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The early rounds of the MLB Draft are where organizations find their potential franchise players, but the later rounds are where scouting departments can truly separate themselves. These picks often require teams to identify traits that can be developed into something more. Maybe it’s a pitcher with one dominant pitch but some command concerns. Maybe it’s a power hitter whose defensive home remains uncertain. Or maybe it’s a player who simply needs the right development environment to unlock his potential. The Twins have found plenty of value outside the top rounds throughout franchise history. Kent Hrbek famously became a franchise icon after being selected in the 14th round. Taylor Rogers was an 11th-round pick who developed into an All-Star closer. Even Gene Larkin, whose pinch-hit heroics helped Minnesota win the 1991 World Series, was a 20th-round selection. There is value to be found throughout the draft, and the Twins continued their search for future contributors in Rounds 16-20 of the 2026 MLB Draft. 16th Round, 467th Overall: RHP Connor Mattison, Kentucky Mattison is a 6-foot-2, 195-pound right-handed pitcher with a history of missing bats. Before transferring to Kentucky, he spent two seasons at Grand Canyon, where he became one of the program’s most accomplished young pitchers. As a freshman, Mattison threw Grand Canyon’s first no-hitter in 42 years, striking out 10 batters against Sacramento State. He earned national recognition while finishing the season with a 12.5 K/9 rate and multiple weekly honors. In 2025, Mattison continued to show swing-and-miss ability, leading the team with 41 strikeouts in just 33 1/3 innings while earning WAC Pitcher of the Week honors after throwing five shutout innings against Vanderbilt. The move to the SEC level at Kentucky proved more challenging. Mattison made 14 appearances (six starts) and posted an 8.10 ERA with a 1.53 WHIP. However, some underlying numbers suggest there could be more upside. His 6.33 FIP and .337 BABIP indicate some bad luck, while his strikeout rate remained above 20%. The Twins are betting that their pitching development staff can help Mattison recapture the dominant stuff he showed earlier in his career. 17th Round, 497th Overall: C Hideki Prather, California Prather enters professional baseball as one of the more intriguing offensive profiles in this group. After limited playing time early in his college career, he broke out in 2026 with California. The catcher slashed .333/.421/.632 (1.053) with 14 home runs and 17 doubles across 52 games. He posted a .299 ISO, a 10.8% walk rate, and a 123 wRC+, showing impressive power and plate discipline. Prather missed the 2024 season because of injury and saw limited action at Clemson before transferring. That lack of consistent catching experience means he still has development ahead of him defensively, particularly with receiving and game-calling responsibilities. The bat gives him a chance to climb quickly if the Twins can help him continue developing behind the plate. 18th Round, 527th Overall: RHP Colter McAnelly, Utah McAnelly brings plenty of starting experience to the Twins organization after serving as Utah’s Friday night starter during his final two collegiate seasons. In 2025, he earned All-Big 12 First Team honors after making 14 starts and posting a 3.79 ERA across 92 2/3 innings. He struck out 92 batters, averaged 8.9 K/9, and ranked among the conference leaders in innings pitched and opponent batting average. McAnelly followed that performance with another solid season in 2026, recording 70 strikeouts over 67⅓ innings. He finished his Utah career ranked fourth all-time in program history with 207 strikeouts. The right-hander has experience handling a starter’s workload and has consistently shown the ability to generate swings and misses. His next challenge will be translating that success against professional hitters. 19th Round, 557th Overall: SS PJ Moutzouridis, Arizona State Moutzouridis gives the Twins another athletic middle-infield option with a strong approach at the plate. In 55 games with Arizona State in 2026, he hit .286/.410/.417 (.827) with 14 extra-base hits. His 13.0% walk rate and 15.0% strikeout rate highlighted his advanced approach, while his .131 ISO and 94 wRC+ showed room for additional offensive growth. Before transferring to Arizona State, Moutzouridis spent time at California, where he emerged as one of the better young shortstops in the country. He earned Freshman All-American and All-Pac-12 honors after starting all 55 games at shortstop. Moutzouridis has the defensive foundation and plate discipline that teams look for in middle infielders. If the power develops, he could become an interesting organizational piece. 20th Round, 587th Overall: RHP Michael Barnett, UCLA Barnett gives the Twins another experienced college starter with a proven track record of durability and winning. Over four seasons at UCLA, he compiled a 24-3 record, finishing eighth in program history in career victories while serving as a key member of the Bruins' weekend rotation. His best season came in 2025 when he earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors after leading the conference with 12 wins, posting a 3.98 ERA over 86 innings with 75 strikeouts and an impressive 75-to-22 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He followed that with another productive senior season in 2026, going 6-0 with a 4.18 ERA across a team-high 71 innings while helping UCLA go 15-1 in his starts. Barnett struck out 58 batters and allowed one earned run or fewer in seven of his 16 outings. While he doesn't possess overpowering velocity, his experience, command, and ability to throw strikes give him a chance to move quickly through the Twins' system as organizational pitching depth with the potential to develop into more. The final five rounds of the draft are about finding players with one or two standout traits and trusting the development system to maximize their potential. Whether it's power stuff, defensive versatility, or an advanced approach at the plate, the Twins added several intriguing bets. History has shown that impactful big leaguers can come from anywhere in the draft, and Minnesota will hope one of these late-round selections becomes the next hidden gem. What stands out about the players in this group? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Weekly Snapshot: Record Last Week: 4-4 (Overall: 59-37) Runs Scored Last Week: 40 Runs Surrendered Last Week: 41 Standing: 1st in NL Central Game 89 (7/06) | MIL 4, STL 3 Game 90 (7/07) | MIL 4, STL 3 Game 91 (7/07) | MIL 10, STL 2 Game 92 (7/08) | STL 5, MIL 1 Game 93 (7/09) | MIL 8, STl 4 Game 94 (7/11) | PIT 7, MIL 6 Game 95 (7/11) | PIT 3, MIL 2 Game 96 (7/12) | PIT 14, MIL 5 Game 89 | Brewers 4, Cardinals 3 MIL Starter: Shane Drohan (6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 3 ER, 2 K) Top Performers: David Hamilton (2 H, 2B, 2 RBI) Garett Mitchell (2 H, BB) Brice Turang (H, 2 RBI) Game one of five in St. Louis kicked off with Shane Drohan giving the Brewers another solid start, allowing 3 runs through six innings of work. Cardinals righty Dustin May continued to be a problem for the Brewers in his second appearance against them this season, only departing after 4.2 innings of 7 K ball due to a pitch count. Still, the Brewers would find a way to win, storming back from the 3-0 deficit with a 4-run 7th inning, and never looking back to close out game one. Brice Turang’s go-ahead single Game 90 | Brewers 4, Cardinals 3 MIL Starter: Jacob Misiorowski (7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 BB, 3 ER, 11 K) Top Performers: Christian Yelich (3 H, 2 2B, 2 RBI) Garett Mitchell (2 H, RBI) Joey Ortiz (3 H, 2B, RBI) Jacob Misiorowski was on the mound for game one of Tuesday’s doubleheader, and despite the Cardinals managing to score 3 runs off of Miz via the home run ball, the young Brewer fireballer was able to get through seven innings, striking out 11. For the second straight game, then, the Brewers' offense did just enough, scoring four runs assisted by 3-hit games from Joey Ortiz and Christian Yelich. Christian Yelich’s go-ahead double Game 91 | Brewers 10, Cardinals 2 MIL Starter: Robert Gasser (7.2 IP, 4 H, BB, 2 ER, 4 K) Top Performers: Cooper Pratt (2 H, BB, 2B, 2 RBI) Gary Sánchez (2 H, 2 BB, 2 RBI) Luis Lara (H, BB, 2 RBI) The second leg of the doubleheader wasn’t much of a contest compared to the first one, but it was notable for a couple of young Brewers. The first was Luis Lara, who recorded his first MLB knock in a big moment early in the game, driving in a pair. Then, Robert Gasser pitched past the sixth inning for the first time in his big league career and pitched well, giving the Brewers bullpen much-needed rest as the team grinded through an 8-game week. Luis Lara’s first MLB hit Game 92 | Cardinals 5, Brewers 1 MIL Starter: Kyle Harrison (4.0 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 3 ER, 2 K) Top Performers: Garett Stallings (2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 3 K) Cooper Pratt (2 H, RBI) The Redbirds were able to win game four on Wednesday behind Michael McGreevy, who bested Kyle Harrison in what was another short start for the first-year Brewer. Cooper Pratt’s sacrifice fly Game 93 | Brewers 8, Cardinals 4 MIL Starter: Logan Henderson (5.1 IP, 3 H, BB, 3 ER, 4 K) Top Performers: Jake Bauers (2 H, BB, HR, 3 RBI) Brice Turang (2 H, HR, 2 RBI) Cooper Pratt (2 H, BB, RBI) The series finale saw the Brewers beat the Cardinals for the fourth time, and they did so behind the returning Logan Henderson on the mound and a pair of home runs from Jake Bauers and Brice Turang. Jake Bauers’s 3-run blast Game 94 | Pirates 7, Brewers 6 MIL Starter: Brandon Sproat (3.0 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 ER, 3 K) Top Performers: Craig Yoho (2.0 IP, 0 H, BB, 0 ER, 3 K) Jake Bauers (H, BB, HR, 2 RBI) Sal Frelick (H, HR, 2 RBI) A rainout on Friday pushed the series opener in Pittsburgh to Saturday afternoon in a game the Brewers would soon like to forget. They jumped out to an early lead, getting home runs from Sal Frelick and Jake Bauers, but a short start from Brandon Sproat and a pair of home runs, including the go-ahead Grand Slam, from Esmerlyn Valdez saw the Brewers fall 7-6. Sal Frelick sends one out Game 95 | Pirates 3, Brewers 2 MIL Starter: Shane Drohan (5.1 IP, 5 H, 0 BB, 3 ER, 6 K) Top Performers: Brice Turang (H, 2B, 2 RBI) The Pirates completed the twin bill sweep later in the afternoon, with another one-run victory, again riding the white-hot Esmerlyn Valdez, who homered for the third time on the day. That was in spite of a nice outing from Shane Drohan, who pitched into the sixth inning, but that wasn’t enough as the Pirates used six pitchers to limit the Brewers to just 2 runs. Turang’s 2-run double Game 96 | Pirates 14, Brewers 5 MIL Starter: Robert Gasser (3.0 IP, 8 H, 0 BB, 7 ER, 3 K) Top Performers: Bryse Wilson (3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 4 K) Paul Skenes and the Pirates completed the sweep on Sunday, the second time the Brewers have been swept all season. Not only that, it was the most lopsided loss of the season, as the Pirate offense exploded for 14 runs on Gasser and the Brewer pen. Transactions: 07/12/26 - Designated LF Greg Jones for assignment. 07/12/26 - Transferred RHP Brandon Woodruff from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. 07/12/26 - Activated RHP Coleman Crow from the 15-day injured list. 07/12/26 - Acquired SS Braden Shewmake from the Houston Astros 07/12/26 - Optioned RHP Garrett Stallings to AAA Nashville. 07/12/26 - Optioned RHP Coleman Crow to AAA Nashville. 07/11/26 - Placed LHP Kyle Harrison on the 15-day injured list with left forearm tightness. (Retroactive to July 9, 2026) 07/11/26 - Recalled LHP Robert Gasser from AAA Nashville. 07/11/26 - Recalled RHP Garrett Stallings from AAA Nashville. 07/10/26 - Signed free agent RHP Bryse Wilson. 07/10/26 - Designated RHP Easton McGee for assignment. 07/10/26 - Sent LHP Rob Zastryzny on a rehab assignment to AAA Nashville. 07/10/26 - Optioned LHP Drew Rom to AAA Nashville. 07/09/26 - Activated RHP Logan Henderson from the 15-day injured list. 07/09/26 - Optioned RHP Garrett Stallings to AAA Nashville. 07/08/26 - Optioned LHP Robert Gasser to ACL Brewers. 07/07/26 - Sent RHP Carlos Rodriguez on a rehab assignment to AAA Nashville. 07/07/26 - Placed 3B David Hamilton on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring. 07/07/26 - Transferred LF Brandon Lockridge from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. 07/07/26 - Sent RHP Carlos Rodriguez on a rehab assignment to AAA Nashville. 07/07/26 - Recalled CF Luis Lara from AAA Nashville. 07/07/26 - Optioned CF Blake Perkins to AAA Nashville. 07/07/26 - Recalled LHP Robert Gasser from ACL Brewers. 07/07/26 - Selected the contract of LF Greg Jones from AAA Nashville. Notes Jacob Misiorowski missed his last start on Sunday in favor of Robert Gasser. There is no injury, though the Brewers are being cautious as Misiorowski didn't bounce back from his last start as they'd hoped. Kyle Harrison's trip to the IL isn't expected to cause him to miss any starts. Looking Ahead: Monday 7/12 - Thursday 7/17 - MLB All-Star Break Friday, 7/17 - Marlins @ Brewers - 6:40 PM CDT Saturday, 7/18 - Marlins @ Brewers - 3:10 PM CDT Sunday, 7/19 - Marlins @ Brewers - 1:10 PM CDT View the full article

