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Boston Red Sox Weekly Snapshot Record Last Week: 2-3 Runs Scored Last Week: 18 Runs Surrendered Last Week: 22 Standings: 5th in AL East 10.5 GB First Place Transactions: 06/03/26: Boston Red Sox recalled 2B Anthony Seigler from Worcester Red Sox. 06/03/26: Boston Red Sox signed free agent LHP Victor Aracena to a minor league contract. 06/03/26: Boston Red Sox placed 3B Nick Sogard on the 10-day injured list retroactive to May 31, 2026. Right oblique strain. 06/04/26: Boston Red Sox selected the contract of RHP Tommy Kahnle from Worcester Red Sox. 06/04/26: Pittsburgh Pirates traded LHP Joe La Sorsa to Boston Red Sox. 06/04/26: Boston Red Sox optioned LHP Tyler Samaniego to Worcester Red Sox. 06/04/26: Boston Red Sox transferred SS Trevor Story from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. Sports hernia. 06/05/26: Boston Red Sox selected the contract of LHP Joe La Sorsa from Worcester Red Sox. 06/05/26: Boston Red Sox optioned RHP Brayan Bello to Worcester Red Sox. 06/05/26: Boston Red Sox sent LHP Patrick Sandoval on a rehab assignment to Worcester Red Sox. 06/05/26: Boston Red Sox transferred LHP Garrett Crochet from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. Left shoulder inflammation. 06/06/26: Boston Red Sox recalled LHP Alec Gamboa from Worcester Red Sox. 06/06/26: Boston Red Sox placed LHP Jovani Morán on the 15-day injured list retroactive to June 5, 2026. Left elbow inflammation. 06/06/26: Boston Red Sox sent RHP Garrett Whitlock on a rehab assignment to Worcester Red Sox. Scores: Game 58: BOS 2, BAL 4 Game 59: BOS 8, BAL 1 Game 60: BOS 2, BAL 8 Game 61: BOS 5, NYY 3 Game 62: Postponed to August 29 Game 63: BOS 1, NYY 6 Series Breakdown/Highlights Orioles Series: The Fenway magic once again couldn’t be found as the Red Sox returned home for a quick, three-game series against the division rival Orioles. Connelly Early wasn’t sharp in game one, throwing just 5.2 innings and surrendering four earned runs. The rookie southpaw has a high ceiling but when he’s not sharp then he can get knocked around. The biggest red flag waving for Early at this point is that he’s being beaten hard with home runs in recent starts. Early isn’t the flamethrower his buddy Payton Tolle is, so he has to rely more on his secondaries to live around the zone. He failed to do so in this particular start and got punished for it. Game two saw Tolle toss six shutout innings and make an incredibly athletic jump play, all while striking out five. Ryan Watson pitched the closing three innings, surrendering one earned run and striking out two. Wilyer Abreu hit a ball to the moon and Caleb Durbin continued to showcase his new plate approach, going two for four with one RBI. In the finale, starter Brayan Bello was as advertised, giving up eight earned runs, six in the first inning alone, over five innings of work. His first inning was predictably awful, but he settled in for most of the rest of his start. After the game, Bello was optioned to Triple-A Worcester where he will spend time figuring out how to be a big-league starter again. Yankees Series: Not all is lost in the series against the Evil Empire, since the second game of the three game series will be made up in a double-header on August 29, but we saw both versions of the Red Sox in this two game sample. In game one, Andruw Monasterio and Willson Contreras delivered huge home runs to help power the Red Sox past the Yankees. Sonny Gray tossed 6.1 innings of three-run ball while striking out three. Aroldis Chapman walked two in the bottom of the ninth inning, but otherwise was his typical dominant self. He’s nursing a hamstring injury that Chad Tracy is trying to navigate to give the team the best possible chance at winning, but the velocity is still there. In the Sunday game, Ranger Suarez was fantastic on the bump. He tossed 6.1 innings of one-run baseball, only to be let down by Justin Slaten in the eighth. Slaten surrendered a solo home run to Cody Bellinger. Slaten was then replaced by the newly acquired Joseph De La Sorsa who promptly gave up a three-run home run to Jazz Chisholm Jr. A game that had the potential to be a statement game for the Red Sox was wasted by a leaky bullpen once again. Website Highlights Brayan Bello’s 2026 Crisis: The Cutter That No Longer Cuts by Yirsandy Rodriguez Anthony Seigler’s Well-Deserved Promotion Comes With Strong Praise from Iggy Suarez by Nick John Payton Tolle’s Next Step Forward Will Require Fewer Fastballs by Alex Mayes Red Sox Report Card: Grading Every Player in May by Ryan Salvaggio Looking Ahead 06/08: Red Sox (Connelly Early) @ Rays (Ian Seymour): 6:40 PM EDT 06/09: Red Sox (Payton Tolle) @ Rays (Nick Martinez): 6:40 PM EDT 06/10: Red Sox (TBD) @ Rays (Drew Rasmussen): 1:10 PM EDT 06/11: Day Off 06/12: Rangers (TBD) @ Red Sox (Sonny Gray): 7:10 PM EDT 06/13: Rangers @ Red Sox: 4:`10 PM EDT 06/14: Rangers @ Red Sox: 7:20 PM EDT Sunday Night Baseball View the full article

If the present doesn't have much to offer, at least the New York Mets’ future looks bright, popping with up-and-coming talent who could have an impact on the big-league club soon. Left-handed pitching prospect Jonathan Santucci is no exception to the rule, as he’s been playing some of his best baseball lately. Let’s break down Santucci’s latest numbers and his long-term projection within the Mets organization. Jonathan Santucci's Updated Scouting Mets Scouting Report Santucci is a left-handed pitching prospect and rides in as the team’s ninth-ranked prospect per Grand Central Mets. The Mets called his name in the second round of the 2024 draft after the southpaw’s successful campaign with the Blue Devils. He entered the professional ranks just last season, working his way all the way up to the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies’ roster by the middle of July. He dazzled with the team’s Double-A affiliate, spinning a 2.52 earned run average with a strikeout rate north of 32 percent down the home stretch of his season. Santucci's 2026 So Far While he may hold a losing record to start this season out, the Mets’ highly touted farmhand has looked sharp in his recent outings. In his most recent start on June 6, lefty spun a career-best 6.2 innings of one-run ball. He allowed just three hits, gave up a pair of free passes and fanned five on the evening. Santucci notably took a no-hitter into the sixth inning en route to his first win of the 2026 season. Over his last two starts, he’s allowed just a single earned run on six hits in 11.2 innings. Santucci has 10 punchouts to only three walks in that span. He also has allowed two earned runs or less in six of his last seven starts for Binghamton. Santucci's Strengths The lefty hurler’s slider leads the charge, as his glove-side-biting breaking pitch has a 60-grade on the 20-to-80 scouting scale. This is a two-plane breaking ball that tunnels very well off of his fastball, and he’s able to give hitters from both sides of the plate absolute fits with it. His four-seamer, a 55-grade heater which does a lot of the heavy-lifting to set up his slide piece, rides in between 92-95 miles per hour and can touch 97. Santucci releases the baseball from a high point and is able to get plenty of carry into the upper regions of the strike zone. While Santucci also possesses a changeup, it grades out around average, as he doesn’t lean on it a ton in-game. Santucci's Weaknesses Therein lies one of Santucci’s weakness. While the southpaw has fooled hitters with a slider and is currently sporting an impressive .219 batting average against over his first 170.1 innings of professional baseball, operating with a two-pitch arsenal can only get a pitcher so far. For somebody who plans on operating as a rotation piece (he’s started 34 of his 36 appearances), he’ll need more than a two-pitch combo to get through an order multiple times. Santucci also gets a case of the walks from time to time, as shown by his 50-grade control tool. He just recently escaped a stretch where he walked at least two hitters in four straight games, including a six-walk performance back on May 2. Overall, his stuff plays well enough for him to live in the strike zone and even get away with the occasional mistake. Now, it’s just about in-zone consistency for the rising lefty. Future Role With Mets What will Santucci’s role be, and when will he ultimately break into the big leagues? He’s tracking towards being a middle-of-the-rotation starter, especially considering that his slider has continued to serve as a true out-pitch even as he’s ascended up the minor-league ladder. The next question becomes which pitch, whether it’s a fledgling curveball or his changeup, will earn a more consistent spot in his arsenal. MLB Pipeline projects that Santucci will break into the big leagues by the end of the 2026 season, and his pitch variety could play a pivotal role in ensuring that comes true. View the full article

2025 All-Star and Gold Glover Pete Crow-Armstrong is taking a step in the right direction in 2026. A season removed from a 30 home run, 30 stolen base showing, his plate discipline is vastly improving. After logging an on-base percentage south of .300 in back-to-back seasons, his chase percentage is down and his walk rate is up. In this video, we'll break down his true ceiling if he adapts a more mature playing style. View the full article

Ryan Clifford is a first base prospect within the Mets organization. Clifford ranks as the #5 prospect in our prospect rankings and offers big-time power with impressive walk rates. Clifford could be the future replacement for Pete Alonso as long as he can control his strikeouts before arriving in Major League Baseball. View the full article

Brooks Brannon is a rising first base prospect within the Red Sox organization. Brannon currently plays for the Portland Sea Dogs, and is known for his exceptional raw power; he is slashing an impressive .286/.398/.622 with an impressive 1.020 OPS and 8 home runs. Brannon has been tearing through Double-A pitching and is expected to be promoted up the organizational ladder at some point this season. View the full article

On Tuesday night, Target Field was hit with the hottest viral trend when it comes to professional sporting events. Hundreds of young men made their way to section 238 in right field, removed their shirts, and waved them wildly over their heads as a rallying cry. This is Tarps Off. It’s becoming an epidemic, and spreading like wildfire among the youth. If you know someone between the ages of 17-29 (likely named something along the lines of Aidan, Jaden, Kaeden, Brayden and did we mention Aidan?), then they’ve probably participated in this phenomenon at some point in the last few weeks. Unfortunately for these trendsetters, the fun is surely coming to an end in the near future, as the trend has made its way to the place where fads go to die: the press box at Target Field. The collection of mostly dad bods in the Twins media contingent decided to get in on the action during Thursday night’s game against the Kansas City Royals, removing their short-sleeve button-downs and exposing their pasty white bellies for all to see. “You’re telling me this is how I find out Theo Tollefson has pierced nipples?” exclaimed a terrified fan sitting in the section just in front of the press box. “That’s a zone that I wish had remained covered.” It’s hard to say why these beat writers decided to take their tarps off. Some speculate it was due to pure boredom during a prolonged rain delay. Others say it was a desperate cry for help. Regardless of how it started, it became clear that most wanted it to stop, almost immediately. “I might have chuckled at first, but it quickly became clear that we were watching a painful death of this newly beloved trend,” said a representative of the Twins Communication department who wished to remain nameless (and become sightless). “It’s all fun and games until you see Dan Hayes with his shirt off.” The tarps off trend was birthed during an Oklahoma State football game last fall, but it officially suffered a painful death in the Target Field press box. Once the old white guys decide to give it a try, it’s practically a death sentence. It happened with the dab. It happened with 6-7. It’s inevitable, really. Tarps off was fun while it lasted, but all good things must come to an end. We all have to grow up and put our shirts back on eventually. As the old saying goes: Don’t cry because it’s over. Cry because you can’t get the image out of your head. View the full article

