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Some changes in baseball are easy to spot. A hitter tweaks his stance; he lowers his hands; he adjusts where his swing begins. Within days, comparison videos appear, frame-by-frame breakdowns flood social media, and mechanical explanations emerge in search of the source of a hot streak. Then, there are the changes that almost nobody notices. They do not show up in a photograph. They cannot be identified by watching a single plate appearance. They require looking through hundreds of pitches and focusing on something much harder to detect: a decision. That is what makes Juan Soto’s 2026 season so interesting. For years, Soto’s public identity has been tied to an extraordinary ability to control the strike zone. Few hitters have combined patience, pitch recognition, and offensive production at the level he has displayed since arriving in Major League Baseball. Pitchers know that facing him means walking a tightrope. Attack the zone too aggressively and you risk getting punished. Avoid it completely, and you are likely giving away free bases. That balance has always defined matchups against Soto. The numbers from this season, however, suggest an intriguing adjustment within that dynamic. This does not look like a hitter who has abandoned patience. Nor does it look like someone suddenly chasing every pitch that passes near the plate. The data points to something more specific: Soto is swinging more often at strikes he can handle. The difference may seem small, but small differences often produce enormous consequences when the player involved is this good. His in-zone swing rates provide the first clue. Pitch 2026 Z-Swing% Four-seam 48.8% Slider 40.2% Changeup 60.0% Curveball 55.2% Sinker 41.6% Against four-seam fastballs, changeups, and curveballs, Soto is showing some of the highest levels of in-zone aggression of his career. That matters because it tells us where the adjustment is taking place. Aggression, by itself, is not always a virtue. Many hitters increase their swing frequency because they begin expanding the strike zone and chasing pitches they once ignored. When that happens, offensive quality usually suffers. That does not appear to be the case here. For much of his career, pitchers could steal an early strike without necessarily facing the worst possible outcome. Even against a hitter as dangerous as Soto, there was always a chance that a strike in the zone would simply move the count in the pitcher’s favor. The 2026 numbers suggest that margin has become smaller. And the reason is simple: when Soto recognizes a pitch he can handle, he appears more willing to act on it than he was in previous seasons. The natural question is whether that decision is producing results. The answer appears to be yes. Pitch 2026 wRC+ Four-seam 209 Slider 159 Sinker 146 Curveball 243 Changeup 120 The numbers reflect outstanding production against virtually every primary pitch type he sees. Fastballs remain especially vulnerable. Curveballs have been punished relentlessly. Even against sliders and sinkers, two of the most common weapons used to limit damage against elite hitters, Soto continues to produce well-above-league-average results. What matters is not only the magnitude of those numbers; their distribution matters too. When a hitter posts extraordinary production against a single pitch type, there is always the possibility that part of the result is being driven by a favorable sample or a temporary trend. What we see here is different. The production remains strong across multiple pitch types, reinforcing the idea of a broader adjustment in his offensive approach. That breadth is what makes the challenge so difficult for pitchers. Modern organizations invest enormous resources into identifying attack plans. They search for areas of vulnerability, less effective pitch types, and sequencing patterns capable of generating weak contact. Against Soto, that search has always been complicated by one fundamental reality: he rarely swings at pitches he does not want to hit. Now the situation appears even more uncomfortable. If pitchers continue avoiding the strike zone, they will still be dealing with one of the most disciplined hitters in the sport. If they decide to challenge him with strikes, the data suggests there is a greater chance those pitches will be put into play with the intent to do damage. The discipline that turned Juan Soto into a superstar is still there. What has changed is how he is using that advantage. Instead of simply winning plate appearances by avoiding mistakes, he is turning a greater number of hittable strikes into offensive opportunities. For pitchers, that evolution creates a difficult problem to solve. Finding the strike zone against Juan Soto was never easy. Now, it appears to be exercise in futility. View the full article

The Blue Jays are 34-38. That's one game worse than they were through 72 games in 2024. In case anyone needs reminding, they went on to sell at the deadline that year and finish with the worst record in the AL East. Thankfully, this year's team doesn't need to start thinking about throwing in the towel. Despite their losing record and -22 run differential, the 2026 Blue Jays are only 1.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. They haven't felt like a real contender all season. They've never been more than three games above .500, and they've yet to win more than four in a row. The thing is, that's true of lots of their American League opponents too. Only five teams in the AL have a record above .500. Before the season started, FanGraphs gave the Blue Jays 52.8% odds to make the playoffs. Seventy-two games later, those odds have fallen, but not by nearly as much as they could have. As of June 15, their odds sit at 39.6%: Courtesy of FanGraphs PECOTA, the projection system from Baseball Prospectus, is even higher on Toronto's postseason chances. PECOTA still thinks the Jays have a near 50% shot to reach October. This is good news. Despite all the injuries and slumps, the Blue Jays are still in this thing. Eventually, however, something is going to have to change. The reason their odds are still so high isn't that the projection systems think a 77-win team is going to make the playoffs. It's because the projection systems think they have the talent to turn things around. But it's the players who have to make that turnaround happen. That means certain guys will have to play significantly better baseball than they have to this point. Who could that be? Blue Jays X-Factors: Honourable Mentions Alejandro Kirk is back, and he's quickly reminding us why he's one of the best catchers in baseball. Yet, Brandon Valenzuela did such a terrific job in Kirk's absence that Kirk's return isn't what's going to turn this ship around. Similarly, Addison Barger could be a spark for the lineup when he comes back from his second IL stint, but Toronto's other three lefty-batting corner outfielders have combined for a .776 OPS and 116 wRC+. Any playing time for Barger would just be taken away from one of Jesús Sánchez, Nathan Lukes, and Yohendrick Piñango. Finally, I need to acknowledge the bullpen. It's hard to fathom where the Jays would be without the innings they've gotten from their four best relievers: Louis Varland, Tyler Rogers, Mason Fluharty, and Braydon Fisher. I considered making this one of the official X-factors: "Varland, Rogers, Fluharty, and Fisher Keep Their Arms Attached to Their Bodies." However, I decided against it because this isn't something that needs to change in order for the Blue Jays to improve; it's a strength that needs to stay a strength to prevent a collapse. Don't get me wrong, it's every bit as important as the X-factors I'm about to discuss, it just belongs in a different category. Blue Jays X-Factor: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Turns It On This one has to happen eventually, right? Presuming the back issues that bothered Vladimir Guerrero Jr. over the weekend aren't serious, I refuse to worry about the Blue Jays' franchise player. Yes, his prolonged slumps can be frustrating. And yes, he's currently in one of his longest slumps since his breakout in 2021. But I'm not going to ignore the fact that from 2024-25, including the playoffs, Guerrero's .390 wOBA was the fourth-highest among qualified hitters, trailing only Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, and Juan Soto. If you're reading this, I'm sure I don't need to tell you what Guerrero can do for this team when he's hot. This Blue Jays lineup desperately needs a superstar, and Vladdy is the one who needs to fill that role. Blue Jays X-Factor: A Healthy Shane Bieber Returns At his very best, Shane Bieber is a top-of-the-rotation arm. Even if you write off his Cy Young-winning 2020 season as a COVID-year fluke, he pitched to a 3.22 ERA and 9.4 fWAR over the next three seasons. Last year, he gave the Blue Jays 59 innings with a 3.66 ERA between the regular season and the playoffs. The difference between a healthy Bieber and the alternative could be massive, whether that alternative is Patrick Corbin, Max Scherzer, or a bullpen game. There's no guarantee Bieber pitches well upon his return. I'm still bracing myself to hear he's suffered a setback, or for him to come back, make one start, and wind up on the injured list again. However, there's also the very real possibility that Bieber is a multi-win upgrade for the rotation. A postseason starting four of Dylan Cease, Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, and Bieber could take the Jays far. Blue Jays X-Factor: George Springer Bounces Back This is the one I'm the least confident in, but it might be the most transformative. As I've written about before, George Springer was the single most important player on the 2025 Blue Jays. Not only did he lead the team in fWAR and bWAR, but his performance relative to expectations was what took the Jays from Wild Card contenders to World Series contenders. Right now, he's playing like 2025 never happened. His numbers to this point are exactly what I would have guessed Springer to look like in 2026... if I was guessing in 2024. I can't expect Springer to flip a switch and start hitting as well as he did last year. But I know it's possible, because I saw that version of him just last fall. And if he can flip that switch, a mediocre Blue Jays lineup could suddenly become much more dangerous. Which of these X-factors is the most important? Are there any you think I missed? Please share your thoughts in the comments underneath! 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Transactions: Word got out on these moves yesterday, but in case you missed it, the team made them official on Monday: Game Action: ACL Rockies 9, ACL Brewers 5 Box Score The ACL Brewers showed plenty of fight in the late frames on Monday night, but a brutal opening act proved too much to overcome in a 9-5 loss to the ACL Rockies. Milwaukee’s rookie squad found themselves in an immediate 4-0 hole after a rocky first inning from starter Dariel Jaquez. Jaquez had as many walks and runs allowed (four) as he had batters retired on the night. The Brewers' bullpen did excellent work in the middle innings to keep the game within reach after Jaquez exited. Ma’Kale Holden had his longest outing of June, working 3.1 hitless innings with four strikeouts. Holden did issue four free passes, part of 11 total walks issued by the Brewers’ staff on the night. Josue Toledo also chipped in two hitless innings, with a walk and two strikeouts. Despite the early deficit, the Brewers’ bats finally woke up in the 7th inning to make a game of it. Roderick Flores ignited the offense with a pair of doubles on the night and also scored twice. Center fielder Brailyn Antunez led the line with a solid three-hit performance, and also drove in two runs. Milwaukee chipped away to bring the score to 4-3 in the 8th inning. Unfortunately, the momentum evaporated quickly in the bottom of the frame when reliever Jhosep Ospino ran into trouble, culminating in a crushing, two-out grand slam that put the game completely out of reach. Even with a two-run rally in the top of the 9th, the Brewers simply ran out of runway. It was a frustrating night of "what-ifs," especially considering Milwaukee actually out-hit the league-best Rockies eight to five. DSL Cubs Blue 5, DSL Brewers Gold 3 Box Score The DSL Brewers Gold squad fell 5-3 to DSL Cubs Blue on Monday. The offense got rolling early in the top of the first inning when Osiris Ramirez drove in Ricki Moneys on a fielder's choice to strike first. Ramirez, along with Moneys and Matthew Moses, was one of three Brewers players with two-hit games. Another silver lining for the offense was the continued brilliance of first baseman Jefer Lista, who lined an RBI double in the second inning to briefly tie the game. Lista now has a 1.426 OPS with 10 RBI in seven games this season. The Brewers threatened late in the seventh when Moses laced an RBI single to cut the deficit to two, but a costly double play at the plate put out the fire. Moses now leads the team with 11 runs driven in on the young season. On the mound, starter Derlin Garcia took the loss, tagged for five runs (three earned) over 3.2 innings while serving up two home runs. However, the bullpen provided a massive bright spot to close out the game. Right-hander Joan Gonzalez was absolutely stellar in relief, shutting down the Cubs over four scoreless innings, surrendering just a single hit while striking out six batters to keep the Brewers within striking distance until the final out. I'll be back with you Tuesday night as we recap the debuts of Fischer and Adamczewski in Biloxi. We'll see if the pair of prized prospects can help get the Shuckers over the line to a first half title this week. Of course, Nashville is still in contention for a first half title as well and we'll have a full seven game slate of play on Tuesday. 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 Miami Marlins went into Citizens Bank Park riding plenty of momentum as winners of four straight series and owners of a 10-2 record in the month of June. They were very quickly humbled by the Philadelphia Phillies and Zack Wheeler. The veteran right-hander struck out a season-high nine in his club's 7-0 shutout of the Fish. Marlins manager Clayton McCullough believed that Miami's hitters would pose a greater challenge to Wheeler than they did when matched up with him at loanDepot park just over a month ago. In terms of results, it looked very similar this time around. Wheeler did match his season-high with three walks, but it wasn't enough for the Marlins, as they had one extra-base hit off of him, a double courtesy of Joe Mack in the top of the fifth inning. "We're moving ourselves into position where we feel like we can contend for postseason spots every year," McCullough said. "When you get into the postseason, this is what you're going to face, and it's not going to be easy. Runs are at a premium, baserunners are, so you just try to be as disciplined and diligent to your plan as you can be, and hopefully the more exposure our group continues to get against a lot of frontline guys that it will bode well for them." On the flipside, the Marlins went with Ryan Gusto, who has taken one of the spots in the rotation due to injuries to both Eury Pérez and Janson Junk. In 4 ⅔ innings of work, Gusto allowed five runs on eight hits, three walks and only struck out one. In the bottom of the second inning, Gusto surrendered the first career home run to Florida Atlantic product Gabriel Rincones Jr. Gusto left a sweeper hanging that Rincones was able to take 385 feet deep to right field and give the Phillies an early 1-0 lead. A two run bottom of the third and fourth innings would be the final blows and Gusto couldn't make it out of the fifth inning. "Battled very well," McCullough said. "He'd been a little under the weather the last few days and I think that caught up to him a little bit today. I think some of the two-K execution is where he can take some steps." If there is one positive to take away from this game, it was that William Kempner. In 2 1/3 innings, he kept the Phillies offense at bay, not allowing a hit, no walks and struck out two. Acquired from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for international pool money in January 2025, Kempner earned a selection to the 40-man roster this past offseason and was recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville on May 30. His ERA remains at 0.00 in six MLB appearances since then. "Will has got a terrific arm," McCullough said. "Limited major league sample to this point. We love his stuff, and we believe Will can be for us down the road. Right now, every opportunity he gets to go out there is just very good experience for him to continue to learn from." With the loss, the Marlins drop back down to a game below .500 at 36-37. Looking at the standings, they are still two games out of the final National League Wild Card spot. Tyler Phillips, the former Phillies pitcher, will get the start on Tuesday at 6:40 pm. He will go opposite of former Marlins lefty Jesus Luzardo. View the full article

