a batter, and recorded a strikeout. Hendry Chivilli came in for the ninth inning. He gave up one run on two hits and a hit batter. The Mussels scoring started with two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the third inning. Colby Turner and Carson Tinney hit singles. Luis Fragoza came up and drilled his 12th home run of the season to give the team a 3-2 lead. With two outs in the fourth, Merphy Hernandez walked, stole second and scored when the throw went into the outfield. Yes, he is that fast. The Mussels loaded the bases in the fifth inning with nobody out. With two outs, Isaiah Lane picked up his teammates with a line-drive single to center to drive in two runs and give the team a 6-3 lead. In the sixth inning, it was all Merphy Hernandez again. With one out, he hit his third home run. The team doubled the Mussel in the seventh inning. Luis Fragoza hit his second home run of the game, and two batters later, Quentin Young hit a homer to make it 9-3. The Mussels added one more run in the eighth inning. Hernandez doubled and went to third on a passed ball. He scored the 10th run on a groundout. Fragoza went 2-for-2 with two walks, his 12th and 13th home runs, three runs scored and four RBI. He is now hitting .314/.377/.588 (.965) with 17 doubles, 13 homers and 50 RBI in 56 Mussels games. Hernandez went 2-for-3 with a walk, his fifth double, his third home run. He also stole his 35th base in 47 games for Fort Myers. Both players started their seasons with 10 games with the FCL Twins. Quentin Young went 2-for-4 with his 15th home run. Carson Tinney went 1-for-3 with two walks. Colby Turner and Isaiah Lane each had a single and a walk. COMPLEX CHRONICLES DSL Twins 9, DSL Rockies 13 Box Score If only the game would have ended after the top of the 7th… The DSL Twins had worked their way to a 7-2 lead. Unfortunately, the Phillies scored six in the seventh and fifth in the eighth. Yolcar Garcia started for the Twins. He gave up two runs on three hits and a walk in three innings. He had one strikeout. Alam Soriano came on and tossed three scoreless innings. He gave up one hit, walked one and struck out three batters. Jeremy Jimenez came in to start the seventh. He recorded just one out and was charged with six runs (4 earned) on two hits, two walks, and a hit batter. Failin Placencio came on with the bases loaded and allowed all three runners to score. And, he gave up two of his own runs on one hit andfour walks. He recorded three outs. Wisarly Reinoso came in with two runners on in the eighth inning and allowed both inherited runners to score. Before getting two outs, he gave up another three runs on four hits and a walk. The Twins did a nice job of putting up crooked numbers. They scored two runs in the third inning, both on wild pitches. The top of the fourth inning began with a walk, a hit batter, and a walk, but even despite a double play the Twins were able to score two more runs, both on RBI singles. Jhon Gonzalez hit his first home run as a professional leading off the top of the fifth. That gave the team a 5-2 lead. Then in the top of the seventh, Gonzalez led off with his 11th double. After a walk and a wild pitch, he scored on a sacrifice fly. They added one more to make it 7-2. Daiyer Barboza led off wand went 2-for-4 with two walks and three RBI. Gonzalez was 2-for-4 with a walk, his first homer and his 11th double. Misael Rodriguez went 2-for-3, and he stole his 10th base. Jefferson Abreu was 1-for-2 with two walks. Jendy Martinez stole his 20th base of the year. PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter(s) of the Day Luis Fragoza (Fort Myers): 2-for-2, 2 BB, 2-HR(13), 3 R, 4 RBI Walker Jenkins (St. Paul): 3-for-5, HR(7), R, RBI, K Merphy Hernandez (Fort Myers): 2-for-3, BB, 2B(5), HR(3), 3 R, RBI, K, SB(35) Pitcher(s) of the Day Adrian Bohorquez (Cedar Rapids): 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K, 63 pitches, 38 strikes (60.3%) Riley Quick (Wichita): 4 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, HBP, 4 K, 68 pitches, 41 strikes (60.3%) Chris Vallimont (Wichita): 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K, 64 pitches, 41 strikes (64.0%) Michael Ross (Cedar Rapids): 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 40 pitches, 28 strikes (70.0%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects. See how they did today. #1 - OF Walker Jenkins (St. Paul) - 3-for-5, HR(7), R, RBI, K (batted first, played CF) #3 - IF Kaelen Culpepper (Minnesota) -1-for-4, 2 K (batted ninth, played SS) #4 - SS Marek Houston (Wichita) - 2-for-5, R, RBI, K, SB(23) (batted first, played SS) #5 - RHP Riley Quick (Wichita) - 4 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 4 K, 68 pitches, 41 strikes (60.3%) #7 - OF Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - 1-for-3, BB, HR(7), R, 2 RBI, K. (Batted fifth, played LF) #8 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4 (batted third, played catcher) #9 - 1B/OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 0-for-2, 2 BB (batted sixth, played 1B) #11 - C Carson Tinney (Fort Myers) - 1-for-3, 2 BB, 2 R, K (batted third, DH) #12 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Wichita) - 0-for-4, BB, 2 K, (batted second, played 3B) #18 - 3B/SS Quentin Young (Ft. Myers) - 2-for-4, HR(15), R, RBI, K (batted sixth, played SS), #19 - OF Yasser Mercedes (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-3, BB, 2B(18), R, SB(33), K (batted second, played CF) UPCOMING PROBABLES Friday, August 14 St. Paul @ Iowa (7:08 pm CT) - RHP Trent Baker (3-3, 5.40 ERA) Corpus Christi @ Wichita (6:35 pm CT) - TBD Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 pm CT) - RHP Justin Mitrovich (2-0, 2.41 ERA) Clearwater @ Ft. Myers (6:05 pm CT) - RHP Cristian Hernandez (0-0, 0.00 ERA) FCL Twins - Season Complete. DSL Phillies @ DSL Twins (10:00 am CT) - No Game CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 60-63 St. Paul Saints: 66-50 Wichita Wind Surge: 44-65 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 44-65 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 61-48 FCL Twins: 33-26 DSL Twins: 17-32 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

Brailyn Antunez and Brady Ebel lead Warbirds to a blowout win. Transactions: Milwaukee Brewers sent RHP Lyon Richardson outright to Nashville Sounds (Richardson chose to reject the minor league assignment and elected free agency). Nashville Sounds place 3B Luke Adams on the 7-day injured list. Biloxi Shuckers activated SS Dylan O’Rae from the 7-day injured list. Not official as of this morning, but soon enough: Game Action: Nashville pre-game media notes (unavailable) Indianapolis (Pirates) 3, Nashville 2 Box Score & Game Log Via the Sounds, game details, and we encourage readers to always review affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine: Nashville Falls in Extras on Thursday Night Indianapolis jumped on starter Thomas Pannone, scoring two runs in the first inning and then not scoring again until the 10th. Garrett Stallings pitched three clean innings striking out five with no walks and just one hit. Joel Kuhnel and Carlos Rodriguez also kept clean slates in relief, while Blake Holub only allowed the automatic runner to score in extras. The Sounds had ten hits in the game, but only one extra-base knock, a double by catcher Darrien Miller. Miller and shortstop Eduardo Garcia each had two hits, as did Brock Wilken who knocked in both Sounds runs with a bases loaded single in the 7th inning. Nashville batters struggled in the early innings as shown here (Blake Burke did single and walk in this game though is shown being retired twice in that clip). Burke needed one more inch on his 6'3" frame to prevent the go-ahead run from scoring. As the game summary noted, bases loaded, no outs in the bottom of the 10th, then this to end the game - Biloxi pre-game media notes Pensacola (Marlins) 11, Biloxi 10 Box Score & Game Log Fischer Records MiLB-Leading 36th Home Run, Shuckers Fall to Blue Wahoos - Teams combine for 12 runs, 5 home runs between ninth inning, extras Starter Braylon Owens struck out the first two batters of the game and then was removed with an injury. It’s quite possible Biloxi would have won this game and avoided the extra inning had Owens been able to keep cooking. To open that 10th inning, Manager Mike Guerrero was forced to insert utilityman Jheremy Vargas on the mound, and four runs crossed the plate. Four Shuckers hit a home run Thursday night, adding to the team’s lead in MiLB second half home runs (78) and leaving the 2026 team just ten home runs shy of the Shuckers all-time record of 154. Andrew Fischer hit his 36th home run of the year, he’s now tied with Gorman Thomas (1977) for the third most home runs in a minor league season in Brewers history and he needs just one more to tie Joey Meyer (1985) for second. He still has a ways to go to catch Gorman Thomas’s 51 in 1974. Our Brewerfan historian-of-note @Michael Trzinski will have to explain to us how Gorman Thomas was still in the minor leagues in 1977 after hitting 51 home runs in 1974! We all got a kick out this observation: by Jaymes of the MKE Tailgate podcast: Mark Coley II was 2-4 with a home run and two stolen bases. Damon Keith followed yesterday’s home run with a 3-3 day including another home run and a stolen base. Keith has big raw power and could be heating up after missing over two months. Catcher Matthew Wood led off for Biloxi adding three hits and three runs scored. Jesus Made was 1-5 and had two errors, one fielding and one for interference. Wisconsin pre-game media notes Cedar Rapids (Twins) 4, Wisconsin 0 Box Score & Game Log Kernels Shut Down Wisconsin - Rattlers held to three hits in 4-0 loss Wisconsin hitters mustered only three hits and five total baserunners against the Kernels, one of them a single from 2026 second rounder Sawyer Strosnider. Starter Josh Knoth kept a clean sheet through four but ran into trouble in the fifth giving up two earned runs. Knoth pitched 5.2 solid innings striking out three, while allowing four hits and two walks. As Chris Mehring noted in the linked summary, Jackson's cousin drove in the game's first run - Wilson pre-game media notes Wilson 12, Columbia (Royals) 3 Box Score & Game Log Wilson Scores 11 Straight in Blowout Win - Bonet Earns Seventh Win Brailyn Antunez continues to mash for the Warbirds going 2-3 with his sixth home run in his first 14 games at the level. Antunez now has a video game line of .392/.516/.824 in Low-A. Brady Ebel had a double, single and a walk, extending his on-base streak to 31 games and scoring three times. Joey Broughton earned a four-inning save, striking out three and allowing just two hits to finish out the game. Wilson added nine additional walks to the Minor League leading total. While no videos were posted on 'X', MiLB made these available: Brailyn Antunez RBI single in the 1st Handelfry Encarnacion RBI double in the 3rd Pedro Ibarguen two-run single, also in the 3rd 3rd round draft pick Kyle Jones sacrifice fly in the 5th Video within spotlighting Brady Ebel's electric night (rightly so vs. the Fireflies) DSL Brewers Gold 2, DSL Astros Orange 1 Box Score & Game Log In his first game action for the Brewers Gold squad, Luis Aguayo put together an impressive start and earned his first win of the season. Aguayo pitched five innings allowing only two hits and striking out five with no walks or runs surrendered. Aguayo now has a 2.36 ERA and 1.05 WHIP on the season. Big bats Leanders Matos and Ricki Moneys were held hitless and the entire Gold squad mustered only four hits in the game. Gold took advantage of the few hits they got, stacking two of them into a sloppy second inning by the Astros and scoring both runs on wild pitches. DSL Brewers Blue 9, DSL Dodgers Mega 6 Box Score & Game Log Brewers Blue took the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning with second baseman Christian Montilla delivering the big hit, a two-run double. Montilla finished 1-3, with an additional RBI from a sac-fly in the fourth inning. Diego Frontado was hit by a pitch and reached on an error, scoring both times. Full slate of six games on the farm Friday before you settle in for Brewers-Dodgers Game Two. Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth View the full article