New York Mets Weekly Snapshot Record Last Week: 3-3 Runs Scored Last Week: 26 Runs Surrendered Last Week: 18 Standings: 5th in NL East (29-36) 15.5 GB of 1st Place, 5.0 GB of a Wild Card Transactions: 6/1 New York Mets sent C Francisco Alvarez on a rehab assignment to Syracuse Mets. 6/2 New York Mets sent 1B Jorge Polanco on a rehab assignment to Syracuse Mets. 6/3 New York Mets optioned RHP Jonah Tong to Syracuse Mets. 6/3 New York Mets recalled RHP Joey Gerber from Syracuse Mets. Scores: Game 59: NYM 2, SEA 3 (10) Game 60: NYM 3, SEA, 8 Game 61: NYM 7, SEA 1 Game 62: NYM 5, SD 0 Game 63: NYM 2, SD 3 Game 64: NYM 7, SD 3 Series Breakdown/Highlights Mariners Series: The Mets headed out to Seattle to kick off their final west coast trip of the season. Game one saw Sean Manaea dominate the Mariners lineup, only giving up one hit on a solo home run. Brooks Rally gave up a game-tying solo home run to Josh Naylor in the bottom of the seventh inning. The game went to extras, and with the Mets failing to score the ghost runner at second base in the top of the 10th, it took a stolen base and a Cole Young soft RBI single to walk it off. Game two was almost all Mariners. Huascar Brazoban was opening for the Mets and gave up a two-run homer in the bottom of the second inning, but the Mets would get the two runs back on a Carson Benge homer. An error on the pitcher in the bottom of the third would give the Mariners a lead they would not relinquish, going on to score five more runs, including a backbreaking two-out, three-run home run off the bat of Jhonny Pereda off Jonah Tong, who lost the strike zone as the outing progressed. The Mets bounced back in game three of the series, scoring seven runs after a big four-run fourth inning against George Kirby and the Mariners. Bo Bichette was 4-for-4 in the game, his first four-hit game as a Met. Freddy Peralta had one of his best outings on the mound this season, giving the Mets six innings and giving up only one run. Padres Series: The Mets wrapped up their west coast schedule in San Diego, taking on a Padres team not known for their hitting this season. Game one was probably the most complete win for the Mets this season. Christian Scott earned his second win of the season, going 5.2 innings without allowing a run, and his offense picked him up. Dispute 0-for-4 efforts from Benge, Soto, and Semien, the Mets offense was able to score five runs off Michael King and the Padres bullpen, including two extra-base hits, one of which was a home run off the bat of Jared Young. Game two saw the Mets take a 2-1 lead off old friend Griffin Canning and the Padres bullpen into the eighth inning. Nolan McLean has looked more like himself in his last two outings, and it showed as he spun six innings, giving up one run. Austin Warren was close to getting the Mets to the ninth inning with a lead before Freddy Fermin, who had not hit a home run all year and was 0 for his last 30, hit a two-out, two-run home run to give the Padres a lead. Mason Miller came in and shut the door on the Mets to even the series. Game three saw the Mets dominate the whole time out. Sean Manaea earned his first win of 2026, only giving up two runs in four innings of work (another home run by Fermin). Carson Benge was 5-for-5 for the first time in his young career, driving in two runs. Marcus Semien was also productive, recording two hits, including another home run. Devin Williams did give up a run in the ninth inning, but the rest of the Mets bullpen also dominated and looks like one of the biggest strengths of the roster heading into the middle of June. Website Highlights Mets' Misfortune Can Only Be Explained By the Baseball Gods New York Mets Minor-League Pitchers of the Month: May 2026 New York Mets Minor-League Hitters of the Month: May 2026 Looking Ahead June 8th: OFF June 9th: vs. STL (7:10pm) June 10th: vs. STL (7:10pm) June 11th: vs. STL (1:10pm) June 12th: vs. ATL (7:15pm) June 13th: vs. ATL (4:10pm) June 14th: vs. ATL (1:40pm) View the full article

Matt Rudick drove in three runs with a homer to rally Syracuse past Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, while Vincent Perozo's solo shot helped Binghamton hold off Reading. Zach Thornton spun five scoreless, striking out five, and Jefry Yan and Carlos Guzman combined for five strikeouts in relief. Mitch Voit and Corey Collins delivered go-ahead singles as Brooklyn rallied past Jersey Shore. St. Lucie fell despite Chase Meggers driving in three. Mets Transactions No Roster Moves Rudick's Three RBIs Lift Syracuse In Eighth-Inning Rally Matt Rudick drove in all the difference as Syracuse rallied for a 4-3 win over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Rudick went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs, and Jihwan Bae reached base three times, scoring twice with two hits and a walk. Francisco Alvarez also reached three times with a hit and a walk. The RailRiders scored first in the top of the first on a double, but Syracuse erased the deficit in the sixth when Rudick singled home Bae. The decisive blow came in the eighth. With the score tied, Ryan Clifford laid down a sacrifice bunt that scored Bae, and Rudick followed with a two-run homer to right center that scored Alvarez and pushed the lead to 4-1. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre pushed across two in the ninth, but it was not enough. Zach Thornton turned in the standout pitching line, working five scoreless innings while allowing two hits, walking two, and striking out five. Tobias Myers earned the win with two innings, allowing one run on one hit with a strikeout, and Dylan Ross recorded the save despite walking two in the ninth. Syracuse left five runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nick Morabito 3 0 0 0 1 2 Ji Hwan Bae 3 2 2 0 1 0 Francisco Alvarez 3 1 1 0 1 0 Ryan Clifford 3 0 0 1 0 3 Christian Arroyo 1 0 0 0 0 1 Matt Rudick 3 1 2 3 0 0 Andy Ibáñez 4 0 0 0 0 0 Yonny Hernández 3 0 0 0 0 1 Cristian Pache 2 0 0 0 0 1 Jackson Cluff 2 0 0 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Daniel Duarte 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 Zach Thornton 5 2 0 0 2 5 0 Tobias Myers 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 Matt Turner 2/3 0 1 0 1 0 0 Dylan Ross 1/3 1 0 0 2 1 0 Perozo's Homer And Bullpen Lockdown Carry Binghamton Vincent Perozo homered and the bullpen slammed the door as Binghamton edged the Reading Fightin Phils 4-2. Perozo went 2-for-4 with the home run and an RBI, Jacob Reimer added two hits including a double, and Nick Lorusso went 1-for-3 with a double, a walk, an RBI, and a run scored. Binghamton jumped ahead in the first when Lorusso doubled home Eli Serrano III and Jose Ramos. Reading tied it with a two-run homer in the third, but Perozo answered with a solo shot in the fourth to put the Rumble Ponies back ahead. They added insurance in the eighth when Wyatt Young drew a bases-loaded walk that scored Lorusso. Max Green allowed two runs on three hits over 2 2/3 innings, walking two and striking out four. The bullpen was dominant behind him, as Jordan Geber earned the win with three scoreless innings, and Gabriel Rodriguez, Jefry Yan, and Carlos Guzman closed it out with three perfect innings, combining for six strikeouts. Yan struck out the side in the eighth, and Guzman fanned two in the ninth for the save. Binghamton left nine runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Chris Suero 5 0 0 0 0 3 Jacob Reimer 4 0 2 0 0 0 Eli Serrano III 3 1 0 0 1 2 Jose Ramos 3 1 0 0 1 2 Nick Lorusso 3 1 1 1 1 0 JT Schwartz 3 0 1 0 1 1 Vincent Perozo 4 1 2 1 0 1 Wyatt Young 3 0 1 1 1 0 Kevin Villavicencio 4 0 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Max Green 2 2/3 3 2 2 2 4 1 Felipe De La Cruz 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Jordan Geber 3 1 0 0 3 0 0 Gabriel Rodriguez 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Jefry Yan 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 Carlos Guzman 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Voit And Collins Spark Sixth-Inning Comeback For Brooklyn Brooklyn rallied with four runs over the fifth and sixth to beat the Jersey Shore BlueClaws 5-3. Leadoff man Mitch Voit went 2-for-6 with the go-ahead RBI single and two runs scored, Daiverson Gutierrez drove in three on a 2-for-3 night with a double and a walk, and John Bay added two hits. The Cyclones trailed 3-0 after Jersey Shore's first two innings. Brooklyn answered in the third when Gutierrez lifted a sacrifice fly to score Voit. The offense pulled even in the fifth as Gutierrez doubled home Bay and Corey Collins to tie it 3-3. In the sixth, Voit singled home Sam Biller to give Brooklyn its first lead, and Collins followed with an RBI single that scored Voit for the 5-3 margin. Noah Hall earned the win despite a labored outing, allowing three runs on three hits over five innings while walking five and striking out six. The bullpen was flawless, as Justin Armbruester, Bryce Jenkins, Juan Arnaud, and Parker Carlson combined for four scoreless, hitless innings with nine strikeouts. Carlson closed it out for the save. Brooklyn left three runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Mitch Voit 6 2 2 1 0 0 John Bay 4 1 2 0 0 2 Corey Collins 3 1 1 1 2 0 Daiverson Gutierrez 3 0 2 3 1 0 Yonatan Henriquez 5 0 0 0 0 1 JT Benson 3 0 1 0 2 1 Colin Houck 5 0 2 0 0 0 Sam Biller 3 1 1 0 2 1 Nick Roselli 5 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Noah Hall 5 3 3 3 5 6 1 Justin Armbruester 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 Bryce Jenkins 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Juan Arnaud 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 Parker Carlson 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 St. Lucie's Third-Inning Surge Not Enough In Slugfest Loss St. Lucie battled in a high-scoring affair but fell to the Clearwater Threshers 11-8. Chase Meggers went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, Julio Zayas added two hits, an RBI, and two runs scored, and Elian Peña reached three times with two doubles and a walk. The Mets took an early lead in the first when Meggers singled home Yohairo Cuevas and Julio Zayas. The game turned in the third inning, a frame that produced runs on both sides. Clearwater struck for three runs on a trio of homers, but St. Lucie countered with five runs in the bottom half. Zayas singled home Antonio Jimenez, Meggers singled in Cuevas, Branny De Oleo singled home Zayas, Simon Juan reached on a fielder's choice that plated Meggers, and Jeremy Rodriguez grounded into a double play that scored De Oleo for a 7-4 edge. Jonathan Jimenez struggled in the start, allowing seven runs, six earned, on eight hits over 4 1/3 innings, walking two and striking out one while surrendering three home runs. Clearwater tied it in the fifth and pulled ahead in the seventh, then added a two-run homer in the eighth. St. Lucie left 11 runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Elian Peña 5 0 1 0 1 1 Antonio Jimenez 3 1 0 0 1 2 Yohairo Cuevas 4 2 1 0 1 1 Julio Zayas 5 2 2 1 0 1 Chase Meggers 4 1 2 3 1 1 Branny De Oleo 5 1 1 1 0 1 Simon Juan 5 1 1 0 0 1 Jeremy Rodriguez 3 0 1 0 2 0 Jackson Hauge 3 0 0 1 2 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jonathan Jimenez 4 1/3 8 7 6 2 1 3 Zack Mack 1 2/3 1 0 0 0 2 0 Josh Blum 2/3 0 2 2 2 2 0 Miguel Mejias 1/3 0 0 0 3 0 0 Joe Scarborough 1 1 2 2 1 3 1 Tyler McLoughlin 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 View the full article

Sunday was an eventful day down on the farm for the Boston Red Sox. Let's take a look at all that happened. Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Series vs. Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays): 5-1 Season Record: 32-28 Excellent relief efforts helped Worcester win their fourth straight game by a score of 5-3. Michael Sansone spun one of his best starts all season on Sunday. He went five innings and allowed four hits and two runs, the lowest number of runs he’s allowed in a start since April 19. Additionally, Sansone K’d five batters, his highest mark in over a month. Osvaldo Berrios took the sixth inning, allowing two walks but escaped unscathed. Seth Martinez pitched the seventh inning, allowing one run before turning the ball over to Kyle Keller. Keller allowed one hit in the eighth before Wyatt Olds closed the game in the ninth. Olds allowed a walk but struck out the other three batters he faced as he sealed Worcester’s fifth win in six days. Matt Lloyd led the WooSox offense with two RBIs while Braiden Ward tallied two hits. Worcester struck quickly as Nate Eaton singled with men on the corners. Ward scored as the WooSox took an early lead. Matt Lloyd extended the lead to three with a two-RBI single later in the first, scoring Eaton and Vinny Capra. Capra didn’t wait long before adding an RBI of his own, scoring Tyler McDonough on a sac fly in the second. Ward added the final run of Worcester’s afternoon in the fourth with a double to right field, scoring Tsung-Che Cheng. From there the bullpen took care of business as they locked down the victory. Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Series vs. Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies): 3-3 Season Record: 29-27 Portland snapped their three-game skid with a 3-1 win behind a monster home run from Brooks Brannon. Gage Ziehl threw an excellent game and earned the win, allowing just one run over a six inning start. He let up five hits and one walk, but punched out a season-best eight batters. Max Carlson threw two superb innings of relief, allowing just one hit and striking out three more batters. Reidis Sena earned his fifth save of the year as he shutout Hartford in the ninth. He allowed one hit and one walk as he lowered his ERA to 3.72. Before Brannon’s blast, Portland’s offense found life in Ronald Rosario and Ahbram Liendo. Rosario hit his third homer of the year in the fourth, tying the game at one run apiece. In the fifth, Ahbram Liendo drove in his tenth RBI in the past three games. He scored Nelly Taylor on a slow grounder to third. In the eighth, Brannon put an exclamation point on the day. He swung on and absolutely crushed a low pitch to the fences. The ball rocketed off his bat, clocking in at 115 MPH and travelling an astonishing 464ft. Brannon wasn’t done with his highlight reel day, however. In the ninth, Franklin Arias beat out a ground ball headed for the outfield, slinging it over to Brannon at first and making the play. High-A Greenville Drive Series @ Rome Emperors (Atlanta Braves): 2-3 Season Record: 22-32 Greenville’s series finale was cancelled due to rain. Low-A Salem RidgeYaks Series @ Wilson War Birds (Milwaukee Brewers): 1-5 Season Record: 24-33 Salem fell for the fifth time in six days behind a struggling pitching staff. Cole Tolbert started Sunday’s contest, but didn’t last long. The 23-year-old let up four runs (one unearned) on four hits and two walks over just an inning and ⅓. Yermain Ruiz pitched the next three and ⅔ innings and got the loss for his efforts. He let up two more runs (one unearned) on three hits. He did strike out five, however, as his ERA rose to just 2.45 over six appearances. Devin Gartrell entered for the sixth inning and promptly allowed three more runs to cross home. Wuilliams Rodriguez was the final RidgeYak to pitch as he closed the loss. He allowed two more runs as he punched out three. Despite the loss, Salem fought hard. The RidgeYaks put up seven RBIs on nine hits as they drew a collective five walks. Kleyver Salazar led the way with four RBIs as Avinson Pinto contributed three of his own. It didn't take long for Salem to score. In the first, Andrews Opata scored on a passed ball. Later, Salazar crossed home on a Pinto ground out. Skylar King added another run as he scored on a wild pitch. Pinto added his second RBI with his third homer of the season, tying the game at 4-4. Pinto then tripled in the fifth, tying Salazar as he tied the game once again. Down by six runs in the eighth, Salazar clobbered a grand slam to left center to put the RidgeYaks within reach. Ultimately, Salem fell just short as they lost yet again. View the full article

