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When the Boston Red Sox assembled their rotation for 2026, they envisioned something very different. Garrett Crochet was supposed to be the centerpiece. Brayan Bello was expected to solidify himself as one of the group’s long-term pillars. Veteran arms would provide reliability while younger pitchers continued their development. It wasn’t a flawless plan, but it was a clear one, and one Boston believed it could build around. Crochet made only six starts before suffering an injury. Bello never found consistency. Johan Oviedo effectively lost the season. Patrick Sandoval’s return timetable stretched far longer than expected. As the months passed, it appeared the organization’s pitching depth was about to face its toughest test. While much of the attention remained on the injured list and the pitchers who failed to meet expectations, the Red Sox quietly began uncovering a new backbone for their staff. Alongside veteran leader Sonny Gray, Ranger Suárez brought consistency. Payton Tolle flashed the upside of a pitcher capable of becoming much more. Connelly Early stepped in and shouldered meaningful innings at exactly the right time. None of them entered the season expected to become central figures in Boston’s plans. Now it is nearly impossible to explain where the Red Sox stand without mentioning all three. Pitcher IP ERA FIP WAR Ranger Suárez 76 2.93 2.84 2.3 Payton Tolle 58 2.93 3.09 1.7 Connelly Early 81 3.64 4.87 0.4 Suárez may be the easiest pitcher in this group to overlook. He does not light up radar guns. His average fastball sits just above 91 mph. He also does not rank among the staff leaders in pure stuff metrics. Yet the results continue to follow, and the explanation lies in the way he attacks hitters. While many starters rely on power, Suárez builds his outings through location, sequencing, and execution. His 105 Location+ reflects a pitcher who understands how to manipulate an at-bat, move hitters around the strike zone, and force uncomfortable decisions. His success is not tied to a single dominant weapon but to a combination of command, intelligence, and an ability to avoid damaging mistakes. That formula has allowed him to remain effective against hitters from both sides of the plate while emerging as Boston’s most dependable starter through the first half. Every young rotation needs a stabilizing presence. Not necessarily an ace, but someone capable of stopping problems from snowballing when adversity arrives. Suárez has filled that role better than anyone could have anticipated. If Ranger Suárez represents reliability, Payton Tolle represents upside. The 24-year-old left-hander possesses the kind of arsenal that can alter an organization’s outlook. His fastball averages 96.4 mph, and his 115 Stuff+ ranks first among Boston starters. But the most intriguing part of his profile is not the velocity or any individual metric. Tolle generates swings. He generates chase. He puts opponents in a position where they must respond to his pitches rather than dictate the at-bat themselves. No starter on the staff produces more swings or a higher chase rate. That kind of ability is difficult to teach. Pitcher K% BB% Stuff+ Pitching+ Payton Tolle 25.4% 6.8% 115 107 Ranger Suárez 24.2% 7.7% 95 100 Connelly Early 22.5% 8.8% 102 99 June brought the first meaningful adjustments from opposing hitters and a slight decline in Tolle’s strikeout rate. That is a natural stage in the development of any young pitcher who begins accumulating major-league exposure. Hitters study tendencies, identify patterns, and eventually force a counterpunch. The velocity is still there. The swing-and-miss ability is still there. The traits that make him such an intriguing long-term piece are still there. The next stage of his development will be proving he can adapt as quickly as opposing hitters do. Then there is Early, whose contribution may be the least flashy and, in many ways, one of the most valuable. Unlike Tolle, he is not viewed as a future star. Unlike Suárez, he does not thrive through elite command. What he has done instead is something every organization needs and rarely celebrates enough: take the ball every fifth day and continue piling up innings. The underlying metrics suggest some regression could eventually arrive. His ERA has outperformed both his FIP and xFIP, and several recent indicators point in that direction. But even if some correction comes, it does not diminish what he has already provided during a season defined by uncertainty. Boston needed someone capable of keeping the rotation afloat. Early answered the call. Boston needed someone who could prevent every injury from becoming a larger problem. He answered that call as well. That type of value often receives less attention than it deserves. What makes this story especially compelling is that it does not require ignoring the questions that remain. Concerns about Crochet’s health have not disappeared. Bello is still searching for answers. The rotation remains a work in progress. But the Red Sox now possess something that seemed far less certain a few months ago: multiple avenues toward a sustainable future. Suárez has shown he can stabilize the rotation today. Tolle has displayed the tools to grow into a far larger role. Early has proven he belongs in a major-league rotation. Perhaps none of them were part of the original blueprint. Then again, organizations often discover their best solutions only after they are forced to abandon the script. And if Boston eventually builds its next great rotation, there is a chance the story begins here—with three pitchers who stepped into an unexpected opportunity and turned it into something much larger. 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An already banged-up infield took another hit. Second baseman Marcelo Mayer was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday by the Boston Red Sox due to a stress reaction to the left ulna. Shortstop Tsung-Che Cheng was called up from Triple-A Worcester to make his Red Sox debut. Mayer has been dealing with the forearm issue for a couple months, but it got to the point where the Red Sox decided to shut Mayer down. The Red Sox now have six infielders on the IL, including three on the 60-day IL (Trevor Story, Triston Casas, Romy Gonzalez). Gonzalez, on the mend from surgery on his left shoulder, could return this weekend against the New York Yankees. He was scheduled to play in a rehab assignment for Worcester on Friday. In addition, third baseman Caleb Durbin has a partially dislocated left pinkie finger that he is currently playing through. Mayer is slashing .220/.282/.312 with three homers and 22 RBIs in 70 games this season. Cheng, who bounced around the waiver wire this offseason before finally sticking with the Red Sox, made his MLB debut last season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, going 0-for-7 in three games. At Worcester this year, Cheng has a .254/.351/.424 slash line with seven homers, 18 RBIs and 10 steals in 64 games. View the full article

