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Weekly Snapshot: Record Last Week: 3-3 (Overall: 43-26) Runs Scored Last Week: 41 Runs Surrendered Last Week: 34 Standing: 1st in NL Central Game 64 (6/8) | MIL 15, OAK 14 Game 65 (6/9) | OAK 7, MIL 5 Game 66 (6/10) | OAK 4, MIL 3 Game 67 (6/12) | MIL 6, PHI 0 Game 68 (6/13) | PHI 9, MIL 8 Game 69 (6/14) | MIL 4, PHIL 0 Game 64 | Brewers 15, Athletics 14 MIL Starter: Kyle Harrison (2.1 IP, 8 H, 2 BB, 8 ER, 4 K) Top Performers: Jake Bauers (2 H, BB, HR, 3 RBI) Andrew Vaughn (4 H, 2 2B, HR, 4 RBI) William Contreras (3 H, BB, HR, 3 RBI) It was a tough day to be a pitcher in Las Vegas on Monday, with the Brewers and A’s facing off in a game that saw the most hits (34), runs (29), home runs (11), and ABS challenges (16) a single game had seen all season. (Tellingly, some of those standards were topped by another game the A's played on Sunday against the Rockies.) The absurdities don’t end at just the counting stats, though, as the game saw multiple blown 4-run leads and 14 different pitchers, coupled with other late-game dramatics. William Contreras’s 3-run homer (+26.7 WP%) Game 65 | Athletics 7, Brewers 5 MIL Starter: Robert Gasser (5.0 IP, 8 H, 2 BB, 6 ER, 7 K) Top Performers: Coleman Crow (2.0 IP, H, BB, 0 ER) Garrett Mitchell (3 H, 2 2B) Jackson Chourio (H, HR, 2 RBI) It was a much more normal affair scoring-wise on Tuesday, but like all the pitchers had the day before, Brewers starter Robert Gasser struggled to keep the ball in the ballpark, as Athletics batters put the ball over the fence four times against the lefty. No furious comeback followed him either, despite a 3-hit day from Garrett Mitchell. The A’s evened the series with a 7-5 win. Jackson Chourio goes deep (+15.0 WP%) Game 66 | Athletics 4, Brewers 3 MIL Starter: Brandon Sproat (6.0 IP, 4 H, BB, ER, 4 K) Top Performers: Trevor Megill (1.0 IP, H, 0 ER, 2 K) Andrew Vaughn (2 H, BB, RBI) Jackson Chourio (2 H, HR, RBI) Brandon Sproat turned in what was debatably his best start as a Brewer in the rubber match, twirling six innings of one-run baseball. Once again, though, the home run ball bit the Brewers, with two big flies off of Chad Patrick in the 7th inning flipping the scoreboard in favor of the A’s for good. Gary Sánchez’s solo homer (+9.5 WP%) Game 67 | Brewers 6, Phillies 0 MIL Starter: Jacob Misiorowski (9.0 IP, H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 15 K) Top Performers: Joey Ortiz (2 H, 2B) Jake Bauers (H, BB, HR, 3 RBI) Friday night was a historic one for Jacob Misiorowski. On just 95 pitches, Misiorowski faced the minimum against the Phillies, allowing just one hit, walking none, and striking out 15 in what is surely the most dominant start in Brewers history. Misiorowski's historic complete game shutout Game 68 | Phillies 9, Brewers 8 MIL Starter: Shane Drohan (5.0 IP, 8 H, 0 BB, 4 ER, 7 K) Top Performers: Jackson Chourio (4 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI) Garrett Mitchell (2 H, HR, 2 RBI) William Contreras (3 H) Another rough day on the pitching front followed the Miz's dominance, as Shane Drohan and Chad Patrick couldn't contain the Phillies' offense through the first six innings. The Brewers would battle back, though, thanks in part to a two-homer day from Jackson Chourio and a 3-hit day from William Contreras. That comeback effort wasn't quite enough, however, with the Phillies nabbing a 9-8 win to set up a Sunday decider with their ace on the mound. Jackson Chourio's monster day Game 69 | Brewers 4, Phillies 0 MIL Starter: Kyle Harrison (6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 3 K) Top Performers: Blake Perkins (2 H, HR, 2B, 3 RBI) Jackson Chourio (2 H, HR, RBI) Aaron Ashby (2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 3 K, SV) Kyle Harrison bounced back from his rough Vegas outing by outdueling Christopher Sanchez, cruising through six innings of scoreless baseball. Meanwhile, Jackson Chourio hit his third homer in two days, while Blake Perkins was the hero, launching his first homer of the season off one of the NL's best pitchers to land an early KO blow. Blake Perkins' first home run of the season (+22.0 WP%) Transactions: 06/12/26 - Placed RHP Coleman Crow on the 15-day injured list with a right forearm flexor strain. (Retroactive to June 10, 2026) 06/12/26 - Recalled RHP Craig Yoho from Nashville Sounds. 06/10/26 - Signed free agent RHP Lyon Richardson to a minor league contract. 06/10/26 - Traded RHP Jacob Waguespack to Detroit Tigers. 06/09/26 - Sent RHP Brandon Woodruff on a rehab assignment to ACL Brewers. 06/09/26 - RHP Jake Woodford assigned to Milwaukee Brewers. 06/09/26 - LHP Brian Fitzpatrick was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list with a Left elbow injury. 06/09/26 - Optioned CF Luis Lara to Nashville Sounds. 06/09/26 - Selected the contract of CF Luis Lara from Nashville Sounds. 06/08/26 - Placed RHP Carlos Rodriguez on the 15-day injured list retroactive to May 31, 2026. 06/08/26 - Activated RHP Joel Kuhnel. 06/08/26 - Optioned RHP Craig Yoho to Nashville Sounds. 06/08/26 - Sent RHP Jake Woodford outright to Nashville Sounds. Looking Ahead: Tuesday, 6/16 - Guardians @ Brewers - 6:40 PM CDT Wednesday, 6/17 - Guardians @ Brewers - 6:40 PM CDT Thursday, 6/18 - Guardians @ Brewers - 1:10 PM CDT Friday, 6/19 - Brewers @ Braves - 6:15 PM CDT Saturday, 6/20 - Brewers @ Braves - 3:10 PM CDT Sunday, 6/21 - Brewers @ Braves - 12:35 PM CDT View the full article

The month of June has not been exceptionally kind to either Jarren Duran or Masataka Yoshida. The Boston Red Sox, naturally, are worse off for it. While Duran had a massive May, it seems like things have gone haywire for him again. His nine home runs last month pointed towards him finally figuring out a batting stance and leg kick combination that made sense for him. He was starting in the outfield on a daily basis and the thought was the consistent playing time was letting him finally find his groove offensively. Yoshida had seen a bit of an uptick in playing time in the wake of Roman Anthony’s finger injury, but so far this month, he has been regulated to occasional pinch hitter duty while mostly being seen wandering around the dugout and taking dry swings as he sits on the bench. It’s gotten so bad that he’s essentially been replaced in the lineup by Mickey Gasper. That’s not totally a knock on Gasper (he’s played well since being promoted in May), but he’s a journeyman, Quadruple-A level of player who is already falling back to earth after his hot start. Before we dive into what may be going on for both outfielders, let’s take a look at their numbers so far in June. Jarren Duran: .167/.167/.286, .194 wOBA, 12 wRC+ 42.9 K%, 0.0 BB%, -0.2 fWAR over 42 at bats Masataka Yoshida: .111/.200/.111 .161 wOBA, -10 wRC+, 30.0 K%, 5.0 BB%, -0.3 fWAR over 20 at bats Duran has looked like a shell of himself at the plate for the majority of the season. It’s not a mirage that he hasn’t walked once and is striking out almost half of the time this month. If we take a step back and look at his swing decisions as a whole over the season, we see that he’s chasing pitches out of the zone at a 35% clip, the most he’s done in his career. To go along with that, his chase contact percentage is down to 38.9% in 2026 from 44% in 2025. Likewise, his whiff percentage has shot up from 24.8% during his career year in 2024 to 35.9% this season. To make matters worse, when he is making contact this month, he’s driving the ball into the ground almost 46 percent of the time; when he's hitting the ball into the air, 37.5% of those are infield fly balls. He’s making weak, ineffective contact the majority of the time when he’s at the plate and the team is suffering because of it. Due to the fact that he’s swinging at less and less first pitches, opposing pitchers are able to get a strike over on him and start him off down in the count. His pitch heatmap shows that most pitchers don’t even have to nibble around the zone to get Duran out. Instead, they are peppering the strike zone against him. Once he’s down, his approach at the plate shifts dramatically and he becomes the free-swinger that aggravated fans in 2021 and 2022 when he was new to the league. Meanwhile, Yoshida’s fall from grace has been long predicted and shouldn’t surprise any astute observer. Former manager Alex Cora arguably played Yoshida more than he should have, neither Chaim Bloom nor Craig Breslow have able to move his contract when it’s best for roster construction to do so, and interim manager Chad Tracy seems to have no desire to get Yoshida any real playing time on a regular basis since taking over the job. Taking that same step back as we did with Duran, we see almost the exact opposite approach. He’s only chasing 28% of the time but he’s making contact on 74.4% of those chases. Even his 2026 whiff percentage is tied for a career low at 14.6%. So what is going on with him? In short, he’s getting nothing to hit and when he does make contact, it’s weak. His pitch heatmap is also the exact opposite from Duran’s. With Duran, we see a hitter who is struggling with pitches in the heart of the zone. With Yoshida, we see someone who is getting fed pitches high in the zone almost exclusively. Yoshida's biggest issue seems to be that he just can’t barrel a baseball to save his life. He’s currently ranked in the sixth percentile for barrel percentage at 1.8%. There’s just nothing productive going on for him when he’s at the plate. He’s not impacting the ball in any meaningful way, and on the off chance he does manage to put something in play, his groundball percentage is right at 50%. Like Duran, he’s driving the ball directly into the ground for easy and weak outs. The question is how can Jarren Duran and Masataka Yoshida be fixed in 2026? More consistent playing time in the field? Duran has proven that’s not working. Exclusively hitting at designated hitter so they can study mechanics and make alterations in the cage between at-bats? Both have shown that doesn’t work. There’s no easy answer to the question anymore, as both Duran and Yoshida are costing the Red Sox valuable production as they attempt to navigate the rest of this season and beyond. The alternatives are practically nonexistent while Anthony is down, so the Red Sox have little choice but to keep deploying this duo. Barring a turnaround from either, the offense figures to continue being a train wreck in Boston. View the full article

After a contract extension to begin the season, Cooper Pratt is set to make his MLB debut. Pratt, Brewer Fanatic's No. 4 prospect, will be called up from Triple-A Nashville before Tuesday's series opener against the Cleveland Guardians, according to Brewer Fanatic's Spencer Michaelis (via direct observation on MiLB.tv) and MLB.com's Adam McCalvy (via organizational sources). The 21-year-old Pratt, a shortstop, signed an eight-year, $50.75 million contract extension at the end of March. He is an excellent defender who has shown some signs of offensive progress. At Nashville this season, his first at the Triple-A level, Pratt has a slash line of .244/.353/.392 with six homers, 32 RBIs and 17 stolen bases. The six homers in less than half a season are two shy of his career high of eight, which he accomplished each of the last two seasons. Whom Pratt replaces on the Brewers' roster is another question. Third baseman Luis Rengifo appeared to sustain a mild shoulder injury in Sunday's 4-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. Rengifo, who is also a candidate to be designated for assignment, did remain in the game. Another possibility would be optioning shortstop Joey Ortiz to Triple-A. There could be another possibility as well. Pratt is already on the 40-man roster by virtue of his contract extension. Pratt was a sixth-round draft choice in 2023 out of Magnolia Heights High School in Senatobia, Miss. He is one of two prospects the Brewers have locked up with contract extensions this season. Center fielder Luis Lara just signed a seven-year, $31 million deal. He is also 21. View the full article

The Twins are making a move, promoting outfield prospect Kyler Fedko to join the big-league team for their week-long road trip, sources told Twins Daily. Orlando Arcia has been designated assignment to make room on both the 26-man and the 40-man rosters. Fedko, a 12th-round selection in the 2021 MLB Draft (369th overall), was a $125,000 signing out of UConn. A late bloomer who spent his early minor-league years repeating levels of the system frequently, He took off at Double-A during the 2025 season. In 130 games combined at Wichita and at Triple-A St. Paul, he hit .258/.367/.476, with 28 home runs and 38 stolen bases at an 83% success rate. After a slow start with the Saints in 2026, Fedko has heated up in May and June. Through 58 games for St. Paul, he’s hitting .286/.372/.578 (138 wRC+) with 15 home runs among 28 extra-base hits and 9 stolen bases. Fedko brings an intriguing skill set. His recent power surge is anchored in pulling the ball in the air, as opposed to huge bat speed or upper-end exit velocities. Fedko has a knack for finding the barrel, with a 46% hard-hit rate in 2026. There are some orange flags in the offensive profile. Fedko chases at a troublesome clip (34%), a tendency major-league pitchers will attempt to exploit. He can certainly help the big-league team, though. The Twins have needed additional right-handed help in the outfield for several years, and Fedko has above-average speed and a solid glove, with the versatility to move throughout outfield spots defensively. It’s also worth noting that Fedko mashes left-handed pitching, managing a 1.262 OPS against southpaws in 2026. We should see him spell other outfield positions regularly, be in the lineup with consistency against left-handed pitching, and have a chance to establish himself as a fourth outfielder for the Twins. It's possible he grows into even more than that, but as Derek Shelton moves the pieces around his chessboard, Fedko comes in as another good one who can be utilized in the proper turns, rather than leaned on to do everything. View the full article

