DiamondCentric

Once again in 2026, I will be monitoring Miami Marlins predictions from our valued SuperSubs, Fish On First staffers and livestream guests. Individual article pages like this one will be created prior to every Marlins series and featured prominently on the FOF site. Consistent participation is key if you want to win this annual contest. Submissions only take a few seconds. Scoring system A "perfect" series is worth three points: Earn one point for predicting which team will win the upcoming series Earn one point for predicting the precise number of victories for each team Earn one point for predicting the “Series MVP” who accumulated the highest win probability added (WPA) during the series as calculated by FanGraphs (could pick a player from either team) FOF SuperSub David Fernandez is currently atop the 2026 season leaderboard, which will be updated between every Marlins series. If you are a SuperSub, leave a comment with your Prediction Time picks on this page, or join the Marlins Discord Server and submit there. We'll feature them on the upcoming Fish On First LIVE episode and track your points throughout the season! Any picks submitted prior to the first pitch of the series opener will be counted. If you are not a SuperSub, please consider signing up here to support the FOF staff. Series preview notes Probable starting pitchers: RHP Tyler Phillips (MIA) vs. RHP Randy Dobnak (KC) on Tuesday RHP Eury Pérez (MIA) vs. LHP Noah Cameron (KC) on Wednesday RHP Sandy Alcantara (MIA) vs. RHP Michael Wacha (KC) on Thursday The Marlins rank 14th in MLB with a 100 wRC+ and 11th in MLB with a 4.00 FIP. They are 6-4 in their last 10 games and have a 28-41 record on the road this season. The following Marlins players are on the injured list: Anthony Bender (15-day IL), Xavier Edwards (10-day IL), Pete Fairbanks (15-day IL), Ronny Henriquez (60-day IL), William Kempner (60-day IL), Adam Mazur (60-day IL), Andrew Nardi (60-day IL) and Robby Snelling (60-day IL). The Royals rank 18th in MLB with a 98 wRC+ and 25th in MLB with a 4.61 FIP. They are 8-2 in their last 10 games and have a 36-30 record at home this season. The following Royals players are on the injured list: Luinder Avila (60-day IL), Carlos Estévez (60-day IL), Tony Gonsolin (15-day IL), Stephen Kolek (60-day IL), Alec Marsh (60-day IL), James McArthur (60-day IL), Nick Mears (60-day IL), Cole Ragans (60-day IL), Connor Seabold (60-day IL) and Beck Way (15-day IL). View the full article

The Miami Marlins have not been fully comfortable with their starting rotation at any point this season. After an encouraging spring training, free agent acquisition Chris Paddack wilted as soon as the real games began. He was cut to make room for prospect Robby Snelling, but the young left-hander immediately blew out his elbow, requiring season-ending surgery. The Marlins dominated the month of June despite an ultra-thin rotation that was comprised of Sandy Alcantara, Max Meyer and a bunch of question marks. Then, just as Eury Pérez found his groove, Meyer landed on the injured list, doubtful to return in 2026. With the trade deadline approaching, the Marlins were relying on Janson Junk, Tyler Phillips and Ryan Gusto as starters, none of whom would be in those roles had this season gone as planned. The Triple-A depth behind them was also a concern, as the organization's top prospect, Thomas White, was sidelined with a shoulder injury of his own, and Karson Milbrandt had been struggling mightily since being promoted to Jacksonville. It did not feel as though the Marlins had a realistic path to reaching the postseason unless they made an outside acquisition of some kind to bolster their rotation depth. They brazenly subtracted in that area instead, dealing left-hander Braxton Garrett to the Chicago Cubs. The only major league-ready arm they added, Victor Vodnik, has never made a start in parts of four MLB seasons. To their credit, this uninspiring approach is working out beautifully. Since deadline day (Aug. 4), Marlins starters have combined for a 2.78 ERA, which is third-best in MLB. The performances haven't been flashy—the staff ranks bottom 10 in strikeout rate while averaging barely five innings per start—but you couldn't have dreamt of better results over that span. The consistency of Junk, Phillips and Gusto is most impressive. They have made 16 total appearances (14 starts) since the deadline passed, allowing more than two earned runs just once. Look at how they compare to the veteran SPs who changed teams in pre-deadline deals. Maybe the Marlins would have an extra win had they mortgaged their future for Tarik Skubal. Tyler Mahle and Clay Holmes have been tremdendous pick-ups for the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs, respectively. Other than those three? None of the potential "upgrades" would have definitively made the team better. That is an oversimplification, of course. While the Marlins rotation rides into September with a lot of positive momentum, their bullpen is a vulnerability. Closer Pete Fairbanks is more than a week away from being eligible to return from the IL. The active relievers are tasked with carrying a heavy workload because Junk, Phillips and Gusto are kept on short leashes, rarely sniffing 90 pitches in their outings, much less 100. Had the Marlins acquired an extra starter, they would've had the flexibility to move one of these solid right-handers to the 'pen. Phillips in particular was great in 2025 when used that way. Instead, rookies Josh Ekness and Jack Ralston are being relied upon in high-leverage situations. That backfired in Monday's loss to the Washington Nationals—Gusto left with a 3-0 lead, but Ekness and Ralston each allowed home runs that flipped the game upside down. Should the Marlins rally to earn the final National League wild-card spot, they'll be on the road for a best-of-three series. Let's really stretch the imagination and say they clinch early enough to have the luxury of setting their rotation however they want, with Alcantara getting Game 1 and Pérez following him in Game 2. What on earth would they do for a potential winner-take-all Game 3? While reaching the postseason is still on the table for this team, their complacency at the trade deadline makes it impossible to foresee them going on a deep run. View the full article

Box Score SP: Taj Bradley - 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K (104 pitches, 66 strikes (63.5% strikes)) Top 3 WPA (via FanGraphs): Taj Bradley (0.28), Luke Keaschall (0.15), Ryan Jeffers (0.14) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs): Looking to hold on to their slim hopes of making the playoffs, turned to Taj Bradley Monday to square off with Kevin McGonigle and the struggling Tigers. Detroit countered with former phenom Jackson Jobe, making his fifth appearance this year and first against the Twins. Bradley had a nice first inning, sending the Tigers down in order. He recorded two strikeouts and induced a lineout on a nice play by Brooks Lee. The Twins offense made some noise right away, with Luke Keaschall leading off the bottom of the first inning with a double down the left-field line. He eventually scored on a Kody Clemens sacrifice fly, giving the Twins a 1-0 lead. Jobe was able to limit the damage, striking out Ryan Jeffers to finish his first inning of work. Taj Bradley kept rolling, not giving up a base runner in the second, either. He added two more punchouts along the way. The Tigers got their first baserunner in the top of the third, when Spencer Torkelson battled to a seven-pitch leadoff walk. Bradley was able to erase the baserunner with a nifty 5-6-3 double play off the bat of rookie outfielder Max Clark, though. Third baseman Hao-Yu Lee got the Tigers' first hit after the double play, but Bradley was able to keep the Tigers off the board on an inning-ending groundout, preserving the one-run lead. The bottom of the third inning started with a bang. Shortstop Kaelen Culpepper led off with a double down the left-field line, and two batters later, Keaschall collected his second hit of the game, putting runners on first and third with one out. Unfortunately, Brooks Lee grounded into an inning-ending double play, keeping the score a taut 1-0. Jobe wasn’t so lucky in the fourth inning, with Kody Clemens getting hold of one and depositing it onto the plaza in right field to lead off the inning. It was his 23rd home run on the season. The Twins loaded the bases later in the inning, giving Walker Jenkins an RBI chance, but Jenkins flied out to left field to end the inning. The Twins offense didn’t stay quiet in the fifth inning, however. Keaschall led off with a single, then stole second during what ended up as a Clemens walk. Then Jeffers did this: The Twins added on in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by Lee (with some really good baserunning by Lee and Keaschall), extending the lead to 8-1. Those runs were more than enough for Bradley and the bullpen. The de facto ace of the Twins staff struck out nine over seven impressive innings. In the bottom of the seventh, Jeffers stayed hot, hitting his second home run of the game to give the Twins an eight-run lead. In the bottom of the eighth, Jenkins hit his first career home run—off starting right fielder Zach McKinstry, who was pitching for Detroit. This gave the Twins a 10-run lead. Luckily for Jenkins, the ball went off the foul pole, so it came back onto the field and could be returned to Jenkins with no issues. Tommy Nance finished the game with two scoreless innings, striking out two and giving the rest of the bullpen a day off heading into an extremely important stretch wherein the team is hoping they will be relied upon to close out some wins. Other Notes: With the rosters expanding tomorrow, the Twins will be calling up utility prospect Ben Ross and righty Garrett Acton. Ross will make his major-league debut, and Acton will be recalled after pitching well at Triple-A. Across Double-A and Triple-A, Ross has hit .274/.378/.506 while playing second base, third base, shortstop, and both left field and center field. Now 25 years old, Ross was a fifth-round pick by the Twins back in 2022 out of Notre Dame College in Ohio. Acton made four appearances for the Twins earlier this year, throwing 6 ⅔ innings, striking out nine and walking three. With the Saints, he has thrown 17 ⅔ innings over 13 appearances, with 23 strikeouts and a 2.55 ERA. Post Game Interview What’s Next? The Twins will host the Tigers for two more, with tomorrow’s game seeing Connor Prielipp (3-7, 5.55 ERA) face off with righty Troy Melton (7-3, 1.86 ERA) in the second game of the series. In his most recent start, Prielipp threw 5 ⅓ innings against the Athletics, giving up three runs and striking out five. He received a no-decision in a game the Twins went on to lose 7-4. BULLPEN CHART THU FRI SAT SAT MON TOT Morris 0 0 27 0 0 27 Rogers 0 38 0 0 0 38 Funderburk 0 18 0 0 0 18 Adams 0 26 0 0 0 26 Gomez 0 0 25 0 0 25 Minter 0 0 20 0 0 20 Hoffman 0 0 0 13 0 13 Nance 0 0 0 0 26 26 View the full article

