DiamondCentric

Trey Ebel is the younger brother of Brady Ebel, drafted 32nd overall by the Brewers in 2025, and the son of Dino Ebel, the Dodgers' long-time third base coach. Ebel will be 17 years old on draft day, a face likely to make him pop on organizational models. Ebel is a right-handed hitter with what's currently a hit-over-power profile. He has an excellent approach and rarely chases pitches out of the zone. In the summer of 2025, he put together some of the best contact and approach numbers of any player on the summer circuit. In the last 12 months, Ebel has grown into more bat speed. That has translated to in-game, pull-side power, which can likely further develop to solid average power in time. Defensively, there are good infield actions and a solid arm. He's a high baseball IQ player whose intelligence and feel for the game will likely help him outperform his physical tools. Ebel is committed to Texas A&M and is one of the sharpest risers on the prep side of the draft in the last few months leading up to day one. View the full article

The Chicago Cubs selected Cade Townsend with the 23rd pick in the 2026 MLB Draft Saturday afternoon. Townsend is a starting pitcher, formerly of the University of Ole Miss. The slot value for the 23rd pick in the MLB draft is $3,947,600. Last year, Townsend had a 4.64 ERA. He was ranked #35 on MLB Pipeline, #18 on Eric Logenhagen of FanGraphs' "The Board", and #29 according to Baseball America. Using Jamie Cameron's consensus board, he was our #23-ranked prospect. Jamie had this to say about him: "Townsend was a solid prep prospect ahead of the 2024 draft, cracking T200 and T300 lists, but made it to campus at Ole Miss. After splitting time between starting and relieving in his freshman season, he entered 2026 strictly as a starter. It was an explosive start to his season. In his first 35 innings pitched, he managed a 2.32 FIP, striking out over 32% of hitters and walking just 4.8%. Unfortunately, he left his fifth start with shoulder discomfort, missing some time on the shelf. It's an appealing fastball that sits 93-95 mph but can grab 98 mph. It has good carry and plays best at the top of the strike zone. It's supplemented by a nasty curveball, a hammer with a ton of drop that he imparts upwards of 3,000 rpms of spin onto with consistency. Rounding out Townsend's arsenal is a cutter that sits in the high 80s, a slider, and a changeup with good fade. The missed time and smaller frame might give some teams pause, but Townsend has a diverse, exciting arsenal. He managed a 4.13 FIP with a 31.9 K% and a much improved 8 BB% in 64 IP in 2026. He should go well in July despite not pitching in the Rebs Omaha run." Strengths: Cade Townsend’s strength lies directly in his stuff. Throwing a 94+mph fastball that shows cut-ride tendencies, Thompson is a pitcher after the Cubs’ hearts. He relies on that fastball, sinker, cutter and the Cubs adore these types of pitches. He can run the heater upwards of 98mph despite a smaller frame and can blow hitters away with the offering. Beyond just velocity, however, Townsend can spin the hell out of the baseball. He throws a curveball, a slider, and a splitfinger offering. All have gotten pretty strong reviews and look as though they are at least MLB-quality pitches while his curveball could be a plus (or better offering). According to the MLB.com Pipeline scouting report on Townsend, “He also ratchets up the rpms on a pair of power breaking balls, with both his low-80s downer curveball and upper-80s slider with nice depth grading as plus offerings, as does his cutter that averages 90 mph”. Another aspect I really like: the mentality. He’s got a lot of energy and he pitches with it. He’s not asleep on the mound; he’s active and has a “come get it” frame of mind. He’s got the makings of a fan favorite from this aspect and is one of those intangibles that can sometime separate “just a guy” from being “a dude”. Weaknesses: Townsend’s main issue is rooted in his stature; he’s just not a very big pitcher. Standing 6;1” and 185lbs, he’s not a dominant figure on the mound. I don’t mean to short-shame him (frankly, I wish I was 6’0” myself) but because he doesn’t bring a massive frame to play, he has to add a little extra “oomph” through his delivery and this can cause the control to fall off at times. Eric Logenhagen had this to say about his control: “For all of Townsend’s enviable physical gifts, the effort in his delivery, and particularly the head whack at finish, is going to make it tough for him to hit spots. He throws strikes, but not precise ones, and his command tends to dip relatively early in outings…” So when people mention the frame as an issue, this is generally why. He has a full-motion delivery and cleaning that up will be important for the Cubs. It’s not an impossible one, he saw his control tick up throughout the 2026 season at Ole Miss, but it wasn’t ever great, and he’ll need to keep working on that. One other point of concern; he’s a pitcher and with pitchers come arm injuries. As Cub fans right now, we don’t need to be reminded of pitchers’ who are hurt, but Cade Townsend did spend some time in 2026 on the shelf with a shoulder injury. It doesn’t mean impending elbow surgery, but all things considered, you wish he didn’t have it on the record. Overall: This is a very nice pick with the 23rd selection, all things considered. Teams should never draft for need, and while the Cubs need pitchers, I don’t see Townsend as a need-pick. He’s got a lot of what the Cubs’ pitching developmental team likes: fastball with carry and cut-ride principles and a good curveball. There is upside with Townsend. I’ll hesitate to say it’s “top-of-the-rotation” as many things need to come together for that, but he looks like a pitcher who has stuff for days and that’ll play up. If he can work on the control, he’ll be someone you can dream of being a mainstay in a playoff rotation, but shoulder issues and that command could force him to be a leverage reliever. While I hesitate to give a 1:1 comparison, when I see Townsend on the mound, I'm reminded a bit of another Cade; Cade Horton. They have a similar mentality, and have some comparables in shape and breaking balls. If you went into this draft wanting an upside arm, the Cubs got one, albeit, one with some things to clean up (which should be expected when you're drafting a kid 23rd and not first). View the full article

The San Diego Padres stayed fairly true to their draft history, taking high school right-hander Coleman Borthwick with the 21st pick in Saturday's MLB Draft. Borthwick is a 6-foot-6, 245-pounder who played at South Walton High School in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla. The 18-year-old is an Auburn commit that several outlets had ranked as the top prep right-hander in the draft. The No. 21 pick has a bonus slot of $4,224,700. Draft picks have until July 27 to sign. The Padres have selected 10 straight high school players under president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller. DiamondCentric's Jamie Cameron had this to say about Borthwick, who was 27th on his big board: "Borthwick is a physical monster out of Florida, built more like an NFL linebacker than a high school baseball player. Standing at 6'6, 255 pounds, he's an exciting two way prospect, but most believe his future is on the mound. It's a slightly crossfire delivery which helps to create a more unusual angle for hitters as he strides down the mound. However it looks, there's a ton of quality in the stuff. Borthwick recently ran his fastball up to 100 mph for the first time. It's a pitch that will sit 94-96 mph with plenty of run. It's paired with a quality slider, a pitch that might already be plus. It sits in the mid-80s with some sharp, late tilt. Borthwick has a changeup in the bank too, but it's been used sparingly to date. Borthwick has been a more effective strike thrower to date than you might expect from a frame his size and such an explosive arsenal. He's committed to Auburn but has T30 pick upside." More to come... View the full article

With the 20th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, the Boston Red Sox have selected Jake Schaffner. Jake Schaffner is an infielder who played shortstop for North Carolina in 2026 after spending his first two collegiate seasons at NDSU. He's carried over an impressively similar level of production in 2026 against much stiffer opposition. Schaffner hits from the left side. It's an offensive profile predicated on exceptional bat-to-ball skills. His overall contact rate in 2026 sits at ~88%, with a 94% rate in zone. There's some pop in the profile, with six home runs, and 42 extra-base hits. All of this is backed up by a strong approach, Schaffner doesn't chase much and has walked over 13% of the time in 2026. He is a good up-the-middle defender. There's an average arm in there, and while he may move off shortstop eventually, he should be able to stick on the dirt, most likely at second base. Throw in above-average speed and savvy as a baserunner (25 stolen bases in 2026 at 89%), and there's a promising infield utility profile. More to come... View the full article

Blue Jays Affiliate Overview (July 9 -10) Triple-A Buffalo Bisons Series vs Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (New York Yankees): 0-3 Season Record: 42-48 Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats Series vs Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox): 2-2 Season Record: 43-40 High-A Vancouver Canadians Series vs Everett AquaSox (Seattle Mariners): 1-3 Season Record: 35-50 Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays Series vs Lakeland Flying Tigers (Detroit Tigers): 1-2 Season Record: 39-44 FCL Blue Jays Week Record: 1-1 Season Record: 32-17 DSL Blue Jays Blue Week Record: 2-1 Season Record: 13-16 DSL Blue Jays Red Week Record: 3-0 Season Record: 15-13 Triple-A Buffalo Bisons Season Record: 42-48 Series vs Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (New York Yankees) July 9: Postponed July 10: After the game on Thursday was postponed because of rain, Buffalo's bats showed up Friday, but they just couldn't manage to get runs across the plate. Jay Harry led the offense, going 3-for-4 with three singles and a walk. Despite reaching base four times, he didn't score once. It was the same with Yohendrick Piñango, who walked twice but was left stranded once and was forced out the other time. The Bisons' only scoring would come on back-to-back doubles by Willie MacIver and Ismael Munguia to start the second inning. Buffalo used four pitchers in the game, and each one surrendered runs. Grant Rogers gave up four in 5.2 innings, Brendan Cellucci and Chase Lee each gave up two, and Brendon Little was tagged for one. Buffalo dropped this one in a rough showing, 9-1. Double-A New Hampshire Season Record: 43-40 Series vs Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox) July 9: Thursday wasn't a good day for pitchers in the game between New Hampshire and Portland. The hitters, though, came out on fire and kept hitting until the end. Arjun Nimmala and Aaron Parker both hit two-run home runs in the first inning for the Fisher Cats. By the top of the fourth inning, Portland had tied it up, with the big hit coming from Brooks Brannon, who crushed a two-run home run as well. New Hampshire flipped the script immediately, as Jorge Burgos hit a big fly to right field that went for a grand slam. Hedbert Perez would cap off the inning with an RBI single to put New Hampshire up five. In the eighth inning, the bats went off again, with Perez hitting an RBI double, Dub Gleed smashed a three-run home run, and Parker hit a three-run double. New Hampshire would go on to win 15-8. Victor Arias was 5-for-5 on the day, as the Fisher Cats pumped out 16 hits, had nine walks, and two hit-by-pitches. July 10: The Friday game between New Hampshire and Portland started off just as well for the Fisher Cats. Eddie Micheletti Jr. crushed his 12th home run of the season to give New Hampshire a two-run lead in the second inning. He added a sacrifice fly the next inning to put the Fisher Cats back up two, then Cade Doughty added an RBI double in the fourth sandwiched between two home runs from Portland. Doughty again tied the game with an RBI groundout in the sixth inning, but Portland just kept the hits coming. They took the lead in the eighth on a Ronald Rosario home run. New Hampshire lost this one 7-5. High-A Vancouver Season Record: 35-50 Series vs Everett AquaSox (Seattle Mariners) July 9: Landen Maroudis returned as the starter for Vancouver after pitching well in relief in his last outing, but it didn’t go as well as his last appearance. He pitched two scoreless innings to start, and the Canadians took the lead in the bottom of that inning with an Edward Duran double, then Duran scored on a fielding error for a 2-0 lead. The second time through the order wasn’t as fun for Maroudis, who gave up a three-run homer to Josh Caron, then allowed another run in on a single to lose the lead. That resulted in his eighth loss of the season, and although the Canadians allowed him to start the fourth, a fielding error left a runner on second, and Austin Marozas allowed that runner to score. Marozas then allowed a homer of his own, putting the Canadians down four. Myers replaced Marozas in the seventh and immediately gave up the third homer of the game for the Canadians, but then settled in, striking out four batters, only allowing that one solo shot to score. Alex Stone had his second homer of the season in the ninth to score Tucker Toman, but the Canadians fell seven to four. July 10: The Canadians yet again got out to an early lead, this time with Jake Casey hitting his second homer of the season to put them up two in the first. J.R. Freethy added to the lead with an RBI single in the second inning, and with Silvano Hechavarria on the bump, things were smooth sailing for Vancouver as he struck out five batters in three scoreless innings. Things took a turn in the fourth inning, as the AquaSox got within a run after Hechavarria let on two runners with a single and a walk, before Matthew Ellis drove them both in with a double. He pitched a quick scoreless fifth inning, so the Canadians gave him the sixth, which ended up being a mistake. He walked the first hitter, then Luke Stevenson took the lead for good with a two-run homer that gave Hechavarria the loss. He was able to get three quick outs, but the damage was done. The Canadians' offense sputtered at the end, as they only were able to get a hit and a walk off the AquaSox bullpen in a tight 4-3 loss. Single-A Dunedin Season Record: 39-44 Series vs Lakeland Flying Tigers (Detroit Tigers) July 9: The D-Jays were able to get to Malachi Witherspoon in the second inning, as Giaconino Lasaracina went deep to center field with a 104.7 mph bomb that went 432 feet, scoring two runs. The Jays loaded the bases, leading to a Blaine Bullard RBI-single, then a wild pitch made it a 4-0 lead. Troy Guthrie had another quality start, but the Lakeland Flying Tigers were able to chip down the lead against the young pitcher. They scored a run in the third on an RBI single, another single scored the second run for the Tigers, and then Guthrie gave up a homer in the fifth, reducing the lead to just one. Guthrie was able to pitch a scoreless sixth, and Austin Smith replaced him in the seventh inning. Unfortunately for Smith, Lasaracina gave up a passed ball, allowing a runner to score, forcing the game to extras. Urena replaced Smith and pitched 2.1 innings, striking out four batters, giving up one run with the ghost runner in the 10th inning. Adam Hackenberg kept the Jays alive with a single of his own to tie it up, and in the eleventh inning, Josbel Garcia got the win as Brock Tibbitts walked it off in a nail-biter. July 10: Suspended Game FCL Blue Jays Season Record: 32-17 July 9: The FCL Blue Jays took on the FCL Phillies on Thursday. Andres Arias hit an RBI double in the first inning, and it was just the beginning of a long day for the Phillies. In the fourth, Enmanuel Bonilla drove in two with a single, followed by a Gavin Smith RBI single. Bonilla and Arias added RBI hits later in the game; in between, the Blue Jays scored five runs on a combination of wild pitches, bases-loaded walks, hit-by-pitches, and balks. Miguel Pantoja was a bit wild on the mound (3.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K) for the Blue Jays, but was good enough to get the win, as the Blue Jays won big, 14-2. July 10: Suspended DSL Blue Jays Blue Season Record: 13-16 July 9: No game July 10: After an off-day on Thursday, BJB showed some rust on Friday. They only managed to get five hits in the game, but thanks to their pitching, it was enough for the win. Yoenis Morales was on the mound to start, and he did well, despite walking five. He pitched four innings, gave up four hits, struck out four, and allowed just one run. In the third inning, Michael Mesa doubled home two runs on a shot to right field. Then in the fourth, Sebastian Casanova singled in Deret Gonzalez and was a part of a double steal, with him stealing second and Ruben Sanchez stealing home. BJB won the game 4-1. DSL Blue Jays Red Season Record: 15-13 July 9: BJR had an offensive explosion on Thursday in the DSL. They got some big thunder from Luis Nunez and Aneudi Severino, both taking balls deep for three-run home runs. Nunez crushed his home run to right field in the fourth inning; it was his first of the season. Severino took his ball over the fence in the eighth inning. His long ball went to left field. Darwin Núñez got the scoring started in the first inning with an RBI single to left field. In the second, Alex Linares matched him with an RBI single of his own. BJR added two runs in the third, one from an error and another on an RBI groundout by Elian Reyes. Following Nunez's home run in the fourth, BJR tacked on two more in the seventh from a bases-loaded walk by Gabriel Porras and a sacrifice fly by Severino. In the eighth, Diego Arce singled in Ayberson Ortega, Elaineiker Coronado drew a bases-loaded walk, and Porras added a run on a sacrifice fly. Capping the scoring in the inning and the game was the big three-run blast from Severino. BJR won big 15-4. July 10: After winning a game with the bats and some timely fireworks, BJR opted for a game where speed on the entertainment came on the base paths. BJR ended the game with five stolen bases. Down 2-0 in the top of the second inning, Frelian Flores cut into the deficit with a sacrifice fly that scored Ayberson Ortega. In the third, BJR took the lead with a two-RBI single to left by Samuel Orellana. It was another Flores sacrifice fly in the sixth that gave BJR the lead again, after they relinquished it in the fourth. Elaineiker Coronado followed up the sacrifice fly with an RBI single that scored Orellana. After the Giants Black team tied the game, it was Orellana and the stolen bases that would provide the winning run. Orellana singled in the top of the eighth, stole second and third, then on a ground ball to short, he beat the throw home. The run would ultimately be the game-winner, as BJR won 6-5. View the full article