TRANSACTIONS Minnesota Twins selected the contract of LF Kyler Fedko from the St. Paul Saints. St. Paul Saints activated LF Alan Roden from the 7-day injured list. SS Cody Morissette assigned to St. Paul Saints from Wichita Wind Surge. St. Paul Saints released RHP Andrew Bash. C Khadim Diaw assigned to Wichita Wind Surge from Cedar Rapids Kernels. RHP Jacob Webb assigned to Wichita Wind Surge. Wichita Wind Surge released RHP Jarret Whorff. Wichita Wind Surge activated RHP Ruddy Gomez from the 60-day injured list. Wichita Wind Surge placed SS Kyle DeBarge on the temporarily inactive list. St. Paul Saints sent OF Walker Jenkins on a rehab assignment to Cedar Rapids Kernels. C Enrique Jimenez assigned to Cedar Rapids Kernels from Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. C Ricardo Pena assigned to Fort Myers Mighty Mussels from FCL Twins. OF Graham Brown assigned to Cedar Rapids Kernels from St. Paul Saints. RHP Yehizon Sanchez assigned to Cedar Rapids Kernels from Wichita Wind Surge. Cedar Rapids Kernels placed 3B Rayne Doncon on the 7-day injured list. Cedar Rapids Kernels activated OF Caden Kendle from the 7-day injured list. Fort Myers Mighty Mussels activated RHP Callan Fang from the 60-day injured list. SAINTS SENTINEL The Saints had another good week on the diamond, going 5-1 in Toledo. They now return home to take on the Omaha Storm Chasers. In return, Twins fans will get their first in-person chance in a while to watch rehabbing starting pitcher Mick Abel back on the mound. The right-hander had a strong outing last week, completing three innings, striking out five batters, and allowing no runs. The Storm Chasers don’t bring much with it in top prospect talent, but right-handed pitcher Ben Kudrna will be coming with it and is ranked 9th in the Royals organization by our sister site Royals Keep. The problem is, Kudrna is currently injured, so we as fans won’t be able to see him in action. That leaves us with Shane Panzini (20th), who has worked primarily as a reliever this season but with a lot of struggles, evidenced by his 10.22 ERA for 2026. WIND SURGE WISDOM The Wind Surge limped through the last week, going 1-5, and they hope that a change in opponent to the Springfield Cardinals will lead to different outcomes. The Cardinals bring with them a trio of top prospects. C/1B prospect Rainiel Rodriguez leads the Cardinal position players. Across both High-A and Double-A, Rodriguez has slashed .277/.386/.446, .831 OPS, and has hit seven home runs. On the pitching side, there are 22-year-old left-hander Liam Doyle and switch thrower (yes, you are reading that right) 23-year-old Jurrangelo Cijntje. Cijintje has a 5.07 ERA and a 28.6% K% for 2026. Doyle has a 5.86 ERA and a 30.8% K%, which has translated into 12.6 K/9. The Wind Surge have faced each of them at least twice already this season. KERNELS CHRONICLE Kernels also spent their week struggling, posting a 1-4 record, and now head home to take on the Beloit Sky Carp. Beloit brings with it a couple of prospects that land on our sister site, Fish on First’s top 30 list. Shortstop Starlyn Caba comes in at sixth, and outfielder Dillon Head comes in ninth. Caba has slashed .254/.395/.420 (.816). While Head has struggled to begin the season, hitting .194/.299/.306 (.605). MIGHTY MATTERS Having to face a lot of weather-related schedule shenanigans, Fort Myers went 1-3 in their series against the Blue Jays. Heading to Tampa, the team hopes to play more games and add more wins to its record. The Yankees have a pair of interesting pitching prospects playing in Tampa. RHP Thatcher Hurd has put up a 25.0% K% and a 5.48 ERA. Alongside Hurd is LHP Henry Lalene who, at 22 years old, has a 3.24 ERA and a 28.6% K%. FCL TWINS Playing a makeup game from May, it is a doubleheader day for the FCL Twins! Game 1: Twins 1, Orioles 3 Box Score In Game 1 of Monday’s doubleheader, the Twins were only able to muster up five hits against the Orioles pitching staff. Teilon Serrano had two of those hits and scored the Twins' lone run after hitting his third double of the season in the first inning. Jhomnardo Reyes was the one who drove Serrano in with his lone hit, a single, which tied the Twins with the Orioles 1-1 in the bottom of the first inning. Each of the Twins three pitchers gave up one run. Matt Barr got the start and covered 2 1/3 innings, allowed two hits, walked three, and struck out three. Jake Covey pitched the bulk of the innings for the Twins, with 3 2/3 innings, allowed three hits, one walk, and struck out four. Brad Rudis was the final pitcher for the Twins and allowed two hits over one inning. Jake Dykhoff was the starting pitcher for the FCL Orioles. He gave up one run on four hits and a walk. He had five strikeouts. The 27-year-old recently signed with the Orioles after being an American Association All Star the past couple of seasons for the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks. Dykhoff grew up in Bluffton and went to Wadena High School before pitching at UM-Crookston. In three games (13 innings), he has given up two earned runs on nine hits and four walks. He has 14 strikeouts. He's mostly just biding his time until there is a roster spot for a pitcher in High-A, Double-A or maybe even Triple-A. Game 2: Twins 5, Orioles 3 Box Score The Twins rebounded in Game 2 and took down the Orioles 5-3. Jhomnardo Reyes was the hot bat in the second game. The 18-year-old went 2-for-3, scored two runs, collected an RBI, walked, and hit both a double and a triple. Daiber De Los Santos had the big hit of the afternoon. His third triple of the season drove in two runs in the bottom of the second inning. On the pitching side, Halton Hardy started and completed four innings, allowed four hits, walked three, struck out five, and limited the Orioles to one earned run. Jack Walker was the pitcher of record for the Twins and completed 2 2/3, allowing two runs while walking five and striking out six. DSL TWINS DSL Twins 11, DSL NYY Bombers 14 Box Score The Twins and Bombers had the bats turned up to red hot on Monday, combining for 25 runs. DH Anibal Beltre had the lone home run for the Twins in the bottom of the fourth inning. Abel Sosa continued his strong start to the season, going 2-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored. Monday’s performance brings Sosa’s OPS to 1.072. Both Jendy Martinez and Misael Rodriguez hit doubles to round out the extra base hits by the Twins. As one can imagine, the pitching was not good on Monday for either side. Miguel Martinez, who has regularly been the first long arm out of the bullpen, may have been the best of those not-so-good performances. Martinez allowed two runs on three hits, three walks, and three strikeouts. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Jhomnardo Reyes: 3-for-6, 2 R. 2 RBI, 2B, 3B Halton Hardy: 4 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 5 K TOP 20 PROSPECT WEEK IN REVIEW #1- Walker Jenkins (Rehab-Mussels)- 1 game, .800/.800/.1.600, 2.400 OPS, 1 HR, 1 2B. #2- Kaelen Culpepper (Saints)- .368/.455/.579, 1.033 OPS, 2 2B, 1 3B. #4- Connor Prielipp (Twins)- 1 GS, 7 H, 4 ER, 2K, 2 BB #5- Eduardo Tait (Kernels)- .120/.115/.360, .475 OPS, 2 HR #6- Dasan Hill (Kernels)- 0-1, 3 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 6 K #7- Marek Houston (Kernels)- .500/.560/.550, 1.110 OPS, 1 2B #8- Riley Quick (Kernels)- 4 2/3 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 9 K #10- Gabriel Gonzalez (Saints)- .300/.333/.700, 1.033 OPS, 2 2B, 2 HR #11- Charlee Soto (Kernels)- 1 2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K. #12- Andrew Morris (Twins)- 3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K #13- Hendry Mendez (Saints)- .000/.250/.000, .250 OPS #14- Quentin Young (Mussels)- .071/.071/.071, .143 OPS #15- Brandon Winokur (Kernels)- .048/.167/.190, .357 OPS, 1 HR. #16 Ryan Gallagher (Saints)-2 GS, 8 IP, 15 H, 14 ER, 2 BB, 5 K #17-C.J. Culpepper (Saints)- 4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K #19- Khadim Diaw (Kernels)- .500/.500/.1.050, 1.550 OPS, 2 2B, 3 HR #20- Kyle Debarge (Wind Surge)- .174/.321/.261, .582 OPS, 2 2B TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Omaha @ St. Paul Saints- RHP Mick Abel Springfield @ Wichita Wind Surge- RHP Sam Armstrong Beloit @ Cedar Rapids Kernels- RHP Ivran Romero Fort Myers Mussels @ Tampa - RHP Hendry Chivilli FCL Twins @ FCL Orioles - TBD DSL Twins @ DSL NYY - TBD View the full article