Sitting atop the National League Central with a five-game cushion, the temptation might be for Milwaukee to stand pat. But perhaps some trades are in store, especially as top prospects keep making noise at Triple-A Nashville. Dealing from the major-league roster can be a bit risky. The Josh Hader trade of 2022 (and the Crew’s near-miss in the playoff race that year) might have some people feeling a little worried about tinkering with the clubhouse chemistry. Then again, the Hader trade has been a long-term winner for Milwaukee, based solely on the return for Esteury Ruiz: William Contreras. So, which players on the active roster could be moved? Let’s take a look. OF/1B Jake Bauers Bauers has arguably been the team’s offensive MVP this season, leading them in home runs and RBIs. So why might he be on the block? The answer is all too typical for Brewers fans: Impending free agency. With the way he’s hitting, Bauers is going to get a healthy pay bump from the $2.7 million he’s receiving in 2026, and it will probably be a multi-year contract. The Brewers won't risk making a qualifying offer, which would be necessary to secure draft compensation. There is a potential partner for the Brewers in this deal: The Rays. The Tampa outfield’s offensive production has been about as problematic for them as the production at shortstop and third base has been for the Brewers. They would have to believe in Bauers's defense in the grass, because they have Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Díaz at first base. The Brewers would have to get something good in return, and have considerable faith in someone like Blake Burke or Tyler Black, but it's not entirely out of the question that they could trade Bauers. OF Garrett Mitchell Mitchell has managed to stay healthy, and he’s been reasonably productive on offense, with some excellent defense in center. So why move him? Here’s one reason: Luis Lara. Lara’s tearing it up in Nashville, and he looks to not only have Gold Glove defense, but his toolset could also take the leadoff spot. The current leadoff hitters for the Brewers are Christian Yelich and Jackson Chourio. To clear space for Lara, someone’s going to need to be moved, and Mitchell may be the guy to go. The team wouldn't trade Mitchell just to hand things off to Lara, though. Again, it depends on the return they're offtered. RHP Trevor Megill Megill has rebounded in terms of velocity, after having figured out how to get batters out without it. He’s a top-tier closer, but the Brewers have youth moving through the minors, and could land a decent return for Megill, just as they did with Devin Williams and Hader before him. This might seem counterintuitive, but the Brewers have a lot of young relief talent in Nashville (Will Childers and Blake Holub spring to mind) and some guys they could move to relief if needed. Again: the team has the luxury of waiting to see if anyone bowls them over. RHP Chad Patrick Patrick has been one of the most reliable and versatile parts of the Brewers' pitching staff since the start of the 2025 season. That said, the Brewers have a lot of pitching talent moving up, and it might behoove them to move some of the second-tier pitchers to teams in need. The goal here is to secure a higher return than might otherwise be obtained. Trading such a useful piece of pitching depth is almost unfathomable for a team with World Series aspirations, but like Megill, Mitchell and Bauers, Patrick could become available in just the right deal. After what Matt Arnold did to the Red Sox when he seemed to be innocently trying to shore up pitching depth by moving Caleb Durbin, the big risk might be that teams won't even answer his calls anymore. Which players do you think could be a surprise trade candidate? Let us know in the comments below! View the full article

One article produced earlier this year examined how the Marlins' minor league system was on pace to record the highest strikeout rate in franchise history. At the time, the development of swing-and-miss ability across all levels seemed like it would be the prevailing narrative of the 2026 season. However, as the season has progressed, a larger issue has overshadowed that. The depth that once appeared to be an organizational strength is quickly disappearing. Injuries, promotions, underperformance, and roster turnover have impacted nearly every MiLB roster. When the Marlins traded Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers last offseason, the belief was that the organization had enough pitching depth to absorb those losses. That depth is now being tested. Thomas White is likely out for the season with a shoulder sprain. Robby Snelling and Adam Mazur have both undergone elbow surgeries. Eury Pérez is sidelined with a gracilis sprain, while Janson Junk is dealing with shin inflammation. Chris Paddack has already been designated for assignment. Braxton Garrett has struggled with command during his return from Tommy John, and Ryan Gusto has posted a 10.80 ERA in his limited MLB exposure. The concern extends beyond the rotation. Andrew Nardi is expected to miss roughly three months, while Ronny Henriquez underwent Tommy John and will miss the remainder of the season. Josh Ekness is sidelined for six weeks, Calvin Faucher owns an 18% walk rate, and the club's biggest bullpen addition from the offseason, Pete Fairbanks, has struggled to find consistency. This has had a trickle-down effect to the Marlins farm. Over their last two series, Triple-A Jacksonville has posted a 4.72 ERA and 1.51 WHIP while issuing 64 walks. Bradley Blalock has cooled off after a strong start, Braxton Garrett is still working his way back, and Brandon White has struggled since being promoted. The one obvious bright spot has been introducing Karson Milbrandt to their rotation. Now being recognized as a Top 100 MLB prospect, Milbrandt tossed six innings of scoreless ball in his AAA debut. Double-A Pensacola has managed a respectable 4.23 ERA, but much of the credit goes to Eliazar Dishmey, who was nearly flawless in his outing on Thursday (6.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K). High-A Beloit has arguably been hit the hardest. The Sky Carp own a staggering 7.74 ERA during that span. Compounding their inability to throw strikes, they've been surrendering nearly two home runs per game. The Beloit active roster includes Jaydenn Estanista and Jesús Rios, who were not even employed by the Marlins org when the season began. Unsurprisingly, they have a 2-10 record over their last 12 games. It looks like a typo at first glance, but no: Low-A Jupiter has issued more than a walk per inning (106 BB in 101.2 IP) over this two-week span, contributing to a 5.40 ERA. Walin Castillo, Dameivi Tineo, and Julio Mendez have all performed well in the rotation, but the bullpen has struggled. What about the offense? The offensive side of the organization presents a different challenge. While overall production throughout the system has been strong, much of it is concentrated among a relatively small group of players. Triple-A Jacksonville currently features Agustín Ramírez and Graham Pauley, both of whom struggled during their time with the major league club earlier this season. Jacob Berry appeared close to a call-up before cooling off over the last few weeks—he has not homered since April. Kemp Alderman is expected to miss at least another week with a right elbow sprain, while Deyvison De Los Santos has not produced at the level the organization hoped. Double-A Pensacola has become the center of the organization's offensive talent. Aiva Arquette, Cam Cannarella, Juan Matheus, and Connor Caskenette have all arrived from Beloit and continued their strong seasons. Dillon Lewis leads the organization with 12 home runs and Fenwick Trimble leads with 56 hits, while Brendan Jones has paired 22 stolen bases with six homers. Those aforementioned promotions have left Beloit's lineup much thinner than it was a few weeks ago. Brandon Compton has struggled, Dillon Head has yet to find consistency, and Emilio Barreras and Esmil Valencia have gotten off to slow starts at the High-A level. Adding to the talent drain, Starlyn Caba was recently placed on the injured list. Jupiter recently received reinforcements with the arrivals of Luis Arana and Luis Cova from the FCL, and both have started well. Abraham Ramírez opened the year as one of the hottest hitters in the organization before cooling off significantly. Carter Johnson has put together a solid bounce-back season, but there is still development ahead. The biggest concern remains 2024 first-round pick PJ Morlando, who is hitting under .200 with a strikeout rate above 34%. Andrew Salas was recently demoted to the FCL after hitting .170. For an organization that plans to build its next contender through player development, maintaining depth is just as important as developing stars. The Marlins have made progress since Peter Bendix took over in November 2023, but the first half of 2026 has shown how quickly injuries and underperformance can reshape not only a farm system but an entire organization. The good news is that many of the organization's top prospects are performing and earning promotions. The challenge now is ensuring there is enough depth behind them. As the trade deadline approaches, it would not be surprising to see the Marlins target younger pitching and position-player talent capable of strengthening the lower levels of the system while preserving the development timelines of their current prospects. 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The San Diego Padres are a handful of games past the one-third mark through the 2026 season -- a big enough sample size for the front office to know what it has with the club and what it needs to do to ensure a National League playoff berth. The players have made it easy for the evaluators because they've played mostly to preseason expectations. The strengths and weaknesses have not changed much, although some of the weaknesses have been more glaring than feared. The bullpen, led by closer Mason Miller, is strong overall but it doesn't look as formidable as last year's group. Jeremiah Estrada and Adrian Morejon have regressed; in Estrada's case, health has played a role. Miller was the primary reason the bullpen's ERA was the third-lowest in MLB entering Tuesday's action. The rotation has been subpar. It ranked 23rd in the majors in starter ERA through Monday. Depth signings Walker Buehler, Griffin Canning and Lucas Giolito have done little to compensate for Nick Pivetta’s early-season injury and Joe Musgrove's spring setback. The latter two may return after the All-Star Break, but the group could still use an ace for the stretch run. The offense is lacking. Manny Machado slashing .174/.267/.353 and Fernando Tatis Jr. hitting one home run in the team's first 58 games have a lot to do with the club being 29th in the majors in OPS through June 1, but no one has picked up the slack, either. Gavin Sheets has come the closest. The simplest way to fix these problems is to be aggressive ahead of the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline. President of baseball operations A.J. Preller doesn't need an invitation to wheel and deal, but a flawed roster gives him an excuse to go big. How big he goes may depend on his intestinal fortitude, but we know he has the guts. Adding these three players, each filling one of the needs mentioned above, would be huge... and extremely costly. 3 Padres Trade Targets Who Could Restore Friars' World Series Identity Bullpen: Aroldis Chapman The Boston Red Sox's closer would be a dynamic setup man in San Diego, a second triple-digit left-handed reliever to complement Morejon. Like Miller at last year's deadline, adding Chapman would deepen the relief corps and keep the starters from being exposed. There is one thing to note, however: he will not be a pure rental. His contract includes a $13 million mutual option for 2027 that becomes guaranteed if he pitches 40 innings and passes an offseason physical in 2026, per Cot's Contracts. He's already halfway to that mark, and his usage certainly wouldn't decrease in San Diego. Rotation: Tarik Skubal The Detroit Tigers' ace will be the main character in this year's deadline drama if he comes back strong from elbow surgery and his team waves the white flag. ESPN's Buster Olney predicted last week that the Padres will acquire the left-hander because that's what Preller does, but so much has to line up for it to happen. Will Tigers president Scott Harris insist on a huge prospect return for a rental? Will he also insist that Preller pick up all or most of the $10 million-plus that Skubal will be owed over the season's final two months? Can Preller convince new principal owners Jose E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones to add that much payroll? Cheaper, but not necessarily better, alternatives should emerge as more teams become sellers. Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara and New York Mets No. 1 starter Freddy Peralta come to mind. Offense: Christian Walker The list of available hitters will grow as more clubs raise the white flag, but Preller can't afford to be patient. The Padres (33-30) trailed the Los Angeles Dodgers by eight games in the NL West during the weekend, and the wild-card race will be bruising. This team needs a bat, ASAP. Walker is off to a strong start this season (16 home runs, .835 OPS through June 1) for the Houston Astros. That's the type of slug the Padres need. Machado leads the club with 10 homers, followed by Sheets with nine. But there are downsides to adding Walker. First, he is exclusively a first baseman. He would push Sheets to the outfield, which, in turn, could cost France, Ramon Laureano and even Jake Cronenworth playing time (if Tatis has to play more second base). That would be bad for the defense, one of the club's strengths. Second, Walker is signed through 2027 and is making $20 million a year. How much of that money would the Astros include in a trade? And would the Padres want to add a large average annual value (AAV) to the payroll while there is massive uncertainty surrounding what's ahead for baseball's salary structure? These are the types of concessions the team will have to make to add another expensive star to their already-expensive core. View the full article