TRANSACTIONS RHP Jack Anderson claimed and optioned to AAA St. Paul Saints Sentinel St. Paul 5, Iowa 4 Box Score Aaron Rozek: 4 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K HR: Kyler Fedko (16), Ben Ross (8) Multi-hit games: Kyler Fedko (2-for-5, HR, R, RBI), Aaron Sabato (3-for-5, R), Ben Ross (2-for-3, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB) The Saints eked out a win on Sunday. The Cubs struck first, with James Triantos jumping on an Aaron Rozek fastball in the second, launching the pitch above the elevated wall in left field. St. Paul was in a responding mood, however, as the Cubs could only celebrate having the lead for five batters before they suddenly were at a disadvantage. How? A Matt Wallner hit by pitch—shocker—an Aaron Sabato single, and an Orlando Arcia double smoked down the left field line. One inning later, Ian Daugherty extended the lead with his first AAA hit. Moisés Ballesteros struck back with a solo homer—these Cubs seem to favor the long ball—which perhaps gave Kyler Fedko a wild idea. Why doesn’t he homer, too? Brilliant. Seeing some logic in this thinking, Ben Ross, too, homered, giving St. Paul their fifth and final run of the day. Iowa struck for two in the ninth, but Trent Baker steeled himself, remained resolute, and whiffed Christian Betancourt on three pitches to end the game. The aforementioned Triantos ranks as the seventh-best prospect in the Cubs system, and he added a double in a 2-4 day. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 8, NW Arkansas 5 Box Score Chris Vallimont: 3 ⅔ IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K HR: Jaime Ferrer (3), Marek Houston (2) Multi-hit games: Marek Houston (3-for-4, HR, 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB), Jaime Ferrer (2-for-4, HR, 2 R, RBI) The Wind Surge rode an explosive offense to victory on Sunday. Someone let Marek Houston know that Twins Daily writers are running out of superlatives to shower him with. His supernova season remains shining and dominant: on Sunday, he collected three hits—two for extra bases—and took a walk, his first time reaching base four times in a game at AA. Watch him uncork one over the berm and into the scattered fans in left field: Art. Further down the lineup, Jaime Ferrer also had a potent day at the ballpark. He actually preceded Houston’s bomb with a tank out to right-center—a blast self-evidently impressive yet accentuated even further by the fact that he scored a direct hit onto the bouncy house beyond the outfield wall. Ruddy Gomez dominated the game’s final two frames, striking out three without allowing a run. His season ERA sits at 2.30. Billy Amick’s 61 RBIs are good for sixth-most in the Texas League. The outfielder Carson Roccaforte is the 16th-ranked player in the Royals system. He tripled once in five trips to the plate. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 2, Iowa 5 Box Score Dasan Hill: 2 2/3 IP, 0 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K HR: Jose Salas (3) Multi-hit games: None The Kernels struggled to get their bats going on Wednesday. Four hits. Two walks. Hey, at least half of their knocks went for extra-bases! They plated two, at least, as Jose Salas blasted a solo homer and Henry Kusiak drove in the aforementioned Salas with a double socked into the left-center gap. Pitching wise, Dasan Hill put forth one of the strangest pitching lines you’ll ever see. No hits? Two earned runs? Spread across two innings? The first score came on a walk, balk advancement, stolen base, and RBI grounder sequence, while the second arrived on a walk, two steals, and run-scoring wild pitch progression. Both unusual events. Occurring in back-to-back frames. It’s been that kind of season for the young lefty. Yasser Mercedes stole his 36th base of the season, the 21st most of all qualified batters across all of MiLB, which totals 1,321 players. Kane Kepley, the fifth-ranked prospect in the Cubs system, tripled once in three at-bats on Sunday. His alliterative name remains exceedingly pleasant to write. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 2, Bradenton 5 Box Score Merit Jones: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K HR: Luis Fragoza (10) Multi-hit games: Luis Fragoza (2-for-4, HR, 2B, 2 R, RBI) The Mighty Mussels found little offense and lost on Sunday. Though most of the bats oscillated between cold and tepid, Luis Fragoza continued to be a right-handed firecracker. The 19-year-old blasted one way out to left-center, not quite hammered enough to cause the outfielders to remain stationary yet crushed enough that they realized how feeble their efforts were before they could even touch the warning track. He also doubled in the ninth. Fragoza might be the breakout Twins hitter of the low minors. He’s slashing a robust .343/.392/.650 in 137 at-bats for the Mighty Mussels this season, again, as a 19-year-old in his first taste of pro ball above the rookie levels. On the mound, Merit Jones enjoyed arguably his best start of the season, going five shutout innings with four strikeouts to lower his season ERA below “4”. He threw 58 pitches and earned eight swings-and-misses. The Marauders are, naturally, an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, though this author must note a "marauder" sounds far more intimidating than a pirate, even if the words are synonymous. Anyways, their best prospect was the 21st team-ranked Edgleen Perez, who went 1-4 from the catcher position. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Merit Jones Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Marek Houston PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 – Walker Jenkins (St. Paul) - DNP (went 0-2 with two walks in the Futures Game) #4 – Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, 2 K #5 – Marek Houston (Wichita) - 3-4, HR, 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB #8 – Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - 0-4, 2 K #12 – Brandon Winokur (Wichita) - 0-2, 2 BB #13 – Khadim Diaw (Wichita) - 1-4, BB #14 – Quentin Young (Fort Myers) - 1-4, K #18 – Yasser Mercedes (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4 #19 – Billy Amick (Wichita) - 1-2, R, RBI, K MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS FCL Twins @ FCL Braves (11:00 AM) - TBD DSL Twins @ DSL Rangers Red (10:00 AM) - TBD View the full article

MIAMI — In a turn of events that would have been baffling to consider 72 hours ago, there might not be a team in all of MLB that welcomes the upcoming All-Star break more than the Miami Marlins. Fresh off sweeping a Seattle Mariners club that was a game away from playing in the World Series a season ago, Miami was thoroughly dominated by the visiting Guardians from pitch one on Friday to the final out on Sunday. Cleveland secured their sweep of the Fish in a 5-2 effort in the finale. It marks the first time that they'd been swept since the streak-igniting waxing at the hands of the Mets in late May. With the loss, Miami falls one game short of tying the franchise record for wins in a first half and cling onto the final Wild Card spot in the National League by just one game over St. Louis. Nevertheless, they still sit at 52-45, a mark that skipper Clayton McCullough and fans alike would have accepted without hesitation in the spring. "We would have certainly signed up for it," said McCullough postgame. "We did play to a level that put ourselves in a good spot this many games in—that part's great. On the other side, we know how much we have ahead of us. I don't like to look a whole lot backwards, but I do think that we've done a lot of really terrific things on an individual level in this half, and collectively as a team, and how we've been able to put this together. We just have to get back to it and have to play really well moving forward for us to continue winning games." Across all three games against Cleveland, McCullough's squad did not lead at any point, scoring only five runs courtesy of a 3-for-19 combined number with runners in scoring position. On Sunday alone, they went 1-8, including stranding the bases loaded with nobody out in the second. Guardians pitching, led by southpaw Joey Cantillo with nine, punched out fourteen Marlins with a steady dose of off-speed. "We just didn't really make a whole lot of adjustments against it," said McCullough. "We had the one inning where we were able to load them up with nobody out and were unable to cash in early on. They pitched well, we didn't do a whole lot offensively to make adjustments or really do a lot to stress them out during this series, which we've seen." It took Miami 26 outs to get a buzzing crowd of over 17,000, but in terms of majestic long balls, Griffin Conine made it well worth the wait with his fifth blast of the year. In addition to the surprise slump, a sudden injury bug continues to bite Marlins whom have played critical roles in the bullpen. Michael Petersen, perhaps the most encouraging late-inning arm thus far, exited his outing with right hamstring tightness. McCullough said removing Petersen was "precautionary" and that he will undergo testing to determine the severity of the injury. Petersen looks to avoid the list of relievers that have gone down in recent weeks in John King, Anthony Bender, Josh Ekness and William Kempner (a recent addition as of Sunday morning with a right elbow sprain). As for the break itself? McCullough's message to his players was simple and concise. "Go home and enjoy your families," McCullough relayed. "Everyone across the league has earned these few days to take a bit of a blow. We'll know when we come back from this that we have a sprint ahead of us. We certainly didn't finish and round out this half like like we had hoped to getting swept here, but I think we just got outplayed. We'll just have to go enjoy our time away a little bit, rest up, and get ready to start it back up in Milwaukee." All-Star festivities begin Monday night in Philadelphia with the T-Mobile Home Run Derby, followed by the Midsummer Classic on Tuesday. Both events are set for 8:00 EST. As McCullough alluded to, Miami returns to action on Friday night for a date with Jacob Misiorowski and the NL Central-leading Brewers at American Family Field. View the full article