Box Score: Starting Pitcher: Taj Bradley: 6 2/3 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K (101 Pitches, 66 Strikes, 65.3%) Home Runs: Victor Caratini (4) Bottom 3 WPA: Ryan Kreidler (0.38), Yoendrys Gómez (0.16), Caratini (0.13) Win Probability Chart (Via BaseballSavant): The Twins are on life support, slipping further away from a .500 record as the trade deadline looms a month and a half away. Royce Lewis, Kody Clemens and Byron Buxton are raking, and if you're an optimist, there is lineup help in Triple-A St. Paul. But the pitching is still a liability, so a June surge to keep the veterans in tow feels unlikely. A wild card in that equation is Taj Bradley, who started today against St. Louis. Bradley was a revelation early, but since hitting the IL with a pectoral injury in May, the right-hander has seen his command evaporate, with 12 walks and little success over his four starts since returning. Bradley came out dealing, throwing much more competitive pitches around the zone while hitting 99 MPH with his fastball. He struck out two in the first and didn't allow a hit until a single in the third inning—to 9-hole hitter Nathan Church on a splitter. The Twins lineup was tasked with facing right-hander Michael McGreevy, a young pitcher who succeeds in the Sonny Gray mold, featuring six pitches he can throw for strikes and despite a lack of premium velocity. The Twins made him work in the first, with Buxton rifling a double to the left field corner and Lewis drawing a hard-fought walk. McGreevy then fell behind 3-0 to Josh Bell, before inducing a tapout to end the inning. Bradley allowed a home run on a hanging curveball in the fourth to the red-hot Alec Burleson, who recently homered in four straight games (make that five out of six). But Bradley didn't get scared out of the zone, striking out Jordan Walker and Lars Nootbaar convincingly to end the frame. The Twins' two struggling free-agent pickups flipped the score in their half of the fourth. Bell singled, and Victor Caratini launched a massive home run 411 feet to give the Twins a one-run lead. Looking for the shutdown inning, Bradley worked a quick 1-2-3 frame, overpowering Jose Fermin on a fastball down in the zone for the finishing strikeout. At that point, he had thrown 57 pitches. Perhaps he should have been taken out at that point. His command again abandoned him in the sixth, as he walked Church and fell behind 3-1 to impressive rookie JJ Wetherholt. Wetherholt got a fastball to his liking, knowing Bradley did not want to walk two in front of the meat of the Cardinals' lineup, and rocked it 380 feet to flip the score once again. The Twins tried to rally in their half of the sixth. Bell singled once more, and Caratini drew a walk with one out. Alas, Brooks Lee hit a sharp liner to Blaze Jordan at first, who speared the ball and tagged out Caratini retreating to first. Bradley nearly made it through the seventh unscathed, but allowed two bloop singles with two outs before giving way to Anthony Banda to face Wetherholt. Wetherholt scoffed at his platoon disadvantage and flipped another single to left to score the Cardinals' fourth run. These Twins aren't great, but they do have some fight in them. They began the seventh against lefty Jojo Romero by pinch-hitting Austin Martin, who struck out while wasting the Twins' last challenge. However, Luke Keaschall drew a walk, Ryan Kreidler singled, and Buxton singled as well, bringing in Keaschall. Clemens then singled, loading the bases for Lewis. A fourth straight single brought home Kreidler, and the game was tied. Buxton waited to see the ball drop and was unable to score, a rare occurrence. Andrew Morris struck out the side in the eighth—impressive, considering two of the hitters he faced were Walker and Nootbar. The bottom of the eighth began with two quick outs before Keaschall got hold of a George Soriano fastball for a line drive double. Kreidler then worked a seven-pitch at-bat, resulting in a double off the wall in left-center field that gave the Twins the lead. Yoendrys Gómez got the ball for the ninth, and the first ball in play was an impressive diving stop and throw from Kreidler, combined with a great scoop at first from Lewis. Fermin was initially called safe, but the play was overturned on replay review. Gómez struck out Church and got Wetherholt to fly out to cement the victory. Stuff I'm Tracking: Buxton's trade value may never be higher than it is right now. You start to wonder if a package similar to what the Padres gave up for Juan Soto in 2022 is in play. Both players had/have two and a half years of team control remaining. While Buxton is maybe a shade or two less proficient as a hitter than Soto was, he offers still elite-ish defense at a premium position, excellent baserunning and a cheaper contract. The Soto trade netted the Nationals James Wood Jr., Robert Hassell III, C.J. Abrams and Mackenzie Gore. Hassell has been a bust, but was considered an elite prospect at the time. The other three players have all become All-Stars. Gore was then flipped this past offseason for five more prospects who are all performing well in the Nats' minor league system. I love Byron Buxton, but if his legacy ends up being that he brought in a boatload of talent to supplement a Walker Jenkins-led team that has a (potential) salary floor in place, I'll be happy to see him win in another market. Tristan Gray made an error at shortstop that could have led to a big inning with Bradley struggling in the sixth. He looks like he is constantly looking to homer at the plate, which is cute but perhaps misplaced for a hitter with a .385 slugging percentage and middling exit velocities. He's fine as a pinch-hitter and flexible defensive replacement, but there is no real upside here- Ryan Kreidler would be my choice to start at shortstop. Not to say Kreidler does have upside, but he looks like the most capable shortstop on the Twins' roster currently (he also went 2-2 with two clutch hits). What’s Next: The Twins head to Texas for a three-game set against the Rangers. The Twins have not announced a starter, while they will face prized trade acquisition Gore (4-5, 4.18 ERA). Gore has been up and down with his new club, and the Twins will need to be patient as the righty has been somewhat wild, yielding 4.2 walks per nine innings. Postgame Interviews: Bullpen Usage Chart: WED THU FRI SAT SUN TOT Adams 31 0 0 37 0 68 Morris 39 0 9 0 17 65 Paredes 58 0 0 0 0 58 Gómez 27 0 15 0 10 52 Banda 30 0 9 0 11 50 Rogers 14 0 22 0 0 36 Laweryson 0 32 0 0 0 32 Lawrence 0 0 0 24 0 24 Orze 0 0 16 0 0 16 View the full article

The version of Max Meyer we have seen in 2026 has been automatic. After toiling for a handful of years at the big league level, Meyer has finally ascended to what was once promised upon his drafting, now six years ago. On Sunday, the prospective All-Star had his grandest test to date, squaring off against reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes. In keeping with the 2026 Meyer narrative to this point, the 27-year-old came out on top, firing six innings of one-run ball in Miami's 4-2 win over the Pirates. Meyer registered eight of his nine strikeouts with his lethal sweeper-slider tandem, including a 54% whiff rate on the latter. Now 7-0, Meyer's 15-start stretch without recording a loss represents a new franchise record. Back to .500 for the second time in three days at 36-36, Miami owns the majors' best record in June, improving to 10-2. What Skenes (2.85 ERA) did should not be without mention, though, as the two-time All-Star tied a season-high with 10 strikeouts over his six innings of work. After trading zeroes in the first, Miami would ambush Skenes with a pair of solo home runs, starting with Heriberto Hernández, the owner of a robust 1.062 OPS in the month of June. Joe Mack, who has neutralized the running game since his arrival, continued to show added promise at the plate, depositing his second home run over the center field wall of PNC Park. Himself a slow starter, Mack owns a .902 OPS in June after OPS'ing just .500 in his inaugural big league month of May. After getting to Meyer for a run in the fourth, Pittsburgh would load the bases for Jake Mangum in the bottom of the fifth. Sending a hanging sweeper into the right-center gap, Jakob Marsee made a five-star catch in every sense of the word, diving to his right to save a trio of runs. "Max had a couple of balls not go his way, but he's been shoving all year, so I just tried to make a catch for him...he's fun to play behind," noted Marsee. Miami pitching held the Pirates 1-4 hitters to a .118 (2-for-17) clip on Sunday, with the top of the order not breaking through until Bryan Reynolds, currently riding a 21-game on-base streak, launched a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth. Looking Ahead The Marlins will continue their trek through the Northeast when they travel to the City of Brotherly Love to commence a three- game series against the surging Philadelphia Phillies on Monday. Ryan Gusto (0-1, 6.00 ERA), off his best start of the season, where he tossed four scoreless innings against Arizona. Zack Wheeler (5-1, 2.22 ERA) will look to continue his brilliance against Miami (career 2.68 ERA against), as he opposes Gusto. First pitch from Citizens Bank Park is slated for 6:40 EST. View the full article

A freak occurrence has sidelined Freddy Fermin. The catcher was put on the seven-day concussion list Sunday by the San Diego Padres, who called up catcher Blake Hunt from Triple-A El Paso. Right-handed reliever Ty Adcock was designated for assignment to make room for Hunt on the 40-man roster. Fermin was injured in the sixth inning of Saturday's 9-3 win. As left-handed reliever Yuki Matsui was warming up, he spiked one of his pitches. Fermin turned his head as he attempted to stop it, but the ball ricocheted and hit him in the back of the head. He was removed from the game, replaced by Rodolfo Duran. Luis Campusano, the Padres' other main catcher, remains on the 10-day IL with a fractured big left toe. Fermin is the second Padre to currently be on the concussion list, joining second baseman Jake Cronenworth, where he has been since May 5. Fermin had been coming around with the bat recently, homering in three straight games. He has a .148/.243/.262 slash line with those three homers and 11 RBIs in 51 games. Hunt was slashing .289/.431/.533 in 15 games in the minors with three home runs and eight RBIs. His season was delayed by an oblique injury. Adcock was signed to a major-league contract in the offseason. An oblique injury in spring training sidelined him. In the minors, Adcock has a 7.15 ERA in 11⅓ innings over 11 appearances, with six walks and 15 strikeouts. He has appeared in 18 MLB games the last three seasons with the Seattle Mariners and New York Mets. View the full article

Another round of hamate injuries have snared a few MLB stars. One of them plays for the Kansas City Royals. First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday by the Royals with a fractured right hamate bone. Outfielder John Rave was called up from Triple-A Omaha. Following surgery, hamate injuries typically take between one and two months to recover from. Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez also sustained a hamate fracture Saturday. Pasquantino was injured Saturday on a swing in the fifth inning in which he popped up to the third baseman. He immediately grimaced and held his arm in a way that signified the injury. Pasquantino was removed from the game, replaced by left fielder Isaac Collins in the lineup with Jac Caglianone moving from the outfield to first base. Pasquantino is part of the heart of the Royals' offense, but his .224/.309/.350 slash line with six homers and 32 RBIs is one reason why the team is struggling. Rave made his MLB debut last season, slashing .196/.283/.307 with four homers and 14 RBIs in 72 games. At Triple-A this year, he has a slash line of .278/.395/.475 with 10 homers and 32 RBIs. View the full article

It's hard to believe two decades have passed since the 2006 Minnesota Twins season. For much of that summer, the Twins looked like a legitimate World Series contender, fueled by a trio of stars who seemed nearly impossible to stop. Joe Mauer was emerging as baseball's premier catcher. Johan Santana was solidifying his place as the best pitcher in the game. And a rookie named Francisco Liriano arrived with a level of dominance rarely seen from a first-year player. Looking back 20 years later, it's hard not to wonder what might have happened had all three remained healthy and at their peak when October arrived. Let's take a look back at that team, which was 27-34 at one pont that season—but, at this very time of year, won 19 out of 20 games to thrust themselves into playoff picture. The King: Joe Mauer 2006 First Half: .378/.446/.535 (.981), 7 HR, 1 3B, 22 2B, 38 BB, 30 K Mauer's rookie season in 2004 was interrupted by a torn medial meniscus, and although he played 131 games in 2005, he was still developing into the superstar many envisioned when Minnesota selected him first overall in the 2001 MLB Draft. His 107 OPS+ that first full season showed promise, but 2006 became the season where everything clicked. The first half was a masterclass in contact hitting. Mauer entered the All-Star break leading the American League in batting average. By season's end, he became the first catcher in American League history to win a batting title, finishing at .347. He earned his first All-Star selection, captured his first Silver Slugger Award, and announced himself as one of baseball's elite players. For Twins fans, that first half served as the opening chapter of a Hall of Fame career. Ace No. 1: Johan Santana 2006 First Half: 19 G, 131 IP, 2.95 ERA, 138 K, 1.00 WHIP, .629 Opponent OPS Santana entered 2006 with something left to prove. He had already won the 2004 Cy Young Award, and many believed he was deserving of the honor again in 2005. Instead, he finished third, despite leading the American League in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and several advanced metrics. Whether fueled by that perceived snub or motivated by the electric young left-hander sharing his rotation, Santana delivered another dominant first half. Every fifth day, he overwhelmed hitters with a devastating changeup that remains one of the best pitches of the modern era. His 138 strikeouts before the break led the American League, and he continued to establish himself as the standard for pitching excellence. The second half only strengthened his Cy Young case. Santana finished the season leading all of baseball in wins (19), ERA (2.77), strikeouts (245), WHIP (0.99), ERA+ (162), and rWAR (7.6). He was the unanimous AL Cy Young Award winner, receiving all 28 first-place votes. Yet, for a brief stretch during the summer, there was a legitimate debate about whether he was even the most dominant pitcher on his own team. Ace No. 2: Francisco Liriano 2006 First Half: 22 G, 88 1/3 IP, 1.83 ERA, 102 K, 0.97 WHIP, .543 Opponent OPS Few pitching prospects in Twins history have generated as much excitement as Francisco Liriano. The left-hander opened the season in a multi-inning relief role, giving Minnesota a weapon unlike anything else in baseball. Over his first 22 1/3 innings, he struck out 32 batters while walking only four and posted a 3.22 ERA. The Twins moved him into the starting rotation on May 19, and his season immediately took off. Over his next 10 appearances before the All-Star break, Liriano allowed just 10 earned runs while striking out 70 batters. He posted a remarkable 1.36 ERA as a starter, and Minnesota went 9-1 in those games. His slider was unhittable. His fastball exploded through the zone. Hitters often looked defeated before stepping into the batter's box. Initially left off the American League All-Star roster, Liriano eventually earned a spot after injury replacements opened a place on the team. He joined Mauer and Santana in Pittsburgh, giving Minnesota three of the game's brightest stars on baseball's midsummer stage. At that point, it appeared the Twins had assembled the type of top-of-the-rotation duo capable of carrying a club deep into October. The Second-Half Fallout Unfortunately, the story took a heartbreaking turn. Liriano was scratched from a late-July start because of forearm inflammation. Initial examinations revealed no structural damage, creating optimism that the issue would be minor. That optimism disappeared on August 7 when he left a start after throwing only 67 pitches because of renewed elbow discomfort. After rest and a brief rehab assignment, Liriano attempted a September return. It lasted just 27 pitches. During that outing, he felt and heard a "pop" in his elbow. The diagnosis (a torn ulnar collateral ligament; structural damage this time) ultimately led to Tommy John surgery in November, ending his season and forcing him to miss all of 2007. The injury robbed Minnesota of one of baseball's most electric young pitchers and permanently altered the trajectory of what looked like a budding superstar career. A Team Built to Dream The Twins still won 96 games and captured the American League Central despite beginning the season 25-33. They surged during the second half behind Mauer's batting title, Santana's Cy Young season, and a roster that found its identity after a sluggish start. However, the loss of Liriano cast a shadow over everything that followed. Minnesota entered the postseason with legitimate championship aspirations, but the pitching staff no longer featured the devastating one-two punch that had terrorized opponents during the summer. The Twins were swept by Oakland in the Division Series, extending a frustrating postseason trend that had haunted the franchise since 2002. Twenty years later, the memories remain vivid. Mauer became a Hall of Famer. Santana cemented his place among the greatest pitchers of his generation. Liriano's brilliance still sparks conversations about what could have been. Together, they formed a trio that made Twins fans believe a World Series was within reach. That's why the 2006 season remains one of the most fascinating "what-if" chapters in franchise history—a summer when Minnesota had two aces, a king, and every reason to dream. What stands out about the 2006 season? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

