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Boston Red Sox Affiliate Recap (June 18) Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Season Record: 35-33 The Worcester Red Sox out-hit the Lehigh Valley IronPigs 13 to 11 and clawed all the way back from an early three-run hole, but they failed to capitalize with the bases loaded in the ninth and dropped a 5-4 decision on the road. Worcester fell behind quickly. The IronPigs scratched across a run in each of the first three innings against the Sox starter Raymond Burgos, a sacrifice fly in the first, an RBI single in the second, and another RBI single in the third built a 3-0 lead. The WooSox bats woke up, and they did it with power. In the top of the fourth, Max Ferguson and Tyler McDonough went back-to-back, each launching solo bombs to cut the deficit to 3-2. An inning later in the fifth, shortstop Tsung-Che Cheng led off and connected on his seventh homer of the year, evening up the game, 3-3. Burgos settled in to finish his five-inning, three-run outing with four strikeouts, but the bullpen couldn't hold the tie game. Lehigh Valley pushed across two runs in the bottom of the sixth off WooSox reliever Devin Sweet, on an RBI single and a sacrifice fly, retaking the lead 5-3. Worcester kept battling. In the ninth, Anthony Seigler came around to score on an Allan Castro single to make it 5-4. Nathan Hickey came up and walked, loading the bases for Kristian Campbell, but the rally died there. Campbell fought hard in his at-bat, forcing eight pitches to be thrown, but he ultimately struck out to end the game. Cheng led the offense with a three-hit night with a home run and an RBI. Mikey Romero added two hits and a walk, while Castro also collected two hits and an RBI. Despite stacking up 13 hits as a team, the WooSox repeatedly came up empty with runners on, leaving the door open for Lehigh Valley to escape with the win. The Worcester bullpen did its part down the stretch: Zack Kelly tossed a scoreless seventh, and Wyatt Olds struck out two in a perfect eighth, but the early deficit and the rough sixth inning proved to be the difference. Standout Performances: Tsung-Che Cheng: 3-for-5, HR, R, RBI Max Ferguson: 1-for-4, HR, R, RBI Tyler McDonough: 1-for-3, HR, R, RBI, BB Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Season Record: 33-32 The Portland Sea Dogs erupted with a big inning and survived a three-run Somerset ninth to hang on for a 7-6 victory over the Patriots. Somerset struck first, scoring two in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly and an RBI single off Portland’s starter Hayden Mullins. But Portland answered emphatically in the bottom of the second. Raudelis Martinez cleared the bases with a two-run ground-rule double to right, Marvin Alcantara tied it with a sacrifice fly, then Will Turner gave the Sea Dogs the lead for good with a solo homer (his ninth of the season), capping a four-run frame to make it 4-2. From there, Portland kept adding on. Somerset made it a one-run game with a sacrifice fly in the fourth, but the lead for the Sea Dogs grew to 5-3 in the fourth on a stolen base from Alcantara, and with some help from the Patriots catcher’s bat throw, he ran home to score. Nate Baez and Ahbram Liendo drove in runs in the sixth and seventh due to more bad defense from Somerset, pushing the lead to 7-3. Michael Sansone earned the win, his first of the year, working 5 ⅔ innings of three-run ball with five strikeouts and no walks. Sansone was outstanding up until the ninth inning when he ran into trouble. Somerset launched a three-run homer to pull them within one run, 7-6. Cade Feeney came in from the bullpen to slam the door, recording the final out for his second save of the season. The Sea Dogs pounded 13 hits, getting multi-hit games from four batters: Turner, Stanley Tucker, Alcantara, and Brooks Brannon. Standout Performances: Will Turner: 2-for-4, HR, R, RBI Marvin Alcantara: 2-for-4, 2B, R, RBI, BB Raudelis Martinez: 1-for-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI High-A Greenville Drive Season Record: 26-37 A catastrophic inning led to an 8-5 Greenville defeat to the BlueClaws. The Drive jumped in front in the top of the first when Yophery Rodriguez led off with his 11th home run of the season, a shot to right field for a quick 1-0 lead. Starter Jojo Ingrassia kept the BlueClaws mostly in check across his outing, but Jersey Shore tied it 1-1 in the second on an RBI triple. The game turned in the bottom of the fifth. The BlueClaws batted around the lineup and scored an astonishing seven runs, forcing reliever Tyler