Pitchers • Jackson Brockett (South Bend Cubs) - In his first professional season, Brockett has done a good job keeping the bases empty, only having 12 walks, seven earned runs, and also has 42 strikeouts in 43 2/3 innings pitched. In 16 games, he has a 1.44 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP. • Tyler Ras (Knoxville Smokies) - Ras is a solid strikeout pitcher, averaging around ten strikeouts for every nine innings pitched (38 strikeouts this season). He also does not give up a lot of runs, with only seven earned in 36 innings pitched this season. In 21 games on the mound, Ras has a 1.75 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. • Marino Santy (Knoxville Smokies) - Santy has done an excellent job keeping the ball in the park this season, only giving up one home run. He has also given up 23 hits and has 53 strikeouts in 37 innings pitched across High-A and Double-A. Santy also only has six earned runs and 18 walks. This season, he has a 1.46 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP in 22 games pitched. Catchers • Owen Ayers (Knoxville Smokies) - Ayers’ bat has been on fire to start the season with 19 home runs (six in High-A, 13 in Double-A). Being walked 41 times shows he has good plate discipline, and his .504 wOBA (.560 in High-A, .447 in Double-A) shows he is very good at getting on base. When he has not been catching this season, he has been playing at first base (71 innings this season), where he has only had two errors on 52 total chances. He started 26 games this season as a DH (four in High-A, 22 in Double-A). • Logan Poteet (Myrtle Beach Pelicans) - Poteet is another player with a bat on fire in the 2026 season, having 14 home runs. He contributes to scoring for the Pelicans as he has scored 38 times and brought in 37 runs. He has done a good job at getting on base with a wOBA of .431 so far this season. Poteet has started eight games as a DH. • Sergio Patino (DSL Cubs Blue) - Patino is off to a good start to his career at the plate with only two strikeouts in 27 at-bats. When he is not behind the plate, he plays first base (14.2 innings this season), where he has no errors on 15 total chances. The rookie has a .421 wOBA, which is very impressive. Infielders • Jefferson Rojas (Knoxville Smokies, SS/3B) - Although Rojas is officially listed as a shortstop, he has played more innings at third base this season, along with several innings at second base. He has nine errors (four at third, five at shortstop, none at second) on 131 total chances on the field this season. At the plate, he has 13 home runs and 41 runs in 230 at-bats, along with 47 RBIs and 24 walks. Rojas gets on base often with a .383 wOBA, which is solid. In five at-bats, he strikes out on average at least one of them. However, with the long ball threat and his ability to get on base, the strikeouts aren’t much of a concern. Rojas has started 2 games and played 3 total as a DH. • Jonathon Long (Iowa Cubs, 1B) - With 492.1 innings played at first base, Long only has two errors on 416 total chances, which is incredible. While playing 64 innings in left field, he has no errors on 15 total chances. The 68 strikeouts in 284 at-bats (around 24%) is not bad. He has scored 43 runs and brought in 39 in 71 games played for Iowa in 2026. Getting on base has been a bit of a struggle with a wOBA of .330. Long has also started seven games in the DH position. • BJ Murray (Iowa Cubs, 3B/1B) - Murray has had a solid season at the plate for Iowa, having 9 home runs, 43 RBIs, and 41 runs scored in 257 at-bats. His strikeout percentage is around 25% (65 on the season), so his numbers aren’t bad in this category. With a wOBA of .419 and 40 walks, he has done a great job getting on base this season. On the field, Murray has 370 innings played (207 at third, 127 at first, 36 innings left field), where he has six errors (one at first, five at third, none in left) on 187 total chances. He has started in 42 games this season (24 at third, 14 at first, four in left). He has also started 26 games as a DH. Outfielders • Josiah Hartshorn (South Bend Cubs, OF/1B) - In his first season out of rookie ball, Hartshorn has killed it at the plate, with 14 of his 71 hits being home runs, meaning anytime he gets a recorded hit, nearly one out of every five is a home run. With 342.1 innings played combined in right and center field in 40 games started (24 in right, 16 in center), he has no errors on 68 total chances. He also played 165.1 innings at first base this season with four errors on 142 total chances. He has also killed it at getting on base with a .463 wOBA on the season. Hartshorn has started six games as a DH. • Andy Garriola (Knoxville Smokies, OF) - With 379 innings played in all parts of the outfield this season, Garriola has no errors on 89 total chances in 44 games started (6 in left, 26 in center, 12 in right). On the offensive side, he has 16 walks in 190 at-bats, which displays solid plate discipline. He has 15 home runs, showing he has another hot bat in the Cubs organization. With 48 RBIs and 35 runs scored by himself, he is a contributor to run production for the Smokies. Garriola also gets on base a solid amount of times as shown by his .375 wOBA. Garriola has started eight games as a DH so far this season. • Kevin Alcántara (Iowa Cubs, OF/DH) - Alcántara has one of the best bats in Triple-A this season. He has 17 home runs, 41 RBIs, and 38 runs scored in 202 at-bats in 52 games. He has around a 36% strikeout percentage (73 on the season), which is very high and the only bad part of his offense, and nearly 15% of his at-bats have been walks for him (30 on the season). On the field, he only has one error in 427.1 innings played (82 in left, 150 in center, 195.1 in right) and 99 total chances. With a wOBA of .402, he has done a good job this season of getting on base. Alcántara has also started 3 games as a DH. View the full article

Despite not allowing a run, Simeon Woods Richardson's stay with the Toronto Blue Jays didn't last very long. The right-hander was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays on Friday to make room for left-handed reliever Adam Macko. Woods Richardson, acquired June 3 from the Minnesota Twins for cash after being DFA'd, made three relief appearances for the Jays, throwing 10 scoreless innings while allowing four hits and seven walks with five strikeouts. The walks could have been a contributing factor to Woods Richardson being DFA'd by the Jays. With the Twins, Woods Richardson had a 6.17 FIP (7.74 ERA) in 10 starts and two relief appearances covering 47⅔ innings with an 11% walk rate and 11.5% strikeout rate. His walk rate with the Jays in the small sample size was 18.4%, with his strikeout rate up a bit to 13.2%. Macko gives the Jays a much-needed second left-hander in the bullpen next to Mason Fluharty. Macko is up for the second time this season after making his MLB debut in May. In 12 games, Macko has a 2.94 FIP (1.50 ERA) with a 4.2% walk rate and 25% strikeout rate over 12 innings. View the full article

Alex and Maddie sit down and do their best to answer your questions about the Red Sox’s farm system. They provide suggestions on how to cope with the Red Sox’s annus horribilis, and consider when Franklin Arias will be called up. With the help of Nick John, they review the team’s catching depth. Finally, they give a brief recap of the Rockies series. 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 Milwaukee Brewers have their reliable lefty back in the bullpen. Left-handed reliever Jared Koenig was activated off the 15-day injured list Friday by the Brewers, who optioned right-handed reliever Craig Yoho to Triple-A Nashville. Koenig had been out since April 6 with a sprained left elbow. He had made just three appearances before being injured, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks with four strikeouts in 2⅓ innings. Koenig appeared in 11 games on his rehab assignment, pitching 9⅔ innings. Yoho, once considered a big-time relief prospect, has wavered at the MLB level. In two call-ups this year, Yoho appeared in five games, giving up four runs on five hits and three walks with eight strikeouts in six innings for a 6.00 ERA. He made his MLB debut last season, appearing in eight games and posting a 7.27 ERA in 8⅔ innings with nine walks and seven punchouts. View the full article

After a poor experience with the Milwaukee Brewers, infielder Luis Rengifo is getting a chance with the San Diego Padres. Rengifo, a second baseman-third baseman, has signed a minor-league contract with the San Diego Padres, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reported Friday. Rengifo was released by the Brewers after putting up a .205/.280/.254 slash line with no homers and 19 RBIs in 57 games while starting at third base. Rengifo will report to Triple-A El Paso. The Brewers signed Rengifo to a one-year, $3.5 million contract just before spring training following the trade of Caleb Durbin to the Boston Red Sox. The Brewers are on the hook for the remainder of the contract, except for the prorated minimum that the Padres will be paying Rengifo. View the full article

The Toronto Blue Jays are getting a power boost. Corner infielder Sean Keys, Jays Centre's No. 7 prospect, is reportedly being called up from Triple-A Buffalo to make his MLB debut. The move will be made before Saturday's game. Keys hit his 21st homer of the season Thursday for Buffalo. KEYS_VIDEO_0626.mp4 That followed a two-homer game Wednesday. Keys now has seven homers since being called up from Double-A New Hampshire on June 5. Between the two stops, Keys is slashing .284/.409/.619 with 54 RBIs and seven stolen bases in 67 games. At Buffalo, he has a .281/.403/.719 slash line with 20 RBIs in 18 games. Keys was the Jays' fourth-round draft choice in 2024 out of Bucknell. Moves to accommodate Keys on the 26- and 40-man rosters will need to be made, much less where he fits into the Jays' lineup. View the full article

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The Kansas City Royals will be without right-handed starter Stephen Kolek this weekend, but it is for a good reason. Kolek was placed on the paternity list Friday, with right-hander Mitch Spence called up from Triple-A Omaha. The paternity list allows a player to be away from the team for up to three days. Kolek, whose last start was Sunday, would have been due to start Friday's series opener against the Chicago White Sox. He still could return this weekend, but otherwise will be back when the Royals return home to start a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays. Spence is up for the third time this season. He made one start and one relief appearance in his previous call-ups, allowing 12 runs in eight innings on 11 hits and six walks. View the full article

Hendry Mendez continues to excel against Triple-A pitching while showcasing one of the most advanced offensive profiles in the Twins' farm system. Just how high is his ceiling at the major league level? View the full article

On a day in which they fired their manager, the New York Mets got one of their key bench players back from injury. Outfielder Tyrone Taylor was activated from the 10-day injured list Friday by the Mets, who also called up left-hander Zach Thornton from Triple-A Syracuse. Designated hitter MJ Melendez and right-handed reliever Daniel Duarte were optioned to Triple-A. Thornton is likely to start Friday's series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies. Taylor has been sidelined since May 26 with a strained right hip flexor. Taylor returns to a Mets team in chaos following the firing of manager Carlos Mendoza and six straight losses. A good defender, Taylor is slashing just .186/.210/.320 with three homers and 14 RBIs in 43 games. Thornton started the season at Double-A Binghamton, was promoted to Triple-A Syracuse in early May and made his MLB debut two weeks later. Unfortunately, that experience did not go well as Thornton made a spot start and lasted just 4⅓ innings, giving up four runs on four hits, including a homer, with two walks and three strikeouts in an 8-4 loss to the Washington Nationals on May 20. He went back down a few days later. Melendez signed a split contract with the Mets in the offseason for $1.5 million and was called up in mid-April. Like other Mets hitters, he didn't do much offensively with a .192/.315/.350 slash line, hitting four homers and driving in 11 in 56 games. Duarte was up for the third time this season and has made just three appearances and pitched five innings, allowing no runs on one hit, one walk and three strikeouts. He had just been called up Thursday in case the Mets needed him for the finale of the Chicago Cubs series in which New York lost all four games. View the full article