As far as samples go, it's nearly impossible to glean anything from less than 20 plate appearances for a player. And that really goes for any point during the season, let alone the first 20. Samad Taylor, though, is providing a bit of intrigue through his minuscule sample for the San Diego Padres, and it has less to do with what he's done in those trips to the plate and more with what he's done elsewhere. That's not to say that the work at the play hasn't been solid thus far. Heading into the weekend series agains the Orioles, Taylor slashed .333/.444/.400 while walking 15.8 percent of the time. He's also knocked in five runs and swiped a pair of bases. That's objectively good work, even if we're only looking at a quintet of games in which he's appeared for the Padres thus far. If anything, his play has been crucial for a team that will take offense anywhere that they can get it at present. Taylor's value, though, lies in what he's been able to bring with the glove. The Padres have spent 2026 ascending up the defensive leaderboard, courtesy of an improved situation behind the plate and upgraded personnel — in the form of a newly-signed Ty France at first and an adapting Fernando Tatis Jr. at second — at key spots. The early returns on Taylor have continued to add to that defensive growth, especially in the wake of Ramón Laureano's potentially season-ending absence. On Sunday against the New York Mets, Taylor made this catch in what had become a close game: He was at it against the next night against Cincinnati, preserving a tie game with a runner on second base: Against the Reds, he went on to give the Padres the lead on a bunt single in the seventh inning before adding two more on another single later in the game. He repeated the effort on Tuesday night, tying the game on a single in the bottom of the 10th inning (though the Padres would go on to lose the latter contest). For a team like the Friars, Taylor's skill set is one that has value. The defensive aspect is crucial. Laureano had been putting together a better defensive season than the team saw from him post-deadline in 2025, and the Padres stood to lose quite a bit by rolling Gavin Sheets out in left field with regularity. Taylor's speed and defensive acumen help to ensure stability in the outfield in Laureano's absence. Given how paramount run prevention has become for a team that is starved for offense, that stability is more essential than it may be for your average club. Taylor's speed, in itself, is another asset to the Padres. It's not elite speed, mind you, as he sits narrowly above league average at 27.9 ft/sec. However, the Padres are a slow baseball team in terms of their regulars. Each of Ty France, Manny Machado, and Gavin Sheets rank well below the average threshold in sprint speed while a number of others linger right around the average mark. Taylor's wheels have proven to be a benefit not only in his defense, but in the bunt single that propelled the team to a win on Monday night. We're not necessarily talking about a game-breaker in Samad Taylor. This is a journeyman player with only 102 plate appearances to his name at the major-league level across three seasons. However, considering San Diego's current roster and overall struggles, one imagines he could be primed for his most extended run at this level to date. That could greatly benefit both parties if he keeps up his early stretch of sound play. View the full article

The Brewers have made some long-term plans in 2026, making it clear that shortstop Cooper Pratt and center fielder Luis Lara will be around for a long time via extensions that (if all options are exercised, and if they're not traded) will keep them both in Milwaukee until 2035. So, while they could now be key components of the major-league team for nine-plus seasons each, could they be assets for the Brewers today? There are certainly some ways in which they could, with each of them filling holes and allowing the team to make major improvements. What Luis Lara Can Do For Milwaukee In 2026 First, let’s look at the most recent extendee. Before this season, Luis Lara looked like a more pesky version of Blake Perkins, who was a 2024 Gold Glove finalist and who was not horrible at the plate. Lara had on-base skills from the get-go, and he was also a threat on the basepaths. Something did seem to shift for Lara in 2025, when his doubles total shot up to 32 over a full season. (His previous career high had been 23 the previous year, split between Advanced-A Wisconsin and Peoria in the Arizona Fall League.) Lara also drew a lot more walks in 2025: 89, compared to a previous high of 53. In the wake of the news of his new deal, our Jake McKibbin wrote a great piece detailing those improvements in swing decisions and the uptick in power, in terms of what they do for his long-term outlook. What could Lara do for Milwaukee in 2026? Defensively, he could take over center field and be a defensive improvement over Garrett Mitchell. In the short term, that would probably sacrifice some offense, but the team could also consider moving Mitchell to right field and further reducing Sal Frelick's playing time—or optioning him to the minors for an offensive reset. Offensively, his biggest contribution could be to take over the leadoff slot, currently split between Christian Yelich and Jackson Chourio. Not that the Brewers are doing poorly, but Yelich and Chourio are (arguably) better used as big boppers in the lineup, and Lara could simply get on base to come around when one or both of those players comes up with an extra-base hit. In all likelihood, he's not ready to translate his minor-league on-base skills to the majors so well as to merit that top spot in the order. But if he can deliver elite outfield defense and even act as a second leadoff man at the bottom of the lineup card, he has value for this team as they look toward October. What Cooper Pratt Can Do For Milwaukee In 2026 Joey Ortiz is one of the Brewers whose continued presence in the starting lineup has been understandable, yet baffling. Ortiz is an incredible defender; nobody disputes that. The problem is that his offense makes people yearn for the likes of Yuniesky Betancourt and Orlando Arcia. Pratt received his $50 million extension at the end of March. Like Lara, Pratt’s been an exceptional defender, picking up a Minor League Gold Glove. Pratt, though, is a pure hitter in many aspects: he doesn’t strike out much, he can draw walks, he can steal a lot of bases, and he’ll even take a free base by getting plunked occasionally. At that performance level, Pratt’s a good investment at shortstop, especially since some reports indicate he is also a very positive presence in the clubhouse. The tantalizing part is that there may be power in his 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame. That part is likely to take more time to unlock. But even at his current level, Pratt has a chance to be a viable lineup extender with the speed to make some good things happen. (Despite being so big, he's stolen 79 bases and been caught just nine times in his pro career.) He could allow David Hamilton and Luis Rengifo to split time at third base, and the Brewers to get the upgrade they desperately need at shortstop. Lara and Pratt now have clearer spots in the future of the Milwaukee Brewers, but that future could start a lot sooner than some people think. They have to show the team their offensive processes are good enough to justify them supplanting Frelick and/or Ortiz before their turns will come, but their exceptional defense and athleticism make that a real possibility. View the full article

Let's review all that happened down on the Chicago Cubs' farm system on Saturday (June 13). Alcántara Drives In Two But Iowa Falls Late In Louisville Iowa scratched across three runs in the sixth inning but could not hold on, dropping a 4-3 decision to the Louisville Bats. With one out in the sixth, Owen Miller singled home a run, and Kevin Alcántara followed with a two-run double to put the Cubs ahead 3-0. Alcántara finished 2-for-4 with two doubles and two runs batted in, and Jonathon Long added two hits including a double. Louisville answered with a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth, then took the lead in the seventh on a run-scoring double and an RBI single. Vince Velasquez allowed two runs on three hits over four innings, walking two and striking out five. Ty Blach opened with two scoreless, hitless innings and two strikeouts. Luis Peralta surrendered two runs in the seventh to take the loss, and Christian Roa struck out three in a scoreless eighth. Iowa left seven runners on base. For the folks interested in defense here's a nice grab by Alcántara to go along with the bat. Player AB R H RBI BB K Brett Bateman 3 1 1 0 2 2 Jonathon Long 4 1 2 0 0 1 Scott Kingery 0 0 0 0 0 0 BJ Murray 2 0 0 0 2 1 Owen Miller 4 1 1 1 0 0 Kevin Alcántara 4 0 2 2 0 2 James Triantos 4 0 0 0 0 1 Chas McCormick 4 0 1 0 0 3 Justin Dean 0 0 0 0 0 0 Christian Bethancourt 3 0 0 0 0 0 Ben Cowles 4 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ty Blach 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 Vince Velasquez 4 3 2 2 2 5 1 Luis Peralta 1 3 2 2 1 2 0 Christian Roa 1 0 0 0 1 3 0 Rojas Homers As Knoxville Erupts For 12 In Montgomery Knoxville scored in double digits to beat the Montgomery Biscuits 12-5. Trailing 3-0, the Smokies seized the lead with a six-run third inning. Jefferson Rojas got it started with a two-run homer, Alex Ramírez doubled in a run, and a string of hits and a Cameron Sisneros sacrifice fly capped the rally. Rojas finished 3-for-5 with three runs batted in, Ramírez went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two runs batted in, and Hayden Cantrelle added three hits. Owen Ayers reached three times and scored twice. Knoxville pulled away with a five-run ninth. Frankie Scalzo Jr. provided the key relief work, allowing no runs on three hits over three innings with one strikeout. Jackson Kirkpatrick followed with two hitless, scoreless innings and six strikeouts. Starter Tyler Schlaffer was charged with three runs on four hits across two innings, walking two and striking out three. Knoxville left seven runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Karson Simas 6 1 2 0 0 0 Jefferson Rojas 5 2 3 3 0 0 Owen Ayers 4 2 2 0 1 0 Andy Garriola 4 2 1 1 1 2 Carter Trice 4 1 2 1 1 1 Alex Ramírez 5 2 3 2 0 1 Cameron Sisneros 3 0 2 2 0 0 Ed Howard 0 0 0 0 0 0 Edgar Alvarez 0 1 0 0 1 0 Ariel Armas 5 0 1 0 0 2 Hayden Cantrelle 5 1 3 1 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Tyler Schlaffer 2 4 3 3 2 3 0 Frankie Scalzo Jr. 3 3 0 0 0 1 0 Jackson Kirkpatrick 2 0 0 0 0 6 0 Vince Reilly 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 Three First-Inning Homers Lift South Bend To First-Half Crown South Bend hit three home runs in the opening inning and held on to beat the Peoria Chiefs 6-4, clinching the first-half Midwest League Western Division title. It is the Cubs' first postseason berth since 2022, and their first first-half division title since 2016. With one out in the first, Josiah Hartshorn launched a two-run homer, Jose Escobar followed with a two-run shot, and Justin Stransky added a solo blast to make it 5-0 before the inning was over. Escobar finished 3-for-3 with a double, a home run, and three runs batted in, while Hartshorn drove in two. South Bend tacked on a run in the fifth when Escobar singled home Matt Halbach. Koen Moreno allowed two runs on five hits over five innings, striking out three without a walk. Jackson Brockett followed with four innings, surrendering two runs on three hits and striking out five. South Bend left eight runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Kane Kepley 3 0 0 0 0 0 Ty Southisene 3 1 1 0 1 1 Josiah Hartshorn 4 1 1 2 0 1 Matt Halbach 3 1 2 0 1 0 Miguel Useche 3 1 1 0 1 1 Jose Escobar 3 1 3 3 1 0 Justin Stransky 3 1 1 1 1 1 Alex Madera 3 0 0 0 1 0 Christian Olivo 4 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Koen Moreno 5 5 2 2 0 3 2 Jackson Brockett 4 3 2 2 0 5 0 Myrtle Beach Bullpen Shines In Loss To Augusta Myrtle Beach received strong relief pitching but fell 4-3 to the Augusta GreenJackets. The Pelicans trailed 3-1 after Augusta pushed across two runs in the third inning on a bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly. Alexey Lumpuy cut the deficit with a solo home run in the fifth, his first hit in a 2-for-5 day, and Michael Carico doubled home a run in the eighth to make it 4-3, but Myrtle Beach could not complete the comeback. Kaleb Wing struggled in the start, charged with three runs, all earned, on one hit over 2 1/3 innings while walking four and striking out three. The bullpen was excellent behind him. Yoendris Gonzalez struck out five over 2 2/3 scoreless innings, Jhon Rosario allowed one run across 2 2/3 innings, and Sam Mettert struck out three in 1 1/3 scoreless frames. Myrtle Beach left eight runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Alexey Lumpuy 5 1 2 1 0 3 Alexis Hernandez 4 1 2 0 1 2 Eli Lovich 3 1 0 0 1 2 Logan Poteet 3 0 1 1 1 1 Michael Carico 3 0 1 1 1 1 Edward Vargas 0 0 0 0 0 0 Yahil Melendez 4 0 0 0 0 2 Darlyn De Leon 3 0 0 0 1 0 Henniel Alcala 4 0 0 0 0 1 Ezequiel Pena 3 0 0 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kaleb Wing 2 1/3 1 3 3 4 3 0 Yoendris Gonzalez 2 2/3 0 0 0 0 5 0 Jhon Rosario 2 2/3 2 1 1 2 2 0 Sam Mettert 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 3 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Jefferson Rojas: 3-for-5, HR, 3 RBI Jaxon Wiggins: DNP Pedro Ramirez: DNP Kevin Alcantara: 2-for-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K Josiah Hartshorn: 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, K Ethan Conrad: DNP Kane Kepley: 0-for-3 Jonathon Long: 2-for-4, 2B, K James Triantos: 0-for-4, K Cole Mathis: DNP Owen Ayers: 2-for-4, 2B, BB Brooks Caple: DNP Juan Cabada: DNP Kaleb Wing: 2 1/3 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K Angel Cepeda: DNP Dominick Reid: DNP Jostin Florentino: DNP Ty Southisene: 1-for-3, BB, K Will Sanders: DNP Brandon Birdsell: DNP View the full article