The 2026 season marks the 20th anniversary of Johan Santana capturing his second Cy Young Award with the Minnesota Twins. His dominance during the middle of the 2000s remains one of the greatest stretches by any pitcher in franchise history. Yet when evaluating Santana's Hall of Fame case, it's impossible to ignore one glaring question: What if the voters had gotten the 2005 Cy Young race right? Sandwiched between his unanimous Cy Young victories in 2004 and 2006, Santana produced another elite campaign in 2005. In many ways, it was every bit as impressive as the seasons that earned him the award on either side of it. Santana led the American League in strikeouts (238), WHIP (0.97), hits allowed per nine innings (6.2), and strikeouts per nine innings (9.3). He threw 231 2/3 innings, posted a 2.87 ERA, and continued to establish himself as the most dominant starting pitcher in baseball. Still, when the voting was completed, Santana finished third. The award instead went to Los Angeles Angels starter Bartolo Colon, while New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera finished second. Santana received only three first-place votes and finished with 51 points. Colon collected 17 first-place votes and finished 67 points ahead of Santana, while Rivera earned eight first-place votes and finished 16 points ahead of the Twins ace. Looking back through a modern lens, the results are difficult to explain. Colon certainly had an impressive season. He went 21-8 for a first-place Angels club and posted a 3.48 ERA across 222 2/3 innings. However, Santana outperformed him in nearly every meaningful category, except wins. The gap becomes even more striking when viewed through today's advanced metrics. Santana finished with 7.1 fWAR, compared to Colon's 4.1 and Rivera's 2.9. That difference represents an enormous advantage. Of course, WAR was not part of the mainstream baseball conversation in 2005. Voters placed far greater emphasis on pitcher wins than they do today. Even so, many of the traditional statistics favored Santana as well. He had a lower ERA, a lower WHIP, more strikeouts, a better strikeout rate, and allowed fewer baserunners than Colon. Santana also recorded seven complete games and two shutouts, demonstrating the type of workload that voters often celebrated during that era. The biggest argument in Colon's favor was simple: 21 wins. The Angels won the American League West with a late-season surge, and Colon went 10-3 after the All-Star break while helping carry Los Angeles to the division title. Meanwhile, the Twins disappointed expectations and finished 83-79, placing third in the AL Central. Team success often influences award voting, even when voters insist otherwise. There was also the narrative element. Colon had become one of baseball's most popular players. Fans appreciated his durability, personality, and unconventional physique. His story resonated in ways that statistics sometimes do not. Santana, meanwhile, was quietly dominant. After making the first All-Star team of his career in 2005, he elevated his performance to another level during the second half. Over his final 13 starts, Santana went 7-2 with a 1.42 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 95 1/3 innings. Opponents managed only a .503 OPS against him, and he allowed one run or fewer in 10 of those 13 outings. It was one of the most overpowering stretches any pitcher produced that season. Yet, it wasn't enough. The consequences of that vote became more apparent as Santana's career unfolded. Because shoulder injuries shortened his peak, Santana finished his career with two Cy Young Awards instead of potentially three. Had he won in 2005, he would have belonged to one of the most exclusive clubs in baseball history. Only 11 pitchers have won three or more Cy Young Awards. Among them, only Roger Clemens remains outside the Hall of Fame, largely because of allegations involving performance-enhancing drugs. Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer are expected to be inducted once they become fully eligible. A third Cy Young Award would not have guaranteed Santana a plaque in Cooperstown, but it almost certainly would have strengthened his candidacy. Instead, his Hall of Fame case never gained traction with the Baseball Writers' Association of America. When he appeared on the ballot in 2018, Santana received just 2.4% of the vote and fell off after one year, far below the five percent threshold required to remain eligible. His best path to Cooperstown now runs through the Era Committee, the same process that eventually helped Twins legends Tony Oliva and Jim Kaat earn induction. Whether that happens remains uncertain. What is certain is that Santana's peak remains one of the most dominant stretches baseball has seen in the last quarter-century. From 2004 through 2008, few pitchers in history were better. Yet Hall of Fame debates often come down to milestones, awards, and résumé lines that voters can quickly recognize. The 2005 Cy Young vote took one of those résumé lines away. Twenty years later, it remains one of the most debated award races of the modern era. It may also represent the single biggest reason Johan Santana is still waiting for his Hall of Fame call. This version leans more heavily into the Hall of Fame implications throughout the story, rather than saving them for the end, creating a stronger connection between the 2005 vote and Santana's current Cooperstown outlook. What do you remember about the 2005 Cy Young race? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Brandon Valenzuela is not only one of the best rookies in baseball, but, statistically, he's been one of the Blue Jays' best players. In this episode of the Jays Centre Podcast, Jesse and Matthew discuss Brandon Valenzuela and what this might mean for the catching position when Kirk returns. Then they take a look at Ernie Clement's recent power surge and whether or not he will be an all-star this year. They also touch on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s slump after a 0-10 series, plus some thoughts on Trey Yesavage and Kevin Gausman, before taking a look at what to expect for the upcoming series against Don Mattingly and the Philadelphia Phillies. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jays-centre-podcast/id1846108462 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bi7SzfpcqMo5xYWnbCeoL Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-jays-centre-podcast-300304824/ Listen on Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/2qk9wqxd Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayscentre View the full article

Lately, the Cubs can't seem to get out of their own way. Poor execution at the plate and on the mound doomed this club, in a week that saw the schedule lighten up with sub-.500 clubs visiting Wrigley Field. With the squad slipping further away from its goals, the frustrations bubbled over—not into some cathartic fight, but into a hissing cauldron of disappointment. Another losing week of baseball changed the question from when this club will come around to whether it will. The week commenced wth the Cubs playing host to the Athletics. Jameson Taillon is a loose brick in the starting rotation, already standing on a shaky foundation. His penchant for surrendering home runs early and often manifested in this contest, coughing up a solo shot to Nick Kurtz. From there, the veteran did manage 6 1/3 innings, but that was not sufficient for Chicago's laboring offense, which scratched just one run across the plate on an RBI groundout off the bat of Alex Bregman. Lacking a clutch gene, the squad went 1-for-7 with RISP in a 2-1 loss in the series opener. For the Cubs to seriously get back into the division race, they'll need balanced play on both sides of the ball, and that did not come in the middle tilt of their series with the A's. Caleb Thielbar blew a slim, late lead for the home team, giving the Athletics renewed hope. They would use extra innings to cash in on that hope, handing the North Siders an unexpected and demoralizing series loss. The A's won by a final score of 5-4 in 10. In the third contest against the team from Somewhere in the West, Chicago battled back from a deflating outing from Shota Imanaga to seize a cathartic 7-6 victory. It wasn't just the dramatic, walk-off nature of the triumph, but the fashion in which they did it that made it feel promising and special. While the rest of his teammates falter, the scorching-hot Pete Crow-Armstrong has put the club on his back in a way that has catapulted him back into the All-Star conversation. His walk-off single in the 10th inning elicited child-like glee from not only those in attendance, but Marquee Network's own Cliff Floyd, who exclaimed, "I needed this." With emotions running high and the iconic Bleacher Bums in their brand-new replica jerseys, Chicago killed the buzz on Friday. A brutal 18-3 rout at the hands of the comically mediocre San Francisco Giants dispelled any hope of carrying momentum from game to game. The contest was Edward Cabrera's first start, returning from a brief stint on the IL due to a blister on his throwing hand. The squad's hard-throwing youngster got pelted, surrendering eight earned runs. As has often been the case, the bullpen provided no answers, with lackluster appearances from all who took the mound, including junk time work from position player Carson Kelly. It's ghastly to imagine where the team would be without Crow-Armstrong Over the past week, the Gold Glove center fielder is batting .517 with 8 RBIs and a 1.632 OPS. With the Cubs down to their final out Saturday, Crow-Armstrong drilled his second long fly of the game, an absolute no-doubter to right field. Crow-Armstrong's heroics allowed his club to secure a dramatic win on another strong day for breakout starting pitcher Ben Brown. The final 3-2 in 10 innings. Taking the national stage for the second straight week on Sunday Night Baseball, Chicago seized a gut-wrenching defeat from the jaws of victory. After exiting the game with a strained hamstring, Taillon was replaced by the recently called-up Javier Assad. Cruising through the Giants' lineup like a Ferrari on Lakeshore Drive, Assad was magnificent in 6 1/3 relief innings. It appeared as though the young pitcher's heroics were meant to be rewarded, as his club repeatedly found itself in promising run-scoring scenarios, ultimately squandering all of them. The 2-1 loss in 10 innings was one of the team's most crushing in an endless sea of crushing losses. So now, with more tilts opposite clubs far less formidable than what lies further down the road, the Cubs hope to take back their narrative. A travel day Monday lands the Cubs in Denver for a three-game set with the Rockies, before jetting out to the Bay Area to face this very same Giants squad. This Cubs team, even with its persistent shortcomings, continues to flash glimpses of the blueprints for a return to sustained success. But the project still suffers agonizing delays, and it might prove too costly or too poorly organized to be completed under this leadership group. View the full article

The Minnesota Twins are Yoendrys Gomez's fourth organization in the last 13 months. After being designated for assignment by the Tampa Bay Rays, the Twins claimed him off waivers and have seemingly turned him into an elite bullpen arm. How have they pulled this off? View the full article

