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The Cubs selected Texas A&M outfielder Caden Sorrell with the No. 62 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. In this video, we cover his junior season, where he slashed .341/.434/.743 with 23 home runs and 76 RBI, his left-handed power and plus arm, the swing-and-miss concerns that pushed him out of the first round, and how he fits the Cubs' track record of drafting and developing college bats. View the full article

The Chicago Cubs entered the 2026 MLB Draft with a clear strategy: refresh the farm system's pitching depth. Among that crop of new arms, they may have found a diamond in the rough, and it wouldn’t be the first time they got a promising player late in the draft (we’re looking at you, Josiah Hartshorn). Tennessee's Brandon Arvidson looks like an absolute weapon. Let’s break down what he brings to the table and how his projectable tools can carry him through the Cubs farm system should he choose to sign. Brandon Arvidson's Cubs Scouting Report Brandon Arvidson is a 6-foot-5, 217-pound left-handed pitcher who has three years of college baseball under his belt. The Dripping Springs, TX alum had a high profile entering this past spring, appearing on the 2026 NCBWA Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List and 2026 Preseason All-SEC 1st Team. This came after his ability was on full display last season, when he punched out 70 hitters in 38.2 innings to the tune of a 2-0 record and a 4.19 earned run average in 30 appearances (28 out of the bullpen). He came back this year and worked more innings per game (37.1 frames in 16 appearances), but an injury cut his season short. Arvidson still produced similar numbers, generating a 4.34 ERA with 44 strikeouts in his 2026 campaign, as the Volunteers got more than two innings per appearance out of him. Strengths Arvidson’s strength is, and has been, his strikeout stuff. He generated 114 strikeouts across 76 innings of work in college, utilizing a mid-90s fastball and his true out pitch, a slider that bites hard to his glove side. He pitched well against high-level competition, tossing three shutout innings against No. 9 Mississippi State and providing two innings of relief, with four strikeouts, against No. 25 Ole Miss. His environment also provides another strength: a rather shallow learning curve. Plenty of prep products are selected in every draft, meaning they’re experiencing a decent jump in competition once they hit the Complex League or Class-A competition. This hard-throwing lefty has played in the SEC, which can sometimes draw close comparisons to the Low-A level. He could be a quick riser if all goes to plan, and with the Cubs having so many injuries at the big-league level, he may get to use his skillset at Wrigley Field within just a couple of years. Managing Injuries While he passed the eye test in his two years at Tennessee, the arm soreness and minor toe injury on his ledger are both worth monitoring. Any time a pitcher gets injured, their recovery time and performance post-recovery are two key aspects to keep an eye on. Should he get back to his old self without any setbacks, when he was striking out nearly two batters per inning, the southpaw shouldn't be seen as a major injury risk. Brandon Arvidson’s Projected Path What kind of a role could the former Volunteer inherit if and when he does get to the big leagues? Think about what a fellow southpaw in Caleb Thielbar is doing right now. The veteran relief pitcher has been tossed into high-leverage situations time and time again, and Craig Counsell has been able to play the matchup game with the lefty depending on how the opposing lineup flips in the later stages of a contest. Don’t be shocked if Arvidson takes on a similar role, especially if the strikeout rate he produced in 2025 (north of 16 punchouts per nine innings) returns to form and follows him through the organization’s farm system. View the full article

The temptation is to assume that Luis Lara's whole game is speed and contact and defense. The temptation is to think that he'll have to survive on singles and create his value mostly via run prevention. You expect this kind of player to spend most of their time on the bench. You expect them to hit at the bottom of the batting order, where they're asked mostly to lengthen the lineup and set the table for the guys at the top. That might even be true, for the most part. Lara is not a future superstar, by anyone's reckoning. For as long as he's been on the prospect radar, he's been talked about as a likely role player with a high floor but a low ceiling. That's still the way most people talk about him, and it's the kind of player who signs the kind of contract he signed with the Brewers before his debut in the majors. He's a small guy—not just short, as many good hitters are, but genuinely small, with a strong but slight frame to go with his 5-foot-7 height. He's never going to carry more than about 180 pounds on his frame, and right now, he weighs under 170. Even one week into his big-league career, though, you can see what I've seen since first watching Lara swing in Arizona, during spring training back in 2024: this guy has some juice. His swing is not geared for power, and it has some elements of the defensiveness the Brewers like their young hitters to demonstrate when they first come to the majors. It also whips, in a way that (say) Sal Frelick's never has. YkJMeExfWGw0TUFRPT1fVUFaWUJWQldYd01BVzFNRlV3QUhDUVJlQUZrRFZ3Y0FDbEFOQlFJTkJ3ZGNWVmRT.mp4 With all due respect to Frelick—a fine all-around hitter, and (for the moment) still a better overall player than Lara has had time to become—he could not do this. On a 1-2 pitch, plainly waiting back a bit to guard against something offspeed, Lara nonetheless not only caught up to a fastball at 97 MPH on the outer third, but turned on it and laced it to the gap in right-center field. That's just one swing, but it's an exceptionally impressive one. Pitchers will learn not to make mistakes like that to him when they're ahead in the count, so don't count on a whole lot of hits that look like this one, but then again, the ability to even scare pitchers out of throwing you that pitch in that situation is a valuable one. Lara has 17 tracked, competitive swings from the left side since he came to the big leagues. On them, his average swing speed is 71.0 MPH, and his swing length is 6.8 feet. That puts him in a fascinating sweet spot: Typically, the shorter your swing, the slower. This is not groundbreaking, because if you think about it, it's almost tautological. To generate maximal bat speed, you try to extend. You attack the ball. You trade some directness for extra magnitude in the arc of your assault. Lara has one of the shortest swings in the league, which is helped by the fact that he's one of the shortest players—but that, alone, doesn't explain it. See the red dot above? That's where Lara's lefty swing would fit on the scatterplot, if he had enough swings to qualify. It drops him neatly into a line that contains three of the best pure hitters in the National League this season: Brice Turang, Freddie Freeman, and Otto Lopez. Being even a little faster with your bat than is predicted by your swing length is valuable. That means you're genuinely quick with the wrists and able to flash through the hitting zone, without a deep load or a long arc from the start of your swing to that zone. Right now, Lara isn't in great position to fully avail himself of this easy bat speed. He hits the ball so deep in his zone that he's often just starting to work uphill to the ball when he makes contact (or misses, high or low). As we talked about earlier this month with Cooper Pratt, the Brewers ask rookies to let the ball travel and prioritize swing decisions early in their time in the majors; that's making Lara pretty late pretty often. But the signs of a quick stick are unmistakable, whether your trust your scouting eye or the data. In time, I think Lara can more consistently hit for power than does Frelick, which makes for an interesting and onrushing conundrum. Frelick is part of what will quickly become a logjam in the outfield, if it doesn't count as one already. Lara has a long-term contract on extremely team-friendly terms, and we all know that he'll be better than Frelick as a defender. If he's also a disciplined hitter and will slug even .050 better than Frelick—that much seems almost certain to me, but I've been a believer in Lara since before most and might be biased about how real what we've seen so far will prove to be—then trading Frelick becomes a conversation worth having as soon as this week. Typically, teams like to trade prospects to bolster their contending team at the trade deadline. The Brewers have turned so many good prospects into good big-leaguers lately, though, that they're starting to overflow with the latter, and a team with a good pitcher whom Milwaukee might prize might well prefer Frelick to a further-off, riskier but higher-upside bet like Josh Adamczewski, or even Luis Peña. In the right deal, Frelick might have substantial value, and trading him (with the understanding that the team's present and future outfield will be well-tended by the likes of Lara, Garrett Mitchell, Jackson Chourio, Jake Bauers, Brandon Lockridge, Jett Williams, Braylon Payne and Adamczewski) might be the best plan. Frelick is a great competitor and is well-liked in the clubhouse; losing him midseason would be tough. At this point, though, the team has enough glue guys to survive a disruption like that, and Lara brings his own brand of intensity and psotivity, anyway. He also looks likely to be a more well-rounded offensive force than Frelick is, because his bat has power potential that Frelick's lacks. Even for the Brewers (who don't crave power as much as most teams do these days), that matters a great deal. View the full article