The Chicago Cubs are going to be adding a little power to their bench when rosters expand Tuesday. Corner infielder B.J. Murray will be called up Tuesday when MLB rosters increase by two spots to 28. Cubs manager Craig Counsell confirmed the move Monday as Murray took batting practice before the series opener against the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers. Only one of the two extra spots can be filled by a pitcher. Murray, who is not among North Side Baseball's Top 20 prospects, had a .294/.395/.500 slash line with 16 homers and 68 RBIs in 118 games with Triple-A Iowa this year. Murray hit 20 homers with 89 RBIs in 2025 at Double-A Knoxville as he had a slash line of .242/.363/.418 in 125 games. The 26-year-old, a 15th-round draft choice in 2021 out of Florida, played in the World Baseball Classic for Great Britain this spring. He will become the 10th player born in the Bahamas to make his MLB debut. View the full article

Even at his best, Christian Yelich comes with some limitations. He'll always hit the ball on the ground a lot. It's been a long time since he was a usable defender or a fast runner. More importantly, it's been rare to see Yelich at what feels anything like his best. Since he returned from a month on the injured list from mid-April through mid-May, Yelich has looked like he left some of himself on the shelf. In his first 71 games back, he batted an anemic .210/.296/.349, with a sclerotic swing. Lately, though, things have trended suddenly upward. Yelich's torrid 10-game run in the second half of August serves as a reminder that he's still a great hitter, underneath the piled-up effects of age and multiple injuries. The question is whether he can peel away enough of the layers of things that interfere with his talent to produce the way the team needs him to for the balance of this season. Some evidence, at least, suggests that he can. Squaring Up Balls in the Air Has Keyed Christian Yelich's Resurgence Some hitters struggle to generate power (or even batting average) because they lack bat speed or are unable to center the ball on their barrel. For those players, the missing ingredient in their pursuit of production is exit velocity. It's hard to hit the ball hard if you can't either swing fast or catch the ball flush with your bat. Yelich, however, belongs to a rival fraternity of struggling sluggers: the ones who have a great feel to hit and decent bat speed, but rarely bring those things to bear by hitting it hard in the air. When he's not going well, Yelich still occasionally hits the ball exceptionally hard, and he rarely goes through prolonged periods where he's truly producing weak contact. Rather, what he loses is the ability to drive the ball and elevate it at the same time. His hard contact all clusters on the ground. When he does hit fly balls, they're his least well-struck batted balls, and they become automatic outs. That was all happening for much of June and July, leaving Yelich spiraling. The dearth of production lingered into August, too. However, under the hood, he's been hitting the ball much more squarely this month, and much more often, that squared-up contact is coming on high line drives and fly balls. To see this happening, consider this chart from FanGraphs, which shows the frequency (the bubbles; bigger means more batted balls in that range) and a smoothed curve that describes the relationship between efficient Yelich's contact is and the launch angle of his batted balls. In yellow, we see a lot of fly balls hit in a productive launch-angle band (the red shaded box shows the ideal range at which to hit a ball to produce a home run), but not nearly squarely enough to produce hard-hit balls and positive outcomes. That's June and July. In blue, you can see him squaring the ball up considerably more overall, but especially on the balls he hits at launch angles over 10°. Thence has come his rediscovered power, along with plenty of singles that are possible only because he hit the ball with a little air under it, rather than on the ground. There are also some pitches he'd been pushing the other way earlier this season, but which he's found ways to turn on recently—as he did on this home run against the Mariners on August 18. WERaamFfWGw0TUFRPT1fQTFSUUJnRUJWQXNBRGxjQkJBQUhDUUFFQUZnR0FsZ0FBQUFBVkFRQVVBRUhDQVlB.mp4 Stance Changes Have Unlocked Small Swing Changes Yelich's stance is a bit more open this month, and he's a hair farther off the plate than he was earlier this year. The difference is subtle, but it's noticeable. Compare these shots of him from June (on the left) and mid-August (right), and you can see the difference in both his place in the batter's box and his hip and foot position. Being that bit open and creating a little more space between himself and the plate encourages Yelich to stride into the pitch more and cover the outer edge, without simply reaching out and flicking the ball, as you can see from these shots of him making contact on each pitch. These small adjustments have Yelich better able to cover not only the outer edge of the plate, but a pitcher's whole arsenal. Against fastballs. he can still let the ball travel and hit it the other way, without getting beaten and hitting it on the ground. Against softer stuff, meanwhile, he's in position to turn on the ball more, and the way he's had to alter his bat path to compensate for his move in the box and change in initial stance has him less likely to roll over. Don't expect a .900 OPS the rest of the way. Yelich is still a slightly diminished hitter, dealing with age and lingering injuries, and this hot streak might turn out to be just that. However, the fundamentals of his movements, approach and contact suggest that Yelich has survived this latest bout of near-obsolescence. He can still hit, and he's found a way to get back to hitting on lines and to areas where there's real damage to be done. View the full article

Sometimes, the road to injury recovery feels Sisyphean. Things are feeling good. The rehabilitation is progressing, the pain is improving, and baseball activities are resumed. And then it happens. A misplaced step, a twist of the leg, or a slide into second base, and all of a sudden, the 1,000-pound boulder rolls back down the hill, demanding to be pushed again. Such has been the experience of All-Star center fielder Byron Buxton, who was placed on the injured list yet again last week due to lingering hip impingement symptoms. Unfortunately, Buxton (an MVP-caliber talent when healthy) is no stranger to the Sisyphean rebounding from injury, but it’s fair to wonder if this time—for this season—his trial is over. Maybe this boulder can’t be pushed back up the hill. Hip impingement involves excessive bone growth near the head of the femur or along the acetabular rim (socket), and in some cases both. This excess results in reduced range of motion and “pinching” pain at the hip, particularly during activities that involve running, twisting, cutting, and decelerating (i.e., baseball). If the overgrowth is significant enough, it can impinge on the labrum, a ring of tissue located inside the hip that holds the ball of the femur within the socket, improving stability and force transmission through the joint. The labrum has very little blood flow relative to other tissue in the body. As such, it does not heal well on its own. If the damage is large enough, it may cause pain, inflammation, and reduced stability, which may require surgical repair. Why Byron Buxton Might Need Hip Surgery, and When He Could Play Again This injury can often be managed successfully, with targeted rehabilitation focused on restoring range of motion and improving muscle strength to divert force away from the joint. When indicated, a steroid injection may be deployed to reduce swelling. However, if these interventions fail (as they have so far, for Buxton), surgery to shave the excessive bone and/or address damage to the labrum may be warranted. Return to play following surgery to correct hip impingement largely depends on the extent of tissue operated on, though the literature on the return for position players following hip labrum repair is scant. High-level baseball players have previously returned to play within 3-8 months following hip arthroscopy, including impingement and labral repair procedures. Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll indicated that surgery may be on the table, which could place the beginning of Buxton’s 2027 campaign in question depending on when and if that decision is made. Buxton’s struggle is the latest in a chain of examples of his body failing him. Make no mistake: There are no morals when it comes to injury. One cannot simply will oneself to orthopedic health. Injury is the result of the complex, chaotic interplay between innumerable variables, not any sort of ability. (Whoever coined the phrase “The best ability is availability” had no understanding of injury pathology and risk mitigation. Perhaps it should come as no surprise that a football coach, Bill Parcells, is credited for the saying's popularity.) He will undoubtedly bounce back, yet again, and perform at a high level next summer. After all, it’s not like Sisyphus ever gave up. At a certain point, though, Buxton and Twins fans must both start to feel cursed—just as Sisyphus was. View the full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report - August 31 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Omaha Storm Chasers (Kansas City Royals): Cubs win, 4-2 Season Record: 56–73-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Biloxi Shuckers (Milwaukee Brewers): Tied, 3-3 Season Record: 67–58 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Milwaukee Brewers): Tied, 3-3 Season Record: 72–50 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Augusta GreenJackets (Atlanta Braves): GreenJackets win, 4-2 Season Record: 47–76 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 56–73-1 Series Opponent: Omaha Storm Chasers (59-70) Series Standing: Win, 4-2 Aug. 30: The Iowa Cubs dropped their series finale to the Omaha Storm Chasers, 3-1, on Sunday at Principal Park. James Triantos (2-for-4) gave the Cubs the lead in the fourth with a solo home run, his ninth of the season, but the Storm Chasers got that run right back in the fifth to make it 1-1. Javier Assad got the start on the mound for Iowa and took no decision. Assad allowed one run on three hits over 5 1/3 innings of work, struck out five batters and walked none. Tyler Ferguson and Jaxon Wiggins combined for 2 1/3 shutout innings in relief, allowed one hit and whiffed one to get the contest to the ninth tied, but Omaha scored twice to up 3-1 late. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 67–58 Series Opponent: Biloxi Shuckers (59–63) Series Standing: Tied, 3-3 Aug. 30: The Knoxville Smokies earned a series split with the Biloxi Shuckers following a 12-2 victory on Sunday at Keesler Federal Park. Edgar Alvarez (3-for-5) opened the scoring with a solo home run in the second, his 11th of the season, before the Smokies made it 6-0 with five runs in the third. Alex Ramírez (1-for-4) singled home a run and came around to score on Alvarez’s two-run single. Alex Madera (2-for-4) capped the scoring in the frame with a two-run triple. The Shuckers scored both of their runs in the home half of the third, but Knoxville would make it 10-2 with four more runs in the sixth. Dom Krupinski (1-for-2) doubled home two and Miguel Useche (3-for-4) singled home two more. Alvarez then picked up his fourth RBI of the contest in the ninth on an RBI-single, and Ariel Armas (1-for-3) put one more on the board with a sacrifice fly to make it 12-2. Connor Schultz got the start on the mound for the Smokies and took no decision. Schultz allowed two runs on six hits over four innings of work, struck out four without a walk being issued. Yenrri Rojas picked up the win in relief to improve to 5-6 on the season. Rojas allowed one hit over two scoreless innings, walked one and whiffed one. The Knoxville offense tallied 11 hits in the ballgame, with five going for extra bases. The offense also went 7-for-13 with runners in scoring position. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 72–50 Series Opponent: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (65–56) Series Standing: Tied, 3-3 Aug. 30: The South Bend Cubs dropped their series finale to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, 11-10, on Sunday at Neuroscience Group Field to split the six-game set. Josiah Hartshorn (1-for-2) opened the scoring in the ballgame with a sacrifice fly in the third, but the Timber Rattlers scored twice in the home half of the frame to take the lead. The Cubs re-took the lead in the fourth thanks to Logan Poteet’s (3-for-4) two-run shot to make it 3-2. Alexey Lumpuy (3-for-5) and Leonel Espinoza (2-for-4) each picked up RBI-singles in the sixth to make it a 5-2 game. Wisconsin responded with two runs to cut South Bend’s lead to one but Lumpuy would drive in three runs with a bases-clearing triple to make it 8-4 in the seventh. The Cubs could not turn in a shutdown inning as the Timber Rattlers scored twice after the stretch and then took an 11-8 lead after scoring five times in the eighth. South Bend scored twice in the ninth, thanks to back-to-back solo shots from Poteet and Lumpuy but were unable to keep the rally going, eventually falling 11-10. Anhuar Garcia got the start on the mound for the Cubs and took no decision. Garcia allowed two runs on six hits over four innings of work and struck out five batters with no walks issued. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 47–76 Series Opponent: Augusta GreenJackets (68–57) Series Standing: Lose, 4-2 Aug. 30: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped their series finale to the Augusta GreenJackets, 10-8, on Sunday at SRP Park. Alexis Hernandez (3-for-4) gave the Pelicans a 1-0 lead in the first, which was later doubled in the frame when Jhoander Irigoyen (1-for-3) scored on a wild pitch. The GreenJackets cut the lead in half with a run in the second but Myrtle Beach got that run right back in the third when Eli Lovich (1-for-4) doubled in a run. Hernandez and Darniche Valdez (2-for-4) each launched solo shots in the sixth to give the Pelicans a 5-1 lead. Myrtle Beach starter Freddy Rodriguez, who eventually took no decision, allowed just one run over four innings of work, gave up two hits, walked three and struck out five. Fenuel James turned in three shutout innings in relief, retiring all nine batters he faced, three via strikeout. In the eighth, Daryln De Leon (1-for-4) and Valdez both went deep with solo shots, giving the Pelicans an 8-1 lead and seemingly putting the ballgame out of reach. But Augusta would stun the visitors with nine runs in the eighth to go ahead 10-8 late. Myrtle Beach would go down in order in the ninth to end the game. View the full article