The San Diego Padres' four full-season affiliates went 2-1 with another game washed away. The Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas pulled out an 11-8 win over Salt Lake, the Double-A San Antonio Missions upended Frisco 8-6, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps had their game against Quad Cities canceled and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm got pounded by Inland Empire 8-1. San Diego Padres Transactions El Paso Chihuahuas released LHP Miguel Cienfuegos. Nick Pratto Clears Bases In Seventh To Propel Chihuahuas' Win Nick Pratto's bases-loaded double snapped a seventh-inning tie, while Carlos Rodriguez homered and drove in three runs and Ethan Salas went 2-for-3 with two RBIs as the host Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas rallied for an 11-8 victory over the Salt Lake Bees. The Chihuahuas jumped out to a 7-0 lead after four innings, then watched the Bees tie it up 8-8 after the top of the seventh. Pratto had two hits and scored three times, Dustin Harris had two hits, including a double, and two RBIs and Mason McCoy two hits and a run. The 20-year-old Salas, Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect, also walked to reach base three times. Salas has reached base in all 12 of his Triple-A games. Both of his hits had exit velocities of more than 100 mph, with a two-run single grounded to right-center was clocked at 104.4 mph and a seventh-inning liner to left at 101.4 mph. Bryce Johnson was on base twice and scored twice. Chihuahuas right-handed starter Sean Boyle allowed a run over five innings on four hits and three walks with three strikeouts. But right-hander Johan Moreno was tagged for four runs without recording an out in the sixth on three hits and two walks. Right-hander Ethan Routzahn gave up two runs in 1⅓ innings, while right-hander JP France allowed one in two-thirds of an inning. Right-handers Alek Jacob and David Morgan each pitched a scoreless inning. Morgan, who earned his third save with the Chihuahuas, was making his first appearance since being activated off the Padres' 15-day injured list and optioned to El Paso. After the Bees pulled within 7-5 with a four-run sixth, Gage Workman singled home Pratto to put the Chihuahuas up 8-5. The Bees stayed hot by scoring three more in the top of the seventh to tie it, but the Chihuahuas regained the lead in the bottom of the inning. Clay Dungan, Salas and Will Wagner (bunt) singled to open the inning and load the bases. Following a strikeout and a pitching change, Pratto pulled one into the right-center gap that cleared the bases and snapped the tie. The game featured four Chihuahuas getting ejected after the bottom of the second inning after having three in 115 games this year. Marcos Castanon, manager Pete Zamora, bench coach Morgan Burkhart and hitting coach Ben Rosenthal were tossed following Castanon being called out at first on his grounder to third base. EP_0813.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Dustin Harris 5 1 2 2 0 1 Gage Workman 4 1 1 1 1 2 Carlos Rodríguez 5 1 1 3 0 2 Marcos Castañon 2 0 0 0 0 0 Clay Dungan 3 1 1 0 0 1 Ethan Salas 3 1 2 2 1 0 Will Wagner 4 1 1 0 0 1 Mason McCoy 4 1 2 0 0 1 Nick Pratto 3 2 2 3 1 0 Bryce Johnson 3 2 1 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Sean Boyle 5 4 1 1 3 3 0 Johan Moreno 0 3 4 4 2 0 0 Ethan Routzahn 1 1/3 2 2 2 1 0 0 J.P. France 0 2/3 2 1 1 1 1 0 Alek Jacob 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 David Morgan 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Three-Homer Second Inning Sends Missions To Victory Ryan Jackson, Jack Costello and Carson Tucker each hit two-run homers in a six-run second inning that propelled the Double-A San Antonio Missions to an 8-6 victory over the host Frisco RoughRiders. Braedon Karpathios, Padres Mission's No. 9 prospect, went 2-for-3 with two walks and a run scored, while Anthony Vilar went 2-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored for the Missions. The RoughRiders jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first, but the Missions responded with the three-homer top of the second. Jackson followed Karpathios' leadoff single with his third homer of the season, a shot to left-center. Albert Fabian was then hit by a pitch and Costello hit his first Double-A homer and 13th of the season to nearly the same place. After a strikeout, a Vilar walk and a pitching change, Tucker belted his second homer of the year to straightaway left for a 6-4 lead. Frisco added a run in the sixth, then the Missions got that one back in the top of the ninth on a Tucker walk, groundout, balk and run-scoring wild pitch. The RoughRiders got a solo homer in the bottom of the ninth, but couldn't mount more of a threat. Missions right-handed starter Eric Yost, Padres Mission's No. 16 prospect, went 5⅓ innings, giving up five runs on seven hits and a walk with eight strikeouts. Left-hander Igor Gil went 1⅓ scoreless with a hit, two walks and a strikeout, while right-hander Josh Mallitz covered the final 2⅓ innings, allowing that solo homer as part of his two hits given up while striking out four as he earned his sixth save of the year. SA1_0813.mp4 SA2A_0813.mp4 SA3A_0813.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Tucker 4 2 1 2 1 2 Tirso Ornelas 4 0 0 0 1 0 Romeo Sanabria 5 0 0 0 0 1 Braedon Karpathios 3 1 2 0 2 1 Ryan Jackson 4 1 1 2 1 2 Albert Fabian 3 1 0 0 0 1 Kai Roberts 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jack Costello 4 1 1 2 0 0 Wyatt Hoffman 4 0 0 0 0 2 Anthony Vilar 2 2 2 0 2 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Eric Yost 5 1/3 7 5 5 1 8 1 Igor Gil 1 1/3 1 0 0 2 1 0 Josh Mallitz 2 1/3 2 1 1 0 4 1 Unplayable Grounds Cancels TinCaps-River Bandits Game Weather again wreaked havoc on the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps, who had their game against the host Quad Cities River Bandits canceled due to unplayable conditions. Following a power outage due to a major storm that hit Davenport, Iowa, Tuesday's game was postponed and will be made up as part of a doubleheader Saturday. But Thursday's game will not be made up as there are only three more weeks left in the season and TinCaps are already making up a suspended game from a couple weeks ago as part of a doubleheader Tuesday against Great Lakes. Storm Stifled By 66ers Jorge Quintana and Chris McHugh each had a pair of hits, but the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm gave up two big innings in an 8-1 loss to the host Inland Empire 66ers. Storm right-handed starter Lan-Hong Su gave up three runs over 2⅔ innings on three hits and a walk with four strikeouts. He gave up homers on two of the three hits. Right-hander Zack Qin allowed two runs in 3⅔ innings on three hits and two walks while striking out six. Left-hander Joseph Herrera went the final 1⅔ innings and surrendered three runs on three hits and three walks with a pair of strikeouts. Quintana, Padres Mission's No. 7 prospect, scored the lone Storm run. That came in the fourth inning when he had a one-out double and came home when Yimy Tovar followed with a double to make it 3-1. McHugh, the 11th-round draft choice who homered in his pro debut Tuesday, added to the sizzling start to his career with his two hits. He is 7-for-12 (.583) in three games. LE_0813.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Joe Tiroly 4 0 0 0 0 3 Chris McHugh 4 0 2 0 0 1 Ty Harvey 4 0 1 0 0 2 Dawson Willis 4 0 0 0 0 2 Jorge Quintana 4 1 2 0 0 2 Yimy Tovar 3 0 1 1 1 1 Jesmaylin Arias 4 0 0 0 0 2 Qrey Lott 3 0 0 0 1 0 Augie Lopez 4 0 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Lan-Hong Su 2 2/3 3 3 3 1 4 2 Zack Qin 3 2/3 3 2 2 2 6 0 Joseph Herrera 1 2/3 3 3 3 3 2 0 Padres Mission's Top 20 Prospects Performance Ethan Salas: 2-for-3, 2 RBI, BB, R, CS Ryan Wideman: DNP Coleman Borthwick: In Arizona Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Ty Harvey: 1-for-4, 2 K Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season Jorge Quintana: 2-for-4, 2 2B, R, 2 K Alex McCoy: DNP Braedon Karpathios: 2-for-3, 2 BB, R, K Lamar King Jr.: DNP Elliot Lascelles: In Arizona Tucker Musgrove: DNP Jagger Haynes: DNP Jake Cunningham: DNP Truitt Madonna: DNP Eric Yost: 5⅓ IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, BB, 8 K, W Winyer Chourio: DNP Jesus Castro: DNP Michael Salina: DNP Rosman Verdugo: DNP View the full article