It was a solid start to June for the Kansas City Royals. After starting the road trip with three straight losses to the Rangers in Arlington, the Royals ended up going 5-2 in a seven-game stretch against the Reds and Twins, respectively. Instead of a traditional Week in Review, I will review the past week through the lens of four metrics produced by Royals players. That includes two hitters and two pitchers. Not only will I highlight that number for that particular player, but also what those metrics could mean for them and the Royals as we hit the dog days of summer during the 2026 MLB season. Michael Massey's 10 Hits When it comes to Royals hitters over the past week, no Kansas City position player was hotter at the plate than Massey. Over the past seven days, Massey collected 10 hits, which led all Royals hitters over that time frame. In 26 at-bats, he also slashed .385/.385/.615 with a 1.000 OPS. The Kansas City second baseman also led Royals hitters with two home runs this week, with his latest coming on June 4th in Minneapolis against Twins pitcher Mike Paredes. In 146 plate appearances this season, Massey is slashing .263/.283/.460 with a .743 OPS. He also has six home runs, 16 runs scored, and 20 RBI in 50 games. When it comes to his Statcast profile, Massey is barreling the ball and hitting the ball hard, pulling the ball in the air effectively, and not whiffing or striking out a whole lot at the plate. That said, the xwOBA is significantly lagging the wOBA, and he is chasing a lot while not walking much. While walking is not necessarily a sign of "surefire" success, it can help a hitter when the BABIP isn't trending in the right direction. Then again, Massey has never been a high-walk hitter over his career, and at least he's making up for the lack of walks with a low number of strikeouts and power to boot. With Jonathan India going on the 60-Day IL due to being out for the season because of a shoulder injury, the Royals needed Massey to step up at the keystone if they wanted to make a push toward the postseason. While the Royals are still 12 games under .500, the former Illinois product trending in the right direction is an encouraging development for this Kansas City lineup. Now, he just has to stay healthy, which has been a challenge in the past. 15 Strikeouts to Zero Walks for Noah Cameron After posting a 5.40 ERA and 1.61 WHIP in six starts and 31.2 IP, it looked like Cameron was on his way to some major regression in 2026 after posting a 2.99 ERA in 138.1 IP a season ago. Not only did he give up 40 hits in April, but he also gave up five home runs, a sign that opposing hitters were locked in on his profile and approach. To Cameron's credit, he's been slowly getting better and more efficient with every start this season. In May, the St. Joseph, Missouri product posted a 3.43 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in four starts and 21 IP. He allowed only 17 hits and didn't give up a single homer. Cameron also improved his BB/K ratio from 2.55 in April to 3.33 in May. Thus, the lefty was making the proper adjustments after a challenging first month of play. This past week, Cameron was the Royals' best pitcher statistically. In two starts, he posted a 0.69 ERA and 0.31 WHIP in 13 IP. The lefty also only gave up four hits, struck out 15 batters, and didn't allow a single walk in his past two outings. Those kinds of efforts were a big reason why the Royals won in his last start against the Twins and should've won the previous start against the Reds (the bullpen imploded, unsurprisingly). Here's a look at Cameron's TJ Stuff+ summary from his Sunday start against Minnesota. Royals fans should pay attention to his strong chase and whiff rates, which led to eight strikeouts in six innings of work. In addition to posting a 31.7% chase and 25% whiff rate, he also had a .208 xwOBACON. That ability by Cameron to limit hard contact is a big reason why he's not just limited home runs allowed, but runs in general. Cameron's stuff also looked strong on Sunday, especially his changeup, curveball, cutter, and slider, which all had TJ Stuff+ marks of 100 or higher (he had an overall 99 TJ Stuff+). The main issue with Cameron is that he doesn't have a great four-seamer, as evidenced by the pitch's 92 TJ Stuff+ mark on Sunday. However, he does an excellent job of locating the pitch, which makes it hard for hitters to square it up despite its lackluster characteristics. Below is his pitch description chart on the four-seam fastball from Sunday's win, and notice how he peppers the edges and avoids the middle-middle zone. He only gave up one hit on the four-seamer, which was a mistake up in the zone. However, he limited any other kind of production due to his solid command of the pitch. If Cameron keeps this up, he could make a push to be a Royals' All-Star pitching representative. 1.113 OPS from Jac Caglianone Caglianone was pulled from Saturday's game and didn't play Sunday due to a shoulder injury he suffered when colliding with the wall in Friday night's game. That said, though he had only 18 at-bats this week, Cags was the best overall Royals hitter this week. In his weeklong sample, the former Florida Gator slashed .389/.522/.611 with a 1.113 OPS. Cags also launched a home run, scored three runs, collected four RBI, and stole a base. Another positive from this week was his plate discipline, as he walked four times and struck out five times. Here's a look at his home run, which came against Cincinnati pitcher Brandon Leibrandt on June 1st. Not only has Cags changed his look with high socks (which look good on him), but he is also hitting the ball harder than ever. When looking at his TJ Statcast summary since June 1st, he's looking elite in his barrel, hard-hit rate, exit velocity, launch angle, and walk metrics. The only drawbacks with Cags' profile from this past week are that he's chasing a lot (12th percentile O-Swing%) and not making a ton of contact on pitches in the strike zone (22nd percentile Z-Contact%). However, it's hard to be too nitpicky, especially when so many of his percentiles rank in the 98th percentile or higher. Hopefully, getting some rest today and the day off tomorrow will help Cags come back close to 100 percent for this upcoming homestand against the Rangers and Astros. The Royals need his power and bat in the lineup, especially with Salvador Perez nursing a thumb injury that has kept him out of the lineup for the past two days. Manager Matt Quatraro inserted Caglianone in the cleanup spot against righties recently, and Cags will likely keep that spot if he continues to produce at the plate like he did over the past seven days. Three Saves in Three Opportunities for Alex Lange With Lucas Erceg imploding over the past month, Quatraro has been open to utilizing anyone in the bullpen to close out games. Well, the Royals may have found their solution, and it didn't take all that long. Lange has taken over closer duties recently, and he's thrived in his return to the role (he saved 26 games for the Tigers in 2023). In four outings and four IP this week, Lange didn't allow a run, had a 1.25 ERA, and struck out seven batters while only walking two. Most importantly, he collected three saves in three opportunities, with his most recent coming in Saturday's 3-2 comeback win. Lange has always been a pitcher with strikeout ability and a propensity for generating swing-and-miss. While he has struggled with walks (12.1% BB%) and barrels allowed (14.7% barrel rate), his 25% K% ranks in the 67th percentile, and his 31% whiff rate ranks in the 88th percentile. That strikeout and whiff rate is an upgrade over what they were getting with Erceg this season (30th percentile K% and 17th percentile whiff%). When looking at his TJ Stats summary from June 1st to June 6th, many of his other metrics have been even more impressive, which shows why he's been so trusted by Quatraro in the ninth inning recently. In addition to a 1.90 FIP, Lange produced a 38.9% K%, 27.8% K-BB%, and 39.4% whiff%. Those are great results, though his TJ Stuff+ numbers weren't quite as impressive, as evidenced by his 100 overall TJ Stuff+. His changeup and sinker were good pitches; however, this week. They had grades of 56 and 64, respectively. Thus, Lange has at least a couple of pitches in his arsenal that can be put away offerings. Whether Lange keeps the closer job long-term will depend on his ability to throw strikes and limit the hard contact. His 47.9% zone rate was slightly below average, and .491 xwOBACON was REALLY below average. It will be hard for Lange to have consistent success in the closer's position unless he's able to show improvement in at least one of those categories going forward. Still, the former Lee's Summit West High School product has been a great pickup by GM JJ Picollo, especially since he only cost the Royals about $1 million. While he started slowly, that could've been because he pitched fewer than 20 IP over the past two seasons due to injury. His first month of play could've been an "extended Spring Training" of sorts, especially after such a long layoff against Major League hitters. After posting a 7.11 ERA in 12.2 IP in April, he posted a 2.38 ERA in 11.1 IP and has a 0.00 ERA in four IP. Hence, Lange has demonstrated that he has gotten some of the rust off and could be the kind of reliever who could get back to his 2023 form. If that's the case, the Royals could not just have their closer for the remainder of the 2026 season, but a reliever who could be key for Kansas City in 2027 and beyond. View the full article

The philosophy behind starting pitching usage has dramatically changed over the past few decades, but relief roles are more or less the same. There are starters you hope can at least give you five innings; relievers who go one inning (maybe two once in a blue moon); and basically nothing in between. The 2026 Twins should explore that area in-between. A Near Change of Course Once upon a time, it appeared the Twins were going to start to break free from the restraints of the modern pitching staff. Back in November 2021, former Twins GM Thad Levine said this: “I think with the challenge comes opportunity. We’re going to be as creative as we can be in terms of not being necessarily hemmed into the notion of, 'It has to look exactly the way it has always looked.' We may end up looking at this from the lens of how many multi-inning guys can we add to a staff and how far does that take us?” Nick Nelson reacted to that news here at Twins Daily at the time, and some goofball named Tom shared his thoughts in the comments: So What Happened? The situation changed from winter, when Levine made those comments, to spring. The Twins' bullpen stunk in 2021, and they were coming off an 89-loss season. It was easy for the Twins front office to see a tough road ahead. Then Jhoan Duran returned from missing most of the 2021 season, converted to a bullpen role during spring, and completely dominated (salute to the 2022 Sire of Fort Myers). Griffin Jax, who was mostly an afterthought after failing as a starter, also blossomed in a relief role. Those two breakouts and an unexpected 30-21 record through May caused the course to change and the Twins to stick with a conventional approach to the pitching staff. The rotation influenced that decision, as well, with the addition of Sonny Gray and the emergence of Joe Ryan. At the time, it was the right call … But What About Now? Levine is long gone, but the org should revisit this idea. A glass-half-full view of the 2026 Twins is that they’re only two games out of a playoff spot and shouldn’t jeopardize any chance they have by experimenting. A glass-half-empty view is that the Twins still have four teams between them and a Wild Card spot, and this pitching staff is currently a hot mess express. To their credit, the Twins have already started tinkering with the recipe which they tried to follow to open the season. Matt Wallner and Royce Lewis were demoted. Brooks Lee has moved off shortstop. Kody Clemens is… playing some center field!?!?!? Things have also changed on the pitching side, but that’s due to need, more than anything else. This bullpen was always going to be an adventure, but the rotation being decimated by injury has really junked the overall pitching formula. Navigating this current pitching staff through games may be the most challenging task any manager across baseball faces. Derek Shelton needs an Option C, beyond just starting pitchers and primarily single-inning relievers. Enter the Swarzak I’d like to introduce a new stat I’m naming after former Twins great Anthony Swarzak. The elements of a Swarzak are: A relief appearance. Of more than two innings (seven or more outs). On fewer than four days' rest. I took to Baseball-Reference’s Stathead search to get some info on how often these outings occur. Through May of this year, there were 127 Swarzaks across the majors, with six for the Twins. Meanwhile, Nationals reliever Brad Lord has seven Swarzaks, himself. Over the past five seasons, the Twins have totaled 39 Swarzaks. The Giants had 32 of them just in the 2022 season, which is the single-season high in that sample. That Giants team had only two pitchers make 20-plus starts, which tells you what kind of team ends up trying to reengineer the bullpen. Unfortunately, it’s easy to envision that also being the case for this 2026 Twins team. Let’s Take a Moment to Remember Some Guys In the Target Field era (since 2010), Anthony Swarzak leads not only all Twins in this metric dedicated to him, but all of baseball. Swarzak had 39 Swarzaks. The second-place Swarzaker had 30 (T.J. McFarland). Swarzak’s single-season high was 12, which he accomplished twice and is one off from the single-season record from this period. The Minnesota Twins' all-time (since 1961) leader in Swarzaks is Bill Campbell with 62; nobody else even has 50. The other guys with 40 or more are (let's play Remember Some Guys!): Señor Smoke, Juan Berenguer, with 48; Tom Burgmeier, with 46; and Mike Trombley, with 45. Campbell also holds the single-season Twins record with 29 Swarzaks in 1976. I was shocked it wasn’t Mike Marshall, who had “only” 16 Swarzaks for the 1979 Twins. So, there’s a good case this stat should be called a Campbell instead, but that doesn’t have the same ring to it. Challenges of Building a Bullpen with Multiple Swarzaks 1. Leverage. If you use one of your arms in a Swarzak, he’s not going to be available for a few games. Having a paint-by-numbers bullpen makes things incredibly simple for a manager. Trying to play jazz with it is sketchy and creates opportunities for second-guessing. For me, this concern blows up any notion of completely eliminating roles or general usage expectations. I think a bullpen still needs at least four arms reserved for higher-leverage work, who almost exclusively throw single innings. That way, you have those guys ready to deploy when you need them the most. 2. Adoption and implementation. This one is a distant second, but everybody would need to be on board. The front office, manager/coaching staff, and players would need to be on the same page about this approach. For some guys, disrupting the rhythm and predictability of their current role is not going to go over well, at least at first. 3. Deviation is dangerous. If this strategy is implemented and fails, everyone is eventually getting fired. There’s a reason why nobody has really given this strategy a try, and I don’t think it’s because teams have universally determined it’s not going to work. So Where Does That Leave Us? I still feel strongly that a team is eventually going to build a staff with a bunch of Swarzaks and become trendsetters. It just might not work out the first time it’s attempted. Don’t expect this revolution to come from a contending or high-payroll team. This is going to come from a forward-thinking team with a zig in mind, when everyone else is zagging. It’s easy to think of the Tampa Bay Rays in that regard, and they have produced a number of Swarzak-type guys. But why not us? Jeremy Zoll isn’t even supposed to be at this stage of his career. As a guy not even in his 40s yet, he figures to have a long career in baseball ahead, even if things eventually turn sour here. Shelton might be on his last legs as a manager, and he’s painted into a corner with this current pitching staff. Why not experiment? What’s there to lose right now? Joe Ryan, Taj Bradley and Zebby Matthews figure to be good sources of innings, but we’re already seeing Connor Prielipp struggle to hold up to the demands of pitching on a major-league starter’s schedule. Mick Abel is working his way back, but they’ll want to handle him carefully. The same can be said about Bailey Ober, Kendry Rojas and David Festa, whenever they return from the IL. The Twins Are Already Experimenting John Klein and Mike Paredes are among the faces of a new strategy the Twins have been tinkering with down on the farm. A few pitchers are regularly throwing four innings (or at least that’s the intention) every four days. These are still primarily starting pitchers, allowing them to work on a schedule as if they were in a traditional rotation rather than an unstructured mop-up role. This approach has well-positioned those arms to become Swarzaks. It’s starting to appear that Marco Raya, C.J. Culpepper and Alejandro Hidalgo may start ramping up in similar roles with the Saints, as well. But What Would This New Pitching Staff Look Like? If we map things out as the active roster is currently constructed, it’s not going to look all that appealing, to be honest. There’s just no way of getting around the reality of the situation. This pitching staff is in trouble, and there is no magic wand. Let’s do it anyway. Here’s how things would look with the current active roster. Traditional starters throwing every fifth game: Joe Ryan, Taj Bradley, Zebby Matthews Starting every sixth game to lighten his load: Connor Prielipp Swarzaks: Andrew Morris, Travis Adams, Mike Paredes, Cody Laweryson Traditional single-inning/high-leverage relievers: Yoendrys Gómez, Anthony Banda, Taylor Rogers, Eric Orze, Justin Lawrence, If this strategy were implemented, it would probably be wise to drop Lawrence and replace him with another Swarzak-type guy like Klein, Raya or even the recently acquired Austin Voth. Again, it’s not the prettiest picture, but it’s a way to navigate through a chunk of your schedule when you only have 3 3/4 starting pitchers—not three third or fourth starters, but 15 fourths of a credible starting pitcher. Even when some of these guys on the IL return from injury, it’s not as if they’ll be able to provide much length for a while. A fully staffed version of this plan may have Rojas and Festa as Swarzaks. Maybe even Ober would be in that role. Cole Sands would join the high-leverage group, and Abel could be on a similar schedule as Prielipp, at least when he first gets back. Conclusion I’m sure most everyone is going to hate this idea, and I get it. It’s fun watching aces pitch deep into games on a regular basis. Those guys are increasingly difficult to find. Rob Manfred would also hate this idea. Aces are marketable. He’s floated out the possibility of implementing rules that would incentivize teams to leave their starters in longer. In the past, MLB had the Atlantic League test out teams losing their DH if their starter didn’t go at least five innings. The Players' Association would probably hate this idea, too. A lot of the earnings structure for pitchers revolves around starting or throwing innings. This might suppress pitcher salaries to some degree. Heck, I’m sure several of the players and coaches would hate this. Regardless, in the context of the 2026 Minnesota Twins, I think it’s a worthwhile experiment. Long live Anthony Swarzak. View the full article