Jonah Tong didn't do it in seven innings Saturday, but six Syracuse pitchers did in nine innings Sunday. The sextet combined on a no-hitter as the Mets won the series finale 8-0. Kevin Herget (1 2/3 innings), Saul Garcia (1 1/3), Tobias Myers (three), Chayce McDermott, Joe Jacques and Zach Franklin (one each) did the honors. And if that wasn’t enough of a storyline, there was also Mark Vientos' day at the plate. The rehabbing slugger launched three home runs, giving him five in his last four games, and drove in five runs. MJ Melendez added a two-run shot for the Mets. Elsewhere in the organization . . . Binghamton broke a tie with four runs in the seventh inning and then added five in the eighth to defeat first-place Reading 14-5. Marco Vargas, Jefferson Rojas and Eli Serrano III each drove in runs in both innings. Brooklyn got two home runs from Sammy Stafura in a 5-2 victory at Hudson Valley. Stafura also had one of six Cyclones stolen bases. St. Lucie scored seven runs in the fifth inning and rolled to a 13-5 win at Daytona. Aiden Robbins singled in two runs in the inning as part of a four-RBI day. New York Mets Transactions New York Mets activated LF Juan Soto from the 10-day injured list. New York Mets optioned 1B Eric Wagaman to Syracuse Mets. Syracuse Finally Gets Its No-No Tong fell one out short of achieving the feat, but he got to watch his staff mates finish the job. They allowed two baserunners, both on walks. They struck out just three, so the defense needed to be perfect with the ball in play all day. Vientos, meanwhile, continued to respond to the challenge New York interim manager Andy Green issued last week. He launched two-run homers in the first and seventh and a solo blast in the ninth. He also singled in the third. He’s eligible to be activated from New York’s injured list, but, given that he still isn’t playing nine innings in the field (he played eight at first base Sunday), he might need more conditioning at Triple-A. Syracuse is at home this week against Rochester. Melendez’s homer was a two-run shot in the seventh as the Mets expanded their lead to 7-0. He now has 17 for the season. Ronny Mauricio had the other Syracuse RBI, a third-inning double that drove in Nick Morabito. Syracuse Batting Player AB R H RBI BB K Nick Morabito, RF 3 3 1 0 1 0 Mark Vientos, 1B 5 3 4 5 0 0 Nick Lorusso, 1B 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ronny Mauricio, SS 5 1 2 1 0 0 MJ Melendez, LF 5 1 2 2 0 2 Eric Wagaman, DH 4 0 1 0 1 1 Billy Amick, 3B 4 0 1 0 1 2 Jose Ramos, CF 4 0 1 0 0 0 Shawn Ross, C 4 0 0 0 0 1 Zack Short, 2B 4 0 0 0 0 3 Syracuse Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kevin Herget 1 2/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Saul Garcia 1 1/3 0 0 0 1 1 0 Tobias Myers 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Chayce McDermott 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Joe Jacques 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Zach Franklin 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Binghamton Piles Up The Runs Late Vargas, Rojas and Serrano came up clutch in consecutive innings. In the seventh, Vargas doubled in Mitch Voit to break a 5-5 deadlock, Rojas followed with a two-run homer, and Serrano doubled in Jacob Reimer later in the inning. In the eighth, Vargas doubled in Jamari Baylor, Rojas doubled in Voit and Vargas, and Serrano singled in Rojas. Bryce Jenkins, Binghamton’s fifth pitcher out of seven, earned the win. He allowed two unearned runs on two hits and a walk in the sixth as Reading tied the game. Voit hit a two-run homer in the fifth to put Binghamton ahead 5-3. He reached base five times in all, with three hits and two walks, and drove in three runs total. Vargas went 4-for-6 as part of a 16-hit Binghamton attack. Binghamton Batting Player AB R H RBI BB K Mitch Voit, 2B 4 3 3 3 2 1 Marco Vargas, SS 6 2 4 2 0 2 Jefferson Rojas, 3B 6 2 3 4 0 2 Jacob Reimer, DH 6 1 1 0 0 2 Chris Suero, CF 3 2 0 0 2 1 Eli Serrano III, RF 5 0 2 2 0 2 Corey Collins, LF 4 1 1 1 1 3 Kevin Parada, C 5 1 2 0 0 0 Jamari Baylor, 1B 2 2 0 1 2 0 Binghamton Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Gabe Davis 2 1 1 1 4 2 0 Cristofer Gomez 1 2 2 2 0 1 1 Felipe De La Cruz 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 Brendan Girton 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Bryce Jenkins 1 2 2 0 1 1 0 Bryce Conley 2 0 0 0 0 3 0 Gabriel Rodriguez 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 Stafura Powers Brooklyn Past Hudson Valley Stafura got the Cyclones on the board in the fifth with his first homer, a solo shot that cut Hudson Valley’s lead to 2-1. One inning later, Brooklyn scratched out a pair of runs to take the lead. Trey Snyder led off with a single, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Yonatan Henriquez walked, and then the pair pulled off a double steal, with Snyder scoring on the front end to tie the game. John Spikerman followed with a double, bringing in Henriquez with the go-ahead run. Stafura gave Brooklyn insurance in the ninth with his second homer, a two-run drive following a walk to Eddinson Paulino. Conner Ware started and went 3 1/3 innings. He was charged with two runs on one hit, with two walks and six strikeouts. The second run came in after he left the game as Elwis Mijares allowed an inherited runner to score. Mijares was credited with the win after throwing 1 2/3 innings. Juan Arnaud worked a hitless ninth for his fourth save. Brooklyn Batting Player AB R H RBI BB K Sammy Stafura, SS 4 2 2 3 1 1 Elian Peña, DH 5 0 1 0 0 2 Trey Snyder, RF 5 1 1 0 0 1 Yonatan Henriquez, LF 3 1 1 0 1 0 John Spikerman, CF 3 0 1 1 1 0 Colin Houck, 2B 2 0 0 0 2 0 Antonio Jimenez, 3B 4 0 0 0 0 1 Chase Meggers, C 4 0 0 0 0 1 Eddinson Paulino, 1B 3 1 0 0 1 1 Brooklyn Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Conner Ware 3 1/3 1 2 2 2 6 0 Elwis Mijares 1 2/3 3 0 0 0 1 0 Ryan Dollar 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 Gregori Louis 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Juan Arnaud 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 St. Lucie Rolls 7 In Rout The Mets sent 12 batters to the plate in the fifth as they snapped a 2-2 tie. The first six reached base. Robbins walked, Ryan Tayman drove him in with a double, Kuhio Aloy doubled home Tayman, Jack Toomey singled in Aloy, Julio Zayas singled, and, after a wild pitch moved Zayas up to second, Branny De Oleo walked to load the bases. It was still 5-2 with the bases loaded after a forceout and a strikeout, but then Jake Ogden walked to force in a run, and Robbins laced a two-run single. A third run scored on the play courtesy of a throwing error by Daytona’s center fielder. Zayas hit a three-run homer in the eighth, and Tayman singled home Jeremy Rodriguez in the ninth for the rest of the Mets’ runs. Ernesto Mercedes was credited with the win after a key relief effort. He came on for starter Christian Rodriguez in the bottom of the fourth with the bases loaded and one out in a 2-2 game. He kept it 2-2 with a pair of strikeouts. The Mets responded with the seven-run fifth. Mercedes allowed a run on a hit and a walk in the bottom of the fifth. Every St. Lucie batter recorded a hit as the Mets banged out 14 for the game. Tayman finished 3-for-5. St. Lucie Batting Player AB R H RBI BB K Jake Ogden, SS 4 1 1 1 1 0 Aiden Robbins, CF 5 1 2 4 1 2 Ryan Tayman, C 5 2 3 2 0 1 Kuhio Aloy, RF 6 1 1 1 0 1 Jack Toomey, DH 4 1 1 1 1 3 Julio Zayas, 1B 5 2 2 3 0 0 Branny De Oleo, LF 4 1 1 0 1 2 Vladi Gomez, 2B 3 2 1 0 2 0 Jeremy Rodriguez, 3B 4 2 2 0 1 1 St. Lucie Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Christian Rodriguez 3 1/3 5 2 2 1 2 0 Ernesto Mercedes 1 2/3 1 1 1 1 2 0 Jean Brito 1 1/3 1 2 1 3 0 0 Luis Sotillo 1 2/3 0 0 0 2 0 0 Brett Banks 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Jonah Tong: DNP Jack Wenninger: DNP Elian Pena: 1-for-5, 2B, 2 K Mitch Voit: 3-for-4, 2B, HR, 1 K Ryan Clifford: DNP Nick Morabito: 1-for-3, 0 K Jonathan Santucci: DNP Carson Wiggins: DNP Jacob Reimer: 1-for-6, 2B, 2 K Aiden Robbins: 2-for-5, 2 K Randy Guzman: DNP Wandy Asigen: DNP Chris Suero: 0-for-3, 1 K Jefferson Rojas: 3-for-6, 2B, HR, 2 K Will Watson: DNP Shane Sdao: DNP Eli Serrano III: 2-for-5, 2B, 2 K Antonio Jimenez: 0-for-4, 1 K Emilien Pitre: DNP Dylan Ross: DNP View the full article