Zion Rose was a highly regarded catching prospect out of IMG Academy as a high school player. Since arriving on campus at Louisville, he's transitioned to a full-time role in the outfield. Rose slid a little early in the season due to missed time with injuries, but has since returned to his typical, productive self. At the plate, Rose has a direct right-handed swing with strong bat-to-ball skills. He is particularly adept at making out-of-zone contact, possibly a dangerous combination for him, as it's paired with a higher chase rate than you'd like to see. Rose has above-average power, too, backed by good bat speed. There's an opportunity to get into this more in-game, as he doesn't yet pull the ball much in the air. Defensively, it's likely a corner outfield spot. Rose has above-average speed and a solid glove. In 36 games in 2026, Rose managed a .417/.491/.646 line with 6 home runs (20 XBH), an 11% walk rate, an 8.7 K%, and a 147 wRC+. View the full article

The Twins selected Vahn Lackey with the third overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. Lackey is a catcher from Georgia Tech. Slot value for the pick is $9,740,100. Lackey was ranked #2 on our MLB Draft Consensus Board. In 2026, Lackey slashed .397/.519/.772 (1.291) with 20 home runs (39 extra-base hits) while walking 17.7% of the time, and only striking out at a 13.4% clip. He also posted an outrageous 170 wRC+, showcasing just how well-rounded of a hitter he is. Here’s what our write-up of Lackey by Jamie Cameron from our MLB Draft Consensus Board said of Lackey. Every draft cycle seems to produce 2-3 first round catchers, most of whom have warts offensively, defensively, or both. Georgia Tech's Vahn Lackey may be the most complete college catcher in recent seasons and has a case to make as college baseball’s most improved player in 2026. Lackey entered 2026 viewed as an excellent defensive catcher, with athleticism uncommon for the position, in addition to having strong bat-to-ball skills. He’s continued to look excellent behind the plate, with good receiving and blocking skills, an excellent arm and strong pop and transfer times. He has all the ingredients to be a plus defensive catcher. Offensively, his power has taken a step forward. After hitting 6 home runs in 60 games in 2025, he managed 20 in 61 games in 2026, with more walks than strike outs adding a high on-base floor to his profile. Lackey ended 2026 hitting .397/.519/.772 with 39 extra base hits, a 17.7 BB%, a 13.4 K%, and 15 steals (94%). Simply put, he’s one of the most complete profiles in this draft class. What do you think of the pick? Add your thoughts in the comments. View the full article

PHILADELPHIA, PA - With the 14th pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, the Miami Marlins have selected shortstop Jacob Lombard . The slot value for the 14th pick is $5,444,900. The Marlins bonus pool is $11,960,100. Lombard is a Miami native who just wrapped up his senior season at Gulliver Prep and is currently committed to the University of Miami. This past season, Lombard slashed .477/.607/.864/1.471 with 10 home runs and 25 RBI. "We're thrilled, we didn't expect we'd get a chance to draft someone in Jacob Lombard," said president of baseball operations Peter Bendix soon after the selection was made. Considered one of the top hitting prospects in this draft class, he is also considered one of the top high school prospects in the 2026 draft class (second-ranked overall prospect and top-ranked prospect in Florida, according to Perfect Game). Among all draft-eligible players, Lombard is ranked fifth by MLB Pipeline and Baseball America. Lombard comes from a strong baseball family. His brother, George Lombard Jr., is the top prospect in the New York Yankees farm system. George Lombard Sr., the father of George and Jacob, was a longtime big leaguer and currently is the bench coach of the Detroit Tigers. Jacob joins his brother, George Lombard Jr., and father, George Lombard Sr., as one of three baseball families with three players selected in the first two rounds of the MLB Draft. What stands out offensively from Lombard is his plate discipline and approach are at a much higher level than most of the prep prospects in this draft class. However, he does have some swing-and-miss to his game and struggled with high velocity over the summer. Lombard has already started to fill in his frame by adding solid weight. Lombard should stick at shortstop as he is given a 60 grade field and arm rating. Baseball America calls Lombard "one of the best defensive shortstops in the class." When it comes to base running, Lombard was clocked running a 6.11 60-yard dash per Perfect Game. Baseball America Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Speed: 65 | Field: 60 | Arm: 60 Stay updated for quotes... View the full article

A surprisingly potent offense, paired with a weak American League as a whole, has the Twins positioned to make a run in the second half of the season. Perhaps it’s not the best team to invest significant prospect capital into trade assets, but that shouldn’t stop the team from making big improvements. Tom Pohlad has repeatedly expressed a willingness to invest in this roster if given a reason. The team has done its part, and if ownership is true to its word, there are some high-impact trade candidates the Twins can get for a reasonable price if they’re willing to spend some money. Sonny Gray A reunion with Sonny Gray could be in the cards if the Twins are serious about a playoff push. The teams’ lack of depth in the rotation is an underdiscussed red flag for the stretch run. Pablo Lopez isn’t coming back this season, and Mick Abel looks unlikely as well. Meanwhile, Connor Prielipp is about to surpass his career high in innings pitched, and Mike Paredes remains in the rotation. It’s hard to imagine this group holding up throughout the rest of the season. Gray has remained a playoff-caliber starting pitcher since leaving Minnesota and has posted a sub-3.00 ERA so far this season. He’ll have just under $15m left on his contract this year, with a $10m buyout on a $30m mutual option for 2027. It’s a high price to pay, and it's difficult to envision given the level of investment we’ve seen since 2023. The Red Sox have also reentered the playoff hunt in recent weeks. Things would have to come together perfectly, making Sonny Gray more of a dream target, but if it lines up perfectly for a Twins team that’s willing to spend, the prospect capital shouldn’t take a bite out of the team’s future. Kevin Gausman Should the Blue Jays sell, Kevin Gausman presents another option for the Twins to solidify their rotation depth. A free agent in 2027, Gausman has a bit over $10m left on his contract. Given the price of starting pitchers and the fact that his cost doesn’t reach into 2027, Gausman will still command a decent prospect package in return. Not every team can afford to take on his salary for just a few months, however. A few factors, such as stranded runner rate, HR/FB rate, and BABIP, have led to a rockier year than usual for Gausman. Overall, he still looks like the same playoff-caliber starter he’s been for years now. He would be a rock for the rotation for the remainder of the season, and would slot nicely into the number two spot of a playoff rotation if the Twins can find their way into the October mix. If the Twins ownership is willing to pay for the rest of Gausman’s deal, they’d be able to acquire him without including any top-tier prospects. Pete Fairbanks The bullpen is the obvious weak spot on the Twins roster, and relievers always carry an inflated price tag at the trade deadline as every contender could use an extra arm or two. There will likely be bidding wars on affordable names such as Luke Weaver, who’s posting a career year. The Twins should certainly be involved in any and all relief arms at the deadline, but if they’re willing to spend money gambling on the most volatile position in baseball, they could strike gold. Peter Fairbanks is still averaging 97.4 on his fastball at age 32, and while his peripherals are a bit inflated from years past, he’s looked like a much better pitcher than his ERA just under 7.00 indicates. An inflated BABIP and HR/FB rate have hurt him, but he’s striking out over 30% of opposing hitters. He’ll be due roughly $6m on the rest of his contract, an amount that even a competitive Marlins team may be happy to dump with little prospect capital in return. Fairbanks has plenty of setup and closing experience, and gambling on him at this cost could pay off in a big way. The Twins being big spenders at the deadline still seems like a pipe dream, but what if Tom Pohlad’s comments about investing in this team turn out to be sincere? The Twins have done a great job of hanging around in the playoff picture, but they need help to finish the job. Impact additions at the trade deadline can cost a ton, but if they’re willing to invest financially, they can hold onto their top prospects and maintain their future. Are there any expensive trade candidates you’d like to see them acquire? Let us know below! View the full article

Happy draft day, all! Before we add a bunch of new members to the farm system, let's recap Friday night's action. Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Series vs. Rochester Red Wings (Washington Nationals): 3-1 Season Record: 44-43 Worcester fell 10-4 on a rough day for the pitching staff. Raymond Burgos had amassed a 1-4 record entering his start on Friday night against Rochester. After he exited in the fifth inning, his record fell to a weak 1-5. Across his start, Burgos allowed four runs on seven hits as he struggled to stop the Red Wings’ offense. He K’d just one and walked another before being pulled. Caleb Bolden, who was called back up to Worcester after a one-game stint last week, made a two-frame appearance in relief. Bolden struggled mightily as his Triple-A ERA rose to 13.50. He allowed four more runs on four hits as the game began to slip away from the WooSox. Bolden struck out four before Wyatt Olds took over in the eighth. Olds struggled, allowing two more runs on four hits. He struck out five of the nine batters he faced before first baseman Nathan Hickey finished off Friday’s contest with a one-out appearance. The WooSox struggled on both sides of the ball, going a measly 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and failing to capitalize at key junctures. Tyler McDonough and Andrew Knizner had two hits apiece as Mickey Gasper drew three walks in five at bats. Although the lopsided final score didn’t show it, the WooSox grabbed the lead first. Braiden Ward crossed home on a wild pitch by former Red Sox prospect Luis Perales in the first inning. The lead was short-lived, however, and the next WooSox run came as they were down two runs. In the third, Allan Castro stole second, advancing to third on a throwing error as Gasper stole home, cutting the deficit to one. The WooSox wouldn’t strike again until the ninth inning, when Tyler McDonough launched a two-run homer to right field, scoring Hickey. Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Series @ New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Toronto Blue Jays): 2-2 Season Record: 45-39 Portland rebounded after a seven-run loss on Thursday, winning 7-5 behind four RBIs from Ronald Rosario. John Holobetz set the tone on the pitching side for Portland, turning in another quality start. Across five frames on Friday, Holobetz allowed four runs on five hits. While it was the most runs he’s allowed in his past three starts, it was still a successful night as Holobetz struck out six. Jeremy Wu-Yelland took the mound for the next 2⅔ innings and earned the win for his performance. He struck out two and allowed one run on two hits. Patrick Halligan took the final 1⅓ frames of Friday’s contest, shutting out New Hampshire with a perfect outing. He earned the save as he struck out two. Rosario was on fire on Friday as he contributed the bulk of Portland’s offense. Will Turner got the scoring started for Portland in the third inning, launching his tenth homer of the season. In the fourth, Rosario struck for the first time. With Brooks Brannon aboard and down by two runs, Rosario tied the game with one swing. His fifth homer of the year sailed past the wall in left center as the Sea Dogs evened the score. In the fifth, Brooks Brannon struck as well. His fourteenth homer of the season scored Jack Winnay and nabbed the lead for Portland. With the ballgame tied in the eighth, Rosario put the Sea Dogs ahead once and for all. He hit his second homer of the night to right center, scoring Winnay and leading Portland to victory. High-A Greenville Drive Series @ Greensboro Grasshoppers: 2-2 Season Record: 34-48 Greenville won behind late offense even after a near collapse from the bullpen. Marcus Philips was electric in one of his best starts of the season. Across 4⅔ frames, Philips allowed one run on two hits, his second start in a row allowing one run. He struck out six before turning the ball over to P.J. Sprague. Sprague earned the win for his 2⅓ innings of relief. He allowed two runs on two hits, striking out one but displaying excellent command as he didn’t allow a walk. Matt McShane took the next 1⅔, innings turning in a poor performance. He allowed four runs on three hits before Tyler Davis took the final out. He allowed one more run on a solo homer, but escaped with the save as Greenville won by a slim margin. Justin Gonzales extended his hit streak to six games as he hit his twelfth homer of the season. Mason White was a major contributor on Friday, recording three RBIs on two hits. Ronny Hernandez drove in White in the second inning to put the Drive on the board. Four innings later, Gonzales put the Drive ahead with his solo homer before White drove in Isaiah Jackson to add to the lead. With the game tied in the eighth inning, Gerardo Rodriguez drove in Gonzales with an RBI double to center field. Luke Heyman tacked on another run, scoring Rodriguez on an RBI single. Ahead by two, White wasn’t done. He drove in two more runs on a homer to right center field, driving in Heyman. One inning later, Rodriguez added another run on a solo homer before Heyman matched him with a solo shot of his own. Owners of a six-run lead, the Drive clung to a win despite a five-run showing in the bottom of the ninth from Greensboro. Low-A Salem RidgeYaks Series @ Columbia Fireflies (Kansas City Royals): 3-1 Season Record: 35-49 Andrews Opata’s three-RBI night and a solid showing from the bullpen helped lead Salem to a slim 9-8 win. Christian Foutch started the game for Salem, but didn’t last long before being pulled. In just 2⅓ innings, Foutch allowed five runs on four hits as he walked four. He struck out three before being replaced by Yermain Ruiz in the third inning. Ruiz earned the win for his bulk relief appearance. Ruiz lasted four frames, allowing two runs on four hits as he struck out eight batters. Devin Gartrell took the final 2⅔ innings, silencing Columbia’s offense and sealing the win for Salem. Gartrell allowed one unearned run on two hits as he struck out four. Starlyn Nunez and Opata got Salem off to a hot start back-to-back home runs in the first inning. After falling behind by three runs in the fourth, Givian Sirvania put the Yaks back in the game with a two-run shot, scoring Andruw Musett and cutting the deficit to one. One inning later, Avinson Pinto drove in Louis Andujar on an RBI single to tie the game. Musett then scored Pinto as Salem drew ahead. To tack on one more, Justin Barry hit an RBI single of his own as the lead grew to two runs. Salem wasn’t quite done, however. Opata put an exclamation mark on the five-run inning with a line drive single to center, scoring both Barry and Sirvania. Salem held onto a close win as they won their third game in the last four. View the full article