Once again in 2026, I will be monitoring Miami Marlins predictions from our valued SuperSubs, Fish On First staffers and livestream guests. Individual article pages like this one will be created prior to every Marlins series and featured prominently on the FOF site. Consistent participation is key if you want to win this annual contest. Submissions only take a few seconds. Scoring system A "perfect" series is worth three points: Earn one point for predicting which team will win the upcoming series Earn one point for predicting the precise number of victories for each team Earn one point for predicting the “Series MVP” who accumulated the highest win probability added (WPA) during the series as calculated by FanGraphs (could pick a player from either team) FOF staffer Jeremiah Geiger and SuperSub David Fernandez are currently tied atop the 2026 season leaderboard, which will be updated between every Marlins series. If you are a SuperSub, leave a comment with your Prediction Time picks on this page, or join the Marlins Discord Server and submit there. We'll feature them on the upcoming Fish On First LIVE episode and track your points throughout the season! Any picks submitted prior to the first pitch of the series opener will be counted. If you are not a SuperSub, please consider signing up here to support the FOF staff. Series preview notes Probable starting pitchers: RHP Sandy Alcantara (MIA) vs. RHP Chase Burns (CIN) on Friday RHP Ryan Gusto (MIA) vs. RHP Brady Singer (CIN) on Saturday RHP Eury Pérez (MIA) vs. LHP Nick Lodolo (CIN) on Sunday The Marlins rank 15th in MLB with a 101 wRC+ and eighth in MLB with a 3.95 FIP. They are 5-5 in their last 10 games and have a 24-35 record on the road this season. The following Marlins players are on the injured list: Anthony Bender (15-day IL), Ronny Henriquez (60-day IL), William Kempner (15-day IL), Adam Mazur (60-day IL), Andrew Nardi (60-day IL), Robby Snelling (60-day IL) and Kyle Stowers (10-day IL). The Reds rank 30th in MLB with a 88 wRC+ and 26th in MLB with a 4.69 FIP. They are 3-7 in their last 10 games and have a 29-31 record at home this season. The following Reds players are on the injured list: Graham Ashcraft (60-day IL), Blake Dunn (60-day IL), Hunter Greene (60-day IL), Tony Santillan (15-day IL), Spencer Steer (10-day IL) and Brandon Williamson (60-day IL). View the full article

On Thursday afternoon during the Royals' off day, Kansas City announced that they had signed free-agent pitcher Tony Gonsolin to a one-year deal for the remainder of 2026 with a club option for 2027. To make room on the 40-man roster for Gonsolin, the Royals designated reliever Eli Morgan for assignment. Gonsolin was an All-Star with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2022 when he posted a 16-1 record, 2.14 ERA, 3.28 FIP, and 2.7 fWAR in 130.1 IP. However, the 32-year-old righty has struggled with injury the past few seasons, limiting him to just 139 innings of work since 2023. Gonsolin missed all of 2024 while recovering from Tommy John surgery in August of 2023, and he pitched only 36 innings in 2025, his season cut short by shoulder surgery. As a result, the Dodgers released him this past offseason, and he opted for free agency instead of an outright assignment to Triple-A. Due to his injury issues, no team picked him up this offseason or during the season. The Royals need pitching, especially after Luinder Avila and Stephen Kolek were the latest Royals pitchers to undergo Tommy John surgery. Avila and Kolek will be out all of 2027, and Cole Ragans, who underwent elbow surgery, won't return until the middle of 2027, at the earliest. Thus, Gonsolin gives the Royals some cheap upside, albeit with some significant injury risk. In 2025, Gonsolin struggled in seven outings, posting a 5.00 ERA and 6.02 FIP. That said, he did post a 24.2% K%, a 12.7% K-BB%, and sported an intriguing TJ Stuff+ summary profile, though his four-seamer rated as below average on a TJ Stuff+ end. If the Royals can help Gonsolin get his four-seamer back to at least "average" post-surgery, then Kansas City may be getting an underrated starting pitcher in Gonsolin who can generate plenty of "swing and miss". In 2025, he posted a 30.3% K%, with strong whiff rates on his four-seamer (23.5%), slider (35.6%), and splitter (38%). It's unlikely that Gonsolin will see any action this year, either at the Major or Minor League level. However, if Gonsolin shows progress in his development and rehab process, then the Royals will not just exercise Gonsolin's club option, but also give him a shot to earn a spot in the Royals' 2027 rotation, which is thin after Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo, and Noah Cameron. If healthy, Gonsolin will likely be battling for a rotation spot with Daniel Lynch IV (who just transitioned back to the rotation) and possibly John Means, who's also recovering from surgery last season. To make room, the Royals designated Morgan for assignment. Morgan struggled with Kansas City, posting a 5.12 ERA, 6.49 FIP, and -0.3 fWAR in 19.1 IP. Morgan signed a Minor League deal in Spring Training and impressed, but he failed to find success with the Royals. It's unlikely that Morgan will remain in the Kansas City organization after this latest move. View the full article

Box Score SP: Taj Bradley - 4 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 BB, 3 K (89 pitches, 48 strikes (54% strikes)) Home Runs: Luke Keaschall Bottom 3 WPA: Taj Bradley (-0.30), Royce Lewis (-0.14), Brooks Lee (-0.07) Win Probability Chart The Twins entered Thursday night's Field of Dreams Game against the Phillies looking to carry some momentum over from their series win against the Orioles. After battling back from an early deficit multiple times during Wednesday's victory, Minnesota once again found itself playing from behind almost immediately. Unfortunately, this time, the response never came. Taj Bradley struggled to find his command from the beginning, allowing Philadelphia to build a 2-0 lead in the first inning before the Phillies extended it to 5-1 in the fourth. Luke Keaschall's seventh homer of the season briefly gave Minnesota some life, but the Twins couldn't generate enough offense against Aaron Nola and Philadelphia's bullpen. The Phillies eventually pulled away on a two-run homer from Brandon Marsh in the seventh, handing Minnesota a 7-1 loss in the return of one of the sport's niftier jewel events. Bradley got off to about as difficult a start as possible. Kyle Schwarber opened the game with a solo homer, launching a 2-0 fastball into the corn for his league-leading 36th home run of the season. After Trea Turner popped out, Bryce Harper walked and Luis Arraez singled to put runners on the corners. Bryson Stott followed with an RBI single, giving Philadelphia a 2-0 lead. The right-hander then walked Marsh to load the bases, but he managed to escape without allowing any additional damage. Unfortunately, it took him 32 pitches to do so, with only 16 going for strikes. He was a bit wobbly in the second, too, though he didn't allow any more runs. Bradley did settle down in the third, working a 1-2-3 inning on just 10 pitches. But the fourth inning brought the command problems right back. He walked Marsh to begin the frame, threw a fastball over Ryan Jeffers's head and to the backstop, and eventually surrendered another homer to Schwarber. The second homer was a high fly and a wall-scraper. It was nearly caught (and probably should have been) by Luke Keaschall, but the ball kicked off his glove and over the wall. That made it a 4-1 game. Turner doubled on what should have been a single toward the right-field line, with Keaschall being beaten a bit once again. Harper singled him home to extend Philadelphia's advantage, with a grounder that just eluded the dive of second baseman Kody Clemens. By the time Bradley finally escaped the inning, his pitch count had reached 89. The 30-pitch fourth inning ended his night, leaving Minnesota's bullpen to handle the final five. It was a frustrating outing for Bradley, and left the Twins offense in need of a crooked number they would never quite generate. Minnesota did have opportunities to make this a game, but Nola consistently found a way to shut down the biggest threats. The Twins got runners on base in the first inning, as Trevor Larnach singled and Jeffers reached on a swinging bunt. But Josh Bell struck out and Royce Lewis lined a ball directly at Turner to end the inning. It was the kind of ball that shows how good his process has been lately; he's hitting it on a line to the pull field consistently. This time, it just didn't generate a happy result. Keaschall provided Minnesota's biggest offensive moment in the second. He jumped on a fastball on the inside corner and sent it beyond the left-field wall, cutting Philadelphia's lead in half with his seventh homer of the season. That gave the Twins some life, but they couldn't build on it. The biggest missed opportunity came in the fifth inning. With two outs, Byron Buxton doubled down the third-base line (poor defense from the Phillies, this time; they've had their lineup rearranged as much as the Twins have, and Bryson Stott's inexperience at the hot corner showed). Jeffers and Bell drew back-to-back walks. Suddenly, the bases were loaded, with Lewis coming to the plate as the potential game-changing hitter. Instead, Lewis swung through a Nola curveball for the pitcher's ninth strikeout of the night. Nola was particularly effective with that pitch throughout the game. All six of his strikeouts through the fourth inning came on his knuckle-curve, and he kept Minnesota's lineup off balance for most of the night. The Twins did manage to collect eight hits and put runners on base throughout the game, but they couldn't string enough of those opportunities together to mount a comeback. Even in a game where very little went right offensively, Keaschall once again stood out. The sophomore accounted for three of Minnesota's better moments at the plate, starting with his solo homer in the second inning. In the sixth inning, he lined a double into left field for his second extra-base hit of the night. It was also his third time reaching base, giving him one of the better individual performances in an otherwise quiet night for Minnesota's offense. His defensive misadventures have been costly, but even great teams sometimes have to put up with a bad fielder somewhere to let their bat play. Since the beginning of May, Keaschall has been flirting with a .400 on-base percentage. After Bradley's departure, the Twins' bullpen did a solid job of keeping Philadelphia within striking distance for a while. Travis Adams entered in the fifth and worked around a pair of singles before retiring Schwarber to end the inning. He then delivered a clean sixth, retiring Turner, Harper and Arraez in order. But the Phillies finally broke through against Adams in the seventh, when Marsh connected on that putaway homer. The pitch was a two-strike changeup that caught too much of the plate. The homer ended Adams' night, with Taylor Rogers entering to finish the inning. From there, the Phillies' bullpen took care of business. Jonathan Bowlan, Orion Kerkering and Jhoan Duran combined to shut down the Twins over the final three innings, allowing just one hit. Minnesota did get a ninth-inning single from Kaelen Culpepper, but the game ended fittingly for the Twins. Culpepper attempted to steal second on the first pitch of Larnach's at-bat, but Duran snagged the ball and doubled him off first base for the final out. What’s Next? The Twins are off tomorrow as they return to Minnesota, where they’ll resume their three-game series with the Phillies on Saturday. Connor Prielipp is in line to throw for Minnesota; he’ll face fellow left-hander Jesús Luzardo. First pitch is set for 6:10 PM. Postgame Interviews Coming soon! Bullpen Availability Chart View the full article