The Brewers brought in two college arms, who will almost certainly sign, and then also drafted three prep players who are less of a certainty to sign, but all bring some interesting traits to the table. Round 11, Pick 341: RHP Gavin Perry -- Western Kentucky Perry is a different type of pick than we usually see from the Brewers in round 11. A fifth-year senior, Perry is a similar type of pitcher to Braylon Owens from the 2025 draft. Like Owens, Perry seems to have a reputation for pitching with a lot of fire and as a competitor. He's a big guy, listed at 6'5, 265 pounds, and throws in the 92-94 MPH range on his fastball for the most part. Unlike Owens, his fastball appears to be more of the sinker variety. It's a four-pitch mix, including a curveball, a slider, and a splitter. He appears to be the type of arm that could potentially add a cutter to the mix in the pro ball as well. Perry had a very strong season in 2026, posting a 3.89 ERA in 15 starts. He struck out 83 batters in 85 2/3 innings and only walked 19. This isn't the highest upside pick, but Owens has shown that there can be quite a bit of value in this type of pitcher, already making it to Double-A, not even a year after he was drafted. Round 12, Pick 371: RHP Marcus Kruzan -- Minnesota Kruzan began his career at St Thomas in Minnesota before transferring to Minnesota for this most recent season. He's a native of Ashland, WI, as well. He pitched well in his first season with the Gophers. Kruzan started 12 of his 14 appearances and finished with 52 2/3 innings total. He struck out 54 and only walked 16, which was a big improvement from where he had been the couple of seasons he spent at St Thomas. It's a very athletic delivery for Kruzan. His pitch mix is built around his four-seam fastball. He gets around 7 feet of extension and sits in the low to mid-90s on it with solid carry. He will also mix in a curveball, slider, and splitter. There are some similarities to the John Holobetz and Tyson Hardin picks from 2024 here. If the secondaries can be cleaned up a bit, he could be a starter option. Brewers fans who follow the draft know that Ginger Poulson has a tendency to cook in rounds 11-20, and this is the first pick from her territory, though it isn't her last. Round 13, Pick 401: OF Carson Hart -- Mankato East HS (MN) -- Creighton Commit Hart is also from Poulson's territory. He's a premium athlete in the outfield and was recently clocked at a ridiculous 6.28-second 60-yard dash at a Prep Baseball event. It's plus-plus speed, with the potential for really good outfield defense as well. The offensive side of the ball is very intriguing, too. He has a short swing, but his exit velocities have been creeping up of late, and at 17, there is some untapped power still coming down the line. On top of that, there's potential for an above-average hit tool already, with good bat-to-ball skills and a line drive approach, though he didn't tear up his competition to the extent you might expect this spring. Hart is a Creighton commit and will likely be the first of the 11-20 picks to command a bonus over $150,000. If they can bring him in, he will bring an exciting brand of baseball to pro ball. Round 14, Pick 431: LHP Daunte Bell II -- Millikan HS (CA) -- Houston Commit Bell is a very projectable left-handed pitcher out of California, committed to Houston for college. He sits in the mid-to-upper 80s right now and has touched 91 MPH in games. The fastball has late life, however, and he mixes in a five-pitch mix from a funky arm angle. He'll throw a cutter, a bigger slider, and a curveball, and he shows pretty good feel for a changeup as well. Standing 6'3 and only weighing 175 pounds, Bell has a ton of room left to put on weight. There is a lot of low-hanging, untapped velocity potential that could be uncovered just from a professional lifting routine and eating well. It's hard to say how signable Bell will be, but the potential is undeniable. Round 15, Pick 461: RHP Keaton Maiorana -- Mountain Vista HS (CO) -- Minnesota Commit Maiorana is an under-the-radar high school arm out of Colorado. He was ranked as the number 43 player in the state by Prep Baseball, but he was up to 95.5 MPH in February of 2025, which means there might already be more in there. He tinkered with his curveball and turned it into more of a sweeper in the upper-70s. He spins it extremely well, breaking 3000 RPMs at times. He showed a little bit of feel for a changeup, though it blended with the fastball shape a bit. The fastball shape itself is somewhat dead-zone, so the Brewers would likely tinker with the shape if they are able to sign him. He flipped his commitment from UNLV to Minnesota about a month ago, and it's unclear if he is signable or not. He's an up-arrow prospect this spring who could benefit from going to school, but the Brewers certainly will be hoping to bring him in before he blows up. Rounds 16-20, coming up soon! View the full article

After nine consecutive pitchers taken in the 2026 MLB Draft, the Twins added four college hitters and a college pitcher. Many of the same familiar tropes from past Twins drafts have re-emerged, though in slightly different forms. In recent seasons, the Twins have turned their 11-15 picks into major leaguers, including Louis Varland, David Festa, Kyler Fedko, and Kody Funderburk. Will any of these picks see time with the Twins? 11th Round, 317th Overall: OF Aidan Teel, Mississippi State In the first draft since the end of the Derek Falvey era, the Twins showed incredible restraint, waiting until the 11th round to draft a left-handed outfielder. Teel, the younger brother of White Sox catcher Kyle Teel, breaks up the Twins' run of pitchers in this draft. Nearly 22 on draft day, Teel just completed his redshirt junior season at Mississippi State after spending his first three seasons at Virginia, missing his freshman season due to injury. In 168 plate appearances, he slashed .294/.416/.449 (.864) for the SEC program, down from his .979 OPS in 2025 for the ACC's Virginia. Teel has a good eye at the plate and solid contact skills, presenting the Twins with a well-developed player, which isn't surprising given his age on draft day (he will turn 22 next month), but it's unclear how much power the Twins will be able to add to his 6'0, 200 lb. frame, though he did have 11 home runs and 11 doubles in 40 Northwoods League wood bat games. In 2024, he has some speed and may be able to play all three outfield positions, but his best bet is probably in a corner. 12th Round, 347th Overall: RHP Colby Turner, Michigan Once again, showing immense restraint, the Twins held off on drafting the type of player that they have had a habit of taking about 10 rounds earlier than they did today, as they've loved taking a good bat college second baseman somewhere between Supplemental Round A and Round 3 in recent years. Turner is a second baseman who torched the Big 10 in 2026 with a combination of contact and power, with more extra-base hits than strikeouts, including 14 home runs in 57 games. His 1.057 OPS this season was nearly 300 points better than his 2025--first year in the Big 10, making him an enticing name who might have snuck up on some teams. He's a very aggressive hitter, so improving his plate discipline will be beneficial for the Twins Like many college second basemen, defense is not his strong suit, as although he has fine feet and a 6'0, 205 lb. frame, his arm leaves much to be desired, and he might be best suited for left field, reminiscent of the path taken by current Twins like Luke Keaschall and Austin Martin. 13th Round, 377th Overall: SS Isaiah Lane, Hope International (NAIA) Lane is a shortstop whose 2026 season is not found on Baseball Reference, because he transferred from San Diego to Hope International (an NAIA school) shortly before his junior season. It's unclear exactly what spurred his exit from San Diego, other than reports that he had "violated team rules," per the San Diego Union Tribune. Lane posted a .860 OPS at Big 12 Oklahoma in 2024, mostly fueled by a lot of singles and walks in his 71 freshman plate appearances. After transferring to the WCC's San Diego, he slashed .328/.457/.528 as a sophomore, including 21 extra base hits in 245 plate appearances (8 home runs). His power numbers dropped in the wood bat Cape Cod league the following summer, with just a .289 slugging percentage. Lane predictably dominated in NAIA play, with a 1.111 OPS and 7 homers in 117 plate appearances. He's described as having a solid glove and may be able to cut it defensively as a middle infielder. There's a lot of uncertainty with Lane, but such is picking in the 13th round. 14th Round, 407th Overall: RHP Alec Bouchard, Wofford Bouchard is a right-handed starting pitcher who just finished his third season at Wofford. His ERA has fallen year-over-year from 7.36 in 2024 as a freshman to 5.69 as a sophomore to 2.83 as a junior. More to come on Wofford shortly. 15th Round, 437th Overall: SS Charlie Scholvin, Toledo Scholvin is a high-contact, high-OBP infielder who played three seasons at Toledo. More to come on Schlovin shortly. View the full article

Box Score: Starting Pitcher: Taj Bradley: 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K (99 Pitches, 66 Strikes, 66.6%) Home Runs: Trevor Larnach (7) Bottom 3 WPA: Bradley (0.19), Andrew Morris (0.20), Larnach (0.17) Win Probability Chart (Via BaseballSavant): Thanks to a victory Saturday against the Angels, the Twins entered Sunday's rubber game with a chance to win their eighth series in their past nine. That's pretty good any way you slice it, and the offense is for real, at least in a regular season context. Another ascending piece has been Taj Bradley, who has been great since a rough stretch following his activation from the IL in May. Bradley took the ball against Jose Soriano, who looked like a world beater in the first month and a half of the season, but has fallen back into what he is: a live arm with trouble throwing strikes. Soriano did look good early, locating his breaking ball and sinker to great effect. Royce Lewis did work an 0-2 count into a one out walk in the second, but was picked off by Soriano shortly after. Meanwhile, Bradley's stuff looked good, hitting 100 MPH on his fastball and throwing some nice cutters to keep the Angel's hitters off balance. He did hang a splitter to Josh Lowe in the second, resulting in the right fielder crushing the pitch 405 feet for a 1-0 lead. The Twins showed their typical scrappiness in the third. Luke Keaschall, Ryan Kreidler and Trevor Larnach hit sharp singles to tie the game, and Ryan Jeffers followed by golfing a breaking ball down the left field line to score two more. Jeffers was subsequently thrown out trying to advance to third on a wild pitch in which the ball caromed off the limestone and right to catcher Logan O'Hoppe's glove, who relayed to third for the out. Bradley moved off his splitter a bit, and featured mainly the four-seam fastball and cutter. The Angels had no answers, as he continually dotted the corners, and may have thrown even more strikes if Jeffers had challenged a few more calls behind the plate. The Angels made some noise in the sixth, with Mike Trout leading off with a single followed by a sharp single by Nolan Schanuel (on an 0-2 count) to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Bradley bore down to induce a pop up to Jorge Soler, and got Jo Adell to bounce into a double play, featuring a great turn at second by Kody Clemens. Bradley looked good striking out Oswald Peraza in the seventh, but he hung a cutter to Denzer Guzman, and the LA third baseman launched it just over Larnach's glove in left for a home run. Bradley then walked O'Hoppe on four pitches to bring the go-ahead run to the plate in Neto. Bradley got Neto chasing 98 MPH up and away to end the inning, and finished his first half in style (and with what would be a career best 3.59 ERA). Andrew Morris took over in the eighth, and retired the 2-3-4 hitters in order, including a dominant sword inducing cutter against Soler to end the frame, his 16th straight scoreless inning. Larnach led off the bottom of the eighth with a moonshot home run off of tough righty Ryan Zeferjahn. It was only Larnach's seventh homer of the year, but that .830 OPS is working pretty well at the top of the lineup. Morris stayed on for the ninth and retired the first two hitters rather easily before Wade Meckler worked a long at-bat that ended in a walk. Guzman then lined the first pitch from Morris back up the shoot for a single before Morris settled down to get O'Hoppe on a fly out to left. Stuff I'm Tracking: -Ryan Kreidler made three great plays at shortstop in the fourth and fifth innings, including a diving catch on a screaming liner from Neto to end the fifth. -Don't look now, but Keaschall is within shouting distance of a .700 OPS. An explanation as to why this Twins lineup has produced so well would be that almost everyone they put in the lineup is at least at .690 plus in the OPS department. A .690 OPS is pretty light on its own, but the Twins hitters at around that level (Keaschall, Austin Martin, Alen Roden) happen to be some of the strongest OBP guys on the team. The flaw in OPS is that it overrates slugging, so that is my theory as to why this offense is currently so effective. -The Angels are so sad, and they remind me of the Twins over the past few years (the teams with expectations). They are too reliant on players with injury histories and hitters they hope will break out. Sometimes they do see breakouts from guys like Neto and Adell, but they are never sustaining, and eventually everyone ends up hurt. You can't accuse them of being cheap, unlike the Twins, so it is understandable why they fired their GM right before the draft. -Speaking of the draft, I am definitely buying Vahn Lackey's breakout, especially since he was a high caliber hitter the year before, he just happened to add the power that made him a can't miss prospect. As someone who used to put Charles Johnson on all my teams in Triple Play 99 for Playstation growing up, it's cool to see the next African-American catcher come to my team. -Brooks Lee stole his sixth base in the seventh. He is molasses slow, but so is Josh Naylor. If Lee can read pitchers and pick spots at a high level, that will be a fun wrinkle in his game that could be hugely beneficial to the Twins. What’s Next: The MLB All-Star Game is this Tuesday, featuring Joe Ryan representing the Twins. Minnesota will begin the second half of the year in Chicago to face the Cubs, who finished the first half strong and hold the first wild card spot in the NL. They can hit, with their run output exceeding the AL-leading Twins, but their pitching is suspect, at least until they address it at the trade deadline. Postgame Interviews: Coming soon Bullpen Usage Chart: WED THU FRI SAT SUN TOT Morris 0 0 25 0 37 62 Rojas 0 47 0 0 0 47 Go 0 18 0 21 0 39 Gómez 19 0 0 18 0 37 Adams 20 0 12 0 0 32 Funderburk 20 10 0 0 0 30 Nance 0 0 0 27 0 27 Rogers 15 0 0 0 0 15 View the full article