Davis to exit the game. An RBI double, a two-run homer, and a run-scoring double led to his departure. Matt McShane came in the game and struck out the first batter he faced for the second out of the inning, giving his team a chance to stop the bleeding. Unfortunately, McShane gave up a three-run blast right after, blowing the game open, 8-1. To their credit, the Drive didn't fold. The bullpen steadied, and Luke Heyman launched a two-run homer in the eighth. Ronny Hernandez and Justin Gonzales added an RBI as well. Greenville pushed four runs across to climb within 8-5. The rally stalled there, and the BlueClaws closed it out. Heyman led the Drive with a 2-for-4 night, a home run, and two RBIs. Greenville drew six walks and seven hits, but going 1-for-11 with RISP as a team does not win ballgames. Low-A Salem RidgeYaks Season Record: 25-40 The RidgeYaks shook off a mid-game deficit and took over, taking a 10-5 win against the Nationals. Salem struck early in the top of the second. Ilan Fernandez’s bases-loaded walk and an Avinson Pinto two-run single staked the RidgeYaks to a 3-0 lead. Fredericksburg chipped away with a run in the second, then turned the game in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three runs with the help of a sacrifice fly and a two-run single to surge ahead 4-3. The Nationals' lead didn't last. Salem answered in the top of the seventh: Andruw Musett delivered a clutch two-run single to take the lead, then Adonys Guzman followed with an RBI single to flip the score to 6-4. The RidgeYaks tacked on an unearned run in the eighth, then blew it open in the ninth. Andrews Opata launched a solo homer (his fourth of the year), Musett scored on a wild pitch, and Givian Sirvania brought in Guzman with a sacrifice fly. Salem pushed across three in the frame to make it 10-4 before Fredericksburg managed a consolation run in the home half of the inning. Cole Tolbert started on the mound and was excellent, tossing three no-hit innings with an unearned run and two strikeouts. Salem’s bullpen locked it down after a shaky middle. Harry Blum earned the win, improving to 2-2 on the year with 2 ⅔ innings of one-run ball and four strikeouts. View the full article

Pokémon is the world’s highest-grossing media franchise of all time, netting more than $100 billion in total revenue. It includes video games, an animated television series, various movies, and the ever-popular trading card game. While specific storylines vary across each medium, the basic premise is simple: a trainer befriends Pokémon, trains them, and battles other people’s Pokémon. You know who loves Pokémon? Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski. What is a Pokémon? Pokémon are creatures that co-exist with humans. Some resemble household pets. Others look like mythical creatures. Then, there are some Pokémon where I have no idea what the design team was thinking. The most popular and recognizable Pokémon is Pikachu, a yellow rodent. Pokémon are categorized by species, element type, and rarity. This year marks Pokémon’s 30th anniversary. As an avid Pokémon fan, I’d bet Brewers ace Jacob Misirowski is celebrating by ripping some packs. Last year, he pulled a rare Charizard holographic card from a Base Set Booster pack. If you’re an active nerd on social media (your timeline crosses over between baseball and Pokémon fandoms), you’ve probably seen his purple custom glove with a Gengar holographic card embedded in the web. Misirowski’s development follows Gastly’s evolution line to a tee. Gastly: College & Minors "Almost invisible, this gaseous POKéMON cloaks the target and puts it to sleep without notice." - Pokémon Red Version Pokédex Gastly is an amorphous Ghost/Poison Pokémon. It’s literally just a floating head, two eyes, and a purple gas cloud. Early in his career, Misiorowski was an under-the-radar prospect with unrefined stuff. Some scouts flagged his fastball-slider combination and lack of control (5.3 BB/9) as a considerable reliever risk. Watching older videos from this stage in Misiorowski’s career, you can see why some scouts were bullish on him. Misiorowski’s delivery is violent and explosive for his lanky six-foot-seven frame. He throws from a low three-quarter arm slot and starts with a bicycle kick in his windup, accelerates forward, and snaps his right hip as he releases the ball. Once the ball is gone, his right leg whips around him. The holes in Misiorowski’s kinematic sequencing (energy transfer) were most obvious in his deceleration, where leftover energy kept his body moving. He would often stumble down the mound and catch himself