The Minnesota Twins have added some veteran pitching depth, signing right-hander Germán Márquez to a minor league deal, according to Dan Hayes of The Athletic. Márquez will report to Triple-A St. Paul. Márquez was designated for assignment by the San Diego Padres on August 5 to make room for Robbie Ray, whom San Diego acquired at the trade deadline. The 31-year-old Márquez has spent 11 seasons in the Major Leagues, with the first 10 coming with the Colorado Rockies. He earned an All-Star selection in 2021 and has made 210 career starts. Despite carrying a 4.70 ERA for his career, Márquez has posted a 103 ERA+, which is above league average and speaks to just how difficult it is to pitch half of your games at Coors Field. Márquez primarily works with a mid-90s fastball and a knuckle curve that has generated a 27% whiff rate. However, the underlying numbers haven't been particularly encouraging in recent seasons, which helps explain why the Padres ultimately moved on. He doesn't miss many bats, averaging six strikeouts per nine innings over the past two seasons, and he's also been prone to giving up hard contact. Over the past two seasons, Márquez has allowed 37 home runs in 179 innings. There's certainly a chance Márquez doesn't have much left in the tank. That's also why the Twins were able to sign him to a minor league deal rather than making a significant commitment. There's a good chance he never makes an appearance for the big league club. Still, Márquez provides the Twins with something valuable at this point in the season: veteran starting pitching depth. He's been through just about everything a pitcher can experience over an 11-year Major League career, and if the Twins suddenly need someone to make a spot start because of an injury or another roster need, Márquez has plenty of experience doing exactly that. It's a low-risk move for the Twins, but one that could potentially pay off if they find something in Márquez that the Padres couldn't. What do you think of the Twins signing Germán Márquez to a minor league deal? Leave a comment below and start the conversation! View the full article

Fish On First staffers react to the latest Miami Marlins series and prepare you for what lies ahead. Thursday's show was hosted by Ely Sussman and featured panelists Nate Karzmer and Sean Millerick. The following topics were covered: Eury Pérez continues excellent stretch, outduels Paul Skenes Griffin Conine establishing himself as premier power hitter Revolving door at first base for the near future Injury updates on Anthony Bender, Max Meyer and William Kempner Esteury Ruiz has been a clear upgrade in the Dane Myers role Previewing and predicting the next series against the Cincinnati Reds You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. Our next FOF LIVE episode will be on Pirates at approximately 6:30 p.m. ET following the Marlins-Reds series finale. View the full article

For many teams who are out of the playoff race after the trade deadline, the rest of the season provides an opportunity to assess which players will be part of the future. The Royals have plenty of players to build around, including Carter Jensen, Jac Caglianone, and, of course, superstar Bobby Witt Jr. But who will play around them, or how will the Royals look to fill out the rest of the roster around those players and other veterans as well? Here are a few possible debuts that could take place the rest of the 2026 season, which could lead to expanded roles going into 2027, where the Royals will look to return to competitiveness and a potential playoff berth. RHP Lucas Braun (Triple-A) A former sixth-round pick by the Atlanta Braves, Braun was acquired in the trade that sent OF Lane Thomas and LHP Bailey Falter to Atlanta near the trade deadline this year. He started the year in Double-A, and after nine appearances, was promoted to Triple-A, where he has been since. Since being acquired by the Royals, he has made one appearance, throwing six innings and giving up two earned runs. Across the three teams, he has made 20 appearances with 18 starts, throwing 100 ⅓ innings, striking out 85 and walking 28. He has a 3.50 ERA along with a 1.246 WHIP. While the numbers aren’t super flashy, it could be worth a look to see how Braun does in his first taste of the major leagues in a lower-stakes environment with the Royals out of playoff contention this year. OF Gavin Cross (Triple-A) Cross was the ninth overall pick by the Royals in 2022 out of Virginia Tech, where he hit .340/.412/.609 with 28 home runs and 28 stolen bases in 124 games. Since being drafted, Cross has had some ups and downs, but has looked more comfortable at the plate over the past few years. This year with Triple-A Omaha, he has hit .249/.314/.420 with 12 home runs, 22 stolen bases, and a .734 OPS. Cross strikes out at a pretty high rate, with 113 strikeouts in 393 plate appearances (28.8% strikeout rate), so that would be something he and the Royals hope to cut down on. He has shown the ability to play all three outfield spots, but has played in the corner outfield exclusively when not the designated hitter this year. With the trade of Thomas, the Royals could look to give him a chance to see if the 25-year-old can become a more solid part of the organization's plans. LHP Hunter Patteson (Double-A) Patteson was first drafted by the Cubs in the 35th round back in 2019 but decided to attend the University of Central Florida, where he pitched for three years. He made 32 appearances in college, with 18 starts, throwing 100 innings, to go with 118 strikeouts and 48 walks. The Royals drafted him in the 5th round in 2022, and he has slowly climbed the organizational ladder, reaching Double-A in 2025 and pitching there again this season. In four seasons of playing in the Royals organization, he has made 77 appearances with 63 starts, throwing a total of 326 innings. In his first full year in Double-A this year, he has made 21 appearances, 20 of them starts. He has a 4.34 ERA over 95 ⅓ innings with 80 strikeouts and 46 walks. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but there is an outside chance the Royals would want to take a look at him at a higher level to see if he can be part of their long-term plans, whether that be in the rotation or out of the bullpen. He isn’t necessarily a highly rated prospect, but could prove to be a solid option from the left side. In July, he had a 2.70 ERA over 20 innings pitched. He’s made two appearances in August, throwing five and six innings in each, and giving up five earned runs in those 11 innings. Other MLB debuts that are possible include IF Jacob Berry, catchers Luca Tresh and Elih Marrero, and RHP Ben Sears. Which of these prospects are you most excited about, or are you hoping to see at Kauffman Stadium before the end of the 2026 season? View the full article

Prospect rankings following the draft and trade deadline are always the most volatile. Usually that is because of the prospects subtracted (or for some organizations added) from the San Diego Padres' system. While 2026 isn't as bad as it was following the 2025 trade deadline for the Padres, there was some significant movement. Of course, catcher Ethan Salas is No. 1 and center fielder Ryan Wideman moved up to No. 2. But you can thank the trades of left-hander Kash Mayfield, the 2024 first-rounder who was Padres Mission's No. 2 prospect, and right-hander Miguel Mendez, who was our No. 3, for this year's impetus for big change. Most notably are first-round draft choice Coleman Borthwick springing up Padres Mission's Top 20 list from No. 10 to No. 3 and second-rounder Elliott Lascelles going from No. 18 to No. 11. Left fielder Alex McCoy climbed up six to No. 8. Borthwick and Lascelles, drafted out of high school, could make their pro debuts in the final few weeks of the season, likely at Low-A Lake Elsinore. But our panel of writers and readers also moved catcher Ty Harvey up two spots to No. 5 and injured outfielder Kale Fountain, who hasn't played since April 21 and is out for the season, up two to No. 6. Somehow, right-handed reliever Tucker Musgrove moved down three rungs to No. 12. Only one name jumped into our rankings and that was outfielder Jake Cunningham, who entered at No. 14 after being unranked. Updated San Diego Padres Top-20 Prospect List Ethan Salas, C, Triple-A El Paso Ryan Wideman, CF, High-A Fort Wayne Coleman Borthwick, RHP, Arizona Complex League Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP, Low-A Lake Elsinore Ty Harvey, C, Low-A Lake Elsinore Kale Fountain, OF, Low-A Lake Elsinore (injured, out for season) Jorge Quintana, SS, Low-A Lake Elsinore Alex McCoy, LF, High-A Fort Wayne Braedon Karpathios, RF, Double-A San Antonio Lamar King Jr., C, High-A Fort Wayne Elliot Lascelles, SS, Arizona Complex League Tucker Musgrove, RHP, Double-A San Antonio Jagger Haynes, LHP, Triple-A El Paso Jake Cunningham, OF, Double-A San Antonio Truitt Madonna, C, Low-A Lake Elsinore Eric Yost, RHP, Double-A San Antonio Winyer Chourio, RHP, High-A Fort Wayne Jesus Castro, RHP, Low-A Lake Elsinore Michael Salina, RHP, Low-A Lake Elsinore Rosman Verdugo, SS, High-A Fort Wayne Jake Cunningham, OF, Double-A San Antonio The 24-year-old outfielder came to the Padres this past offseason after being released by the Baltimore Orioles, a little surprising not because of his stats from 2025—.206/.295/.303 slash line with three homers and 26 RBIs in just 76 games—but he had played in the Arizona Fall League following the 2024 season, usually a sign of the prospect's value to an organization. He had a terrific Fall League while playing just six games, putting up a .391/.423/.652 slash line with two homers and six RBIs. Whatever the reason, the Padres are reaping the benefits. Cunningham, a fifth-round draft choice of the Orioles in 2023 out of North Carolina-Charlotte, owns .283/.369/.516 slash line this season, hitting 19 homers and driving in 61 between High-A Fort Wayne and Double-A San Antonio in 96 games. Cunningham's highlight of the year was a three-homer game June 5 while still with Fort Wayne, while also hitting an RBI triple off top Seattle Mariners prospect Kade Anderson. View the full article

Emmanuel Rodriguez and the Minnesota Twins have a problem. The top organizational prospect will soon be out of options and is lost in the shuffle of a crowded outfield. How will the Twins solve this conundrum? View the full article