Let’s see how the Red Sox farm did as this week's series came to a close. Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Series vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (New York Yankees): 3-3 Season Record: 66-61 The WooSox got back in the win column on Sunday afternoon, claiming a 13-10 victory to secure the series split. John Brebbia took the first inning of a bullpen game that featured seven different pitchers on Sunday. Brebbia allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out another, turning over a clean scoresheet to Max Carlson after the first inning. Carlson earned the win for his outing on Sunday, the longest of any Worcester pitcher. He let up a pair of runs on five hits and struck out another before Devin Sweet took over. Sweet struggled across one and ⅓ innings, letting up three earned runs on three hits. He issued a walk and struck out one as Osvaldo Berrios was called in to finish the sixth inning. Berrios struggled even more than Sweet, allowing four runs on four hits in just ⅔ of an inning. Berrios punched out a pair before Angel Bastardo took the seventh inning. Bastardo was excellent, allowing one hit and issuing one walk as he struck out another. Seth Martinez followed Bastardo in the eighth but didn’t fare as well. He let up one run on two hits, striking out one before Hobie Harris was called upon to close the game. Harris earned his third save of the year for his shutout inning of work. He let up one hit but sealed the much-needed win for Worcester. As Red Sox fans anticipate the call-up of Franklin Arias and the reinstatement of Roman Anthony, many forget about Kristian Campbell. Campbell has quietly put together an excellent season and may have put together his best performance so far on Sunday. Campbell led the team with four RBIs on three hits as Romy Gonzales and Brett Harris chipped in three RBIs each. Campbell got started early, launching a solo homer in the second inning and grabbing a one-run lead for Worcester. In the third, Isiah Kiner-Falefa drove in Vinny Capra and Nate Baez on a bases-loaded single. Later in the inning, with two runners aboard, Gonzalez scored Kiner-Falefa and Arias on a double to center. The WooSox weren’t done scoring; Harris drove in Gonzalez and Campbell on a double to left, giving Worcester a 7-2 lead. In the fifth, Campbell struck once more. With Gonzalez and Nate Eaton in scoring position, he clobbered his second homer of the game beyond the center field fence, bringing the WooSox total to 10 runs. After a seven-run sixth inning brought the RailRiders within one, Allan Castro drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh, scoring Eaton. With the bases loaded yet again, Harris drew a walk of his own, giving Worcester a three-run lead. With a two-run lead in the eighth, Gonzalez put an exclamation mark on the successful day for Worcester, crushing a homer to right field and sealing the win. Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Series @ Richmond Flying Squirrels (San Francisco Giants): 4-2 Season Record: 64-60 Portland lost on an extra-innings walk-off, narrowly missing out on their fifth straight win. Alex Bouchard struggled through the first three frames of Sunday’s game. He let up five runs on six hits and issued two walks. He struck out three as Richmond took advantage of his struggles. Caleb Bolden took the next three frames and saw much more success. He let up one hit and issued a walk, striking out a pair before Erik Rivera took over. Rivera matched Bolden’s scoreless appearance over two frames, allowing one hit and striking out three. Reidis Sena entered following Rivera and let up one run. Sena issued a walk and didn’t record an out as he was pulled quickly. Steven Brooks took over in Sena’s place and pitched a one-hit inning, walking one. With the bullpen depleted in the tenth, Portland turned to Hudson White to spin a miraculous win. White failed, however, allowing two runs (one unearned) on two hits as he issued two walks across ⅓ of an inning. Portland’s offense kept most of its momentum following Saturday's 14-run onslaught. The Sea Dogs tallied 16 baserunners as Tyler McDonough led the way with three RBIs. Johanfran Garcia posted his second three-hit game in a row, knocking in one RBI as well. In the second, Caden Rose put the Sea Dogs on the board as he drew a bases-loaded walk, scoring Yoeilin Cespedes. Down by four in the third inning, Garcia launched his third homer in two days to left field, cutting the lead to three. An inning later, Ahbram Liendo scored by way of a Nelly Taylor single. With the deficit at two in the top of the ninth, Tyler McDonough played hero. He crushed a fly ball to left field, scoring Rose and tying the game. Cespedes put Portland ahead with a double to left, scoring Garcia. After Richmond tied the game, McDonough gave the Sea Dogs another lead, scoring Liendo on a ground out. However, it wasn’t enough to claim victory as the Sea Dogs fell by one. High-A Greenville Drive Series vs. Rome Emperors (Atlanta Braves): 3-2 Season Record: 55-67 Greenville secured the series win in walk-off fashion, completing a four-run comeback in the ninth. Jose Bello got the call up to Greenville on Friday and turned in a solid start on Sunday. Across four and ⅓ innings, Bello let up three runs on six hits, issuing one walk and striking out three. Bello was followed by Griffin Kilander who struggled through one and ⅔ innings. Kilander allowed five runs (one unearned) on just two hits as he issued three walks. He struck out a pair before Trennor O’Donnell took the final three frames of Sunday’s contest. Across the seventh, eighth, and ninth, O’Donnell allowed three earned runs on three hits. He issued a walk and struck out three as he did just enough to help Greenville to the win. After losing 12-2 on Saturday, Greenville won with the same number of runs. Luke Heyman had a career night, knocking in five RBIs on three hits as the Drive went an impressive 5-for-14 with runners in scoring position. Down by four in the fifth, Heyman stepped to the plate with the bases loaded. Heyman drove in all three baserunners, crushing a moonshot grand slam to left-center and tying the game. Givian Sirvania, Jake Schaffner, and Owen Hull all crossed home plate. After Rome responded with six runs, the Drive had their work cut out for them if they wanted to get back into the game. Greenville dug in in the eighth inning. Antonio Anderson got it started, turning on a ball and sending a single to center field, scoring Isaiah Jackson. With the bases loaded, Stanley Tucker drew a walk to close the gap to four. Another walk from Sirvania put the Drive within striking distance as Schaffner stepped to the plate with the bases loaded. A groundout to first scored Nazzan Zanetello. The Drive entered the ninth inning down by three runs, and would need some magic to cap off the comeback. Schaffner stepped up with the bases loaded again, and this time he capitalized. He scored Ronny Hernandez on a single to left before Hull reached on a throwing error as Anderson and Tucker scored, tying the game. Who else would step to the plate but Luke Heyman? After a game-tying grand slam earlier in the game, he played hero once again. With two runners in scoring position and two outs, he smoked a groundball through the gap and into the outfield, scoring Schaffner and winning the game for Greenville. Single-A Salem RidgeYaks Series @ Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Houston Astros): 0-6 Season Record: 52-71 Salem’s losing streak reached eight as the Yaks lost both games of Sunday’s doubleheader. Williams Montero started the first game of the day for Salem, turning in a so-so appearance over one and ⅔ innings. He let up two runs, one hit, issuing two walks and striking out four before Nicolas Judice took over. Judice ended his one and ⅔ inning appearance with a near-identical line. He allowed two runs on one hit, walking three and striking out three. Wuilliams Rodriguez entered last and pitched a similar line. Across two and ⅔ innings, Rodriguez gave up two runs on three hits. He issued one walk and struck out a pair as he earned the loss in the first loss of the day for Salem. The Yaks notched nine baserunners through seven innings as Avinson Pinto and Martin Shelar pitched in two RBIs each. Pinto tied the game in the fourth inning on a line drive double to right field, scoring Kleyver Salazar and Starlyn Nunez. Later in the inning, Shelar gave the Yaks the lead with his first double of the season, scoring Pinto and D’Angelo Ortiz. The Drive’s lead was short-lived as Fayetteville took the lead on a grand slam in the bottom of the inning. The second game of the day was a low-scoring affair as Salem fell 2-1. Berny Ortiz took the first three frames in the second matchup of the day, giving up two runs on three hits and tallying five strikeouts. His efforts weren’t enough, however, as he earned the loss in the close game. Nicolas De La Cruz took the next two and ⅓ innings of the game, letting up three hits and walking two as he kept the Woodpeckers scoreless. He struck out three before Yander Bonaci took the final ⅔ of an inning. Bonaci walked one and let up a hit, but kept the Woodpeckers’ score at two in his first scoreless appearance with Salem. Despite 12 batters reaching base, the Yaks went 1-for-11 with RISP and couldn’t capitalize on the strong bullpen performance. Shelar knocked in his third RBI of the day on his second double of the day, scoring Anderson Fermin. The rest of the lineup was quiet as the Yaks fell for the eighth straight contest. View the full article

After a rough weekend in New York, the Boston Red Sox took another tough hit before opening a series against the Seattle Mariners. First baseman Willson Contreras was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a strained left hamstring Monday by the Red Sox, who called up catcher-first baseman Mickey Gasper from Triple-A Worcester. Contreras was taken out of Sunday's 16-1 loss to the New York Yankees in the seventh inning due to the injury, which dropped the third-place Red Sox 8½ games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays in the AL West and four games behind the Yankees in the AL wild-card standings. The Red Sox hold the No. 2 AL wild card, five games up on the Cleveland Guardians. Contreras has been an offensive leader for the Red Sox, with a .274/.384/.516 slash line with 26 homers and 79 RBIs in 125 games. His IL placement comes a day after the Red Sox got back left fielder Roman Anthony and shortstop Trevor Story. Gasper was sent down with the return of Anthony and Story. View the full article