Round 6, Gable Mitchell - SS The Toronto Blue Jays selected Gable Mitchell at #193 in the 2026 MLB Draft. Gable Mitchell is a SS at the University of Iowa. The slot value for the pick is $330,300. Gable Mitchell was not ranked on our MLB Draft Consensus Board. Mitchell is another prototypical Blue Jays draft selection. Standing 5-foot-9, he is not an imposing stature on the field, but in 2026, he hit .360/.452/.535, with 33 walks, and only 18 strikeouts over 56 games. He is a contact machine that should likely find his way to 2B moving forward as he climbs the minor league levels. Round 7, Dean West - OF The Toronto Blue Jays selected Dean West at #222 in the 2026 MLB Draft. Dean West is an OF at UCLA. The slot value for the pick is $262,300. Dean West was not ranked on our MLB Draft Consensus Board West is a carbon copy of Gable Mitchell, but instead of playing on the infield, he is an outfielder. Like Mitchell, West is a 5-foot-9 contact oriented hitter who this season at UCLA hit .277/.418/.417, added 11 stolen bases, and seven home runs. Power likely won't be a strong point in his profile, and this pick probably will come in under slot, setting up some potential high school picks in the later rounds. Round 8, Jake Bennett - C The Toronto Blue Jays selected Jake Bennett at #252 in the 2026 MLB Draft. Jake Bennett is a C at Dallas Baptist University. The slot value for the pick is $219,500. Jake Bennett was not ranked on our MLB Draft Consensus Board Sticking with the college focus of this draft, the Blue Jays took Bennett in the eighth round. He is a 6-foot-2, 231-pound catcher out of Dallas Baptist. This season he had stellar numbers, crushing 19 home runs and hitting .346/.475/.776. This is a bat-first profile that could end up at first base or DH, if he doesn't stick at catcher. Round 9, Joey Urban - OF The Toronto Blue Jays selected Joey Urban at #282 in the 2026 MLB Draft. Joey Urban is an OF at the University of Southern Mississippi. The slot value for the pick is $202,100. Joey Urban was not ranked on our MLB Draft Consensus Board. Urban is a four-year college outfielder who stands 6-foot. He offers a bit of power and contact in his profile, and he likely won't be a zero on the bases. His last year at Southern Mississippi, he hit .320/.426/.574. As a four-year college player, this could be another under-slot potential for the Blue Jays. Expect Urban to start out his minor league career with some aggressive placements if he does sign. Round 10, Bryce Chance - OF The Toronto Blue Jays selected Bryce Chance at #312 in the 2026 MLB Draft. Bryce Chance is an OF at Mississippi State University. The slot value for the pick is $191,200. Bryce Chance was not ranked on our MLB Draft Consensus Board Like Urban, Chance is a four year college outfielder. He played all four years in the SEC at Mississippi State University. He doesn't offer much power, but is another super high level contact bat. He only had 18 strikeouts in 62 games his last year in college. His slash line was .349/.437/.469 and he added 13 stolen bases. As one of the older players selected, Chance should see at-bats quickly if he signs. He is 23 years old already and a likely under slot deal potentially for the Blue Jays. View the full article

The San Diego Padres have added six new members to their organization already today, with 10 more draft picks still to go. You can find our analysis of their Round 5 pick, James Guyette, here. Round 6, Pick 186 Overall: INF/2B Nu’u Contrades, Arizona State The Padres selected Nu’u Contrades out of Arizona State, where he helped lead the Sun Devils to an NCAA Regional appearance. Spending all four years with the program, Contrades steadily improved each season, culminating in a career-best .366/.434/.762 batting line with a 1.197 OPS in his fourth year. Noted for his consistency and disciplined plate approach, this past season was highlighted by a significant power jump, hitting 21 home runs after having a previous career-high of eight during his freshman year. Originally recruited as a shortstop, Contrades also spent time playing second and third throughout his collegiate career. Already 22 years old, his defensive versatility, combined with his polished offensive approach, makes him a well-rounded prospect that has the potential to move quickly through the farm system. Round 7, Pick 215 Overall: 2B Joe Tiroly, Virginia The Padres selected Joe Tiroly out of Virginia with the 215th overall pick. Tiroly is an infielder who entered the draft ranked No. 147 on MLB.com Draft Prospect rankings. Transferring to Virginia after spending his first two seasons at Ryder University, he dealt with a minor foot injury that slowed his early season, but he quickly found his rhythm. Tiroly would finish the season leading the Cavaliers with 16 home runs and 66 RBIs while slashing .319/.408/.576 with a .984 OPS. He's hit at least 15 home runs in each of his three collegiate seasons, showcasing consistent power throughout his career. His average exit velocity and elite pull-air rate both rank among the top percentiles in college baseball, giving the Padres another intriguing power bat with significant offensive upside. Round 8, Pick 245 Overall: P Sean Fitzpatrick, Arizona State With the 245th overall pick, the Padres selected pitcher Sean Fitzpatrick from Arizona State. After posting an ERA above 6.50 in his sophomore and junior seasons, Fitzpatrick rebounded in his senior year, finishing with a 3.12 ERA, 4-1 record, and 45 strikeouts over 31 appearances. Increasing his fastball velocity to the low-to-mid 90s, Fitzpatrick proved effective in many high-leverage situations, allowing just 11 earned runs all season. Deploying a low arm angle, Fitzpatrick presents the Padres with a battle-tested reliever with the potential to develop into a reliable bullpen arm. Round 9, Pick 275 Overall: P Benjamin Stubbs, Troy The Padres selected pitcher Benjamin Stubbs out of Troy with the 275th overall pick. After spending his first three collegiate seasons with Division 2 Flagler College, Stubbs transferred to Troy for his senior year and slotted in as a reliable starter. He finished the season with a 6-3 record, 5.12 ERA, and led the team with 95 innings pitched, with much of his value coming from his ability to pitch deep into games. Stubbs delivered at least six innings in eight of his appearances and has a strong chance to stick as a starting pitcher during his climb to the big leagues. Round 10, Pick 305 Overall: C Augie Lopez, USC With the 305th overall pick, the Padres selected catcher Augie Lopez out of USC. Lopez broke out in his sophomore season, leading the Trojans with 19 home runs while slashing .281/.366/.598 with a .964 OPS. Spending the second half of the season as USC’s primary designated hitter, Lopez will need to continue developing defensively to round out his profile behind the plate. However, his power from the left side gives him a solid foundation and offers the Padres yet another intriguing backstop to develop. View the full article

The Kansas City Royals continued their pitcher-heavy focus to start Day 2 of the 2026 MLB Draft. In rounds 6-10, the Royals used four out of five picks on pitchers. That carries on an overall theme for the draft, in which 8-out-of-11 picks by Kansas City have been used on pitchers. Round 6, Justin LeGuernic - LHP In the sixth round of the draft, the Royals selected Justin LeGuernic at 180th overall. LeGuernic is a left-handed pitcher from Clemson. The slot value for the pick is $367,600. He is unranked on DiamondCentric’s Consensus Draft Board and ranked 220th by MLB Pipeline. Here’s MLB Pipeline's pre-draft analysis of LeGuernic: “Part of a deeper-than-usual New York prep pitching crop in 2023 that also included Brewers supplemental first-rounder Josh Knoth and future North Carolina ace Jason DeCaro, LeGuernic deflected interest from pro clubs to attend Clemson. He logged an 8.62 ERA in his first two years with the Tigers before cutting that mark to 4.69 as a full-time reliever as a junior. Scouts believe he has a lot of untapped potential, so he could go a few rounds earlier than his performance might indicate. LeGuernic owns one of the more unhittable sliders in the college class, a mid-80s breaker with high spin rates and huge sweeping action. His fastball operates in the mid-90s and touches 98 mph with carry and armside run, though right-handers crush it more than they should. Both pitches added 3-4 mph this spring. He doesn't have much faith in an upper-80s changeup with mild fade that he can't land in the zone often enough to tempt hitters. Working from an extremely low arm slot gives LeGuernic deception as well as sweep on his slider, though it also hampers his control and command. His quick arm and 6-foot-4 frame have some scouts wondering if he could succeed as a starter in pro ball, though he'd need to do a better job of locating his pitches and refine his changeup. It's more realistic to project him as a slider-happy reliever who can carve up left-handers.” Round 7, Dylan Vigue - RHP Kansas City grabbed another pitcher in the seventh round, selecting Dylan Vigue at #209. Vigue is a right-handed pitcher from Georgia. The slot value for the pick is $289,900. He is unranked on our Consensus Draft Board and ranked 201st by MLB Pipeline. Here’s what MLB Pipeline has to say regarding Vigue: “Scouts have been trying to figure out Vigue since his days as a Massachusetts high schooler, when he could be unhittable at times and unable to find the strike zone at others. That pattern continued in two years at Michigan, where he went undrafted as a sophomore-eligible in 2025. After switching schools, he has had an up-and-down season as Georgia's No. 2 starter and missed a turn in the rotation in late April with forearm tightness. Vigue gets more horizontal separation between his fastball and slider than almost any pitcher in the college crop. His 93-95 mph sinker reaches 98 with significant armside run, while his mid-80s slider has huge sweep in the opposite direction. He has utilized those two offerings 95 percent of the time this spring, rarely using a low-90s cutter and upper-80s changeup. Vigue generates plenty of swings and misses with his slider and weak contact with his fastball, but he has great difficulty landing either pitch in the zone on a regular basis. He rarely works past five innings, running up high pitch counts when hitters lay off his slider or he can't command his sinker. He has a strong 6-foot-3, 230-pound frame and a delivery that should provide more strikes, giving hope that he can add a third pitch and succeed as a starter in pro ball, but realistically, he's more of a reliever.” Round 8, Hunter Possehl - LHP In the eighth round, the Royals selected Hunter Possehl, their fourth pitcher of the day, at #239. Possehl, towering at 6 '8”, is a left-handed pitcher from Florida Gulf Coast University. The slot value for the pick is $233,400. He is unranked by both DiamondCentric and MLB Pipeline. In two seasons at FGCU, Possehl had a 4.14 ERA and 1.506 WHIP in 87.0 innings pitched. He tossed 67.1 of those innings in 2026, where he had a 3.21 ERA and 1.322 WHIP. His 2026 performance was rewarded with Second Team All-ASUN honors. Round 9, Camden Johnson - SS In the ninth round, the Royals broke their streak of taking pitchers, selecting Camden Johnson at #269. Johnson is a shortstop out of national champion Oklahoma. The slot value for the pick is $207,900. Johnson is unranked on our Consensus Draft Board, but is ranked 116th by MLB Pipeline. Here’s MLB Pipeline’s write-up on what could be a steal by Kansas City: “Johnson's athleticism and potential to play shortstop could make him the first player drafted from Oklahoma's national championship team. A transfer from Wichita State, he's one of the few Sooners whose performance didn't drop precipitously in Southeastern Conference action. He's one of the twitchiest and fastest players in the college ranks. Johnson displays a good feel for the barrel from the left side of the plate, but chases too many non-fastballs out of the zone. He doesn't miss strikes and employs a line-drive approach. He has average raw power and is driving the ball more than ever, but he hasn't shown much pop with wood bats in summer leagues and may top out at 10-12 homers per season. A consistent plus-plus runner, Johnson can get from home to first in less than four seconds at his best and is an accomplished basestealer. He shows average arm strength at third base, where his fluid actions lead to the belief that he could handle shortstop in pro ball after seeing occasional action there for the Shockers. He also could become a dynamic center fielder or valuable super utilityman.” Round 10, Grant Fontenot - RHP It did not take long for the Royals to go back to another pitcher, selecting Grant Fontenot at #299. Fontenot is a right-handed pitcher out of LSU. The slot value for the pick is $195,600. Fontenot was unranked by both DiamondCentric and MLB Pipeline. Fontenot spent two seasons in Baton Rouge, preceded by one season apiece at McLennan Community College and Texas. In his three NCAA seasons, Fontenot registered a 4.10 ERA and 1.531 WHIP in 48.1 innings pitched. In 2026, he clocked a 4.18 ERA and 1.577 WHIP in 32.1 innings pitched. In high school, Fontenot was ranked the No. 1 prospect in Louisiana by Prep Baseball Report. View the full article