The All-Star break is officially upon us, which makes this a great time to zoom out and look at this Twins team as a whole. We're 97 games into the season, and it's been a year filled with plenty of highs and lows. While we all expected guys like Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan to be among the Twins' best players entering the season, I wanted to focus on some of the more surprising performances we've seen. I've got two pleasant surprises, and two disappointments. There are going to be plenty of players I don't mention, so don't get mad at me if I leave out your favorite player who's having a great season—or the guy you can't stand who's underperforming. I should also note that I won't be including players who were acquired or moved into significant roles midway through the year. Guys like Yoendrys Gómez and Simeon Woods Richardson won't be making this list. With that out of the way, let's start with the positives. The first good surprise has been Taj Bradley. Bradley's first stint as a Twin last summer didn't exactly leave fans feeling overly confident heading into 2026. There were certainly flashes, but there were also inconsistencies that made it difficult to know exactly what the Twins had. Through 18 starts this season, though, I've been really impressed. Bradley owns a 3.59 ERA across 102 2/3 innings while piling up 118 strikeouts, which currently ranks tied for 15th in all of baseball. The strikeout numbers have been especially encouraging because they're backed up by noticeably better swing-and-miss stuff. His cutter and splitter have both taken meaningful steps forward, giving him legitimate weapons beyond his electric fastball. Speaking of that fastball, it's averaging 97 MPH, allowing him to challenge hitters even when they know it's coming. Has everything been perfect? Of course not. There have still been stretches where his command has disappeared, and he'll occasionally run up his pitch count because of it. But overall, Bradley has looked every bit like a No. 2 starter for a large portion of this season, and perhaps the most encouraging part is that he's still only 25 years old. There's still plenty of room for him to grow as a pitcher, and if he continues refining his command while maintaining this level of stuff, the best very well could still be ahead of him. The second positive surprise, in my opinion, has to be Kody Clemens. When the season began, I don't think many people expected Clemens to become one of the Twins' most valuable position players. But here we are, 60% of the season down, and he's been one of the more consistent bright spots in the lineup. He's currently sporting an OPS just shy of .800, while trailing only Byron Buxton for the most extra-base hits on the team. Beyond the offensive production, Clemens has provided value all over the diamond. He's played quality defense at multiple positions, giving Derek Shelton flexibility with his lineup on almost a nightly basis. The underlying numbers make his season look even more impressive. Clemens ranks in the 93rd percentile in average exit velocity, while posting an 81st-percentile barrel rate. He's consistently hitting the baseball hard; those aren't the types of metrics you normally see from a player who was viewed as more of a depth piece entering the year. Clemens's expected batting average sits roughly 15 points higher than his actual batting average. So as productive as he's already been, there's an argument to be made that he's actually deserved even better results. It's certainly possible that Clemens gets moved over the next few weeks if the Twins decide to sell at the deadline. But if Tom Pohlad believes this team can make a run, Clemens is the kind of player who helps you win baseball games. Now, let's move to the negative column. We'll start with Luke Keaschall. Before everyone races to the comments, yes—I know he's been swinging the bat better over the last couple of months. But we're evaluating the season as a whole. Coming into the year, there were some high expectations for Keaschall. He was leading off on Opening Day and looked like someone who could quickly establish himself as a fixture near the top of the lineup. Instead, he enters the All-Star break hitting .258 with a .696 OPS. While he’s not known for his power production, his quality of contact has been abysmal. Keaschall ranks in the 11th percentile or worse in average exit velocity, hard-hit rate, and barrel rate among major-league hitters. That's simply not the type of contact profile you want to see from someone expected to be a key contributor offensively. To his credit, he still puts the bat on the ball well, and he doesn't chase pitches very often. Those are valuable traits. But when the quality of contact is this poor, it becomes much more difficult to consistently produce. Again, he was batting leadoff on Opening Day. Now he's hitting ninth almost every day. Considering the expectations surrounding him entering the season, a sub-.700 OPS through 97 games isn't where I or you hoped for Keaschall to be. The other disappointment has been the Twins' defense as a whole. I don't think anybody entered the season expecting Minnesota to be the best defensive team in baseball, but I also don't think anyone expected things to be this rough. The team currently owns the third-worst defensive efficiency rating in baseball while posting an ugly -28 Defensive Runs Saved, the second-worst mark in the majors. The left side of the infield has been an issue for much of the season. Tristan Gray struggled there, while Brooks Lee and Royce Lewis both had their share of defensive problems before eventually changing positions. Keaschall also had a difficult time at second base before making the move to the outfield. To the Twins' credit, though, they haven't been stubborn about it. Derek Shelton and the coaching staff have shown a willingness to move players around the diamond in an effort to maximize their chances of succeeding defensively. They recognized certain alignments weren't working and have tried to adjust instead of simply hoping things would improve. That doesn't erase the defensive struggles we've seen over the first 97 games, but it does show they're actively trying to fix the problem. Like I said at the beginning, there have been plenty of surprising performances this season—both good and bad—that I didn't mention here. But in my opinion, these are the four that have stood out the most. Now I'm curious to hear from you. What has been your biggest surprise from the Twins so far this season? Let me know in the comments. View the full article

Let's check in on the San Diego Padres prospects who made a mark in the last week (check out Padres Mission's latest Top 20 rankings as well!): Justin DeCriscio, SS, High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps Season stats: .293/.372/.487, 78 games, 48 R, 21 2B, 2 3B, 11 HR, 47 RBI, 31 BB, 49 K, 14 SB, 10 CS Last year's 10th-round draft choice out of North Carolina State capped a terrific week of hitting with a career-high five RBIs in Sunday's series finale against the West Michigan Whitecaps. The SoCal native, born in Orange and having started his career at the University of San Diego has been a steady if unspectacular performer for High-A Fort Wayne since a mid-May promotion from Low-A Lake Elsinore. But last week, in addition to having hits in all six games, the 23-year-old shortstop put up a ridiculous .522/.556/.783 slash line (12-for-23). He had three doubles and a homer, with that blast being a three-run shot Sunday. His hitting streak is now at nine games, with hits in 19 of his last 21. In his final three games last week, he had two three-hit performances and went 8-for-13. In 50 games with the TinCaps, DeCriscio has 17 multihit games, including six with three hits. Since June 18, he has a .345/.408/.563 slash line. He started the season with 28 games at Lake Elsinore, putting up a .311/.363/.544 slash line. Bryan Balzer, RHP, High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps Season stats: 6-3, 4.71 ERA, 15 games (14 starts), 72⅔ IP, 67 H, 42 R, 38 ER, 28 BB, 73 K, .245 opponent average A 21-year-old who signed in 2023 as an international free agent out of Japan, the right-handed starter had a tremendous outing Saturday in a 4-2 win over West Michigan. In his third start for the TinCaps since being promoted from Low-A Lake Elsinore, Balzer went five innings, giving up just a run on five hits with a walk and eight strikeouts. The eight punchouts were his most this season, surpassing the seven he had in his season debut April 2 vs. Ontario. Balzer had mixed results in his first two High-A starts. In his debut June 27, he was tagged for six runs in 3⅔ innings with four hits, a career-worst five walks and two strikeouts. Balzer had never walked four in any of his previous 34 career appearances. He bounced back on the Fourth of July with 3⅔ innings, allowing one earned run in the three runs he surrendered on four hits with a walk and six strikeouts. His 73 strikeouts rank third in the Padres' system. Balzer has made tremendous improvements since his full-season debut in 2025 at Lake Elsinore, where he had a 7.92 ERA in 16 games (13 starts) and 50 innings. He had an 11.6% walk rate and 20.3% strikeout rate. Flash forward to 2026 and those numbers are now 4.71 in 15 games (14 starts) in 72⅔ innings, walking 9% of batters and striking out 23.4%. Eric Yost, RHP, Double-A San Antonio Missions Season stats: 4-2, 2.90 ERA, 15 games (10 starts), 1 save (1 chance), 60 IP, 44 H, 26 R, 26 ER, 42 BB, 58 K, .210 opponent average While mainly a starter in his career since being drafted in the 17th round in 2023 out of Northeastern, Yost has been flexible this season with five of his 15 appearances coming out of the bullpen. But the 23-year-old's value is as a starter. After making a spot start for his Triple-A debut on the Fourth of July, Yost returned to Double-A San Antonio and was mostly sharp. On Friday in an 8-7 win over Midland, Yost struck out seven over five innings, allowing a run on six hits and four walks. He also hit a batter, which has been an issue in his last six starts with seven plunkings, three in one game. While his one start for El Paso was a bit rough, giving up five runs in 3⅓ innings, Yost has been fairly steady for the Missions. After his first three appearances of the season came out of the bullpen in a bulk roles, including two four-inning scoreless outings, Yost gave up five runs in his second start, but never more than three in any other game aside from the Triple-A outing. Walks have been troublesome with a 16% rate, while striking out 22.1% of batters. However, the walks have been mitigated by his .210 opponent average, including .191 with the Missions. Maikel Miralles, RHP, High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps Season stats: 1-7, 8.08 ERA, 14 games (11 starts), 49 IP, 58 H, 49 R, 44 ER, 41 BB, 34 K, .296 opponent average The 21-year-old right-handed starter, an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2023, has had a rough 2026 to say the least, represented by his 8.08 ERA. But there have been a handful of bright spots. One of those came Sunday as Miralles surrendered just one hit and one run in a five-inning relief appearance. In the final game before the All-Star break and four days off for the team, two pitchers preceded Miralles, who came on in the third inning and stifled West Michigan in a 9-1 win. While Miralles hasn't been a big strikeout guy this year, he did punch out nine in his season debut. And other than back-to-back starts to begin May where he had five and six strikeouts, he hasn't notched more than three in any of his other 11 outings. That includes Sunday, where he didn't have a single strikeout. He did walk three in that game, which led to his season walk total now surpassing his strikeout total 44-41. Neither rate (14% walk, 16.9% strikeout) is good, but the Padres know he has the potential. Miralles spent time at four levels in 2025, beginning at Low-A Lake Elsinore, going down to the Arizona Complex League, back to Lake Elsinore, all the way up to Triple-A El Paso, then down to High-A Fort Wayne. He only made one ACL and Triple-A appearance and two for Fort Wayne, putting up a 5.17 ERA in 16 games (13 starts) for Lake Elsinore. Qrey Lott, OF, Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm Season stats: .280/.396/.427, 55 games, 34 R, 9 2B, 0 3B, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 13 BB, 49 K, 11 SB, 2 CS The 21-year-old, signed as an undrafted free agent last year, is a very toolsy outfielder who can dominate the game at any moment. One of those was his eighth pro game when he went 5-for-5 with a pair of homers and six RBIs for Lake Elsinore. Last week vs. Rancho Cucamonga, he had a .500/.650/.786 slash line (7-for-14) with four doubles and four RBIs. He also drew two walks and scored three times. His big game was a 3-for-3 performance with two RBIs Wednesday in a 6-4 win in 10 innings over the Quakes, driving in the go-ahead run in the 10th with his second double of the game. At 6-foot-3 (down 2 inches from his listed draft height last year), Lott is lanky and athletic with a good power-speed combo. He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 15th round out of high school in 2023, but instead went to Northwest Florida State, a junior college, for two years. There, he put up a combined .335/.482/.555 with 12 homers and 21 stolen bases. While he has been a solid contributor since making his pro debut in late April, his playing time picked up when promotions happened a few weeks ago. View the full article

The Red Sox selected North Carolina outfielder Owen Hull with the No. 67 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, pairing him with first-rounder and college roommate Jake Schaffner. In this video, we cover Hull's 2026 season, where he hit .393/.500/.615 with nine homers and 18 steals, his matching 15 percent walk and strikeout rates, his breakout NCAA Tournament run, and how Boston acquired this pick in the Caleb Durbin trade. View the full article