Randy Holt and Steve Drumwright take a look back at the end of the Padres' nine-game road trip and a surprising sweep of Atlanta, then dive into the resurgence of Manny Machado over the last two weeks. After checking in on minor-league promotions, they look ahead to the big weekend series at Petco Park against the rival Dodgers and hitting the road to face the Chicago Cubs. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/padres-mission-podcast/id1896922834 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033xclmydmbLmEp0exYuYz Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-padres-mission-podcast-336930560 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@padresmission View the full article

A top 100 prospect back in 2023, Luis Lara has played his way back onto the list with improvements across the board...most notably in the power department. View the full article

One of the top performers in the minor leagues this season, Josiah Hartshorn has shown no signs of slowing down in his pro debut, boasting advanced swing mechanics and some thump from both sides of the plate. View the full article

Boston Red Sox Affiliate Recap (June 25) Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Season Record: 36-38 The Worcester Red Sox led late but couldn't close it out, dropping a 3-2 decision to the Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers) in extra innings. Toledo struck first in the third inning with an RBI single, but Tyler McDonough flipped it in the fifth with a two-run homer to right (his fourth of the year), scoring Kristian Campbell, for a 2-1 Worcester lead that stood as both of the WooSox's only runs. Brayan Bello made his best start since being demoted from Boston to Worcester, going five innings on one run and five hits with six strikeouts. Jovani Morán made his first rehab appearance out of the bullpen, tossing a shutout sixth inning with two strikeouts. The bullpen couldn't hold it. Alec Gamboa was given a blown save after Toledo tied the game in the eighth on an RBI single, then took the lead in the 10th when a line drive single to center scored a run with Osvaldo Berrios on the mound. Worcester's offense went quiet to end the game, with all three batters striking out. The WooSox finished with just six hits, singles from Mikey Romero, Vinny Capra and Allan Castro plus Campbell's double, while striking out 14 times as a team against Toledo's staff. Standout Performances: Bryan Bello: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K Tyler McDonough: 1-for-3, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Season Record: 37-34 The Portland Sea Dogs broke the game open early and never looked back, rolling to a 7-1 win over the Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies) behind a balanced attack and a strong start from Gage Ziehl. Portland took control first, pushing across three runs in the second: a Marvin Alcantara RBI single, a Nelly Taylor sacrifice fly, and Ahbram Liendo's RBI double put the Sea Dogs up 3-0. The runs piled on more in the third for Portland, getting run-scoring hits from Nate Baez, Alcantara, and a two-run Caden Rose double, making it a 7-0 game. Alcantara did everything on offense with a 3-for-4 day, two RBIs, two stolen bases, and two runs scored. Franklin Arias stretched his multi-hit streak to five games with a 2-for-5 day, part of a 14-hit Portland effort that saw five different players with multiple hits. On the mound, Ziehl was dominant across 5 ⅔ scoreless innings to earn the win, allowing just four baserunners. Cooper Adams and Max Carlson finished it off; the only blemish was a solo homer Adams gave up in the seventh; other than that, it was an amazing night for Portland’s pitching staff. Standout Performances: Gage Ziehl: 5 ⅔ IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K Marvin Alcantara: 3-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 SB Nate Baez: 2-for-5, 2B, R, RBI High-A Greenville Drive Season Record: 30-39 The Greenville Drive battled back from a four-run deficit but could not complete the comeback, falling 7-6 to the Asheville Tourists (Houston Astros). Asheville got the first run across in the first inning with an RBI groundout; afterward, Justin Gonzales got the Drive on the board with a monster solo shot (his 10th of the season) to tie it 1-1 in the bottom half. The Tourists took back the lead with a two-run homer in the second, making it 3-1. Hudson White tied it up once again in the bottom half with a two-run double, briefly tying it 3-3. The third and fourth innings are where the Tourists pulled ahead, one run coming in the third with an RBI groundout, then extended their lead with a four-run fourth, aided by a throwing error to lead 7-3. Greenville kept clawing: Antonio Anderson's solo homer in the fourth and his RBI single in the fifth, sandwiched around a Ronny Hernandez sacrifice fly, trimmed it to 7-6. The Drive could not find the tying run, going hitless for the rest of the game as Asheville's bullpen slammed the door. Gonzales led the offense at 3-for-4, Anderson added two hits and two RBIs, but starter Jojo Ingrassia was tagged for seven runs (one unearned), putting his team in too big a hole to make a comeback. However, the bullpen is what gave Greenville a chance; Joe Vogatsky threw four shutout innings in relief with six punchouts, while Matt McShane came in after and tossed two shutout no-hit innings. Standout Performances: Joe Vogatsky: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 6 K Matt McShane: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K Justin Gonzales: 3-for-4, HR, R, RBI, BB Antonio Anderson: 2-for-4, HR, R, 2 RBI Low-A Salem RidgeYaks Season Record: 27-44 The Salem RidgeYaks went toe-to-toe with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Chicago Cubs) all night before falling 5-4 in the ninth inning. Salem answered every Myrtle Beach push: after the Pelicans struck first in the third, Adonys Guzman and Anderson Fermin delivered RBI singles to flip it to 2-1, then Ilan Fernandez's run-scoring single put Salem back ahead 3-2 in the fourth. When Myrtle Beach surged to a 4-3 lead in the fifth, Guzman tied it again 4-4 with a sacrifice fly. The deadlock held until the top of the ninth, when the Pelicans doubled home the go-ahead run off Joey Gartrell, who took the loss. Salem couldn't answer in the bottom half, going three up and three down to end the game 5-4. Guzman paced the RidgeYaks with two RBIs, Skylar King had two hits in the leadoff spot, and starter Cole Tolbert was solid with three innings of one-run, four-strikeout ball. Nicolas De La Cruz kept it close, tossing 2 ⅓ scoreless innings, but Salem stranded just enough to come up a run short. View the full article