MLB on Monday suspended San Diego Padres right-handed reliever Ron Marinaccio three games and fined an undisclosed amount for hitting Baltimore Orioles star shortstop Gunnar Henderson with a pitch in Saturday's game. Marinaccio is appealing his suspension, so will remain on the active roster until that is heard. Padres manager Craig Stammen was also suspended one game. Managers can't appeal, so Stammen will sit out Monday's series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals. Bench coach Randy Knorr will run the team instead. The incident came with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. In the top of the fifth, Padres star shortstop Xander Bogaerts was hit in the left earflap of his helmet by a pitch from Orioles right-handed starter Trey Gibson. Bogaerts had to leave the game an inning later after feeling woozy. No penalty was issued to Gibson. View the full article

The middle third of a big-league season is when you find out how you can fix what ails your team, be it in the short term or the long term. For the Minnesota Twins, the major-league club's 2026 playoff hopes will not be determined by players currently developing in the minor leagues. However, these summer months remain critical for evaluating long-term building blocks. Prospect's changing values and future outlooks can change what a team does at the trade deadline, or just prompt a youngster to get a look in the big leagues. Several position players throughout the organization have caught fire recently, providing another reminder that prospect development rarely follows a straight line. While none of these players are expected to impact the Twins this season, strong performances can quickly elevate a prospect's standing inside the organization and shape future roster decisions. OF Kala'i Rosario– Wichita Wind Surge How He Got Here: Few baseball hotbeds are as isolated as Hawaii, making the path from the islands to the major leagues especially challenging. Rosario has spent the last several years attempting to become the next Hawaiian prep hitter to reach the highest level. Minnesota selected Rosario with its final pick in the shortened 2020 MLB Draft, betting on his impressive raw power and offensive upside. His professional career has featured both highs and lows. Rosario broke out in a massive way during 2023, earning Midwest League MVP honors and establishing himself as one of the more intriguing bats in the organization. The momentum slowed somewhat over the next two seasons. An elbow injury cost him significant time during 2024, and his production fluctuated as he climbed the ladder. Even so, Rosario showed his power remained legitimate by launching 25 home runs during his age-22 campaign at Double-A. Hitting the Hot Button: Rosario is putting together one of the hottest stretches of his professional career. The 23-year-old homered in three consecutive games from Thursday through Saturday, while delivering a monster performance Friday against Tulsa. He collected five hits in that contest, including both a double and a home run, while driving in four runs. Over the last 28 days, Rosario has slashed .348/.545/.587, with three home runs and two doubles. Perhaps the most encouraging development is his approach at the plate. During that span, he has drawn 18 walks while striking out only 14 times. Power has never been the question for Rosario. If he can continue pairing damaging contact with improved strike zone discipline, he could force his way back into the conversation as a legitimate corner outfield prospect. C/OF Khadim Diaw– Cedar Rapids Kernels How He Got Here: The biggest challenge for Diaw throughout his baseball career has never been talent. It has been availability. When healthy, Diaw consistently produces. He showcased that ability at Loyola-Marymount, posting a .314/.396/.500 slash line during the 2023 season. Unfortunately, injuries repeatedly interrupted his development. A back fracture essentially wiped out his freshman year, while a broken left thumb limited him to only 20 games in 2024. Even in those brief opportunities, Diaw continued hitting. Strong performances in both the Cape Cod League and the MLB Draft Combine convinced the Twins to select him in the third round of the 2024 Draft. The pattern continued during his first full professional season. Diaw hit for average (.297 BA), reached base consistently (.450 OBP), and looked poised for a breakout before suffering a broken wrist. Shortly after returning, a hamstring injury sent him back to the sidelines, and he was limited to 42 games. Hitting the Hot Button: The 22-year-old appeared in four games this week and went 10-for-20 at the plate. Those 10 hits included two doubles and three home runs while he drove in seven runs. His slugging percentage reached an eye-popping 1.050, and his OPS climbed to 1.550 for the week. The longer-term numbers are equally impressive. Over the last 28 days, Diaw owns a .413/.479/.700 slash line with four home runs, nine doubles, and one triple. Just as encouraging is his command of the strike zone. Across 94 plate appearances during that stretch, Diaw has drawn 11 walks and struck out only 11 times. The health concerns remain real, but Diaw continues to prove that when he is on the field, he can flat-out hit. Few prospects in the organization have done more to boost their stock over the past month. C/3B/OF Ryan Sprock– Fort Myers Mighty Mussels How He Got Here: Sprock arrived in the Twins organization carrying a unique profile. Minnesota selected him in the eighth round of last year's draft after an impressive career at Elon University. In college, Sprock was a true two-way player, contributing both as a hitter and a relief pitcher. The Twins immediately locked him in on the position-player side, drafting him primarily as a third baseman and allowing him to focus his development on hitting. That transition often creates additional upside because players can dedicate all of their time and energy toward refining one skill set. The offensive track record certainly supported the decision. During his final college season, Sprock hit .321/.411/.593 with 14 home runs while also logging 17 innings on the mound and recording 19 strikeouts. Hitting the Hot Button: Sprock continues showing why the Twins were intrigued by his versatility and offensive profile. This week, he recorded the first four-hit game of his professional career, another encouraging milestone for the young hitter. His overall season has highlighted his defensive flexibility. Sprock has appeared in 20 games behind the plate, 13 games at third base, and five games in left field. That type of versatility can create numerous pathways to a major league role. At the plate, he has demonstrated advanced strike-zone awareness, walking more than he strikes out this season. Behind the plate, he has also impressed with his game management, successfully overturning 68.4% of his catcher challenge opportunities. For a player still adapting to full-time professional hitting, those well-rounded contributions are exactly what the Twins hoped to see. Summer often serves as a dividing line for both teams and prospects. While the Twins are focused on climbing the major-league standings, performances like these matter for the organization's future. Rosario is showing improved plate discipline, Diaw continues reminding everyone how dangerous his bat can be when healthy, and Sprock is building value through versatility and strong fundamentals. None may factor into Minnesota's plans this season, but all three are giving the organization reasons to keep a close eye on their development as the second half approaches. Can these three hitters continue their hot streaks in the weeks ahead? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Let's get this much straight: Joey Ortiz still is not a good hitter. You don't want to see him anywhere but the bottom of your team's lineup card, and maybe not even there. In the last 30 days, he's batting .222/.364/.296, with four doubles and no home runs. He's only come to bat 67 times, as the Brewers have given David Hamilton a share of his time at shortstop and shielded him from right-handed pitchers much of the time. That's not a good offensive player. If you saw those numbers and made an intrigued, almost happy "huh" sound, it's only because you're so used to execrable production from Ortiz, who has been infamously inept at the plate for the majority of the last two years. Still, we have to reckon with his upturn in production a little bit, because we're likely to see the team reckon with the ramifications of a roster shakeup in the days ahead. Cooper Pratt will join the team Tuesday to make his big-league debut, and that will make him (for a spell, at least) one of the team's regulars. This isn't the kind of player whom you call up to moulder on the bench, even if it appears to have been a move prompted not by the proactive desire to install him permanently at shortstop, but by Luis Rengifo's apparent injury Sunday afternoon. Pratt's playing time can't all come from Rengifo's (presumably) surrendered share. Some of it will come from Ortiz's, and/or Hamilton's. So we need to be able to answer the question now: Is Joey Ortiz, in some important sense, fixed? Or is he the one who should be unceremoniously shunted out of the way to make room for Pratt? Let's dig in. Here's the most important fact about Ortiz getting better, as of about the middle of last month: it started with a concrete approach change. He has generally been a patient hitter (though, at times, a passive one, really), but he went to extremes of not swinging there, for a while. It worked, in that he started drawing walks at a healthy rate and getting on base much more often. But not swinging is not a long-term offensive strategy, especially for a player who doesn't strike any fear in the hearts of opposing pitchers. As you can see from that chart, though, Ortiz began swinging at a healthy rate again, on or about June 1, and his production didn't suddenly plunge back into the depths. So, let's talk about how he's changed in terms of his setup and movements. Here's Ortiz collecting a bloop hit against the White Sox on Opening Day. ek13WDVfWGw0TUFRPT1fQndoVVZWRUZBd29BQzFZRUFBQUhWVkpmQUZnQUJWTUFWRklEQ1FZRkIxVlZBd05l.mp4 The result was nice, but this isn't good process. This stiff, awkward, often lunging swing was Ortiz's norm throughout April, which is how he ended up running a sub-.400 OPS for a significant period. It wasn't working, so in the middle of May, the team and the player collaborated to try something new: a kind of factory reset. Here he is striking out against the Cardinals last month. bGJ3TlZfWGw0TUFRPT1fQndVRVhGWUNBd0lBQ0FNRVhnQUhVMWNEQUFOUkJRVUFBRklOVWdBQUNRcFFVZ2NE.mp4 This looks like a default setting, doesn't it? His feet are even. His hand position is neutral. Everything is very bland. It's no more effective than his previous stance and swing—in the particular cases I've selected, it was less effective—but it does take some of the tension and blockage out of his eyesight and movement. Making Ortiz get into this uncomfortably neutral position helped him reorganize his strike zone a bit, and it broke a few bad habits. Around the beginning of June, the slate cleared, Ortiz and the Brewers restored his preferences—but with a couple of important tweaks. Here he is truly hammering a ball, this weekend against the Phillies. b0d3S1hfWGw0TUFRPT1fVXdrRFhRVUJWZ1FBV1ZvQVZRQUhDVk5WQUZrQ1ZWVUFDMUJRQjFjTlZBVlVVUVlB.mp4 He got a little lucky here. He got a real meatball, right in his happy zone. The thing is, a couple of months ago, Ortiz didn't even have a happy zone at the plate. Although he's still no fearsome slugger, he's regained a sense of what he's looking for and what to do with it. What you can't spot for yourself in these videos, we can illustrate using some Statcast data on his stance and stride. Note that after the cleansing switch to standing straight and level, he's back to basically the same set of angles and the same stride direction now as he had in April—but with his weight a bit more forward. You can see this in the videos, too. His weight starts more even, and he's less coiled into his back hip—not in a way that costs him the power hitters get from their back side, but in a way that loosens his front hip and leg to move more fluidly. He's also moving his head a bit less, which leads to both better swing decisions and cleaner contact when he does swing. I'm not here to tell you the Brewers should trust Ortiz and return him to a full-time role. Some of the benefits and improvements we're talking about here are partially the product of having the platoon advantage more often than is typical. Some of them reflect the salutary discomfort of being less of a regular. When you get fewer reps, sometimes you swing less, and sometimes, that's exactly what needs to happen. Expanding a player's role after watching them improve when their role is reduced is often a mistake. I am here to tell you, though, that Ortiz has made some material changes, even if they seem subtle. He's putting himself in a position to succeed at the plate again, even if it be in a limited way. Given the value he provides on defense, that's all the team needed from him. If Rengifo is out a while and Pratt takes up residence at shortstop, don't be surprised if Ortiz becomes a productive member of a platoon at the hot corner—and, for the second time in three years, one half of the best defensive left side of the infield in the entire National League. View the full article

Major League Baseball released the first All-Star voting update this afternoon, and one thing is clear: Blue Jays fans have been voting. They've been voting a lot. A Blue Jays player ranks either first or second at every position except for outfield. Considering the team's sub-.500 record, it's safe to say this has more to do with who's been voting than the deserving-ness of the players they're voting for. (Whether or not that's a bad thing is a debate for a different day.) Obviously, this is a World Series-related bump. The Jays and their players are more popular, particularly outside of Toronto and across the country. It's not so often an entire country is voting for all the same candidates in an election. That said, it's also important to acknowledge the impact of a good bribe. I got a really nice sticker at the Rogers Centre last week after I showed the staff that I voted; it was Philadelphia's famous LOVE statue with a Blue Jays logo instead of the "O." I'm not sure what I'm actually going to do with the sticker, but I liked getting it, and I certainly wasn't the only person who cast my ballot for the free souvenir! Anyway, here's where the Jays representatives stand after 12 days of voting. The Leaders Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s star power has him in first place at first base. He's angling for his sixth consecutive All-Star appearance and his fifth start. With all due respect to Guerrero, the reason he's in the lead surely has something to do with the more deserving candidates splitting the vote (among voters who actually try to pick for the best players, instead of the biggest stars or everyone on their favourite team). First base is absolutely stacked in the AL this year, with Ben Rice, Nick Kurtz, Munetaka Murakami, and Willson Contreras all enjoying tremendous seasons at the plate. I love Vladdy, but one of those guys deserves this opportunity. The other Blue Jay in the lead really has earned it. I wrote an article encouraging Blue Jays fans to vote for Ernie Clement last week. Apparently, y'all didn't need any encouragement. Clement leads at second base by 616,706 votes. That's more votes than Guerrero has even received. Clement's 904,702 votes are only 111,066 back of the AL's leading vote-getter, Yordan Alvarez. The first phase of voting is still open until June 25, but Ernie is all but guaranteed to advance to phase two. The Runners-Up Kazuma Okamoto, Andrés Giménez, George Springer, and Alejandro Kirk are all in second place at their respective positions. I've listed them in order of how ridiculous that is. Okamoto is enjoying a solid season, even if it isn't All-Star calibre. Giménez has at least been excellent on defense. Springer's votes are only justifiable as restitution for his snub last season. Kirk, who has played all of seven games in 2026, should probably do the right thing and sign over his votes to Brandon Valenzuela. None of these guys should be an All-Star, and I doubt any of them will be. Still, it's nice to see how passionate Blue Jays fans are right now, despite the team's slow start. Hopefully, all the support inspires guys like Giménez and Springer to play more like All-Stars going forward. The Outfielders Evidently, the fans aren't as excited about Toronto's outfielders, but Daulton Varsho and Jesús Sánchez still rank eighth and ninth, respectively, at a position with three times the competition. Unfortunately for Myles Straw, he was the only Blue Jay on the ballot not to be named at all in the first voting update. For all you Straw-heads out there, you still have 10 days to change that! If you'd like to learn more about the All-Star selection process and how to vote, you can read all about it on MLB.com. View the full article