The Boston Red Sox did not make a crazy splash in day one of the 2026 MLB Draft, going under-slot with Jake Schaffner or right on it with Owen Hull and Jace Mataczynski. It was off-brand seeing the Red Sox prioritize the offensive side of things after the first two drafts under Breslow's tenure being incredibly pitcher focused. We now see a shift back to the norm in Rounds 6-10, as they attacked high-extension pitchers while making a huge splash in the ninth round, selecting a prep prospect we at DiamondCentric had in the top 100 of our consensus mock draft board. Below you can find more analysis on the players selected in rounds 6-10 of the draft on Sunday. Round 6: Brett Lanman, LHP, Abilene Christian University Lanman fits the typical Red Sox desired pitcher build, standing at 6'5 and getting good extension off the mound. However, his numbers in his junior season won't jump out with a 5.35 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP. His 24.1% strikeout rate was sixth in the Western Athletic Conference and first on ACU, but he'll need to work on reducing his walk rate to have a chance at impacting the major leagues. According to Baseball America, Lanman sits in the low 90s with his fast and will occasionally touch 95, while also mixing in a cutter/slider, a changeup, and the occasional curveball. Lanman is a clear project pitcher for the Red Sox, but they have been able to thrive developing pitchers with his physical traits. Round 7: Kide Adetuyi LHP, Florida Atlantic University Once again, the Red Sox select a collegiate left-handed pitcher that can generate elite extension. Adetuyi stands much shorter than the aforementioned Lanman at only 6'1, but he still can get almost seven feet down the mound despite some perceived physical limitations. Adetuyi pitched 73 innings last season with a 4.19 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. His 27.5% K% was third in the American Athletic Conference and led the Owls. Baseball America describes his motion as a "low slot" with some "funk and crossfire" and he comes with a filthy sweeper that generates 2700 RPMs with almost a foot of glove-side movement. Adetuyi was ranked 442nd on Baseball America's big board. Round 8: Josh Volmerding, LHP, California Polytechnic State University Similarly to Red Sox sixth-round pick Brett Lanman, Volmerding stands at 6'4, 200 lbs. He pitched to the tune of a 6.51 ERA with a 1.55 WHIP. He gets up to 95 mph on his fastball and in 2026 he set a new career-high in strikeout rate, getting to 24.2% in 27.2 innings of work. His FIP was significantly lower than his ERA at 3.89. It's also worth noting he dealt with a knee issue this season, which cut his year short. Round 9: Martin Shelar, OF, Marist HS (GA) Finally, the Red Sox show us where all the slot money was headed. Martin Shelar is a significantly over-slot selection by the Red Sox, projected 71st on our consensus mock board while being selected 274th. Our Jamie Cameron says of the selection: "Shelar is a prep outfielder out of Georgia with some of the best athleticism in the class. It's likely he commands a big bonus in July. If it's not met, he's currently committed to Mississippi State. Shelar's swing divides opinions — it can get steep at times, with a two stage stride that may have to be tweaked as a pro, but there's no denying the results. This is some of the best bat speed and raw power on the prep side in 2026, and despite the unconventional swing, he continues to find the barrel plenty, alleviating concerns around his hit tool. There's good speed and an above-average arm in this profile too, so Shelar has more value to add than simply raw pop. He's a prototypical (compliment) high school corner outfield prospect with a shot at becoming a 25-25 player as a pro if it all clicks." One has to assume the Red Sox and Shelar are in agreement on the financial side of things. Deals have rarely fallen through this early in the draft in recent years. This is a huge splash for Boston and one that fans should be seriously excited about. Round 10: Kaleb LaFavor, RHP, Bishop Heelan HS (IA) Yet again another giant at pitcher, this time in the form of 6-foot-6 Kaleb LaFavor. According to Baseball America, LaFavor sits in the low-90s with his fastball and occasionally touches 95, but given his height and frame, his velocity could spike as he continues to mature. He also possesses a slider, changeup and mixes in the occasional cutter. LaFavor is currently committed to Iowa. Stay locked in on Talk Sox as we cover the remainder of the 2026 MLB Draft! View the full article

Rounds 6-10 of the MLB Draft have concluded, and the Chicago Cubs added five new players to go along with their five selections on Day 1 of the draft. Here's key information to know about the five players drafted by Chicago on Day 2 (we've analyzed the team's fifth-round pick, Dylan Blomker, in his own article here). Round #6 - RHP, Isaac Morton, Minnesota Morton is a 6'3" right-hander that spent two seasons at Texas A&M before transferring to Minnesota for the final season of his collegiate career. Morton was drafted once in 2023 in the 19th round by the Milwaukee Brewers but chose to take the college route. He sits around 93-95 mph with his fastball, as well as including a slider, cutter and changeup. Morton has struggled with injuries, suffering damaged tendons in 2023 and blowing out his arm in his final collegiate start in 2026, meaning he likely won't see professional action until the end of the 2027 season. Round #7 - LHP, Cole Tryba, UC Santa Barbara Chicago stuck with its run of pitchers in the seventh round when selecting left-hander Cole Tryba out of UC Santa Barbara. Tryba is unique with his lower, funky arm slot that worked when pitching in relief at Santa Barbara. He pitched to a 3.50 ERA with 57 strikeouts across 43 2/3 innings last season on a team that advanced into Regionals. Tryba also features a slurve and cutter that he uses as put away pitches. His teammate, Jackson Flora, got all the pre-draft hype, but there's some that believe the skillsets for the two aren't as far apart as their draft positions would suggest. Round #8 - RHP, Lance Williams, Maryland Another round, another pitcher selected for the Cubs, this time with it being Lance Williams out of Maryland. Williams transferred to Maryland after spending time at East Carolina and he has an electric fastball that consistently sits at 95-96 and can get up near triple digits. He pitched out of the bullpen and in the starting rotation for the Terps and had a couple bad outings balloon his season ERA up to a 6.16 at season's end. More command of the strike zone will be a big part of Williams' development. Round #9 - RHP, Chase Meyer, West Virginia Meyer has struggled to get on the mound in his collegiate career, as he collected just 51 1/3 innings over the last two season, with 48 of those coming in 2025. He has a mid-90's fastball to go along with a power curveball that he uses as his strikeout pitch. His strikeout numbers are impressive, as he racked up 68 over two seasons. Much like Morton, health will be a key part of his development and success. Round #10 - RHP, Luke Alwood, Seattle University A native of Japan, Alwood stands at 6'5" and spent all four years of his collegiate career at Seattle. Alwood struggle in his time there, going 6-15 with a 7.19 ERA across 62 appearances and 26 starts. He sits around 92-94 mph with his fastball and also features a slider that can be used as a strikeout pitch. Alwood completes rounds 6-10 for the Cubs, a stretch in which they selected five collegiate pitchers. It seems Jed Hoyer has a type. View the full article

The first few rounds of the MLB Draft always command the spotlight. That's where the future stars and top-100 prospects come off the board, making headlines across baseball. But championship organizations separate themselves in the middle and late rounds by consistently identifying overlooked talent that can be developed into major league contributors. The Twins have done exactly that in recent years. Zebby Matthews arrived as an eighth-round pick before quickly becoming one of baseball's fastest-rising pitching prospects. Bailey Ober was selected in the 12th round and developed into a reliable major league starter. Minnesota's player development staff has built a reputation for finding pitchers with specific traits they believe they can maximize, and this year's class continues that trend. From experienced college starters to power relievers with elite stuff, here's a look at the Twins' selections in rounds six through 10. 6th Round, 168th Overall: RHP Ethan Lay, Sacramento State Lay fits the profile of a potential bonus pool savings pick as a fourth-year college senior, but he's also a pitcher who has steadily improved throughout his college career. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound right-hander struggled during his freshman season at Chico State, posting a 6.10 ERA and 1.72 WHIP while battling inconsistent command and allowing too much hard contact. Everything changed during his sophomore season. Lay cut his ERA to 3.74 and issued only eight walks in 55 1/3 innings, showing the type of strike-throwing ability that has become a hallmark of many Twins pitching prospects. That breakout prompted a transfer to Sacramento State, where he became the Saturday starter in 2025. He logged 76 innings with a 3.55 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 66 strikeouts and only 16 walks. While he still surrendered more than a hit per inning and uncorked eight wild pitches, the overall trend was encouraging enough to return for his senior season after going undrafted. Promoted to the Friday night role in 2026, Lay took another step forward. His strikeout rate climbed from 20.6% to 24.7% while lowering his walk rate from 5.0% to 4.3%. He attacks hitters with a four-pitch mix, relying more on pitchability than overpowering velocity. The Twins have had success developing college pitchers with command and feel for multiple offerings, making Lay another intriguing arm for their pitching development staff. 7th Round, 197th Overall: RHP Max Bayles, Santa Clara Bayles has been on scouts' radars for several years. Baseball America labeled him one of college baseball's "most underrated draft prospects" entering the 2026 season after he steadily climbed from freshman reliever to Friday night ace at Santa Clara. Bayles immediately contributed as a reliever at Santa Clara, collecting five saves and earning West Coast Conference All-Freshman honors before transitioning into the rotation. After earning Second Team All-WCC recognition in 2025, he became one of the conference's best starters this spring, posting a 2.54 ERA while holding opponents to a .185 batting average. His calling card is a devastating high-spin slider. The low-80s breaking ball generated an incredible 50% whiff rate and is thrown even more frequently than his fastball. Sitting around 91 mph and touching 94, his fastball plays up because it tunnels effectively with the slider, although inconsistent command limits its effectiveness. If the Twins can clean up his delivery and improve his strike throwing, his plus slider gives him a chance to move quickly through the system. 8th Round, 227th Overall: RHP Thomas Burns, Texas Burns might possess the loudest raw stuff of any pitcher Minnesota selected on Day 2. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Wisconsin native has one of the draft's biggest fastballs, routinely sitting between 95-98 mph while touching triple digits. His riding life from a high arm slot allows the pitch to miss bats even when hitters know it's coming. His college career has taken an unconventional path. Burns opened at Arizona State as a weekend starter before shoulder tendinitis cut short his freshman campaign after six starts. He later transferred to Texas, where he spent the past two seasons pitching out of the bullpen. Despite posting a 5.64 ERA this year, he struck out 42% of opposing hitters, highlighting just how overpowering his arsenal can be. Burns complements his fastball with an upper-80s cutter that flashes plus potential, though he struggles to consistently throw it for strikes. He also mixes in a mid-80s changeup, but it remains well behind his other offerings and frequently misses the strike zone. The biggest obstacle is command. Burns has posted a 16% walk rate during his college career, making it difficult to trust him in leverage situations despite his elite swing-and-miss ability. Minnesota will undoubtedly see an arm with premium traits worth developing. If the Twins can help him throw more consistent strikes, Burns has the ceiling of a late-inning power reliever. 9th Round, 257th Overall: RHP JT Raab, Georgetown Raab gives the Twins another experienced college arm who may come with some bonus pool flexibility as a fourth-year senior. Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 225 pounds, he has the size teams covet and enough raw stuff to intrigue evaluators. He began his career at Stony Brook, where he pitched primarily out of the bullpen before transferring to Georgetown ahead of the 2025 season. During his first year, Raab started 14 games and threw 74 1/3 innings with a 3.63 ERA, earning All-Big East Second Team honors. His walk rate increased from 4.9% to 10.6%, however, and opponents hit .280 against him. After going undrafted, Raab returned for his senior season looking to improve his stock. His strikeout rate jumped to an impressive 31.4%, but inconsistent command and poor luck limited the results. He surrendered 12 home runs in only 45 2/3 innings while allowing opponents to hit .308, though a .410 BABIP suggests some unfortunate batted-ball results. Raab's fastball reaches the mid-90s, and he showed what he could look like at his best during the Cape Cod League last summer, posting a 1.80 ERA across 20 innings. The Twins will hope that version becomes the norm as they continue refining another high-strikeout college arm. 10th Round, 287th Overall: RHP Kole Klecker, Arizona State Klecker closes Minnesota's run of college pitchers after spending his final season at Arizona State following three years at TCU. His career has been defined by steady adjustments and improving strikeout ability despite moving between the rotation and bullpen. He burst onto the scene as a freshman, making 17 starts while posting a 3.72 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. His 10 victories made him the first TCU freshman since 2014 to reach double-digit wins. During his sophomore campaign, his K-BB rate improved from 10.4% to 17.3%, although opponents continued to square him up, hitting .300 with a 5.82 FIP. His junior season was interrupted by injuries and inconsistency, but he still struck out 20 batters in just 19 1/3 innings, while the Horned Frogs went 10-0 in games he appeared in. After transferring to Arizona State, Klecker produced arguably his most complete collegiate season. He posted a career-best 26.5% strikeout rate, trimmed his walk rate from 11.9% to 8.2%, and limited hitters to a .247 batting average, his best mark since his freshman year. Like several of Minnesota's Day 2 pitching selections, Klecker offers a solid blend of strike-throwing ability, improving swing-and-miss stuff, and a track record of development that fits the type of pitcher the Twins have targeted successfully in recent drafts. The Twins clearly leaned into pitching throughout rounds six through 10, selecting five consecutive college right-handers with varying levels of polish and upside. Some, like Lay and Raab, provide experienced depth and potential bonus pool savings. Others, like Burns and Bayles, possess swing-and-miss stuff that could play in high-leverage bullpen roles if their command improves. Minnesota has shown it doesn't need a first-round pedigree to develop quality pitching, and history suggests at least one of these names could emerge as the next hidden gem in the organization's system. View the full article