Kendry Chourio worked six innings of two-run ball for Columbia, striking out four, as the Fireflies won 9-6 behind home runs from Yandel Ricardo, Hyungchan Um, and Ivan Sosa. Trevor Werner drove in five with two homers in Quad Cities' 12-6 win, and Jack Pineda homered for a 6-4 Northwest Arkansas victory in the nightcap after a 1-0 loss in game one. Omaha fell 9-6 in extras. Royals Transactions No Roster Moves Aviators Rally Past Storm Chasers In Extras Omaha jumped out early but could not hold on, falling 9-6 to the Las Vegas Aviators in ten innings. The Storm Chasers built a 5-0 lead through two innings. In the first, Matthew Lugo singled home two runs, and Drew Waters grounded into a run-scoring double play. In the second, Abraham Toro and John Rave each delivered RBI singles. Luca Tresh paced the offense with four hits, while Lugo added two hits and two RBIs. Henry Williams started and allowed three runs, all earned, on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts over five innings. The lead slipped away in the tenth, when the Aviators plated four runs against Anthony Gose, who recorded just two outs while allowing three earned runs on two hits and three walks. Omaha stranded nine runners on the night and managed only a Brett Squires-scoring groundout in the bottom of the tenth. They went 6-for-17 with runners in scoring position. Player AB R H RBI BB K Peyton Wilson 3 2 0 0 2 0 Abraham Toro 4 1 1 1 0 1 John Rave 3 1 2 1 0 1 Connor Kaiser 1 0 0 0 0 0 Brett Squires 1 1 1 0 0 0 Matthew Lugo 5 0 2 2 0 0 Luca Tresh 5 0 4 0 0 1 Drew Waters 5 0 0 1 0 0 Gavin Cross 5 0 0 0 0 1 Luke Maile 3 1 1 0 1 0 Elih Marrero 1 0 0 0 0 0 Kevin Newman 4 0 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Henry Williams 5 5 4 3 2 3 0 Ethan Bosacker 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 Luke Jackson 2 3 1 1 0 2 0 Anthony Gose 0 2/3 2 4 3 3 1 0 Jose Cuas 0 1/3 0 0 0 1 0 0 Naturals Shut Out Despite Strong Pitching In Game One Northwest Arkansas dropped a tight game-one decision 1-0 to the Arkansas Travelers. This was a makeup game from Friday night. The lone run came in the third inning on a sacrifice fly. The Naturals managed just three hits from Jack Pineda, Spencer Nivens, and Omar Hernandez and never advanced a runner across the plate. Steven Zobac started and gave up the run, which was earned, on one hit while walking three and striking out two over 2 1/3 innings. Frank Mozzicato followed with 2 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out three. Brandon Johnson and Zachary Cawyer combined for the rest of the relief work without surrendering a run. The Naturals struck out seven times and stranded five runners in the loss. Northwest Arkansas went 0-for-1 with runners in scoring position. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte 3 0 0 0 0 1 Colton Becker 3 0 0 0 0 0 Sam Kulasingam 3 0 0 0 0 1 Jorge Alfaro 1 0 0 0 0 1 Jack Pineda 2 0 1 0 0 1 Spencer Nivens 3 0 1 0 0 0 Daniel Vazquez 3 0 0 0 0 1 Omar Hernandez 2 0 1 0 0 0 Canyon Brown 2 0 0 0 0 1 Justin Johnson 2 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Steven Zobac 2 1/3 1 1 1 3 2 0 Brandon Johnson 0 2/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Frank Mozzicato 2 1/3 2 0 0 1 3 0 Zachary Cawyer 0 2/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Pineda And Scott Power Naturals To Nightcap Win Northwest Arkansas answered with a 6-4 win over the Arkansas Travelers in game two of the traditional doubleheader, scoring five runs in the seventh inning to erase a 4-1 deficit. Connor Scott started the rally with an RBI double, and Pineda capped it with a three-run homer that drove in Scott and Roccaforte. Scott finished 2-for-3 with two doubles and two runs, and Pineda drove in three. Hunter Owen took the ball and allowed four runs, all earned, on six hits with a walk and two home runs over 5 1/3 innings. Tommy Molsky picked up the win with 2/3 of an inning, and Dennis Colleran Jr. closed it out with a scoreless inning for the save. The Naturals collected seven hits and left four runners on base. They also went 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte 3 1 0 0 1 1 Colton Becker 4 0 0 0 0 2 Jack Pineda 4 1 1 3 0 0 Spencer Nivens 4 0 1 0 0 0 Daniel Vazquez 3 0 1 0 0 1 Rudy Martin Jr. 2 1 1 0 0 1 Alberto Rodriguez 2 1 1 0 1 1 Canyon Brown 3 0 0 0 0 2 Connor Scott 3 2 2 2 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Hunter Owen 5 1/3 6 4 4 1 0 2 Tommy Molsky 0 2/3 0 0 0 1 1 0 Dennis Colleran Jr. 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Werner's Two Homers Carry River Bandits To Blowout Quad Cities overcame an early deficit to beat the Beloit Sky Carp 12-6, scoring in four different innings on the way to a 13-hit attack. Werner did the most damage with two home runs and five RBIs, including a two-run shot in the fourth and a three-run blast in the eighth. Erick Torres added three hits and three RBIs, and Ramon Ramirez reached base, scored three runs, and drove in two. The decisive eighth inning produced seven runs, fueled by Werner's homer, a Ramon Ramirez two-run single, and a Tyriq Kemp two-run double. Blake Wolters started and was tagged for six runs, all earned, on seven hits with three walks across four innings, though he struck out seven and surrendered one home run. The bullpen trio of Kamden Edge, Josh Hansell, and Cory Ronan combined for five scoreless innings, with Hansell earning the win. The River Bandits left five runners on base and went 6-for-14 with runners in scoring position in the six-run victory. Player AB R H RBI BB K Asbel Gonzalez 4 1 1 0 1 2 Blake Mitchell 3 1 0 0 2 2 Ramon Ramirez 5 3 2 2 0 0 Luke Pelzer 5 1 2 0 0 1 Derlin Figueroa 4 0 1 0 0 2 Tyriq Kemp 1 1 1 2 0 0 Erick Torres 4 2 3 3 1 0 Trevor Werner 5 2 2 5 0 1 Angel Acosta 4 0 0 0 1 2 Diego Guzman 4 1 1 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Blake Wolters 4 7 6 6 3 7 1 Kamden Edge 2 1 0 0 0 4 0 Josh Hansell 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 Cory Ronan 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Chourio And Three Homers Lift Fireflies Columbia rode a strong start and a trio of home runs to a 9-6 win over the Delmarva Shorebirds. No. 1 prospect Chourio set the tone, allowing two runs on four hits with a walk and four strikeouts over six innings. The Fireflies built their lead across the early frames, getting a Ricardo two-run homer and an Um sacrifice fly in a three-run third, then breaking it open in the fourth on Sosa's two-run homer and a Sean Gamble RBI single. Ricardo finished 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs, Henry Ramos collected three hits from the leadoff spot, and Um and Sosa each homered and drove in two. Chourio earned the win, and after Jhon Reyes was charged with four runs in relief, Randy Ramnarace closed out 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the save. Columbia drew eight walks and left 17 runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos 5 2 3 0 0 1 Josh Hammond 4 1 0 0 1 1 Yandel Ricardo 4 2 2 2 1 0 Stone Russell 3 1 2 1 2 0 Sean Gamble 4 0 2 1 1 0 Hyungchan Um 4 1 1 2 0 2 JC Vanek 3 0 0 0 1 0 Roni Cabrera 2 1 0 0 2 0 Ivan Sosa 4 1 1 2 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kendry Chourio 6 4 2 2 1 4 1 Jhon Reyes 1 2/3 5 4 4 2 0 1 Randy Ramnarace 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kendry Chourio: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HR David Shields: DNP Sean Gamble: 2-for-4, 2B, RBI, BB, SB Blake Mitchell: 0-for-3, R, 2 BB, 2 K Josh Hammond: 0-for-4, R, BB, K Ramon Ramirez: 2-for-5, 3 R, 2 RBI Drew Beam: DNP Asbel Gonzalez: 1-for-4, R, BB, 2 K, SB Ben Kudrna: DNP Carson Roccaforte: Game 1: 0-for-3, K. Game 2: 0-for-3, R, BB, K Yandel Ricardo: 2-for-4, 2 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, BB Felix Arronde: DNP Blake Wolters: 4 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, 1 HR Michael Lombardi: DNP Luinder Avila: DNP Steven Zobac: 2 1/3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K Frank Mozzicato: 2 1/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K Daniel Vazquez: Game 1: 0-for-3, K. Game 2: 1-for-3, 2B, K Warren Colcano: 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K Shane Panzini: DNP View the full article

Riley Quick is quickly (pun intended) becoming one of the most exciting Twins prospects to watch. The Twins drafted him with the 36th overall pick in last summer's MLB Draft, and the early returns on that investment have been extremely promising. Across 33 innings between Low-A Fort Myers and High-A Cedar Rapids, the 6-foot-6, 255-pound right-hander owns a 3.27 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP. He's also racked up a staggering 52 strikeouts compared to just 14 walks. Even those numbers don't fully capture just how dominant he's been. Quick's strikeout rate currently sits at a ridiculous 40.3%, which ranks fifth among all minor league pitchers with at least 30 innings pitched this season. That's not just good; that's not even just great. What Riley Quick is doing right now simply isn't normal. Of course, there's a reason he was available at pick #36 to begin with, and it had very little to do with his talent. Quick tore his UCL during his 2024 season debut at the University of Alabama and underwent Tommy John surgery shortly after. While the injury ultimately pushed him down draft boards, he showed plenty of promise upon returning in 2025, posting a 3.92 ERA over 62 innings. That's important context because his ability has never been in doubt. The question was always going to be whether he could get healthy and stay healthy. So far, he's answering that question with a resounding yes. Still, because of that elbow surgery, the Twins may ultimately decide to slow-play him through his development, which would be understandable to an extent. But what if they didn't? When the Twins drafted Quick, he already possessed a very impressive three-pitch mix. His fastball was a legitimate weapon, his slider generated lots of whiffs, and his changeup looked like a quality third offering. If the early results are any indication, all three pitches are still very much playing at a high level. Quick currently owns an outrageous 18.1% swinging-strike rate. For some perspective, fellow highly-touted pitching prospect Dasan Hill (who also has very impressive stuff) sits at 12.8%. Don’t mistake that as a knock on Hill. It's a testament to just how overwhelming Quick has been. The underlying numbers support that reality. Riley Quick, the 36th pick in the ‘25 draft, set a new pro career high in strikeouts last night for the @CRKernels and now has a 40.3 K% this season ? 4.2 IP / 4 H / 3 R / 2 BB / 9 K He topped out at 97.5 MPH and had a 70% whiff rate (7/10) on his SL on the day ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/zxcS3i73eZ — Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) June 12, 2026 At first glance, some might point to Quick's 4.32 ERA at High-A and have some questions. But that’s far from the full story. His strikeout numbers remain elite, his walk rate is manageable, and much of the damage against him can be attributed to a high BABIP rather than hitters consistently squaring him up. In other words, the stuff is still dominating, and that's what makes this conversation so interesting. Quick isn't some raw high school arm learning how to pitch for the first time, either. He comes from the SEC, which is widely regarded as the toughest conference in college baseball. Eight of the top 27 picks in last year’s draft class resided from that conference. Quick not only experienced that environment, but he thrived in it, as he struck out more than one of every four batters he faced. So you've got a pitcher whose stuff is playing at an extremely high level, who appears healthy, and who already owns a track record of success against high-level competition. If I'm the Twins, I want to see what he looks like against Double-A and Triple-A hitters. Regardless of my personal beliefs, that's not necessarily the route they'll take. Again, the elbow surgery is a factor here. The organization may have innings limits in mind and may prefer a more gradual progression. There's certainly logic behind that approach. At the same time, it's become increasingly common for organizations to move pitchers quickly through the minor leagues when the performance justifies it. Trey Yesavage of the Blue Jays is a great recent example. Toronto selected him in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft. He opened the 2025 season in Low-A, but his stuff was so dominant that the Blue Jays aggressively challenged him throughout the year. By this time last season, he had already reached Double-A. By mid-August, he was pitching in Triple-A. He eventually was promoted to the majors and carried that momentum into the postseason, playing a major role in helping Toronto come within one win of a World Series title. The similarities between Yesavage and Quick are hard to ignore as well. Both are mature college arms, both possess outstanding stuff, both have piled up gaudy strikeout totals, and both entered professional baseball with strong collegiate track records. The only big difference is that Yesavage didn't have a previous elbow surgery. But if Quick is taking the mound every fifth day, missing bats at an elite rate, and sitting in the mid-90s with his fastball, I'd argue he's feeling pretty good. This isn't to say the Twins should completely abandon whatever development plan they've established for him; far from it. Player development isn't always linear, and organizations have more information than we do regarding workload, recovery, and long-term projections. Still, I think it would be a mistake not to see what you've got at, bare minimum, the upper levels of the minor leagues at some point this season. Pitchers with Quick's combination of size, athleticism, velocity, and swing-and-miss ability don't come around very often. The Twins may choose to be patient, and that's perfectly reasonable. But if he continues to flat-out overpower hitters, the organization is eventually going to run out of reasons to keep him in the lower levels of the minors. Will we see Riley Quick make his major league debut in 2026? Probably not, but the odds of that happening are—or at least should be—above zero. And if he keeps pitching like this, those odds are only going to keep climbing. View the full article