An injury has dampened the good vibes around the New York Mets. Right-handed starter Christian Scott was placed on the 15-day injured list by the Mets due to a right hip impingement as part of a slew of moves Monday. Right-handers Tobias Myers and Jonathan Pintaro were called up from Triple-A Syracuse and infielder Zack Short was claimed off waivers from the Detroit Tigers. Right-handed reliever Daniel Duarte was optioned back to Syracuse, while infielder Jorge Polanco was transferred from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL to accommodate Short's addition. Myers is set to start Monday's series opener against the Cincinnati Reds, which comes after taking two of three from NL East-leading Atlanta. Scott has been a nice addition to the Mets' rotation this season amid the team's struggles. In nine starts, he has a 3.84 FIP (3.10 ERA) in 40⅔ innings with a 10.7% walk rate and 26.4% strikeout rate. Myers was mainly in a relief role when sent down May 30, with 20 appearances and two starts. His FIP is 4.52 (4.05 ERA), having a walk rate of 5.2% and a strikeout rate of 19.4%. Pintaro is up with the Mets for the third time this season. He has pitched 6⅔ innings over three games with one walk and five strikeouts. A glove-first infielder, Short is with his fourth organization this season after signing a minor-league contract with the New York Yankees in the offseason. He was traded to the Washington Nationals on March 24 and made the Opening Day roster before being traded to the Tigers on May 1. He was designated for assignment by the Tigers on May 5, returned to the team, then DFA'd again Friday, which led to the Mets claiming him. Short slashed .167/.304/.222 with no homers and two RBIs in 23 games with the Tigers. View the full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - June 15 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds): Bats win, 3-2-1 Season Record: 27–39-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays): Smokies win, 4-2 Season Record: 35–28 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Peoria Chiefs (St. Louis Cardinals): Cubs win, 4-2 Season Record: 38–21 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Augusta GreenJackets (Atlanta Braves): Tied, 3-3 Season Record: 24–37 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 27–39-1 Series Opponent: Louisville Bats (36–31-1) Series Standing: Lose, 3-2-1 June 14: The Iowa Cubs ended their series at the Louisville Bats with a 4-4 tie at Louisville Slugger Field. The game headed to extras at 4-4 and the Cubs scored five in the top-half of the frame but inclement weather prevented the Bats from coming to the plate in the inning, which per league rules, meant the contest reverted back to the score at the end of the ninth. Louisville took a 2-0 lead in the fourth and later made it a 4-0 game in the seventh but Iowa knotted the ballgame up with four runs in the eighth. Chas McCormick (1-for-5) plated a run on an RBI-single and Jonathan Long (0-for-3) raced home on a wild pitch. James Triantos (2-for-4) brought home a pair of runs on a single to make it 4-4. Doug Nikhazy got the start for the I-Cubs and took no decision. Nikhazy allowed two runs on three hits over four innings of work, striking out six and walking none. Antoine Kelly turned in two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, retiring all six of the batters he faced, whiffing four of them. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 35–28 Series Opponent: Montgomery Biscuits (32–30) Series Standing: Win, 4-2 June 14: The Knoxville Smokies picked up their third-straight series win with a 4-3 triumph over the Montgomery Biscuits on Sunday. The Biscuits jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third but the Smokies were able to scratch a run across the plate in the fourth thanks to a sacrifice fly from Carter Trice (0-for-3). Brooks Caple got the start on the mound for Knoxville and took no decision. Caple allowed three runs, all unearned, on two hits over five innings of work, walking three and striking out one. Yenri Rojas (2.0 IP), Luke Little (1.0 IP) and Erian Rodriguez (1.0 IP) combined for four scoreless innings in relief while allowing just three hits to go along with four strikeouts and one walk. Their shutdown effort allowed the Smokies to come back and take the lead in the final frame, thanks to scoring one run in each of the seventh, eighth and ninth innings. Andy Garriola (1-for-4) brought Knoxville within one on an RBI-groundout and Cameron Sisneros (2-for-2) tied the ballgame with a solo shot, his first of the season. Garriola picked up his second RBI of the contest in the final frame on a sacrifice fly, which would be the game winner. Jefferson Rojas had another outstanding game at the plate, going 3-for-5, his fourth-straight three-hit performance. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 38–21 Series Opponent: Peoria Chiefs (32–31) Series Standing: Win, 4-2 June 14: The South Bend Cubs claimed their sixth-straight series win with a 10-3 victory over the Peoria Chiefs on Sunday at Four Winds Field. The Cubs scored twice in their first trip to the plate thanks to Jose Escobar’s (1-for-3) two-run triple and later made it 3-0 in the second on Kane Kepley’s (1-for-3) sacrifice fly. The Chiefs tied the contest with three runs in the third but South Bend re-took the lead with three runs of its own in the fifth, all scoring on Miguel Useche’s (1-for-4) seventh homer of the season. Josiah Hartshorn (3-for-4) tallied an RBI-single in the seventh with Christian Olivo also coming around to score later in the inning to make it 8-3. Hartshorn then crushed his eighth High-A long ball, a solo shot, in the eighth, his fifth home run in his last seven games. Matt Halbach (2-for-5) scored the I-Cubs’ final run of the game later inning on a wild pitch to make it 10-3. Alfredo Romero got the start for South Bend but did not factor in the decision. Romero allowed three runs on three hits over three innings of work, striking out four and walking two. Nazier Mulé picked up the win in relief to improve to 2-2 on the season. Mulé worked three scoreless frames, yielding just one hit to go along with four strikeouts and two walks. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 24–37 Series Opponent: Augusta GreenJackets (33–30) Series Standing: Tied, 3-3 June 14: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans salvaged a split in their series with the Augusta GreenJackets following a 6-5 win on Sunday at Pelicans Ballpark. Alexey Lumpuy (1-for-3) homered on the very first pitch of the ballgame and the Pelicans would never relinquish the lead. Logan Poteet (3-for-4) doubled home a run in the second before the GreenJackets scored their first run of the contest in the fourth. Myrtle Beach got that run right back on Geuri Lubo’s solo blast, his fourth of the season. Poteet then picked up his second and third RBI of the game when he launched a two-run blast in the fifth to make it 5-1. Darlyn De Leon (1-for-4) brought home the Pelican’s final run of the ballgame in the sixth on a double, giving Myrtle Beach a five-run lead. Augusta scored three times in the seventh and once more in the ninth but Jordan Henriquez was able to squash the rally and earn his third save of the season to seal the victory. Pierce Coppola got the start on the mound for the Pelicans and took no decision. Coppola allowed one run on three hits over four innings of work, striking out four and walking two. View the full article