The Brewers began Day Two of the draft with the selection of RHP Aidan Knaak of Clemson. Who did they select in rounds 6-10? Round 6, Pick 192: RHP Ryan Oshinskie -- Brown University Oshinskie missed the entire 2026 season with what is believed to be Tommy John surgery. He possesses a deep pitch mix, and there is a bit of a rare fastball shape here, with a lot of armside-run, but also decent carry on the pitch. He will get into the mid-90s on the fastball at times. The changeup flashes as a plus pitch with over 20 inches of armside run at times, and there is feel and ability to spin multiple different breaking balls as well. The slider has a chance to be a good pitch for him as well, though a pro team will likely try to get him to throw it a bit harder. The curveball is a distant fourth offering right now, but it gets good enough velocity and movement separation from the slider to serve a purpose in the pitch mix. The command is a work in progress, but it was the best it had ever been on the Cape, where he was a standout performer in 2025, with a 1.93 ERA in 28 innings, with 38 strikeouts and only 8 walks. Round 7, Pick 221: RHP Grant Hill -- Chelsea HS (AL) -- Grand Canyon commit Probably the greatest Grant Hill in the history of sports, this Grant Hill is not an NBA All-Star, but rather an intriguing prep pitcher with a commitment to Grand Canyon. Hill stands 6-foot-4, and at 17 years old, he definitely has some projection left in the tank at 205 pounds. His fastball appears to be one that would benefit from leaning into a cutter shape, as he sits around 70% spin efficiency. He could get to a cut-ride fastball shape too, as he did flash some fastballs close to 20" of Induced Vertical Break. His slider is thrown in the 82-84 MPH range, and he spins it decently, averaging around 2,400 RPMs. He also has a changeup that he sells well and gets pretty good run on it, but it could use some more depth. Hill will likely need to add some velocity in pro ball, but he has the build to do it. Command has been solid for him on the circuit and in high school games as well. Round 8, Pick 251: 1B Kellan Tom -- -- Arizona State commit Tom was the Prep Baseball Player of the Year in Arizona this season. A two-way player in high school, he was announced as a first baseman. There is big raw power, with exit velocities close to 110 MPH, this past October in a batting practice setting. He showed the ability to hit home runs to the opposite field throughout his high school season, which isn't a common trait for prep bats and is a trait the Brewers place a lot of value in. Despite his size, he did run a 6.72 60-yard dash this past October, which is better than average in terms of pure speed. There are some Luke Adams similarities here, though Tom's swing looks to be simpler than Adams' was out of high school. Perhaps the Brewers believe he could handle some other positions outside of first base with his sneaky athleticism. Arizona State isn't often an easy school to sign players away from, but the Brewers probably feel like they can get him at a pretty reasonable number at this point in the draft. Round 9, Pick 281: RHP Chase Mora -- Texas State Mora got a lot of attention for his freshman year at Texas State when he slashed .316/.382/.653 for a 1.035 OPS and hit 17 home runs. That production slipped over time, and the Brewers are actually drafting him as a pitcher. He only threw 1 1/3 total innings in college, so this is a very intriguing development. Jim Callis reported on the live broadcast of the draft that Mora has been up to 96 MPH on the mound and has a good feel for spinning the ball. This is likely to be a $10,000 senior sign pick for the Brewers, and they clearly like what they've seen in a tiny sample on the mound. There isn't any pitching video, but here he is hitting a go-ahead, 9th inning home run against USC this year; Round 10, Pick 311: RHP Andrew Gaines -- St Joseph's Gaines began his career at Iona, transferred to Pittsburgh, and eventually wound up at St Joseph's, where he was their closer this season. He finish the year with 47 strikeouts in 30 2/3 innings, but also with 15 walks a 4.99 ERA. Gaines has a fastball in the mid-90s that has good carry and can generate a good Vertical Approach Angle, helping it miss bats when used up in the zone. He also throws an intriguing changeup, as well as a hard slider or cutter-type pitch. Command is not a strong suit right now, but the repertoire is one that is built to miss bats. If the Brewers can help him hone in his command a bit, there could be an intriguing relief prospect here. Gaines is also likely to sign for close to the (unofficial) $10,000 minimum. View the full article

Riley Quick doesn’t just have a spectacular baseball name; he could hold a pivotal role in the future of the Minnesota Twins. The Twins’ rising prospect is turning heads as he coasts up the team’s minor league system. Let’s break down who the recently promoted pitcher is, what his strengths and weaknesses are and just how ‘quick’ he can impact the big league ball club. Growing Up With A Dominant Stature Quick could pass as an NFL player, as he stands at 6-foot-6, 255 pounds while using every bit of that size to generate plenty of force on the rubber. This is somebody who played offensive line in high school, but he’s converted that physicality to becoming an intimidating, effective pitcher in Minnesota’s farm system. The Twins selected him the 36th overall pick in last year’s draft, and he’s already toeing the rubber with the High-A Cedar Rapids Kernels. So far through 13 starts (10 with the Kernels), he holds an 0-2 record with a 3.57 earned run average. Quick has fanned 69 hitters while walking just 22 across 45.1 innings of work, all as a starter. An Electric 1-2 Punch The 22-year-old towering righty primarily operates with a three-pitch mix: the fastball, slider and changeup. MLB Pipeline has his fastball and slider each at a 60-grade, and it’s for good reason. His firm four-seamer has a sinking action, and it sits easily in the 96-97 mile per hour range with the potential to reach 99. While Quick is fresh off of Tommy John surgery in 2024, he’s showing the ability to hold that velocity through games, a key component differentiating a potential starter from a bullpen arm. While the heater is a prominent part of his game, a little variety is never a bad thing. The hard-throwing orthodox pitcher utilized his fastball nearly 50% of the time during his final season with the Alabama Crimson Tide. His fastball holds just as much weight, also earning a 60-grade on MLB Pipeline’s 20-to-80 scouting scale. It’s a two-plane pitch, breaking both vertically and horizontally as an effective break-off option from a cutter that also sits in the low 90s. Working Up A Sample Size The stature and dominant nature are there, but the Twins need to be careful with Quick. Averaging about three and a half innings per start, the Kernels’ starter is on track to clock 80-90 innings in his first year as a professional. This comes after he logged 87 total innings in college ball. It’s a relatively normal approach considering the circumstances; Phillies’ first rounder Gage Wood has seen the same type of innings management after he had never thrown more than 40.1 innings at the college level. The Alabama alum’s main priority will be maintaining his command as he gets more acclimated to pitching deeper into games. The tools are clearly there, and there should be plenty of opportunity for someone sporting an impressive .191 batting average allowed when he does reach the major league level. When Will He Arrive? When will Quick get to the big leagues? His stuff could probably play as a reliever as soon as next year, as most ball clubs could find a place for someone who can live in the mid-to-upper 90s with a sharp secondary offering. The road to becoming a starter will be heavily dictated by the innings and control, as he has relinquished 22 walks over 45.1 frames (roughly a walk every other inning). A mid-2028 call-up seems realistic, as it would still be a minor league journey that takes less than three years for a former SEC arm. View the full article

The San Diego Padres selected James Guyette with pick No. 157 in the 2026 MLB Draft. Guyette is a right-handed pitcher out of Kansas State University. The slot value for the pick is $449,500. Guyette, a rising senior, produced a 5.56 ERA in 16 appearances (15 starts) with the Wildcats in 2026. He tallied double-digit strikeouts in three starts last season, including 13 punchouts in a complete game victory over the Cincinnati Bearcats on May 10. "[Guyette] went to training camp with the U.S. collegiate national team last summer," MLB Draft analyst Jim Callis said on MLB's live stream. "What stands out with him is the East-West contrast on his sinker and slider. He's got a 92-94 MPH sinker that breaks [arm side], a low 80s slider that breaks [glove side]... has also got a fading changeup that keeps guys off balance." Guyette was an All-Big 12 Team Honorable Mention in 2025, when he operated exclusively as a reliever. As a starter in 2026, he racked up 105 strikeouts in 79 1/3 innings. View the full article

The Milwaukee Brewers selected Aidan Knaak at pick No. 163 in the 2026 MLB Draft. Knaak is a right-handed pitcher out of Clemson. The slot value for the pick is $425,400, and the Brewers will likely be looking to sign Knaak for slot or below. Knaak was ranked 210th on the MLB Pipeline board. He is known most for his changeup, which grades out as a 60-grade pitch, and is a pitch he manipulates the shape and velocity of. Beyond the changeup, Knaak throws a four-seam fastball with some late life, above-average carry, and has been up to 96 MPH, while sitting more in the 92-93 range. There's an upper-70s curveball, as well as a gyro slider in the mid-80s, though he does not generate much spin on the breaking balls. Knaak got off to a tremendous start in his college career, but his draft value slipped this season when he pitched to a 5.81 ERA, though he still struck out 88 batters in 57 1/3 innings. The Brewers are likely looking to buy low on a talented arm here, with some untapped potential left. View the full article

With their pick in the fifth round of the 2026 MLB Draft, the Toronto Blue Jays select right-handed pitcher Nolan Higgins. He is a senior at Michigan State, leading the team with a 3-4 record and 5.20 ERA. In addition, Higgins had a 12.4 strikeout rate as relief for the Spartans. View the full article

The Chicago Cubs selected Dylan Blomker at pick No. 159 in the 2026 MLB Draft. Blomker is a right-handed pitcher out of La Cueva High School in New Mexico. The slot value for the pick is $441,300. Blomker, the 2026 Gatorade New Mexico Player of the Year, is an LSU commit. The 18-year-old has a fastball that can touch 96 MPH and a slider with "impressive sweeping rate," per MLB.com's 2026 MLB Draft stream. Draft analyst Jonathan Mayo told host Jacob Wilkins that he believes the Cubs can get Blomker to spurn LSU for their organization. Mayo added that "a lot of area scouts" thought Blomker would not be drafted this early -- predicating a move to the collegiate Tigers -- and offered a scouting report on him: "Unconventional delivery... he can really spin the ball, a high spin rate, sometimes up to 3000 RPM on the breaking ball. Low 90s, maybe a little more in the tank as he continues to mature... he didn't take that step forward at the beginning of the spring... but got better as the year went on." View the full article

A year into his professional baseball career, Miami Marlins outfielder Cam Cannarella has crushed even the most optimistic projections. Now starring for Double-A Pensacola, Cannarella sits down with Alex Carver and Isaac Azout to discuss the MLB Draft process, overcoming injuries, how he has developed into an elite all-around hitter in 2026 and more. You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. Cannarella's offensive numbers this season are positively eye-popping. Through 52 games entering Sunday (mostly at the Double-A level), he is slashing .365/.443/.599 with 12 home runs, nine stolen bases and a 170 wRC+. He's the fourth-most productive hitter across all of Minor League Baseball (min. 200 PA) in terms of wRC+. He has reached base safely in 23 of his last 25 games. Oh yeah, and Cannarella is also a long-term center fielder. The culmination of those abilities has bumped him up to fifth on our Fish On First Top 30 prospects list. Even assuming that Cannarella comes down to earth a bit in terms of his batting average on balls in play and over-the-fence power, the 22-year-old should get a cup of coffee with Triple-A Jacksonville before season's end. He'll be in the mix for a big league job early next year. View the full article