with his back leg instead of bracing with his lead leg. A pitcher who can’t stop his body from moving after releasing the ball will struggle with command since he’s not throwing the ball from the same spot. Misiorowski’s 100.7 mph fastball garnered attention at the 2022 MLB Draft Combine. Despite the concerns with his profile, the Brewers selected him in the second round (63rd overall) of the 2022 MLB Draft. He plowed through Milwaukee’s farm system as expected by throwing hard, slicing through batters, and walking a ton of guys. Haunter: Rookie Season "Because of its ability to slip through block walls, it is said to be from another dimension." - Pokémon Red Version Pokédex Gastly evolves into Haunter at level 25. Haunter has a pointy Cheshire Cat grin and disconnected clawed hands. It’s still levitating, though it carries a longer tail-like wisp towards the bottom of its body. Haunter learns the move “Lick”, which paralyzes opponents. As a 23-year-old rookie, Misiorowski immediately embarrassed major league hitters, thankfully without any licking. His funky delivery and blistering velocity overpowered batters. He tossed ten no-hit innings across his first two starts and made a scoreless relief appearance in the 2025 All-Star Game. Towards the end of the season, Misiorowski's command faltered. He posted a 9.58 ERA in August, and his K-BB% plummeted to 12.4% in September. He finished the season with a 4.36 ERA, 3.62 FIP, and 20.5% K-BB% across 66 innings. These numbers were a step down from his commanding start, but his underlying metrics and raw stuff signaled he hadn’t touched his ceiling. Miz's Rookie Splits by Month Month IP K% BB% K-BB% CSW% ERA FIP Jun 16.0 33.9% 12.5% 21.4% 28.6% 1.13 2.89 Jul 17.1 38.4% 9.6% 28.8% 30.5% 4.15 3.37 Aug 10.1 38.3% 14.9% 23.4% 28.0% 9.58 3.23 Sept/Oct 22.1 22.7% 10.3% 12.4% 27.9% 4.43 4.52 Gengar: Present Day "Under a full moon, this POKéMON likes to mimic the shadows of people and laugh at their fright." - Pokémon Red Version Pokédex Gengar is the final evolution of Gastly. Unlike most Pokémon, Haunter doesn’t evolve into Gengar by leveling up. It requires an intentional act of either a trade or exposure to a Linking Cord. Gengar resembles the purple McDonald’s mascot Grimace, if Grimace finessed a GLP-1 prescription. It has full legs and arms, pointy ears, red eyes, and a menacing smile. Gengar is an absolute beast in the video games. I usually carry one in my party because of its versatility, colossal base special attack stat, and high speed. This year, Misiorowski has evolved into baseball’s hardest-throwing front-of-the-rotation force. He’s added muscle to his frame, which stabilizes his legs. He now has better control over his deceleration. His lead leg is more braced in the follow-through, so he’s not stumbling off the mound after every pitch. That previously leftover energy transfers to his velocity. His four-seamer’s average velocity has increased from 99.3 mph to a ridiculous 100.1 mph. Bolstering his kinematic sequencing has also helped his command. Last year, his walk rate graded in the 11th percentile (11.0%). This year, he’s improved to the 77th percentile (6.7%). He’s throwing more first pitch strikes (66.3%), up from last year’s (58.1%). Mega Gengar: The Future Introduced in Pokémon X and Y, Mega Evolutions temporarily inflate a Pokémon’s base stats. There are only 87 Pokémon species that can undergo a Mega Evolution, so they’re not guaranteed for every Pokémon. Misirowski doesn’t need a Mega Evolution yet. He’s breaking records left and right and is the current frontrunner in the National League Cy Young race. If everything holds together, there’s a version of him (Mega Miz X) that becomes the first pitcher to throw a 110+ mph pitch. View the full article

Randy Holt and Steve Drumwright recap the start of the Padres' road trip against the Orioles and Cardinals and then go in-depth on the struggles by the starting rotation, including the lack of going deeper into games. They check in on the minor leagues and possible promotions, take a look at the upcoming series vs. the Rangers and Atlanta, and wrap up with one thing they are thinking about. 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

Hey, how bout that Gomez guy! He's doing great...wait, wut?? Is it real? Please oh please oh please oh please..... Hmmmmm...maybe??? View the full article