New York Mets Weekly Snapshot Record Last Week: 3-3 Runs Scored Last Week: 23 Runs Surrendered Last Week: 29 Standings: 5th in NL East (29-36) 15.5 GB of 1st Place, 5.0 GB of a Wild Card Transactions: 6/2 New York Mets sent 1B Jorge Polanco on a rehab assignment to Syracuse Mets. 6/3 New York Mets recalled RHP Joey Gerber from Syracuse Mets. 6/3 New York Mets optioned RHP Jonah Tong to Syracuse Mets. 6/9 New York Mets optioned C Hayden Senger to Syracuse Mets. 6/9 New York Mets acquired C Jack Scanlon from the New York Boulders of the Frontier League. 6/10 New York Mets recalled RHP Jonathan Pintaro from Syracuse Mets. 6/10 New York Mets optioned RHP Joey Gerber to Syracuse Mets. 6/11 New York Mets sent RHP Kodai Senga on a rehab assignment to Binghamton Rumble Ponies. Scores: Game 65: NYM 0, STL 7 Game 66: NYM 3, STL 9 Game 67: NYM 5, STL 4 Game 68: NYM 7, ATL 5 Game 69: NYM 1, ATL 3 Game 70: NYM 8, ATL 1 Series Breakdown/Highlights Cardinals Series: The Mets returned home to start the week, finding out why the Cardinals have been able to escape a rebuild. In game one, the offense never got started. Freddy Peralta gave up six earned runs over six innings of work. He struggled with the long ball against the up-and-coming Redbirds lineup. Game two did not go better for the Mets. On one hand, Francisco Alvarez hit a two-run home run in the game, so the offense scored. On the other, Austin Warren took the loss as the opener plan for the Mets did not work yet again, and David Peterson gave up six runs over his 3.2 innings of work as his season-long struggles continued. Game three was home run derby day at Citi Field, and the Mets found themselves on the right side of the onslaught. There were four home runs across the first two innings. The Mets came back against the Cardinals' bullpen, and Juan Soto had the go-ahead home run against JoJo Romero to salvage the series. Braves Series: The Mets had their most impressive series of the season, taking two out of three games against the Braves. In game one, the Mets' offense wasted no time getting started against their division rivals. Bo Bichette powered the lineup with a massive six-RBI performance, including a grand slam and a solo home run, while Juan Soto added a solo shot of his own to secure a 7-5 victory over the major-league-leading Braves. Game two was a much quieter affair for the Mets' bats, as they struggled to solve Martín Pérez, managing just one run over six innings. Sean Manaea pitched well, but the offense couldn't back him up, and a potential ninth-inning rally fell short after a Juan Soto home run was overturned due to fan interference, resulting in a 3-1 loss. Game three was all about the Mets bouncing back in a big way to secure the series. Freddy Peralta rebounded from a rough previous outing to deliver five solid innings, while A.J. Ewing led the offensive explosion with a home run and a two-run double. Juan Soto capped off the 8-1 blowout with a two-run single in the eighth, sending the Citi Field crowd home happy. Website Highlights A Seller's Guide To Buying At The Trade Deadline: The Mets’ Path Back Into the Race How Huascar Brazobán Became A Timing Trap David Stearns' Offensive Acquisitions Have Become Mets Liabilities Looking Ahead June 15th: at CIN (7:10pm) June 16th: at CIN (7:10pm) June 17th: at CIN (12:40pm) June 18th: at PHI (6:40pm) June 19th: OFF June 20th: at PHI (7:15pm) June 21st: at PHI (7:20pm) View the full article

Twins System Recap: Breakout hitter of 2025 Kyler Fedko has kept rolling this season and is being promoted up to the big leagues to make his Major League debut. It was tough for him to just find playing time with the Saints to open this season, but opportunities opened up and he's taken advantage of them. Today's recap starts with some discussion on Fedko, how long he figures to stick around and why Kaelen Culpepper wasn't promoted. Down on the farm, Walker Jenkins started a rehab assignment, Kala'i Rosario helped break Wichita's losing streak, the Kernels scored 23 runs in a game and the Saints went unbeaten over the weekend thanks to some help from guys called up from A-Ball, including a monster game from Graham Brown in his Triple-A debut. View the full article

Baseball's best closer will be away from the San Diego Padres for a few days. Right-hander Mason Miller was placed on the bereavement-family medical leave list Monday by the Friars, who called up left-hander Kyle Hart from Triple-A El Paso. Also, outfielder Bryce Johnson, who was designated for assignment Friday, cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A. The Padres open a three-game road series against the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday. Miller is second in MLB with 19 saves in 19 chances with a 0.37 FIP (0.90 ERA) after earning a four-out save in Sunday's 5-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Miller, who fanned three Sunday, has 59 strikeouts in 30 innings, has an incredible 51.8% strikeout rate. Hart is with the Padres for a second time this season after making the Opening Day roster. In 12 MLB appearances and 16⅔ innings this year, Hart has a 3.35 FIP (5.40 ERA) with an 8.8% walk rate and 14.7% strikeout rate. At Triple-A, Hart has pitched 14⅔ innings over 11 games for a 7.36 ERA, with nine walks and 15 strikeouts. View the full article

Since former Mets' general manager Billy Eppler was disciplined for improperly using the Injured List to stash otherwise healthy players, it has been something folks are wary of, as suspicious transactions continue. One may suspect that the punishment Eppler received didn't make front offices adverse to the practice so much as make them more careful about dotting their i's and crossing their t's when doing so. Transactions, 6/11/2026 COMING Signed as International Amateur Free Agent out of Mexico, Assigned to DSL Orange Starting Pitchers Victor Gallegos R/R DoB: 2007-07-14 High Level: Academy (2026) Before we get to Injured List considerations, let us first welcome young Victor Gallegos to the organization. Victor hails from Sonora, Mexico; his name means "Gallician Winner"; and he appears to be from a professional baseball family, but we have not been able to suss out just who he is related to. You can watch him get the news of his first professional contract here, complete with dramatic music to heighten the mood, and what sounds like a mother's sobs. Transactions, 6/15/2026 GOING COMING Placed on 15-Day IL with Right Hip Soreness Promoted from Syracuse and Transferred from Bullpen Starting Pitchers Christian Scott Tobias Myers R/R DoB: 1999-06-15 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 1998-08-05 High Level: MLB (2026) When Tobias Myers went down to Syracuse two weeks ago, it was reported that they were trying to get some controlled scheduling over his usage, but there were hints that they were trying to stretch him into a starting role, and "get some controlled scheduling over his usage" sure sounds like a euphemism for that, especially if, you know, that controlled usage plays out in progressively longer workdays. And that is just what has happened, as Tobias has made three minor league appearances (all scoreless, with only one hit yielded), totaling 1 1/3, 2, and 2 2/3 innings. He returns after having sat since June 11, and as he is replacing a cog in the starting rotation, it's not crazy to suspect that his schedule start this evening is a start in fact, and not an opening. Christian Scott, for his part, has been consistently perfectly effective in his first season back from UCL surgery, and it makes perfect sense that the Mets would want to give him a two-week break to help ensure he will still be available come September, Billy Eppler be damned. It's a theory. To believe it means you need to accept that the Mets, already with five big-league starters on the IL, chose to stash a sixth there. But some version of Kodai Senga seems to be nearing a return, and if the theory turns out to be true, well, we won't tell if you won't. Your 2026 New York Mets Starting Pitchers Sean Manaea Tobias Myers Nolan McLean Freddy Peralta David Peterson R/L DoB: 1992-02-01 R/R DoB: 1998-08-05 R/R DoB: 2001-07-24 R/R DoB: 2996-06-04 L/L DoB: 1995-09-03 Relief Pitchers Huascar Brazobán Daniel Duarte A.J. Minter Cionel Pérez Brooks Raley Austin Warren Luke Weaver R/R DoB: 1989-10-15 R/R DoB: 1996-12-04 L/L DoB: 1993-09-02 R/L DoB: 35176 L/L DoB: 1988-06-29 R/R DoB: 1996-02-05 R/R DoB: 1993-08-21 Relief Pitchers Catchers Infielders Devin Williams Francisco Alvarez Luís Torrens Bo Bichette Brett Baty Vidal Brujan Marcus Semien R/R DoB: 1994-09-21 R/R DoB: 2001-11-01 R/R DoB: 1996-05-02 R/R DoB: 1998-03-05 L/R DoB: 1999-11-13 S/R DoB: 1998-02-09 R/R DoB: 1990-09-17 Infielders Outfielders Mark Vientos Eric Wagaman Carson Benge A.J. Ewing MJ Melendez Juan Soto Jared Young R/R DoB: 1993-12-11 R/R DoB: 1997-08-14 L/R DoB: 2003-01-20 L/R DoB: 2004-08-10 L/R DoB: 1993-11-29 L/L DoB: 1998-10-25 L/R DoB: 1995-07-09 Also on 40-Player Roster Starting Pitchers Relief Pitchers Clay Holmes Tylor Megill Christian Scott Kodai Senga Zach Thornton Jonah Tong Alex Carrillo R/R DoB: 1993-03-27 R/R DoB: 1995-07-28 R/R DoB: 1999-06-15 L/R DoB: 1993-01-30 L/L DoB: 2002-01-17 R/R DoB: 2003-06-19 R/R DoB: 1997-06-06 Relief Pitchers Catchers Reed Garrett Justin Hagenman Tobias Myers Dedniel Núñez Jonathan Pintaro Dylan Ross Hayden Senger R/R DoB: 1993-01-02 R/R DoB: 1996-10-07 R/R DoB: 1998-08-05 R/R DoB: 1996-06-05 R/R DoB: 1997-11-07 R/R DoB: 2000-09-01 R/R DoB: 1997-04-03 Infielders Outfielders Francisco Lindor Ronny Mauricio Jorge Polanco Nick Morabito Luis Robert, Jr. Tyrone Taylor S/R DoB: 1993-11-14 S/R DoB: 2001-04-04 S/R DoB: 1999-11-13 R/R DoB: 2003-05-07 R/R DoB: 1997-08-03 R/R DoB: 1994-01-22 Your Mets Coaching Staff Manager Bench Coach Pitching Coach Hitting Coordinator Third Base Coach First Base Coach Bullpen Coach Ass't Pitching Coach Carlos Mendoza Kai Correa Justin Willard Jeff Albert Tim Leiper Gilbert Gomez José Rosado Dan McKinney DoB: 1979-11-27 DoB: 1989-07-14 DoB: 1990-09-09 DoB: 1992-08-16 DoB: 1996-07-19 DoB: 1992-03-08 DoB: 1974-11-09 DoB: 1989-06-06 Hitting Coach Strategy Coach Catching Coach Coaching Assistant Bat'g Practice Pitcher Equipment Manager Bullpen Catchers Bullpen Catchers Troy Snitker Danny Barnes J.P. Arencibia Rafael Fernandez Kevin Mahoney Kevin Kierst Eric Langill Dave Racaniello DoB: 1988-12-05 DoB: 1989-10021 DoB: 1986-01-05 DoB: 1988-08-03 DoB: 1987-05-11 DoB: 1964-07-09 DoB: 1979-04-09 DoB: 1978-06-03 Your Mets Training Staff Director of Player Health Head Athletic Trainer Assistant Athletic Trainer Reconditioning Coordinator Reconditioning Therapist Head Performance Coach Assistant Performance Coach Performance Coordinator Soft Tissue Specialist Brian Chicklo Joseph Golia Bryan Baca Sean Bardanett Josh Bickel Dustin Clarke Tanner Miracle Jeremy Chiang Hiroto Kawamura DoB: 1972-07-17 DoB: 1978-??-?? DoB: Circa 1980 DoB: 1988-06-23 DoB: 1996-??-?? DoB: 1987-??-?? DoB: 1991-??-?? DoB: ????-??-?? DoB: 1962-07-19 View the full article