Whether it was at the point of his signing with the Chicago Cubs or the games that have been played since, no shortage of internet ink has been spilled about the skill set and performance of Alex Bregman. A hitter with only moderate power, the plate discipline component recognized as a pillar of his offensive game was expected to be a boon for his own performance and for the collective. His patience at bat has been as expected, but it's come without some of the benefits that one might typically expect. Arguably, his vaunted approach has become a detriment, instead of a source of value, to the team. In general, patience is an undeniably positive trait to possess as a hitter. However, therein lies a tipping point. There is a threshold where patience erodes production, because a player either won't or can't actually hit the ball consistently well enough to generate hits or power. It's a spiral in which Bregman currently finds himself mired. On the surface, Bregman's reluctance to chase is doing its job. He's in the 88th percentile in chase rate, the 83rd in whiff rate, and the 73rd in strikeout rate. The strikeout number itself stands at 17.1%, which trails only Nico Hoerner among Cubs regulars. His 9.9% walk rate is above average, but reads as very similar to the 10.3% mark he posted with Boston last year. At this point, it should be noted that Bregman's bag isn't parlaying discipline into walks. His career walk rate sits at 11.7% against a 13.6% career strikeout rate. So it's not necessarily a concern that his strikeout rate is up a touch while the walk rate is lower than his peak years in Houston. He was never trying to take pitches just to draw walks. Instead, the much larger concern lies in what that discipline is designed to do, but is no longer doing. Bregman's aim in being so selective is to generate hard, aerial contact. Since he broke into the league in 2016, his 86.4% contact rate ranks 36th among nearly 600 qualifying players. His 5.5% swinging strike rate ranks 20th among that same group. While he was never a masher—his 38.4 Hard-Hit% sits 291st—there's been a real and substantial loss of thump when he makes contact, which forces us to ask: is his approach starting to work against him? Is it part of his power outage? In terms of the actual plate discipline numbers, Bregman's 40.6% swing rate isn't that unusual. It's identical to the number he posted with the Red Sox in 2025, and almost perfectly in line with his 40.2% career mark. What's unusual, though, is his swing rate inside of the strike zone. Bregman is swinging in the zone 57.4% of the time, which would be tied with 2019 for the lowest in his career. As a result, he's sitting at a 22.3% called strike rate—currently the highest mark of his career, and about three percentage points above his career average. For the visual learners, here's what that looks like. This is Bregman's swing rate from 2016 to 2025: With any zone visual such as this, you expect there to be heavy red over the heart of the zone and then progressively fade the farther it gets. If we could see the percentages, we'd see the middle-middle portions read at or around 70 percent and the other more favorable parts of the zone in the 60s. That stands in heavy contrast to the chart we see in 2026: That up-and-in spot is a concerning element of its own. But over the heart of the zone, there's much less action overall. Percentages here are topping out in the mid-60s in the heart before quickly fading into the 50s—not that that should read as a surprise, when the cumulative rate has come down. In Bregman's case, it's not even that he needs to be more adventurous in expanding the zone to create more opportunities. He's simply missing those that already exist in the most obvious part of the zone in which he could be creating impact. That's further reflected in Statcast's zone-designated run value. Run value is divided into four areas of the zone: heart, shadow, chase, and waste. In chase and waste, Bregman is working with a positive run value. Even in the shadow of the zone, he's at a -5 run value that is actually his best mark since 2019. In the heart of the zone, however, he's working with a -15. That's the worst value of his career in that area (and not particularly close to any of its predecessors). Further, Bregman's swing percentage on pitches designated "meatballs" is at 63.3%, also representing a career low. A hitter who is too patient looks like one whose swing trends look good on the surface—as in, this guy restrains himself from hacking wildly—but with a waning contact rate. Bregman's 83.1 Contact% is his lowest since 2016 (as is his 88.7% contact rate on pitches inside the zone). Someone who's too patient is unable to parlay that contact into anything impactful. Bregman's hard-hit rate is down to its lowest mark in four years, while his .101 isolated power is more than 100 points lower than his career average. We also (gulp) have to acknowledge that it's possible Bregman is swinging less because he knows his swing is worse. The Cubs made a big bet on his loss of bat speed after a quad strain last year being temporary. They might have already lost that bet. Here's a chart showing his rolling swing speed over 100-plate appearance windows since the start of Statcast bat-tracking. The red line is the point at which he hurt his leg and missed almost two months last year: Uh-oh. Again, this isn't a player who is set in his ways and unwilling to take risks. Bregman would probably have made a larger adjustment to his approach by now, if he felt that he could. He needs to start swinging more, especially at pitches in the heart of the strike zone—but maybe he can't, at least the way he's always been able to. That would be terrible news for the Cubs. View the full article

Columbia exploded for a 16-2 win behind Sean Gamble's four RBIs and Kendry Chourio's five innings, while Henry Ramos drove in five. Northwest Arkansas rallied for a 9-6 win as Carson Roccaforte's ninth-inning grand slam capped a four-RBI day, with Tommy Molsky retiring the side for the win. Omaha could not hold an early eight-run cushion, as Henry Williams struck out seven over six innings before the bullpen faltered in a 9-8 loss to Columbus. Royals Transactions No Roster Moves Storm Chasers Blow Eight-Run Lead In Late Collapse At Columbus Omaha jumped on Columbus immediately and never trailed until the final inning, but a 9-8 loss spoiled a fast start. The Storm Chasers scored four times in the first, as Drew Waters singled home John Rave, Abraham Toro tripled in two runs, and Gavin Cross singled in another. They added three more in the second when Brett Squires launched a three-run homer, his eighth, to make it 7-0. Kameron Misner homered in the fourth, his 13th, for an 8-1 edge. Williams turned in a strong start, allowing three runs on four hits over six innings with one walk and seven strikeouts. It was one of his best outings with the Storm Chasers since being promoted from Northwest Arkansas. Unfortunately, the Storm Chasers' bullpen could not protect the lead. Columbus chipped away across the sixth, seventh, and eighth before plating three in the ninth against Dan Altavilla, who recorded just one out while surrendering three runs and took the loss. Misner finished 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs, and an RBI, and Toro added two hits and two RBIs. Omaha left 15 runners on base while going 4-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Player AB R H RBI BB K John Rave 3 2 0 0 2 1 Kameron Misner 4 2 2 1 0 0 Brett Squires 4 2 1 3 1 2 Luca Tresh 4 0 0 0 1 2 Drew Waters 5 1 2 1 0 2 Abraham Toro 5 1 2 2 0 1 Gavin Cross 3 0 2 1 1 0 Connor Kaiser 4 0 0 0 0 3 Kevin Newman 4 0 0 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Henry Williams 6 4 3 3 1 7 3 Anthony Gose 1 2 1 1 0 1 0 Andrew Pérez 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 Dan Altavilla 1/3 3 3 3 1 0 1 Roccaforte's Ninth-Inning Grand Slam Lifts Naturals Past Midland Northwest Arkansas trailed entering the ninth before erupting for five runs to beat Midland 9-6. The Naturals had pulled even in the fifth, when Alberto Rodriguez singled home Rudy Martin Jr. and Jack Pineda singled in another run, and Martin homered in the seventh, his sixth, to pull within one. The decisive rally came in the ninth: Rodriguez singled in Omar Hernandez to tie it, and Roccaforte followed with a grand slam, his 14th home run, to put the game away. Frank Mozzicato struggled with his command in the start yesterday, allowing three runs on one hit over 4 2/3 innings while walking six and striking out four before the game was suspended due to weather. Once the game started back up again on Sunday, Augusto Mendieta and Dennis Colleran combined to go 3 2/3 IP and allow three runs, with Mendieta allowing two and Colleran allowing one. Mendieta struck out two and Colleran struck out none. Neither walked any batters in their Sunday outings. Molsky closed the game for the Naturals and earned the win with two-thirds of a scoreless inning and a strikeout. Roccaforte finished 2-for-5 with four RBI, and Rodriguez went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Martin Jr. reached base three times, scored three runs, and stole two bases. Northwest Arkansas left four runners on base and went 4-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Unfortunately, the second game was canceled due to the weather and won't be made up. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte 5 1 2 4 0 2 Jack Pineda 3 0 2 1 1 0 Sam Kulasingam 3 1 0 0 1 2 Spencer Nivens 3 0 0 1 0 2 Daniel Vazquez 4 0 1 0 0 1 Omar Hernandez 4 1 1 0 0 0 Rudy Martin Jr. 3 3 2 1 1 0 Connor Scott 3 0 0 0 0 1 Colton Becker 0 1 0 0 0 0 Alberto Rodriguez 4 2 3 2 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Frank Mozzicato 4 2/3 1 3 3 6 4 0 Augusto Mendieta 2 1/3 4 2 2 0 2 1 Dennis Colleran Jr. 1 1/3 2 1 1 0 0 0 Tommy Molsky 2/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Fireflies Pile On 18 Hits In 16-2 Rout Of Fayetteville Columbia jumped ahead early and never let up, scoring in eight of nine innings to bury Fayetteville 16-2. The Fireflies put up three in the first when Gamble launched a three-run homer, his third, and added three more in the second on Ramos' three-run homer, his third. From there, the lead only grew, with a seven-run surge over the seventh and eighth innings, capped by Hyungchan Um's grand slam, his fourth home run, in the eighth. Chourio gave the Fireflies a solid start, allowing two runs on six hits over five innings with one walk and three strikeouts. Ramos finished 3-for-6 with a home run and five RBI, Gamble went 2-for-4 with a double, a homer, and four RBI, and Yandel Ricardo and JC Vanek each added two hits. The bullpen of Yeri Perez, Henson Leal, and Andy Basora combined for four scoreless innings. Columbia left seven runners on base and went 7-for-16 with runners in scoring position. With the win, the Fireflies improved their record to 27-30. Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos 6 2 3 5 0 0 Josh Hammond 6 1 2 0 0 2 Yandel Ricardo 6 2 3 1 0 1 Jhosmmel Zue 4 2 2 0 0 1 Josi Novas 1 1 1 0 1 0 Sean Gamble 4 3 2 4 2 2 Hyungchan Um 4 1 1 4 1 1 Stone Russell 5 1 1 1 0 1 JC Vanek 5 2 2 0 0 0 Roni Cabrera 5 1 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kendry Chourio 5 6 2 2 1 3 1 Yeri Perez 2 2 0 0 1 3 0 Henson Leal 1 1 0 0 2 2 0 Andy Basora 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kendry Chourio: 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K David Shields: DNP Sean Gamble: 2-for-4, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 K Blake Mitchell: DNP Josh Hammond: 2-for-6, 1 R, 2 K, 1 SB Ramon Ramirez: DNP Drew Beam: DNP Asbel Gonzalez: DNP Ben Kudrna: DNP Carson Roccaforte: 2-for-5, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 1 R, 2 K Yandel Ricardo: 3-for-6, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 K, 1 SB Felix Arronde: DNP Blake Wolters: DNP Michael Lombardi: DNP Luinder Avila: DNP Steven Zobac: DNP Frank Mozzicato: 4 2/3 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 6 BB, 4 K Daniel Vazquez: 1-for-4, 1 K Warren Colcano: DNP Shane Panzini: DNP View the full article