Boston Red Sox Affiliate Recap (June 25) Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Season Record: 36-38 The Worcester Red Sox led late but couldn't close it out, dropping a 3-2 decision to the Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers) in extra innings. Toledo struck first in the third inning with an RBI single, but Tyler McDonough flipped it in the fifth with a two-run homer to right (his fourth of the year), scoring Kristian Campbell, for a 2-1 Worcester lead that stood as both of the WooSox's only runs. Brayan Bello made his best start since being demoted from Boston to Worcester, going five innings on one run and five hits with six strikeouts. Jovani Morán made his first rehab appearance out of the bullpen, tossing a shutout sixth inning with two strikeouts. The bullpen couldn't hold it. Alec Gamboa was given a blown save after Toledo tied the game in the eighth on an RBI single, then took the lead in the 10th when a line drive single to center scored a run with Osvaldo Berrios on the mound. Worcester's offense went quiet to end the game, with all three batters striking out. The WooSox finished with just six hits, singles from Mikey Romero, Vinny Capra and Allan Castro plus Campbell's double, while striking out 14 times as a team against Toledo's staff. Standout Performances: Brayan Bello: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K Tyler McDonough: 1-for-3, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Season Record: 37-34 The Portland Sea Dogs broke the game open early and never looked back, rolling to a 7-1 win over the Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies) behind a balanced attack and a strong start from Gage Ziehl. Portland took control first, pushing across three runs in the second: a Marvin Alcantara RBI single, a Nelly Taylor sacrifice fly, and Ahbram Liendo's RBI double put the Sea Dogs up 3-0. The runs piled on more in the third for Portland, getting run-scoring hits from Nate Baez, Alcantara, and a two-run Caden Rose double, making it a 7-0 game. Alcantara did everything on offense with a 3-for-4 day, two RBIs, two stolen bases, and two runs scored. Franklin Arias stretched his multi-hit streak to five games with a 2-for-5 day, part of a 14-hit Portland effort that saw five different players with multiple hits. On the mound, Ziehl was dominant across 5 ⅔ scoreless innings to earn the win, allowing just four baserunners. Cooper Adams and Max Carlson finished it off; the only blemish was a solo homer Adams gave up in the seventh; other than that, it was an amazing night for Portland’s pitching staff. Standout Performances: Gage Ziehl: 5 ⅔ IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K Marvin Alcantara: 3-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 SB Nate Baez: 2-for-5, 2B, R, RBI High-A Greenville Drive Season Record: 30-39 The Greenville Drive battled back from a four-run deficit but could not complete the comeback, falling 7-6 to the Asheville Tourists (Houston Astros). Asheville got the first run across in the first inning with an RBI groundout; afterward, Justin Gonzales got the Drive on the board with a monster solo shot (his 10th of the season) to tie it 1-1 in the bottom half. The Tourists took back the lead with a two-run homer in the second, making it 3-1. Hudson White tied it up once again in the bottom half with a two-run double, briefly tying it 3-3. The third and fourth innings are where the Tourists pulled ahead, one run coming in the third with an RBI groundout, then extended their lead with a four-run fourth, aided by a throwing error to lead 7-3. Greenville kept clawing: Antonio Anderson's solo homer in the fourth and his RBI single in the fifth, sandwiched around a Ronny Hernandez sacrifice fly, trimmed it to 7-6. The Drive could not find the tying run, going hitless for the rest of the game as Asheville's bullpen slammed the door. Gonzales led the offense at 3-for-4, Anderson added two hits and two RBIs, but starter Jojo Ingrassia was tagged for seven runs (one unearned), putting his team in too big a hole to make a comeback. However, the bullpen is what gave Greenville a chance; Joe Vogatsky threw four shutout innings in relief with six punchouts, while Matt McShane came in after and tossed two shutout no-hit innings. Standout Performances: Joe Vogatsky: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 6 K Matt McShane: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K Justin Gonzales: 3-for-4, HR, R, RBI, BB Antonio Anderson: 2-for-4, HR, R, 2 RBI Low-A Salem RidgeYaks Season Record: 27-44 The Salem RidgeYaks went toe-to-toe with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Chicago Cubs) all night before falling 5-4 in the ninth inning. Salem answered every Myrtle Beach push: after the Pelicans struck first in the third, Adonys Guzman and Anderson Fermin delivered RBI singles to flip it to 2-1, then Ilan Fernandez's run-scoring single put Salem back ahead 3-2 in the fourth. When Myrtle Beach surged to a 4-3 lead in the fifth, Guzman tied it again 4-4 with a sacrifice fly. The deadlock held until the top of the ninth, when the Pelicans doubled home the go-ahead run off Joey Gartrell, who took the loss. Salem couldn't answer in the bottom half, going three up and three down to end the game 5-4. Guzman paced the RidgeYaks with two RBIs, Skylar King had two hits in the leadoff spot, and starter Cole Tolbert was solid with three innings of one-run, four-strikeout ball. Nicolas De La Cruz kept it close, tossing 2 ⅓ scoreless innings, but Salem stranded just enough to come up a run short. View the full article

Chicago Cubs Transactions Chicago Cubs activated LHP Matthew Boyd from the 15-day injured list. Chicago Cubs designated RHP Yosver Zulueta for assignment. Chicago Cubs optioned RHP Gavin Hollowell to Iowa Cubs. Chicago Cubs optioned RHP Tyler Ferguson to Iowa Cubs. New York Mets traded LHP David Peterson to Chicago Cubs for 3B Cole Mathis. Pitching Collapse Sinks Iowa Against Buffalo Starter Corbin Martin lasted one and two-thirds innings, allowing two runs on one hit with one walk and two strikeouts to take the loss and fall to 0-2. The game unraveled from there. Doug Nikhazy followed with two and two-thirds innings, surrendering four runs on three hits while walking five and striking out four. The fifth inning was the back-breaker, as the Buffalo Bisons plated eight runs. Tyler Beede recorded just two outs in the frame and gave up six runs on five hits, including two home runs, as the deficit ballooned. Iowa's offense managed only six hits and stranded eight runners. James Triantos led the way, going 2-for-4 with the club's lone RBI, a ninth-inning single that scored Kevin Alcántara for the only Iowa run. Moisés Ballesteros, BJ Murray, Scott Kingery, and Ben Cowles each added a hit, and Alcántara reached on a walk and scored. Antoine Kelly offered two scoreless innings of relief and Eric Yang added a scoreless frame, but the damage was long done. Catcher Casey Opitz finished the game on the mound and allowed three runs in the ninth. Player AB R H RBI BB K Brett Bateman 4 0 0 0 0 1 Moisés Ballesteros 3 0 1 0 1 0 BJ Murray 4 0 1 0 0 1 Jonathon Long 4 0 0 0 0 2 Kevin Alcántara 3 1 0 0 1 2 Chas McCormick 2 0 0 0 1 1 Casey Opitz 1 0 0 0 0 0 James Triantos 4 0 2 1 0 1 Scott Kingery 4 0 1 0 0 0 Ben Cowles 4 0 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Corbin Martin 1 2/3 1 2 2 1 2 0 Doug Nikhazy 2 2/3 3 4 4 5 4 1 Tyler Beede 0 2/3 5 6 6 1 1 2 Antoine Kelly 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 Eric Yang 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 Casey Opitz 1 3 3 3 3 0 0 Netz Spins Six Scoreless As Smokies Handle Birmingham Dawson Netz turned in a quality start, working six scoreless innings on two hits with one walk and two strikeouts to earn the win and improve to 5-1. The Smokies gave him an early cushion. Owen Ayers opened the scoring with a leadoff home run, his 14th, in the first inning, and Hayden Cantrelle doubled home Ariel Armas in the second to make it 2-0. Knoxville broke it open in the seventh when Ed Howard launched a two-run homer, his first of the year, scoring Cantrelle. Birmingham answered with a run in the eighth, but the Smokies tacked on an insurance run in the ninth when Karson Simas grounded out to bring home Cantrelle. Cantrelle was the offensive standout, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI, and two runs scored. Ayers added a 2-for-3 day with a walk, and Howard drove in two. The bullpen finished the job behind Netz. Marino Santy fired one and two-thirds scoreless innings with three strikeouts, and Luke Little closed it with a scoreless ninth and two strikeouts. Tyler Ras allowed the only Birmingham run. Knoxville stranded six. Player AB R H RBI BB K Karson Simas 4 0 0 1 0 2 Jefferson Rojas 5 0 0 0 0 0 Owen Ayers 3 1 2 1 1 1 Alex Ramírez 4 0 0 0 0 1 Andy Garriola 4 0 0 0 0 1 Carter Trice 4 0 0 0 0 3 Ariel Armas 4 1 1 0 0 1 Hayden Cantrelle 4 2 3 1 0 0 Ed Howard 4 1 1 2 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Dawson Netz 6 2 0 0 1 2 0 Marino Santy 1 2/3 1 0 0 1 3 0 Tyler Ras 0 1/3 1 1 1 0 0 1 Luke Little 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 Bats Go Quiet As South Bend Falls To Quad Cities Mason McGwire took the loss in a four-inning start, allowing four runs on seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts to fall to 1-1. The Quad Cities River Bandits did most of their damage early, scoring three times in the second inning and adding a run in the third to build a 4-0 lead. South Bend's offense never found a rhythm, managing just four hits and stranding only four runners. The Cubs scratched across their lone run in the fifth, when Jose Escobar doubled home Matt Halbach. Halbach had doubled and scored, while Kane Kepley and Josiah Hartshorn each singled, and Angel Cepeda drew a walk. The bullpen had mixed results. JP Wheat was excellent, striking out three in a perfect inning, and Grayson Moore recorded the final out with a strikeout. Nate Williams allowed a run over two innings. Luis Rujano struggled, giving up three runs on two hits and four walks while recording five outs, as Quad Cities pulled away with three runs in the ninth to put the game out of reach. All in all there were still some good defensive plays through out the night. Player AB R H RBI BB K Kane Kepley 3 0 1 0 0 1 Angel Cepeda 3 0 0 0 1 2 Josiah Hartshorn 4 0 1 0 0 0 Matt Halbach 4 1 1 0 0 1 Jose Escobar 4 0 1 1 0 1 Miguel Useche 3 0 0 0 0 1 Alex Madera 3 0 0 0 0 1 Drew Bowser 3 0 0 0 0 2 Christian Olivo 3 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Mason McGwire 4 7 4 4 2 4 0 JP Wheat 1 0 0 0 1 3 0 Nate Williams 2 2 1 1 1 2 0 Luis Rujano 1 2/3 2 3 3 4 1 0 Grayson Moore 0 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Hernandez Delivers In Ninth As Pelicans Edge Salem The Pelicans rallied for a one-run win, and Alexis Hernandez was the catalyst, going 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI, including the go-ahead double in the ninth that scored Alexey Lumpuy for the decisive run. Myrtle Beach and Salem traded blows all afternoon. Jairo Diaz tied the game at two with an RBI single in the fourth, and the Pelicans took the lead in the fifth on a Logan Poteet groundout that scored Lumpuy and a Michael Carico single that scored Hernandez for a 4-3 edge. Salem answered with a tying run in the bottom of the fifth, and the score held until Hernandez broke it open in the ninth. Starter Kaleb Wing opened with a scoreless first, allowing no hits with a walk and two strikeouts. David Bracho followed with three innings and gave up three runs. Edwardo Melendez blew a save, allowing one run over three innings while striking out three, before Emilio Ramos slammed the door with two scoreless innings and two strikeouts to pick up the win and move to 1-0. Diaz finished 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Lumpuy scored twice. Myrtle Beach stranded eight. Player AB R H RBI BB K Alexey Lumpuy 4 2 1 0 0 1 Alexis Hernandez 5 1 3 2 0 0 Eli Lovich 3 0 0 0 0 2 Logan Poteet 4 0 0 1 1 2 Michael Carico 3 1 1 1 1 1 Yahil Melendez 3 0 0 0 0 0 Derniche Valdez 3 0 0 0 1 2 Jairo Diaz 4 1 2 1 0 1 Darlyn De Leon 4 0 1 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kaleb Wing 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 David Bracho 3 7 3 3 2 2 0 Edwardo Melendez 3 2 1 1 2 3 0 Emilio Ramos 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Jefferson Rojas: 0-for-5 Jaxon Wiggins: DNP Pedro Ramirez: DNP Kevin Alcantara: 0-for-3, 2 K Josiah Hartshorn: 1-for-4 Ethan Conrad: DNP Kane Kepley: 1-for-3, K Jonathon Long: 0-for-4, 2 K James Triantos: 2-for-4, K Cole Mathis: DNP Owen Ayers: 2-for-3, HR, K Brooks Caple: DNP Juan Cabada: DNP Kaleb Wing: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K Angel Cepeda: 0-for-3, 2 K Dominick Reid: DNP Jostin Florentino: DNP Ty Southisene: DNP Will Sanders: DNP Brandon Birdsell: DNP View the full article