With only a few 40-man roster options available, the Chicago Cubs opted for outfield defense to replace a slumping hitter. The Cubs on Friday called up outfielder Justin Dean from Triple-A Iowa following the demotion of designated hitter Moises Ballesteros. Dean will be making his Cubs debut after being claimed off waivers this offseason from the San Francisco Giants. Dean was somewhat of a cult figure in the Los Angeles Dodgers' run to the World Series last year, appearing in 13 games but not once coming up to bat. He was a late-inning defensive substitution and pinch-runner. Dean made his MLB debut last year and is hitless in two at-bats over 18 games. At Triple-A this year, Dean was slashing .238/.369/.354 with three homers and 25 RBIs, stealing 14 bases in 15 tries. Ballesteros being sent down would seem to open more at-bats for Matt Shaw, who was in the lineup in right field for Friday's series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays, with Seiya Suzuki as the designated hitter. View the full article

You can listen by downloading us from: iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, GleemanAndTheGeek.com, or by clicking this link, or by watching/listening below. https://youtu.be/MbC0KeSQujM View the full article

Owen and Jesse are overjoyed to get to talk about the Blue Jays' first series sweep since opening weekend against the Athletics. They talk about Trey Yesavage's impressive 7 1/3 inning start in the third game of the series, give flowers to Spencer Miles, Simeon Woods Richardson, and Louis Varland for the game two victory, and break down Dylan Cease's rocky but effective start in game one. After the break, they get into the offense and have nice things to say about Vladimir Guerrero Jr. after his homer in game three. They marvel over Brandon Valenzuela's ninth-inning at-bat against Aroldis Chapman in game three, talk about optimism with George Springer, and take joy in Davis Schneider's power outburst. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jays-centre-podcast/id1846108462 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bi7SzfpcqMo5xYWnbCeoL Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-jays-centre-podcast-300304824/ Listen on Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/2qk9wqxd Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayscentre View the full article

With Peter Bendix in charge of baseball operations, it's never as simple as "buyer or seller" for the Miami Marlins. The club leads Major League Baseball with 11 wins in June, but the roster is far from perfect and any move the Marlins make will take the long-term consequences into account. AJ Ramos, Kevin Barral and Isaac Azout discuss what's been working for the Fish lately, the "popularity contest" that is MLB All-Star Game fan voting, factors to consider when negotiating a potential Sandy Alcantara trade and much more. You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. In an article for ESPN earlier this week, Jeff Passan estimated that there is a 40% chance of the Marlins trading Alcantara prior to the August 3 deadline. Passan listed the Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Guardians, San Diego Padres, Athletics, Tampa Bay Rays, Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers as "best fits" for his services. The most expensive player on the 2026 Marlins payroll, Alcantara is under control next season via a $21 million club option. He leads MLB in innings pitched and is four strikeouts away from becoming the franchise all-time leader in that category. The right-hander's 4.18 ERA and 3.98 FIP are almost precisely in line with what he did in 2023, though that's a far cry from what the ace of a contending team is expected to produce. The article also mentioned Marlins relievers Pete Fairbanks, Anthony Bender, Lake Bachar, Michael Petersen, Calvin Faucher and John King as potential trade candidates. The Marlins return home to loanDepot park on Friday for a six-game homestand against the San Francisco Giants and Texas Rangers. After that, they'll be precisely halfway through the 2026 regular season. View the full article

The Blue Jays expected Alejandro Kirk's return to solve a problem. Instead, it may have created a new one. When the season began, Kirk was on the short list of Blue Jays players the team couldn't afford to lose. He’s a middle-of-the-order bat, a leader in the clubhouse, and one of the best defenders in all of baseball. From 2023 through 2025, only Patrick Bailey had a higher Defensive Runs Above Average (Def) than Kirk. All it took was seven games. Kirk took a foul ball off his thumb, suffering a fracture that sent him to the injured list for the next two months. Because of the injury, the Blue Jays found themselves in a difficult spot. Tyler Heineman was expected to handle most of the