Blue Jays Affiliate Overview (July 11-13) Triple-A Buffalo Bisons Series vs Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (New York Yankees): 2-4 Season Record: 44-49 Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats Series vs Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox): 3-3 Season Record: 44-41 High-A Vancouver Canadians Series vs Everett AquaSox (Seattle Mariners): 3-3 Season Record: 37-50 Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays Series vs Lakeland Flying Tigers (Detroit Tigers): 3-3 Season Record: 41-45 FCL Blue Jays Week Record: 3-1 Season Record: 34-17 DSL Blue Jays Blue Week Record: 2-3 Season Record: 13-18 DSL Blue Jays Red Week Record: 3-2 Season Record: 15-15 Triple-A Buffalo Bisons Season Record: 44-49 Series vs Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (New York Yankees) July 11, Game 1: After dropping every game so far this week to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Buffalo needed an offensive explosion with the bats to get back on track. They got the fireworks they needed from Charles McAdoo and Davis Schneider. Both Bisons hitters crushed solo home runs. McAdoo took Kyle Carr deep in the first inning, and Schneider took him deep in the fifth inning. In between the big bombs, C.J. Stubbs added a run on an RBI single to center field in the second inning. In the third, Yohendrick Piñango matched him with an RBI single to center, and Willie MacIver tacked on another run in the third on his RBI double to center. Simeon Woods Richardson was on the mound and got tagged for two solo home runs, one each by Spencer Jones and Kenedy Corona. Other than the two blasts, Woods Richardson pitched rather well. He kept off the scoreboard after that, just giving up the two runs. He only struck out two, though, pitching mostly to contact. Buffalo took the first doubleheader shortened game 5-2. July 11 Game 2: In the second game of the doubleheader Saturday, Jake Bloss had the mound and was dialed in. He didn't go deep into the game, only pitching four innings, but he only walked one, gave up just one unearned run, and just four hits. He, too, didn't get many swings and misses, or strikeouts, getting only two batters on strike three. While it wasn't an innings-eating game for Bloss, he did keep Buffalo in it long enough for the bats to finally break through and put enough runs on the scoreboard for the win. Yohendrick Piñango provided most of the offense for Buffalo. He scored on an error in the second inning, had a solo home run in the fourth, and drew a bases-loaded walk in the fifth inning. Lazaro Estrada and Conor Larkin combined to throw three scoreless innings in relief of Bloss, giving Buffalo the 3-1 win and a sweep of the doubleheader. July 12: In the final game of the week-long series against the RailRiders, Buffalo had their bats dialed in and loaded for doubles. Five different players had doubles for Buffalo, including Willie MacIver's RBI double in the second inning and Yohendrick Piñango's two-RBI double in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extra innings. Brendon Little, who pitched the ninth and struck out three, got a groundout and walked a guy in the 10th. Tanner Andrews came in for Little and promptly gave up a three-run home run to Jonathan Ornelas. Down three, Buffalo tried their best in the bottom half of the inning to match the RailRiders. Davis Schneider led it off by being hit by a pitch, then Eloy Jiménez followed that up with a single to load the bases up. One run would score on a fielder’s choice, and Je'Von Ward would hit a ball to left field for a sacrifice fly, bringing the deficit down to just one. After Ismael Munguia grounded into a force out, Jay Harry hit a missile, 104.4 mph off the bat, to center field. Unfortunately for Buffalo, the ball fell short of the wall and into a RailRiders' glove, as the Bisons fell 8-7. Double-A New Hampshire Season Record: 44-41 Series vs Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox) July 11: It wasn't a fun day for New Hampshire pitchers on Saturday against Portland. Portland took a two-run lead in the first on an RBI single, but Dub Gleed brought things closer with an RBI triple in the second inning. The third and fourth innings saw two more runs for Portland on singles, before Hedbert Perez stopped the scoring drought for New Hampshire with a big home run to right field. Unfortunately, Portland kept hitting just about everything. They ended the day with 16 hits and added three more runs in the eighth inning. New Hampshire lost this one 8-3. July 12: Mason Olson was on the mound for the Sunday contest between New Hampshire and Portland. He set the tone for the game, going four innings, only allowing one run on five hits, and striking out four. With Olson shutting down the Sea Dogs' offense, the Fisher Cats were on full go with their bats. Eddie Micheletti Jr. started things off in the first inning with a two-run home run, his 13th on the season. In the third inning, newly promoted catcher Adam Hackenberg launched a solo home run. In the fourth, New Hampshire scored three times without getting a hit to score the run. They got a bases-loaded walk, a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch, and a sacrifice fly. They continued the barrage in the sixth inning. Carter Cunningham had an RBI single, Hackenberg a sacrifice fly, and Arjun Nimmala added an infield single driving in a run. New Hampshire would go on to win easily, 10-3. High-A Vancouver Season Record: 37-50 Series vs Everett AquaSox (Seattle Mariners) July 11: It was another strong Johnny King start, but once again he was plagued by an early first-inning run and command issues as he walked four batters despite striking out seven. He pitched into the sixth inning after the Canadians grabbed the lead with a Jake Casey RBI groundout in the third, a Kendry Chirinos sac fly in the fourth, and a Tucker Toman double in the fifth, with King in line for the win. However, King couldn’t get out of the fifth as he gave up a run, and Reece Wissinger came in to replace him. Things did not go better for him as he gave up a three-run homer to put the Canadians down three. Another sac fly from Manuel Beltre inched it closer, and Peyton Williams came up big in the eighth inning, pinch-hitting for Chirinos with a two-RBI double to tie up the game. Beltre had another clutch RBI with a single, which ended up being the winning run as Wissinger settled down and got the win. July 12: The Canadians were once again comeback kids, as they fell early with Jack Nedrow’s ERA continuing to balloon with seven earned runs in the first four innings. Down seven runs, the Canadians did not give up at all, firing back with a four-run inning of their own, starting with a Jacob Sharp single to score the first run, then a Mathieu Vallee two-RBI double, before Kendry Chirinos drove in Vallee. Austin Marozas replaced Nedrow and gave up a homer to make it a four-run game again, but the Canadians loaded the bases in the fifth inning, with Vallee coming up and walking to bring it back to a three-run game. The pitching completely fell apart for the AquaSox in the seventh inning with the Canadians once again loading the bases, but this time they walked in not one, not two, not three, but four batters in the seventh inning, which led to the Canadians' win, as Jonathan Todd and Gilberto Batista were able to keep Everett from scoring in another comeback close win. Single-A Dunedin Season Record: 41-45 Series vs Lakeland Flying Tigers (Detroit Tigers) July 11, Game 1: This was a continuation of the suspended game from June 10, and Carson Messina pitched well, going 3.1 innings and allowing one run due to a Brock Tibbitts missed catch. Luis Fonseca replaced him and finished the fourth inning before the game was postponed due to rain until the next day. Bradley Wilson took the mound, then hit a batter, allowed a stolen base, then a single and a double to make it 2-0 for the Flying Tigers. The Jays loaded the bases in the sixth inning, but all they could get was a single run after Will Cresswell hit a single to score Jake Cook. The D-Jays tied it up in the seventh inning, with Dariel Ramon hitting a single that led to an error which allowed Tibbitts to score, and with the bases loaded once again the Jays capitalized with a Juan Sanchez 104.8 mph grand slam to blow the game open. Wilson gave up his second run of the game on a homer, but the Jays got that run back as well with a Jake Cook single that drove in Raimundo De Los Santos after he tripled. Diego Dominguez was able to get the last two outs after Wilson gave up a double in the ninth for a nice commanding win. Game 2: The Jays got a strong performance from Denis Samudio, who struck out nine batters in over five innings pitched, and the offense helped support him with a four-run inning in the second inning after loading the bases. Jake Cook walked to score the first run, then Blaine Bullard hit a bases-clearing double, although he was thrown out trying to get to third. Samudio gave up a single in the fourth, but cruised until the sixth inning, where he allowed a homer to Beau Ankeney, then allowed a hit before getting taken out of the game. Lluveres Severino allowed that runner to score after loading the bases himself, then hitting a batter. Severino allowed the tying run in the seventh inning after a fielding error by Raimundo De Los Santos, which sent the game to extras. The Tigers were able to get their ghost runner to score, advancing the runner twice with a lineout and a sac fly, but the Jays managed to tie it up with a passed ball before the manager and pitcher for the Tigers were ejected in the middle of the inning. Cook ended up being the walk-off hero as he hit a single for the winning run in a crazy ending to an extra-innings game. July 12: After sweeping the doubleheader the day before, the Jays didn’t seem as sharp on this day. Blake Purnell gave up three runs in four innings, despite only two of them being earned, as a throwing error allowed another run to score. Blaine Bullard made his best effort to keep the Jays in the game, however, driving in three runs by himself with a sac fly in the bottom of the third inning, and after Hunter Dobbins scored in the fourth, Angel Guzman had his first RBI as a D-Jay in the fourth to make it 3-1. The Flying Tigers put up a four-spot in the fifth inning off of Purnell and Luis Victorino. Bullard hit his eighth homer of the season on a two-run homer in the eighth, but that was all she wrote for Dunedin, as they lost 4-2 to spoil Bullard’s night. FCL Blue Jays Season Record: 34-17 July 11: It was a back-and-forth matchup between the FCL Blue Jays and the FCL Tigers on Saturday. The Blue Jays jumped out to a three-run lead in the first inning. Franklin Rojas hit an RBI single, followed by Denzer Guzman bringing in two runs on a single and an error. In the top of the second inning, the Tigers scored four, though. One on a bases-loaded walk, one on a wild pitch, and two on a single. Guzman responded by tying the game in the third on a line drive single to right field. Andres Arias brought in two runs on a double in the fourth and another run on a single in the sixth. The Blue Jays won 7-4. July 13: In the Monday rematch between the FCL Blue Jays and FCL Tigers, Jackson Jobe was on the mound for the Tigers in a rehab appearance. He went three innings and only allowed two hits. Once he came out, the game became closer. The Blue Jays scored four in the fourth inning. Two on a single and two on a stolen base and throwing error. The Tigers tied the game at four, and it remained there until the sixth inning, when Kennew Blanco tripled home the winning run. The Blue Jays won 5-4. DSL Blue Jays Blue Season Record: 13-18 July 11: Sunday was another good day on offense for BJB. They combined to have nine base hits, nine walks, and stole five bases, all resulting in seven runs. Juan Caricote led the way for BJB with the bat; he racked up four singles in his five at-bats, also knocking in two runs. The only other registered RBI came from Sebastian Casanova, while he also scored twice and had two hits. BJB scored four runs in the game that were not RBI, one scored in the second on a double steal of home and second, one scored in the fourth on a wild pitch, another scored on an error in the seventh, and the last scored in the eighth on a wild pitch. Despite BJB's lack of RBI base hits, they were up 6-3 in the bottom of the seventh, when the bullpen imploded and coughed up the lead and sent the game into extra innings. They again had the lead going into the bottom of the eighth. Here it was the bullpen that failed them. Orlando Marcelin gave up two runs, and BJB took the loss 8-7. July 13: Roberto Castellanos had himself a good game on the mound Monday. He worked a strong six innings, staying in command on the bump by just walking one, surrendering just three hits, and striking out five. He did get tagged for an RBI double in the fourth and a solo home run in the fifth. The two runs were all that he and BJB would give up in the game. While the pitching did their job, the hitting did not. Deret Gonzalez doubled home Randy Soto in the second; it was the only run BJR would score in the game. They only had five hits: Gonzalez added a single to his double, Sebastian Casanova had two singles, and Fabian Gonzalez also had a single. BJB lost this one in a lackluster game, 2-1. DSL Blue Jays Red Season Record: 15-15 July 11: After the first two innings, BJR was down 7-0, with Carlos Olivo being charged with all seven runs. BJR tried to make a comeback, scoring one in the fourth, when Darwin Núñez scored on a throwing error. In the fifth, Luis Nunez hit a ball to right field for a sacrifice fly. Darwin Núñez then doubled home Gabriel Porras, and Ayberson Ortega singled in Núñez. Unfortunately for BJR, it was the closest they would come, as their bullpen coughed up a few more runs. BJR dropped the game 10-4. July 13: Aneudi Severino and Gabriel Porras each had monster games at the plate for BJR on Monday. Severino led the way with a 3-for-4 day, scoring two runs, knocking in three, and hitting his fourth home run of the season. Porras didn't have as many hits, but he did more damage with his base knocks. He went 2-for-5, scored once, but knocked in six. Three of his RBI came from a ninth-inning three-run blast. He also had a two-RBI single in the seventh and an RBI groundout in the third. Pitching and fielding were terrible for BJR, though. They committed three errors, and their starter (Franiel Severino) gave up 10 runs (nine earned). Thanks to Porras’ ninth-inning home run, BJR still had a chance to win. Later in the ninth, Samuel Orellana singled home Severino and brought BJR to within one. Unfortunately, BJR stranded runners at first and second, following a pop-up, a strikeout, and a groundout. The game ended with BJR losing 12-11. View the full article