It's Day 2 of the MLB Draft! Let's check in on the guys who are already in the Boston Red Sox's system before we analyze all of the newcomers. Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Series vs. Rochester Red Wings (Washington Nationals): 3-2 Season Record: 44-44 Worcester fell by a large margin for the second day in a row, losing 10-3 without much protest. Michael Sansone got the nod to start Saturday’s contest for the WooSox. He got off to a rocky start, allowing three runs in the first two innings en route to a poor five-frame outing. Sansone allowed seven earned runs, including four in the fourth inning, on eight hits. He struck out just three before Noah Song took over. Song saw a little more success, letting up a run on three hits as he struck out three as well. Angel Bastardo took over in the eighth, allowing two more runs as he closed out the game. The two runs came on two hits as Bastardo struck out two, closing out another disappointing loss for Worcester. The WooSox hardly showed up at the plate, generating just three hits. They were able to score three runs, aided by a pair of triples from Nick Sogard and Braiden Ward. Sogard put the WooSox on the board with his triple, driving in Ward in the sixth inning. Two innings later, Ward drove home Max Ferguson, cutting the deficit to seven runs. Vinny Capra then drove Ward in on a ground out to short later in the inning. The eighth-inning effort came much too late as Rochester held a commanding lead for the majority of the game. It was the second night in a row that Worcester fell by six or more runs. Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Series @ New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Toronto Blue Jays): 3-2 Season Record: 46-39 Portland seized an 8-3 win behind another solid start from Blake Wehunt. Wehunt won his third consecutive game for his 5⅔ innings performance on Saturday, racking up six strikeouts. Wehunt allowed three runs on six hits, but didn’t issue a single walk. While he allowed more runs and hits than his two previous starts, Wehunt continued his campaign for a call-up to Triple-A. Jedixson Paez got the ball with two outs in the sixth inning and closed the game with 3⅓ innings of one-hit shutout ball. Paez struck out two as he earned his second save of the season and lowered his ERA to a respectable 3.86. Portland had a great day on the offensive side of the ball, even with Franklin Arias out of the lineup. The Sea Dogs tallied an impressive 16 hits and eight runs. As a team, Portland went an impressive 5-for-16 with runners in scoring position. Ronald Rosario kept up his momentum from Friday’s contest, getting the scoring started with a line drive single that scored Johanfran Garcia and Miguel Bleis. Two innings later, Matt Frazier tacked on one more with a sac fly, scoring Brooks Brannon. In the fourth, Jack Winnay drove in Caden Rose on a ground ball single to right field. Rosario added another RBI, his seventh in the past two games, with another single, scoring Bleis again. In the eighth, the Sea Dogs put the game out of reach as Winnay scored Rose once more. Winnay was then driven home on Raudelis Martinez’s first homer of the season, adding an exclamation point to an emphatic win. High-A Greenville Drive Series @ Greensboro Grasshoppers: 3-2 Season Record: 35-48 The Drive won 12-7 after a late offensive awakening and some extra-inning heroics. Devin Futrell got the start on Saturday, coming off a horrendous outing last week in which he allowed seven earned runs on 11 hits in five innings. Futrell saw improvement this time around, lasting 4⅔ innings. He allowed four runs on six hits, issuing just one walk. He struck out five before turning the ball over to Matt Duffy in the fifth inning. Duffy made his first appearance in an affiliate game since September 2024, striking out five across three frames. He allowed three runs on four hits, but it was a successful outing after a long journey back to the mound. Griffin Kilander got the ball in the eighth, and pitched into extras. Kilander earned the win for his 3⅓ innings of dominance. He allowed just one baserunner, via a walk, as he shut down the Grasshoppers offense in extras with four strikeouts. The Drive’s bats were lively on Saturday, driving in 12 runs on 11 hits. Greenville also displayed excellent plate discipline, drawing a collective eight walks and striking out only five times. Enddy Azocar tallied four RBIs on two hits as all but one of the Drive’s starting nine tallied a hit. Azocar put the Drive on the board in the third, tying the game at 1-1 with a solo home run. The Drive’s next run came in the eighth when Gerardo Rodriguez drove in Hudson White and Yoeilin Cespedes on a groundball single as he advanced to third. Rodriguez raced home later in the inning on an Isaiah Jackson RBI single that tied the game at four runs apiece. Facing a three-run deficit in the ninth, Ronny Hernandez got the Drive within striking distance on a solo home run before Cespedes tied the game on a two-run shot that scored White. With the game tied in extras, Antonio Anderson gave the Drive a lead with an RBI single that scored Yophery Rodriguez. With two runners on later in the inning, Enddy Azocar gave Greenville some cushion with his second homer of the game, a three-run blast scoring Anderson and White. Already ahead by four, G. Rodriguez tacked on one more with a solo blast as he put the game firmly out of reach. Low-A Salem RidgeYaks Series @ Columbia Fireflies (Kansas City Royals): 3-2 Season Record: 35-50 Salem fell in an extra-innings heartbreaker as the bullpen fell apart late. Ethan Walker made his first appearance with Salem in nearly two months as he returned from a lower back injury. Walker was excellent across three innings, surrendering two hits and striking out four before Jason Gilman took over in the fourth. Gilman took a bulk role, going the distance as he turned in five innings of work. He wasn’t as dominant as Walker, however, as he allowed five runs (one unearned) on just three hits. He issued two walks as he struck out six. Harry Blum got the ball in the ninth inning of a tied ballgame. He allowed one hit and two walks as he stalled out Columbia’s offense in the ninth before the game headed to extras. However, with two outs in the tenth, Blum relinquished a bases-loaded single that put the Fireflies within one. Nicolas De La Cruz took over, but promptly gave up another run on a wild pitch, then allowed the Fireflies to walk-off the game on a bases-loaded single. The Yaks were incredibly successful at the dish on Saturday, registering 12 hits and eight runs and going 5-for-12 with RISP. Louis Andujar led the way with three RBIs and three hits as D’Angelo Ortiz contributed three RBIs of his own. Andujar got the Yaks on the board with his second homer of the season, a solo shot in the fifth inning to cut into a two-run Columbia lead. Facing a four-run deficit in the eighth, Andujar struck again, singling on a line drive and scoring Franklin Primera and Kleyver Salazar. Later in the inning, Avinson Pinto drove Starlyn Nunez home as the Yaks were within one. Ortiz then tied the game with an RBI single, scoring Andujar. In the tenth inning, Salazar put the Yaks ahead on a single to center field, scoring Anderson Fermin. Ortiz then added two more to the lead on another RBI single, scoring Salazar and Pinto. It was a short-lived lead, as the bullpen collapsed and handed Columbia the win. View the full article

To lead off Day 2 of the MLB Draft, the Kansas City Royals selected left-handed pitcher Ethan McElvain with the 151st pick. McElvain was the closer for the Arkansas Razorbacks and posted a 1.88 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP, and a 4.23 K/BB ratio in 38.1 IP and 20 appearances. He also collected six saves. McElvain was a transfer from Vanderbilt, where he had an uneven career. In his first year, he posted a 3.24 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in 25 IP. However, in his sophomore year, he posted an 8.89 ERA and 2.16 WHIP in 27.1 IP. Command was a problem for McElvain with the Commodores, as he posted K/BB ratios of 1.93 in 2024 and 1.61 in 2025. His improvement in his K/BB ratio in 2026 shows his maturity and development as a pitcher. The 21-year-old lefty is a power arm with a fastball in the upper 90s and a power cutter. He will likely move quickly through the Royals' farm system and could push for a spot in the Royals' bullpen in 2027 or 2028. View the full article

The Boston Red Sox selected pitcher Lucas Davenport with the 156th pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. Davenport pitched two years at Baylor and was a redshirt as a freshman. Overall, he appeared in 29 games and made 13 starts over his two seasons. Davenport follows the mold of pitchers that Craig Breslow likes, standing 6-foot-6 and weighing 230 pounds. More to come... View the full article