Robert Stock has been just about everywhere during his 15-year professional baseball career, from Korea to Mexico to the Dominican Republic to all points in the lower 48. This summer, he's in Brooklyn, working to get back to the Show. The 36-year-old right-hander is rehabbing from March surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS). He felt discomfort in his shoulder during spring training as he was preparing to pitch for Israel in the World Baseball Classic. Stock was in Mets camp as a non-roster player. He said he was diagnosed with the "bad" kind of TOS, which would seem to indicate a lengthy recovery. But he returned to game action on June 19 with Brooklyn, On Friday, he made his sixth rehab appearance for the Cyclones, a start against Wilmington. It was his best outing thus far. Stock struck out eight over 3 1/3 hitless innings in a 3-1 Cyclones win. He threw 47 pitches, 29 for strikes. His only baserunner reached on a wild pitch after a strikeout. Overall, he has struck out 22, walked one, and allowed 10 hits In 14 rehab innings. Stock has made 57 big-league appearances, including two in 2025 for the Boston Red Sox. Now healthy and getting results, he looks like someone who could help a staff in the second half this year. As for the rest of the system on Friday: Syracuse rallied to beat Norfolk, 3-2, in a game shortened to seven innings because of rain. MJ Melendez's go-ahead homer in the sixth was the difference. Binghamton fell, 7-2, to Hartford. Luis Robert Jr. homered and played eight innings in center field in another rehab game for the Rumble Ponies. St. Lucie lost, 4-3, to Jupiter. Jackson Hauge hit his first professional home run and Conner Ware struck out seven over four innings of relief. DSL Mets Blue lost, 18-4, to DSL Colorado. Henry Manrique homered and starter Anderson Ozuna threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. DSL Mets Orange lost, 4-3, to the DSL Tigers. Yadier Fuentes went deep in the loss. Maxgregori Harvey allowed one hit and struck out five over three innings. Mets Transactions New York Mets placed 1B Mark Vientos on the 10-day injured list. Right hand fracture. New York Mets designated RHP Dan Hammer for assignment. New York Mets recalled RHP Tobias Myers from Syracuse Mets. New York Mets selected the contract of SS Zack Short from Syracuse Mets. Melendez, Morel Power Syracuse Comeback Melendez's solo homer proved to be decisive after the game was called early. The outfielder/DH now has five home runs in nine games since being optioned to Triple-A in late June. Christopher Morel got Syracuse's comeback from a 2-0 deficit started with a solo blast to lead off the fifth. The Mets tied the game later in the inning as Jihwan Bae grounded into a double play. Jack Wenninger started and went 4 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits, walking four and striking out two. Felipe De La Cruz worked a scoreless inning, and Ben Simon got a four-out save after the rains hit. Player AB R H RBI BB K Jihwan Bae, 2B 3 0 0 0 1 1 Nick Morabito, CF 4 0 0 0 0 1 MJ Melendez, DH 3 1 1 1 0 2 Christian Arroyo, 3B 3 0 0 0 0 1 Ryan Clifford, RF 3 0 0 0 0 2 Christopher Morel, 1B 2 1 1 1 1 0 Ben Rortvedt, C 2 1 0 0 1 0 Cristian Pache, LF 3 0 2 0 0 1 Vidal Bruján, SS 1 0 0 0 2 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jack Wenninger 4 2/3 5 2 2 2 4 0 Felipe De La Cruz 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 Ben Simon 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 1 0 Robert Gets His Work In For Binghamton Luis Robert Jr. got through his second rehab appearance for the Rumble Ponies without incident. His homer in the eighth completed the scoring. He also had a single in a 2-for-3 night. He still has not played on back-to-back days as the organization brings him back slowly from a disc herniation in his back. Binghamton fell behind, 7-0, after five innings. Starter Bryce Conley allowed six runs and six hits over 3 1/3 innings. He walked four and struck out four. The Rumble Ponies got on the board with an unearned run in the sixth. Jose Ramos scored as Matt Rudick reached on a fielding error with two outs. Gabriel Rodriguez was a bright spot with two scoreless innings of relief. Player AB R H RBI BB K Luis Robert Jr., CF 3 1 2 1 0 0 Jose Ramos, RF 3 1 0 0 1 3 JT Schwartz, 1B 4 0 2 0 0 0 Matt Rudick, DH 4 0 0 0 0 0 Vincent Perozo, C 4 0 0 0 0 1 Wyatt Young, SS 3 0 0 0 1 3 Nick Lucky, LF 4 0 0 0 0 0 Kevin Villavicencio, 3B 3 0 0 0 0 1 Nick Roselli, 2B 3 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Bryce Conley 3 1/3 6 6 6 4 4 0 Douglas Orellana 1 2/3 2 1 1 1 1 0 Gabriel Rodriguez 2 0 0 0 2 1 0 Carlos Guzman 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Stock Sets The Tone, Cyclones Strike Early For a second night in a row, the pitching staff threatened to throw a no-hitter. Stock, Bryce Jenkins, Kevin Herget, and Hunter Hodges combined for 6 1/3 hitless innings. A one-out single off Hodges in the seventh broke up the bid. Brooklyn was one out away from a no-no on Thursday. The Cyclones took the lead for good in the second on an RBI double by Colin Houck and an RBI single by Jamari Baylor, both with two out. John Bay scored on a wild pitch in the fourth to make it 3-0. Wilmington got its only run in the eighth against Gregori Louis, who allowed two hits and two walks in the inning. Tanner Witt struck out two in a scoreless ninth to close it out. Brooklyn pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts. Player AB R H RBI BB K Yonatan Henriquez, 3B 4 0 0 0 0 1 Ronald Hernandez, C 4 0 0 0 0 2 Corey Collins, DH 4 0 1 0 0 2 John Bay, CF 4 2 2 0 0 1 JT Benson, LF 3 0 1 0 0 1 Yohairo Cuevas, RF 2 0 0 0 1 2 Colin Houck, SS 3 1 1 1 0 1 Jamari Baylor, 2B 2 0 1 1 1 0 Trace Willhoite, 1B 3 0 0 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Robert Stock 3 1/3 0 0 0 0 8 0 Bryce Jenkins 2/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kevin Herget 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 Hunter Hodges 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 Gregori Louis 1 2 1 1 2 1 0 Tanner Witt 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Late St. Lucie Rally Comes Up Short St. Lucie fell behind, 4-0, after six innings. It got two runs back in the eighth, on an errant pickoff throw and an RBI single by Chase Meggers, to cut the deficit to 4-2. Hague's solo homer with two outs provided the final margin. Ware piggybacked off starter Ethan Lanthier, who allowed two runs on four hits over three innings. Ware surrendered a solo home run in the fourth and a run-scoring wild pitch in the sixth. The latter run was unearned thanks to a throwing error by catcher Francisco Toledo on a stolen base. Miguel Mejias struck out two in a scoreless inning of relief. Meggers finished 2-for-4 as St. Lucie managed just five hits in the game. Player AB R H RBI BB K Antonio Jimenez, 2B 2 0 0 0 0 1 Branny De Oleo, 2B 1 1 0 0 1 1 Elian Peña, SS 3 1 1 0 1 1 Chase Meggers, 1B 4 0 2 1 0 1 Simon Juan, CF 3 0 0 0 1 2 AJ Salgado, DH 4 0 0 0 0 2 Francisco Toledo, C 4 0 1 0 0 2 Jeremy Rodriguez, 3B 4 0 0 0 0 0 Jackson Hauge, LF 3 1 1 1 1 1 Taylor Darden, RF 4 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ethan Lanthier 3 4 2 2 0 3 0 Conner Ware 4 1 2 1 3 7 1 Miguel Mejias 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Jonah Tong: DNP Jack Wenninger: 4 2/3 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 K Ryan Clifford: 0-for-3, 2 K Elian Pena: 1-for-3, BB, K Nick Morabito: 0-for-4, K Jacob Reimer: DNP Mitch Voit: DNP Jonathan Santucci: DNP Zach Thornton: DNP Chris Suero: DNP Will Watson: DNP Wandy Asigen: 1-for-4, 3 K Eli Serrano III: DNP Randy Guzman: DNP Dylan Ross: DNP Ryan Lambert: DNP Antonio Jimenez: 0-for-2, K R.J. Gordon: DNP Jonathan Pintaro: DNP Marco Vargas: DNP View the full article

The Twins’ bullpen has caught a lot of grief this season, and rightfully so. As a unit, Minnesota’s relievers have simply not been good enough. They’re tied with the Royals for the highest bullpen ERA in baseball at 5.24, while their 1.54 WHIP ranks second-to-last in the league. It’s been an incredibly frustrating group to watch, especially in close games. It seems like every time the Twins have built a late lead, there’s been a feeling of uncertainty about whether it would actually hold. None of this should come as a huge surprise, either. At last season’s trade deadline, the Twins dealt away several of their top late-inning relievers, and it was pretty obvious that the bullpen was going to be one of the biggest question marks entering 2026. Sure enough, it has been. But even with the overall state of the Twins’ late-game pitching, there have been a couple of bright spots that have really stood out. In a bullpen that has struggled to find consistency, two pitchers have quietly given Minnesota reasons to feel optimistic about the future. The first would be the Twins’ new closer, Yoendrys Gómez. Since being acquired by Minnesota back in early May, Gómez has been awesome. Across 25.1 innings, he's posted a sparkling 1.78 ERA with a WHIP below 1.00, while striking out 24 hitters against just nine walks. Those are exactly the kinds of numbers the Twins desperately needed from the back end of their bullpen. Has he gotten a little help along the way? Maybe–his 3.04 FIP suggests he's probably benefited from some favorable luck on balls in play, and it's fair to wonder if his ERA will climb a bit over time. But even then, a 3.04 FIP is still a respectable number for a late-inning reliever. He's missing enough bats, limiting baserunners, and consistently putting the Twins in position to close out games. Whether his ERA stays below 2.00 or not almost feels beside the point. He's looked every bit like someone capable of handling the ninth inning. The other bright spot has been someone most fans probably didn't see coming at the start of the season–it’s rookie Andrew Morris. Morris became the first Twins prospect to make his major league debut this season, and he's been very impressive since arriving. Through his first 42 innings in the big leagues, Morris owns a 3.64 ERA with 44 strikeouts compared to just 13 walks. On the surface, a 3.64 ERA is certainly solid, but it doesn't exactly jump off the page. The underlying numbers, however, tell a much different story. Unlike Gómez, whose ERA has outperformed some of his expected metrics, Morris' advanced numbers suggest he may actually deserve even better results than he's gotten. Both his expected ERA and FIP sit below 3.00, indicating he's pitched more like one of the better relievers in baseball than his ERA alone would suggest. And perhaps even more impressive is how he's generating weak contact. Morris has, quite literally, been one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball at preventing hitters from squaring the baseball up. His barrel rate and average exit velocity allowed both rank in the 90th percentile or better among qualified major league pitchers. His hard-hit rate is also comfortably above league average. That's an impressive combination for any pitcher, let alone a rookie making his first trip through the major leagues. He's keeping the ball on the ground, he's attacking hitters in the strike zone, and when opponents do make contact, they're rarely doing much damage with it. That's a recipe that tends to translate well over the long haul. It's hard not to be impressed by what we've seen from both Gómez and Morris this season. They've each stepped into meaningful bullpen roles and produced in a year where reliable relief pitching has been hard to find for Minnesota. But perhaps the best part isn't even what they've done this year; it's how long the Twins could have them. Both Gómez and Morris will still have five years of team control remaining after this season. They'll each have two more years before becoming arbitration-eligible, followed by three seasons of arbitration before they can eventually reach free agency. If everything continues to trend in the right direction, the Twins may have two key bullpen pieces under club control through the 2031 season. Considering how volatile relief pitching can be, having two younger arms emerge at the same time is a pretty significant development. The bullpen as a whole still has plenty of work to do. The ERA and WHIP are too high, and blown leads have happened far too often. Those issues aren't going away because of two good individual performances. But despite all of the frustration surrounding the Twins' bullpen this season, Andrew Morris and Yoendrys Gómez have been two genuinely good stories. Both have looked like legitimate late-inning options, and both appear to have the talent to stick around for a long time. For a bullpen that's spent most of the season searching for answers, that's a pretty encouraging place to start. Hopefully, Morris and Gómez remain staples of this unit for several years to come. View the full article

In this week's episode, Nick is joined by Sam Posner, a writer for Three Quarter Slot and the beat writer for the summer league team, the North Adams Steeplecats, to talk about the Red Sox farm system, along with the draft being very close. The duo discusses the development of Payton Tolle and Anthony Eyanson, along with how the system could be ranked higher than the 15th it was given before the season, thanks to strong play from Henry Godbout, Johanfran Garcia, and Brooks Brannon. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-talk-sox-podcast/id1783204104 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qPrPXEngu0CxgTmlf0ynm Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-talk-sox-podcast-244591331/ Listen on Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/4tmd121v Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@talksox View the full article