The Padres selected right-handed pitcher Coleman Borthwick out of South Walton High School in Florida with the No. 21 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. In this video, we cover his senior season, where he went 10-0 with a 0.21 ERA and 121 strikeouts against just seven walks, his fastball-slider combination, his 6-foot-6 frame, and how he fits San Diego's decade-long pattern of drafting high school players in the first round. View the full article

While the process has taken longer than many on the outside thought, the sale of the San Diego Padres will happen. That is according to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, who held court prior to Tuesday's All-Star Game and was asked about the record $3.9 billion purchase by Jose E. Felciano and Kwanza Jones. “It’s a question of getting investment commitments, documentation to be put in a condition that it’s ready for a club vote,” Manfred said, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. News of the sale agreement broke in mid-April, with the Seidler family negotiating the richest sale in MLB history, surpassing the $2.4 billion that Steve Cohen paid for the New York Mets in 2020. Cohen, one of the richest people in the world, acquired 95% control of the team. Feliciano and Jones are said to be purchasing a 45% stake in the Padres, with several other people, groups and entities piecing together the remaining 55%. That is where it seems things have slowed down. That and the sale news becoming public earlier in the process than what is typical. “When people in the public become aware of the sale — this one was earlier, quicker than what sometimes happens,” Manfred said. “Usually, it gets public when it’s a little closer to final documents. But (the sale) will get done.” There was an owners meeting in June where a vote could have taken place. Now, it seems like the approval will happen in August at the next owners meeting. A vote to approve new ownership requires 22 of the other 29 teams. View the full article

The Royals selected Louisville outfielder Zion Rose with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. In this video, we cover his junior season, where he slashed .417/.491/.646 with six homers and 24 stolen bases, his plate discipline and speed, his conversion from catcher to the outfield, and how Kansas City's under-slot approach at this pick set up over-slot selections like Taylor Rabe and Jack Slightom later in the draft. View the full article

Nick Lorusso is one of the top power-hitting prospects in the Mets' minor league system. Drafted in the 9th round in 2023, he's climbed steadily through the minors and is currently playing in Double-A Binghamton. With third base uncertain after Bo Bichette has the option to opt out of his contract, we take a look at whether Lorusso could be the fit at the hot corner. View the full article

On Tuesday afternoon, the Royals announced that they had acquired right-handed pitcher Easton McGee from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for cash considerations. To make room for McGee, the Royals transferred reliever Nick Mears to the 60-Day IL. McGee pitched in 9 outings and 14.2 IP last season with the Brewers, posting a 5.52 ERA and 1.36 WHIP. However, his FIP was much better at 3.24. This year, he's spent most of it in Triple-A Nashville, as he has only appeared in two games for the Brewers. In those two outings, he has a 0.00 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. He showcased an intriguing TJ Stuff+ profile, though he didn't generate many whiffs in his brief Brewers tenure this year. With the Sounds in Triple-A, McGee has a 5.62 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 4.18 WHIP, and 13.6% K-BB% in 41.2 IP. In Nashville, he has done a good job of flooding the strike zone, with strong percentiles in zone rate and CSW. That is something sorely needed with this Royals bullpen, which ranks 28th in reliever BB/9 this year. In a corresponding move, the Royals moved Mears from the 15-Day IL to the 60-Day IL. Mears had been on the IL since May 29th due to right shoulder impingement. The former Brewers pitcher, acquired this offseason along with Isaac Collins in the Angel Zerpa trade, had a 5.12 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 21 appearances and 19.1 IP before going on the IL. View the full article

With their first two selections in the 2026 MLB Draft, the Minnesota Twins (led by assistant GM Sean Johnson) selected catchers Vahn Lackey (3rd overall) and Carson Tinney (43rd), fortifying the minor-league depth of a position group that had been the organization’s greatest area of future insecurity. The primary reason for team decision-makers' uncertainty about the position’s medium- and long-term health was that All-Star-caliber backstop Ryan Jeffers is almost guaranteed to depart the organization as a free agent this offseason. Veterans Victor Caratini and Alex Jackson are under team control for 2027 and could serve as a serviceable short-term tandem at the position, assuming Jeffers leaves. Still, Caratini and Jackson aren’t long-term candidates to anchor the position as Minnesota enters its next World Series-contending window. Until the selection of Lackey and (to a much lesser extent) Tinney, the prospect much of Twins Territory was projecting to be Jeffers’s long-term successor at the position was Eduardo Tait, acquired alongside Mick Abel in the 2025 MLB trade deadline swap that sent Jhoan Duran to Philadelphia. Still appearing on many top-100 prospect lists, Tait boasts plus power and a strong arm behind the dish. However, he swings at almost everything, sporting a 40.8% out-of-zone swing rate. His extreme lack of plate discipline has resulted in a .216/.280/.420 (73 wRC+) line over 339 plate appearances. Tait is 19, and he does have exciting in-game power, with 15 home runs this season. Still, a sub-300 on-base percentage (OBP) at High-A is catastrophic, and he will need to make drastic, sustained changes to his plate discipline to advance to the high minors. More than three years younger than the average High-A player, Tait will have plenty of time to make those developments, and Twins fans should remain optimistic about the 19-year-old’s long-term prospects. Still, it feels more likely that he'll reach the majors in 2029 than that it could happen by 2027. That being the case, the organization was in dire need of more developed, easier-to-project catching talent in the minors. Enter Lackey and (again, to a lesser extent) Tinney. Selected third overall, Lackey instantly slots in as Minnesota’s catcher of the future, with a chance to make his major-league debut early next season. He was arguably the most refined prospect in the 2026 draft, and he could soon slot in above Walker Jenkins on Twins top prospect rankings. There arguably wasn’t a better fit between player and team in the draft than Lackey and Minnesota, and Twins Territory should reap the benefits of the pairing for seasons to come. Lackey immediately usurps Tait, though the way the Twins prefer to deploy their catchers, there's plenty of room for both to contribute. Khadim Diaw and Enrique Jimenez were the organization's other top catching prospects alongside Tait before Lackey and Tinney were selected. Diaw’s bat will likely be what guides him to the majors, as the 22-year-old struggles to suppress base stealers, throwing out only six of the 109 runners who attempted to steal a base on him between High-A and Double-A. He's spent significant time in center field in Wichita, and projects to be an outfielder if he does reach the majors. Jimenez is a better defensive catcher than Diaw. However, given that he is only 20 and hitting .232/.400/.402 at High-A, it's nearly impossible to project his long-term viability as a major leaguer. Right now, Tait is a better prospect than Tinney. However, Tinney sneaks in above Diaw and Jimenez on the organization’s depth chart at the position. Unlike Lackey, Tinney is a raw prospect, with a lot of swing-and-miss in his offensive profile and uncertainty about his ability to remain behind the plate as he progresses through the minors. Still, after sporting elite exit velocity and raw power at the University of Texas, the 21-year-old has a clearer path to the majors than Tait’s, Diaw’s, and Jimenez’s, even if he’s spending more time at designated hitter, first base, and the corner outfield than behind the plate. Lackey is arguably the best catching prospect drafted in the 2020s, and Tinney could serve as the other half of the tandem. Minnesota has dramatically changed its long-term outlook at the position, making Tait’s, Diaw’s, and Jimenez’s shaky development feel less enormous. View the full article