Over the weekend, Abner Uribe went viral for wearing the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers' brat uniforms. Now, the Milwaukee Brewers' right-handed reliever is done wearing silly (complimentary) alternate uniforms for minor-league teams. The Brewers on Monday activated Uribe off the 15-day injured list and put right-handed reliever Bryse Wilson on the 15-day IL. Wilson has a low-back strain. Uribe, the Brewers' primary setup man for closer Trevor Megill, went on the IL Aug. 14 with a strained right forearm flexor. He spent just over the minimum on the IL and made two rehab appearances before joining the Brewers in time for the four-game series at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs, who trail the Crew by eight games in the NL Central. The two teams play each other seven times over the next 10 days. Wilson was injured during Sunday's 7-4 loss to the Texas Rangers. He grabbed at his lower back in the ninth inning and was looked at by the training staff, remaining in the game. Wilson went 2⅔ innings in another bullpen-saving outing. The Brewers are still waiting for left-hander JoJo Romero, who was acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals at the trade deadline while on the IL following an appendectomy. He also has made two rehab appearances and could be activated when rosters expand by two on Tuesday. View the full article

Fish On First LIVE discusses how the Marlins would be in serious trouble if Xavier Edwards missed any time due to injury. As it turns out, the second baseman was placed on the 10-day IL Monday with a left thumb sprain.View the full article

The first thing you notice about Walker Jenkins is his size. In a profession where almost everyone is big and strong, he looks big and strong even by comparison. When the Twins called him up late last week, they placed Jenkins's locker between those of Kody Clemens and Trevor Larnach in the home clubhouse, and Jenkins practically dwarfed both—no small feat, where the 6-foot-3 Larnach is concerned. It's not that Jenkins is exceptionally big, in absolute terms. He just takes up space, in that special way some athletes do. He's only as tall as Larnach, but he stands taller. He's long-limbed, broad-chested and broad-shouldered. While he moves plenty well to play center field throughout his early 20s, it's easy to see why most scouts expect him to move to right field later in his career. He's so big that he'll have to slow down a bit, in time. Bigness defines him in the batter's box, too. From the press box, watching Jenkins set up in the batter's box was eye-opening, because he's much more spread-out than might be apparent from the center-field camera. As some huge players do, he seems to take up the whole box; he's almost too big to be held. In fact, only a small handful of players who have played in the majors this year start with more space between their feet than Jenkins does, in his stance. Most notable among that group: the Mets' Juan Soto. Here's how Soto sets up in the box, using Statcast's visualization of stance data. Here's the same visual for Jenkins, who is almost exactly as open in his setup and has almost an identical distance between his feet as Soto. Jenkins's swing doesn't look anything like Soto's, though. Whereas Soto spreads out that way to get into a deep crouch and swing flat and fast, Jenkins's stroke seems geared toward loft. His average tilt on 17 competitive swings over the three games was 35°, which is steeper than average. His attack angle (the vertical angle between the ground and the movement of the barrel at the time of contact) is steeper than average, too, and his attack direction (the horizontal angle of his barrel at contact) is more to the pull side of the diamond than average. Perhaps because Jenkins landed with the Twins via the MLB Draft Lottery, he's been comped to Joe Mauer on his way up the chain to the majors. However, this stroke—which might not be the one he settles into; it was just one adrenaline-soaked weekend—looks more like a tall and lithe left-handed batter who's still active: the Yankees' Cody Bellinger. Here's a sample swing from Jenkins: cU93R2dfWGw0TUFRPT1fQWxSWlVBWlhYbEVBRGxkVVZ3QUhBRmNGQUFCWFVnVUFCVlVFQnd0V1ZGSmRCUVJT.mp4 And here's one from Bellinger, who's much more upright and has his feet much closer together in his stance but then moves so similarly to Jenkins: YVlkUW5fWGw0TUFRPT1fVXdsV0FWQU1VZ1FBWEFCVVVBQUhBVkpWQUFBRFdsRUFCUVFFQWxCUUFRZFZDUXNF.mp4 Bellinger's swing tilt and attack angle are almost identical to Jenkins's, though he doesn't average as much pull orientation as Jenkins did over his first week. It looks like Jenkins has above-average (but not elite) bat speed, and will set up in a spread-out stance to give himself stability as he attacks the ball, looking to both be patient and lift the ball with power to the pull field. It's too early to get overconfident about what kind of hitter Jenkins is, or what kind he might become. In just a few days, though, we can glean real insight into those questions, thanks to the detail and depth of new tracking data. The Twins will hope to get more actual production over the next four weeks than they got over these three games, but Jenkins deserved slightly better results than he got in his first series as a major leaguer. He's also showing some valuable and fascinating similarities to a few of the game's best hitters. Already, there's plenty to be optimistic about. View the full article

Joe Ryan is finally getting closer to a return, but the most important part of Tuesday’s rehab start in Omaha won’t necessarily be the results. It will be how he feels. Ryan is scheduled to pitch for Triple-A St. Paul as they begin a road series in Omaha after receiving the all-clear following a brief bullpen session Sunday morning. The right-hander has been on the 15-day injured list since Aug. 6 with a mild left glute strain. That injury is likely the cause for Ryan’s second half struggles, but it also gives the Twins an opportunity to reset one of their most important players before the final month of the season. The right-hander had struggled through three starts following the All-Star break and acknowledged that he was having difficulty repeating his delivery. That was the bigger concern. Ryan wasn't simply getting hit harder than usual. Something didn't look right. His mechanics weren't as consistent, his velocity dipped and the results quickly followed. Now, he believes he's moving in the right direction. "Facing hitters was the biggest one, right?" Ryan told reporters after Wednesday's live batting practice. "I haven't done that in a second, and then I haven't really done that feeling like I have control over my body and not compensating for a couple, a little bit longer than that. So good to just get out there and feel a little bit more free." That feeling of freedom might be the most important statistic for Ryan right now. A Dramatic Second-Half Turn Ryan looked like an ace during the first half of the season. He posted a sub-3.00 ERA and earned his second All-Star selection, continuing to establish himself as one of the most reliable pieces of Minnesota's rotation. Then the calendar flipped. Ryan has allowed 17 runs over his last 15 1/3 innings. He has struck out just 10 of his last 73 opponents. The Twins lost all three of his starts following the All-Star break. His fastball told part of the story. Ryan's four-seam fastball averaged just 92.1 mph in his final start before landing on the injured list. That's his lowest average in a start since early May and more than a full mile per hour below his 93.4 mph season average. For a pitcher who relies heavily on command and deception, even a small decline in velocity can make a significant difference. When that velocity drop comes alongside trouble repeating a delivery, it becomes much easier to understand why Ryan wasn't producing the same results. Another Test for Ryan There have been a few warning signs surrounding Ryan's health this season. He missed time during Spring Training because of lower back discomfort. In May, he exited a start after just one-third of an inning because of elbow pain. Six days later, he returned to pitch one of his best games of the season. His most recent start before going on the injured list was also pushed back three days because of what was described as arm fatigue. None of those situations necessarily point to one major problem. But taken together, they make Ryan's current recovery more important than simply getting him through a minor-league outing. The Twins need to know that Ryan's body is allowing him to execute the delivery he has used so effectively throughout his career. Tuesday's game in Omaha should provide that opportunity. The results won't matter nearly as much as the process. Can Ryan repeat his delivery? Does his fastball have its usual life? Can he attack hitters without compensating for his lower body? Most importantly, does he finish the outing feeling like himself? Ryan appears to be making progress, and his comments after facing live hitters suggest he finally feels more in control of his body. That's encouraging. Now, the Twins need to see that feeling translate to the mound in Omaha. View the full article

The New York Yankees have claimed RHP John Schreiber off waivers. Schreiber was placed on waivers a few days ago. This year with the Royals, Schreiber has pitched to a 3.65 ERA with a less stellar-looking 4.87 FIP. Over three seasons in Kansas City, he has pitched to a 3.71 ERA and 4.02 FIP. The Yankees will take on the remaining salary of the $3.715 million deal Schreiber had with the Royals. In 49 1/3 innings pitched this year, he struck out 36 along with 22 walks. The 17.7% strikeout rate is a significant drop from the near-24 % rate he maintained earlier in his career. His walk rate has ticked up this year compared to his career average, now at 10.8% from 8.8%. Schreiber will get an opportunity in the Yankees bullpen, giving them another major league-caliber arm for a team looking to make a run in the playoffs. View the full article

Alex and Maddie sit down and discuss the Red Sox’s middling showing in New York over the weekend. First, they answer your forum questions. They give the “27th man award” to Masataka Yoshida and Patrick Sandoval. They gauge Trevor Story's potential contributions and praise Roman Anthony for looking strong immediately. They try to diagnose Caleb Durbin’s recent struggles. They talk about Ranger Suarez and Adley Rutschman’s lack of chemistry. Finally, they review MLB’s embarrassing ruling on Ceddanne Rafaela's diving catch. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-talk-sox-podcast/id1783204104 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qPrPXEngu0CxgTmlf0ynm Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-talk-sox-podcast-244591331/ Listen on Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/4tmd121v Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@talksox View the full article

Jake McKibbin and Jason Wang come together on another Sunday afternoon to talk Brewers baseball and recap the end of another solid month for Milwaukee. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brewer-fanatic-podcast/id1740648724 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5CY8mWsQayqjDXqw9OT2Td iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-brewer-fanatic-podcast-166534588/ Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/ommzz627 Watch On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@brewerfanatic View the full article