The Minnesota Twins have optioned right-hander Eric Orze to Triple-A St. Paul on Saturday, clearing space on the active roster for Tommy Nance, acquired Friday from the Blue Jays. The Athletic's Dan Hayes first reported the move. Only a handful of Twins relievers have been leaned on more heavily than Orze, who has appeared in 35 games and thrown 41 ⅓ innings. But the results have lagged behind the workload. Orze carries a 5.27 ERA and 1.49 WHIP, with 36 strikeouts against 21 walks. What’s more, he’s been trending in the wrong direction, posting a 9.00 ERA and 1.78 WHIP since June 1st. The 28-year-old came to Minnesota from Tampa Bay in a November trade for minor-league pitcher Jacob Kisting, following a promising 2025 in which he posted a 3.02 ERA over 41.2 innings for the Rays. Because he still has minor-league options, he was the path of least resistance when the front office needed a spot for Nance. Nance, 35, cost the Twins minor-league catcher/third baseman Ryan Sprock, last year's eighth-round pick. The veteran right-hander owns a 3.82 ERA over 33 innings for Toronto this season with a 24.5% strikeout rate, and he comes with three additional years of club control beyond 2026. Orze figures to be a candidate to return quickly whenever the bullpen needs reinforcements. For now, he'll try to rediscover his 2025 form with the Saints. View the full article

All kinds of off-the-beaten-path facts within, including a fun Luke Adams / Corey Hart eye-opener. The MLB Draft is today? Well, don't forget to keep up with the prospects already here. Transactions: Milwaukee Brewers sent LHP Rob Zastryzny on a rehab assignment to Nashville Sounds. Milwaukee Brewers optioned LHP Drew Rom to Nashville Sounds. Milwaukee Brewers designated RHP Easton McGee for assignment. Wilson Warbirds released RHP Melvin Hernandez. DSL Brewers Blue activated RHP Brailin Aguirrez from the 7-day injured list. ACL Brewers activated C Isais Chavez from the restricted list. Zastryzny did not pitch for Nashville Friday, Rom had not reported back from Milwaukee, and McGee was in DFA limbo, so beleaguered Nashville Manager Rick Sweet and his coaching staff trusted a position player (Ethan Murray) to close out a game with an 11-5 lead. It worked out, but barely, with the potential game-losing run at the plate as the game concluded. The Melvin Hernandez saga has ended (or has it, we imagine some sort of news could reveal itself down the road), but if you're not familiar with his situation, follow the thread trail here. Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Nashville 11, Charlotte (White Sox) 9 Box Score and Game Log Via the Sounds, game details, and we encourage readers to always review affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine: Sounds Pepper Truist Field Outfield Seats with Barrage of Home Runs - Nashville Sets Season-High with Five Home Runs My comments here will be minimal as you'll glean so much including three video clips from that Sounds write-up. Three missed games and counting on Jett Williams watch. Are we sure he's not getting a bit of taxi squad time with the big-league club? Many of you were treated to this game during the Brewers' rain delay in Pittsburgh, which became the Brewers' postponement. Tyler Black yanked a home run to begin the scoring Eddys Leonard's home run tied things at 2-2 By the way, what is Leonard thinking as Greg Jones is the emergency INF/OF callup over him (Leonard has yet to make his MLB debut). I understand that the Brewers' see the Jones 40-man roster spot as disposable, since Jones will be DFA'd again once David Hamilton is healthy. Leonard is also out of options, so the front office would rather not risk losing Leonard after a very brief MLB stint. Still, Eddys must be shaking his head. Charlotte's Jacob Gonzalez laced this double off rehabbing Coleman Crow and then was pulled from the game (hug watch!) because he was traded to the Pirates and will be in the lineup vs. the Brewers on Saturday. Everything in baseball has a connection. Crow wasn't particularly sharp, this pitch was as hanger-ish as it gets This was Tyler Black's 3rd career game in right field, and this pitch from "reliever Ethan Murray" was directed Black's way, would have been a tough play, but perhaps others end the game a bit earlier on this one. Will wrap up by saying no one trots around the bases in a more upright position than Luke Adams, as the 22-year-old is building impressive trade value (and internal value to the Brewers also, of course). Fun comparison fact - I've seen Adams' local newspaper reports refer to him as "Jon Adams" as Jon is his given first name - Jon Luke Adams. There was another tall Brewers slugger who also has Jon as his given name but didn't go by that - Jon Corey Hart. The things you learn within a Link Report! Catch up with the latest Biloxi pre-game audio interview archives - Hitting Coach Kevin Martir the latest Final: Knoxville (Cubs) 7, Biloxi 3 Box Score and Game Log Via the Shuckers, game details: Shuckers Fall Short to Smokies on Friday - Knoxville Secures Series Split with Biloxi The Shuckers went with their "A" lineup on Friday, and it produced four extra-base hits, but only six hits overall. Five Shuckers drew walks, among them Andrew Fischer, who was also hit by a pitch. Normally that would mean enough basepath activity to produce more than three runs but: Team RISP: 1-for-12. Team LOB: 7. Down one run in the 7th, this play encapsulates Biloxi's night: More oddness from this game, watch as the Shuckers took a brief 3-2 lead in the 5th - and to explain, the ball did hit the ground after first striking the pitcher. RHP Bishop Letson's outing was kind of a shrug, OK instance. One of the four runs allowed was unearned as Fischer committed his 4th error in 15 games with Biloxi (he had eight errors in a more sizable 49 games with Wisconsin). Nick Merkel stranded one of two runners he inherited from Letson. When given the opportunity, Shuckers baserunners were moving. With two thefts, Fischer is now 9-for-16 on the season, moving off the 50% mark in that regard. Dylan O'Rae's success gives him a 39-for-47 mark, while Jesús Made's failure places him at 26-for-34 in 2026. Do you need a bit of anguish with your Corn Flakes this morning? As part of your game log perusal, check out the Biloxi 7th inning. Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes (download link) Final: Beloit (Marlins) 10, Wisconsin 7 Box Score and Game Log Via the Timber Rattlers, game details: Wisconsin Comeback Falls Short - Rattlers score four in ninth and get tying run to plate but drop decision to Sky Carp Postgame Podcast with Hitting Coach Evan Berliner, filling in for vacationing Manager Nick Stanley Here's another look as Beloit's third base coach headed to detention after school: Why only one outfield assist for Braylon? Outfield assists: Payne (Jenkins-Cowart at home). Every Rattler reached base, four with multi-hit games, led by Braylon Payne and Daniel Dickinson's three-hit efforts. Payne added a sacrifice bunt. Jayden Dubanewicz' final line was not pretty, no doubt, but he worked through six innings on 88 pitches. Wilson Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Wilson 11, Fayetteville (Astros) 10 Box Score and Game Log Warbirds Mount Remarkable Comeback to Beat Fayetteville - Anderson Crushes Two Homers, Including Walk-Off Have I had all eleven Wilson walkoff's during my Link Report schedule? Seems like it, so I'm taking credit. Jose's first of the night: The more impactful blast: In between the blasts: Juan Martinez lined an RBI single The second baseman couldn't handle this hard-hit Alexander Frias grounder Brady Ebel is walking in 20.3% of his plate appearances - coach's son, to be sure. Add in eight HBP's and the "free pass rate" is 22.5%. Hey, I just invented a stat! Catcher Rylan Mills is enjoying the month of July. In six games - .474/.565/.684 (1.249 OPS). This was the 5th consecutive strong effort by RHP Jarrette Bonet, four innings of middle relief in this one, no earned runs, keeping it close for the comeback. Final: ACL Athletics 6, ACL Brewers 1, seven innings as scheduled Box Score and Game Log Just two lonely hits for the Maryvale Crew here, one a Brailyn Antunez RBI double, his 11th on the season (23 of 54 hits for extra bases, slugging .510). That double avoided the shutout in the final frame. Third baseman Moises Polanco's 4th inning single was the only other A-Crew knock, though the club drew seven walks and one HBP, which invariably leads us to this again: Team RISP: 1-for-8. Team LOB: 8. Your box score review will tell you that it wasn't an exhilarating night on the mound for the boys, either. Final: DSL CLE Mendoza (Guardians) 8, DSL Brewers Blue 6 Box Score and Game Log Blue rode a five-run 6th to a 6-2 lead heading to the bottom of the 8th. 17-year-old RHP Steven Duran had entered in the 6th and tossed two scoreless innings. His next frame would not be scoreless. Six runs came across for the Guardians in the fateful inning, but Duran was oh-so-close to escaping with only two runs scoring and two outs. Your game log review will show what followed - walk, SB, walk, a killer triple and an insurance run single. Another 17-year-old, RHP Daniel Munoz, allowed only one run in his four innings of relief. Munoz followed opener Brailin Aguirrez, making his season debut, as our Transaction note here to kick things off alluded to. $1.5 million bonus baby José Rodríguez was touted for "elite" defense upon signing in January. That ay end up being true, but his error in this one was his 13th in 28 games (ten errors in 18 games at shortstop). Final: DSL Brewers Gold 4, DSL CLE Goryl (Guardians) 2 Box Score and Game Log Could it be that the red-hot Gold squad (now 14-13) could wind up ahead of the lately struggling Blue Crew (15-13) when all is said and done? Three Brewers pitchers combined to walk nine and plunk one while fanning only two, so this wasn't a masterpiece for the pitching coaches to bask in, but only one earned run crossed the plate. 17-year-old infielder Osiris Ramirez (second base here), a favorite of many of you diehards, tripled, singled, and walked (.980 OPS thru 24 games). The triple drove in two for a 2-1 lead in the 6th that would not be relinquished. Maryvale takes Saturday off, everyone else is in action, trying not to look over their shoulders at the players the Brewers will select on Day One of the MLB Draft today. Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth View the full article

Welcome to Royals Keep's coverage of the 2026 MLB Draft! Here you can follow all of the day’s events and join in on the conversation surrounding the newest Kansas City Royals. This year’s draft will once again consist of 20 rounds. The first four rounds will take place on Saturday, July 11th. The 5th-20th rounds will take place on Sunday, July 12th. Here's what TV coverage will be like for the MLB Draft, as it is different from years past. • 12:00-1:30 p.m. CST - Preview show + Picks 1-10 (NBC/Peacock) • 1:30-3:30 p.m. CST - Picks 11-40 (MLB Network, MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+) • 3:30-6:45 p.m. CST - Picks 41-135 (MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+) The Royals have five picks on day one of the draft: No. 6 (1st round), No. 30 (Competitive Balance A), No. 56 (2nd round), No. 91 (3rd round), and No. 119 (4th round). Kansas City has a bonus pool of $15,954,000 to divide amongst their picks. That is the seventh-highest bonus pool in this year's draft. We're excited to show off the Royals Draft Tracker, which will be kept up to date not only during the draft but throughout the entire signing period. So keep coming back for updates! The draft is a busy, fast-paced event, and we’ll be updating articles and providing scouting reports on the Royals' picks as things happen, so stay tuned and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments! View the full article