With playoff hopes dashed in Appleton, but races coming to a head this week for Nashville and Biloxi, we must be on the precipice of the much-anticipated player promotions after Sunday's games, right? Transaction: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers sent RHP Michael Fowler on a rehab assignment to ACL Brewers. Fowler, in his 2nd year as an undrafted sign out of Southern Miss, turns 24 in July. He had been placed on the injured list on May 7th after nine relief appearances with Wisconsin. Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Durham (Rays) 6, Nashville 4 Box Score and Game Log Via the Sounds, game details, and we encourage readers to always review affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine: Stallings Strikes Out Season High Nine in Nashville Loss - Jones Hits First Home Run of the Season As usual, the summary paints a detailed picture, please be sure to review. As we eventually look back on the 2026 Milwaukee Brewers Championship Season, we'll always have Greg Jones' unique .095/.095/.095 line in 22 plate appearances with the big-league crew. See you at the ring ceremony, Greg! This was Jones' 4th start at second base for Nashville. If you came here hoping for top prospect breakout games, sorry to disappoint. Jett Williams plated a run on a sacrifice fly. Cooper Pratt laid down a successful sacrifice bunt. Jeferson Quero was 0-for-4 as two Durham baserunners stole bases. Unsurprisingly the best we have to offer is Luis Lara pulling a ball 94.5 MPH into right field for a single (no video), as well as drawing a walk, lifting his OBP to a ridiculous .446 (.926 OPS). LHP Mark Manfredi has a sharp 1.17 WHIP in his four relief appearances since his bump to Nashville, along with eight K's over six innings of work. However, he's been scored upon in three of those games, with two HBP's and two walks along the way. It was pretty much a veteran bench who sat this one out - Eddys Leonard, Luis Matos, Freddy Zamora, Ethan Murray and Ramon Rodriguez. Valuable, versatile and solid - RHP Garrett Stallings will be 29 years old this fall when he hits minor league free agency. A former teammate opened the scoring: There are eight "lowlights" (all marked with the date of June 13th) on the Bulls' video page. Memphis (Cardinals) also lost, so the Sounds remain one game back of a playoff spot. I did enjoy learning about Voice of the Sounds Jeff Hem's background in this extended interview. Catch up with the latest Biloxi pre-game audio interview archives - Former Shuckers Manager and current Brewers MiLB Field Coordinator Joe Ayrault is the latest chat Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Biloxi 9, Birmingham (White Sox) 3 Box Score and Game Log Late Surge Brings Shuckers within Half Game of First - Shuckers set season-high with 15 hits, score 8 off Barons' bullpen Five of the season-high 15 Biloxi hits were doubles, so naturally the Shuckers' (still awesome) 'X' feed features five singles before a Jacob Hurtubise double made the cut. (Any run-scoring hit tends to be camera-archive friendly.) MLB Pipeline combined all three of Jesús Made's three hits, including a double into one post, thanks! RH starter Bishop Letson's first five innings were scoreless, and Letson deftly (underused adverb, by the way) navigated around a leadoff double in the 3rd, and a one-out double in the 4th. After the Shuckers plated three in the top of the 6th to grab a 4-0 lead, Letson went single-walk-walk-double, forcing his exit. RHP Edwin Jimenez did well to only allow one of the two no-out inherited runners to score in order to maintain the lead and net Letson the official win on his ledger. It's unfair to Letson, but the one piece of video available is his final batter of the evening. Speaking of opposing team video, Matthew Wood, who has caught exclusively while Darrien Miller has been idle since leaving Wednesday's game early (no injured list stint as of yet), was robbed here: In his Friday interview, Manager Mike Guerrero indicated that Dylan O'Rae won't need to go on the IL but that he has been sidelined a bit with an injury he did not disclose. O'Rae pinch-ran here, stealing his 33rd base in 41 tries, so we're guessing it's not a lower-body issue. Blake Burke doubled but fanned his other four times up, lifting his K% to a still manageable but keep-an-eye-on-it 24.6%. Mike Boeve, Eric Brown Jr. (on base four times), and Hurtubise all earn your box score review approvals. The consistent worthwhile efforts and outings of RH reliever Cameron Wagoner since his May 2nd debut have been very much worth our attention (game log). Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes (download link) Final: Great Lakes (Dodgers) 3, Wisconsin 1 Box Score and Game Log Via the Timber Rattlers, game details: Rattlers Drop 3-1 Decision to Great Lakes - Wisconsin eliminated from first half playoff contention If not for the Voice of the Rattlers Chris Mehring detailing what could have escalated into a full-blown brawl for us in that linked recap, we may have never known, outside of those in the stands or tuning in live (so thank your Link Report friend here for pointing Chris' write-up out as well). So, there you go, that grabbed your attention, didn't it? Click above, please, because what is described didn't make the video footage (somewhat understandably). This was RH reliever Peyton Niksch's High-A debut, and he performed well. Bullpen mate Yerlin Rodriguez aided Niksch's cause by stranding two baserunners. Jason Woodward has now made 11 appearances (seven starts) since his Tommy John surgery recovery. He's pitched into a 5th inning of work just once, on May 30th, as the organization exercises caution on the 2023 4th rounder. Your box score review will indicate that CF Braylon Payne has had much better days, and the K% now sits at 30.6%, up slightly from 2025's 30.1% with Carolina. Folks watching this series may have noticed that one of MiLB's current female umpires has been on hand. Tanya Millette is a French-Canadian and has the language skills to verify that. Millette found herself in the middle of the episode referred to in the game summary. Let's see, the Timber Rattlers can't win the first half. Biloxi can, with a week to go. Nashville is in their own hunt, as noted above. The big-league club has well-documented needs. The teams have their normal day off Monday. Are bags packed? Are plane tickets bought? Will the Brewers continue to mess with our promotion-monitoring heads? Wilson Pre-Game Media Notes Final, completion of Friday's suspended game: Hill City (Guardians) 4, Wilson 3 Box Score and Game Log Final, regularly scheduled game: Hill City 1, Wilson 0, seven innings as scheduled Box Score and Game Log Warbirds Swept in Saturday Doubleheader - Warbirds Drop Both Contests to Hill City For those of us following the nightly forum thread, my fellow Link Reporter "Ro" succinctly brought us up to date on the Warbirds' night here. For whatever reason, this seems to be strikeout percentage notation night, and Wilson slugger José Anderson has been a prime topic on that subject all season. First of all, let's remember this is Anderson's age 19 season. Anderson fanned in four of his seven at-bats Saturday, increasing his K% to 41.6%. But Anderson also did this in the top of the 8th to tie the game, as the Wilson summary deftly (ha!) noted: José Anderson homers (16) on a fly ball to left field. Luis Lameda scores. Tyler Rodriguez scores. Do you know who wasn't acting deftly Saturday night? MiLB.com's video feed, which normally spoils us. It's showing nothing but a black screen for Anderson's latest blast, his 16th. Every Wilson position player saw action during the course of the night save for outfielder Nick Monile, who last played on Sunday the 7th. 20-year-old undrafted RHP Thomas Conrad has been solid for Wilson, but he was on the mound for the nightcap walkoff home run. Rylan Mills was the designated hitter in the opener (from Friday) and began the nightcap behind the plate. Mills was replaced on defense to begin the bottom of the 5th, and there is nothing in the game log to provide a hint on that exit. As we surmised in yesterday's report, RH starter Carlos Carra did not pitch in the completion opener, as he had gone through all his pre-game routine Friday night. RHP Tyler Renz is credited with a "game started" in his game log, though the box score gives the bulk reliever listing. The 19-year-old Renz only walked one in six innings as he improves in that aspect over his most recent outings. 20-year-old Nicaragua native Enniel Cortez started Game Two and had his best outing of the season. Final: ACL Brewers 7, ACL Royals 4 Box Score and Game Log Hey, they even played nine innings. Back to "Ro" for a moment: "In Friday's 13-9 ACL defeat, Alexander Frias, Juan Martinez and Jonathan Rangel reached base 11 of 12 times, with 6 RBIs. In Saturday's 7-4 victory, they reached base 10 of 14 times, with 4 RBIs." So yeah, that's sweet as each player maintains a four-digit OPS as the team is 32 games into the season. Those figures will make a box score pop. Enhancing Martinez' stellar season-to-date, he's now 19-for-21 in stolen base attempts. Frias added an outfield assist from center. This was only his second career game manning that spot, seeing all his other work on the outfield corners. Is Rangel still just 5'9"? Because the sometimes catcher actually has an offensive game that could support a long-term first base profile (he played there Saturday, but 5'9" is 5'9".) We sang LF Engel Paulino's power praises yesterday, hopefully he didn't get caught up in the press clippings, as his box score line will hint may have been the case. Michael Fowler's rehab outing was scoreless (five batters faced), and yet another Nicaraguan RHP, 18-year-old starter Diustin Mayorquin, remains an intriguing arm. Final: DSL Brewers Blue 14, DSL Brewers Gold 7, seven innings as scheduled Box Score and Game Log The teams combined to issue 17 free passes (16 walks, one HBP, plus five wild pitches and a balk) in just the seven frames, so that won't please the pitching coaches. The three fielding errors were from the recent bonus baby shortstops, as Diego Frontado and Ricki Moneys are up to a combined nine miscues on the season, barely ten games in. Then again, we should know better (shame on me) to spend energy on such things at the complex league level. I'm sure Frontado (home run, single, walk, SB) and Moneys (triple, two singles, five RBI) are thrilled that we highlighted the day's defense. Sorry, gents. The big early lead for Blue prevented Gold from attempting any steals, while Blue runners went 5-for-6. It's difficult to single out am arm on a super-positive effort, but 3rd-year 20-year-old righty Carlos Canales gets a rare mention for his 1-2-3 outing, and RHP Luis Aguayo of Mexico, working his way back from a long-term injury that snatched his 2025 season, tossed a scoreless first inning in his 3rd pro game. Congrats to LH bat OF Gerlyn Payano, DH'ing here, on his first pro home run. Same goes for CF Enrique Lovera, a year younger in age and experience than Payano, on his first career tater. Others on the Blue side of the ledger had productive days, so enjoy your box score click. As for Gold, we're still waiting for first baseman Jefer Lista's six-game bubble to pop, but he walked twice and is still sporting an OPS north of 1.500 (1.549, to be exact). Back to a traditional four-game afternoon starts scoreboard for Sunday, and the rotation openers are juicy as the link below will show. Have a great Sunday, everyone! 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

Jonathan Jimenez carried St. Lucie with six innings of one-run ball, and Yohairo Cuevas and Jeremy Rodriguez each collected three hits in a 10-1 rout. Elwis Mijares struck out three over two scoreless frames. Cristian Pache went 4-for-4 for Syracuse, but Buffalo walked off the Mets 8-7 in 10 innings. Vincent Perozo homered for Binghamton in a 4-3 loss, while Colin Houck and Corey Collins homered for Brooklyn in a 5-4 extra-inning defeat. Mets Transactions No Roster Moves Buffalo Walks Off Syracuse In Extras Despite Pache's Four Hits Syracuse fought back from an early hole but fell to the Buffalo Bisons 8-7 in 10 innings. Cristian Pache led the offense, going 4-for-4 with a double, a walk, and three runs scored. Jackson Cluff added three hits, and Nick Morabito went 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI. Grae Kessinger drove in two runs, and Matt Rudick also knocked in two. The Mets left 10 runners on base. Buffalo jumped ahead with three runs in the first inning. Syracuse trailed 6-4 entering the ninth before mounting a rally. Jihwan Bae was hit by a pitch, and Morabito walked to open the frame. After Ryan Clifford singled and Andy Ibáñez popped out, Kessinger doubled to left field, scoring Morabito and Clifford to tie the game at 6-6. Buffalo answered in the bottom of the ninth with a home run to force extra innings, then pushed across the winning run in the 10th when the zombie runner came around to score on a single. Zach Thornton struggled, recording only two outs while allowing three runs, two hits, and two walks with one strikeout, though none of the runs were earned. Ofreidy Gómez followed with three scoreless innings, allowing two hits with four strikeouts. Yonny Hernández took the loss, allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits over 2 2/3 innings. Player AB R H RBI BB K Ji Hwan Bae 5 1 1 0 0 2 Nick Morabito 4 1 2 1 1 1 Ryan Clifford 4 1 1 0 1 1 Andy Ibáñez 5 0 1 0 0 1 Grae Kessinger 5 0 1 2 0 3 Cristian Pache 4 3 4 0 1 0 Jackson Cluff 4 1 3 0 1 1 Kevin Parada 4 0 0 0 1 1 Matt Rudick 4 0 0 2 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Zach Thornton 2/3 2 3 0 2 1 0 Ofreidy Gómez 3 2 0 0 0 4 0 Joey Gerber 1 1/3 2 1 1 1 1 0 Dylan Ross 1 2 2 2 2 2 0 Matt Turner 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 Yonny Hernández 2 2/3 3 2 1 1 1 1 Perozo Homer Not Enough As Binghamton Falls Late To Somerset Binghamton dropped a 4-3 decision to the Somerset Patriots. Vincent Perozo provided the power with a solo home run and drove in one of the team's three runs. JT Schwartz went 2-for-4 with two doubles, and Kevin Villavicencio added two hits, including a double. Jaylen Palmer reached base three times on walks and scored twice, and TT Bowens drove in two runs. The Rumble Ponies left six runners on base. The most pivotal frame for Binghamton came in the second inning. Perozo led off with a home run to right-center field to cut the deficit. Palmer then drew a walk and moved to second on a single by Wyatt Young. Bowens followed with a single to center field that scored Palmer and tied the game at 2-2. Somerset retook the lead in the bottom of the second and never trailed again, adding single runs in the second and fourth innings to build the final margin. Brendan Girton turned in the start, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks over two innings with two strikeouts and a home run. Douglas Orellana followed with two innings, allowing one run on two hits with two strikeouts. Jordan Geber worked 2 1/3 scoreless innings despite issuing five walks, and Guillo Zuñiga closed with 1 2/3 hitless, scoreless innings, walking one and striking out two. Player AB R H RBI BB K Jacob Reimer 4 0 0 0 0 0 Eli Serrano III 3 0 1 0 0 0 Chris Suero 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jose Ramos 4 0 0 0 0 2 JT Schwartz 4 0 2 0 0 0 Vincent Perozo 4 1 1 1 0 2 Jaylen Palmer 1 2 0 0 3 0 Wyatt Young 4 0 1 0 0 1 TT Bowens 3 0 1 2 0 1 Kevin Villavicencio 4 0 2 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Brendan Girton 2 4 3 3 3 2 1 Douglas Orellana 2 2 1 1 0 2 0 Jordan Geber 2 1/3 1 0 0 5 1 0 Guillo Zuñiga 1 2/3 0 0 0 1 2 0 Houck's Ninth-Inning Homer Ties It, But Frederick Edges Brooklyn In 10 Brooklyn fell 5-4 to the Frederick Keys in 10 innings. Colin Houck and Corey Collins both homered, with each driving in a run, and Houck scored once. Mitch Voit doubled, and Yonatan Henriquez drove in a run while drawing two walks. Trace Willhoite reached base three times with two walks and scored a run. The Cyclones left 11 runners on base. Trailing 3-1 in the eighth, Brooklyn began to climb back. Willhoite and Sam Biller walked, and after a strikeout, Francisco Toledo singled to load the bases. Voit was hit by a pitch, and Henriquez grounded into a force out that scored Biller to make it 3-3. In the ninth, after John Bay struck out, Houck homered to left field to tie the game at 4-4. Frederick pushed across the go-ahead run in the 10th on a single that scored the zombie runner. Noah Hall turned in a strong start, working five innings and allowing two runs, one earned, on six hits and three walks with two strikeouts. Garrett Stratton struck out five over two innings, allowing three hits and two unearned runs. Cristofer Gomez fired a scoreless inning with two strikeouts, and Hunter Hodges allowed one run on one hit with three strikeouts in his inning of work. Player AB R H RBI BB K Mitch Voit 4 0 1 0 0 0 Yonatan Henriquez 3 0 0 1 2 2 Corey Collins 3 1 1 1 1 1 John Bay 3 0 0 0 0 1 Colin Houck 4 1 1 1 0 2 Trace Willhoite 2 1 0 0 2 0 Sam Biller 3 1 0 0 1 0 Nick Roselli 4 0 0 0 0 2 Francisco Toledo 4 0 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Noah Hall 5 6 2 1 3 2 0 Juan Arnaud 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 Hunter Hodges 1 1 1 1 1 3 1 Cristofer Gomez 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Garrett Stratton 2 3 2 0 0 5 0 Jimenez And A Big Fifth Power St. Lucie Past Palm Beach St. Lucie rolled to a 10-1 win over the Palm Beach Cardinals. Yohairo Cuevas went 3-for-5 with a double and three runs scored, and Jeremy Rodriguez also went 3-for-5, scoring twice and driving in a run. Julio Zayas added three hits and an RBI. Trey Snyder doubled and drove in two runs, while Branny De Oleo reached base four times with two hits and two walks. Leadoff man Elian Peña drove in a run and scored once. The Mets left 14 runners on base. The decisive frame was a four-run fifth inning. With one out, Rodriguez singled and later moved into scoring position. Peña walked, and Snyder doubled to center field to score Rodriguez and Peña. Cuevas and Zayas followed with walks to load the bases, and De Oleo walked to force in Snyder. Chase Meggers then walked to bring home Cuevas, pushing the lead to 4-0. St. Lucie continued to add on, scoring in the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth innings to pull away. Jonathan Jimenez was excellent in his start, allowing one run on two hits over six innings without issuing a walk while striking out four, a Quality Start. Elwis Mijares followed with two scoreless innings, allowing one hit with three strikeouts. Franyel Diaz closed with a scoreless inning, allowing one hit. Player AB R H RBI BB K Elian Peña 4 1 0 1 1 3 Trey Snyder 5 1 1 2 1 1 Yohairo Cuevas 5 3 3 0 1 1 Julio Zayas 5 0 3 1 1 1 Branny De Oleo 4 1 2 1 2 0 Chase Meggers 4 2 1 1 1 2 Simon Juan 4 0 1 1 0 2 Jeremy Rodriguez 4 2 3 1 1 0 Jackson Hauge 4 0 1 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jonathan Jimenez 6 2 1 1 0 4 0 Elwis Mijares 2 1 0 0 0 3 0 Franyel Diaz 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Carson Benge: DNP A.J. Ewing: DNP Jonah Tong: DNP Elian Pena: 0-for-4, RBI, BB, 3 K Jack Wenninger: DNP Ryan Clifford: 1-for-4, BB, K Jacob Reimer: 0-for-4 Nick Morabito: 2-for-4, RBI, BB, K Mitch Voit: 1-for-4, 2B Jonathan Santucci: DNP Chris Suero: 0-for-0, HBP Zach Thornton: 2/3 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K Wandy Asigen: DNP Will Watson: DNP Eli Serrano III: 1-for-3 Randy Guzman: DNP Ryan Lambert: DNP Dylan Ross: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K Antonio Jimenez: DNP R.J. Gordon: DNP View the full article