catching duties, while Brandon Valenzuela, a rookie who had impressed throughout spring training, was called up to fill the void. The transition to the major leagues is difficult for any prospect, but the challenge is even greater for catchers, who must not only adjust to big league pitching at the plate but also learn how to manage an entirely new pitching staff behind it. Valenzuela was more than ready for the task. Since his debut, Valenzuela has posted a 121 wRC+. His seven home runs are tied for second on the team, and his .792 OPS leads the Blue Jays (as of June 17). Defensively, Valenzuela has been just as impressive. His Defensive Runs Above Average trails only Andrés Giménez on the Blue Jays and ranks among the top five catchers in baseball dating back to Kirk's injury. Baseball Savant loves his glove too. His 4.89-second average pop time is in the 82nd percentile in baseball, he’s in the 90th percentile in caught stealing above average, and his framing has been incredible. Only Dillon Dingler and Adley Rutschman have more catcher framing runs than Valenzuela. Valenzuela's emergence has been noticed by the organization, as when Kirk returned from the injured list, the Blue Jays chose to keep him on the roster, despite his having minor league options, even if it meant the risk of losing Heineman (who is a good defensive catcher in his own right) to waivers or free agency. As a team that values depth and roster control, it wouldn’t have been a shock if they chose to send Valenzuela down instead. The challenge for the Blue Jays wasn't determining whether Valenzuela had played well enough to remain on the roster; he clearly had. The challenge is figuring out what comes next. The simple solution would be to just insert Kirk back into the starting role and have Valenzuela take up the traditional backup catcher job, playing once every four or five days or when Kirk needs a break. The problem with that is that Valenzuela has been too good offensively to take out of the lineup right now: (image from https://thatsball.baby/jays) For a Blue Jays team that is in the bottom 10 in the league in runs scored, wRC+, wOBA, and home runs, it's hard to justify giving one of the best hitters on the team less playing time and expecting the results to get better. There is another factor to consider. For as well as Valenzuela has played so far, he’s still a prospect who needs time to develop at the major league level. Catchers develop differently from other prospects, and the Blue Jays want to be confident that the Kirk-Valenzuela tandem will be their catching tandem of the future. Valenzuela losing reps behind the plate will only slow the evaluation process. With all that said, Kirk remains one of the most important players on the roster. While Valenzuela is still building relationships with Toronto’s pitching staff, Kirk has already established himself as one of the game’s premier defensive catchers. For a team trying to win games now, that familiarity and stability behind the plate carries significant value. As impressive as Valenzuela has been, the Blue Jays still need Kirk in the lineup as often as possible. Finding playing time for both catchers won't be easy. With Heineman now traded to the Angels, the Blue Jays are operating with only two catchers, making lineup flexibility more important than ever. Most teams prefer not to start both catchers on the same day because it limits late-game options and increases the risk of running out of depth if an injury occurs. That reality means Kirk and Valenzuela won't be in the batting order together every day. Still, with the Blue Jays desperately searching for offence, there will be plenty of situations in which John Schneider will be tempted to find a way to fit both bats into the same lineup. The easiest way to get both players into the lineup is to have Valenzuela or Kirk play another position. Recently, John Schneider mentioned that George Springer could see the occasional start in right field, opening the designated hitter spot for one of the two catchers. Valenzuela could also factor in at first base after appearing there 68 times in the minor leagues; he has recently begun taking practice reps at the position again. The good news in all of this is that it is essentially a good problem for the Blue Jays to have. They have too many talented players for not enough lineup spots, so John Schneider can get creative with how he uses his two catchers. Prioritizing Valenzuela doesn’t mean Kirk will see less playing time. Heineman still found his way into 31 games before he was designated for assignment. Taking