John Rave hit a ninth-inning grand slam to lift Omaha past Louisville, 6-4, while Felix Arronde earned his fourth win as Northwest Arkansas rolled past Wichita, 8-1. Kamden Edge struck out four in relief, but Quad Cities fell to Peoria, 6-3, despite Nolan Sailors' three-hit night. Columbia scored five runs in the first inning, and Henson Leal threw 3 1/3 hitless innings, but the Fireflies dropped a 9-8 decision to Salem. Royals Transactions No Roster Moves Rave's Ninth-Inning Grand Slam Lifts Omaha Past Louisville The Omaha Storm Chasers trailed by two runs entering the ninth inning in Louisville, and Rave erased the deficit with one swing. The Omaha outfielder, just recently optioned back to Triple-A from Kansas City, hit a grand slam, his 11th home run of the season, to cap a four-run ninth and lift Omaha to a 6-4 win over the Bats. The rally began with a Luca Tresh single and a Drew Waters double. After a strikeout, Rudy Martin Jr. walked to load the bases, and Rave drove a pitch to center field to put Omaha ahead. Rave finished 3-for-5 with four RBI. He was Omaha's top offensive performer on Friday night. Bailey Falter started for Omaha and pitched five innings, allowing two runs on six hits while walking one and striking out one. Louisville scored on an RBI single in the second and a sacrifice fly in the third. The Bats took the lead in the seventh. Against Scott Barlow, a bunt single and a line-drive single put two runners on, and a wild pitch scored a run during a walk. A force-out by Genesis Cabrera brought home another run, making it 4-2. Cabrera and Dan Altavilla held Louisville there, and Altavilla struck out two over the final 1 2/3 innings. Peyton Wilson tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth with a two-run double that scored Abraham Toro and Gavin Cross. Cross went 2-for-5 with a double, and Tresh added two hits. The Storm Chasers left eight runners on base and went 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position. They improved their record to 39-51 after the win. Player AB R H RBI BB K Rudy Martin Jr. 3 1 1 0 1 0 John Rave 5 1 3 4 0 1 Brett Squires 5 0 1 0 0 0 Abraham Toro 3 1 0 0 2 1 Gavin Cross 5 1 2 0 0 1 Peyton Wilson 4 0 1 2 0 1 Luca Tresh 4 1 2 0 0 0 Drew Waters 4 1 1 0 0 2 Andrew Velazquez 4 0 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Bailey Falter 5 6 2 2 1 1 0 Scott Barlow 1 3 2 2 1 1 0 Genesis Cabrera 1 1/3 0 0 0 1 1 0 Dan Altavilla 1 2/3 0 0 0 0 2 0 Arronde Earns Fourth Win As Naturals Roll Past Wichita Arronde worked around traffic, and the Northwest Arkansas offense broke the game open late in an 8-1 win over the Wichita Wind Surge. The Royals' No. 14 prospect pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run on five hits while walking four and striking out four to earn his fourth win of the season. Northwest Arkansas built an early lead. Spencer Nivens singled home Jack Pineda in the first, Alberto Rodriguez added an RBI groundout in the second, and Pineda doubled in the fifth before coming around to score on a wild pitch. The Naturals put the game away with five runs in the seventh. Pineda tripled and scored on a single by Nivens, Jorge Alfaro followed with a two-run single, and after a pair of walks, Canyon Brown capped the inning with a two-run single of his own to make it 8-1. Pineda finished 3-for-5 with a double, a triple, and three runs scored. Nivens went 3-for-5 with two RBI and a stolen base, and Colton Becker reached base five times, going 2-for-2 with three walks, a double, and a stolen base. Wichita's only run came in the sixth on an RBI single against Arronde. Brandon Johnson followed with 2 2/3 hitless innings, striking out two, and Tommy Molsky needed just six pitches for a scoreless ninth. The Naturals stranded 10 runners and went 4-for-17 with runners in scoring position. It was Northwest Arkansas' third-straight win, improving their record to 35-48. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte 5 0 0 0 0 0 Jack Pineda 5 3 3 0 0 0 Sam Kulasingam 3 1 0 0 2 1 Spencer Nivens 5 1 3 2 0 0 Jorge Alfaro 4 1 1 2 0 1 Colton Becker 2 2 2 0 3 0 Omar Hernandez 5 0 0 0 0 2 Alberto Rodriguez 4 0 0 1 1 2 Canyon Brown 5 0 1 2 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Felix Arronde 5 1/3 5 1 1 4 4 0 Brandon Johnson 2 2/3 0 0 0 0 2 0 Tommy Molsky 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Sailors Homers But River Bandits Fall To Peoria Derlin Figueroa and Sailors homered, but the Quad Cities River Bandits dropped a 6-3 decision to the Peoria Chiefs at home. Figueroa gave the River Bandits a 1-0 lead in the second with his 17th home run of the season, a solo shot to center field. He finished 2-for-4. Tanner Jones started and pitched five innings, allowing four runs on nine hits with no walks and three strikeouts. Peoria broke through with three runs in the fifth on back-to-back doubles, a triple, and an RBI single, then added a run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly after Jones left with a runner at second base. Peoria added two more in the eighth, a solo home run charged to Mason Miller and an RBI single that scored an inherited runner. Edge, the Royals' No. 19 prospect at Royals Keep, was a bright spot out of the bullpen, striking out four of the five batters he faced across 1 1/3 innings, including striking out the side in the ninth. Sailors kept Quad Cities in the game with a two-run home run, his third, in the eighth, scoring No. 9 prospect Asbel Gonzalez and cutting the deficit to 6-3. Sailors finished 3-for-4 with a double, and No. 4 prospect Blake Mitchell went 2-for-4 with a stolen base. Gonzalez tripled, walked, and scored. Unfortunately, the River Bandits struck out 12 times, went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position, and stranded seven runners. The River Bandits' win streak was snapped, and they are now back under .500 at 40-41. Player AB R H RBI BB K Asbel Gonzalez 3 1 1 0 1 1 Nolan Sailors 4 1 3 2 0 1 Blake Mitchell 4 0 2 0 0 1 Luke Pelzer 4 0 0 0 0 3 Derlin Figueroa 4 1 2 1 0 2 Tyriq Kemp 4 0 0 0 0 0 Erick Torres 4 0 0 0 0 1 Trevor Werner 4 0 0 0 0 3 Angel Acosta 4 0 2 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Tanner Jones 5 9 4 4 0 3 0 Mason Miller 2 2/3 1 2 2 3 1 1 Kamden Edge 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 4 0 Fireflies' Five-Run First Wasted In 9-8 Loss To Salem The Columbia Fireflies scored five runs in the first inning, but the Salem RidgeYaks answered with seven unanswered runs across the fourth and fifth innings, and Columbia's late comeback fell one run short in a 9-8 loss. Salem opened the game with two solo home runs against Michael Lombardi, and Columbia responded immediately. Henry Ramos and No. 5 prospect Sean Gamble singled, No. 3 prospect Josh Hammond walked, and JC Vanek was hit by a pitch, forcing in a run. Roni Cabrera drew a bases-loaded walk, Connor Rasmussen added an RBI single, Angel Ramirez lifted a sacrifice fly, and Cabrera stole home to make it 5-2. Lombardi, the Royals' No. 11 prospect, pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on four hits, including three home runs, while walking four and striking out four. A two-run homer in the fourth cut the lead to 5-4, and Salem scored five in the fifth, all charged to Hunter Alberini, on a double, four singles, a hit by pitch, and a walk to take a 9-5 lead. Leal kept Columbia in the game with 3 1/3 hitless innings on the mound, striking out two. The Fireflies got two runs back in the sixth on a Vanek RBI single and a Stone Russell sacrifice fly, and Ramirez scored from second base on a wild pitch in the seventh to make it 9-8. Unfortunately, they could not complete the comeback. Ramos went 3-for-4 with two walks, two runs, and a stolen base, and Rasmussen finished 3-for-5 with an RBI. Columbia went 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position, stranded 12 runners, and struck out 15 times. The Fireflies fell to under .500 with the loss and are now 42-43 this season. Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos 4 2 3 0 2 1 Sean Gamble 5 2 1 0 0 3 Josh Hammond 3 1 1 0 2 0 JC Vanek 4 1 1 2 0 2 Stone Russell 3 0 0 1 1 2 Roni Cabrera 3 1 1 1 2 2 Connor Rasmussen 5 0 3 1 0 1 Yandel Ricardo 0 0 0 0 0 0 Angel Ramirez 3 1 0 1 0 2 Gabriel Silva 5 0 0 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Michael Lombardi 4 1/3 4 4 4 4 4 3 Hunter Alberini 1/3 5 5 5 1 0 0 Henson Leal 3 1/3 0 0 0 1 2 0 Dash Albus 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kendry Chourio: DNP David Shields: DNP Josh Hammond: 1-for-3, 2 BB, R Blake Mitchell: 2-for-4, K, SB Sean Gamble: 1-for-5, 2 R, 3 K Ramon Ramirez: DNP Drew Beam: DNP Carson Roccaforte: 0-for-5 Asbel Gonzalez: 1-for-3, 3B, BB, R, K Yandel Ricardo: 0-for-0 Michael Lombardi: 4 1/3 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 4 K, 3 HR Ben Kudrna: DNP Justin Lamkin: DNP Felix Arronde: 5 1/3 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 4 K Blake Wolters: DNP Steven Zobac: DNP Austin Charles: DNP Daniel Vazquez: DNP Kamden Edge: 1 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K Warren Calcano: DNP View the full article

The MLB Draft can reshape an organization in a single night, and that's exactly the opportunity sitting in front of the Minnesota Twins. After a disappointing 2025 campaign, Minnesota owns the third overall selection in the 2026 MLB Draft, marking the franchise's highest pick since selecting Royce Lewis first overall in 2017. History suggests those opportunities don't come around often. The Twins also used top-three selections on Byron Buxton in 2012 and Joe Mauer in 2001, making this the kind of draft position that can alter the direction of the organization for years. The front office has assembled one of baseball's deepest farm systems through trades and strong player development, but landing another cornerstone piece could elevate the system to another level. While there are several directions Minnesota could go, some outcomes are clearly more appealing than others. 4. Take an Under-slot Deal to Diversify the Bonus Pool There is always temptation to play the bonus pool game. If Minnesota believes another prospect can provide similar long-term value while signing for less than slot value, the savings could be redistributed throughout the rest of the draft. It's a strategy that has worked for several organizations in recent years, especially when multiple players are graded similarly. Someone like Jackson Flora, the top collegiate pitcher in the class, or explosive outfielder Drew Burress could fit that mold. Still, it would be difficult for Twins fans to embrace that approach while one of the consensus top-three prospects remains available. Passing on elite talent in favor of financial flexibility would inevitably revive criticism of the organization's spending habits, regardless of how successful the overall draft ultimately becomes (and of the fact that it would merely represent moving money around, not actually spending less). Unless Minnesota's evaluators genuinely believe another player belongs in that top tier, the safest path is simply taking the best player available. 3. Draft Vahn Lackey Catchers always come with additional risk near the top of the draft. Their development tends to take longer than other position players, and there's never a guarantee they'll remain behind the plate throughout their professional careers. That makes Vahn Lackey a fascinating evaluation. Fortunately for whichever organization selects him, Lackey checks nearly every box. Long praised for his defensive ability, he elevated himself into the conversation as arguably the best player in college baseball after an offensive breakout. His swing generates plenty of power thanks to excellent bat speed and an aggressive lower-half load. He attacks fastballs ferociously and has steadily improved his strike-zone discipline over the last two seasons. There is some understandable concern about whether the amount of pre-swing movement could create additional swing-and-miss against professional breaking pitches. Even so, the combination of above-average contact ability and plus power gives him legitimate middle-of-the-order upside. Defensively, Lackey separates himself even further. He's remarkably athletic for a catcher, stealing 18 bases in 2025 before swiping another 15 this spring. His quick feet allow him to block balls with ease, while his plus arm and lightning-fast release make controlling the running game look effortless. Few catching prospects offer this combination of offensive upside, defensive polish, and athleticism. He may require additional patience in the minor leagues while the bat continues to develop, but his defensive foundation creates one of the highest floors in the class. Minnesota hasn't used a first-round pick on a catcher since Joe Mauer. Lackey has the talent to end that drought. 2. Draft Grady Emerson Few (if any) players in this draft possess Grady Emerson's upside. The high school shortstop has been viewed as one of the elite talents in the class for years, and his combination of polish and projection continues to impress evaluators. Everything starts with the swing. It's compact, balanced, and incredibly efficient. Emerson consistently keeps the barrel in the zone, producing hard contact to all fields while rarely chasing pitches outside the strike zone. He hit an eye-popping .532 during his senior season, pairing elite bat-to-ball skills with emerging power and an advanced approach rarely seen from prep hitters. While there's obvious room for additional strength as he matures physically, his offensive profile already projects as one capable of producing both average and power at the highest level. Defensively, Emerson remains at shortstop thanks to smooth actions, quality instincts, and above-average arm strength. He isn't the flashiest defender in the class, but he does everything well and plays with a level of consistency that gives scouts confidence he'll remain at the position. Like every high school player, there is additional risk simply because projecting physical development isn't an exact science. Added strength could unlock another level offensively, but it's impossible to know exactly how his body will change over the next several years. The ceiling is enormous, even if there's naturally more uncertainty than with a polished college player. 1. Draft Roch Cholowsky If Roch Cholowsky somehow reaches the third pick, Minnesota's decision should become remarkably simple. While some evaluators have recently elevated Emerson or Lackey atop their personal draft boards, Cholowsky continues to offer perhaps the most complete package in the class. After entering UCLA instead of signing out of high school, he added strength without sacrificing athleticism, transforming an already impressive skill set into one of college baseball's most complete profiles. At the plate, Cholowsky combines elite bat speed with a compact swing. He consistently drives the baseball to every part of the field while showing the combination of contact ability and power teams covet at premium defensive positions. His aggressive mindset occasionally leads him to expand the strike zone, but the overall offensive profile projects as an impact bat capable of producing both average and power throughout his career. The defensive upside may be even more exciting. Cholowsky owns one of the strongest arms in the draft and routinely makes highlight-reel throws from deep in the hole. Although he's only an average runner, his instincts and internal clock allow him to maximize every bit of his athleticism. His range, hands, and overall defensive actions have many evaluators projecting Gold Glove potential at shortstop. For an organization that has spent recent years searching for long-term answers in the middle infield, Cholowsky would fit beautifully alongside Marek Houston and Kaelen Culpepper, giving Minnesota an impressive collection of premium defensive infield talent. And that's before considering that he might also develop into one of the best hitters from the entire class. The odds still favor Cholowsky hearing his name called before the Twins pick, but recent draft buzz has at least created a realistic possibility. If he's still available, Minnesota would be difficult to fault for sprinting the card to the podium. The beauty of drafting third overall is that Minnesota is almost guaranteed to walk away with one of the premier talents in the country. Whether it's the polished all-around game of Cholowsky, the immense upside of Emerson, or the rare two-way value Lackey provides behind the plate, the Twins should have an opportunity to add another elite prospect to an already loaded farm system. The only disappointing outcome would be allowing bonus pool strategy to outweigh elite talent if one of the consensus top prospects remains on the board. Opportunities to draft this high are rare, and history has shown that the Twins have made the most of them before. This weekend offers another chance to find the franchise's next legend. Do you agree with the rankings above? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

As usual, the Miami Marlins are keeping their MLB Draft plans close to the vest. Being in the middle of the pack in terms of both draft order and overall bonus pool size, there are many factors beyond their control, anyway. In other words, predicting who they'll get with the 14th overall pick and beyond is difficult. Don't let that spoil the fun! Updated early Saturday morning, here is a roundup of the latest mock drafts from Fish On First's in-house analysts and leading national baseball publications. Hector Rodriguez of Fish On First No. 14 pick: Ace Reese, 1B/3B, Mississippi State No. 52 pick: Andrew Williamson, OF, UCF No. 71 pick: Will Gasparino, OF, UCLA No. 87 pick: Jack Slightom, RHP, Lyons HS (IL) No. 115 pick: Peyton Bonds, OF, Rutgers No. 147 pick: Deven Sheerin, RHP, LSU Sean McCormack of Fish On First No. 14 pick: Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida No. 52 pick: Ethan Bass, SS, Glenbrook North HS (IL) No. 71 pick: Ryan Peterson, RHP, Sam Houston State No. 87 pick: Alex Conover, OF, Oklahoma State No. 115 pick: Jake Carbaugh, RHP, Plant City HS (FL) FOF Mock Draft Consensus Board (courtesy of Jamie Cameron) No. 14 pick: AJ Gracia, OF, Virginia No. 52 pick: Connor Comeau, OF, Anderson HS (TX) No. 71 pick: Owen Hull, OF, North Carolina No. 87 pick: Malachi Washington, OF, Parkview HS (GA) No. 115 pick: Daniel Cuvet, 1B/3B, Miami Carlos Collazo of Baseball America No. 14 pick: Chris Hacopian, 2B, Texas A&M "I’ve continued to hear that Derek Curiel might be the preferred target here for the Marlins. If he gets this far on the board, I would expect him to be the pick. There are plenty of scenarios where that doesn’t happen, including this one. I’ll stick with Hacopian, though other bats like Ace Reese, AJ Gracia or Sawyer Strosnider could make some sense. Zion Rose is a bat I’ll speculate on some here as well. He could wind up surprising people with where he goes on draft day, even if I don’t have a no-doubt obvious landing spot for him in this mock." Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline No. 14 pick: Derek Curiel, OF, LSU "The Marlins might not think the LSU standout will still be on the board, but if he is, he could get the nod over Hacopian or one of the college arms who come up at this point in the Draft, like Peterson or Tennessee right-hander Tegan Kuhns." Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline No. 14 pick: Jacob Lombard, SS, Gulliver Prep (FL) "This would be a coup for the Marlins, who couldn’t have expected to get Lombard even a few days ago. If this doesn’t come true, Reese, Grindlinger and Georgia prep outfielder Trevor Condon make sense here." Keith Law of The Athletic No. 14 pick: Taylor Rabe, RHP, Ole Miss "Rabe is the hottest name in the draft in terms of how much he seems to go up every time I do this exercise, having finished very strongly and scoring very well in teams’ draft models. I have heard them a little with some upside players (Justin Lebron, Gio Rojas), but more with somewhat safer college players, hitters or pitchers. The Marlins’ model tends to favor defense, so Lebron might fit but several of the other college bats wouldn’t." Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs No. 14 pick: Gio Rojas, LHP, Stoneman Douglas HS (FL) "The Marlins have targeted big upside in recent drafts, usually with power-hitting position players who have struggled to hit. A continuation of that strategy could lead them to Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron in this scenario. If they want to change course, well, most of the high-contact college hitters are off the board here. High school outfielder Trevor Condon is the prep version of that profile. This is late for the first prep arm to go and would be great value, with a cherry of positive optics on top because Rojas is local." Adrian White of Just Baseball No. 14 pick: Ace Reese, 1B/3B, Mississippi State "Reese makes sense for Miami as one of the best college bats still available. The defensive home is not completely settled, but the left-handed power plays in this part of the round. He produced in the SEC, with enough contact ability to avoid the power-only label. Miami could let him continue proving himself at third base, though first base may be the cleaner long-term fit. Either way, the Marlins are betting on a bat with a chance to anchor the middle of a lineup." View the full article