The upside remains enormous for Zebby Matthews, but his path to reaching it starts with fixing one critical issue. View the full article

Vahn Lackey has a strong case to make for college baseball’s most improved player in 2026. It’s been a meteoric rise for the Georgia Tech backstop who is about to be the latest first round selection from ‘Catcher U’ (joining Jason Varitek, Matt Wieters, Joey Bart, and Kevin Parada). It’s worth noting that Lackey doesn’t turn 21 until four days before the draft. Along with Jackson Flora, he’s one of the youngest college prospects likely to hear their name called in the first round come July. This will appeal to the draft models of pro organizations. BIO AND BACKGROUND Originally hailing from Suwanee, Georgia, Lackey wasn’t a hailed recruit coming out of high school. Rated as the #16 catcher in the state as a senior by Perfect Game coming out of Collins Hill HS, he was named a team captain in his senior year. A growth spurt in his senior year caught the eye of Georgia Tech and mitigated Lackey having few college offers as a prep player. Lackey entered his collegiate career with a reputation as a defense first catcher. His offensive profile was anchored in good bat-to-ball skills and the bet that a physical late bloomer with standout athleticism could develop a well rounded offensive skillset. COLLEGE STATS AND PERFORMANCE Lackey played 36 games as a freshman, hitting .214/.330/.381 with 4 home runs, an 11.7% walk rate, a 17.5 K%, and a modest 60 wRC+. The roots of Lackey’s offensive skillset were evident though, even in a season with mediocre production. Lackey showed excellent bat-to-ball skills from day one, managing an 82% contact rate (93% in zone) as a freshman. Lackey also showcased his excellent approach, rarely expanding the zone, and taking plenty of free passes, despite a lack of extra base impact. As a sophomore, Lackey improved significantly. Moving into the starting catcher’s role full time, he managed a .347/.421/.500 line with 6 home runs (21 XBH), while walking 9.4% of the time and maintaining his excellent contact skills, managing a 14.3 K%. As a sophomore, Lackey produced a 110 wRC+, also stealing 18 bases at 86%. The impact and added strength began to show up in his second year, despite not adding much home run power, Lackey supplied plenty of extra base hits, and saw jumps in both his average EV and EV90, both of which jumped above the 75th percentile among D1 teams. Lackey’s damage on contact was limited by an elevated (pun intended) ground ball rate. Let’s take a moment to dig into his swing. Lackey sets up at the plate in a neutral stance with a chin-high hand set, often planting himself deep in the batter’s box. Lackey loads and prepares to swing early, getting into a medium-to-significant leg kick while pulling his hands behind his front shoulder. Lackey gets a ton of stretch in his swing, rotating well with increased bat speed and often meeting the ball in front of the plate. It’s a violent, pretty swing (as right-handed swings go). As a junior, Lackey ascended offensively, trading off a marginal degree of his batted ball excellent for significant extra base impact. In 61 games, he hit .397/.519/.772 with 20 home runs (39 extra base hits), a 17.7 BB%, a 13.4 K%, all while stealing 15 bases at 94%. In 2026, he managed a 170 wRC+. Sheesh. That's some of the best offensive production in college baseball, regardless of position. Unpacking those numbers further presents an equally rosy picture. Lackey maintained an overall contact rate of 83% (88% in zone). He doesn’t chase too much (~17%), his average EV and EV90 are both north of the 95th percentile in D1 baseball. Finally, Lackey has figured out how to pull the ball in the air with consistency. For the Baseball Savant slider truthers, it’s a sea of red. In short, it’s a complete offensive profile. WOOD BAT PERFORMANCE It’s worth unpacking Lackey’s performance with wooden bats. In 2024, he managed a .640 OPS in the Northwoods League with Traverse City (through 176 plate appearances). A year later he had a .314 OPS in 26 plate appearances on the Cape for Hyannis. Normally, I'd spend more time unpacking this, but the truth is, Lackey simply isn’t the same player offensively as he was in 2025, and certainly in 2024. Call it an orange flag if you want to, I’m not taking much stock in it, given how he’s performed offensively in 2026. DEFENSIVE PROFILE So, what about the defense that has earned Patrick Bailey comps? Folks will know I don’t like comps, I think they place unrealistic and unfair expectations on players too early, and we’re often not clear with what we’re comping (a swing, production, etc.). What’s universally agreed upon is Lackey has a chance to be a plus defensive catcher. Operating from a one-knee down setup, it’s easily a plus arm, and while his career caught stealing percentage (~25%) might seem light, this is more of a reflection of a need for more precision with his throws, at times, than a lack of arm strength. Lackey put up similar numbers in controlling the running game on the Cape (33 % caught stealing). While there’s some refinement needed to maximize the tools here, the tools are in place, as Lackey routinely posts pop times between 1.85-1.95 seconds. While he can continue to refine his receiving game, Lackey has snappy wrists and moves fluidly enough to suggest he’ll be able to steal plenty of strikes as a pro. Lackey’s lateral movement might be his most impressive defensive trait. He works side to side incredibly smoothly, or with explosive precision when the need arises. It’s a rare level of body control we can find examples of throughout his defensive play. Lackey has a characteristic ‘lateral shuffle’ when positioning his body to throw out a would-be base stealer, that gives him a clear throwing lane, and a better angle to second base. He’ll use his explosiveness to catch base runners off guard, too, backpicking four hitters in 2026 alone. WHAT TEAMMATES AND COACHES SAY Lackey is a high-energy player, earning rave reviews for both his work ethic and how he carries himself as a team mate. Teammate and fellow first round prospect Drew Burress had this to say after Georgia Tech were eliminated from postseason play. Head Coach Jacob Ramsey described recruiting Lackey to Georgia Tech as ‘watching a shortstop play catcher’. It’s a backhanded compliment, describing both his natural athletic ability and the level of rawness with which he entered collegiate baseball. Ramsey played Lackey in every defensive position except pitcher in a non-conference game in early 2026, to showcase his versatility. FINAL THOUGHTS Twins fans have been clamoring for a succession plan for Ryan Jeffers for several years. Lackey (if available) is the rare intersection of pick position, value, and an area of organizational need. He appears to be a unicorn prospect, a catcher with contact skills, power and speed, and the foundations of excellent defense. If he’s on the board at number three, he’d be an excellent, fast moving addition to the Twins system, locking up one of the toughest defensive positions to fill for the next half decade. View the full article

After going just 11-31 over their first 42 games, the 2006 Florida Marlins tied a franchise record with nine straight wins from June 10 through 20. The lone walk-off win of that stretch came on this day 20 years ago. In a contest in which the Marlins trailed by three in the eighth inning, a throwing error allowed the winning run to score. An errant throw led to celebration as Florida rallied past the Atlanta Braves in 10 innings, 6-5. The Marlins trailed 5-2 entering the bottom of the eighth inning at Dolphins Stadium on June 14, 2006. Against Atlanta reliever Ken Ray, it was a nine-pitch walk to Miguel Cabrera with one out that started the Florida rally. Three pitches later, Cody Ross plated the first run of the inning with an RBI double. Jeremy Hermida followed by working a seven-pitch at-bat but ultimately struck out swinging. To the plate came former Atlanta utility man Wes Helms. Helms had belted a solo home run in the fourth inning that cut the deficit to 3-2. After getting ahead in the count, Helms blasted Ray’s 3-1 offering over the “teal tower” in left-centerfield for the game-tying two-run home run. With the score now tied 5-5, Joe Borowski worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the ninth with consecutive strikeouts. In the top of the 10th, Florida lefty Taylor Tankersley used consecutive strikeouts to end the inning and leave the go-ahead run in scoring position. In the bottom of the inning, Cabrera lined a double off Óscar Villarreal to get things started. Villarreal hit Ross the very next pitch. The Braves turned to lefty Mike Remlinger, who fired just one pitch; it was the ensuing throw, however, that proved costly. As he fielded the bunt from Hermida, Remlinger tried to get the lead runner at third but his throw went past teammate Chipper Jones, allowing pinch runner Reggie Abercrombie to score the walk-off run and the Marlins to complete the comeback. The Marlins won despite being outhit 13-9. Helms finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Ross, Cabrera and Alfredo Amézaga each finished with two hits. Marcus Giles and Jeff Francoeur each finished with two hits and a home run for Atlanta. Francoeur recorded three RBIs. Matt Diaz added three hits in the loss. After winning the first game of the set by a 4-1 score, Florida completed the three-game sweep of the Braves with a 3-2 win the following night. For the month of June, the Marlins went a stellar 18-7 in 2006. The lone walk-off win from that month came on this day two decades ago. View the full article