Six weeks remain in the regular season, and the Minnesota Twins are right in the thick of the American League playoff race. The Twins enter the MLB Field of Dreams Game Thursday night three games behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central and just half a game behind the Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers for the third and final Wild Card spot. The Cleveland Guardians are just one game behind the Twins, making the race extraordinarily crowded. The first two Wild Card spots are essentially spoken for, with the Yankees and Red Sox sitting at 99.5% and 91% playoff odds, respectively. That leaves one opening for a group of seven striving teams. Along with Minnesota, the Rangers, Tigers, Guardians, Blue Jays, Orioles and Mariners are all within five games of that final spot. It's not unthinkable that the Astros will tumble off their perch at the top of the AL West, but even if they do, Seattle or Texas would have to take their place, so it wouldn't exactly add a team to this mix. It would just change the identity of one of them. Of course, the division provides another path for the Twins. That's why this isn't simply a ranking of the teams closest to Minnesota in the standings. It's a ranking of the teams who should concern Twins fans the most over the final six weeks. Think of it as a scoreboard-watching guide. These are the teams whose wins and losses will have the biggest impact on Minnesota's playoff hopes. 1. Chicago White Sox 62-58 | +40 Run Differential | 2.5 games ahead in AL Central The clear No. 1 team on this list is the team the Twins have been chasing all season. Chicago has been one of baseball's biggest surprises and has put itself in position to win a division many expected it to compete for next year. The easiest and best path to the playoffs for the Twins remains winning the AL Central. That's why the White Sox are so important. Minnesota still has six games remaining against Chicago, giving the Twins a chance to make up ground directly. If the White Sox win the division, Minnesota's playoff path gets significantly more difficult. 2. Detroit Tigers 60-60 | +90 Run Differential | Tied for 3rd Wild Card Spot After trading away Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize at the deadline, it looked like the Tigers were waving the white flag on their season. Instead, Detroit is 6-3 since the deadline, with series wins over the Mariners, Giants and aforementioned Guardians. They have the second-best run differential in the American League, ahead of both the Yankees and Red Sox. Their pitching is the biggest reason why, with the best starting rotation ERA in baseball and the sixth-best bullpen. Even without Skubal and Mize, Detroit still has Troy Melton, Keider Montero and Framber Valdez leading the rotation. The Tigers may have sold at the deadline, but they're still very much a playoff threat. 3. Cleveland Guardians 59-63 | -30 Run Differential | 1.5 games behind in Wild Card The Guardians are dangerous because they can hurt the Twins in both races. They're four games behind Chicago in the division and only one game behind Minnesota in the Wild Card race. Cleveland hasn't been particularly impressive this season, but they were buyers at the trade deadline and have plenty of experience playing in tight playoff races. If the White Sox stumble, the Guardians could also become a factor in the division. For Twins fans, Cleveland losses are valuable, no matter which playoff path Minnesota is pursuing. 4. Texas Rangers 60-60 | -31 Run Differential | Tied for 3rd Wild Card Spot It's hard to find a more average (derogatory) team in baseball than the Rangers. They're 60-60 overall, 18th in the majors in offense and 20th in pitching. They're not particularly good at anything, but somehow, they're still sitting in the third and final Wild Card spot. That's what makes Texas such an interesting threat to the Twins. Minnesota doesn't have to chase a great team to get into the playoffs. It just has to be better than a very mediocre Rangers team over the final six weeks. The smart money says whichever team takes that final playoff berth will do so by playing better down the stretch than they have so far, though, so don't count on simply being able to limp past someone like Texas to collect a place in the tournament. 5. Toronto Blue Jays 59-63 | -54 Run Differential | 1.5 games behind in Wild Card The Blue Jays entered 2026 with high expectations after losing Game 7 of the World Series last season. A slow start put those hopes in jeopardy, but Toronto has started to find its stride and is 13-7 over its last 20 games. Even after selling some pieces at the deadline, the Blue Jays added José Soriano to a pitching staff that already features arguably the leading Cy Young candidate, in Dylan Cease. With the fifth-highest payroll in baseball and plenty of star power, Toronto is a team the Twins shouldn't overlook. 6. Seattle Mariners 57-65 | -26 Run Differential | 3.5 games behind in Wild Card The Mariners came into the season riding high just like the Blue Jays, after reaching the ALCS last year. Alas, the expected surge still hasn't arrived. Instead, Seattle has slowly fallen further out of the playoff race. The biggest problem is obvious: the Mariners can't hit. Seattle has the second-lowest OPS in baseball, making it difficult to see a late-season turnaround without a major offensive improvement. The Mariners are still alive, but they look increasingly like a team the Twins should put in the rearview. One way or another, it won't be Seattle who denies Minnesota entry into the postseason. 7. Baltimore Orioles 58-63 | -36 Run Differential | 2.0 games behind in Wild Card The Orioles are the final team on this list, after selling aggressively at the trade deadline. Baltimore parted with star catcher Adley Rutschman, outfielder Taylor Ward and starter Dean Kremer, among others, signaling that the organization wasn't counting on a playoff push. They were already on the outside looking in before the sell-off, and staying in the race will be difficult while playing in the AL East. Baltimore still has 17 games remaining against the Rays, Yankees and Red Sox, a brutal schedule to close the season. The White Sox remain the most important team, because Minnesota still has six head-to-head games remaining and the division remains the cleanest path to October. The Guardians are dangerous in both races, while the Rangers and Tigers currently occupy the Wild Card spot the Twins want. Detroit may have sold at the deadline, but its pitching makes it a much bigger threat than its record suggests. Toronto is heating up, while Seattle and Baltimore are running out of time. With so many teams still fighting for one playoff spot, every night of scoreboard watching is going to matter. Which of these teams concerns you the most? And which team do you think is most likely to fall out of the race before the Twins get there? Leave a comment below and start the conversation! View the full article

The Minnesota Twins have activated Byron Buxton from the injured list, bringing their All-Star outfielder back just in time for Thursday's Field of Dreams game against the Philadelphia Phillies in Dyersville, Iowa. Buxton has been sidelined with right hip impingement since July 29. Before the injury, he was enjoying another productive season, posting a .864 OPS with 25 home runs and 45 RBI. The 32-year-old earned his third All-Star selection earlier this season. Because Buxton can be added as the 27th man under a special roster exemption for the Field of Dreams Game, the Twins do not have to make a corresponding roster move until Friday. Now the question is how the Twins will deploy Buxton in his return and who will be the odd man out when they make the corresponding move tomorrow. Look for Buxton to make his return in the Field of Dreams game at 6:30pm on Netflix. What are you expecting to see from Buxton in his return? And who do you think the Twins will move off the roster Friday? Let us know in the comments. View the full article

Edward Cabrera fired five no-hit innings for Double-A Knoxville Wednesday, and is no more than a fortnight from returning to the Cubs rotation. It's more likely that he comes back after just one more rehab appearance—and possible, even, that his next outing marks his return to the active big-league roster. He only threw 64 pitches against those minor-league batters Wednesday, but it might not take much more than that to fulfill his responsibilities each time through the rotation for the Cubs down the stretch. Thanks to the aggressiveness of the front office in late June and at the trade deadline, Chicago has found its way back to the place of exceptional starting pitching depth in which they felt they stood to begin the season. Your mileage may vary, but my own depth chart for healthy (or nearly healthy) starters for the team right now reads: Kevin Gausman Matthew Boyd Clay Holmes Shota Imanaga David Peterson Cabrera Colin Rea Javier Assad They started the season with a corps equally deep, but including several different names. Gausman, Holmes and Peterson were not yet in the organization. Cade Horton, Ben Brown and Jameson Taillon were in the mix instead, with the team holding out hope that they would also get starting contributions from Justin Steele. Six weeks ago or so, however, the team was down to Boyd, Imanaga, Rea and Assad, with Horton, Taillon, Brown and Cabrera all on the injured list. Piece by piece, returns from injury and trades have taken them from having to give Jordan Wicks a last chance to hack it in the bigs to once again feeling that their rotation overflows with talented arms, even though Taillon is now gone and Brown and Steele look likely only to pitch in relief (if at all). We saw how Craig Counsell will address this superabundance of starters over the course of his first week with all the new guys stepping into their roles. After four innings from Holmes in his Cubs debut Saturday, Counsell turned to Rea for the other four frames of a loss in Kansas City. On Wednesday night, Peterson went five innings, and Assad pitched the final four. Even without Cabrera back in the frame, Assad and Rea have been moved to the bullpen, but they're not switching to leveraged short relief. Rather, they're becoming long relievers—and, in some sense, that makes them piggyback starters. In the short run, of course, Counsell will still try to get length from the likes of Gausman, Boyd and Imanaga. Only Holmes, Peterson and Cabrera will be removed proactively, rather than based on their performance and the game context. But it's easy to see where this is going. As Chicago tries to catch the Brewers and win the NL Central—and, whether they succeed in that chase or not, as they prepare for the postseason—they're trending toward a piggyback rotation. Let's talk about why and how that works. Firstly, of course, a caveat: there's no guarantee whatsoever that the team will stay healthy enough to carry out a piggyback plan for their starters. As any fan who has followed the team all season knows perfectly well, eight pitchers can become four in a hurry. It's more likely to be five or six. What's fairly unlikely is that, over the final quarter of the regular season and when October comes, the Cubs really will have eight starting-capable pitchers to whom Counsell wants to turn for multiple innings in each outing. Let's assume, though, that they spend at least some time with all eight pitchers available to them. That could be the situation as soon as early next week. In such a case, there are three main reasons to deploy starters in tandems, as piggyback partners: Gaining matchup advantages. This one is obvious. If you use tandem starters of opposite handedness or who use very different arm angles, pitch shapes or release points, you can force opponents to choose between making early changes to their lineup (locking them in and making them more prone to matchup play at the end of the game) or losing an edge in the middle innings. Thwarting familiarity. Every modern manager is aware of the times-through-the-order penalty, but they have to weigh their desire to deny batters a third look at the starter against their need to keep the bullpen fresh. Piggyback starters make that less of a concern. Counsell, for instance, can take out one half of a starting tandem after 15 or 16 batters, as soon as the right matchup opportunity presents itself. Having a plan to use the second half of the tandem for the next 15 or 16 batters should get him close to the end of the game. Using a starter an opponent won't see again in a series as a major part of the relief solution for a game also means denying batters a look at one or more short-relief arms you'll deploy later. They not only don't see any hurler three times, but don't see a reliever twice in three or four days. Limiting and managing workloads. Holmes, for instance, is still working his way back to full strength after three months on the shelf with a broken leg. Cabrera is in a similar situation. Rea tends to wear down at the ends of seasons, despite his big frame and deep arsenal. Getting maximal value from certain pitchers means preventing them from piling up too many innings and being exposed to either injury or exhaustion. Right now, the Cubs are unlikely to use Rea, Assad, Peterson or Cabrera (the latter of whom would seem to be rivals for the final spot in the starting rotation if and when all eight arms are active again) as piggybacks for Boyd, Imanaga or Gausman. Those three starters need to soak up innings as Chicago tries to keep everyone fresh, at least until their bullpen gets healthier and rosters expand to allow a 14th active pitcher come September. How best to deploy a piggyback plan depends on your needs at any given time. When September comes, however, and especially in the playoffs, all eight of these guys will be candidates for some kind of tandem plan. Picking the right pairings is vital. So, how should the team do it? Which pitchers fit best together in what would be a fairly noval usage plan for a team trying to make a deep run into October? Boyd & Cabrera: Timing Nightmares In a perfect world, you'd always have one righty and one lefty in a tandem like this. Boyd and Cabrera check that box. They also offer another layer of difficulty, though. Boyd is no true soft-tosser; he can touch 95 MPH with his fastball. But he's elite at producing mistimed swings, because he leans so heavily on a changeup and breaking balls that feature big velocity differentials from even his more typical, low-90s heater. Cabrera, by contrast, throws exceptionally hard, and even his changeup relies more on movement than on velocity gap. He's power all the way. Boyd will leave you off-balance, and often early. Cabrera will look like he's throwing 105, compared to the southpaw. That's all exacerbated, for a batter, by the fact that each hurler throws from a relatively low slot, so there's about 5 feet of horizontal difference in their release points. Imanaga & Rea: Forcing Splits Again, one lefty and one righty. This time, there's no huge difference in velocity or timing tendencies, but the differences in style and delivery are enormous. One way two pitchers can frustrate hitters' timing in successive at-bats even if their raw velocities don't differ much is by having big differences in their extension at release. Hitters don't time their swings purely to numbers on the radar gun. They see a hurler's delivery and respond to it. A fastball that plays slightly faster than its unadjusted velocity because of plus extension can prime a hitter differently than one that plays down, and if the next pitcher they see has the opposite relationship between their velo and their extension, the effect is magnified. Imanaga, with his drop-and-drive delivery and short stature, has below-average extension; Rea is above average. Statcast sees a difference between their average arm angles, but hitters see an even bigger one, because of the ways their bodies actually move. Rea would also benefit tremendously from coming in to replace Imanaga, who is likely to prompt opponents to load their lineup with right-handed batters. Gausman & Holmes: Shapes and Angles With Imanaga and Rea, we talked about how tandem starters with different relationships between actual and perceived velocity can pose problems for batters, especially if their deliveries are extremely different from one another. What about two starters who look strikingly alike to batters, and who even pitch with the same hand, but whose pitch shapes are radically different from one another? Gausman and Holmes have very similar arm slots, just above the average three-quarters slot. Holmes works from the first-base side of the rubber; Gausman works from the middle. Their deliveries are similar enough to invite a hitter to see them the same way. However, Gausman gets much more extension toward the plate than Holmes does. He uses a high-rise fastball and a great splitter, but doesn't get much value from moving anything toward the glove side. Holmes has one of the heaviest sinkers in the sport, but everything else in his arsenal moves to the glove side. They're two pitchers whom hitters will want to see as similar, but whose stuff could not move more disparately. Peterson & Assad: Grounder Guys We're back to basics here. Peterson is a lefty; Assad is a righty. Peterson has elite release extension; Assad's is merely average. Peterson throws from a standard slot at 6-foor-6; Assad is a shorter, stockier guy who throws from a much higher angle. Neither is a guy you want opponents to see three times in a game, and neither will miss many bats, but they can both keep the ball on the ground and induce weak contact. That gets even easier if an opposing lineup has to hedge against playing matchups on Peterson because Assad is lurking, or if they don't hedge and Assad thus comes in to face a lineup chock-full of right-handed batters. Though Gausman, Boyd, Imanaga, Cabrera and Holmes have each looked like legitimate front-line starters in playoff series at some point in their careers, none enter the stretch run of 2026 as that kind of pitcher. The Cubs did add to their bullpen at the deadline, too, and they'll get some important reinforcement in the days ahead for that unit, but they still don't have an elite 'A' bullpen for a playoff club. Their best bet, for the final stretch of the regular season in which they'll try to secure a bye and keep people fresh at the same time and when the postseason begins, is not to treat any of their starters as traditional aces and hand the game over to multiple one-inning relievers. It's to piggyback their bevy of strong starters and shorten games in a new way. As they've already shown, they're thinking along these lines, too. It will be fascinating to see how often they piggyback their way to wins (or even use the strategy to cushion the blow of losses) in the weeks ahead. View the full article