Today is the day. The 2026 MLB Draft begins this afternoon in Philadelphia. Fish On First has already published profiles for many of the prospects worth considering for the Miami Marlins in the first round. It's time to dive even deeper with dueling multi-round mock drafts from FOF's own Hector Rodriguez and Sean McCormack. Hector Rodriguez's Mock Draft First Round (14th overall)—Ace Reese, 3B, Mississippi State Slot value: $5,444,900 With the 14th pick of the 2026 MLB Draft, the Miami Marlins select third baseman Ace Reese. No change here for me from my previous mock draft. The Marlins land one of the best power hitters in this draft class with the selection of the SEC corner infielder. Ace Reese is the 6’4”, 220-pound third baseman out of Mississippi State University. On Baseball America, Reese is the 12th-ranked prospect in the 2026 MLB Draft class. On ESPN, Reese is the 17th-ranked prospect in this draft class. He’s also the 18th-ranked draft prospect on MLB Pipeline. At the plate, Gracia has excellent bat speed and has natural lift in his swing. He has a 60-grade power tool and has consistently been one of the best power hitters in the country since he arrived at Mississippi State. Defensively, there are some questions about whether he can stick at third base. If not, he’s a first baseman or left fielder at the next level. During the 2026 season, Reese played and started in all 62 games. Reese slashed .336/.432/.721 with 83 hits, 23 doubles, 24 home runs, 74 RBIs, 72 runs scored, 41 walks, and a 1.152 OPS. Reese was named First Team All-SEC and Second Team All-American. Second Round (52nd overall)—Andrew Williamson, OF, UCF Slot value: $1,892,500 With the 52nd pick of the 2026 MLB Draft, the Miami Marlins select outfielder Andrew Williamson. The Marlins use their second round pick to draft one of my most well-rounded collegiate prospects in this draft class. Andrew Williamson is the 6’0”, 195-pound outfielder out of the University of Central Florida. On Baseball America, Williamson is the 48th-ranked prospect in the 2026 MLB Draft. On ESPN, Williams is the 50th-ranked prospect in this draft class. He’s also the 52nd-ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline. At the plate, Williamson has a short, compact swing with an advanced plate approach. He posted a career-high 17.7% walk rate last season. Even though he’s undersized, Williamson has plus power potential and excellent bat speed. Williamson projects to be a right fielder at the next level. During the 2026 season, Williamson played and started in all 55 games. Williamson slashed .322/.442/.645 with 69 hits, thirteen doubles, four triples, sixteen home runs, 48 RBIs, 41 walks, and a 1.086 OPS. He was also named Second Team All-Big 12. Competitive Balance Round B (71st overall)—Will Gasparino, OF, UCLA Slot value: $1,192,600 With the 71st pick of the 2026 MLB Draft, the Miami Marlins select outfielder Will Gasparino. The Marlins grab another college bat who fits the mold of collegiate bats they have taken in previous drafts. Will Gasparino is a 6’6”, 220-pound outfielder out of the University of California, Los Angeles. On Baseball America, Gasparino is the 71st-ranked prospect in the 2026 MLB Draft class. On MLB Pipeline, Volchko is the 72nd-ranked prospect in this draft class. He’s also the 94th-ranked draft prospect on ESPN. In the past, the Marlins have selected athletic collegiate bats with a power-over-hit offensive profile. Gasparino fits that mold perfectly. He has a 60-grade power tool and a 45-grade hit tool. He’s also an above-average runner and could stick in centerfield. During the 2026 season, Gasparino played and started in 58 games. Gasparino slashed .314/.412/.659 with 69 hits, twelve doubles, two triples, 20 home runs, 64 RBIs, and a 1.071 OPS. Gasparino was named a NCBWA First Team All-American and First Team All-Big Ten. Third Round (87th overall)—Jack Slightom, RHP, Lyons Township HS (IL) Slot value: $929,700 With the 87th pick of the 2026 MLB Draft, the Miami Marlins select right-handed pitcher Jack Slightom. The Marlins grab their first high school prospect and pitching prospect in the 2026 MLB Draft. Jack Slightom is a 6’5”, 215-pound right-handed pitcher out of Lyons Township High School in Western Springs, Illinois. On Perfect Game, Slightom is the 152nd-ranked prospect and the 49th-ranked right-handed pitcher in the country. He’s also the third-ranked prospect in the state of Illinois. On ESPN, Slightom is the 60th-ranked prospect in the 2026 MLB Draft. On MLB Pipeline, Slightom is the 89th-ranked prospect in this draft class. He’s also the 101st-ranked draft prospect on Baseball America. On the mound, Slightom possesses a three-pitch mix including his fastball, slider, and changeup. Slightom’s fastball was sitting in the low-90s in his junior season. However, his fastball velocity has increased into the mid-90s and tops out at 98 mph with arm-side run. He has a slow low-80s slider and a really good feel for his changeup, which is very effective against right-handed batters. Fourth Round (115th overall)—Peyton Bonds, OF, Rutgers Slot value: $677,500 With the 115th pick of the 2026 MLB Draft, the Miami Marlins select outfielder Peyton Bonds. The Marlins grab another college hitter who has been highly productive since they enrolled on campus. Peyton Bonds is a 6’5”, 230-pound outfielder out of Rutgers University. On MLB Pipeline, Bonds is the 81st-ranked prospect in the 2026 MLB Draft class. On Baseball America, Bonds is the 114th-ranked prospect in this draft class. He’s also the 118th-ranked draft prospect on ESPN. At the plate, Bonds is a physically gifted prospect with plus hit tools and plenty of potential raw power. He’s one of the best athletes in this draft class and could play center field at the next level. He’s also the nephew of the MLB home run king Barry Bonds and the grandson of three-time All-Star Bobby Bonds Sr. During the 2026 season, Bonds played and started in 36 games. He missed some time due to an injury. Bonds slashed .352/.436/.535 with 50 hits, eight doubles, six home runs, 29 RBIs, thirteen stolen bases, and a .972 OPS. Fifth Round (147th overall)—Deven Sheerin, RHP, LSU Slot value: $496,400 With the 147th pick of the 2026 MLB Draft, the Miami Marlins select right-handed pitcher Deven Sheerin. The Marlins finish this mock draft by grabbing one of the top relief pitchers in college baseball. Deven Sheerin is a 6’5”, 255-pound right-handed pitcher out of LSU. On MLB Pipeline, Sheerin is the 145th-ranked prospect in the 2026 MLB Draft class. On ESPN, Sheerin is the 163rd-ranked draft prospect. He’s also the 233rd-ranked prospect on Baseball America. On the mound, Sheerin possesses a three-pitch arsenal including his fastball, slider, and splitter. His fastball sits in the upper-90s and has been clocked at 100 mph. It has really nice carry and gets in on right-handed batters. He has a plus mid-80s slider and decent feel for his upper-80s splitter. During the 2026 season, Sheerin made all 20 appearances out of the bullpen. Sheerin posted a 3-2 record with a 4.78 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, five saves, 4.3 BB/9, a .210 opponent batting average, and 58 strikeouts in 37.2 innings pitched. Sean McCormack's Mock Draft First Round (14th overall)—Liam Peterson, RHP, University of Florida Slot value: $5,444,900 Future value: 50 With pick 14, I mock the Marlins selecting University of Florida ace Liam Peterson. Peterson who was a highly touted high-schooler out of the Tampa region has spent his last 4-years at UF, the Florida native has always had electric stuff but has struggled with command. Peterson, who is 6'5", has all the traits of a top-of-the-rotation starter. The ability to spin the ball at a high-level will be appealing to MLB teams as potential to expend Peterson's arsenal are glaring, Peterson touches 100, and sits 96 mph. Second Round (52nd overall)—Ethan Bass, SS, Glenbrook North HS (IL) Slot value: $1,892,500 Future value: 45 Ethan Bass, shortstop out of Illinois is a more under-the-radar name in this draft. Committed to Wake Forest he may take some convincing to sign away, leading the Marlins or any team for a potential over-slot deal. Bass excels with his batted ball data, shows a strong understanding of the zone, while making above-average contact rates. At 18-years-old Bass would be the stereotypical high-school shortstop selection for the Marlins as they look to draft athletes like Bass who can stick at shortstop long-term. Competitive Balance Round B (71st overall)— Ryan Peterson, RHP, Sam Houston State Slot value: $1,192,600 Future value: 45 Ryan Peterson has become more a "Buzzy" name as the MLB draft approached, the Sam Houston State product struggled to begin his college-career but ever since a jump in velo he has gained solid results. But what makes Peterson truly stand out is his extremely flat approach to the plate and nearly side-arm-angle. Highly deceptive he has drawn comparisons to Bryan Woo or Christian Scott who are similar in their flat-approaches through-the-zone with their fastballs. Peterson commands well, has the ability to expand his pitch-mix due to high spin capacity, gets strong extension down the mound and has intriguing release traits which advanced pitching development orgs may target. Third Round (87th overall)—Alex Conover, OF, Oklahoma State Slot value: $929,700 Future value: 45 Oklahoma State outfielder Alex Conover began his college career at the JUCO level, where he later transferred to Oklahoma State University, the 6'4", left-handed hitter has taken large strides every year at the plate, cutting his chase numbers, and growing into a diverse hitters using the whole field. Conover hit a career high 14 home runs in 2026, while cutting his strike-out rate, the 20-year-old on draft day has a up-arrow pointed next to his name. Fourth Round (115th overall)—Carbaugh Slot value: $677,500 Future value: 40 The 6'6", 18-year-old from Plant City, Florida has some outlandish traits, not only is he 6'6", but his ability to spin the baseball pops off the screen, up to 2900 rpm, Carbaugh has elite spin talent for his age. Whippy arm action and solid extension down-the-mound, Carbaugh can definitely project as a starter as his career continues. The biggest component to getting everything working is the command, Carbaugh like many high school pitchers currently lacks the command of his pitches. But the traits are there for the Mississippi state commit. View the full article

An All-Star for the Minnesota Twins in 2023, Pablo López’s potential was evident during his time with the Miami Marlins. That was never more the case than on this day five years ago. On the one-year anniversary of his father’s death, López made history. The right-hander set a Major League Baseball record by striking out the first nine batters he faced in Miami’s 7-4 win over the Atlanta Braves. López threw a minimum number of pitches to record his first two strikeouts at loanDepot Park on July 11, 2021. Ehire Adrianza and Freddie Freeman each went down swinging to open the game. Ozzie Albies worked a seven-pitch at-bat but ultimately struck out swinging to end the top of the first inning. After López struck out the side in the first inning, the Marlins’ offense wasted little time giving him the lead as Jesús Aguilar took Ian Anderson deep for a three-run home run in the bottom of the first. In the top of the second, López missed an immaculate inning by one pitch as Austin Riley, Orlando Arcia and Dansby Swanson each struck out swinging. López needed just 12 pitches to get through the third inning. After striking out the first six batters swinging, Guillermo Heredia and Anderson each went down looking. In between, Kevan Smith fanned swinging for the second out. With the nine straight strikeouts to open the contest, López broke the previous record of eight held by Jim Deshaies (1986), Jacob deGrom (2014) and Germán Márquez (2018). After catcher Sandy León extended the Miami lead to 4-0 with an RBI groundout in the bottom of the third, Adrianza became the first Atlanta hitter to make contact against Lopez as he grounded out to open the fourth. The Braves broke up the shutout later in the inning with RBI singles from Albies and Arcia. Miami, however, had an answer. In the bottom of the fourth, Aguilar followed Garrett Cooper’s RBI double with an RBI single of his own to push the lead back to four at 6-2. López would work six innings, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks. He did not strike out a batter after the third inning. Swanson homered with two outs in the sixth inning before taking Anthony Bender deep in the ninth for a second solo blast to cap the scoring for Atlanta. Miguel Rojas capped the scoring for Miami with an RBI single in the sixth to score Jesús Sánchez. Sánchez and Rojas each finished with three of the 12 Miami hits in the win. Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Aguilar added two hits apiece. Aguilar finished with four RBIs. The day, however, belonged to López. He became the first pitcher in baseball history to open a contest with nine straight strikeouts the first time through the order. They came on this day five years ago. View the full article