For the week, Wilson (5-1) and Wisconsin (3-2) were series winners, while Nashville (3-3) and Biloxi (3-3) came up with draws. Transaction: OF Greg Jones activated from AAA Nashville’s 7-day injured list Game Action: Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Nashville 3, Jacksonville (Marlins) 1 Box Score Via a Sounds’ press release, game details: Sounds Steal Series Finale to Earn Split Nashville’s committee pitching approach paid off as six pitchers combined to stifle the Jumbo Shrimp, with starting RHP Easton McGee leading the way with just 37 pitches thrown over 3 innings (0 R, 0 H, 1 BB, 3 Ks). 22-year old DH Luke Adams (1-for-3, HR, walk, RBI, SB) hasn’t shown any rustiness since being sidelined for over six weeks with a wrist injury, smacking his 3rd homer in his last 4 games after hitting 3 homers in a rehab stint in Arizona. As the linked game report noted, SS Cooper Pratt (1-for-3, walk, 2 SBs) singled and scored on a double steal to grab the late lead, before 3B Eddys Leonard (1-for-3, HR, RBI) snapped a recent hitting drought for more breathing room. LHP Mark Manfredi Sr. (2 IP, 1 R, 3 Ks), RHP Will Childers (2.87 ERA) and RHP Jacob Waguespack (1.66 ERA) stranded 8 batters over 4 innings of busy relief work. RHPs Reiss Knehr (1.83 ERA) and Kaleb Bowman sailed through their frames a little more easily, with Bowman benefitting from OF Greg Jones’ game-ending assist to earn his first Save of 2026. Sounds’ Extras: Though he was batting 9th, 2B Freddy Zamora still led the team with 2 hits. He’s 8-for-20 with 8 RBIs over his last 6 games. The hard-won victory keeps the Sounds just a half-game behind first place Rochester in the 20-team International League. OF Luis Lara rested for a 5th consecutive game, but he’s not been placed on any injured list, so hopefully he’ll return to action in the coming week. Next week’s outlook: Nashville (38-25) hosts Rays’ affiliate Durham (24-39) this week for 6 games, with RHP Tyson Hardin (1.61 ERA in 22 1/3 AAA IP) most likely to start the series opener on Tuesday. Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes Game One Final: Montgomery (Rays) 2, Biloxi 0 (in 11 innings) Box Score Game Two Final: Montgomery 4, Biloxi 1 (in 7 innings) Box Score Via the Shuckers’ website, game details and we encourage readers to review affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine: DeBerry and Letson Dominate in Shuckers Losses Biloxi came up short in both contests despite having 2-on, nobody out in the bottom of the 6th inning of a then-scoreless Game One, then leading 1-0 entering the 7th inning of Game Two. To potentially make matters worse, SS Jesus Made exited the second game after a slight collision in the field, though a Forum viewer didn’t think it was anything serious: “He walked off easily on his own, and likely precautionary due to the DH. He looked ok but probably a little sore on his leg. Fingers crossed here.” Inheriting RHP Jaron DeBerry’s 6 innings of shutout work from Saturday’s suspended game, RHP Edwin Jimenez (3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 BB, 0 Ks) and LHP Jesus Broca continued that stellar effort with 4 scoreless innings of their own to keep the first contest 0-0 through 10 innings. Broca ultimately took the hard-luck loss by conceding a 2-run homer in the top of the 11th inning. C Matt Wood reached 3rd base with one out in the 6th inning of the first game and OF Dasan Brown did as well as the Manfred Man in the bottom of the 10th inning, but neither were brought home safely. The team produced just 3 hits in that game (DH Darrien Miller 2-for-5, double), while going 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranding 12 baserunners. In the nightcap battle for first place in the Southern League’s South Division, starting 21-year old RHP Bishop Letson’s best outing (6 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 1 BB, 8 Ks) of 2026 went for naught as the bullpen couldn’t hold a slim 1-0 lead and offense went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. In that second game, back-to-back singles by Wood and Made to open the contest produced no runs, and the team was also unable to cash in on 1-out hits in the 4th and 6th innings. However, the crushing blow was the ground ball triple play off the bat of OF Mark Coley II which negated the team’s comeback attempt in the bottom of the 7th inning while trailing 3-1. Shuckers’ Extras: Wood (2-for-6, 3 walks) and Coley (2-for-6, double, RBI) were productive across the two games, while RHP Nick Merkel delivered one scoreless relief inning in the second contest. Sparkplug 2B Dylan O’Rae wasn’t in the starting lineup of either game, but he did deliver a pinch-bunt in the 10th inning of Game One and play one inning of defense. For the second time in 4 days, Montgomery’s manager was tossed in the second game of a doubleheader, this time arguing over whether a foul ball was actually a hit-by-pitch. Next week’s outlook: Biloxi (28-26) travels to Birmingham (21-35) for a 7-game series against the White Sox affiliate. Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes Rain Out: Wisconsin at Cedar Rapids Via the Timber Rattlers’ website, rain out details: Sunday Rainout in Cedar Rapids Even in a canceled game (which will not be made up), the linked game report has us covered with the essentials, including video to prove that DH Marco Dinges did smack a homer even if it’s now been erased from statistical memory. Starting RHP Travis Smith did manage to throw 39 pitches (1 1/3 IP, 4 R (3 ER), 2 H, 2 BB, 1 K) before the rains pressed delete on his outing. He’ll be glad for a do-over and produce a better result next time out, no doubt. SS Luis Pena also won’t mind his error being erased, while 2B Daniel Dickinson can forget his caught stealing. Next week’s outlook: Wisconsin (29-24) return home to battle Dodgers’ affiliate Great Lakes (33-22) for 6 games, commencing on Tuesday. Wilson Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Wilson 11, Salem (Red Sox) 9 Box Score Via the Warbirds’ website, game details: Wilson Victorious Over Salem in Slugfest Conceding 3 unearned runs in the 1st inning and a grand slam in the 8th inning isn’t usually a recipe for success, but Wilson batters put up 11 runs in between to keep their hot streak going. First inning blunders by both teams helped produce a 3-2 advantage for Salem, as the inning included 2 errors, an everybody’s safe fielders’ choice, a strikeout-reached-via-passed-ball which also scored a run, a run-scoring wild pitch and a run-scoring balk. Four doubles from 1B Luis Lameda (2-for-3, walk, HBP, 2 RBIs) and DH Jadyn Fielder (2-for-4, HBP, RBI) spread across the first, second, fifth and sixth innings helped Wilson keep pace and ultimately grab a 9-5 lead through six frames. After starting RHP Jayden Dubanewicz exited after 50 pitches (2 IP, 3 R (0 ER), 1 H, 2 BB, 4 Ks) and RHP Enniel Cortez (2 2/3, 2 R, 4 H, 0 BB, 2 Ks) conceded a game-tying triple in the 5th inning, RHP Ismael Yanez (1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 K) did well to strand the inherited runner and then work around a 2-on, nobody out threat in the 6th inning. OF Pedro Ibarguen (2-for-4, HR, HBP, 3 RBIs) looked to have delivered the decisive blow via a 2-run homer for an 11-5 lead in the 7th inning, but a grand slam off RHP Eric Prado (1 1/3 IP, 4 R (3 ER), 2 Ks) forced the entry of RHP Jose Meneses (1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 2 Ks), who retired all 5 batters faced for his 4th Save. Warbirds’ Extras: SS Brady Ebel (3-for-5, RBI) and OF Handelfry Encarnacion (1-for-3, 2 walks) each reached base 3 times, as the Warbirds out-hit Salem 12-to-9 and had ample opportunities to score (6-for-19 with runners in scoring position). The teams combined for 6 errors, 6 unearned runs, a passed ball, wild pitch and a balk. However, the 4 hit-by-pitches were all delivered by Salem pitchers. Next week’s outlook: Wilson (31-26) travel to Lynchburg, Virginia for six games against Guardians’ affiliate Hill City (27-30), starting on Tuesday. We hope that you enjoy the Minor League Link Report. On Monday, our Dominican Summer League clubs commence play at 10:00am CST (Brewers Blue at Red Sox Red; Braves at Brewers Gold), while the ACL Brewers host the ACL Dodgers at 8:00pm CST. The Milwaukee Brewers also begin their series at the Athletics (in Las Vegas) at 9:05pm CST. Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth View the full article

The 2026 season has been a nightmare for the Boston Red Sox. They are nine games under .500 and sit four games behind the last American League wild-card spot. They have missed the production of star players Garrett Crochet and Roman Anthony, who have both dealt with prolonged stints on the injured list. In addition, they have struggled offensively, ranking in the bottom five of the league for runs scored. With the trade deadline less than two months away, the team needs to decide whether it is going to be sellers or attempt to salvage the season by adding reinforcements. Last season, their second-half turnaround was fueled by the arrival of many top prospects that added life to the lineup. However, with those same prospects already on the big-league roster, the team needs to focus on the trade deadline to bring in some offense. While their lineup has been lackluster, the pitching staff has been a strength. The breakouts of prospects like Payton Tolle and Connelly Early, paired with the free-agent acquisitions of Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez, have given Boston a capable rotation while Crochet has been out. With a blend of youth and experience anchoring the staff and Crochet’s impending return, the team finds itself with depth they could use to rebuild its offense. Given their place in the standings, Boston should focus on targets that offer both positional versatility and long-term value in addition to immediate help. 3 Red Sox Trade Targets Who Can Upgrade Infield #3 Isaac Paredes (Houston Astros) Speculation about a potential trade between the Red Sox and the Houston Astros has been ongoing since the idea of Jarren Duran being available surfaced. The breakout of Roman Anthony last season, combined with the emergence of Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela, has left Boston with a crowded outfield. Despite a slow start, Duran’s combination of power and speed makes him a valuable piece that could garner Boston a significant return. Isaac Paredes would offer the Red Sox a combination of right-handed power and strong plate discipline that could help balance out the lineup. While he has had a slower start to the season, batting .238/.332/.388, he is still an elite pull-hitter and offers positional versatility, also playing second and first. At 27 years old and under team control for two more seasons, Paredes could make an immediate impact while continuing to grow alongside Boston’s young core. #2 Luis Arraez (San Francisco Giants) While Luis Arraez is not the most flashiest name on the trade market, he offers something that the Red Sox desperately need: stability. He's never been known power, but his reliability as an elite contact hitter who hardly strikes out would help an offense that has struggled to generate runs. This season, he is batting .325/.364/.436 and ranks second in the MLB in hits. His value also extends beyond the batter’s box with his ability to play first base, offering Boston another versatile player to help build its depth. This season, the team has seen a revolving door of injuries with Trevor Story being the most recent to land on the 60-day IL. Before his injury, the duo of Marcelo Mayer and Story in the middle infield has been lackluster, with both batting below .225. In the first game without Story, Mayer moved back to shortstop, the position he played for most of his career. Getting Arraez would solidify that change, more than likely pushing Story to the bench (or third base) for the remainder of the season. #1 Matt Shaw (Chicago Cubs) A name that has circled around the league since last offseason, Shaw is an ostensible prospect with high upside who could be a plug-and-play option for the Red Sox. After signing Alex Bregman and extending Nico Hoerner, the Cubs have found themselves with a surplus of infield options, but limited spots available. Shaw’s solid bat, along with his ability to play nearly every infield position as well as the corner outfield spots, makes him a valuable but potentially pricey trade target. While Shaw has spent time on the injured list, he is currently working through a rehab assignment and should be available soon. Before his injury, he was batting .242/.291/.400, all improvements from his rookie season, as he continues to develop. The Cubs have been vocal about their search for starting pitching, and Boston’s depth of major-league arms and prospects could open the door for trade discussions. Shaw would not only offer an immediate boost to their lineup, but also offer long-term value as a developing piece alongside the team's core. View the full article