There must have been a spark after the trade deadline that has pushed the Jays to all of a sudden start playing like they did for large stretches last season. They are doing the little things that had been missing for much of the year. Some players left, and some new ones arrived, and somewhere in those transactions, the offense found its footing. The Jays have started to leapfrog teams. Winning does that. They are now half a game ahead of the Orioles in the East and 2.5 games ahead of the Mariners as they chase the Wild Card. The Jays have made the Red Sox look like the team they were prior to Boston’s crazy winning streak. Toronto has had multiple innings with runners on base. They are getting on, moving runners around and demonstrating some confidence at the plate. Sure, they have also squandered plenty of opportunities as well. Just to be clear, this team is not going to run the table and miraculously end up winning the division. They might very well make the playoffs, but it still isn’t going to be easy. The Jays still aren’t hitting home runs, so instead they need to cobble together runs. For a week and a bit, that is working, but can it be sustained? Through 122 games, the team owns a very modest .243 batting average, .304 on-base percentage, .377 slugging percentage and .681 OPS. There’s a reason they are where they are, but a week and a half of tightly-fought games might be moving the needle. What has been encouraging is that the recent run has not been driven by one statistical outlier or one player carrying the offense. The Jays have been winning with better at-bats, better situational hitting and a greater willingness to take what opposing pitchers are giving them. For much of the season, that has not been the case, and frustratingly so. The starting pitching, despite some hiccups with injuries, looks strong and resilient. That might help the bullpen catch its breath, but those bullpen arms have been overworked for much of the season. That reality cannot be ignored. Toronto's starting rotation has spent most of the season carrying a heavy workload while frequently receiving very little offensive support. There have been countless nights where three or four runs felt like an impossible mountain to climb. Even so, the rotation has continued to keep the club competitive and has prevented the season from completely slipping away. This next stretch of games with the Yankees and Rays will be the tipping point. Have they really turned the corner? Can the Jays' starters continue to work deep into games? Will the bats not drift back into hibernation? The season has been a constant give-and-take between other teams adjusting and the Jays not keeping pace. Every time the team appears poised to build momentum, another prolonged offensive drought follows. Series victories are slowly piling up now, and that is a change. This week, Joey Votto mentioned on social that he may have identified the issue that has plagued Vladimir Guerrero Jr. all season. According to Votto, Guerrero's movement pattern may be delaying his barrel and preventing him from consistently reaching pitches he recognizes as hittable. Vladdy seems to be a bit more relaxed since a handful of off days. He is still late on his swing more often than not, but his bat has some life. The Jays and every other MLB team are now in the period of the season where everyone is grinding. Plenty of players are playing through injuries. Some more so than others, but no team is completely healthy at this point. Toronto’s front office is working in the background to fill gaps. They have been more active than a lot of other clubs on waivers as they try to proactively address a depleted bullpen. Former Diamondbacks reliever Paul Sewald is the latest addition. He joins Matt Waldron, who has been picking up some innings lately in non-leverage situations. They don’t have the flexibility of Chase Lee, Lazaro Estrada, and Chad Dallas, who have options and can be shuffled between Buffalo and Toronto to replenish the bullpen. The Jays' recent ability to get length from their starters has quietly become one of the most important developments of the last couple of weeks. Yet, more important than the pitching is the hitting right now. The Jays' starting pitching has kept them in games all season. The bullpen has done the same. More extra base hits would certainly help the cause. Contributions from unexpected places like the bottom of the order (and new arrivals) have been the difference. That’s where success came from last season even when the big bats were firing. Now that they are still quiet-ish, those contributions are essential. There were six teams between Toronto and the final Wild Card (currently held by the Rangers) prior to the Jays going 7-3 in their last 10. Now, only four teams and 1.5 games stand in the way of realistically talking about the playoffs. The real question is what has been the spark that has made this team look so strong against the Phillies and the Red Sox. Is it the young energy from Brett Bateman or Andrés Giménez putting the ball in play? Or is it stronger at-bats and fielding from Myles Straw, Nathan Lukes and Jesús Sánchez? Even Josh Smith, despite a slow start, has contributed when called upon of late. The departure of Daulton Varsho has meant that Straw, Lukes and Sánchez have gotten more playing time. They have made the most of it. Maybe they are the spark. At the very least, they have brought energy. There has been a noticeable difference in how the lineup functions when players are consistently putting the ball in play and forcing defenses to make plays. Whatever it is, the Jays need to ride it to the finish line. They aren’t going to win them all, but they need to keep playing like they do. Every series matters now. Every game against a divisional opponent means more. Maybe Blue Jays baseball will start being as fun to watch as it was during the stretch run and into the playoffs last season. Or maybe it won’t. Here’s hoping we’re still talking about this season, instead of next year, in a couple of weeks. The next two weeks will tell us whether this is a genuine turnaround or just another brief surge in a season full of ups and downs. View the full article