On Friday, the Kernels and Wind Surge announced that RHP Riley Quick was promoted from Cedar Rapids to Double-A Wichita. The 36th overall pick in the 2025 draft out of the University of Alabama made his professional debut with Fort Myers in April. He made three starts for the Mighty Mussels, and in eight innings, he gave up no runs and just one hit. He walked three but had 13 strikeouts. The Twins acted Quickly and pushed him to Cedar Rapids. He made 11 starts and worked a total of 41 1/3 innings for the Kernels. His overall numbers don't stand out immediately. He is 0-2 with a 4.14 ERA. He gave up 31 hits (including five home runs). He also had 23 walks (5.0 BB/9) which will have to improve. However, he had 61 strikeouts (13.3 K/9). I was curious how the Twins might choose to develop Quick, especially considering he made just one appearance in 2024 at Alabama before having Tommy John surgery. I asked earlier in the season how similar Quick's 2026 timeline might be compared to Blue Jays 2024 top pick Trey Yesavage. Yesavage started with seven starts for Low-A Dunedin. He had a 2.43 ERA and in 33 1/3 innings, he had eight walks and 55 strikeouts. He moved up to High-A Vancouver (May 20) where he posted a 1.56 ERA in 17 1/3 innings over four starts. He was then promoted to Double-A New Hampshire (June 12) where he pitched 30 innings over eight games (7 starts). He had 11 walks with 46 strikeouts. He moved up to Triple-A Buffalo (August 14) where he made four starts and two relief appearances. In 17 1/3 innings, he had 11 walks and 26 strikeouts. Then he ended the season with three important MLB starts for the Blue Jays (starting September 15) before putting up silly video game numbers in the playoffs. Overall, he threw 98 innings in the minor leagues and was 5-1 with a 3.12 ERA. He gave up 54 hits, walked 41, and had 160 strikeouts. TRANSACTIONS As expected, the Twins activated catcher Ryan Jeffers and optioned OF Kyler Fedko. The Twins acquired veteran RHP Tommy Nance from the Toronto Blue Jays along with international bonus pool money. In return, the Twins sent infielder/catcher Ryan Sprock. Sprock was the eighth-round pick in 2025 from Elon University. He was the Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Month in June and had just been promoted to High-A Cedar Rapids this week. Fort Myers LHP Cleiber Maldonado began a rehab assignment in the FCL. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 4, Iowa 7 Box Score Things started out quite well for the Saints in Des Moines. It didn’t take long for the Cubs to comeback and eventually take the lead. Then they added on and beat the Saints for the third straight time. With one out and runners on first and second, Hendry Mendez singled to left to drive in Matt Wallner. After a wild pitch Gabriel Gonzalez dropped a single into right field to drive in two runs and give the Saints a 3-0 lead. Ty Langenberg started and put zeroes on the board in the first, third and fourth innings. However, in 4 1/3 innings, he gave up six earned runs on six hits and three walks. He struck out four. The Cubs scored four in the bottom of the second He also gave up two runs in the fifth inning. Both runs scored after C.J. Culpepper came in. He gave up one run of his own on two hits and two walks in 1 1/3 innings. Raul Brito tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings. He gave up two hits and a walk and had two strikeouts. Alejandro Hidalgo struck out two batters in a perfect ninth inning. The Saints scored four runs on five hits and four walks in the game. Gonzalez went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Mendez was 2-for-4. Walker Jenkins and Aaron Sabato each walked twice. The daily Brett Bateman Update informs us that the former Gopher great went 2-for-4 with a walk and his 18th stolen base. He is now batting .306/.434/.411 (.845) on the season. For more on Bateman and other prospects in the (former Twins outfield prospect) Jason Kanzler-led Cubs farm system, check out our sister site North Side Baseball. Many of the Iowa Cubs are in their Top 20 Cubs Prospect rankings. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 1, Northwest Arkansas 8 Box Score Another tough loss for the Wind Surge. After a 12-1 win on Thursday, they have lost three straight by a combined score of 12-28. In fact, things have been rough for the Wind Surge for the past two months. Below you’ll find the results of the past nine weeks, nine series. That marks the last time the Wind Surge won a series. And some of the run differentials for those weeks are pretty rough. Week Opponent W-L RS-RA 7/7-7/10 NW Arkansas 1-3 (24-29) 6/30-7/5 Tulsa 1-5 (34-60) 6/23-6/29 Midland 1-5 (19-35) 6/16-6/22 Springfield 2-4 (32-40) 6/9-6/15 Tulsa 1-5 (39-46) 6/2-6/8 San Antonio 1-5 (15-28) 5/25-6/1 Springfield 0-5 (22-35) 5/19-5/24 Tulsa 2-4 (24-40) 5/12-5/17 San Antonio 3-3 (27-27) 5/5-5/10: Amarillo 3-2 (41-27) Through six innings, the Wind Surge were only behind. However, the Naturals scored five runs in the top of the seventh and ran away with another easy win. Cory Lewis started for the Wind Surge. He gave up two runs on three hits and two walks in the first three innings. He had four strikeouts. Darren Bowen gave up one run on three hits over two innings. Jacob Webb came out for the seventh and was charged with five runs on three hits and three walks. He recorded two outs and left with the bases loaded. Nick Mikolajchak allowed two of the inherited runners to score, but he got four outs without any additional runs scored. Kyle Bischoff struck out two batters in a scoreless ninth inning. Caden Kendle’s adjustment to Double-A has gone quite well. On Friday night, he went 2-for-2 with a walk, was hit by a pitch, and stole a base. In his first four games, he is 8-for-13 and hitting .615/.667/.923 (1.590) with a double and a homer. Andrew Cossetti had the lone extra-base hit, his seventh double. Seven players on the NW Arkansas roster are in the Royals Keep Top 20 prospect rankings. Five of them are pitchers. #14 prospect Felix Arronde started for the Naturals and gave up one run on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. KERNELS CHRONICLE Cedar Rapids 8, South Bend 18 Box Score The Kernels offense scored six runs over the first three innings and found themselves losing 10-6. They cut the deficit to 10-8 through five innings. However, the Kernels stopped scoring, and the Cubs added another eight runs. In 2025, Danny De Andrade had 43 extra base hits for the Kernels. In 2026, the still-just-22-year-old had just 17 going into Friday night’s game. He went 3-for-5 with his ninth double and his third and fourth triples. Jose Salas, who is still-just-23-year-old, was sent back down to the Kernels this week. He went 2-for-5 in this game including a third-inning grand slam. After hitting seven Double-A homers this year, this was his first with the Kernels this year. In fact, Salas hit five homers (and eight doubles) in 48 games for the Wind Surge last year. He’s played in 101 games at Double-A after playing 211 games over the past three seasons in Cedar Rapids. The average hitter in the Midwest League is 22.2, and the average pitcher is 22.9. As we know, fair or not, the “prospects” move on their timeline. The Twins decision-makers felt that Brandon Winokur is ready to be pushed to Double-A for the remainder of the season, so that happens. I also see it as an opportunity for Salas to play every day, probably at seven different positions, get regular at-bats, and I won’t be surprised if that happens, the numbers will show up. He’s been pushed way too fast since his time with the Marlins organization. The Padres did the same with his brother Ethan Salas. Maybe moving down, breathing, and seeing some actual success in numbers will spark a resurgence in his prospect status. Or I might just be wrong. Graham Brown hit his first Kernels double. Yasser Mercedes doubled for the eighth time in Cedar Rapids. Jacob McCombs added his fourth triple of the season. He was also hit by a pitch three times by three different pitchers in the game. Henry Kusiak and Andy Lugo each walked twice. Cesar Lares has really struggled in his return from Tommy John surgery. The lefty gave up five runs (3 earned) on three hits and four walks in 2 1/3 innings. He had four strikeouts. He left the game in the hands of Nick Trabacchi with two runners on base and both were able to score. Trabacchi also gave up five earned runs of his own on four hits and two walks in 1 2/3 innings. Lares’s ERA now stands at 15.98 in six starts and just 16 1/3 innings. He’s given up 26 hits, walked 18 times, and struck out 19 batters. Mitch Mueller came in and struck out three batters over two perfect innings. Christian Becerra gave up three runs on four hits over his two innings. Nolan Santos came in for the ninth, but he gave up five runs (1 earned) on four hits and a walk in 2/3 innings. Henry Kusiak came on, faced one batter, and struck him out. Five South Bend Cubs players are on the Northside Baseball Top 20 Cubs Prospect rankings.19-year-old Josiah Hartshorn, the #4 prospect, went 2-for-5 with a walk and a triple. #7 prospect Kane Kepley went 1-for-5 with a walk, two runs and two RBI. #14 prospect Ty Southisene is on the injured list. He is on the 7-Day IL right now, but he already has 30 stolen bases in 2026. MIGHTY MATTERS Ft. Myers, Bradenton (postponed) Box Score Both games of the doubleheader were postponed by rain. The teams will hope to play two games on Saturday. The other game will be made up as part of a doubleheader in Bradenton at the end of August. The pitching probable for one of the Mussels games on Friday was RHP Callan Fang. The scheduled starter for Saturday was RHP Justin Mitrovich. Is it possible that those will be the two starters if the Mussels are able to play their doubleheader on Saturday? If so, you can bet the people involved in baseball in the Pennsbury High School District will be watching. Mitrovich was the Twins ninth-round pick in 2025 out of Elon University. Fang was the Twins 13th round pick in 2025 out of Harvard. However, the two pitchers were teammates at Pennsbury High School. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 3, FCL Rays 9 Box Score The Twins scored in three of their nine half-innings. The Red Sox scored in four different innings and had crooked numbers in three of those innings including a four-run fourth inning. The Red Sox scored their nine runs on 12 hits and six walks. The Twins helped them by committing five errors in the game as well. In his first rehab appearance, Cleiber Maldonado gave up two runs on four hits in 2/3 inning. He struck out one batter. Jack Walker came in and got the final out of the first inning and then had a scoreless second inning. He had three strikeouts out of the four outs he recorded. Matt Barr was next. The 2025 draft pick gave up four runs (2 earned) on two hits and three walks in two innings. He struck out three batters. Hendry Chivilli worked the final four innings. He gave up three runs on five hits and two walks. He had four strikeouts. The Twins scored their three runs on six hits and two walks. Miguel Caraballo went 2-for-4 with his ninth double and two RBI. Jhomnardo Reyes hit his 11th double. Yovanny Duran hit his fifth double. Teilon Serrano hit his eighth double. DSL Twins 5, DSL Rockies 3 Box Score Contrary to the rest of the system, the Twins in the Dominican were able to get out to an early lead, and then they were the team that put together the big inning and hung on for a win. Abel Sosa led off the bottom of the second with a triple. After two strikeouts, Jeferson Abreu singled to center to give them the 1-0 lead. The Rockies tied the game in the top of the third. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Jhon Gonzalez led off with a single. He advanced to third base on a single by Enmanuel Merlo who advanced to second on the throw. With one out, Juan Holmann singled to right field. Gonzalez scored. Merlo went to third, and Holman went to second on an error. Anibal Beltre struck out but reached on a wild pitch. Merlo scored and Holmann advanced to third. With two outs, Luis Suarez singled to drive in Holmann. After a pitching change and a wild pitch, Misael Rodriguez singled to left to drive home Beltre. Suarez was thrown out for the third out of the inning. But the four-run fourth inning gave them a 5-1 lead. Adrian Martinez started and gave up an unearned run on one hit over 2 2/3 innings. He walked five and had three strikeouts. Jesus Moreno tossed 2 1/3 innings. He gave up no runs, one hit, and had two walks. He had two strikeouts. Wisarly Reinoso made his first pro appearance. He gave up two runs on three hits over 1 2/3 innings. He had one strikeout. Herkyn Taveras came on and got the final out for his second save. The Twins had eight hits, and no one had more than one. PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter(s) of the Day Danny De Andrade (Cedar Rapids): 3-for-5, 2B(9), 2-3B(4), 2 R, K Pitcher(s) of the Day Mitch Mueller (Cedar Rapids): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 26 pitches, 18 strikes (69.2%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #1 - OF Walker Jenkins (St. Paul) - 0-for-2, 2 BB, K (batted first, played CF) #5 - SS Marek Houston (Wichita) - 0-for-3, BB, (batted first, played SS) #9 - OF Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - 2-for-4, R, RBI, K (batted fourth, played LF) #10 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 K (batted sixth, played 1B) #12 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Wichita) - 1-for-4, K (batted second, played CF) #17 - RHP C.J. Culpepper (St. Paul) - 1 1/3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 32 pitches, 17 strikes (53.1%) #18 - OF Yasser Mercedes (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, BB, 2B(8), R, RBI, SB(23), 2 K (batted first, played CF) #19 - 1B/3B Billy Amick (Wichita) - 1-for-4, R, 2 K (batted fourth, played 3B) #20 - 2B/SS Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - 0-for-3, BB (batted fifth, played 2B) UPCOMING PROBABLES Saturday, July 11 St. Paul @ Iowa (6:08 pm CT) - RHP John Klein (1-3, 6.39 ERA) NW Arkansas @ Wichita (6:05 pm CT) - RHP Preston Johnson (0-for-3, 5.08 ERA) South Bend @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 pm CT) - RHP Adrian Bohorquez (0-0, 10.32 ERA) Bradenton @ Ft. Myers (DH @ 2:35 pm CT) - RHP Callan Fang (3-1, 1.35 ERA), RHP Justin Mitrovich (1-3, 3.08 ERA) - FCL Twins @ FCL Red Sox (9:00 am CT) - DSL Rockies @ DSL Twins (10:00 am CT) - CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 46-49 St. Paul Saints: 49-40 Wichita Wind Surge: 28-55 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 34-48 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 45-36 FCL Twins: 27-23 DSL Twins: 7-20 Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss today’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related! View the full article