San Diego Padres affiliates went 2-2 as the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas dropped Round Rock 7-2, the Double-A San Antonio Missions were pounded by Frisco 10-1, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps fell to Dayton 7-3 and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm cruised past Ontario 17-1. Padres Minor-League Transactions San Diego Padres selected the contract of 1B Nick Solak from El Paso Chihuahuas. SS Dylan Grego assigned to El Paso Chihuahuas from Lake Elsinore Storm. El Paso Chihuahuas activated 2B Victor Duarte from the Development List. Two Homers From Marcos Castanon Send Chihuahuas Past Express Marcos Castanon homered twice and newcomer Nick Pratto went deep and drove in three runs as the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas toppled the host Round Rock Express 7-2. Carlos Rodriguez made it a career-best 19 games in a row with a hit, but it took a ninth-inning infield single to keep it going. He has also reached base in 23 straight games. Chihuahuas left-handed starter Jackson Wolf struck out six over five innings, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks. Right-handers Logan Gillaspie (two innings), Ty Adcock and Alek Jacob pitched four scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and no walks. El Paso jumped out to a 5-0 lead after the top of the fourth. Castanon hit a solo shot in the second inning to left field, then followed Nick Schnell's RBI single with a sacrifice fly in the third inning for a 3-0 edge and Pratto delivered his second homer in three games after joining the Chihuahuas on Wednesday after playing for the Express. After the Express scored once in the bottom of the fourth, Castanon got that run back on a one-out solo homer in the fifth on an opposite-field line shot down the right-field line, his 10th of the season, for a 6-1 lead. Castanon has four multihomer games in his career. Round Rock answered right back with a run in the bottom of the fifth, but that would be it against the Chihuahuas' bullpen. Pratto sealed things in the ninth with an RBI single. EP1_0613.mp4 EP2_0613.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Carlos Rodriguez 3 2 1 0 2 0 Nick Pratto 4 2 2 3 1 1 Clay Dungan 4 1 0 0 0 2 Nick Schnell 5 0 1 1 0 3 Marcos Castanon 3 2 2 3 0 0 Blake Hunt 3 0 0 0 1 0 Anthony Vilar 4 0 1 0 0 2 Dylan Grego 3 0 0 0 1 1 Nate Mondou 4 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jackson Wolf 5 5 2 2 3 6 1 Logan Gillaspie 2 1 0 0 1 1 0 Ty Adcock 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Alek Jacob 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 Missions Come Apart Late In Falling To Frisco For the second time this week, the host Double-A San Antonio Missions were held to just three hits and lost, this one punctuated with all 10 Frisco runs coming in the eighth and ninth innings as the RoughRiders won 10-1. For quite a while, it looked like the Missions were going to make Tirso Ornelas' first-inning solo homer with two outs stand up. But the RoughRiders scored two runs in the top of the eighth when, with runners on second and third, third baseman Luis Verdugo couldn't handle a throw from catcher Brendan Durfee after pitcher Sadrac Franco fielded a comebacker and threw home. Both runners scored for a 2-1 lead. The floodgates opened in the ninth when the RoughRiders scored eight runs, including a pair of homers. Before that, Missions pitching had been pretty good. Right-handed starter Ian Koenig pitched five shutout innings, giving up a pair of his while walking three and striking out a pair. Left-hander Harry Gustin struck out four in two shutout innings, while Franco allowed the two unearned runs on one hit and a walk with two punchouts. Right-hander Francis Pena was tagged for five runs and didn't record an out in the ninth, while right-hander Clark Candiotti gave up the other three runs. SA_0613.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Braedon Karpathios 4 0 0 0 0 3 Romeo Sanabria 4 0 0 0 0 1 Tirso Ornelas 4 1 1 1 0 1 Ryan Jackson 3 0 0 0 1 1 Albert Fabian 4 0 1 0 0 1 Francisco Acuna 2 0 0 0 1 1 Brendan Durfee 3 0 1 0 0 0 Luis Verdugo 3 0 0 0 0 3 Kai Roberts 3 0 0 0 0 3 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ian Koenig 5 2 0 0 3 2 0 Harry Gustin 2 2 0 0 0 4 0 Sadrac Franco 1 1 2 0 1 2 0 Francis Pena 0 3 5 5 2 0 0 Clark Candiotti 1 3 3 3 0 1 2 TinCaps Unable To Keep Up With Dragons Justin DeCriscio homered for the second game in a row, but the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps dropped a 7-3 decision to the host Dayton Dragons, who scored four runs in the fourth inning. After hitting a grand slam the night before as the TinCaps snapped an eight-game losing streak, DeCrisco went deep for the fourth time this year, leading off the game with a drive to left field. Kavares Tears also homered for the TinCaps, hitting a solo shot to right-center in the fourth inning, his sixth this season. That put the TinCaps up 2-1, but the Dragons took control with four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and put it away with two more in the seventh. TinCaps left-handed starter Jamie Hitt surrendered five runs on six hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts in 3⅓ innings. Tucker Musgrove, Padres Mission's No. 14 prospect, pitched a perfect ninth inning with two punchouts. With 36 strikeouts in 16⅔ innings, Musgrove leads all minor-league relievers (10 innings minimum) with 19.44 strikeouts per nine innings. FW_0613.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin DeCriscio 5 1 2 1 0 0 Carlos Rodriguez 4 0 1 0 1 1 Rosman Verdugo 4 0 1 1 1 1 Alex McCoy 4 0 1 0 0 0 Kavares Tears 3 1 1 1 1 2 Jack Costello 4 0 0 0 0 2 Zach Evans 4 0 1 0 0 3 Oswaldo Linares 4 0 0 0 0 0 Kasen Wells 2 1 1 0 2 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jamie Hitt 3 1/3 6 5 5 2 2 1 Igor Gil 1 2/3 0 0 0 0 3 0 Javier Chacon 2 3 2 2 2 2 0 Tucker Musgrove 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Tyler Schmitt Fans 11, Storm Explode For 17 Runs In Rout Right-handed starter Tyler Schmitt struck out a season-high 11 over six innings, while Kerrington homered and drove in four runs as the host Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm blitzed the Ontario Buzzers early and often for a 17-1 victory. It was the Storm's second-highest run total, behind only a 21-0 victory over Rancho Cucamonga on April 9. Schmitt, who made his pro debut after being a 17th-round draft choice last year, allowed just four hits and a walk and surpassed his previous season high of nine set two starts ago. Right-hander Daichi Moriki allowed just one hit in two innings, while left-hander Cal Riehl allowed a run in the ninth. Yoiber Ocopio had four hits and scored three times, Truitt Madonna went 3-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and two runs scored, George Bilecki homered and drove in three, Cross had a pair of hits and scored twice and Ryan Wideman, Padres Mission's No. 5 prospect, went 2-for-3 with two walks, three runs scored and two more stolen bases to bring his minors-leading total to 42. Cross' ninth homer was a two-run shot that highlighted a four-run first inning, while a six-run third inning featured runs scoring on a hit by pitch, a wild pitch, a sacrifice fly, two balks and Cross' RBI double to cap the outburst. Four more runs came across in the fifth on a hit by pitch, two more bases-loaded walks and another wild pitch. In the seventh, Madonna had an RBI double and Bilecki a two-run homer. The Storm drew nine walks in addition to pounding out 17 hits. LE_0613.mp4 AB R H RBI BB K Ryan Wideman 3 3 2 0 2 1 Qrey Lott 1 0 1 0 0 0 Kerrington Cross 4 2 2 4 0 0 Yimy Tovar 1 0 0 0 0 0 Jose Verdugo 4 1 1 1 1 0 Alcides Hernandez 1 0 0 0 0 1 Luke Cantwell 4 2 1 1 2 1 Yoiber Ocopio 5 3 4 0 0 0 Truitt Madonna 4 2 3 3 1 1 Jorge Quintana 6 0 1 0 0 1 George Bilecki 4 2 1 3 1 2 Conner Westenburg 2 2 1 0 2 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Tyler Schmitt 6 4 0 0 1 11 0 Daichi Moriki 2 1 0 0 2 0 0 Cal Riehl 1 2 1 1 0 1 0 Padres Mission Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: DNP Kash Mayfield: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Ryan Wideman: 2-for-3, K Jorge Quintana: 1-for-6, K Ty Harvey: On injured list Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season Braedon Karpathios: 0-for-4, 3 K Lamar King Jr.: DNP Jagger Haynes: DNP Alex McCoy: 1-for-4 Truitt Madonna: 3-for-4, 2B, K Tucker Musgrove: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K Garrett Hawkins: DNP Michael Salina: DNP Eric Yost: DNP Rosman Verdugo: 1-for-4, K Bryan Balzer: DNP Deivid Coronil: DNP View the full article

Blue Jays Affiliate Overview (June 11-12) Triple-A Buffalo Bisons Series vs Syracuse Mets (New York Mets): 3-1 Season Record: 31-36 Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats Series vs Hartford Yard Goat (Colorado Rockies): 1-3 Season Record: 30-29 High-A Vancouver Canadians Series vs Everett AquaSox (Seattle Mariners): 3-1 Season Record: 26-35 Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays Series vs Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (Minnesota Twins): 2-2 Season Record: 27-34 FCL Blue Jays Week Record: 0-2 Season Record: 20-9 DSL Blue Jays Blue Week Record: 0-4 Season Record: 3-6 DSL Blue Jays Red Week Record: 2-2 Season Record: 2-7 Triple-A Buffalo Bisons Season Record: 31-36 Series vs Syracuse Mets (New York Mets) June 11: On Thursday, Shane Bieber made another rehab start for the Buffalo Bisons, and it was by far his best to date. He would make it through the fifth innings without giving up a run and put Buffalo in a great position to earn a win against Syracuse. While the outing didn't result in Bieber allowing a run, each inning did seem to get worse for him. In the first inning, Bieber was flawless, getting the Mets in order, 1-2-3. In the second, he allowed a single, but pitched around it. The next inning, he gave up a lead-off double, followed by a single. Je'Von Ward picked up his pitcher though, throwing out the runner at home and keeping the Mets off of the scoreboard. In the fourth, Bieber saw the Mets get a single and a stolen base, then Buffalo got the runner out on a fielder’s choice, before getting out of the inning. In his last inning, Bieber was again working around trouble, allowing a walk and a double, but getting a ground out to strand the runners at second and third base. The Buffalo bats were doing much less work than Syracuse's were, as they also put up a zero on the scoreboard by the end of the top of the fifth, but with much fewer threats. In the bottom half of the inning, Carlos Mendoza finally broke the scoring drought from both teams. He launched his third home run of the season, a two-run blast to left field that brought home Ryan McCarty, who had walked. Later in the inning, Jonatan Clase doubled home Sean Keys, who had reached on a single to center. Buffalo closed the game out with 2.1 scoreless innings from Chad Dallas. The Bisons won 3-1 and stopped the slide they have been on, which saw their record plummet to 30-36 following the win. June 12: Josh Fleming was on the mound Friday, and he had what was possibly the best start of any pitcher this season for Buffalo. He dominated the Syracuse Mets lineup for six innings; his only blemishes in the game were two singles in the third inning, which resulted in one run. Outside of those two hits, he was perfect on the day and even struck out eight batters. Despite his near perfection on the mound, he handed the ball to the bullpen with a no-decision. Je'Von Ward singled home Jonatan Clase in the bottom of the fourth. Sean Keys gave Buffalo the lead in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI double. Eloy Jiménez added to the lead by following Keys with an RBI single on a line drive to left. Carlos Mendoza added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth with a sacrifice fly that scored William Simoneit. Buffalo turned to Brendon Little for the ninth, and he rewarded them with a 1-2-3 inning to earn the save and secure the win for, 4-1, for Buffalo. Double-A New Hampshire Season Record: 30-29 Series vs Hartford Yard Goat (Colorado Rockies) June 11: Jake Bloss got the start for New Hampshire as he continued working his way through the minor leagues on his rehab assignment. Hartford got to him quickly with Dylan Jorge hitting a double, and then he swiped third base, finishing off his trip around the bases with a steal of home. In the bottom of the second inning, a walk and a two-run home run from Zach Kokoska put Hartford up three. In the fifth, Roc Riggio doubled to give Hartford a four-run lead. New Hampshire finally got on the scoreboard in the seventh, when Victor Arias led off the inning with a monster line drive home run. He was quickly followed by Aaron Parker, who launched his sixth home run of the season to put the Fisher Cats down two. An RBI groundout later in the inning made the deficit just one. In the ninth, Cole Messina drove in a run on an error by Jorge Burgos. New Hampshire would go on to lose 5-3. June 12: In the Friday night game between New Hampshire and Hartford, the Fisher Cats fell behind early and often. Bryant Betancourt launched a home run in the second inning, a two-run shot. In the fourth inning, things went from manageable to ugly, as Hartford brought 13 men to the plate and scored eight runs. Betancourt continued his hot hitting against the Fisher Cats with two singles in the inning, and Hartford added two doubles, which scored five runs themselves. New Hampshire finally got on the board in the eighth inning, when Adrian Pinto launched his second home run of the season, a solo shot to left field. In the end, the Fisher Cats lost this one pretty easily, 11-1. High-A Vancouver Season Record: 26-35 Series vs Everett AquaSox (Seattle Mariners) June 11: The Canadians tried to win three straight against the Aqua Sox, and Johnny King taking the mound was a good way to go about that. The lefty went four innings, and despite allowing four walks, was able to prevent those runners from scoring, as the only run he gave up was a solo homer in the fourth inning. Tucker Toman, who’s been much better this season after dropping switch-hitting, hit an early two-run homer in the first inning. Reece Wissinger got the win, as although he gave up an RBI double in the fifth inning, he went four strong innings himself. The Canadians then took the lead in the eighth, with Alexis Hernandez having an RBI double himself, and J.R. Freethy scored him with a single right after. Trace Baker then came in the ninth and got the save, striking out the side for the Canadians' third win in a row. June 12: The Canadians did not have the fourth game of the series go their way, as the AquaSox bats woke up and scored 11 runs. Holden Wilkerson had his second start in a row, and he pitched well heading into the third inning. He got the first two outs, but then walked a batter, and gave up a double as the AquaSox took the lead. Wilkerson got the first out with a K, but then walked the next three batters, forcing in recently promoted Jack Nedrow. Nedrow got a grounder back to the mound, but was unable to field it cleanly, resulting in a run scoring. He then allowed a sac fly for a second run to score, before getting out of the inning with a pop-up. Nedrow allowed three more runs in the fifth inning, and then Jack Eshleman gave up a bomb in the seventh. The Canadians finally got on the board with an RBI groundout from J.R. Freethy, but the runs kept coming from Everett, as the Canadians lost 1 to 11. Single-A Dunedin Season Record: 27-34 Series vs Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (Minnesota Twins) June 11: The D-Jays got their seventh straight win, with the offense doing a lot of damage in what was supposed to be the first game of the doubleheader. Hedbert Perez hit a homer at 106.9 mph in the first inning, with Juan Sanchez driving in JoJo Parker with an RBI double, which gave the Jays a two-run lead. Dylan Watts took the mound, and he didn’t look sharp, giving up a homer in the second inning and then another in the third as the Mighty Mussels tied it up. It stayed tied until the sixth inning, where Watts walked the first two batters and allowed a single to load the bases, before being taken out for Lluveres Severino without getting an out. Severino allowed a base hit and then allowed a sac fly for all three inherited runs to score. The Jays came back, however, loading the bases in the seventh themselves, and they put up eight runs in the seventh and final inning, as they won 10-5. June 12, Game 1: This game was supposed to be played the day prior, but it was suspended until the 12th, and Carson Messina ended up making his Dunedin debut. The talented righty didn’t show the velocity he had in the Florida Complex League, but he sat in the mid-90s, showing really strong shape with his fastball, striking out four batters in a little over two innings pitched. He did allow a run in the third inning, but the Jays tied it up with a Juan Sanchez single in the fifth. They went to extra innings, as Austin Smith, Angel Obando and Bradley Wilson kept it scoreless. Adam Hackenberg then took the lead for the Jays with an RBI single in the top of the eighth, scoring the ghost runner Blaine Bullard, but Wilson could not close it out in the bottom of that inning, as he gave up a three-run homer to lose on a walk-off to end the win streak. June 12, Game 2: Blake Purnell took the bump for game two, and the Mighty Mussels were able to tag him for a homer in the second inning. The Jays answered back with a three-run third, as Kolten Smith balked in two runners before allowing a sac fly. Purnell ended up giving up the lead as former D-Jay Alan Roden hit his first homer on rehab assignment to tie it up, and Purnell lost the lead in the fifth, giving up a sac fly. The Jays had a chance to tie it up in the top of the seventh, as they had the bases loaded with Aldo Gaxiola up to bat, but he grounded into a double play for a disappointing end to the game. FCL Blue Jays Season Record: 20-9 June 11: Thursday saw the FCL Blue Jays take on the FCL Yankees. Miguel Pantoja was on the mound for the Blue Jays, and he continued to throw deep into games for a young pitcher in Rookie ball. He went 4.2 innings this time and allowed three runs on six hits, with three walks. He only struck out two. The runs came on a groundball single in the second inning and two solo home runs in the fourth. Giaconino Lasaracina homered in the second and the eighth inning for the Blue Jays. In between, Angel Guzman continued his hot hitting with a pair of RBI singles. It wasn't enough, though, as Wilberson De Pena homered for the Yankees to help them score seven. The Blue Jays couldn't match them, losing 7-6. June 12: Suspended DSL Blue Jays Blue Season Record: 3-6 June 11: BJB had a 3-1 deficit and went into the seventh inning with a challenge to overcome. Cristopher Polanco rose to the challenge and, with bases loaded, smacked a bases-clearing triple to give BJB the lead. Juan Caricote then hit a ball to left field for a sacrifice fly, scoring Polanco. BJB turned to David Hernandez after a lead-off walk to open up the bottom of the seventh. He gave up a single and a walk to load the bases up, then a sacrifice fly and a single tied the game back up at five. Jonathan Valle for the Giants DSL team would provide the fireworks for the wrong team. He launched a walk-off three-run home run to left field. BJB fell late, 8-5. June 12: BJB had another rough game on Friday. They only reached base six times, which included only four hits. Juan Caricote had an RBI double in the sixth, which followed Michael Mesa's RBI groundout. The team didn't strike out much at all, only three times in the game, but just couldn't get anything going to get runs on the board. 19-year-old Manuel Parra was the best of the arms for BJB. He went 2.1 innings out of the bullpen, giving up just one hit and one unearned run. BJB lost this one by a score of 6-2. DSL Blue Jays Red Season Record: 2-7 June 11: On Thursday, BJR sent Cristhian Duarte to the mound, and he was spectacular. He went five innings, struck out six, only walked one, allowed just one hit, and one unearned run. He actually left the game in line for a win, as the bats pushed two runs across the plate early in the game. In the second, Ayberson Ortega doubled, followed by a walk from Fabian Gonzalez, then a groundout by Frelian Flores scored a run. In the bottom of the third inning, Gabriel Porras singled, stole second, moved to third on a throwing error by the opposing catcher, then scored on a groundout from Elian Reyes. In the sixth, Duarte's replacement, Fayon Dumorne, was wild to begin with. He ultimately would give up two sacrifice flies, which would prove to be the game-winning runs. BJR lost this one 3-2. June 12: Friday's game was another competitive, but a heartbreaker for BJR. Elaineiker Coronado helped to get things started with a walk and two stolen bases in the first inning. Luis Nunez then had the only extra-base hit of the game for BJR, an RBI triple to right field. Diego Arce then singled Nunez home and gave BJR the 2-0 lead. After giving up four runs in the bottom half of the first inning, BJR got another run on an error from a pickoff attempt. BJR would get three more runs in the top of the fifth to take the lead back. They got one when Jose Gori was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, another on a wild pitch, and a third from a sacrifice fly by Coronado. With the game tied back up at six, it would be another loss on a walk-off home run for the Blue Jays DSL organization. Samil Serrano led off the bottom of the seventh for the Nationals with the walk-off blast, and BJR lost 7-6. View the full article