It's too early to start making hotel reservations for October, but it's not too early to start saving up for the massive prices of playoff tickets. The Chicago Cubs have surged again recently, and while it hasn't been enough to make them any serious threat to the Milwaukee Brewers for the NL Central crown, they're now firmly back into playoff position and will be buyers at the trade deadline. FanGraphs estimates that the team has a 76.8% chance to reach the postseason, more than double the odds it gave them at their nadir a little over a month ago. That might even undersell them, because at this point, it's clear that the Cubs will supplement their pitching staff in some way at the deadline, whereas some of the teams still taking up some of the projected playoff probability in models like FanGraphs's (the Marlins, the Nationals, the Padres, the Diamondbacks, the Cardinals, the Pirates) are much less likely to do so. Sensing the importance of not only recovering in the standings but continuing to push forward, the Cubs have gone into a mode not unlike a team in its stretch drive or in the playoffs themselves, lately. Craig Counsell is spending less time rotating in and trusting young players. He's using a shorter hook on his starters. And, in fact, one of those starters has also changed his approach, adapting to Counsell's plan to win each day and to the new role he might fill as the roster changes in coming weeks. Shota Imanaga will not—he can not—be a playoff ace for the Cubs. It's just not part of his spectrum of reasonable projected outcomes, at this point. The team rightfully trusts Matthew Boyd more at this point, and they'll hope to have at least one of Jameson Taillon, Edward Cabrera or Ben Brown (in order, here, from most to least likely) healthy and pitching like a playoff starter by the time they get to the end of the season. They're also going to be in the market for a starter of at least that caliber via trade this month, though it's never easy to acquire such a player. If the Cubs get their way, Imanaga won't be slated to pitch much in a Wild Card Series. However, if the team is to make any meaningful run in the playoffs, they'll need Imanaga to be his best self. That 'best self' just needs to look a bit different than it does during the grind of the regular season. To that end, we've seen Imanaga make a major adjustment over his last three starts, which could signal both the team's desire to prepare him for the role he'll play in September and October and his own understanding of how his skill set interacts with the world he's pitching in right now. Ordinarily, Imanaga is a fastball-forward guy. That's what made him so lamentably hittable down the stretch last season, when his fastball velocity sagged into the upper 80s and lowest end of the 90s most of the time. He works off his fastball for two reasons: When it's right, the pitch can induce pop-ups, whiffs and other positive outcomes for Imanaga and the Cubs. Well-located at the top of the strike zone, the pitch comes in unusually flat, and hitters struggle to adjust enough to get the barrel through the center of the ball. Even if they center the ball perfectly on the barrel, they're often a bit underneath it. Throwing the fastball enough to force batters to look for it sets up his two more devastating options, the splitter and the sweeper. Imanaga thrives on getting batters to chase outside the zone, and they'll do that more readily when they're looking for a fastball and (therefore) expecting a strike. The heater itself not only isn't an out pitch, though, but tends to get hit hard. Yes, he gets routine fly balls and pop-ups with it, but he also gives up more than his share of home runs on it. That's in the nature of being a guy who works up in the zone with a slower-than-average fastball. It's an important piece of the puzzle for him, but the stats will always be ugly on at-bats that end with fastballs. The challenge is to throw that pitch as little as possible, without diminishing the effectiveness of secondary pitches that rely on the fastball to make them play up. That's become even more important this season, but also more complicated. The advent of the ABS system has brought about a smaller zone, and most of the lost dimension of the zone has come off the top edge. As a result, more of the fastballs Imanaga throws are technically above the zone, so batters are less incentivized to swing against it—but also less pressured to hunt the fastball, and perhaps less naturally vulnerable to the other offerings. Three starts ago, therefore, Imanaga made a change. Beginning then and growing even more stark in his two July starts, he's thrown the fastball less than ever before, since he came to the United States in 2024. That's come, as you'd expect, with greater reliance on the splitter and sweeper. The metrics on those pitches are much better than on his fastball, but there's a catch: without the fastball to set them up, he has to work harder to get outs with them. The most efficient version of Imanaga is the guy who throws that fastball 45% of the time, rather than about a third of the time. But that efficiency isn't always what the team needs. In his two starts this month, Imanaga has only recorded 29 total outs. He went 4 2/3 innings against the Cardinals on July 4, and 5 frames against the Reds on Friday night. However, he's only given up three runs in the two outings, combined. He's using more pitches per batter faced, and he's walking more batters than the version of himself who dominated the league for parts of 2024. However, he's still missing enough bats, as evidenced by his 13 strikeouts in the two outings. Counsell is also being more proactive with him, pulling him not at the first sign of trouble, but before that trouble can become a budding disaster. This is how teams use their third or fourth starter in the postseason: by asking them to be less efficient but more clinical. That Imanaga is already morphing into that version of himself is good news for Chicago. It puts a bit of extra pressure on the bullpen, but it also gives the team a better chance of being in position to win when Imanaga leaves the game. It's time to make those kinds of changes and get serious about the formula they want to use to win games when the stakes rise sharply. Fewer runs allowed per out recorded becomes the sole criterion of utility by mid-September, and Imanaga and the Cubs are turning his starts into rehearsals for that intensity and urgency even in July. View the full article

The 2026 MLB Draft is behind us, and the Milwaukee Brewers found some high-upside players even outside of the first couple of rounds. Aidan Knaak is one of them. Milwaukee selected him in the fifth round, at 163rd overall. Let’s dive into his story, strengths, weaknesses and overall projection within the Brewers organization. Knaak’s Background Knaak is a 6-foot-1, 215-pound right-handed pitcher out of Clemson. He was already a high-profile prep product, as the righty showed great ability to keep hitters off balance as a member of the Bishop Verot High School (Fort Myers, FL) rotation. After going undrafted due to the strength of his commitment to playing in college, Knaak started his Tigers career strong, earning All-ACC honors in each of his first two seasons. He tumbled this year, though, as the Florida native posted an ugly a 5.81 ERA. His production didn't match, but his scouting report still garnered enough appeal for him to be a top-250 draft recruit, per MLB Pipeline; he slotted in at No. 210. Knaak has gained a reputation for sticking around the edges of the strike zone and mixing it up, with an arsenal consisting of a fastball, curveball, slider and changeup. What’s There to Harness? The main appeal with Knaack is his changeup, a pitch that’s earned a 60 grade on MLB Pipeline’s 20-to-80 scouting scale. He’s able to manipulate and alter it, bringing it into the mid-80s or dropping it into the 70s and (either way) showing above-average arm-side run. With pristine pitch tunneling, this could make for an elite weapon at the professional level. If he’s able to make the changeup stick in the 70s, it only increases the effectiveness of a low-90s fastball. With the changeup being his best offering, I’m curious how he’ll work around it. He could either set up his best pitch by getting to a two-strike count on the fastball and then bury the offspeed offering in the dirt, or he could pitch backward a bit. Starting some at-bats with the changeup to set up the breaking stuff or a heater as the out pitch might work, based on the way he commands the cambio. There have been reports of him generating almost two feet of horizontal break and generating a whiff rate in the 50s (via Driveline). That would be considered elite at the minor-league and major-league levels. Points of Improvement Knaak and the Brewers could work on his fastball velocity, as a pitch currently topping out at 96 miles per hour is around average. (His average velocity is a few ticks lower.) He may not need to push the ceiling higher, but to profile as a future starter, he probably needs to bring up the floor and center line of his velocity band. His primary issue this spring was limiting hard contact with his other offspeed pitches. His slider and curveball are graded at 45 and 40 on the scouting scale, respectively. The righty allowed an opposing slash line of .476/.500/.714 against those two pitches to college hitters; he needs a lot of work in the spin department. Overall Projection Knaak may have had a bumpy spring, but he’s entering the right organization to make some tweaks to his game. He doesn’t need to be a hard thrower, by modern standards. Look at the early success of pitchers like Quinn Priester in 2025 (93.9 mph fastball average) or Logan Henderson (93.1 mph fastball average) this year. The main objective will be working around Knaak’s potentially elite changeup, something that has been his prized possession for years. From there, it’ll be on the pitching laboratory to generate more spin on his other pitches. If he can get ahead and garner better whiff rates on other pitches, this could be someone who turns into a future rotation piece. View the full article

The 2026 MLB Draft is behind us, and the Milwaukee Brewers found some high-upside players even outside of the first couple of rounds. Aidan Knaak is one of them. Milwaukee selected him in the fifth round, at 163rd overall. Let’s dive into his story, strengths, weaknesses and overall projection within the Brewers organization. Knaak’s Background Knaak is a 6-foot-1, 215-pound right-handed pitcher out of Clemson. He was already a high-profile prep product, as the righty showed great ability to keep hitters off balance as a member of the Bishop Verot High School (Fort Myers, FL) rotation. After going undrafted due to the strength of his commitment to playing in college, Knaak started his Tigers career strong, earning All-ACC honors in each of his first two seasons. He tumbled this year, though, as the Florida native posted an ugly a 5.81 ERA. His production didn't match, but his scouting report still garnered enough appeal for him to be a top-250 draft recruit, per MLB Pipeline; he slotted in at No. 210. Knaak has gained a reputation for sticking around the edges of the strike zone and mixing it up, with an arsenal consisting of a fastball, curveball, slider and changeup. What’s There to Harness? The main appeal with Knaack is his changeup, a pitch that’s earned a 60 grade on MLB Pipeline’s 20-to-80 scouting scale. He’s able to manipulate and alter it, bringing it into the mid-80s or dropping it into the 70s and (either way) showing above-average arm-side run. With pristine pitch tunneling, this could make for an elite weapon at the professional level. If he’s able to make the changeup stick in the 70s, it only increases the effectiveness of a low-90s fastball. With the changeup being his best offering, I’m curious how he’ll work around it. He could either set up his best pitch by getting to a two-strike count on the fastball and then bury the offspeed offering in the dirt, or he could pitch backward a bit. Starting some at-bats with the changeup to set up the breaking stuff or a heater as the out pitch might work, based on the way he commands the cambio. There have been reports of him generating almost two feet of horizontal break and generating a whiff rate in the 50s (via Driveline). That would be considered elite at the minor-league and major-league levels. Points of Improvement Knaak and the Brewers could work on his fastball velocity, as a pitch currently topping out at 96 miles per hour is around average. (His average velocity is a few ticks lower.) He may not need to push the ceiling higher, but to profile as a future starter, he probably needs to bring up the floor and center line of his velocity band. His primary issue this spring was limiting hard contact with his other offspeed pitches. His slider and curveball are graded at 45 and 40 on the scouting scale, respectively. The righty allowed an opposing slash line of .476/.500/.714 against those two pitches to college hitters; he needs a lot of work in the spin department. Overall Projection Knaak may have had a bumpy spring, but he’s entering the right organization to make some tweaks to his game. He doesn’t need to be a hard thrower, by modern standards. Look at the early success of pitchers like Quinn Priester in 2025 (93.9 mph fastball average) or Logan Henderson (93.1 mph fastball average) this year. The main objective will be working around Knaak’s potentially elite changeup, something that has been his prized possession for years. From there, it’ll be on the pitching laboratory to generate more spin on his other pitches. If he can get ahead and garner better whiff rates on other pitches, this could be someone who turns into a future rotation piece. View the full article