If the season ended today, the Cubs would host the Philadelphia Phillies in a best-of-three series at Wrigley Field for the right to play the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Division Series. It's not the situation they'd hoped they might end up in when they made a series of big moves at the trade deadline, but all things considered, it would be a good outcome. It's also far from guaranteed to them. In fact, thanks to a 6-9 stretch in which they've lost series to three sub-.500 teams, they're only ahead of the Phillies via a tiebreaker, and they're considerably closer to falling out of the playoffs than to catching the Brewers and winning the NL Central. Playoff odds always have to be considered in context. There are some things a projection system doesn't adequately account for, so the odds assigned to a given team by a site like FanGraphs or Baseball Prospectus are never gospel. Furthermore, not every fan base should be looking at the same set of playoff odds to determine how it's reasonable to feel about their team and its chances. The Cubs are a good example. Here's a chart showing their chances of making the playoffs over the course of this season, via FanGraphs. After their roaring 27-12 start, the team reached an early high-water mark of 91.2% likely to make the postseason. That figure sagged all the way into the 30s at the nadir of their ensuing rough patch, but they've made steady progress since then. After their additions at the trade deadline, they shot up to the high 90s in percentage chance to make it to October, and they're still there. However, merely making the playoffs was never this team's goal, and a backdoor entry and early exit would be a disappointing outcome for their season. Let's consider, instead, their chances of making it at least to the NLDS, where they lost to Milwaukee last fall. How Likely Are the Cubs to Reach the Division Series? The team's best chances of getting back to where they ended last season still came way back in early May, when they were just under a 2-in-3 shot. Because the Brewers built a comfortable cushion in the division and never gave it back, even as the Cubs played much better from mid-June through mid-August, their odds of getting to the NLDS only rose into the low 60s. That was some comfort, at least. Thanks to the combination of their own struggles and the Brewers and Phillies getting hot lately, though, Chicago has dipped back to the wrong side of a coin flip to get to the Division Series—let alone to push to the NLCS or claim the pennant, as they'd surely hoped to be in position to do when they traded several prospects to upgrade the roster early this month. Can the Cubs Still Win the NL Central? It was always going to be different to meaningfully improve on a coin flip's chance to win the Wild Card Series, given the Phillies' ability to shorten the series with starters Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sánchez and games with reliever Jhoan Duran. The surest way out of the Wild Card round is to win your division; the Cubs' chances of that have dwindled to nothing. That makes the final four weeks of the regular season an exercise in moving goalposts, without losing sight of the importance of putting the ball through them when the time comes. The Cubs can't win the division—not only mathematically, where the uphill climb is obvious, but because the Brewers are genuinely and significantly better than them. They can't afford to declare this season a failure, though, or even permit the possibility of that; too much has been invested in it. They should define success as a campaign in which they get back to the Division Series; that will mean winning another playoff series. Getting past the Brewers (or Dodgers, or the team from near Atlanta) can be viewed as a stretch goal, rather than as a must. Chicago has never run a payroll as high as the one they're running this year. They have several veteran players (Dansby Swanson and Alex Bregman foremost of them) who will never be better than they are right now, and who are under contract for significant sums for the rest of the decade. This winter brings massive roster uncertainty for them, and their farm system is weak. They pushed in a lot of chips on this season, and aren't in as strong a position as a large-market team emerging from a rebuild and enjoying a once-in-a-lifetime season from a superstar should be in, given that commitment. No matter. They just have to go defy the odds. It's time to win. If they don't, this fall should bring serious questions about the front office and its future. View the full article

The Minnesota Twins have spent much of the season searching for answers on the pitching staff. Injuries and inconsistency have forced the organization to move pitchers between the rotation, bullpen, and minor leagues, creating plenty of roster movement along the way. Kendry Rojas could soon give the Twins another option. Rojas suffered a mild right oblique strain on August 21 during a start for the St. Paul Saints. He exited after just two innings, creating some concern about whether the injury would end his season. However, general manager Jeremy Zoll provided encouraging news over the weekend. Rojas could throw a bullpen session as early as this week, with the Twins hopeful that he can return to game action by the middle of September. There is one significant change coming, though. The organization doesn't expect him to have enough time to build back up as a starting pitcher. “Where we're at calendar-wise, not expecting to be able to stretch him back out at this point,” Zoll said. “If he does get back into game action, it'll probably be a two-inning outing for his first go, and we'll go from there.” That could still be valuable for the Twins. Rojas Has Already Shown Enough Rojas has made a strong first impression during his first taste of the major leagues. Across 12 appearances, including four starts, he has posted a 3.34 ERA with 34 strikeouts over 29 2/3 innings. His 26.2% strikeout rate is particularly encouraging. Rojas has shown the ability to miss bats against major-league hitters, and Minnesota has already demonstrated its willingness to use him in different roles. The biggest concern has been his control. Rojas has issued 22 walks in his limited major-league sample, resulting in a 16.9% walk rate. That's a number the Twins will want to see improve, especially if he's going to work in shorter outings where free passes can quickly create problems. Still, the walk issues haven't been nearly as pronounced throughout his minor-league career (8.3 BB% in 2026). That gives Minnesota some reason to believe the major-league number isn't necessarily representative of what Rojas will become. More importantly, the Twins have already seen that he can provide length. Another Multi-Inning Option Rojas returned to Triple-A following the trade deadline after Minnesota acquired Jeff Hoffman and added A.J. Minter to its pitching staff. Those additions created some difficult roster decisions, and Rojas ultimately went back to St. Paul. He resumed working as a starter, but that role is unlikely to continue if he makes it back to Minnesota this season. Instead, Rojas could become another multi-inning weapon for a pitching staff that has needed plenty of them. That type of role would also allow Minnesota to manage his workload carefully. Rather than immediately asking him to handle a starter's workload after an oblique injury, the Twins can ease him back into competition while still getting meaningful innings from his arm. September rosters aren't what they used to be, but every healthy arm can matter during the final weeks of a season. The key will be making sure the oblique injury doesn't linger. Rojas has already shown he can handle multiple innings in the majors. If his oblique cooperates, the Twins could see what he looks like in shorter outings where he can amp up his velocity. View the full article

The 2022 MLB draft is a major success for the Milwaukee Brewers because of one player, but this draft could wind up being even more productive, despite the team missing on its first-round pick and a disastrous trade. How did this happen? Let’s take a look. The Spectacular Pick: RHP Jacob Misiorowski Without a doubt, the Brewers' second-round pick in 2022 is the jewel of their class—and perhaps of any class. At this point, WWE superstar and “Real World” alum Mike “The Miz” Mizanin probably should accept the fact that he’s destined for second billing under his own sobriquet. Misiorowski is an international sensation, and arguably the best pitcher in baseball. That the Brewers acquired and developed him without having to stumble into a first overall pick (the way the division-rival Pirates had to do to land Paul Skenes) makes the return on investment awesome. The Hidden Gem: 3B/1B Luke Adams It cost $282,500 for the Brewers to land 12th-round draft pick Luke Adams straight out of Hinsdale Central High School in Illinois. Right now, it looks like money well spent. Adams has shown a power bat and superb OBP skills all the way up the ladder, including being willing to be plunked for the team’s sake. He’s competent at both corner infield positions and could handle the corner outfield spots in a pinch. He's also a threat on the basepaths. Already In The Majors: LHP Brian Fitzpatrick Before he was sidelined until mid-2027 with Tommy John surgery, Brian Fitzpatrick was looking like a reliable multi-inning reliever. While he will miss time, he could make this draft look better when he does return to the mound for the Brewers, funky arm action and all. One They’d Like Back (Traded): IF Robert Moore Moore was looking like a solid utility infielder even before the Brewers dealt him and outfield prospect Hendry Mendez for infielder Oliver Dunn. Dunn was a disaster for the Brewers, while Mendez has developed into a decent corner outfield prospect. Moore would be a fine option for middle-infield depth. One Pick That Didn't Pan Out: UT Eric Brown Brown couldn’t stay healthy, and he’s struggled in the upper minors. The Brewers should have dealt him at the 2024 deadline, when it was clear Jesus Made and Luis Pena were special prospects. Worse, the Brewers could have picked either Daulton Rushing or Sal Stewart with this pick, giving them more pop in their lineup. Still Percolating (Part One): C Matthew Wood Jeferson Quero and Marco Dinges have drawn attention for their defense and power bat, respectively, but Wood has been a solid option while being under the radar; his breakout 2026 season may earn him a bit more attention. Still Percolating (Part Two): IF/OF Dylan O’Rae O’Rae’s speed has generated a lot of buzz, but his low-key OBP skills, solid bat-to-ball capability and defensive versatility could make him a bench asset for the Brewers. The question is whether he can develop power, as Luis Lara did. Still Percolating (Part Three): RHP Will Rudy Rudy started off looking like a solid pitching prospect, but has missed 2025 and 2026 with injuries. That said, he still has time to turn things around – other Brewers pitchers have done so before. Overall Grade: A- A draft that lands a generational talent is a major win, but other prospects who have flown under the radar could still turn this into a very productive draft overall. This isn’t a question of whether the draft is a success; it’s how huge of a success it can turn out to be. What do you think about the 2022 draft? Let us know in the comments below! View the full article

If the Blue Jays had a hero in the first half of the 2026 season, it was Brandon Valenzuela. That's not to say the rookie catcher was Toronto's biggest star. But his success was wholly unexpected, and his breakout made a world of difference in keeping an injury-decimated ballclub afloat. He hit well, he fielded his position like a Gold Glover, and he managed a pitching staff that was churning through arms faster than a baby goes through diapers. If the Blue Jays had a hero in the first half, it was Valenzuela. He helped the team survive two months without their All-Star catcher, Alejandro Kirk. If the Blue Jays have a hero in the second half, it's Kirk himself. A Foul Start to the Season for Alejandro Kirk A foul tip to the thumb sent Kirk to the injured list a week into the season. He returned a month before the All-Star break. The next four weeks were rough. Alejandro Kirk exits in the bottom of the 10th inning with a left thumb injury. Kirk may have been healthy enough to play, but it's hard to believe his thumb was all the way back to full strength. Bat-to-ball ability wasn't an issue. He was squaring up the baseball just fine. The problem was that he wasn't swinging hard enough to do any damage. His average bat speed was down about two miles per hour compared to how he was swinging at the end of 2025. It's no coincidence, then, that the former Silver Slugger winner hit .217 with four extra-base hits in 21 games. His .217/.286/.304 slash line was poor, and the underlying data looked even worse. Only four AL batters took more trips to the plate in that span with a lower expected wOBA than Kirk. To add insult to injury, Valenzuela's bat crashed down to earth in the same stretch. From June 12 until the All-Star break, the two catchers combined for a .563 OPS and 59 wRC+. No number of blocks, caught stealing, or stolen strikes can make that lack of offense tenable. The Blue Jays needed more from their backstops. They needed more from Kirk. Over the last six weeks, Kirk has answered the call. Alejandro Kirk hits a two-run home run at the Rogers Centre on Sunday, August 30. Kirk Is Back, and the Blue Jays Are Too In 35 second-half games, Alejandro Kirk is batting .333 with six home runs. His .910 OPS ranks fourth among qualified AL batters. His .410 OBP ranks third. The only AL player with a higher FanGraphs WAR is Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan. Unsurprisingly, Kirk leads the Junior Circuit in the defensive component of fWAR. He blocks and frames pitches like an artist. We already knew that, and it never changed. His dominance at the plate won't be quite as sustainable, but don't let his high BABIP (.333) or the gap between his wOBA (.388) and xwOBA (.347) distract you from the fact that Kirk is back to being his old self. No, he won't keep pace with the game's best hitters forever. That's fine. What matters is that his bat speed is back up, and he's hitting the ball much harder than he was before the All-Star break. Maybe the .300/.400/.500 slash line isn't "real," but the bounceback is. For the season, Kirk has raised his OPS to .774 and his wRC+ to 115. That's right in line with his production from 2025. Among primary catchers with at least 200 PA, he ranks among the top 10 in both metrics. Despite his limited playing time, he also ranks among the top 10 catchers in Defensive Runs Saved (+7) and Fielding Run Value (+9). All things considered, this hasn't been the year Kirk was hoping for. That's obvious. Even so, he has been one of Toronto's best players. That speaks volumes to his talent and his ceiling. In the first season of his five-year contract extension, Kirk has been worth every penny (and more) of his $11.6 million average annual salary. The Blue Jays are 23-19 in the second half. They're 17-11 in August. Captain Kirk hasn't turned the ship around on his own, but no individual player has done more to get the Blue Jays back in the Wild Card than their catcher. Hopefully, with a bit more help in September, he can steer this club back into a playoff position. View the full article