PITTSBURGH -- Common tropes of the Marlins' scorching two-week stretch have been steady late-game pitching and timely hitting. On a picture-perfect Saturday afternoon in the Steel City, it was the same knacks that flipped for the worst. Miami's 2-for-13 day with runners in scoring position and struggle to secure a clutch knock in the final two frames proved fatal, as a rare sideways eighth from Anthony Bender ended up being the inevitable nail in the coffin of their season-long six-game win streak. Gregory Soto's tenth save of the year raised the Jolly Roger and sank Miami simultaneously, evening the weekend set with a 3-2 Pirates victory. "It was intense. It was a good game," said Marlins skipper Clayton McCullough postgame. "We had some chances, got the tying run there to second base in the ninth. It was just a good game, and they came through a little bit more than we did." Incredibly, Pittsburgh boasted even worse numbers with runners on, sporting an abysmal 1-for-12 with RISP and eleven men left stranded. The decisive run scored against Bender was the product of a two-out rally that featured two singles and a walk, before a 97 mph sinker drifted too far in, beaning Spencer Horwitz on the shin and plating the eventual winning run. Bender's rocky inning marked both his first loss of the season and first earned runs of June. Most notably, the 31-year-old surrendered multiple hits in an appearance since the end of April in San Francisco. "I thought Anthony threw the ball well," added McCullough. "Unfortunately, it was a hit by pitch with the bases loaded, but hey, you know what, they did their job, move some forward and push one across...Anthony's been on a really incredible run." Preluding Bender was Miami's latest bullpen game, started by Lake Bachar. Both Bachar and John King surrendered a run apiece in their efforts, but scoreless outings from Calvin Faucher, Cade Gibson and Michael Petersen held down the fort, keeping their offense in it. Miami's aforementioned chances in the eighth and ninth saw runners on first and second and a runner on second, respectively. Three strikeouts and the decision not to pinch-hit Owen Caissie for the slumping Leo Jimenez stifled the former, while a forceout, strikeout and putout of Liam Hicks spelled doom in the latter. "(We were) weighing the potential of (lefty Evan) Sisk versus Caissie or Leo, who's been in the game. Certainly trust him in that at-bat there against Yohan (Ramirez) in the eighth, so that's what went into that." It was team RBI leader Hicks and Heriberto Hernandez who cashed in Miami's only two runs earlier in the contest. Hernandez, who was a Bryan Reynolds robbery away from a sixth homer of the year, continues to shine in parallel with Miami's stretch. The sophomore outfielder's OPS sits north of 1.000, courtesy of seven RBI and base hits in eight of nine. "The swings he's getting off are incredibly aggressive," said McCullough of Hernandez's success. "Bert hits the ball hard, can handle velocity, and hits a mistake with spin. I think we've just seen a much more confident version of Bert since he's come back. He's cleared his head a little bit, and he's not as tentative as I thought his plate appearances were early in the season; there's more conviction behind it. This is the Bert-the type of swings he's getting off-that I think we saw last year." If you crave another mid-day, low-scoring affair, look no further than Sunday's series finale. Max Meyer, still sporting an undefeated 6-0 record, goes toe-to-toe with 2025 National League Cy Young winner and superstar Paul Skenes. First pitch from a likely rainy day in Pittsburgh is slated for 12:15. View the full article

Box Score SP: Connor Prielipp - 6 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (98 pitches, 66 strikes (67%)) Home Runs: Byron Buxton (22), Royce Lewis (6), Luke Keaschall (2) Bottom 3 WPA: Justin Lawrence (-0.32), Travis Adams (-0.14), Prielipp (-0.12) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Twins came into Saturday's matinee at Target Field riding the waves of an exciting comeback victory. Young lefty Connor Prielipp hoped to right his ship after a series of sub-par performances, especially as his 2026 inning count approaches max capacity. Not-so-young lefty Matthew LIberatore took the ball for the Cardinals in hopes of sparking another St. Louis winning streak. Prielipp Ambushed Early and Often This game got off on the wrong foot for the home team, as Prielipp couldn't control his fastball in the opening at-bat, losing Masyn Winn to a five pitch walk with mostly non-competitive efforts. As designated hitter Ivan Herrara stepped into the box, Prielipp was determined to get a fastball over the plate. By the time that center-cut fastball landed in the bullpen for a 2-0 Cardinals lead, the momentum of Friday night had morphed into a typical Saturday afternoon funk. The top of the second inning didn't start out any better for the home team. Prielipp again served up a center-cut first pitch fastball, this time to Blaze Jordan who promptly put it over the super-short arms of Austin Martin and off of the right-field wall. By the time Ryan Kreidler could catch up to the ball, Jordan was standing on third with a lead-off triple. Pedro Pages doubled in Jordan, and eventually came around to score himself to make it 4-0 Cardinals. Royce Lewis is On a Tear, and that Buxton Guy Liberatore tore through the Twins lineup in the early innings like they were wet toilet paper. When he faced Lewis in the bottom of the second inning, Lewis ripped a double but got stranded at third. That was the only hit the Twins could muster in the first three frames, so things were starting to get desperate as the bats came back around in the bottom of the fourth. This time it was Liberatore's turn to see what happened when a first pitch fastball catches the power zone for a major league hitter. That hitter was Byron Buxton, and the Twins were finally on the board. Two batters later, Lewis decided to not rely on his teammates to get him home. He took of that part himself with his third homer in the last four days to pull the Twins within two at 4-2. Afternoon Rallies and Homer Hankies The Twins came into Saturday's contest a measly 14-20 during day/afternoon games in 2026. If they want to get back into the Wild Card race, finding a way to get awake in time for matinee outings will have to be a part of the equation. Liberatore did his best to wake-up the Twins offense again in the bottom of the fifth. After losing Kriedler on a full count walk to start the inning, the Cardinals lefty thought he might get away with a first pitch fastball to Luke Keaschall. Wake up Twins fans! Its a 4-4 ballgame! Falvey's Sins Remain As unlikely as it seemed in the second inning, Prielipp managed to cover six full innings before giving way to his minor league bullpen. For all the excitement of last night's victory, the effort left the Twins bullpen pretty exhausted. With few quality options available, first man up was Justin Lawrence. The seventh inning started off innocently enough with two strike outs, but then Herrera and Jordan Walker went back-to-back. Derek Shelton stuck with the steaming hand of Lawrence not once, but twice more, as Lars Nootbaar and Alec Burleson both got to tee off for singles. Finally, Travis Adams came in to stop the bleeding. Instead, he started a gusher. This time the center-cut fastball gave Blaze Jordan his first career homerun, and the Cardinals a sudden and depressing 9-4 lead. Adams remained in the game as the sacrificial bullpen lamb, and he managed to get his team into Sunday. The Twins briefly got their rally mojo going again in the bottom of the eighth, but after a Kody Clemens RBI single, Lewis aggressively tried to pull a first pitch changeup on the outside corner. That leads to a rolled-over 6-4-3 rally killer in most Major League ballparks, and it did here today as well. Things got slightly interesting again in the bottom of the ninth, as reliever Riley O'Brien tried his best to keep the home crowd in it by walking the bases loaded to bring the tying run to the plate with nobody out. Keaschall got the first crack at the hero moment, but went down looking for the first out. Josh Bell got the next attempt, and he could only muster an RBI fielder's choice grounder to second. Shelton thought that Victor Caratini stood a better chance of keeping the rally alive than today's lead off man Austin Martin, but he was wrong. A harmless pop fly generated a 9-6 Cardinals victory, with Buxton left on-deck. What’s Next? Tomorrow is another day, but unfortunately for the afternoon-challenged Twins its another day game. Twins righty Taj Bradley (5-3, 4.02 ERA) looks to get his season back, while the Cardinals will turn to former 1st rounder, righty Michael McGreevy (3-5, 2.99 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 1:10pm CDT. Twins bullpen implosion is scheduled for approximately 3:15pm CDT. Postgame Interviews: Coming Soon Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Adams 0 31 0 0 37 68 Paredes 0 58 0 0 0 58 Rogers 17 14 0 22 0 53 Lawrence 26 0 0 0 24 50 Morris 0 39 0 9 0 48 Laweryson 12 0 32 0 0 44 Gómez 0 27 0 15 0 42 Orze 23 0 0 16 0 39 Banda 0 30 0 9 0 39 View the full article

For much of the 2026 season, the Twins have been forced to navigate an endless stream of injuries. While the club continues to battle through those setbacks, Friday brought several pieces of positive news. Three notable names—top prospect Walker Jenkins, right-hander Mick Abel, and left-hander Kendry Rojas—are all progressing toward returns. Each player reached a significant checkpoint in his recovery process this weekend, offering hope that reinforcements could soon be on the way. Walker Jenkins Nearing Return to Game Action The Twins expect Jenkins to begin a rehab assignment with Low-A Fort Myers on Saturday, marking his first game action since suffering a Grade 2 AC joint sprain in his left shoulder on May 5. The injury occurred while he crashed into an outfield wall while making a catch for Triple-A St. Paul. Minnesota's top prospect was still finding his footing early in the season after arriving at Triple-A, but he entered the injured list on a much stronger note than he started. Before getting hurt, Jenkins had improved his season line to .256/.396/.389 (.785) across 111 plate appearances. That followed a 2025 campaign in which he posted a .286/.399/.451 (.850) slash line while climbing all the way to Triple-A. Since being selected fifth overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, the 21-year-old has dealt with a series of injuries. A hamstring strain cost him significant time in 2024, while an ankle sprain sidelined him for nearly two months in 2025. He also battled another hamstring issue during spring training this year. When healthy, Jenkins has consistently looked like one of baseball's premier prospects. If he returns from this latest injury and performs well at Triple-A, the possibility of a major-league debut later this season remains very much alive. At minimum, he appears poised to put himself in a position to contribute in Minnesota sometime during 2027. Mick Abel Closing In on Return to Rotation Abel's next step comes Saturday when he is scheduled to throw a light bullpen session following an impressive rehab outing earlier this week. Pitching for Triple-A St. Paul on Wednesday, Abel tossed three scoreless innings, striking out five while allowing only two hits. Perhaps most encouraging was the quality of his stuff. His fastball averaged 96.3 mph and topped out at 97.9 mph, looking much like the weapon that helped him dominate before landing on the injured list. The Twins shut Abel down on April 20 because of inflammation in his right elbow. His recovery appeared to be nearing completion in early May before lingering soreness in his right triceps after a simulated bullpen session temporarily halted his progress. The setback eventually led to a cortisone injection and additional recovery time. Before the injury, Abel was pitching some of the best baseball of his young career. He had thrown 13 consecutive scoreless innings over his final two starts and looked increasingly comfortable against major-league hitters. His return would arrive at an ideal time for Minnesota. Bailey Ober remains sidelined with a right flexor strain, leaving the Twins scrambling to piece together a rotation. The club has relied on multiple bullpen games in recent weeks, with Joe Ryan, Taj Bradley, Connor Prielipp, and Zebby Matthews carrying the workload. If Abel continues progressing without issue, he could soon provide the stability Minnesota desperately needs in the fifth spot. Kendry Rojas Taking Another Step Forward Rojas is scheduled to face hitters in a live batting practice session Saturday in Fort Myers as he works his way back from left triceps inflammation. The 22-year-old has been sidelined since May 29. Few pitchers have exceeded expectations this season the way Rojas has. He quickly established himself as a valuable multi-inning weapon. In 14 1/3 innings, Rojas has posted a sparkling 1.26 ERA while striking out 14 hitters. He has also demonstrated the flexibility to help in multiple roles. Earlier this season, Rojas made a spot start against the Houston Astros and responded by throwing four scoreless innings at Target Field. That versatility has become increasingly important as injuries continue to pile up throughout Minnesota's pitching staff. Whether he returns as a long reliever, spot starter, or bulk innings option, Rojas would give the Twins another reliable arm capable of reducing the burden on an already stretched pitching corps. After weeks of discouraging injury news, Minnesota finally has reason for optimism. None of these returns is guaranteed to happen immediately, but the progress of Jenkins, Abel, and Rojas offers a reminder that help may finally be on the horizon. View the full article

One of the San Diego Padres' subtle offensive contributors will be sidelined for a bit. Designated hitter-third baseman Miguel Andujar was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday by the San Diego Padres due to a strained left hamstring. Outfielder-DH Nick Solak was called up from Triple-A El Paso to take his place. The Padres had an opening on their 40-man roster after outfielder Bryce Johnson was designated for assignment Friday. Andujar injured his hamstring in Sunday's 7-3 loss to the New York Mets on a seventh-inning single. While he originally stayed in the game, he was removed, with Johnson pinch-running for him. Andujar did have pinch-hit appearances Tuesday and Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds, replaced by pinch-runner Jase Bowen after drawing a walk Tuesday. It is the same hamstring that bothered Andujar earlier in the season. Solak is the fourth member of the Chihuahuas to come up in the past two weeks, joining outfielder-infielder Samad Taylor, outfielder Jase Bowen and infielder Will Wagner. Solak has a good track record offensively, but has been a liability defensively, particularly when he was playing second base. He has stuck to corner spots (first base, left field, right field) in recent seasons. This year at El Paso, Solak was slashing .333/.412/.512 with nine homers and a team-high 40 RBIs. His .333 batting average is the highest among players currently in the Pacific Coast League and has reached base in 17 of his last 18 games. Solak has 259 games of MLB experience since making his debut in 2019 with a career slash line of .250/.325/.369 with 21 homers and 93 RBIs. View the full article