If there was ever a single series that served as a paradigmatic example of an entire season, the New York Mets' recent disaster against the Chicago Cubs is it. The pitching staff allowed 29 runs over the first three games of the set, including 15 RBIs in 24 hours to Dansby Swanson, who entered the series as the lowest-qualified hitter in terms of batting average in the league. Pete Crow-Armstrong continued to infuriate his original team, depositing home runs into right field and bunts over Bo Bichette's head at third base. And, somehow, the Mets couldn't muster enough offense to win any games against the league's most-injured pitching staff. The lowlight of the series, of course, was the six error embarrassment on Wednesday night. Yours truly was at that game, helplessly watching as the entire Mets infield -- on the same night that Gold Glove shortstop Francisco Lindor returned to action after two months away -- played and performed like a tee-ball squad. In a near-impossible feat, New York hit four home runs to Chicago's zero, and yet had their score doubled up by the time the final pitch was thrown. Those fielding miscues came back haunt the not-so-Amazins one night later, as the Mets lost 4-3... despite allowing zero earned runs. It's truly a boggling set of games when taken in a vacuum, but also a pointed reminder of just how flawed this roster is. Naturally, someone was going to have to take the blame for this, and it appears that skipper Carlos Mendoza will be the sacrificial lamb. That's all well and good -- Mendoza finishes his tenure in Queens with a 206-199 record, and he was almost certainly a goner after this season anyway considering the lame-duck status of his contract. If anything, one could argue that the team should have moved on after last year's second-half collapse, though that magical 2024 run clearly bought Mendoza a little time. In his stead, Andy Green, former manager of the San Diego Padres, will take over for the remainder of 2026. Over the past few years, his official title has been "Senior Vice President, Baseball Development." He'll be a steady-enough hand to guide this listless roster to the finish line, though anyone hoping that his arrival in the dugout can key a season-defining turnaround á la Don Mattingly in Philadelphia is kidding themselves. This roster is far too flawed to go anywhere but the bottom of the NL East. Which, of course, raises the question: What happens to the man who built said roster? David Stearns tore the whole operation apart last offseason in the name of "run prevention" and then promptly watched his pitching-and-defense squad repeatedly shoot itself in the foot all year. The Cubs series was as LOLMets as any set of games you'll ever see from this team, defined by a truly incompetent game plan and lethargic group of players on the diamond at the same time. Firing Mendoza for his part in that is fair, but does Stearns get a pass when he's the one who put Mendoza and those players in that position in the first place? Steve Cohen sold out to bring the architect of the Milwaukee Brewers to New York, but so far, all he has to show for it is a single trip to the NLCS and one of the two-most expensive rosters in baseball. This year's team, in particular, will go down in the annals of history given their historically large price tag and last-place performance. Giving Stearns the boot may not be the right path forward -- he did such a good job turning around a moribund franchise in Milwaukee -- but it does have to at least be considered. At least, it would, if the league weren't staring down the prospect of the most disruptive work stoppage since the 1994 World Series was canceled. Who knows how long the upcoming CBA negotiations will take, or what form the final ratified deal will assume, but what we do know is that both sides (the players and the owners) are preparing for a very long hiatus from the sport. That lockout (if it does happen) will begin on Dec. 1, which is just about two months after the regular season ends and only a month or so after the conclusion of the World series. When the Mets fired Mendoza, they effectively chose Stearns for the remainder of 2026. It just so happens that, with the lockout coming, they basically have two months to replace him between the end of the season and then. That is a tight turnaround timeline to overhaul the front office ahead of a historic change in the economics of the sport. Really, the question is: Do you trust Stearns to navigate the new economic world more than a guy you'll only be able to have in the building for roughly six weeks beforehand? Something tells me Mets fan won't like Cohen's answer to that query. View the full article