The Minnesota Twins are running out of time to save their season. With the calendar flipping to September, the team's playoff hopes are slipping away. Every loss makes the postseason picture a little more difficult to see, and Minnesota's recent stretch of poor play has put the team in a position where it might be time to look at the standings through a different lens. Instead of asking how the Twins can get back into the playoff race, it might be worth asking where they could land in the 2027 MLB Draft. After Sunday's win, Minnesota has the 10th-worst record in MLB. That's not quite enough to put the Twins in position for one of the highest picks, but their draft lottery odds are already more favorable than their spot in the standings might suggest. Minnesota currently has the ninth-best odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick, at 2.1%. The Rockies, Angels, and Athletics are in a tier of their own. Each has a 19.25% chance of landing the top pick, and they're locked into the bottom three spots in the standings unless they make a surprising September run. Behind them, things get much more interesting. The Race for Lottery Picks in the 2027 MLB Draft The Mets and Royals currently occupy the fourth and fifth spots in the reverse standings. Minnesota sits in a large group of teams "competing" for the next few positions. Detroit, Seattle, and Washington are separated by just 1.5 games in the reverse standings. That small gap makes every September game meaningful, and puts many fan bases in strange positions—hoping for wins to cling to the fringes of the Wild Card race, but taking solace in losses that bolster their draft lottery odds. Detroit currently has a 52% chance of landing a top-six pick and a 6.42% chance of getting the No. 1 selection. Minnesota's numbers are much different, despite how close the clubs are in the standings. The Twins enter Monday with just a 20.3% chance of landing in the top six and a 2.1% chance of picking first. The standings may make Detroit and Minnesota look like neighbors, but the draft odds show just how quickly things can change. A handful of games in September could dramatically alter the order. For Minnesota, moving from a projected top-10 selection into the top six won't be easy—and, of course, it's not really what they most want. Twins' Remaining Schedule Leaves Door Open for Wild Card Push One of the biggest problems for the Twins' draft positioning is no problem at all, in the grand scheme: it's an opportunity. Minnesota has the fifth-easiest remaining strength of schedule in baseball. There are certainly some difficult series remaining, including matchups against the Yankees, White Sox, and Cleveland. But the schedule also includes plenty of opportunities to win. The Twins still have games against the Angels, Giants, Tigers, and Rangers. If Minnesota continues playing competitive baseball, those matchups could push the team back up the standings and further away from the highest draft picks, but they wouldn't mind that at all; it would put them back into a relevant playoff position. Among the teams currently ahead of Minnesota in the reverse standings, only Seattle has an easier schedule. The Mariners have the easiest remaining schedule in baseball, with their remaining opponents carrying a combined .424 winning percentage. Detroit ranks 24th in remaining strength of schedule, while Washington ranks 14th. The Twins still have an open lane to the playoffs, should they get hot. If they don't, though, the teams to whom they lose will move above them in the standings and become less likely to pick ahead of them next summer. Not Every Bad MLB Team Is Eligible for a Lottery Pick There's another wrinkle to the draft standings that makes Minnesota's position even more interesting. The Giants have a worse record than the Twins, but San Francisco cannot participate in the draft lottery this year. Pittsburgh is also ineligible. MLB's draft lottery rules are designed to prevent teams from intentionally losing for multiple seasons in a row. Because San Francisco is a large-market team, it cannot participate in the lottery in consecutive years. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, cannot participate in the lottery in three consecutive seasons. Those restrictions have already impacted the draft order. In the 2026 MLB Draft, the Rockies, Nationals, and Angels were not eligible for the lottery. That means Minnesota's position in the actual draft order could be better than its record suggests because some teams with worse records are not competing for lottery positioning. There is an additional consideration for the Twins. If Minnesota wins a top-six pick in the 2027 MLB Draft, the club would fall into the same general category as Pittsburgh for the 2028 draft. That would limit the Twins' ability to return to the lottery again the following year. That's something the organization will have to weigh if its season continues to spiral. There is a lot to like about the potential top of the 2027 MLB Draft, although it's far too early to start locking players into specific draft slots. The prep class includes several intriguing names, including shortstop Dylan Seward, left-hander Connor Salerno, shortstop/right-hander Chase Fuller, and shortstop Carter Hadnot. The college ranks feature another interesting group that is more well established. Shortstop Brendan Lawson of Florida, left-hander Tomas Valincius of Mississippi State, outfielder Landon Hairston of Arizona State, right-hander Dax Whitney of Oregon State, and catcher/second baseman Gavin Kelly of West Virginia are among the names to watch. Of course, the draft landscape will change significantly over the next year. That's one of the most important things to remember when discussing draft positioning this early. At this point last season, few people would have expected Vahn Lackey to become the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. The Twins ultimately selected the Georgia Tech catcher with the third pick, giving the organization one of its highest draft selections in recent history. A similar development could happen in 2027. Players will break out. Others will struggle. Prep prospects will rise. College players will establish themselves as potential top picks. Injuries and performance will reshape the board. A Different Kind of September The Twins aren't going to enter September hoping to lose games. Players and coaches are still trying to win, and the organization isn't going to openly embrace a tanking strategy. If Minnesota's playoff hopes disappear, however, the reverse standings become one of the more important things to watch during the final month of the season. The Twins are already trending toward a top-10 selection. The question is whether they can climb higher. Getting into the top six would require Minnesota to fall several spots in the standings while teams around them win enough games to separate themselves. The remaining schedule makes that unlikely (and it would certainly be unwelcome), but the American League has been a jumble all season. Minnesota already has a top-three pick in its recent history with Lackey. Another high selection could provide an important addition to a farm system that will continue changing as prospects graduate to the majors. The Twins may not have the postseason race they envisioned entering September. But if the playoffs are no longer realistic, there is still something meaningful at stake. The final month could determine whether Minnesota enters the 2027 MLB Draft with another top-10 pick—or whether a few more losses turn that selection into something much more valuable. What stands out about Minnesota’s odds in the MLB Draft Lottery? How high can the team climb (or fall) in September? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Vahn Lackey has gone from Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket to Cedar Rapids Kernel in less than two months. The third-overall pick has been living up to the draft hype and looks like he could be playing in Minnesota sooner rather than later. View the full article

In a certain way, it may seem that this version of Michael King is less dominant than before. His drop in strikeout rate to 7.79 K/9 this season suggests a greater risk when allowing contact. However, far from hurting King, his new approach to attacking the opposition has brought a good part of what the San Diego Padres will need if they reach the postseason: durability and efficiency. Barring an unexpected debacle, the Dodgers will dominate the National League West, so the option for the Padres will be to look for a spot to compete for the Wild Card. Reaching October with that challenge requires great ability and collective cohesion to face short series, where a bad start can be fatal. Above all during this second half of the season, the Padres have shown that they can play at a high level. The offense has been at its best, the defense is doing its job, and they have the best closer in the game leading one of the toughest bullpens to get through. The least consistent part of the equation has been the performances of the starting pitching corps. The Padres have used 14 starters who have made at least three starts. Through it all, King remains the main man in the rotation, with 27 starts and 2.1 fWAR. If his new profile, with less strikeout power, has raised doubts for you, you should hear this: hitters are producing against him the lowest BABIP (.252) and the lowest Pull-Air% rate (14.4%) of his career, and he is inducing his highest percentage of ground balls (45.2 GB%) since 2022. King’s main pitch remains the sinker, but he has replaced part of the presence of his fastball with greater use of the changeup (27.3%), the highest rate of his career. He has been more exposed to contact, but his performance shows that this version has also given the Padres consistency and durability. Those adjustments have not limited King’s ability to generate swings and misses, mind you. Quite the opposite. Although his strikeout rate has dropped from 9.33 K/9 to 7.79, his SwStr% rate remains intact at 10.4%. Instead, he is now providing more durability, with an average of 5⅔ innings per start. That level of depth and efficiency takes on even more value when we think about games under pressure during the postseason. For the Padres, even with the quality of their bullpen, King’s deep starts contrast with a collective problem in the rotation: San Diego ranks toward the bottom of the league in average innings from their starters, with just 4⅓ innings per start this season. Since July 3, King has recorded at least six innings in eight of his 10 starts, with a 2.72 ERA and 4.24 FIP in that span. The FIP remains relatively high, but the results have been there. He continues to be the number one starter in the rotation without question, and his competitiveness shows it. If we choose all the possible contenders for the Padres looking toward the postseason, look where King appears among the pitchers who have faced at least 120 opponents. For the ranking, I chose all the starts by starters against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Philadelphia Phillies, the Atlanta Braves and the Chicago Cubs, since they represent the teams the Padres are most likely to run into in October. Name Tm G IP ERA xFIP HR/9 GB% TBF K/9 BB/9 K/BB Michael King SDP 6 36 2.00 3.72 0.00 48.4% 148 9.0 3.5 2.6 Logan Webb SFG 6 42 1.29 3.35 0.21 52.2% 156 6.9 1.7 4.0 Jacob Misiorowski MIL 6 39 0.92 2.53 0.23 45.2% 143 11.5 2.1 5.6 Matthew Liberatore STL 8 41 3.07 3.66 0.44 35.9% 169 10.3 3.3 3.1 Chris Sale ATL 6 37.2 1.19 2.63 0.48 45.8% 148 10.5 1.4 7.3 Eduardo Rodriguez ARI 8 47.2 2.08 4.19 0.76 38.0% 192 7.0 2.1 3.4 Cade Cavalli WSN 6 34.2 2.34 3.37 0.78 47.7% 139 9.9 2.3 4.2 Nolan McLean NYM 7 41 3.07 3.24 0.88 48.0% 164 10.5 3.3 3.2 Brandon Pfaadt ARI 6 36.2 2.95 4.39 0.98 44.6% 145 5.4 2.2 2.4 Foster Griffin WSN 8 46 2.54 4.20 1.37 44.8% 187 7.0 2.7 2.6 There are big names there. But against the big rivals the Padres could face in October, King has not allowed a single home run this season after challenging 148 opponents. His overall xFIP of 4.32 drops to 3.72 when he faces the best contenders in the National League. He has also allowed a high ground-ball rate and maintains an average of six innings per start in that group. The exposure to more contact remains a risk that King has taken with his adjustments this season, but he has been reliable in the big challenges. And that is the comparison that weighs the most here: how the frontline starters in the rotation have pitched against their possible contenders. No other Padres starting pitcher has come close to that level of dominance, which shows that King remains the number one starter in the rotation. Name Tm G IP TBF xFIP xERA Michael King SDP 6 36 148 3.72 3.46 JP Sears SDP 4 20.1 85 4.45 5.10 Walker Buehler SDP 7 37 155 4.99 4.02 Randy Vásquez SDP 5 23 105 6.43 11.55 Griffin Canning SDP 4 17.2 78 5.05 5.23 There is still not enough of a sample to evaluate Robbie Ray and Casey Mize, but as the end of the season approaches, we will have a better idea of how they have responded under pressure. Another detail that marks King’s consistency and has caught my attention is his effectiveness when he pitches with four days of rest. In those games, he has a 5-1 record and a 1.91 ERA. King leads all MLB starters in that situation with the lowest OPS+ (52) allowed, leaving behind Dylan Cease (54) of the Blue Jays, an American League Cy Young contender. In six of those 10 starts this year, he has left his opponents at one run or none; he has two starts allowing one hit and on only one occasion did they score three runs against him. On the other hand, when he rests one or two more days, he has a losing record of 3-7 and his ERA shoots up to 4.44 in 13 starts. Obviously, the Padres have had to distribute his workload, but the fact that King has been responding better with normal rest is another of the big pieces of good news looking toward the playoffs. View the full article