Welcome back to Blue Jays Clutch Plays, a recurring post that highlights the six most pivotal plays (three pitching, three hitting) from the past week of Blue Jays baseball, according to MLB's win probability model. Click here to read last week's edition. The Blue Jays began the week in dire straits, further spiraling from their weekend collapse in Baltimore by stumbling to losses in the first two games of their series in Atlanta. Despite facing Chris Sale on a bullpen day in the series finale, though, they pulled through to avoid the sweep and then took two of three from the Orioles at home over the weekend. After yet another uneven week in which they continued to do just enough to maintain their place in the standings, they're within two games of .500 with the Phillies coming to town on Monday. Pitching 3. Braydon Fisher: Pete Alonso Strikeout, Top 1, 6/6 (+7.7% WPA) Toronto pitchers didn't find themselves in a truly perilous situation once this week, so while none of these plays will necessarily stand out at the end of the season, it gives us a good opportunity to appreciate some moments that would otherwise fall under the radar. Braydon Fisher fanning Pete Alonso in the first inning on Saturday is a great example. After the first two batters reached and moved into scoring position, Fisher got Alonso and then Coby Mayo to navigate through the danger. 2. Connor Seabold: Blaze Alexander Force Out, Top 7, 6/7 (+9.5% WPA) MLB decided not to post a video of this force out that the Jays got on a bunt play, but we promise it happened! It also ended up playing a sizeable role in the Blue Jays escaping the seventh inning en route to the series win on Sunday. The #9 hitter, Blaze Alexander, laid down a bunt with runners on first and second with one out in a one-run game, but it backfired as Brandon Valenzuela was able to force Tyler O'Neill at third. Instead of having a second-and-third situation with one out, runners remained at first and second, which matters because... 1. Tyler Rogers: Taylor Ward GIDP, Top 7, 6/7 (+17.5% WPA) ...Tyler Rogers came in and promptly induced an inning-ending double play. Here, Taylor Ward fell behind 0-2 on a couple of sinkers but laid off a couple of sliders to stay alive. So, Rogers went right back to the bowling-ball sinker, and Ward topped it, spinning it to Ernie Clement at second to start the 4-6-3. Rogers would get two more outs in relief in the eighth as well. Hitting 3. Kazuma Okamoto: 2-run HR, Top 2, 6/2 (+18.2% WPA) This is the one big knock the Jays managed against Bryce Elder in Tuesday night's loss to the Braves. With the runner in motion at first on the payoff pitch, Kazuma Okamoto got a sinker that Elder left a little too high over the outer half of the plate and launched it the other way into the seats in front of Atlanta's signature Chop House to tie the game. 2. Brandon Valenzuela: 2-run HR, Bot 5, 6/5 (+23.4% WPA) Valenzuela has turned into a revelation at catcher. The rookie backstop is on fire with the bat in his hands, and on Friday night, he punished a hanging breaking ball that Brandon Young visibly regretted as soon as it left his hand. Things would unravel soon after this in the only game the Jays lost over the weekend, but Valenzuela is now up to seven home runs after adding a blast on Sunday and leads Toronto position players in fWAR. 1. Ernie Clement: 3-run HR, Bot 3, 6/6 (+26.1% WPA) Clement was in the middle of everything during the Jays' consecutive wins against the Orioles on Saturday and Sunday. He got a hanging breaker himself here from Kyle Bradish, and while he didn't hit it that hard or far, he did what he does best: caught the ball out front and pulled it. Baltimore made it close later on but failed to regain the lead as this homer broke the game open and paved the way for Toronto to tie, and eventually win, the series. View the full article

Entering action this past weekend, the New York Mets' offense ranked 29th in hitting fWAR (3.0) this season, ahead of only the Colorado Rockies (2.8). That's not exactly where anyone thought it'd be when the team took the field on Opening Day. The struggles plaguing the big-league club have traversed their way through the Mets' system. Despite this, there were a handful of players who avoided such problems. One of the team's best prospects took big strides, and a career minor-leaguer improved his April OPS by more than 50 percent. Neither of them, though, compete with the man on top of the podium, who *checks notes* wasn't in MLB/MiLB on New Year's Day. Monthly stats referenced are from milb.com at the player's listed level. Prospect rankings are from Grand Central Mets. Ranking Mets' Best Minor League Hitters from May 3. Ryan Clifford - AAA (Syracuse, No. 5 Prospect) Clifford, the second player who came to New York -- along with current San Francisco Giants outfielder Drew Gilbert -- in the Mets' trading of Justin Verlander back in 2023, has steadily risen through the club's minor league system since that deal. He paced Syracuse in runs and home runs last month. G (AB) Slash Line (OPS) XBH (HR) R RBI 27 (103) .233/.308/.534 (.842) 14 (8) 23 18 The .842 OPS Clifford posted in May was 54 points higher than his April OPS (.786). His strikeout percentage also dropped nearly seven percent (35.8% to 29.1%) month over month. When Clifford first came to New York, the outlook as a first baseman with the MLB team looked bleak. There's an opportunity now, though, for him to establish himself as the team's long-term solution at the position. Once he demonstrates the improvements he made in May are legitimate, he could find himself on the big-league roster. 2. Jose Ramos - AA (Binghamton) Ramos, 25, has bounced around the minor leagues for years. He initially signed a minor-league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers at age-18. He elected free agency after the 2025 season and inked a deal with New York. Eventually, he was assigned to Binghamton. There, he proved April showers -- a .580 OPS -- do indeed bring May flowers. G (AB) Slash Line (OPS) XBH (HR) R RBI 24 (84) .262/.392/.476 (.868) 8 (5) 13 18 A .288 month-to-month improvement in OPS? That will play. Ramos' batting average on balls in play (BABIP) going from .189 in April to .321 in May certainly aided this. However, when you consider Ramos' career BABIP over nearly 2,700 MiLB plate appearances is .327, you're inclined to believe April was an aberration. Let there be flowers in June, July and beyond. 1. JT Benson - A/High-A (St. Lucie/Brooklyn) Benson, a 24-year-old outfielder out of Louisville, wasn't in a farm system on Jan. 1. He spent 2025 with the Evansville Otters of the Frontier League after going undrafted the prior season. The Mets signed him in March and promptly assigned him to St. Lucie. He wasted little time getting acclimated to that setting. G (AB) Slash Line (OPS) XBH (HR) R RBI 13 (48) .292/.370/.667 (1.037) 10 (2) 7 9 The above numbers earned Benson a promotion to Brooklyn on May 19. His OPS there last month (.697 in 10 games) isn't as sparkling as it was in St. Lucie, but it's far from terrible. And his strikeout percentage is nearly five percent lower (28.2% from 33.3%) despite the rise in competition. For a guy who literally was not in an MLB system until roughly 90 days ago, Benson's start has been mighty impressive. His speed -- 24 steals in 80 games for the Otters, four triples and four steals at St. Lucie -- makes him a really intriguing prospect. It could carry him further than anyone expected. Honorable Mentions: Ronald Hernandez (High-A, Brooklyn), Jamari Baylor (A-St. Lucie/High-A, Brooklyn) View the full article

Week in a Nutshell Last week saw the Twins face a couple of AL Central opponents. A week after losing two of three to the White Sox in Chicago, they saw the Sox for another three games, this time at home. They then welcomed the last-place Kansas City Royals in a four-game set. They went 3-4 in an up-and-down week, taking two of three from Chicago but then allowing the limping Royals to claim three of four. The Twins will start this week with an off day, before visiting the Tigers in Detroit. This weekend, they'll loop back to Target Field and encounter the Cardinals. Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 6/1 through Sun 6/7 Record: 3-4 Run Differential: -5 Standing: 3rd Place in AL Central (7 GB) Game-by-Game Results: Game 61 | MIN 9, CWS 6: Twins Snap Five-Game Skid Behind Tristan Gray's Grand Slam Tristan Gray: 1-3, HR, 5 RBI Game 62 | MIN 6, CWS 4: As Connor Prielipp Learns Ropes, Twins Rally Past White Sox Keaschall, Gray, Jackson: 6-12, 5 RBI Game 63 | CWS 8, MIN 0: Twins Get Shut Out for The First Time This Season In Loss to White Sox Buxton, Lee, Larnach: 0-11, 1 BB Game 64 | KC 8, MIN 6: It was Like Tug-of-War Between Two Pigs in the Mud Caratini: 3-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI Game 65 | MIN 5, KC 3: Sixth Inning Ambush Fuels Comeback Win Matthews: 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K Game 66 | KC 3, MIN 2: Late-Inning Momentum Swings and Costly Mistake Decide the Game Ryan: 6 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K Game 67 | KC 6, MIN 5: Cameron Dominates Twins Again, Rally Falls Short As Royals Take Series Morris: 1 2/3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 4 K NEWS & NOTES One of the bigger news items from this past week was the Twins trading right-handed pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson to the Toronto Blue Jays for cash considerations. This came after the Twins designated him for assignment or release after Woods Richardson started 0-7 with a 7.74 ERA and a 6.17 FIP. As they try to cobble together a viable bullpen, meanwhile, they acquired righty reliever Justin Lawrence from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Lawrence has made three appearances for the Twins, throwing 2 ⅔ innings, striking out four with three walks, and giving up zero runs. Royce Lewis was recalled after tearing up Triple-A pitching. He's played two games (one at second base and one at first base) since being recalled. He'll probably move around the diamond for a while, depending on who else is in the lineup on any given day. The Twins pulled the trigger quickly on returning him to the big leagues, and will have to hope he rediscovers the magic that made him a good hitter until about August 2024. HIGHLIGHTS The Joe Ryan Experience has continued, with Ryan throwing another very good start against the Royals on Saturday. This came after throwing six innings against the White Sox on Monday night, giving up four runs over six innings—good enough for his fourth win on the season, though not good enough to satisfy Ryan. He's been solid for the majority of the year, with a 4-3 record and a 3.07 ERA over 14 starts. The closer it gets to the trade deadline, the more Ryan's name will come up in national conversations. Another highlight from the week came in that Monday night contest, when Tristan Gray hit a grand slam in the fourth inning off White Sox starter David Sandlin. The grand slam helped the Twins to a 9-6 win over the second-place Sox. On Friday, Zebby Matthews threw seven innings, giving up two runs, which was a nice bounce-back after a tough previous appearance. This was a solid start for a rotation suddenly looking for more depth, after some of the depth has disappeared due to injuries or poor performance. LOWLIGHTS Unfortunately, Byron Buxton was taken out of the game on Friday night after making a catch and running into the wall in center field. He was officially removed with an injury to the same shoulder he injured earlier in the season. He is considered day-to-day, and the Twins are hoping and expecting him to return for Tuesday’s series opener against the Tigers—but it's not a great sign that he wasn't available to pinch-hit with the game on the line Sunday afternoon. The Twins' bullpen has been a storyline all year, and the inconsistencies showed this past week. The bullpen threw 27 innings over the seven games, which is more than you typically want a shaky bullpen to throw over a seven-game stretch. They had a few good outings, but the 5.24 relief ERA and their -0.60 WPA tell the real story. The latter figure was fourth-worst in the majors. TRENDING STORYLINES Another thing to keep an eye on is how Connor Prielipp is adjusting to hitters adjusting to him. His start against the White Sox on Tuesday was a nice (though not dominant) rebound after two difficult outings. The follow-up on Sunday was similarly good, but equally un-great. Prielipp has had ups and downs, but his development into a solid starting pitcher is one of the most important things to track throughout this season for Minnesota. Matt Wallner is looking to follow in Lewis’s footsteps and earn a call back up to the big-league club. He's been crushing Triple-A pitching to the tune of .275/.359/.897 since being demoted in mid-May, with five home runs, six doubles, and eight walks over 80 at-bats. If he continues this hot stretch, he could be back at Target Field in short order. Speaking of crushing Triple-A pitching, former first-round pick Kaelen Culpepper has looked the part of a top prospect this year, hitting 14 home runs in 56 games played with the Saints, recording a .862 OPS along with 13 stolen bases. With Lewis changing positions and Brooks Lee moving to third base, don’t be surprised to see Culpepper with the Twins in the very near future, if he continues to produce at the level he has so far this year. LOOKING AHEAD The Twins start the week with a long-awaited off day. Their last day off was Thursday, May 21. They'll head to Detroit and play three games against the Tigers, who have (surprisingly) struggled this year. Both clubs are looking to turn things around before it gets too late. The Twins would love to take advantage of a struggling rival before hosting the second-place Cardinals. It should be a fun and interesting week. MONDAY, JUNE 8: OFF DAY TUESDAY, JUNE 9: TWINS @ TIGERS - RHP Taj Bradley vs RHP Troy Melton WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10: TWINS @ TIGERS - TBD vs LHP Framber Valdez THURSDAY, JUNE 11: TWINS @ TIGERS - RHP Zebby Matthews vs RHP Keider Montero FRIDAY, JUNE 12: CARDINALS @ TWINS - TBD vs TBD SATURDAY, JUNE 13: CARDINALS @ TWINS - TBD vs TBD SUNDAY, JUNE 14: CARDINALS @ TWINS - TBD vs TBD View the full article