into account that Valenzuela is a switch-hitter, getting him into the lineup against a tough right-handed pitcher will give the Blue Jays a platoon advantage. In baseball, these things tend to have a way of sorting themselves out. Remember, the Blue Jays were supposed to have too many pitchers for not enough spots, and that hasn’t turned out to be true either. Catchers tend to take on a tremendous amount of wear and tear over the course of the season, so having depth at the position is still incredibly important. But as long as the Blue Jays continue to search for more offence, they’ll need to find ways to get their best hitters into the lineup more often. For the time being, that includes both Alejandro Kirk and Brandon Valenzuela. The challenge for John Schneider is no longer deciding whether Valenzuela belongs in the major leagues. He has already answered that question. The challenge now is finding enough opportunities for one of the Blue Jays’ most productive hitters to stay on the field. Stats updated prior to games on June 18. View the full article

As Major League Baseball inches closer to the trade deadline, one of the most valuable exercises isn't identifying specific trade targets. It's figuring out which teams believe they are buying and which ones are preparing to sell. That information shapes virtually every conversation that follows. In a recent piece for The Athletic, Jim Bowden checked in with all 30 organizations to gauge where each club stands and what their biggest needs are as the deadline approaches. For front offices around the league, this type of intelligence is critical. Before serious trade discussions begin, teams need a clear understanding of what other organizations are trying to accomplish. Most trades don't materialize overnight. Executives spend weeks gathering information, comparing organizational strengths and weaknesses, and identifying potential matches. Knowing which clubs need starting pitching, bullpen help, offense, or prospect capital is often the first step toward finding a workable deal. Normally, the biggest storyline of the trade deadline revolves around sorting teams into two categories: buyers and sellers. This season, however, things are far less straightforward. Outside of the San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies, virtually every team can still point to some path toward postseason contention. Expanded playoffs have created a middle class of teams that remain within striking distance, making it much harder for organizations to wave the white flag in June or even July. That reality could create a fascinating deadline dynamic. Rather than the traditional contender-versus-rebuilder transactions, many of this year's deals may involve two teams that both believe they have a legitimate chance to play meaningful games in October. The Twins appear to fall squarely into that category. According to Bowden, "The Twins are searching for bullpen help and believe if they can keep their star players like Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis healthy that they can stay in the race all season." The bullpen need shouldn't surprise anyone. Minnesota's relief corps has been inconsistent throughout the season, and adding another high-leverage arm would help stabilize a group that has struggled to protect leads at key moments. The more interesting part of Bowden's report is the confidence the organization apparently still has in its postseason chances. Looking strictly at the standings, that optimism requires a leap of faith. The Twins sit just 1.5 games behind the final American League Wild Card position, but several teams stand between them and a playoff berth. Every one of those clubs believes it can contend as well. According to FanGraphs, Minnesota currently owns a 27.9% chance of reaching the postseason. That's an improvement of more than 5 percentage points since the beginning of June, but it still means the Twins remain significant underdogs in the playoff race. In fact, it’s only the third-highest mark in the AL Central. Of course, front offices don't always view the situation through the same lens as projection systems. There's also an important leadership factor at play. This is the first trade deadline featuring the Twins' new organizational structure. Tom Pohlad is overseeing the business side, while Jeremy Zoll is running baseball operations. Neither has navigated a deadline from their current position before, creating plenty of uncertainty regarding how aggressively Minnesota will act. Zoll recently discussed Minnesota’s trade deadline position. He said