On Monday afternoon, the Royals' Player Development account announced that pitcher Kendry Chourio would be promoted to the High-A Quad Cities River Bandits. Chourio is the No. 1 Royals prospect at Royals Keep and is a Top-100 prospect according to many outlets, including Baseball America and MLB Pipeline. He will join lefty David Shields, our No. 2 Royals prospect, in the River Bandits rotation. In 11 starts and 48 IP with the Columbia Fireflies this year, the 18-year-old Venezuelan-born pitcher posted a 1.88 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, a 23.4% K%, and 18.6% K-BB%. His 3.56 FIP in Low-A was higher than his ERA, but Chourio possesses elite stuff and showcased strong ability to generate grounders (43.8% GB%) and pop-ups (25% IFFB%). Chourio's fastball sits in the upper 90s, and many believe he could be a starter in the mold of Yordano Ventura at the MLB level. No word has been made on who will replace Chourio in the Columbia rotation or if Shields will be moving up to Northwest Arkansas soon to join fellow lefty Justin Lamkin, who was recently promoted from Quad Cities to Northwest Arkansas. Royals fans can vote on where Chourio, Shields, Lamkin, and other prospects rank in our June prospect rankings in the Tweet below. View the full article

The Blue Jays designated Connor Seabold for assignment last week when Max Scherzer returned from the injured list. Today, the right-hander's time in DFA limbo came to an end. The Jays have shipped Seabold off to the Royals in exchange for minor league right-hander Denis Samudio. Toronto also gets cash considerations in the deal. Seabold appeared in five games for the Blue Jays this season. He gave up three runs in 3.1 innings, striking out one and walking two. Presuming he gets in a game for the Royals, they will be his seventh MLB team. Samudio signed with Kansas City as an international free agent in January 2025. He pitched well in the Dominican Summer League last season (1.72 ERA, 30.6% strikeout rate), earning an honourable mention on FanGraphs' list of the Royals' top prospects. According to Brendan Gawlowski's write-up, the righty was touching 95 with "some of the best vertical break" in Kansas City's system. After starting the 2026 season in the Arizona Complex League, Samudio earned a promotion to the Single-A Columbia Fireflies in May. In four outings for the Fireflies, he struck out 17 and walked eight in 14 innings of work, pitching to a 4.50 ERA. His latest outing was his best. The 21-year-old earned his first professional win with four innings of scoreless relief work. Samudio will remain at the Single-A level for now and report to the Dunedin Blue Jays. View the full article

In an attempt to fortify the bullpen, the Kansas City Royals have found a possibility on the MLB merry-go-round. The Royals on Monday traded for right-handed reliever Connor Seabold, who had been designated for assignment by the Toronto Blue Jays. The Royals sent minor-league right-handed starter Denis Samudio and cash to the Jays. To make room on the 40-man roster, right-handed closer Carlos Estevez was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL. A spot on the 26-man roster for Seabold will need to be made once he reports, which will likely be Tuesday. The Royals also promoted right-hander Mitch Spence from Triple-A Omaha and optioned right-handed reliever Eli Morgan to Triple-A. Morgan was sent down Sunday. Seabold is on his third MLB team this season. After being released by the Jays in spring training, Seabold made the Detroit Tigers' Opening Day roster, but was designated for assignment May 24 after a 4.13 FIP (3.45 ERA) in 11 appearances and 15⅔ innings. He was dealt to the Jays, where he pitched in five games to a 4.31 FIP (8.10 ERA) in 3⅓ innings. The 21-year-old Samudio has pitched in two games in the Arizona Complex League, giving up five runs (two earned) in 5⅔ innings. View the full article

Unlike other publications, Royals Keep enables all users to contribute to our top prospect rankings. Anyone with a Royals Keep account can participate and give their input on who they think should be in the Royals' top prospects list. Before you vote, you can hit our top prospects page for the latest stats and news on Royals prospects, while on the voting page, every name is a clickable link that brings up their current stat card. Voting is simple, just follow the instructions below! Here's the rundown on how to participate: 1. You must have an account and be logged in to vote. If you don't have an account, click here. It requires only 60 seconds to create an account. 2. Review our current top 20 prospect list, catch up on stats, rankings, etc. (you can do so from the voting page link below) 3. Have your prospect list in your filthy little paws? Then flip on over to the new prospect voting page (after reading the rest of this, please). https://royalskeep.com/prospect-voting 4. Voting is super simple; you drag and drop players in the order you wish them to be. After you move a prospect, the list automatically renumbers so you don't lose track of the order. This works on mobile devices, but it's a *vastly* better experience on desktop. Sorry, that's just how this kind of thing works. There's no excellent way to make something like this as awesome on a phone screen. 5. Each prospect has a comment section where you can add any commentary you have on that player. At the bottom of the list, there is a general comment section to explain over-arching things you'd like to mention. 6. Don't see a prospect you want to put on the list? Just pop back here and give me a mention (in a comment, start typing @Brock Beauchamp and select my name after it appears). Please mention the prospect you would like added, and I will do so as soon as possible. 7. Once you're done with all of it, click Save. You've now voted! 8. When the voting closes, a new thread will automatically generate in the minor league forum with all of your rankings and comments for everyone to read and talk about. 9. You can only vote once. If you have voted in error, pop back here and tag Brock to ask to have your vote deleted. It will be removed, and you can vote again. Voting closes Wednesday, June 17. View the full article

As the Red Sox attempt to salvage their season by looking for a right-handed bat, the San Francisco Giants may have a player available. Casey Schmitt has been on a tear this season, and has positional flexibility that may interest the Red Sox. View the full article

Unlike other publications, Jays Centre enables all users to contribute to our top prospect rankings. Anyone with a Jays Centre account can participate and give their input on who they think should be in the Blue Jays' top prospects list. Before you vote, you can hit our top prospects page for the latest stats and news on Blue Jays prospects, while on the voting page, every name is a clickable link that brings up their current stat card. Voting is simple, just follow the instructions below! Here's the rundown on how to participate: 1. You must have an account and be logged in to vote. If you don't have an account, click here. It requires only 60 seconds to create an account. 2. Review our current top 20 prospect list, catch up on stats, rankings, etc. (you can do so from the voting page link below) 3. Have your prospect list in your filthy little paws? Then flip on over to the new prospect voting page (after reading the rest of this, please). https://jayscentre.com/prospect-voting 4. Voting is super simple; you drag and drop players in the order you wish them to be. After you move a prospect, the list automatically renumbers so you don't lose track of the order. This works on mobile devices, but it's a *vastly* better experience on desktop. Sorry, that's just how this kind of thing works. There's no excellent way to make something like this as awesome on a phone screen. 5. Each prospect has a comment section where you can add any commentary you have on that player. At the bottom of the list, there is a general comment section to explain over-arching things you'd like to mention. 6. Don't see a prospect you want to put on the list? Just pop back here and give me a mention (in a comment, start typing @Brock Beauchamp and select my name after it appears). Please mention the prospect you would like added, and I will do so as soon as possible. 7. Once you're done with all of it, click Save. You've now voted! 8. When the voting closes, a new thread will automatically generate in the minor league forum with all of your rankings and comments for everyone to read and talk about. 9. You can only vote once. If you have voted in error, pop back here and tag Brock to ask to have your vote deleted. It will be removed, and you can vote again. Voting closes Wednesday, June 17. View the full article