Blue Jays Affiliate Overview (August 12-13) Triple-A Buffalo Bisons Series vs Worcester Red Sox (Boston Red Sox): 1-1 Season Record: 57-59 Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats Series vs Somerset Patriots (New York Yankees): 0-2 Season Record: 51-57 High-A Vancouver Canadians Series vs Tri-City Dust Devils (Los Angeles Angels): 2-0 Season Record: 51-59 Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays Series vs Tampa Tarpons (New York Yankees): 2-0 Season Record: 52-54 FCL Blue Jays: Season Complete DSL Blue Jays Blue Week Record: 0-1 Season Record: 18-32 DSL Blue Jays Red Week Record: 0-0 Season Record: 28-18 Triple-A Buffalo Bisons Season Record: 57-59 Series vs Worcester Red Sox (Boston Red Sox) August 11: Buffalo opened a new series on Tuesday, this one against the Worcester Red Sox. They would have to face a couple of the top arms that the Red Sox could throw at them, John Holobetz and Eduardo Rivera. The Bisons' bats were up for the challenge, though, and then some. Three players would collect three hits in the game, as Buffalo racked up 15 on the day. Sean Keys was trouble for Holobetz in the first inning, squaring up a 96 mph fastball that was up at the top of the zone and sending it over the right field fence with flames coming off the ball. The home run came off of Keys’ bat at 110.5 mph and went 417 feet, resulting in a three-run shot for Buffalo to open up the scoring. In the fourth inning, Holobetz's replacement, Rivera, was met with the same greeting; Rudy Martin Jr., Keys, and CJ Stubbs had RBI singles. In between their singles, Carlos Mendoza scored on an error, and Yohendrick Piñango knocked in a run on a sacrifice fly to center. The eight-run lead was enough for Buffalo to hold on to, despite Grant Rogers, Ricky Tiedemann, and Javen Coleman all giving up runs in the final five frames. The Bisons cruised to a victory, 9-6. August 12: On Wednesday, Buffalo jumped out to an early lead against Worcester. Davis Schneider singled, moved to second when Sean Keys walked, and then scored on Nick Goodwin's double to left field. Franklin Arias tied the game up at one in the third inning when he knocked in a run with an RBI groundout. From there, the game went back and forth with a hit or two in an inning, but neither team could get a runner across home plate. In the seventh, Worcester broke through and scored a run to take the lead 2-1. In the top of the eighth, Buffalo tried to even the score. They got a leadoff double by Yohendrick Piñango, a walk by Keys, then Goodwin tried to move them over with a sacrifice bunt. Instead, he popped up the bunt to the catcher, Peyton Williams popped up to third base, and Ismael Munguia struck out to end the inning and the threat. Buffalo didn't get any more chances and lost to Worcester, 2-1. Double-A New Hampshire Season Record: 51-57 Series vs Somerset Patriots (New York Yankees) August 11: New Hampshire kicked off a week-long series against the Somerset Patriots on Tuesday, and it was one to forget. Home runs from DJ Gladney and Coby Morales put the Patriots up five in the first inning. The second inning was worse for New Hampshire. Gladney homered again, and Manuel Palencia added a solo shot to put the Patriots up 11. Down 12 in the sixth inning, New Hampshire finally got on the scoreboard when Carter Cunningham hit an RBI single. That was all of the offense for the day, but on the mound, Gage Stanifer came in to pitch the seventh and eighth innings. His command was still not that smooth, but he got through both innings without giving up a run and only allowing a single and two walks. He did strike out three hitters in his appearance. New Hampshire lost this one 12-1. August 12: Nolan Perry was on the mound for the Wednesday game between New Hampshire and Somerset. He pitched well, taking the Fisher Cats into the fourth inning. He only allowed an infield single and walked three batters. The last of which would come around to score in the fourth inning after he left the game. He struck out four batters on the day and was good, but not as crisp with his command at times. New Hampshire got off to a 4-1 lead by the fifth inning, on the back of Dub Gleed, who hammered his ninth Double-A home run. Carter Cunningham and Eric Snow added RBI singles. Hedbert Perez launched a home run in the fifth before things fell off for the Fisher Cats. A grand slam and a solo home run would put the Patriots ahead for good. Daniel Guerra made his Double-A debut out of the pen, pitching the seventh and eighth innings. He struck out four and allowed one hit, a solo home run. His stuff looked really good over 27 pitches and 19 strikes. New Hampshire lost the game though, 7-4. High-A Vancouver Season Record: 51-59 Series vs Tri-City Dust Devils (Los Angeles Angels) August 11: This was a classic pitching duel, as Troy Guthrie and Zachary Redner both had scoreless starts. Redner went into the sixth inning without allowing a walk, and Guthrie pitched five no-hit innings before getting taken out in the sixth. Gilberto Batista lost the no-hitter in the sixth inning, but pitched three scoreless innings, striking out two batters and allowing four hits. In the seventh, Maddox Latta walked and was moved over to second on a sac bunt, which brought up Edward Duran, who drove in Latta with a single, but was caught heading to second on the throw home. Gable Mitchell added an insurance run with a sac fly in the eighth, and Reece Wissinger earned his second save as a Canadian to complete the shutout. JoJo Parker had his first hit as a Canadian in this game as well. August 12: Landen Maroudis had another strong start in a row, with his fifth straight start going five innings, this time only allowing a single run and striking out four. The Canadians' offense also had it going, as Richmond Hill native and former Angels prospect David Calabrese walked to start the second inning, then stole a base. Dariel Ramon was hit by a pitch, then Bryce Chance drove Calabrese in with a single. Chance stole second, then Ty Southisene walked, leading to JoJo Parker coming up with RISP, driving in his first runs as a Canadian with a 2-RBI single. Reece Fields replaced Maroudis in the sixth and pitched two innings, striking out four, but a throwing error by Southisene brought the lead within one. Franly Urena blew the save in the eighth inning, giving up a single to Ryan Nicholson to tie the game up. Jack Eshleman pitched a scoreless ninth inning, and with the game tied in the bottom of the ninth, and Chance and Southisene both walking, Jake Casey came up to the plate and blasted a homer to right field to walk it off in a 6-3 victory. Single-A Dunedin Season Record: 52-54 Series vs Tampa Tarpons (New York Yankees) August 11: Brandon Barriera had his best start since 2023, when he also went four innings pitched without allowing a hit. The talented but oft-injured lefty struck out six batters despite diminished velocity, using his wicked slider to great effectiveness. The Jays pieced together a few runs in the first four innings for an early three-run lead, and Barriera was replaced by Brayden Heidel, who was effectively wild, walking three batters but striking out as many in three innings of work. He did allow a run, but a three-run inning from the Jays in the sixth took the lead to five. Dameury Pena, received in the Jeff Hoffman trade, showed off his bat-to-ball skills, with three hits on the night. Nolan Higgins allowed two runs in the eighth inning, but the Jays were able to get those runs back as well, with Ryan Cooney hitting his first professional homer and Blaine Bullard capping it off with an RBI single as the Jays won it 8-3. August 12: The Jays offense once again kept it firing as they looked to win their fourth straight game. Power-hitting Aldo Gaxiola started it off. With the bases loaded, the third baseman cleared the bases with a 106.3 mph double to left field. Enmanuel Bonilla added another RBI double in the fourth inning for an early four-run lead. Jack Nedrow struggled after being promoted to Vancouver, but is once again pitching well in Dunedin, going five strong innings and only allowing one run in the fifth inning. Owen Carapellotti had himself a great game, as the catcher from the A’s organization homered once in the sixth inning to make it 6-1 for the Jays, and in the seventh inning, he and Ryan Cooney both homered, adding three more runs to the lead. Dameury Pena had his second three-hit game in a row, as he singled in the eighth inning to make it double digits for the Jays' offense in a dominating win. FCL Blue Jays Season Record: 38-20 Season Completed DSL Blue Jays Blue Season Record: 18-32 August 11: It was a real rough game for BJB down on the island Tuesday. They only managed to get two hits in the game, both by Michael Mesa. He had a single in the fourth, but was thrown out going to second on the play, but it did move Juan Caricote to third base. Caricote would score when the next batter, Yariel Cordero, grounded out, tying the game up at one. Trailing by a run in the sixth, Mesa's second single of the game brought in Cristopher Polanco to tie the score up at two. From there, BJB pitching would give up six runs in the bottom of the sixth, three RBI singles and then three runs from a passed ball and two wild pitches. BJB fell 8-2 in a game that was close until poor command from their pitchers did them in. DSL Blue Jays Red Season Record: 28-18 August 11: Postponed Transactions 08/12/26 Toronto Blue Jays recalled RHP Jake Bloss from Buffalo Bisons. 08/12/26 New Hampshire Fisher Cats activated 2B Adrian Pinto from the 7-day injured list. 08/12/26 OF David Calabrese assigned to Vancouver Canadians. 08/12/26 Toronto Blue Jays signed free agent OF David Calabrese to a minor league contract. 08/11/26 Toronto Blue Jays recalled RHP Chase Lee from Buffalo Bisons. 08/11/26 SS Nick Goodwin assigned to Buffalo Bisons from New Hampshire Fisher Cats. 08/11/26 RHP Austin Marozas assigned to Buffalo Bisons from New Hampshire Fisher Cats. 08/11/26 1B Peyton Williams assigned to Buffalo Bisons from Vancouver Canadians. 08/11/26 RHP Tomoya Kinjo assigned to DSL Blue Jays Red from DSL Blue Jays Blue. 08/11/26 Toronto Blue Jays sent 2B Lenyn Sosa on a rehab assignment to Dunedin Blue Jays. 08/11/26 RHP Deiker Pineda assigned to Dunedin Blue Jays from FCL Blue Jays. 08/11/26 SS Raimundo De Los Santos assigned to Dunedin Blue Jays from Vancouver Canadians. 08/11/26 SS Max Viera assigned to Vancouver Canadians from FCL Blue Jays. 08/11/26 LHP Johnny King assigned to New Hampshire Fisher Cats from Vancouver Canadians. 08/11/26 RHP Daniel Guerra assigned to New Hampshire Fisher Cats from Vancouver Canadians. 08/11/26 LHP Johnny King assigned to New Hampshire Fisher Cats from Vancouver Canadians. View the full article

The Minnesota Twins are heading to one of baseball’s most recognizable settings this week, but the distinctive site will come with a rule change that could have a bigger impact on them than their opponent. The Twins will face the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night at the Field of Dreams site in Dyersville, Iowa. The matchup brings plenty of attention because of the unique venue, but Minnesota will also have to adjust to playing without one of the tools it has leaned on throughout the 2026 season. Major League Baseball’s Automated Ball-Strike system will not be available for the game. That means neither team will have the opportunity to challenge ball-and-strike calls, creating a significant departure from the way games have been played throughout the regular season. For the Twins, that is more than just an interesting wrinkle. Minnesota has been one of the most aggressive teams in baseball when it comes to using the ABS challenge system. The Twins have frequently relied on their ability to challenge borderline pitches, both at the plate and behind it, to turn questionable calls into favorable ones. In fact, FanGraphs crunched the numbers and the Twins have benefited more than any other team when it comes to ABS. On the offensive side, the Twins have made 143 challenges this season, the second-most in baseball behind only the New York Mets. Luke Keaschall leads the team with 12 challenges won, but he’s also been wrong 13 times (48.0 Won%). Austin Martin is second on the team with 10 challenges won in 19 attempts (53 Won%). Trevor Larnach has only challenged 12 pitches, but his 4.4 overturns versus expected leads the team. On defense, Minnesota has been even more active. The Twins lead MLB with 189 challenges from the field and have won 115 of those challenges. Victor Caratini ranks third in baseball with 61 challenges on the defensive side with a 65.0 Won%. He also ranks fifth overall in overturns versus expected (12.6). Ryan Jeffers has gone 38-for-63 in challenges for a 60.0 Won%. That makes Thursday’s game a particularly interesting adjustment for Minnesota. Instead, Minnesota will have to live with borderline calls. That could put additional emphasis on the way the Twins approach the strike zone throughout the game. Pitchers will need to understand that they might not get a call overturned if a borderline pitch goes against them, while hitters will need to be even more disciplined when dealing with pitches near the edges of the zone. Interestingly, the Phillies aren't nearly as dependent on the challenge system. Philadelphia entered Sunday with the fewest catcher-initiated challenges in baseball at 96. J.T. Realmuto has gone 41-for-59 (69.0 Won%) and Rafael Marchan has gone 18-for-33 (55 Won%). The Phillies have also been highly successful when they do decide to challenge, ranking second in the majors in overturn rate. So, while both teams will be playing without ABS, the change could represent a much bigger adjustment for Minnesota. There is also an element of unpredictability that comes with playing at the Field of Dreams site. This isn't a typical regular-season environment, and the absence of ABS adds another variable to a game that already comes with plenty of them. MLB is giving both teams an extra position player for the contest, adding to another rule change to the game. For the Twins, though, the biggest adjustment might happen before the first pitch. They have spent an entire season taking advantage of the ABS system. Now, they'll have to play a game without it. That doesn't necessarily mean the lack of challenges will decide the outcome. But considering how frequently Minnesota has used the system (and how successful the Twins have been when doing so) it is a wrinkle worth watching closely. At a venue built around nostalgia, the Twins will get a brief return to baseball without one of the more modern additions to the game. And for a team that has embraced ABS more than almost anyone, that could make Thursday night's matchup a little more challenging (pun intended) than expected. Should Twins fans worry about there being no ABS for one game? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