Here is the second part of our series on the Royals who made the All-Star team just once in their Kansas City careers. You can catch up on part one here. This part will cover the 1990s and 2000s, which were obviously not some of the greatest times in team history. Still, there are plenty of good players here, and probably a couple of surprises. Danny Tartabull (1991) After the Royals acquired Tartabull in a good trade with Seattle following the 1986 season (sending pitcher Scott Bankhead and outfielder Mike Kingery to the Mariners), the new right fielder had solid seasons in 1987-89. But he was always kind of overshadowed by George Brett and Bo Jackson. Tartabull was a bit miffed he didn’t join Bo Jackson on the 1989 team, and he had a good case. Then he suffered through an injury-plagued 1990 season. But in 1991, he got off to a good start, hitting .292/.329/.466 through May. Then he bashed nine home runs in June, along with a .368/.421/.736 line for the month. And still, as the time grew near to pick the reserves, there was a question of whether he would make the team. But Oakland manager Tony LaRussa did select the outfielder for the team; it probably helped that Tartabull went 6-for12 with two doubles and a home run in a series in Oakland at the end of June. “Overall, I’m grateful, privileged, and honored–all three. I’m grateful because they left off a lot of deserving guys.”--Tartabull, quoted by Dick Kaegel, The Kansas City Star, July 5, 1991 When NL manager Lou Piniella (featured in part one of this series!) chose Atlanta’s Tom Glavine as his starting pitcher, LaRussa decided to use the right-handed Tartabull as his DH. So the Royals’ lone representative was in the starting lineup. It didn’t work out, though. Glavine struck out Tartabull to end the first inning, and the Royal lined out to third to end the third inning. When his turn to bat came around again, it was the sixth inning and time to get some reserves in the game, so Harold Baines pinch-hit for him. Tartabull left the Royals for the New York Yankees as a free agent after the 1991 season, and despite hitting 81 home runs over the next 3 ½ seasons, he never made an All-Star team again. But he did get to be on a couple of episodes of Seinfeld, so there’s that. David Cone (1994) Most of you know that Cone, after a cup of coffee with the Royals in 1986, was traded away in possibly the worst deal in Royals history after the season. After a so-so 1987 season with the New York Mets, he blossomed in 1988, winning 20 games. He made the All-Star team that year and again in 1992 for the Mets before a midseason trade sent him to the Toronto Blue Jays. After helping them to a World Series title, Cone returned to his hometown as a free agent after the 1993 season, as Royals owner Ewing Kauffman opened his checkbook to correct the team’s earlier mistake. Kansas City didn’t win a title while Cone was back in town, but it was hardly his fault. In 1993, Cone went 11-14 despite a 3.33 ERA, thanks to a criminal lack of run support; his 7.2 bWAR total tells you he was outstanding. It was more of the same in 1994, but with better luck, as he finished 16-5 with a 2.93 ERA before the strike ended the season in August. That was good for a Cy Young Award. But first, Cone would make the All-Star team for his only time as a Royal. On the day the All-Star pitchers were announced, Cone pitched the Royals to a win over his former Blue Jays teammates, giving Toronto manager Cito Gaston a tough decision on his starter for the All-Star Game. “I’d welcome the opportunity, no doubt about it. To be on that mound to start a game in a Royals uniform would be tremendous…It’d be a dream come true.”--Cone, quoted by Dick Kaegel, The Kansas City Star, July 4, 1994 But it wasn’t to be. Gaston selected his own pitcher, Jimmy Key, because he would be pitching with full rest, as opposed to Cone on three days’ rest. Cone followed Key on the mound, allowing three runs in the third inning but recovering to pitch a scoreless fourth. Of course, in those pre-interleague play days, many of the NL hitters had seen him when he was a Met, so perhaps they had an advantage. The Royals traded Cone away again before the 1995 season began, mostly as a cost-cutting move. He would be an All-Star twice more, but those were both with the New York Yankees. Kevin Appier (1995) The vastly underrated Appier, the Royals’ first-round pick in the 1987 draft, was 15-8 with a 2.46 ERA in 1992. But he pitched on the Sunday before the All-Star break and was left off the team. In 1993, he led the league in bWAR and captured the ERA title (2.56) while winning 18 games. But again, he pitched that final game before the break. No selection. He was not nearly as effective in 1994, so wasn’t really considered as an option. But in 1995, manager Bob Boone juggled his rotation to allow Appier to pitch the Friday before the All-Star Game. It worked! At 11-3 with a 2.30 ERA, Appier was at last an All-Star. “I wish I could have made them all, but it feels very good to at least make this one. Hopefully, it’s the first of many.”--Appier, quoted by Mike DeArmond, The Kansas City Star, July 3, 1995 Like Cone the year before, Appier was considered for the start by AL manager Buck Showalter, who ultimately chose Randy Johnson. Also like Cone, Appier was the second man on the mound for the AL. Unlike Cone, Appier was outstanding. He retired all six hitters he faced, with five groundouts and a strikeout. Six of the NL’s best hitters couldn’t even get the ball out of the infield, and the last two batters he faced were some guys named Tony Gwynn and Barry Bonds. But it was not the first of many appearances for Appier; rather, it was the only one of his career. Injuries took some of his effectiveness, and while he had some good seasons left, he was not quite as dominant. The Royals dealt him to Oakland at the trade deadline in 1999, although he would briefly pitch for KC in 2003 and 2004 to wrap up his career. Dean Palmer (1998) Palmer is kind of perfect for this sort of article. Acquired from the Texas Rangers just ahead of the trade deadline in 1997, Palmer brought the power-hitting ability the Royals always seem to struggle to find. He hit nine home runs over the final two months of that season, a total that placed him fourth on the team for the year. Seriously. Since two of the players who finished ahead of him (Chili Davis and Jay Bell) were free agents, Kansas City was depending on Palmer to keep that up. He certainly did, hitting 16 home runs with a .288/.334/.523 line through the end of June. That was tied with Jeff King for the team lead, but Palmer got the nod. Although he had bashed 33 home runs in 1993 and 38 in 1996, it was his first selection. And he almost had to miss the game, as he was hit by a pitch on the elbow the day after his selection was announced. “I was pretty worried. The way it looked a couple of days after it happened, I didn’t know if I had a chance to play in the All-Star Game.”--Palmer, quoted by Joe Posnanski, The Kansas City Star, July 6, 1998 But play he did, although his one at-bat, as a pinch–hitter in the eighth inning, resulted in a double play. Palmer had a good second half of the season, though, making a run at Steve Balboni’s single-season franchise record of 36 home runs. Palmer ended up just short at 34. A free agent after the season, he signed with Detroit. Although he hit 38 home runs for the Tigers in 1999, he didn’t make the All-Star team, and 1998 ended up as his only appearance. Jermaine Dye (2000) I don’t know if the Royals had the best young outfield in baseball in 1999 and 2000, but they had to be pretty close. With 25-year-olds Johnny Damon and Dye flanking the 22-year-old Carlos Beltran in 1999, the future looked bright for Kansas City. But Dye was hardly an overnight success. Acquired from the Atlanta Braves just before the 1997 season started, Dye struggled for two years before he unlocked his ability in 1999, with an All-Star worthy .294/.354/.526 line. He wasn’t selected that season, but would not be denied in 2000. In fact, he was voted in as a starter, the Royals’ first since Tartabull was the DH in 1991. “Fans relate more to the way you play on the field and how you give 100 percent than the big-name players. Finally, players on this team are getting noticed. Kansas City is finally being out on the map.”--Dye, quoted by Steve Rock. The Kansas City Star, July 5, 2000 To make the moment a little sweeter for Dye, the game was played in Atlanta. Dye hit a fly ball in the second. He began the fourth with a walk and came around to score on a Derek Jeter single. He finished his evening with a strikeout against Glavine, who apparently had it in for Kansas City right fielders in the Midsummer Classic. And like another player on this list (Cone), Dye would also be dealt away in a horrific trade, going to Colorado at the 2001 trade deadline for Neifi Perez (the Rockies immediately traded Dye to Oakland for three players). Despite some strong years with the A’s and then the Chicago White Sox, Dye would not be an All-Star again until 2006. Mike MacDougal (2003) When the Royals got out to their surprising hot start in 2003, MacDougal was one of the biggest beneficiaries. He had appeared in a total of nine major-league games before 2003, and by the end of April, he had 10 saves. That will get you on the All-Star radar. Although his pace slowed down some, he still had 20 saves by the end of June, including an incredible stretch of five straight games with one (there was an off-day in there, but still…). And that got him on the team. For once, the Royals had more than the one required representative, as Mike Sweeney (who was usually the lone Royal selected in those days) joined him in Chicago. Royals manager Tony Pena notified MacDougal before the Royals’ game against Detroit, and MacDougal celebrated later by nailing down his 24th save of the year to tie for the AL lead. “When I first got down to the bullpen and we were talking about it like, man, now the pressure is really on. And the guys are like, no–no pressure. (Jason) Grimsley’s like, ‘There’s no pressure You do what you need to do. You’ll be fine.’”--MacDougal, quoted by Dick Kaegel, The Kansas City Star, July 7, 2003 This was the first All-Star Game after the infamous tie in 2002 when both sides ran out of pitchers, so maybe AL manager Mike Scioscia was worried about making sure he had enough guys in reserve. Whatever the reason, MacDougal did not get to pitch. So his most notable moment was getting booed by the White Sox fans in pregame introductions. Which was kind of cool, since it meant for once in that era that the Royals were taken seriously by other teams’ fans. MacDougal pitched in the majors into the 2012 season, but never was selected for an All-Star Game again. Still, for a guy who once suffered a fractured skull after being hit in the head by a flying bat, making it once was pretty cool. Ken Harvey (2004) Harvey was an accidental All-Star of sorts, although he certainly earned it in the first half of 2004. After a solid 2003 season, his rookie year, Harvey started 2004 hot, hitting .397 through April. He cooled off in May but another hot streak got his average up to .375 in early June. However, with the Royals suffering through a miserable season, most people assumed that Carlos Beltran would be the team’s representative, especially under voting rules at the time that would allow the players to select eight reserve position players and eight pitchers. But on June 24, the Royals dealt Beltran, headed for free agency after the season, to Houston. Now it was down to Sweeney and Harvey. After the player and fan votes failed to select a Royal (as an odd side note, MLB added Beltran to the AL team, said he couldn’t play in the game, then relented and let him suit up for the NL), AL manager Joe Torre went with Harvey. “There’s no doubt this is by far the biggest day of my baseball career. To be on the field and acknowledged with the greatest players in the game is unbelievable. I’m almost at a loss for words.”--Harvey, quoted by Bob Dutton, The Kansas City Star, July 5, 2004 Harvey even got the honor of being the first pinch-hitter Torre used, in the third inning. Unfortunately, he struck out against Randy Johnson, hardly the only player to do so. Also unfortunately, Harvey would suffer a series of injuries after 2004, and would not play in the majors again after a handful of games in 2005. Mark Redman (2006) Well, here it is. Almost any list of worst All-Star selections will include poor Redman, who overall had a decent career. Acquired from Pittsburgh before the 2006 season, Redman was mostly in Kansas City to eat some innings because the Royals were required to play 162 games. And while his overall numbers in the first half weren’t great, he did win all five of his starts in June with a 3.74 ERA, which for the 2006 Royals was just about 1968 Bob Gibson territory. I’m not going to make the case that Redman was worthy of the pick, but he wasn’t a terrible pitcher. However, it probably would have made more sense for AL manager Ozzie Guillen to select second baseman Mark Grudzielanek or outfielder David DeJesus. Grudzielanek was hitting .279/.316/.375 at the end of June, plus was a reasonably well-known name who had not been charged with an error during the first half of the season. DeJesus missed time in the first half of the season but was hitting .294/.389/.471 through June 30. Or even third baseman Mark Teahen: .252/.298/.409 at the end of June. Maybe Guillen meant to choose one of the other Marks and there was a miscommunication? “I was surprised. They told me during the game. I’m thrilled. I’m just happy the team is playing good baseball. That’s what helped me get the chance to go.”--Redman, quoted by Bob Dutton, The Kansas City Star, July 3, 2006 It’s unfortunate that what could have been a heart-warming story was overshadowed by the pundits and fans mocking the Royals and this selection. Redman’s father had undergone heart surgery on June 5. Redman’s mom had also been diagnosed with breast cancer early in the season. So the selection was a nice moment for Redman, even though he didn’t actually appear in the game. He would be through as a major-leaguer roughly two years later, so this and his 2003 World Series ring were career highlights. Gil Meche (2007) After losing 310 games the previous three seasons, the Royals decided to at least try a little bit to act like a major league franchise. Part of that was signing Meche to a large free-agent contract (five years, $55 million; not a lot by today’s standards but then it was equal to Sweeney’s contract as the largest in franchise history). Some people questioned the move, as Meche was not a star, but it worked right away, as Meche was 5-6 despite a tidy 3.28 ERA through the end of June. He was pitching deep into games and putting together a good season despite the record (and of course, the Royals were still pretty bad). “I think coming in to a new team, with all the hype about everything about me coming here, I’m pretty pleased with what I’ve done this year.”--Meche, quoted by Sam Mellinger, The Kansas City Star, July 2, 2007 But Meche did not appear in the game, and this was his only All-Star selection. He had one more good season, then began breaking down. Meche famously retired before the 2011 season, walking away from the last $12 million on his contract when he easily could have played out the final year and been paid even if he were injured. Zack Greinke (2009) Really! Greinke made six All-Star teams, but only one while he was a Royal. This, of course, was the year when Greinke was probably the best pitcher on the planet, as he went 16-8 (for a 65-win team) with a 2.16 ERA and 10.4 bWAR, a full three wins better than the second-best total of Tim Lincecum. The Cy Young voters were able to overlook the relatively low win total and acknowledge the obvious. Once Greinke started the 2009 season with six wins in six starts and a 0.40 ERA, it was really just a question of whether he would start the All-Star Game, not if he would make it. Either way, with the game in St. Louis, Greinke had one wish. “Hopefully I get an at-bat. If that’s what it is, that’ll be the number one thing.”--Greinke, quoted by Sam Mellinger, The Kansas City Star, July 6, 2009 Unfortunately, he got neither the start nor the plate appearance. AL manager Joe Maddon chose to go with Toronto’s Roy Halladay for the start. Greinke got to pitch one inning, but at least he got two strikeouts and a popup. He didn’t get to hit, as Carl Crawford batted for him in the top of the fourth. Since this was the era when the All-Star Game decided home-field advantage in the World Series, I guess Maddon thought there was no time for whimsy. By the time Greinke made his next All-Star team, the DH was being used, so I don’t think he ever got that at-bat. He did get to start the 2015 game, though. View the full article