Binghamton was the lone New York Mets full-season minor-league affiliate to win on Thursday. The Rumble Ponies outslugged Erie on the road. Leadoff batter Jose Ramos paced the offense with three hits, including a home run, and two RBIs. Douglas Orellana earned the win, and Saul Garcia notched a save. Syracuse fell to Lehigh Valley, but Nate Lavender worked two scoreless innings of relief. Mitch Voit, Jamari Baylor, and Daiverson Garcia homered in Brooklyn's loss to Jersey Shore. St. Lucie lost to Fort Myers on a ninth-inning walk-off home run after tying the game in the top of the inning. Major league reliever Dedniel Nunez made a rehab start for St. Lucie. Mets Transactions New York Mets sent RHP Dedniel Núñez on a rehab assignment to St. Lucie Mets. New York Mets placed 2B Marcus Semien on the 10-day injured list. Left hip flexor strain. New York Mets traded LHP David Peterson to Chicago Cubs for 3B Cole Mathis. New York Mets recalled RHP Daniel Duarte from Syracuse Mets. New York Mets recalled SS Ronny Mauricio from Syracuse Mets. New York Mets optioned RHP Jonathan Pintaro to Syracuse Mets. Syracuse Responds Early, But Can't Hold Off Lehigh Valley Syracuse fell 7-3 to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in Game 3 of their series. The IronPigs jumped ahead with two runs in the first, but Syracuse answered in the top of the second. Grae Kessinger's groundout scored Ryan Clifford, and then Ben Rortvedt followed with an RBI single that brought home Yonny Hernández to tie the game 2-2. Lehigh Valley regained the lead in the bottom of the second, then added single runs in the third and fourth, the latter on a bases-loaded walk, to build a 5-2 cushion. Syracuse snatched a run back in the seventh when Cristian Pache singled home Kessinger, but the IronPigs put the game away with two runs in the eighth. Nick Morabito paced the offense, going 2-for-3 with a double and a walk. Pache added two hits, an RBI, and a stolen base. Adbert Alzolay opened as the Mets went with a bullpen game. He allowed the IronPigs' two runs in the first. Ryan Lambert took the loss after surrendering the go-ahead run in the second. Nate Lavender was the lone bright spot on the mound, striking out three over two scoreless innings. Player AB R H RBI BB K Jihwan Bae 4 0 0 0 0 2 Vidal Bruján 4 0 0 0 0 0 Nick Morabito 3 0 2 0 1 0 Ryan Clifford 4 1 1 0 0 2 Yonny Hernández 4 1 0 0 0 0 Grae Kessinger 4 1 1 1 0 0 Ben Rortvedt 4 0 1 1 0 1 Cristian Pache 4 0 2 1 0 1 Kevin Parada 3 0 0 0 1 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Adbert Alzolay 1 3 2 2 0 0 0 Ryan Lambert 1 2 1 1 0 2 0 Dan Hammer 1 1 1 0 1 2 0 Tanner Witt 1 2/3 2 1 1 3 2 0 Guillo Zuñiga 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 Nate Lavender 2 1 0 0 0 3 0 Dylan Ross 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 Binghamton's Big Third Inning Fuels Win Binghamton pounded out 15 hits as it outscored the Erie SeaWolves 10-7 in a game shortened to 8 1/2 innings because of rain. The Rumble Ponies broke an early tie with four runs in the top of the third inning. Vincent Perozo singled home Jose Ramos, Jaylen Palmer doubled in Vincent Perozo and Matt Rudick, and Kevin Villavicencio followed with an RBI single that scored Jaylen Palmer to give Binghamton a 5-1 lead. Erie answered with three in the bottom of the third, but Nick Lorusso hit a solo home run in the fourth to make it a 6-4 game. Binghamton pushed across two more in the seventh when Lorusso reached on an error that scored Kevin Villavicencio and Nick Lucky. After Erie cut the lead to 8-7 on a home run in the bottom of the seventh, Ramos provided insurance for Binghamton with a two-run home run in the ninth. Lucky led the way at the plate, going 4-for-5 with an RBI. Ramos finished 3-for-6 out of the leadoff spot, adding a double to his home run.. Starter Brendan Girton failed to qualify for the win. He allowed four runs (three earned).and five hits over 3 2/3 innings, walking three and striking out three. Douglas Orellana earned the win in relief, allowing a run over 1 1/3 innings.. Saul Garcia got the final out in the bottom of the eighth and was credited with the save after the game was called. Player AB R H RBI BB K Jose Ramos 6 2 3 2 0 2 Nick Lorusso 5 1 2 1 1 0 JT Schwartz 6 0 2 0 0 1 Vincent Perozo 4 1 1 1 0 2 Matt Rudick 3 1 0 0 2 2 Jaylen Palmer 4 2 2 2 1 1 Kevin Villavicencio 5 1 1 1 0 0 Nick Lucky 5 1 4 1 0 1 Nick Roselli 4 1 0 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Brendan Girton 3 2/3 5 4 3 3 3 0 Douglas Orellana 1 1/3 1 1 1 1 1 0 Jordan Geber 1 2 0 0 0 2 0 Zach Peek 1 2/3 3 2 2 0 2 1 Saul Garcia 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 Cyclones Go Deep Three Times But Fall To Jersey Shore Brooklyn lost 7-5 to the Jersey Shore BlueClaws despite hitting three home runs. The Cyclones grabbed an early lead in the third when Yonatan Henriquez scored on an error, but the BlueClaws answered with three runs in the top of the fifth to go up 3-1. Brooklyn responded in the bottom of the fifth with a solo homer by leadoff man Mitch Voit, but Jersey Shore stretched the margin to 5-2 in the sixth with a pair of runs. Jamari Baylor homered in the eighth to keep the Cyclones within reach. After the BlueClaws added two runs in the top of the ninth, Daiverson Gutierrez launched a two-run home run in the bottom half for the final margin. Henriquez went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two stolen bases to lead the offense. Starter Noah Hall struck out seven but also allowed five runs (three earned), six hits, and two walks over 5 1/3 innings as he took the loss. Bryce Jenkins and Ryan Dollar were sharp in relief, combining for 2 2/3 scoreless frames with six strikeouts. Player AB R H RBI BB K Mitch Voit 4 1 1 1 1 1 Yonatan Henriquez 5 2 3 0 0 1 JT Benson 4 0 0 0 1 2 Corey Collins 4 0 1 0 0 1 Daiverson Gutierrez 5 1 1 2 0 1 Trace Willhoite 4 0 0 0 0 1 Jamari Baylor 4 1 2 1 1 1 Sam Biller 2 0 0 0 1 1 Yohairo Cuevas 3 0 0 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Noah Hall 5 1/3 6 5 3 2 7 1 Bryce Jenkins 1 2/3 0 0 0 2 3 0 Ryan Dollar 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 Cristofer Gomez 2/3 1 2 2 3 2 0 Hunter Hodges 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 St. Lucie Rallies To Tie, Then Loses On Walk-Off Homer St. Lucie lost 7-6 to the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels on a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth off Miguel Mejias.. Mejias got the first out in the inning before serving up the game-ending blast. St. Lucie erased an early 2-0 deficit with three runs in the top of the fourth. Julio Zayas singled home Branny De Oleo, Simon Juan singled home Zayas, and Chase Meggers doubled home Juan to put tne Mets up 3-2.. Fort Myers answered with four runs in the bottom of the fourth, aided by a throwing error. St. Lucie got an RBI groundout from Trey Snyder in the eighth to make it 6-4, and then Branny De Oleo singled home Juan and Meggers in the ninth to tie the game 6-6. De Oleo had a big night at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two stolen bases. Juan and Meggers added two hits apiece. Starter Dedniel Núñez, who was sent to St. Lucie from New York for a rehab assignment, allowed two unearned runs in two-thirds of an inning. He threw 20 pitches as he took the next step in his recovery from Tommy John surgery. Joel Lara came on in the third for bulk relief and allowed four runs (three earned) over 3 2/3 innings. He struck out four. Christian Rodriguez followed with 2 1/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Player AB R H RBI BB K Branny De Oleo 5 1 3 2 0 0 Jeremy Rodriguez 4 0 1 0 0 3 Trey Snyder 4 0 0 1 0 2 Julio Zayas 4 1 1 1 0 1 Simon Juan 4 2 2 1 0 1 Chase Meggers 4 1 2 1 0 1 Taylor Darden 4 0 0 0 0 2 Jackson Hauge 4 0 0 0 0 0 Jack Scanlon 2 1 1 0 1 0 Elian Peña 0 0 0 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Dedniel Núñez 2/3 2 2 0 0 1 0 Tyler McLoughlin 1 1/3 0 0 0 1 2 0 Joel Lara 3 2/3 2 4 3 2 4 0 Christian Rodriguez 2 1/3 1 0 0 2 3 0 Miguel Mejias 1/3 1 1 1 0 0 1 Top-20 Prospect Performance Carson Benge: MLB A.J. Ewing: MLB Jonah Tong: DNP Elian Pena: 0-for-0, BB Jack Wenninger: DNP Ryan Clifford: 1-for-4, 2 K Jacob Reimer: DNP Nick Morabito: 2-for-3, 2B, BB Mitch Voit: 1-for-4, HR, RBI, BB, K Jonathan Santucci: DNP Chris Suero: DNP Zach Thornton: DNP Wandy Asigen: DNP Will Watson: DNP Eli Serrano III: DNP Randy Guzman: DNP Ryan Lambert: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 K, L Dylan Ross: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB Antonio Jimenez: DNP R.J. Gordon: DNP View the full article