After he allowed a season-high six earned runs against the Minnesota Twins in his last start, Shane Drohan knew what went wrong. "I was just too low with the slider," he said postgame. Drohan's tight gyro slider is his best pitch. FanGraphs's Stuff+ model grades it as his most dominant pitch (108 Stuff+), and big-league hitters have managed just a .215 xwOBA against it (with a 41.6% whiff rate) this year. It wasn't a useful part of his arsenal last Friday, however, because he was not nearly competitive enough with it. Sliders are usually more of a chase pitch than an in-zone pitch, because their late break occurs after the hitter has already decided to swing. But to force those chases, the slider must start in or near the bottom of the zone. Drohan wasn't doing that against the Twins. Just a quarter of his sliders were in the zone, and most of them bounced in the dirt well shy of home plate. "I was just throwing it too low," Drohan said. "It could be a couple inches higher, so out of hand it's looking like that fastball at the bottom of the zone." The Twins made him pay. Because those sliders were nowhere close, they could effectively eliminate swinging at anything around the bottom of the zone. That allowed them to focus on the top of the zone, where Drohan likes to attack with his fastballs. Of the nine hits he allowed, eight came on fastballs, and five came on heaters at or above the belt. Drohan wasn't hit as hard as his line indicated. His average exit velocity against was 78.6 mph, and only six of 18 batted balls (33.3%) were hit 95 mph or above. If anything, that's a testament to how deceptive his fastballs can be. However, those deceptive heaters usually induce plenty of swings and misses around the top of the zone. The Twins only whiffed twice each at Drohan's four-seamer and cutter. Eliminating the slider was the difference between a whiff and contact that could find the outfield grass, even if it wasn't hit hard. "They eliminated down, and the breaking ball didn't come into play," Pat Murphy said. "His slider did not come into play much, and that's been key for him." The issues with the slider have become a recurring problem for Drohan over his past few starts. Before his Twins start, he bounced plenty of uncompetitive sliders in Anaheim, but he threw enough at the bottom of the zone to work six solid innings with seven strikeouts. He even induced chases on some of those bad misses against a poor Los Angeles Angels lineup. A better offense made him pay his next time out. "They hit them hard," Murphy said. "You give up 10 hits, or whatever you gave up, that's unusual. A couple homers. He missed some spots." On the whole, Drohan is still authoring a productive rookie season. His 3.87 ERA is still above average, and his 3.50 xERA and 3.34 FIP are both a touch lower. He's one of the reasons Milwaukee's pitching staff has kept chugging along amid injuries and workload management measures. "He's throwing the ball great for us," Murphy said. "Let's not act like he hasn't been good. If you had to pick four guys from the July time frame, this guy would be one of the four in everybody's ballot who have put us in this position." As October nears, though, the Brewers will have to decide whether Drohan fits best as a back-of-the-rotation starter or a multi-inning reliever who can pitch in high-leverage situations. He has the arsenal and poise for either role and has shown flashes in both. To be the productive starter version, Drohan needs to get his slider closer to the plate more consistently. View the full article

Ethan Conrad is the Cubs' 2025 first-round draft pick, and he's 30 games into his professional baseball journey. In this video, we'll break down Conrad's approach, his remarkable hand-eye coordination, and how his trajectory can vastly improve with one key adjustment. View the full article

The Brewers' offense hasn't been firing for a while now. But the most concerning part isn't simply that they're struggling to score. It's how their approach appears to change when the pressure ramps up, and that's oddly reminiscent of the 2025 NLCS. We could look at the eighth inning, where Chad Patrick couldn't find the strike zone, or why Aaron Ashby once again was slow covering the bag after showcasing his own wild arsenal. We could look at the 10th, where Luis Lara got a pitch timer violation, and Brice Turang hesitated while trying to steal third base. Instead, the 11th inning is perhaps the best place to analyze the Brewers' recent travails under pressure. Picture the scene again. Trevor Megill just went multiple innings of work, closing out the ninth and shutting down the Manfred man in the tenth inning with the help of a wonderful catch from Garrett Mitchell. The Brewers have some momentum. To start the 11th, up steps Gary Sánchez against Adrian Morejón, one of the best relievers in baseball. Drilling a double down the left field line, Sánchez scores the runner from second, and the Brewers are now sitting with a runner on second, no outs, and a one-run lead. Sánchez took two triple-digit sinkers inside and off the plate, getting into a 2-0 count before getting something he wanted. He saw that Morejón was trying to bust him inside, so he waited for it to come back over the zone and got the bat head out early, ripping it into left field. Morejón was already showing some signs of his command deteriorating in his second inning of work, and a wild pitch got Gary Sanchez to third base with nobody out. Garrett Mitchell takes advantage, going up 3-0 in the count before working a six-pitch walk. Eventually, Mitchell would steal second base, but he showed patience and didn't over-extend himself. Then we come to David Hamilton. One of the criticisms we can have of this offense, particularly in the last two months, is how they lose their identity as hitters when they feel a big moment in the game. In this instance, scoring another run would have felt like a killer blow (and the Brewers would have approached the bottom of the inning differently with a two-run lead). Instead of waiting on the ball to come to him, Hamilton tried to snatch the glory. Morejón had already demonstrated that he couldn't reliably command the fastball, Hamilton had just watched Mitchell take three balls and walk, and the Brewers had a runner on third with nobody out. Given that context, expanding the zone twice was particularly difficult to justify. Yet expand on two straight pitches Hamilton did: Adrian Morejón follows the same script: two fastballs, too far inside and off the plate. Hamilton swings at both of them. Almost identical pitches, way in on Hamilton, and he was taking big cuts. Rather than patiently working the at-bat, working his counts, and trying to search for something he could drive, Hamilton tried to be the guy. Against a reliever like Morejón, that just won't work. Even if either of those pitches had clipped the top of the strike zone, Hamilton should not be swinging at them early in the count. He has squared up just 13% of pitches in the "up and in" quadrant, and produces a 64% ground ball rate with an average exit velocity of 65 mph in that zone, even if it did land in the strike zone. That is not the pitch Hamilton should be swinging on with the infield in and Sanchez at third base. Instead of staying patient and trusting his approach, Hamilton fell behind 0-2 and struck out on a high slider that would have looked very juicy in a 2-0 count. So up comes Joey Ortiz. He's seen Adrian Morejón throw seven of his eleven pitches outside the strike zone in this inning. Ortiz gets some leeway here as he should be looking for something up and away; that's a pitch he's done a good job of driving to the opposite field. That leeway, however, is wiped out by two things: one, he should be almost in auto-take mode on the first pitch. Two, he faced not a single pitch inside the strike zone in this entire at-bat. Morejón had thrown multiple non-competitive fastballs, and the Brewers had an advantage if they simply forced him to demonstrate he could throw strikes. Again, you don't want to hamper a hitter by saying don't swing at anything, but Ortiz should have been sitting on one very specific pitch, and taking anything that didn't resemble that pitch. None of the first four pitches Morejón threw in this at-bat would have resembled a quality pitch to hit. Morejón has the kind of elite raw stuff that makes chasing outside the zone particularly dangerous. You cannot chase a reliever of this caliber with impunity and expect to succeed. Either Hamilton or Ortiz walking would have put Morejón in an increasingly difficult position with the bases loaded, where his faltering command became even more dangerous. It would have forced an at-bat with Jackson Chourio, the one match-up the Brewers would have wanted to create. Instead, the Padres could intentionally walk Chourio and face Brice Turang against a top-tier left-hander, something Turang has struggled with all season. The Brewers offense is built on a team ethos. Pass the baton. Build pressure. Sequence good at-bats together. They're doing it in parts, but then moving away from that process when the pressure builds up, and it's costing them. What could have been an inspiring eleventh inning win turned into a gut-wrenching loss. Many will say the Brewers are fifth in runs scored this year, but it would be remiss not to mention how they've performed since the middle of June. Since June 10th, the Brewers have ranked 17th in runs scored. They've also had the joint best exit velocities in baseball during that time and an expected weighted on-base average that ranks fourth in that span. The Brewers' inability to convert opportunities is a major reason the offense has stopped producing at its earlier rate, and the deterioration has been particularly pronounced with runners in scoring position. I've showcased the splits before and after June 10th with runners in scoring position: Up to June 9th Since June 10th BA 0.280 0.227 xBA 0.255 0.220 xWOBA 0.335 0.299 Strikeout rate 19.90% 24.00% Walk rate 13.60% 10.50% The Brewers are striking out more and walking less, and it's the main reason for their dip in results with runners in scoring position. Yes, there was some fortune in their early-season production, but the last two months have been poor from both a process and expected results viewpoint too. Whatever the cause, the Brewers are showing signs that they're losing trust in the approach that got them here. It's exactly what we saw in the NLCS last year: a team forcing at-bats and suffering the results that come from that. The 2025 Brewers were built around an identifiable offensive philosophy: getting on base, avoiding strikeouts, making contact and creating pressure with a low chase rate and low strikeout rate. The NLCS exposed what happened when that philosophy disappeared against high-quality pitching, producing a historically awful .118 batting average in the series. This team is very capable of scoring runs, far more than we've seen in the last two months. There should be some optimism that they've performed as well as they have despite the malfunctioning offense, but they're going to need to find the belief in their approach soon. October baseball will not bode well without it. View the full article