Luis Castillo and Edgardo Ordonez homered in Wisconsin’s 1-run victory. A late baserunning blunder cost Nashville a chance to tie their contest. Braylon Payne and Trey Ebel homered, but Biloxi and Wilson lost. For the week, Nashville, Biloxi and Wisconsin each earned a 3-3 series draw, while Wilson (1-6) ran into a buzzsaw in their final home series of 2026. Transactions: RHP Jarrette Bonet promoted to High-A Wisconsin from Low-A Wilson LHP Anthony Flores placed on AA Biloxi’s 7-day injured list Game Action: Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Jacksonville (Marlins) 4, Nashville 3 Box Score Via a Sounds’ press release: Sounds Fall to Jumbo Shrimp for the Series Split Young 2B Daniel Guilarte, who’s getting AAA playing time after injuries to four middle infielders, reached base three times (2-for-3, walk) and stole three bases. Unfortunately, that same aggression also resulted in the final out of the game, as he was tagged out at third base just before the game-tying runner could score after this line out to left field. LHP Colton Gordon (6 IP, 4 R, 5 H, 1 BB, 9 Ks) followed up his five Tuesday scoreless innings with five innings of one-run ball on Sunday, striking out four consecutive batters to reach that point in the game with Nashville leading 3-1. However, his 6th inning of work went the other direction, inclusive of a 102.5mph single, 102.6mph two-run homer and 94mph solo homer. OF Tyler Black (1-for-3, double, walk) had led off the game with a double, scoring on a 1B Brock Wilken (1-for-3, RBI) sacrifice fly, while OF Jacob Hurtubise scored all the way from first base on a stolen base and throwing error for a 2-0 lead in the second inning. DH Jeferson Quero added a first-pitch solo homer in the fourth inning to restore the 2-run advantage. Sounds’ Extras: RHP Cameron Wagoner (1 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 BB, 1 K) and Brett Wichrowski (1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 Ks) capably handled the late innings to give the Nashville offense a chance to come back. As you saw from the sacrifice fly video, Guilarte wasn’t the only Nashville runner doubled off the bases on a fly ball. 3B Ethan Murray probably thought that the Jumbo Shrimp outfielder wasn’t going to make that catch against the wall. Next week’s outlook: Nashville returns home to battle Reds’ affiliate Louisville in a six-game series, with the opening game on Tuesday evening. Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Knoxville (Cubs) 12, Biloxi 2 Box Score Via the Shuckers’ website, game details and we encourage readers to review affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine: Shuckers Silenced by Smokies to Split Series - Biloxi Falls in Series Finale to Knoxville Non-drafted 22-year old RHP Peyton Niksch’s first professional season has taken him from a 25-game reliever at Low-A Wilson, High-A Wisconsin and AA Biloxi all the way to making starts at the AA level. Of course, such a transition likely comes with some bumps and he faced that the second time through the Knoxville order on Sunday evening, producing a line of 3 IP, 6 R, 6 H, 2 BB, 3 Ks. Four of those six runs came with two outs in the top of the 3rd inning, ultimately putting the team in 6-0 hole that the Shuckers’ offense could not make up. They did try, of course, getting two runs on four hits in the bottom half of the inning: The next big opportunity came via a DH Braylon Payne (3-for-5, HR, RBI) single and SS Luis Pena walk to start the bottom of the 5th inning while still trailing 6-2, but that opportunity went for naught as the offense went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position, stranding ten baserunners. Shuckers’ Extras: Biloxi’s first five batters combined to generate the team’s nine hits, including multi-hit games for OF Josh Adamczewski (2-for-5) and 3B Mike Boeve (2-for-3, walk). RHP Ryan Birchard (2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 5 Ks) was stellar in relief, while RHPs Jack Seppings (3 IP, 4 R, 1 K) and Yorman Galindez (1 IP, 2 R, 1 K) did not fare as well. Next week’s outlook: Biloxi remains home to take on White Sox affiliate Birmingham for six games, with their series commencing on Tuesday. Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Wisconsin 11, South Bend (Cubs) 10 Box Score Via the Timber Rattlers’ website, game details: Late Wisconsin Rally Sends Fans Home Happy - Rattlers win final home game of the season with five-run eighth inning to beat South Bend Thanks again to Wisconsin’s media team for compiling video highlights of their victory: Be sure to also listen to the 22-minute Chris Mehring-Jonathan Timm post-game podcast, featuring OF Luis Castillo, C Edgardo Ordonez and Manager Nick Stanley. As you’ve read, seen and heard, this was a roller coaster final home contest of the season for 6,396 Timber Rattlers’ fans, as the team fell behind 8-4 by the 7th inning, battled back to lead 11-8 with only one more out needed for the victory, then ultimately held on 11-10. 21-year old RHP Jarrette Bonet (5 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 3 BB, 3 Ks) had a respectable High-A debut, exiting down 3-2 after five innings, assisted by an Ordonez caught stealing in the 1st inning but hurt by a balk that helped lead to the run in the 3rd frame. Seven Timber Rattlers had multi-hit games, led by Castillo (2-for-5, HR, double, 3 RBIs), Ordonez (2-for-3, HR, sac fly, 3 RBIs) and 1B Eric Bitonti (2-for-5, 2 doubles, 2 RBIs). 3B Luis Lameda (2-for-4, RBI) started the 8th inning, five-run rally, which was also aided by the only error committed in the game and a timely pitching change. 2B Daniel Dickinson, Bitonti and Castillo greeted the new pitcher with back-to-back-to-back hits to turn an 8-6 deficit into a 10-8 advantage. Timber Rattlers’ Extras: Dickinson (2-for-4, walk, RBI) and OF Tyler Rodriguez (2-for-4, double, walk, RBI) each reached base three times for the winners, with left fielder Rodriguez also gunning down a baserunner at home to end the top of the 6th inning trailing 5-2. The bullpen of RHPs Yerlin Rodriguez (1 IP, 2 R, 1 K), Joshua Quezada (2 IP, 3 R, 1 K) and Michael Fowler (1 IP, 2 R, 1 K) struggled this time out, but the team still held on the for the victory. DH Sawyer Strosnider continues to deliver since being drafted in the second round: 2-for-5, double: .328 AVG, .945 OPS in 80 plate appearances. He and his teammates went 6-for-20 with runners in scoring position vs. 3-for-8 for the Cubs. Next week’s outlook: Wisconsin heads down to Beloit for the final six games of their 2026 campaign, battling the Marlins’ affiliate. RHP Ethan Dorchies is scheduled to start Game One on Tuesday. Wilson Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Hickory (Rangers) 6, Wilson 2 Box Score Via the Warbirds’ website, game details: Warbirds Swept by Hickory - Ebel Hits First Professional Homer Wilson’s final home game of their inaugural season was unfortunately a rather ugly one for 2,341 home fans, as the Warbirds didn’t collect their first hit (a soft ground ball to the opposing catcher) until the 4th inning. By that point, they already trailed 4-0 and had committed one error, one catcher’s interference and had one of their own baserunners caught stealing and another picked off. The team’s first hit to the outfield came off the bat of 18-year old OF Brailyn Antunez (2-for-4, SB) to lead off the bottom of the 7th inning while trailing 6-0, ultimately resulting in an unearned run via a later throwing error. 17-year old SS Trey Ebel’s first professional homer came with two outs in the 8th inning. The bullpen of RHPs Andrew Gaines (2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 3 BB, 2 Ks) and Thomas Conrad (3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 BB, 1 K) were a key bright spot, giving the offense a chance to get back into it. Warbirds’ Extras: Like many before him in this second half of the 2026 season, starting RHP Hayden Robinson (4 IP, 5 R (4 ER), 5 H, 3 BB, 1 HBP, 5 Ks) struggled against the formidable first place Hickory offense. Other than Antunez, OF Pedro Ibarguen (1-for-2, walk) was the only other Wilson hitter to reach base twice (counting walks, hits and HBPs). The team went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. Next week’s outlook: Wilson will jump on I-95 and head 3 hours north for seven games against Nationals’ affiliate Fredericksburg, in the Warbirds’ final series of their inaugural season. We hope that you enjoy the Minor League Link Report. Monday will be a day off for Brewers’ affiliates, but the Milwaukee Brewers take on the Cubs at 6:40pm CST. Tuesday's minor league schedule is linked below. 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