that a lot of teams are currently having check-in conversations, but there isn’t enough separation in the playoff race to determine who the buyers and sellers are. It probably comes down to how the teams perform into the middle of July before meaningful trade conversations can occur. Still, the ultimate decision to buy or sell may come down to Pohlad. Earlier this season, Pohlad made it clear that he expected the Twins to remain competitive. Those comments could prove meaningful as the deadline approaches. Ownership groups rarely enjoy watching a team sell off pieces, especially when they're hovering around the playoff picture. If Minnesota remains within striking distance over the next several weeks, there may be pressure to continue pursuing contention rather than pivoting toward the future. That doesn't necessarily mean the Twins will become major buyers. It simply means they may be reluctant sellers. The next month will ultimately determine everything. If Minnesota gains ground in the standings, adding bullpen help could become a realistic objective. If the club falls further behind, difficult conversations about expiring contracts and tradeable veterans will become unavoidable. For now, though, Bowden's reporting offers a clear glimpse into the Twins' current mindset. Despite long odds, a crowded Wild Card race, and multiple teams standing in their way, Minnesota still appears to view itself as a contender. Whether reality eventually forces a different conclusion remains one of the most important questions facing the organization over the next six weeks. Do you view the Twins as buyers or sellers? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

From a distance, Ty France’s 2026 season does not look especially concerning. Through his first 154 plate appearances, the San Diego Padres first baseman owns a .245/.294/.434 slash line, has hit six home runs, and carries a 102 wRC+. Those are perfectly respectable numbers for a complementary hitter and, broadly speaking, represent exactly the kind of production San Diego hoped to get from him. The closer you look, however, the harder it becomes to ignore the cracks. The season-long numbers still describe a hitter performing above league average. The recent trends tell a much less encouraging story. The Padres never needed France to carry the lineup. That responsibility belongs to Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and the rest of the club’s offensive core. What San Diego needed was a hitter capable of extending innings, punishing mistakes, and preventing opposing pitchers from finding relief once they worked their way through the heart of the order. For much of the season’s first few months, France filled that role exactly as intended. Even as the strikeouts began to rise, the production remained strong enough to offset them. There were obvious flaws in his offensive profile, but the results made those flaws easier to live with. June has started to change that equation. Monthly Production Month SLG ISO K% wRC+ Mar/Apr .578 .289 8.3% 154 May .500 .217 34.9% 126 Jun .158 .026 32.6% 12 The decline is impossible to ignore; after producing at a 154 wRC+ level in March and April and maintaining a strong 126 wRC+ in May, France has collapsed to a 12 wRC+ in June. His slugging percentage has fallen from .500 to .158. His ISO has dropped from .217 to just .026. The offensive production that once justified the rising strikeout totals has largely disappeared. Part of that decline can be explained by poor fortune. His BABIP fell from .400 in May to .208 in June, a dramatic enough difference to suggest that some well-struck balls simply have not found results. That explanation alone, however, does not fully account for such a steep drop in power production and slugging. And that is where the underlying data make the story much more interesting. The simplest explanation would be to assume that France is no longer hitting the ball with authority. After all, when a hitter stops producing, the quality of contact often declines as well. That is not what the numbers show. Metric 2025 2026 Hard-Hit% 44.2% 50.0% Barrel% 7.7% 11.6% Avg Exit Velocity 89.5 91.4 Zone Contact% 88.5% 78.8% Whiff% 21.3% 30.2% K% 16.9% 25.2% What stands out is that several of his contact-quality metrics are actually better than they were a year ago. France is producing more hard-hit balls, more barrels, and a higher average exit velocity than he did in 2025. In other words, when he makes contact, he is still capable of doing damage. However, while the impact metrics have improved, the contact metrics have