TRANSACTIONS C Irvin Nunez assigned to Fort Myers Mighty Mussels from Cedar Rapids Kernels. St. Paul Saints activated OF Walker Jenkins. RHP Ty Langenberg assigned to Wichita Wind Surge from St. Paul Saints. LHP Jake Higginbotham assigned to Wichita Wind Surge from St. Paul Saints. Wichita Wind Surge transferred C Poncho Ruiz from the 7-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. Wichita Wind Surge released RHP Nick Mikolajchak. Wichita Wind Surge released RHP Sam Ryan. With it being the All-Star break, most of the Twins affiliates also get to enjoy some time off, with their first game of the week coming on Friday. Here, then, is a preview of the short week ahead for the Twins top affiliates. SAINTS SENTINEL The trip down I-35 was not kind to the Saints, as they went 2-4 with bookend wins against the Iowa Cubs. The Saints will return to St. Paul for four games against the Louisville Bats. The Saints did have success against the Bats at the end of June, and hopefully that will get the hometown club back on a series win. OF Hector Rodriguez continues to be a bat to keep an eye on. The 22-year-old is currently hitting .284/.364/.546 (.910 OPS) with 23 home runs. Fellow outfielder Carlos Jorge fits right on the edge of being a top-10 prospect for the Reds and was recently promoted to Triple-A. Since the promotion, he has been hitting .182/.250/.295 (.545 OPS) in 11 games, but had been hitting much better at Double-A before his promotion .330/.402/.452 (.854 OPS). RHP Jose Franco experienced his early-season work with the major league club, but now he's getting his reps with the Bats. Last time out, the Saints were able to put up three runs against Franco over five innings. Something the Saints would like to replicate or better their performance in order to bump up Franco’s current 3.97 ERA over 45 ⅓ innings at Triple-A. WIND SURGE WISDOM The Wind Surge wanted to be just like the Saints and also went 2-4 with bookend wins as they hosted Northwest Arkansas this past week. When play resumes Friday, the Wind Surge will travel to take on the Seattle Mariners affiliate, the Arkansas Travelers. The Wind Surge bats will be tested by two organizational top-10 pitching prospects. RHP Ryan Sloan pitched against the Wind Surge back in April, going four innings and limiting the Wind Surge to one earned run, two total runs. Sloan has a 4.04 ERA on the season over 62 ⅓ innings, 29.7% K-rate, and a 4.6% walk-rate. LHP Kade Anderson is the other pitcher to keep an eye on. In Anderson’s April start against the Wind Surge, he allowed no hits, no runs, walked two, and struck out 11. That is right in line with some near video game type numbers for a starter that is carrying a season-long 1.36 ERA, with a 41.4% K-rate, and 3.8% walk-rate over 72 ⅔ innings. KERNEL CHRONICLE As is the running theme this week, the Kernels went 2-4 while facing the South Bend Cubs. The Beloit Sky Carp are next up for the Kernels, and they will look to improve upon their 2-3 week record against them from mid-June. The two top-10 organizational prospects that are on the Sky Carp roster have been losing ground in prospect rankings since last month. Starlyn Caba has dropped a spot to #7 on our sister site Fish on First’s rankings, and Dillion Head has dropped two spots to #11. On the season, the switch-hitting Caba is hitting .250/.395/.394 (.789 OPS). While Head, a left-handed hitter, is hitting .263/.360/.416 (.776 OPS). MIGHTY MATTERS To round out a losing week, Fort Myers went 1-4 against Bradenton. Up next will be three games against Lakeland. The Flying Tigers brought winning ways to the Fort Myers clubhouse last month, and hopefully that will be the case again after the All-Star break. The Flying Tigers do bring with them a 19-year-old shortstop prospect in Jordan Yost, who lands in the top-10 of their organization. Yost has 50 games under his belt and is hitting .255/.387/.340 (.727 OPS) with 39 runs scored and nine stolen bases. FCL TWINS Twins 2, Braves 4 Box Score The Twins ran into three major league players as they lost 4-2 to the Braves on Monday. Ronald Acuna Jr., Ha-Seong Kim, and Andrew McCutchen rounded out that trio. Kim was able to hit a home run in the first inning, putting the Braves up 1-0, and they didn’t look back from there. The Twins were unable to muster much of anything in the way of offense, recording only one hit and being buoyed a bit by six walks. The pair of runs scored by the Twins came in the top of the sixth inning, where Yovanny Duran walked, Jake Rucker was hit by a pitch, and then each of them executed a double steal to put runners on second and third. It was Carlos Taveras and the Twins lone hit, a single, that drove both Duran and Rucker in to bring the score to 4-2. Halton Hardy was the Twins starter and went 4 innings, allowed two earned runs, struck out eight batters, and only walked two. Carter Holjes came on in relief, tossing two innings, allowed two runs with one of those earned, struck out two, and walked none. DSL Twins Twins 3, Rangers Red 7 Box Score Early on, the Twins took the lead, and it looked like the game could go their way, but the Rangers bounced back and grabbed a 7-3 victory. It was an early two-out rally that got the Twins on the board and gave them a lead. Anibal Beltre singled, and in the following at-bat. Beltre was able to go first to home and score thanks to a Luis Duarte double. Jefferson Abreu came up next and traded places with Duarte, putting the Twins up 2-1. Beltre had an impressive day, going 2-for-2 with two walks and the run scored. The Twins wouldn’t score again until the top of the sixth inning. Jhon Gonzalez hit a double. Two batters later, Enmanuel Merlo singled to drive Gonzalez in. At the time, it brought the Twins within two runs, as the Rangers led 5-3, before the Rangers eventually tacked on two final runs. Daiyer Barboza didn’t figure into any of the scoring but had a good day, going 2-for-3 with two walks, raising his average to .311 (1.095 OPS). Agustin Campusano started and was certainly roughed up by the Rangers. In three innings, Campusano allowed eight hits, three earned runs, and two walks while collecting three strikeouts. Aldwin Morillo had the cleanest pitching line as the final reliever to appear for the Twins. Morillo went 1 ⅓ innings, allowing no hits, no runs, three walks, with one strikeout. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Anibal Beltre: 2-2, 2 BB, 1 R Aldwin Morillo: 1 ⅓ IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 3 BB, 1 K TOP 20 PROSPECT WEEK IN REVIEW #1- Walker Jenkins (Saints)- .313/.389/.438, .826 OPS, 2 2B #4- Eduardo Tait (Kernels)- .150/.227/.200, .427 OPS, 1 2B #5- Marek Houston (Wind Surge)- .385/.448/.769, 1.218 OPS, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR #6- Riley Quick (Kernels)- 4 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 5 K #7- Kendry Rojas (Twins)- 2 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K #8- Hendry Mendez (Saints)- .222/.333/.333, .667 OPS, 2 2B #9- Dasan Hill (Kernels)- 2 ⅔ IP, 0 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K #10- Gabriel Gonzalez (Saints)- .222/.222/.222, .444 OPS #12- Brandon Winokur (Kernels)- .217/.308/.435, .742 OPS, 1 3B, 1 HR #13- Khadim Diaw (Wind Surge)- .200/.261/.250, .511 OPS, 1 2B #14- Quentin Young (Mussels)- .071/.133/.071, .205 OPS #15- Ryan Gallagher (Saints)- 3 ⅔ IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 5 K #17-C.J. Culpepper (Saints)- 2 ⅔ IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K #18- Yasser Mercedes (Kernels)- .240/.296/.440, .736 OPS. 2 2B, 1 HR #19- Billy Amick (Wind Surge)- .353/.381/.353, .734 OPS #20- Kyle Debarge (Wind Surge)- .211/.318/.368, .687 OPS, 1 HR TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS FCL Braves @ FCL Twins - TBD DSL Phillies @ DSL Twins- TBD View the full article