I admit our Padres Mission Top 20 prospects are a work in progress, with a couple names I like still missing from this list or not as high as they should be. I'm left scratching my head at where fans have placed a couple others (is the fan base in Fort Wayne stuffing the ballot box???). Anyways, we didn't have a lot of movement in this update as we did last month, which is why I consider it progress as we rank San Diego Padres prospects. Thanks to everyone who voted! (Scroll past the two new players to see the full list.) We have two new entries with this update and, up until a few days ago, they were teammates. No. 15: Jesus Castro, RHP, Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm Bats-throws: Left-Right Age: 19 Acquired: Signed as international free agent in January 2025 (Mexico). He just turned 19 at the beginning of the month, yet the 5-foot-11 right-handed starter has proven to be very reliable in his brief time in the Padres' system. Last year in the Dominican Summer League, Castro pitched 43⅓ innings over 11 games (eight starts) with a 5.9% walk rate and 27.1% strikeout rate to go along with a .194 opponent average. Going up to full-season ball this year at Low-A Lake Elsinore, Castro has already made 11 starts and is at 48 innings, with his walk rate up a bit at 8.1% and strikeouts rate at a very similar 26.8%. His opponent average has also climbed to .265. He had a career-high 12 strikeouts June 10 vs. Ontario. Castro won't blow you away, as he makes a living by generating a lot of movement on his pitches. His four-seamer sits at 92 mph, yet has 19 inches of arm-side run, and a 77 mph slider that moves 17 inches to the glove side with a low arm slot. Castro is the younger brother of another Padres prospect, Manuel Castro, who is on the injured list at Double-A San Antonio. No. 20: Winyer Chourio, RHP, High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps Bats-throws: Right-Right Age: 22 Acquired: Signed as international free agent in May 2024 (Venezuela). The 6-foot-2 right-handed starter was the ace of a Storm team that won the first-half South Division championship in the California League, which earned him a promotion to High-A Fort Wayne. In 12 appearances, the last 11 bing starts, Chourio pitched 51⅔ innings with an 11.7% walk rate and a robust 34.6% strikeout rate. His 74 punchouts rank second in the Cal League. He had a career-high 10 strikeouts May 10, then followed that up with nine more punchouts in his next start. This season is a total breakout after he put up a combined 6.34 ERA in 21 games (five starts) in 2025 between the Arizona Complex League and Lake Elsinore (nine games, two starts). Chourio has improved the quality of his pitches in 2026, which is reason for his improved performance. His fastball is up a tick to 93 mph and has more life, while his curveball is at 75 mph and has more purpose after utilizing a loopy breaker previously. He also has a nice changeup in the mid-80s that should help him remain a starter as he climbs the ladder. New Padres Mission Top 20 Prospects (June 2026) Ethan Salas, C Kash Mayfield, LHP Miguel Mendez, RHP Ryan Wideman, CF Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP Jorge Quintana, SS Ty Harvey, C Kale Fountain, OF Braedon Karpathios, OF Jagger Haynes, LHP Lamar King Jr., C Tucker Musgrove, RHP Truitt Madonna, C Alex McCoy, OF Jesus Castro, RHP Rosman Verdugo, SS Garrett Hawkins, RHP Eric Yost, RHP Michael Salina, RHP Winyer Chourio, RHP View the full article

Three Royals affiliates won on the same night. David Shields fired six one-run innings with seven strikeouts as Quad Cities routed South Bend, 8-1. Randy Dobnak turned in a quality start, and Omaha rallied past Columbus, 6-3, behind Matthew Lugo's two-run homer. Josh Hammond went 4-for-4, and Sean Gamble drove in three as Columbia beat Kannapolis, 7-3, with Coleman Picard closing on 3 1/3 hitless innings. Northwest Arkansas' game against Springfield was rained out. Royals Transactions No Roster Moves Late Rally Carries Storm Chasers Past Columbus The Omaha Storm Chasers scored three runs in the eighth inning to break a tie and beat the Columbus Clippers, 6-3. Dobnak worked 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits with no walks and five strikeouts for a quality start. Omaha grabbed the early lead in the first when Lugo hit a two-run home run that scored Brett Squires for a 2-1 advantage. Columbus answered with two runs in the third to lead 3-2, and Omaha tied it in the fifth on a Peyton Wilson run-scoring single that brought home Gavin Cross. The Storm Chasers took control in the eighth. Drew Waters doubled to drive in Rudy Martin Jr. for a 4-3 lead, and Brandon Drury followed with a two-run single that scored Lugo and Waters to make it 6-3. Eli Morgan earned the win with a scoreless eighth, and Eric Cerantola closed the ninth for his eleventh save, striking out two. Brett Squires led the offense, going 3-for-4 with a double. Lugo finished with two RBIs, two runs, and a walk, while Gavin Cross added two hits. Omaha left six runners on base and went 3-for-7 with runners in scoring position. The Storm Chasers are now 35-42. Player AB R H RBI BB K Abraham Toro 4 0 1 0 0 0 Peyton Wilson 4 0 1 1 0 3 Brett Squires 4 1 3 0 0 1 Rudy Martin Jr. 0 1 0 0 0 0 Andrew Velazquez 0 0 0 0 0 0 Matthew Lugo 2 2 1 2 1 1 Drew Waters 4 1 1 1 0 1 Brandon Drury 4 0 1 2 0 2 Luca Tresh 4 0 0 0 0 1 Gavin Cross 3 1 2 0 1 0 Kevin Newman 3 0 0 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Randy Dobnak 6 1/3 8 3 3 0 5 1 Génesis Cabrera 2/3 1 0 0 0 0 0 Eli Morgan 1 1 0 0 1 2 0 Eric Cerantola 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 David Shields Dominates As Quad Cities Tops South Bend Shields turned in a dominant start as the Quad Cities River Bandits beat the South Bend Cubs, 8-1. Shields worked six innings, allowing one run on three hits with one walk and seven strikeouts for a quality start. Mason Miller followed with two scoreless innings and two strikeouts, and Yimi Presinal finished with a scoreless ninth. Quad Cities built its lead with a three-run second inning. Erick Torres drew a bases-loaded walk that scored Luke Pelzer, Connor Rasmussen grounded into a force out that brought home Derlin Figueroa, and Asbel Gonzalez followed with a run-scoring single that plated Tyriq Kemp for a 3-0 lead. The Bandits added a run in the third on a Torres sacrifice fly double play that scored Ramon Ramirez, and Pelzer drove in Blake Mitchell with a groundout in the seventh. Quad Cities pulled away with three runs in the ninth, two of them on bases-loaded walks to Kemp and Torres. Gonzalez led the offense, going 3-for-5 with a stolen base from the leadoff spot. Pelzer added three hits, a walk, and two runs, and Torres finished with three RBIs and two walks. The River Bandits left ten runners on base and went 4-for-15 with runners in scoring position. Quad Cities improved to 31-37. Player AB R H RBI BB K Asbel Gonzalez 5 1 3 1 0 0 Blake Mitchell 4 2 1 0 1 2 Ramon Ramirez 4 1 0 0 1 2 Luke Pelzer 4 2 3 1 1 0 Derlin Figueroa 5 1 2 0 0 2 Tyriq Kemp 4 1 1 1 1 2 Erick Torres 2 0 1 3 2 0 Connor Rasmussen 4 0 0 2 1 1 Trevor Werner 4 0 0 0 1 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR David Shields 6 3 1 1 1 7 0 Mason Miller 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 Yimi Presinal 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Josh Hammond, Sean Gamble Power Columbia Past Kannapolis The Columbia Fireflies pulled away with a three-run sixth inning and beat the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, 7-3. Shane Van Dam picked up the win, allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts over five innings. Picard closed the game with 3 1/3 scoreless and hitless innings, striking out three to earn his first save. Columbia trailed 1-0 after an unearned run in the first before taking the lead in the third. Gamble laced a two-run triple that scored Ivan Sosa and Hammond, and Hyungchan Um followed with a run-scoring groundout that brought home Gamble for a 3-1 advantage. The Fireflies broke the game open in the sixth. Jhosmmel Zue singled home Yandel Ricardo, Ivan Sosa added a run-scoring groundout, and Josh Hammond singled in Angel Ramirez to push the lead to 6-2. Gamble capped the scoring with a run-scoring single in the ninth. Hammond led the offense, going 4-for-4 with a double and a stolen base from the leadoff spot and scoring twice. Gamble finished with three RBIs, and Ricardo added three hits, including two triples. Columbia left seven runners on base and went 7-for-18 with runners in scoring position. The Fireflies improved to 37-35 for the season. Player AB R H RBI BB K Josh Hammond 4 2 4 1 1 0 Sean Gamble 5 1 2 3 0 1 Hyungchan Um 4 0 0 1 1 3 JC Vanek 4 0 0 0 1 3 Yandel Ricardo 4 1 3 0 1 1 Roni Cabrera 3 0 0 0 1 1 Jhosmmel Zue 4 1 2 1 0 1 Angel Ramirez 4 1 0 0 0 1 Ivan Sosa 4 1 0 1 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Shane Van Dam 5 3 2 1 2 2 0 Yeri Perez 2/3 0 1 1 2 0 0 Coleman Picard 3 1/3 0 0 0 0 3 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kendry Chourio: DNP David Shields: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K Josh Hammond: 4-for-4, 2B Blake Mitchell: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 K Sean Gamble: 2-for-5, 3B, K Ramon Ramirez: 0-for-4, 2 K Drew Beam: DNP Carson Roccaforte: DNP Asbel Gonzalez: 3-for-5 Yandel Ricardo: 3-for-4, 2 3B, K Michael Lombardi: DNP Ben Kudrna: DNP Justin Lamkin: DNP Felix Arronde: DNP Blake Wolters: DNP Steven Zobac: DNP Austin Charles: DNP Daniel Vázquez: DNP Kamden Edge: DNP Warren Calcano: 0-for-1, 2 R, 4 BB View the full article