Chicago Cubs Transactions Chicago Cubs designated RHP Jake Woodford for assignment. Chicago Cubs activated RHP Phil Maton from the 15-day injured list. Taillon Tosses Scoreless Outing As Iowa Cubs Beat Saints, 8-2 Jameson Taillon allowed one hit and one walk over 4 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out three, and the Iowa Cubs beat the St. Paul Saints, 8-2. Iowa scored in each of the first four innings. In the first, Moisés Ballesteros singled, Owen Miller doubled, and Chas McCormick singled them both home for a 2-0 lead. In the second, Brett Bateman tripled home James Triantos and Scott Kingery. Kingery added an RBI single in the third to score McCormick, and in the fourth, Bateman singled, moved to third on a double by Miller, and scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-0. The Saints scored twice in the seventh against Ty Blach on an RBI single and a run-scoring groundout. Iowa answered in the eighth when Ben Cowles hit a two-run home run, his fifth of the season, scoring Triantos Miller finished 3-for-4 with two doubles, Bateman went 2-for-4 with a triple, two RBI, and a walk, and Triantos went 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored. Blach allowed two runs over 2 1/3 innings, Jayden Murray struck out two in a scoreless inning, and Liam Hendriks struck out one in a scoreless inning to close it out. Player AB R H RBI BB K Brett Bateman 4 1 2 2 1 1 Jonathon Long 4 0 0 0 1 1 Moisés Ballesteros 5 1 1 0 0 1 Owen Miller 4 1 3 0 0 0 Chas McCormick 3 1 1 2 1 0 Christian Bethancourt 4 0 1 0 0 3 James Triantos 2 2 1 0 2 0 Scott Kingery 3 1 1 1 1 0 Ben Cowles 4 1 1 2 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jameson Taillon 4 2/3 1 0 0 1 3 0 Ty Blach 2 1/3 2 2 2 2 2 0 Jayden Murray 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 Liam Hendriks 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Beck Strikes Out Nine, But Smokies Fall To Shuckers, 3-1 Jace Beck struck out nine over five innings, allowing one run on three hits and a walk, but the Knoxville Smokies lost to the Biloxi Shuckers, 3-1. Knoxville took the lead in the third. With two outs, Drew Bowser singled, and Jefferson Rojas doubled him home, his 13th double of the season, for a 1-0 advantage. Biloxi answered in the fourth with a solo home run off Beck to tie the game. The game stayed tied until the eighth, when Biloxi scored twice against Tyler Schlaffer. A sacrifice fly put the Shuckers ahead 2-1, and an RBI single made it 3-1, with the batter thrown out at second base on the play. Schlaffer allowed two runs on one hit and one walk over three innings, striking out three. Tyler Ras struck out one in a scoreless inning. The Smokies managed just five hits and went quiet after the third inning. Bowser finished 2-for-3 with a run scored, Alex Madera went 2-for-4, and Rojas went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Knoxville drew three walks, from Owen Ayers, Carter Trice, and Ariel Armas, but stranded six runners on base in the loss. Player AB R H RBI BB K Alex Ramírez 4 0 0 0 0 1 Jefferson Rojas 4 0 1 1 0 0 Owen Ayers 3 0 0 0 1 1 Andy Garriola 4 0 0 0 0 2 Carter Trice 3 0 0 0 1 0 Ariel Armas 2 0 0 0 1 0 Alex Madera 4 0 2 0 0 1 Karson Simas 3 0 0 0 0 0 Drew Bowser 3 1 2 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jace Beck 5 3 1 1 1 9 1 Tyler Schlaffer 3 1 2 2 1 3 0 Tyler Ras 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Cubs' Seventh-Inning Lead Slips Away In 11-7 Loss To Kernels The South Bend Cubs fought back from a 5-0 deficit to take the lead in the seventh, but the Cedar Rapids Kernels answered with a six-run inning of their own, and South Bend lost, 11-7. Starter Alfredo Romero allowed four runs on six hits over 4 2/3 innings, walking one and striking out four. Cedar Rapids scored twice in the fourth and three more in the fifth, the last run charged to Nate Williams, to build a 5-0 lead. South Bend rallied in the sixth. Jose Escobar doubled home Kane Kepley, and Angel Cepeda followed with a two-run home run, his first of the season, to cut it to 5-3. The Cubs took the lead in the seventh. Michael Hallquist doubled, Christian Olivo singled, and Kepley walked. Escobar's sacrifice fly scored Hallquist, Olivo stole home to tie the game, and Matt Halbach singled home Kepley for a 6-5 lead. The lead did not last. Ben Johnson recorded just one out in the bottom of the seventh and was charged with five runs, including a two-run double and a three-run home run. Grayson Moore allowed an unearned run over 1 2/3 innings. Olivo finished 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, and an RBI single in the eighth, Hallquist went 2-for-4 with a double and a triple, and Escobar drove in two runs. Player AB R H RBI BB K Christian Olivo 4 1 3 1 1 0 Kane Kepley 4 2 1 0 1 1 Jose Escobar 4 1 1 2 0 2 Angel Cepeda 5 1 1 2 0 1 Matt Halbach 4 0 1 1 0 1 Miguel Useche 3 0 0 0 2 2 Logan Poteet 4 0 0 0 0 4 Justin Stransky 4 0 1 0 0 0 Michael Hallquist 4 2 2 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Alfredo Romero 4 2/3 6 4 4 1 4 0 Nate Williams 1 1/3 2 1 1 2 2 0 Ben Johnson 1/3 2 5 4 2 1 1 Grayson Moore 1 2/3 3 1 0 1 1 0 Cespedes' Three-Run Homer In Eighth Lifts Pelicans Past Nationals, 8-7 Ivan Cespedes hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth, his second of the season, and the Myrtle Beach Pelicans came back to beat the Fredericksburg Nationals, 8-7. Starter Noah Edders struck out seven over 4 1/3 innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on two hits and three walks. Fredericksburg took a 1-0 lead in the second when a runner scored on a throwing error during a double steal, but Geuri Lubo answered with an RBI double in the bottom half, scoring Jose Silva. Myrtle Beach broke out in the third. Alexis Hernandez led off with a home run, his second of the season, Derniche Valdez tripled home Alexey Lumpuy, and Silva singled home Valdez for a 4-1 lead. Valdez added a sacrifice fly in the fourth to make it 5-1. The Nationals chipped away with two runs in the fifth, a solo home run in the sixth, and three runs in the seventh, including a two-run homer off Jhon Rosario, to take a 7-5 lead. In the eighth, Silva and Jairo Diaz walked, and Cespedes homered to left center to put the Pelicans ahead, 8-7. Edwardo Melendez struck out three over two scoreless innings to finish the game. Hernandez went 2-for-4 with a walk, and Valdez went 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBI. Player AB R H RBI BB K Alexis Hernandez 4 2 2 1 1 0 Alexey Lumpuy 3 1 2 0 2 1 Derniche Valdez 4 1 2 2 0 0 Eli Lovich 4 0 0 0 0 2 Jose Silva 2 2 1 1 2 1 Jairo Diaz 3 1 0 0 1 2 Geuri Lubo 3 0 1 1 1 0 Ivan Cespedes 4 1 1 3 0 2 Edward Vargas 4 0 0 0 0 3 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Noah Edders 4 1/3 2 3 2 3 7 0 Jhon Rosario 2 2/3 4 4 4 0 1 2 Edwardo Melendez 2 1 0 0 2 3 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Jefferson Rojas: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI Pedro Ramirez: DNP Jaxon Wiggins: DNP Josiah Hartshorn: DNP Kevin Alcantara: DNP Ethan Conrad: DNP Kane Kepley: 1-for-4, BB, K Owen Ayers: 0-for-3, BB, K Jonathon Long: 0-for-4, BB, K Kaleb Wing: DNP James Triantos: 1-for-2, 2 BB Brooks Caple: DNP Mason McGwire: DNP Ty Southisene: DNP Will Sanders: DNP Juan Cabada: DNP Eli Lovich: 0-for-4, 2 K Ariel Armas: 0-for-2, BB Jostin Florentino: DNP Grant Kipp: DNP View the full article

Kevin Parada's professional career is a reminder on this MLB Draft weekend that even high picks are lottery tickets and most of them aren't winners. He looked like a foundational piece four years ago when the New York Mets selected him 11th overall out of Georgia Tech, but now, he's organizational depth. Another bat-first player, Francisco Alvarez, overtook him as the major-league club's catcher of the future. In 2026, Parada is playing a fourth season at Double-A at age 24. He's sporting a career-worst .621 OPS between Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse. His power has disappeared, with one homer in 235 plate appearances. He's splitting time with Chris Suero at catcher and DH. His days on the Top 20 list are over. At this point, he needs to do the little things -- like, say, drop down a bunt. Which he did in the ninth inning of a tie game Saturday night in Hartford. The bunt was a beauty, and it got even better when the throw to first base went past the bag. Nick Lorusso alertly scored from third on the error, giving Binghamton the lead. The Ponies scored six more after that play en route to a 9-2 victory. Parada's small ball made a big difference. That's what organizational players need to do. As for the rest of the system on Saturday: Syracuse lost, 3-2, at Norfolk. The Mets scored both their runs in the top of the ninth, but stranded the tying run at first base after Christopher Morel's RBI single cut the margin to one. Daiverson Gutierrez delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth as Brooklyn edged Wilmington, 2-1. Daviel Hurtado lowered his ERA with the Cyclones to 1.79 with 4 2/3 innings of one-run ball.. St. Lucie got five scoreless innings from Emilio Obispo in its 4-1 victory at Jupiter. His ERA is down to 1.82 for the Mets. Mike Tauchman went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in a rehab game. The FCL Mets lost, 3-0, to the FCL Cardinals. Jean Brito took the loss despite allowing one hit and striking out six in four innings. DSL Mets Blue was held to one hit in a 5-0 loss to the DSL Marlins. Henry Manrique's single in the first was the lone safety. DSL Mets Orange outscored DSL Giants Black, 10-6, thanks to 11 walks. Oscar Montero and Olmedo Barria combined for seven innings of one-hit ball with eight strikeouts. New York Mets Transactions New York Mets released CF Jared Oliva. New York Mets sent RHP Matt Seelinger outright to Syracuse Mets. Weisenburger Sharp For Syracuse Jack Weisenburger gave the Mets a solid start, striking out eight and allowing just a solo home run over four innings. On the down side, he walked three. Ryan Lambert followed him and was ineffective. He gave up two runs in two-thirds of an inning. Two of the three walks he issued came around to score. Dedniel Núñez took another positive step in his rehab from elbow surgery with two hitless innings. In the top of the ninth, MJ Melendez led with a walk and moved to third on Christian Arroyo's double. Yonny Hernández grounded out to bring home Melendez, and Morel singled home Arroyo to cut the deficit to 3-2. Hayden Senger was called out on strikes, and Cristian Pache popped out in foul territory to end the game. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nick Morabito 4 0 0 0 0 0 Ronny Mauricio 4 0 0 0 0 1 MJ Melendez 2 1 1 0 2 1 Christian Arroyo 4 1 1 0 0 0 Yonny Hernández 4 0 1 1 0 0 Christopher Morel 4 0 2 1 0 1 Hayden Senger 4 0 0 0 0 1 Cristian Pache 4 0 0 0 0 3 Vidal Bruján 3 0 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jack Weisenburger 4 2 1 1 3 8 1 Ryan Lambert 2/3 0 2 2 3 0 0 Joey Gerber 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Dedniel Núñez 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 Binghamton Pours It On Late; Santucci Strong The ninth inning began with Lorusso reaching on a fielding error and JT Schwartz drawing a walk. After Parada's bunt broke the tie, Matt Rudick followed with another sac bunt. Nick Lucky was then walked intentionally to load the bases. Jaylen Palmer cleared them with a three-run double, Suero followed with an RBI single, and Lorusso capped the outburst with an RBI double. Jonathan Santucci put together a second consecutive quality start -- two earned runs over six innings with eight strikeouts -- but the 2024 second-round pick couldn't protect a 1-0 lead after Kevin Villavicencio hit a solo homer for in the third. Wyatt Young tied the game in the eighth with an RBI double that scored Rudick. Player AB R H RBI BB K Chris Suero 5 1 1 1 0 3 Nick Lorusso 4 1 1 1 1 0 JT Schwartz 2 1 0 0 2 2 Kevin Parada 5 1 1 0 0 1 Matt Rudick 1 1 0 0 2 0 Wyatt Young 3 1 1 1 1 2 Nick Lucky 4 1 1 1 0 1 Kevin Villavicencio 4 1 1 1 0 2 Jaylen Palmer 3 1 1 3 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jonathan Santucci 6 4 2 1 1 8 0 Garrett Stratton 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 Brian Metoyer 1 1 0 0 0 3 0 Gutierrez Walks It Off For Brooklyn The teams traded runs in the third inning, and the game stayed tied until Gutierrez's single brought home Ronald Hernandez with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. Hernandez was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and moved up to second on Corey Collins' single. Sam Biller drove in the Cyclones' run in the third. Brooklyn's bullpen kept the game within reach. Juan Arnaud worked 1 1/3 hitless innings, Cristofer Gomez struck out three over two scoreless innings, and Ryan Dollar worked a scoreless ninth to earn the win. Player AB R H RBI BB K Mitch Voit 4 0 0 0 0 0 John Bay 4 0 0 0 0 0 Ronald Hernandez 2 1 1 0 1 1 Corey Collins 3 0 1 0 1 0 JT Benson 4 0 1 0 0 1 Daiverson Gutierrez 4 0 1 1 0 0 Colin Houck 3 0 0 0 0 2 Jamari Baylor 2 1 1 0 1 0 Sam Biller 3 0 1 1 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Daviel Hurtado 4 2/3 4 1 1 3 4 1 Juan Arnaud 1 1/3 0 0 0 1 0 0 Cristofer Gomez 2 2 0 0 0 3 0 Ryan Dollar 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Early Runs Propel St. Lucie To Win The Mets jumped on the Hammerheads for three runs in the top of the first. Elian Peña led off with a single, Tauchman doubled him home, and Trey Snyder followed with a two-run home run, his first of the season, to make it 3-0. Julio Zayas added a solo home run in the third to push the lead to 4-0. Jupiter scored its run in the eighth off reliever Zack Mack. Throwing errors by Peña and Chase Meggers, the latter on a steal attempt, made it unearned. Mack allowed three hits in his 2 1/3 innings of work. Elwis Mijares retired the side in order in the ninth for the save. Player AB R H RBI BB K Elian Peña 5 1 1 0 0 2 Mike Tauchman 3 1 1 1 1 0 Taylor Darden 1 0 0 0 0 1 Trey Snyder 4 1 2 2 0 1 Julio Zayas 4 1 1 1 0 2 Chase Meggers 3 0 0 0 1 0 Branny De Oleo 4 0 1 0 0 0 Simon Juan 2 0 0 0 2 2 Jeremy Rodriguez 4 0 0 0 0 0 Francisco Toledo 3 0 0 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Emilio Obispo 5 4 0 0 3 6 0 Calvin Ziegler 2/3 1 0 0 2 1 0 Zack Mack 2 1/3 3 1 0 0 1 0 Elwis Mijares 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Jonah Tong: DNP Jack Wenninger: DNP Ryan Clifford: DNP Elian Pena: 1-for-5, 2 K Nick Morabito: 0-for-4 Jacob Reimer: DNP Mitch Voit: 0-for-4 Jonathan Santucci: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K Zach Thornton: DNP Chris Suero: 1-for-5, RBI, 3 K Will Watson: DNP Wandy Asigen: DNP Eli Serrano III: DNP Randy Guzman: DNP Dylan Ross: DNP Ryan Lambert: 2/3 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB Antonio Jimenez: DNP R.J. Gordon: DNP Jonathan Pintaro: DNP Marco Vargas: DNP View the full article