Sweet Lou returns from vacation to have a gripefest with Ol Gregg. Tarps off, sideline reporters, large fans, left turns, MLB.tv ads on MLB.tv, and John Bonnes are all caught in the crosshairs. The listeners join in, and Gregg reads gripes about Gregg...from Gregg's wife? Listen using Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-twins-off-daily-podcast/id1741266056 Listen using Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4tb78XlurcPTYYSsARdbD7 Listen using iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-twins-off-daily-podcas-167548600/ Listen using Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/nvclbt0w Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twinsdaily View the full article

The Red Sox selected North Carolina shortstop Jake Schaffner with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. In this video, we cover his junior season at UNC, where he hit .356 with 26 stolen bases and helped the Tar Heels reach the College World Series finals, his contact-oriented profile, questions about his power and arm strength, and how Boston's under-slot strategy with this pick shaped the rest of their draft class. View the full article

The Cubs selected Ole Miss right-handed pitcher Cade Townsend with the No. 23 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. In this video, we cover his college track record, his pitch mix and command profile, and how he projects as a starter. Townsend is the first pitcher the Cubs have taken in the first round since Cade Horton in 2022. Full breakdown inside. View the full article

For the second straight year, the Brewers drafted an Ebel brother out of Corona High School, taking shortstop Trey Ebel at No. 25 overall. In this video, we break down his bat why scouts call him the better defender of the two brothers, how Milwaukee's classic underslot strategy factors into this pick, and what a future Ebel-Ebel infield could look like in the Brewers' farm system.View the full article

The Twins used the No. 3 overall pick on Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey — their first first-round backstop since Joe Mauer. In this video, we break down everything you need to know: Lackey's power and approach at the plate, his arm strength and receiving skills behind it, how he fits Minnesota's timeline with Ryan Jeffers nearing free agency, and why scouts believe he could move through the farm system fast. View the full article

Owen and Jesse come in hot with a rant about how frustrating the 2026 Blue Jays have been despite great seasons to date from Dylan Cease, Ernie Clement, and Louis Varland. They eventually get to breaking down the three games from the series in San Diego, in which Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber, and Kevin Gausman all had shaky starts, leading to a pair of losses despite Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hitting a big three-run homer and Jonatan Clase providing a spark. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jays-centre-podcast/id1846108462 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bi7SzfpcqMo5xYWnbCeoL Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-jays-centre-podcast-300304824/ Listen on Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/2qk9wqxd Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayscentre View the full article

The Chicago Cubs currently own the fourth-best record in the National League, and despite sitting five games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central, they're firmly entrenched in the playoff picture. To maintain that position, though, they'll need to address their pitching staff before the August 3 MLB trade deadline. The Cubs' 4.33 team ERA ranks 21st, and while injuries to the starting rotation have played a major role in that, the bullpen has also been absolutely decimated. Within the last few weeks, Chicago has lost Hoby Milner, Daniel Palencia and Ethan Roberts to the injured list. Those three join Hunter Harvey, Porter Hodge, Shelby Miller and Riley Martin, giving the Cubs an injury list that looks a lot like their bullpen plan coming into the season. Pitching wins games in October, and more specifically, late-game pitching can be the difference between advancing and going home. With that in mind, here are three relief pitchers the Cubs could target to reinforce their bullpen for a postseason run. Alex Lange The Royals have been arguably the most disappointing team in baseball this season, sitting at just 38-59, and Lange himself hasn't exactly put together a dominant campaign. His 5.92 ERA isn't going to grab anyone's attention, and the command issues have certainly been real. Still, I think his numbers deserve a little more context. Despite the inflated ERA, Lange owns a much more encouraging 3.97 FIP, suggesting he's pitched better than the surface-level results indicate. There have certainly been some bad breaks mixed in with the command issues. More importantly, this is someone with legitimate late-inning experience. Lange recorded 26 saves with the Detroit Tigers back in 2023, his last fully healthy season, and he's already picked up eight saves with Kansas City this year. That kind of experience has value, especially for a team that could be playing plenty of close games down the stretch. There's also a lot to like from a stuff standpoint. His slider, sinker and changeup all come with strong movement profiles, giving him multiple weapons capable of missing barrels when he's around the strike zone. The 12% walk rate is definitely something to keep an eye on. That's probably what keeps him from immediately stepping into the ninth inning if he were traded. Instead, he'd likely fit best in a sixth- or seventh-inning role while giving manager Craig Counsell another experienced high-leverage option to lean on. Add in the fact that Lange still has two more years of team control after this season, and he becomes an intriguing buy-low candidate. It wouldn't be the flashiest acquisition at the deadline, but Lange is someone who makes a lot of sense for the Cubs. A former top draft pick by the Cubs, he'd be coming full-circle, professionally. Victor Vodnik In a lot of ways, Vodnik profiles similarly to Lange. The surface-level numbers don't immediately stand out, and like Lange, he's walked more hitters than you'd like. But there's also a lot happening beneath the surface that's very encouraging for the Rockies’ right-hander. For starters, Vodnik has done an excellent job of limiting hard contact. Both his hard-hit rate and barrel rate rank in at least the 62nd percentile among all major-league pitchers, and he's generating ground balls on more than half of the balls put in play against him. That's a very strong combination for any reliever. If hitters aren't squaring you up consistently and they're pounding the ball into the ground, you're usually setting yourself up for long-term success. He's also been throwing much better recently. Over his last seven appearances, Vodnik has surrendered just one run while showing much better command than he did earlier in the season. For someone who routinely touches 99 MPH with his fastball, there's plenty of upside still waiting to be unlocked. And, of course, it's fair to wonder what his numbers might look like if he wasn't pitching half of his games at Coors Field. A move away from baseball's most hitter-friendly environment could make an immediate impact on his production. Like Lange, Vodnik also comes with multiple years of team control, making him more than just a rental for 2026. Victor Vodnik is another reliever who could quietly make a real difference in Chicago's bullpen down the stretch. Keaton Winn Of the three pitchers mentioned here, Winn would require the biggest return in a trade. He's been the best performer of the group this season. Across 32 innings with the Giants, Winn owns an impressive 3.09 ERA, while posting 26 strikeouts against 10 walks. Unlike Lange and Vodnik, command isn't much of a concern here. He's also under team control for quite a while, with another year of pre-arbitration eligibility remaining before he even reaches arbitration. That kind of long-term control significantly boosts his value. Beyond the results, the underlying metrics are outstanding. Winn has been one of baseball's best pitchers at generating soft contact. His average exit velocity and hard-hit rate both rank in the 95th percentile or better among all major-league pitchers, while his barrel rate sits in the 88th percentile. That's exactly the type of profile contenders love adding to the back end of a bullpen. He throws strikes, he throws hard, and he keeps the ball on the ground. Those are three traits that generally translate well in high-leverage situations—especially in October, when every baserunner matters. Winn would give the Cubs another legitimate late-inning weapon capable of helping them make a deep postseason run. Whether the Cubs decide to target a proven veteran like Alex Lange, take a chance on the upside of Victor Vodnik, or pay a little more for someone like Keaton Winn, it's hard to imagine them making a serious run in October without adding bullpen help. Chicago has positioned themselves to be a legitimate playoff team in 2026, but if the front office wants to maximize this opportunity, reinforcing the bullpen has to be one of the organization's top priorities over the next few weeks. Those are three relief pitchers I think the Cubs could look to acquire before the trade deadline. Let me know down in the comments which relievers you'd like to see the Cubs go after! View the full article