I have written about this phenomenon before. Our brains are built to recognize patterns. Close your eyes and picture Nico Hoerner swinging at a pitch. In all likelihood, he is making contact with that pitch in your head, because almost every time he swings, he is making contact with that pitch. Except for when he doesn’t, and it leaves me very confused. I had another one of these moments this past week while watching Chicago Cubs highlights. I didn’t get to watch any of Thursday’s win over the Rockies live because of my full-time job, however, I did get to watch the condensed game. I was happy to see that Alex Bregman hit a home run, even if something about the highlight seemed odd to me: Breggy.mp4 Bregman has found success over his career with a very flat bat path, or as it is known on Baseball Savant, swing path tilt. He typically hits home runs on pitches middle up. With a flat bat path and short swing, Bregman has an easier time getting to those pitches and driving them in the air to the pull side of the field for home runs. It’s incredibly rare to see him go down and get a ball that is that low and power it over the fence. That is usually reserved for hitters with a steeper bat path, like Mike Trout, for example. In fact, according to Baseball Savant, that pitch was the fourth-lowest pitch he has ever hit for a home run, and two of the three examples that were lower were from 2017. That long ball was very much something we haven’t seen very often, and certainly not in more recent memory. We can see that on this chart showing every home run of Bregman’s career. That tiny little bottom right-most blue hex is where the home run against the Rockies was: So, what does this mean going forward? The former Astro has been served a steady diet of breaking balls to this point in the season: 40.2 percent of his pitches seen have been some form of breaking ball. That is the highest mark of his career, and is up from 31.3 percent last season. This has come at the expense of fastballs. Only 50.4 percent of the pitches he has seen have been fastballs, which is down from 57.1 percent last season, and is also the lowest mark of his career. I assume you already know this, since you’re willingly reading an article about baseball, but just in case: When a pitcher throws a breaking ball, they typically want it to end up down in the zone. More breaking balls means more pitches down in the zone, and less pitches up and out over the plate where Bregman prefers them. Pitchers have profited from this strategy, as Bregman is slugging just .281 on breaking balls. Using the new swing timing data at Baseball Savant, we can see that he is way early on breaking balls more often than he was in 2024, when he slugged .479 on those pitches: In 2024, which is in orange, he was on time much more often, which is that big peak in the middle. In 2026, which is in blue, we can see a large blue section that peaks out from behind the orange on the far right. That is bad. Those are the swings where Bregman is disastrously early. This is what that looks like: Breggy 2.mp4 The new Cub said as much himself, telling Patrick Mooney “I am out in front on soft and late on fastballs.” This would certainly back that up. Last week, our own Randy Holt did a deep dive on Bregman, and ultimately concluded he was being way too patient and needed to try to jump at pitches out over the plate more often. That, most certainly, is a solution to this problem. On Thursday, he simply decided to just go down and get the pitch that was thrown to him. If he wants to start doing that instead, that could also work. View the full article

The Twins have every reason to be patient with Riley Quick. He keeps giving them reasons not to be. View the full article

For the past several seasons, Royce Lewis has been one of the most frustrating players in all of baseball. And unfortunately, there are multiple reasons why. Since 2021, Lewis has been plagued by lower-body injuries, including multiple ACL tears that have cost him significant chunks of development time. Every time it seems like he's gaining momentum, another setback happens. While the flashes of superstar potential have always been there, the consistency hasn't been. When a player misses that much time during crucial developmental years, it's hard not to wonder what could have been. Those injuries haven't just kept Lewis off the field. They've also made it difficult for him to establish rhythm, make adjustments, and build on previous success. As a result, his performance at the major-league level has been a roller coaster. That frustration reached a new level during the first two months of the 2026 season. Through May 17, Lewis was hitting just .163 with a .261 on-base percentage and a 53 wRC+. He wasn't just struggling; he was producing runs roughly half as well as an average major-league hitter. Eventually, the Twins decided something needed to change. Lewis was optioned to Triple-A, in hopes that he could reset both mechanically and mentally. While some viewed the move as a concerning development for a former No. 1 overall pick, it may end up being one of the most important decisions the organization has made all season. Once Lewis arrived in Triple-A, he immediately caught fire. Over a 13-game stretch, he hit .340 and launched eight home runs, reminding everyone exactly what he’s capable of. That hot streak earned him a quick return to the major leagues. And since being recalled on June 6, Lewis has looked like a completely different hitter. In a small sample of 33 plate appearances, he's hitting .379 with a .424 on-base percentage, five extra-base hits, and a stolen base. More importantly, the quality of his at-bats has looked dramatically different. The biggest difference? He's making contact. Before his demotion, He was striking out 31% of the time. Since returning, that number has plummeted to 13%. That's an enormous shift for any hitter, especially one who looked completely lost just a few weeks ago. So what's changed? For starters, it appears Lewis made a notable mechanical adjustment to his swing. While he's always had a small leg kick when he plants his front leg, that leg kick is now much larger. Leg kicks are a funny thing in baseball. Some hitters will have one, but abandon it to simplify their mechanics. Some hitters add one to help with timing and explosion. If the early results are any indication, that extra leg kick is working for Lewis. He's been a much more powerful hitter while remaining on time, and the swing data backs it up. Before being sent down, Lewis was averaging 73.8 mph of bat speed. That's not necessarily a bad number, but since being recalled, it's gotten even faster. Lewis is now averaging 76 mph of bat speed, a mark that's among the best of all major-league hitters. A bigger leg kick means more sheer force transferred into his front side, without necessarily losing control of his stroke. Not only is he swinging the bat faster, but the improved bat speed is translating into better results across the board. He's hitting the ball harder, he's making significantly more contact (which is likely a result of just trusting his swing more), and he looks much more like the version of Royce Lewis that Twins fans fell in love with a few years ago. But the changes don't stop there. In addition to swinging a faster bat, there appears to be a clear shift in what Lewis is trying to accomplish at the plate. One of the most telling indicators is his pulled fly-ball rate. Before his demotion, just 19.1% of the balls he put in play were in the air to his pull side. That's not a terrible number by any means, but pulled fly balls are one of the easiest ways for hitters to generate extra-base power. For a player with Lewis's strength and bat speed, you'd like to see that number a little higher. Since returning to the majors, that number has jumped. Over the past week and a half, his pulled fly-ball rate is up to 27%, which currently is in the 97th percentile of all major-league hitters. That may not sound like a huge gap on the surface, but it's a substantial adjustment in approach. It’s allowing his raw power to play up in games. As a result, his barrel rate has surged as well, and the overall quality of contact has taken a significant step forward. It genuinely feels like Lewis's swing has leveled up since returning from Triple-A. Now, it's important to remember that we're still talking about a very small sample size. Pitchers will make adjustments, and Lewis will inevitably cool off at some point. That's just how baseball works. The higher leg kick has helped him catch the ball with his barrel more often when he's been on time; here's the timing distributions for him by month for swings on which he's on time. Since his recall, he lines up the ball better on those swings, which is why we're seeing that pulled fly-ball contact. What this doesn't show you, though, is that Lewis is still early very often—in fact, a hair more so than before he went down. He's on time for the fastball, but still early on other stuff. Pitchers will start forcing him to sit back a bit more again, and he'll have to adapt. But even if the production regresses, the underlying changes are encouraging. The bat speed is up, the contact rate is up, and the quality of contact is up. But perhaps most importantly, his confidence appears to be back. Lewis looks like a different player right now, and when he's in a groove, he legitimately looks like one of the best hitters in the league. We've seen flashes of that before, where he looks capable of carrying an offense all by himself. The challenge has always been finding a way to sustain it. For now, though, Twins fans should enjoy what they're watching. Because this version of Royce Lewis is the player everyone has been waiting for. Let's hope he's here to stay, because my gosh, is this fun to watch. View the full article

Unlike other publications, Talk Sox enables all users to contribute to our top prospect rankings. Anyone with a Talk Sox account can participate and give their input on who they think should be in the Red Sox top prospects list. Before you vote, you can hit our top prospects page for the latest stats and news on Red Sox prospects, while on the voting page, every name is a clickable link that brings up their current stat card. Voting is simple, just follow the instructions below! Here's the rundown on how to participate: 1. You must have an account and be logged in to vote. If you don't have an account, click here. It requires only 60 seconds to create an account. 2. Review our current top 20 prospect list, catch up on stats, rankings, etc. (you can do so from the voting page link below) 3. Have your prospect list in your filthy little paws? Then flip on over to the new prospect voting page (after reading the rest of this, please). https://talksox.com/prospect-voting 4. Voting is super simple; you drag and drop players in the order you wish them to be. After you move a prospect, the list automatically renumbers so you don't lose track of the order. This works on mobile devices, but it's a *vastly* better experience on desktop. Sorry, that's just how this kind of thing works. There's no excellent way to make something like this as awesome on a phone screen. 5. Each prospect has a comment section where you can add any commentary you have on that player. At the bottom of the list, there is a general comment section to explain over-arching things you'd like to mention. 6. Don't see a prospect you want to put on the list? Just pop back here and give me a mention (in a comment, start typing @Brock Beauchamp and select my name after it appears). Please mention the prospect you would like added, and I will do so as soon as possible. 7. Once you're done with all of it, click Save. You've now voted! 8. When the voting closes, a new thread will automatically generate in the minor league forum with all of your rankings and comments for everyone to read and talk about. 9. You can only vote once. If you have voted in error, pop back here and tag Brock to ask to have your vote deleted. It will be removed, and you can vote again. Voting closes Wednesday, June 17. View the full article