The four full-season San Diego Padres affiliates split their four games as the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas lost 10-5, the Double-A San Antonio Missions held on for an 8-7 win over Midland, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps topped West Michigan 6-3 and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm were walked off by Rancho Cucamonga 5-4. Padres Minor-League Transactions San Diego Padres signed free-agent LF Dustin Harris to a minor-league contract and assigned him to El Paso Chihuahuas. Too Many Walks By Chihuahuas Pitchers Fuel Comets Despite five players having multihit games, the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas gave up three first-inning runs and couldn't recover en route to a 10-5 loss to the host Oklahoma City Comets. The Chihuahuas outhit the Comets 14-13, but El Paso pitchers issued 10 walks. Padres catcher Freddy Fermin, on a rehab assignment, did not play. Nick Pratto went 3-for-3 with three RBIs, including a homer, and walked twice, while Clay Dungan, Nate Mondou, Mason McCoy and Nick Solak—the top four hitters in the lineup—each had two hits. Dungan scored twice, while McCoy had an RBI and Mondou scored once. Pratto's outburst came after an 0-for-4, four-strikeout game. Chihuahuas right-handed starter Miguel Cienfuegos allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks with four strikeouts in 2⅓ innings. Right-hander Johan Moreno gave up three runs in 1⅔ innings with four punchouts. Right-handers Andrew Moore (one inning) and Logan Gillaspie (1⅓ innings) each gave up a run, while right-hander Justin Yeager yielded a pair of runs in the eighth inning. The Comets scored three in the bottom of the first off Cienfuegos, two on a Jack Suwinski double, then Pratto hit his eighth homer of the season and third since signing with the Padres a month ago Friday. The Comets pulled away with four runs in the fifth, another in the sixth and two more in the seventh after McCoy singled home a run in the top of the seventh. The Chihuahuas made it more respectable with a three-run ninth inning, with Pratto singling home a pair of runs and Blake Hunt another. EP_0710.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Clay Dungan 4 2 2 0 1 1 Nate Mondou 4 1 2 0 0 1 Mason McCoy 5 0 2 1 0 1 Nick Solak 4 0 2 0 1 0 Nick Schnell 4 1 0 0 1 2 Nick Pratto 3 1 3 3 2 0 Blake Hunt 5 0 1 1 0 2 Romeo Sanabria 5 0 1 0 0 0 Bryce Johnson 5 0 1 0 0 3 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Miguel Cienfuegos 2 1/3 4 3 2 3 4 0 Johan Moreno 1 2/3 2 3 3 1 4 0 Andrew Moore 1 1 1 1 3 0 0 Logan Gillaspie 1 1/3 2 1 1 2 2 1 Justin Yeager 1 2/3 4 2 2 1 1 1 Ethan Salas Sparks Missions As Eric Yost Fans 7 Ethan Salas went 3-for-4 in his final game before heading to Philadelphia for Sunday's Futures Game, while right-handed starter Eric Yost punched out seven in five innings as the Double-A San Antonio Missions held off a late flurry by the Midland RockHounds for an 8-7 triumph. Salas is Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect. Wyatt Hoffman had a homer among his two hits, two RBIs and a run scored and Jake Cunningham a pair of hits, an RBI and two runs scored for the Missions, who had a 6-1 after the top of the seventh. Cunningham and Albert Fabian drove in runs in the top of the first off former Padres prospect Henry Baez, with the RockHounds getting one back in the bottom half. Hoffman then hit his first homer of the season, a solo shot and his first since 2024, with one out in the fourth and Brendan Durfee had an RBI single in the sixth to put the Missions up 4-1. In the seventh, Kai Roberts squeezed home a run and Hoffman singled in another to boost the lead to 6-1. But old friend Leo De Vries, the Padres' top prospect last season before being traded in the Mason Miller deal with the A's, hit a three-run homer, his 11th, to bring the RockHounds within 6-4. Ornelas opened the lead up a bit with an RBI double, his 22nd, to plate Salas and scored on a wild pitch for an 8-4 advantage. De Vries capped a three-run seventh with an RBI double to trim the Missions' lead to 8-7. Yost gave up six hits and one run with four walks and those seven punchouts in five innings. Right-handers Josh Mallitz (1⅔ innings) and Ryan Och (two-thirds) each gave up three runs. Right-hander Sadrac Franco, who surrendered the double to De Vries, got his second save of the season by notching the final four outs, including a perfect ninth. SA_0710.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ryan Jackson 5 1 1 0 0 1 Ethan Salas 4 1 3 0 1 0 Tirso Ornelas 4 1 1 1 1 1 Jake Cunningham 5 2 2 1 0 1 Albert Fabian 5 0 1 1 0 1 Francisco Acuna 2 2 0 0 3 1 Kai Roberts 2 0 0 1 1 1 Wyatt Hoffman 5 1 2 2 0 1 Brendan Durfee 4 0 1 1 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Eric Yost 5 6 1 1 4 7 0 Josh Mallitz 1 2/3 2 3 3 1 1 1 Ryan Och 2/3 3 3 3 1 0 0 Sadrac Franco 1 2/3 1 0 0 1 1 0 Alex McCoy, Abraham Parra Help TinCaps Break Losing Streak At 4 Alex McCoy drove in three runs, Justin DeCriscio and Ryan Wideman each went 3-for-5 and right-handed starter Abraham Parra spun five innings of one-run ball as the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps snapped a four-game losing streak with a 6-3 triumph over the host West Michigan Whitecaps. Luke Cantwell hit an insurance solo homer in the seventh inning as the TinCaps, blanked twice during this miniskid, busted out for 16 hits and drew five walks. Cantwell and Kerrington Cross each had a pair of hits. Parra, filling the Friday starter role usually occupied by Kash Mayfield who is slated to pitch in Sunday's Futures Game, allowed five hits and a run over five innings with two walks and two strikeouts. Left-hander Igor Gil followed with 2⅔ innings in which he gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits, two walks and three strikeouts. Right-hander Clark Candiotti, in his second appearance since coming down from Double-A San Antonio, went the final 1⅓ shutout innings for his second career save, both coming this year. But it was the offense's night. The top two hitters in the lineup, DeCriscio and Wideman (Padres Mission's No. 4 prospect), got on base six times. McCoy, the No. 3 hitter and Padres Mission's No. 14 prospect, capitalized on the runners on base. McCoy's Midwest League-leading 23rd double plated DeCriscio in the first inning and followed Zach Evans' RBI single in the second with a two-run single to make it 4-0. After a Parra wild pitch sent in a run in the bottom of the fourth, singled home Kavares Tears to put the lead at 5-1. The Whitecaps scored again in the sixth, but Cantwell countered with his third homer with the TinCaps and fifth of the season. FW_0710.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin DeCriscio 5 1 3 0 0 2 Ryan Wideman 5 0 3 0 0 0 Alex McCoy 5 0 2 3 0 0 Kavares Tears 5 1 1 0 0 2 Rosman Verdugo 5 0 1 0 0 2 Luke Cantwell 2 2 2 1 3 0 Kasen Wells 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jack Costello 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kerrington Cross 4 1 2 0 1 1 Carlos Rodriguez 3 1 1 1 1 2 Zach Evans 4 0 1 1 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Abraham Parra 5 5 1 1 2 2 0 Igor Gil 2 2/3 2 2 1 2 3 0 Clark Candiotti 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 1 0 Kruz Schoolcraft Stellar, But Storm Can't Hold Lead Just a few days shy of the one-year anniversary of when he was drafted, left-handed starter Kruz Schoolcraft turned in one of the better starts of his first full season, but the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm watched a 4-1 lead disappear in a 5-4 walk-off loss to the host Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. The Quakes won in the bottom of the ninth on a two-run bloop single with none out. Schoolcraft, Padres Mission's No. 5 prospect, went a season-high 5⅓ innings, allowing just one run on five hits, walking a pair and striking out three. Schoolcraft has gone at least five innings in five of his last six starts. Bradley Frye had two hits and George Bilecki drove in a pair of runs for the Storm. Bilecki's RBIs came on a fourth-inning double that put the Storm up 2-1. Frye singled home a run in the fifth and Jose Verdugo added a sacrifice fly in the fifth, giving the Storm a 4-1 lead. But the Quakes scored once in the seventh and once in the eight before walking it off in the ninth. Right-hander Rordy Mejia allowed one unearned run in 1⅔ innings, right-hander Yoesmerli Beltre one run in one inning and right-hander Carson Swilling two runs without retiring any of the four batters he faced. Swilling walked the leadoff hitter, an error on a bunt put two runners on, a hit by pitch loaded the bases before the winning single. LE_0710.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Yimy Tovar 4 0 1 0 1 2 Jorge Quintana 4 1 1 0 1 2 Bradley Frye 5 1 2 0 0 3 Yoiber Ocopio 3 1 0 0 1 2 Dawson Willis 1 0 0 0 0 1 George Bilecki 3 1 1 2 1 1 Jose Verdugo 3 0 1 1 0 0 Truitt Madonna 3 0 0 0 1 2 Dylan Grego 4 0 0 0 0 2 Qrey Lott 3 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kruz Schoolcraft 5 1/3 5 1 1 2 3 0 Rordy Mejia 1 2/3 2 1 0 1 1 0 Yoesmerli Beltre 1 2 1 1 0 3 0 Carson Swilling 0 1 2 1 1 0 0 Padres Mission's Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: 3-for-4, 2B Kash Mayfield: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Ryan Wideman: 3-for-5 Kruz Schoolcraft: 5⅓ IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K Jorge Quintana: 1-for-4, 2 K Ty Harvey: On injured list Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season Braedon Karpathios: DNP Jagger Haynes: DNP Lamar King Jr.: DNP Tucker Musgrove: DNP Truitt Madonna: 0-for-3, 2 K Alex McCoy: 2-for-5, 2B, 3 RBI Jesus Castro: DNP Rosman Verdugo: 1-for-5, 2 K Garrett Hawkins: DNP Eric Yost: 5 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 7 K Michael Salina: DNP Winyer Chourio: DNP View the full article

Box Score Zebby Matthews: 6 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K Home Runs: None Bottom 3 WPA: Kody Clemens (-.340), Zebby Matthews (-.190), Luke Keaschall (-.150) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The feeling can be fleeting. The hope and belief in a team. We follow these men—nearly every day, 162 games stretched across three of our four seasons—and want to judge them as right. A collection better than the typical. Sometimes we’re right. Sometimes we’re not. That’s the magic in the game: we get to see the players at every stage in their journey, with every rise and fall in play acutely observed and understood. Are these Twins capable? Is their recent solid streak an omen? Do we need to know more? Adorned in the lake-blue uniforms that mark a Friday home game, our heroes took the field with Zebby Matthews on the mound. Square-jawed and apparently fine after an injury scare in his last outing, the righty was fine in the first, if not a little inefficient, as he surrendered a single and worked deep counts in an otherwise scoreless frame. His opponent, Grayson Rodriguez, started matters differently. He saw an action-oriented frame. The Twins were ready to swing. And swing they did. Trevor Larnach doubled. Ryan Jeffers advanced him to second on a fly ball. Kody Clemens drove him home on a sacrifice fly. Josh Bell swatted a double of his own. Rodriguez had only thrown eight pitches. Beauregard’s bruisers wait for no one. A Royce Lewis lineout ended the frame with a prescient portend of Minnesota’s next few innings. They had opportunities—the runners were in place; the hard-hit balls were had—but the final product failed to match the sum of its parts, as the initial exciting strike devolved into a cold reminder of an inability to add on. Suddenly, after the fifth inning, those who care about such things like runs scored looked up and realized the home team still hadn’t done more. All the while, the Angels had taken advantage of a Matthews who looked hittable. The first inning was no mistake; Matthews worked through quiet second and third innings before the Angels rattled him in the fourth. Vaughn Grissom pelted a fastball into the stands for a solo homer, and Jorge Soler pummeled a double into the left-center gap. He advanced to third. And Matthews was so outside himself, he attempted to pitch from the stretch before switching to the windup in the same at-bat, which the third base umpire easily spotted and sent Soler home on a balk. The fifth mirrored the fourth. Something in Matthews took him out of his game. Los Angeles shot line drive singles around the ballpark, loading the bases with no one out. Nolan Schanuel scored one on yet another liner, and Grissom ushered in a fourth run with a sacrifice fly. Matthews limited the damage somewhat by coaxing a double play from Soler, but the Angels still led 4-1 against a Twins team trudging through the game. Perhaps the team realized they were running low on time, or perhaps Derek Shelton told them “fellas, respectfully, it’s the Angels,” because the bats finally whipped into shape. The struck with precision in the sixth, with Bell doubling, Lewis singling, and Brooks Lee breaking through with a double smacked into the left field corner. Austin Martin grounded out productively; he allowed Lewis to scamper home safely. It felt like a changing tide, the jump-start the offense would smoothly ride into the all-important rally that would shoot the Twins into the lead. The seventh flirted with a run but never finished the deed. The eighth only saw a base runner. Larnach doubled in the ninth. Finally! This must be it. And here it comes: Clemens smokes a ball destined to rattle around the right field corner, knotting the game in dramatic fashion. One problem. Schanuel, the Angels first baseman, leapt and stole the ball from its rightful home in the outfield grass. For out number 27 in the game. That's all. Try again tomorrow. Notes: Post-Game Interview: What’s Next? The Twins and Angels return to Target Field on Saturday for an early-afternoon meeting, with Joe Ryan set to start opposite Ryan Johnson. First pitch is at 1:10 PM. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet MON TUE WED THU FRI TOT Rojas 0 0 0 47 0 47 Morris 0 13 0 0 25 38 Rogers 0 17 15 0 0 32 Adams 0 0 20 0 12 32 Funderburk 0 0 20 10 0 30 Gómez 0 3 19 0 0 22 Go 0 0 0 18 0 18 Orze 0 0 16 0 0 16 View the full article

At long last, the 2026 MLB Draft is here! You can find DiamondCentric's Big Board here for a rundown on all of the top prospects, though you'll want to stick here on Grand Central Mets for everything New York Mets centric this weekend. As a reminder, the Mets selected Mitch Voit with their first-round pick last year, and he was their lone top-100 selection. That won't be the case this year, as the team has the No. 27 and 92 picks at their disposal. They also have a fourth round pick (No. 120) that'll wrap up their first day of the draft. The draft begins with the first four rounds Saturday, then finishing Sunday with Rounds 5 through 20. TV coverage begins at noon CT on NBC and Peacock, with it switching to MLB.com, MLB Network, MLB.tv and MLB+ at 1:30 p.m. Sunday’s telecast begins at 10:30 a.m. CT on MLB.com, MLB.tv and MLB+. The team will be working with a scant bonus pool ($6,730,900), which is the third-lowest figure in the league. Not having a second-round pick (or any competitive balance round picks) will help alleviate some of that stress, but having such a small allotment to work with means the front office won't be able to aggressively pursue over-slot players in the early rounds of the draft. As a reminder, players drafted in the 11th through 20th rounds do not technically have a slot value, although they are soft-capped at $150,000 without counting toward the bonus pool. Any amount above $150,000 will go against the cap. That amount also applies to undrafted free agents. Teams have until July 27 at 4 p.m. CT to sign their draft picks. Who do you think the Mets should take with their first pick? View the full article