The guys recap an up-and-down road trip to Atlanta and Cincinnati, encouraging signs from Brandon Woodruff and Brandon Sproat, and Craig Yoho's future with the Brewers. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brewer-fanatic-podcast/id1740648724 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5CY8mWsQayqjDXqw9OT2Td iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-brewer-fanatic-podcast-166534588/ Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/ommzz627 Watch On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@brewerfanatic View the full article

Jake Cave, the cave for Jakes, announced Thursday that it had been acquired by Silvestri & Bolin Holdings, and would now be known as Jacob Cave. "We've always been a cave for Jakes, and we'll never stop being that," said spokesperson Danyel Greer. "This new chapter will allow us to expand our reach and accept Jacobs as well. It's a brand-new day at Jacob Cave, the cave for Jakes and, for the first time, Jacobs." Located in the rolling Tennessee countryside near Chattanooga, the former Jake Cave is fed by natural spring water. It has provided a home for wayward and troubled Jakes since its discovery in the late 1800s. The rebranded Cave is best known to Twins fans for sharing a name with former Minnesota outfielder Jake Cave, who has been sent there multiple times, much to his chagrin. "Here at Jacob Cave, we provide Jakes and Jacobs in need with the skills, tutoring, and guidance they need to succeed in the modern world," said Greer. "It can be anything from trade skills to English as a second language to calisthenics. Jakes and Jacobs on the margins can re-enter society fully equipped to make their mark on the world." Greer would not comment on the fate of Mecha Jake, the cave's AI robot that has led to a number of lawsuits against the cave and likely led to its sale for below market value to Silvestri & Bolin. "We can't comment on an ongoing criminal investigation," said Greer. "Our hearts are with everyone at the kitten and puppy shelter as they sift through the rubble." Meanwhile, Jake Cave the player is currently on the roster of El Aguila de Veracruz in the Mexican League. Through his agent, Cave said, "I'm never going back there. You hear me? I'm never going back." When asked if Jacob Cave would accept Jakobs with a "k," Greer was resolute. "Jakobs with a 'k" aren't OK," said Greer. "That remains a bedrock company policy. They can get their own damn cave. Laggards and jackanapes, the lot of them. "They can go to hell." View the full article

You don't have to squint to see David Peterson's appeal for the Chicago Cubs. Firstly, look at that pulse! You won't find it on the Savant sliders panel, but being a living, breathing pitcher who isn't injured is a tough box to check these days, it seems, and the Cubs found a guy who checks it. More seriously, though, Peterson is a lefty who throws 92 MPH; succeeds by missing barrels, not missing bats; and was available in a buy-low deal, despite the calendar not yet having flipped to July and most could-be trade partners still being focused on preparations for the draft. When Ben Brown and Edward Cabrera landed on the injured list simultaneously (with no imminent return looking likely for either), Jed Hoyer did what he had to do. That doesn't mean that Peterson was selected solely because of his availability, though, or even because of the natural cut on his four-seam fastball. Rather, the Cubs locked in on him because there are real reasons to believe he's better than the ugly 6.09 ERA he's posted in 16 appearances (only half of them starts) this year. First, let's talk about what's gone wrong. To do so, we can look at Statcast's new swing timing metrics, to spot the ways in which hitters are reacting differently to his stuff this year than last. Peterson's best pitch is his sinker, but that offering (his ticket to last year's All-Star roster) is getting pummeled in 2026. Against lefties, the problem seems to be a failure to bust them inside and get them to hit the top half of the pitch, as you can see most clearly in the righthand image below: Against righties, the problem is that Peterson hasn't been able to get batters looking up or in, thereby incuding contact off the end of the bat when he goes to the sinker. Instead, righties are centering that pitch up relentlessly. Peterson actually throws his four-seamer more than the sinker to righties, a sensible practice for any non-fireballing southpaw. This year, though, righties aren't fooled by that, either. He's actually getting in on the label with that cutting four-seamer a bit better than in the past, which could be good news. Unfortunately, paired with the batter being on time more consistently, rather than late, it's yielding good results for the batter, not for Peterson. When he's right, Peterson's slider is also a solid pitch, working across the plate to lefties and dipping below what a righty batter thinks they have lined up. This year, none of that is happening. A good left-on-left slider should have an opposing batter reaching, flailing, way early and over the top of the pitch. Peterson just isn't producing those swings nearly as well this season as he did when he had a small star turn last year. At this moment, it's fair to say that hitters have him figured out a bit. The Cubs can help him, though. For one thing, Peterson's slider is very much a gyro-style tight spinner, but it's taken on an unwelcome cement-mixer quality this season. He's throwing the pitch harder, but partially because of that, it's moving less. It has some dart to it, but it's lost depth. Here's the spin profile of his pitches for 2025, with the initial spin direction on the left and the actual movement direction on the right. Here's the same image for 2026: Peterson's slider feels much more like a cutter this year, and the result is a pitch that doesn't dominate lefties as well. If it looked a lot like the sinker and/or the four-seamer out of the hand, it could at least fool batters that way, but it does that (if anything) less well than a year ago. That seems like something a new pitching coach can help a pitcher restore in short order. A small mechanical fix might go a long way for Peterson. Even better, though, the Cubs have one of the league's best defenses to offer Peterson. He's had a below-average strikeout rate in each of the last three years, but he keeps the ball on the ground often and in the park nearly always. The Cubs saw, up close, just how bad the Mets' defense has been all season. The jump from that to the Cubs' phalanx should be very good for Peterson—and what's good for him will be good for the team. The upside on this acquisition is extremely low. Peterson will be a free agent this fall. He doesn't pound the zone the way you'd like to see a pitcher who doesn't strike batters out do so; that's part of his strategy to limit the damage done against his highly hittable stuff. He can't save the Cubs' season. If it's to be saved, that will be done by the team's offense and its defense. Peterson is a couple small adjustments from regaining the much better results he enjoyed last season, though. A restored slider would give him an edge in the fight to get batters off the barrel on his sinker. A bit of counseling from Tommy Hottovy should help him see a better way to utilize that cutting four-seamer in on righties. Mostly, Peterson needs to soak up innings. But the Cubs didn't grab him just to get those innings out of the way. They believe, rightly, that they can get him back into the shape of a credible backend starter, and that would check several boxes at once on the North Side. View the full article