deteriorated. His in-zone contact rate has fallen by nearly ten percentage points compared to last season. His whiff rate has climbed above 30 percent. As a result, his strikeout rate has increased significantly as well. His bat-tracking data only furthers the concern. His Perfect Contact Rate against fastballs has fallen from 20 percent in 2025 to 13 percent in 2026, while his whiff rate against the same pitch has jumped from 15.8 percent to 30.8 percent. Fastballs are typically the foundation of a hitter’s offensive profile, so a decline of that magnitude helps explain both the rise in strikeouts and the drop in production throughout June. It also helps explain why the recent results appear to conflict with some of his underlying metrics. Pitchers are not necessarily limiting the damage when France puts the ball in play; what the data show is that France is reaching that contact point far less frequently than he did before. For the Padres, the concern is obvious. A team with postseason aspirations needs more than a hitter producing a 12 wRC+ over the course of a month. San Diego does not need Ty France to be a star, but it does need him to return to being the complementary piece that helped provide lineup depth throughout April and May. What remains to be seen is whether these June results represent the beginning of a larger trend or simply a rough stretch within a season that, when viewed as a whole, still offers reasons to believe a rebound is coming. View the full article

Jack and Spencer react to Jacob Misiorowski's historic 95-pitch shutout against the Phillies and preview what to expect from Cooper Pratt. 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

Nick Morabito launched two home runs, and Cristian Pache walked it off as Syracuse rallied past Norfolk, 6-5, in 10 innings. Jonathan Santucci spun six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts to lead Binghamton, where Chris Suero and Jose Ramos homered in an 8-1 win. Joel Lara struck out seven over four hitless frames as St. Lucie cruised 8-5 behind Simon Juan's three RBI. Brooklyn fell 5-4 to Wilmington despite Colin Houck's three RBI and Corey Collins' three hits. Mets Transactions New York Mets sent SS Ronny Mauricio on a rehab assignment to St. Lucie Mets. New York Mets sent SS Vidal Bruján outright to Syracuse Mets. Morabito's Two Homers And Pache's Walk-Off Lift Syracuse In Extras Syracuse erased a two-run deficit in the ninth and won in the 10th, beating the Norfolk Tides, 6-5. Trailing 5-3 in the bottom of the ninth, Jihwan Bae homered to right center, and Nick Morabito followed with a home run to right to tie the game. It was Morabito's second of the night, after he had pulled Syracuse within 4-3 with a solo shot in the seventh. Morabito finished 2-for-5 with two home runs and two RBI. In the 10th, with Ryan Clifford aboard as the zombie runner, Cristian Pache singled to center to score Clifford for the win. Pache went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI. Hayden Senger added a solo home run in the third. Nate Lavender opened the game and allowed two runs on one hit in 1 1/3 innings, walking one and striking out four. Daniel Duarte worked a scoreless 10th, allowing one hit with two strikeouts, to earn the win and improve to 1-1. Dan Hammer was strong in relief, throwing 2 2/3 scoreless innings with one hit, one walk, and five strikeouts. Syracuse left 8 runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Ji Hwan Bae 5 1 1 1 0 2 Nick Morabito 5 2 2 2 0 1 Ryan Clifford 4 1 0 0 1 4 Andy Ibáñez 4 1 2 0 1 1 Yonny Hernández 3 0 1 0 0 1 Cristian Pache 5 0 2 2 0 3 Jackson Cluff 1 0 0 0 0 1 Grae Kessinger 1 0 0 0 1 0 Hayden Senger 4 1 1 1 0 1 Kevin Parada 3 0 0 0 0 1 Ben Rortvedt 1 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Nate Lavender 1 1/3 1 2 2 1 4 0 Dan Hammer 2 2/3 1 0 0 1 5 0 Felipe De La Cruz 2 2 2 2 0 3 1 Guillo Zuñiga 2 2 0 0 1 2 0 Jefry Yan 1 0 1 1 3 3 0 Daniel Duarte 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 Santucci Dominates And A Six-Run Second Powers Binghamton Binghamton broke the game open early and beat the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, 8-1. After scoring once in the first, the Rumble Ponies erupted for six runs in the second. Jaylen Palmer doubled and later scored on a Nick Lucky single. Chris Suero followed with a two-run home run, and after Jose Ramos walked and Nick Lorusso doubled, Vincent Perozo delivered a two-run double. Wyatt Young capped the rally with a sacrifice fly. Perozo went 3-for-5 with two RBI, while Suero finished 1-for-3 with a home run, two RBI, and two walks. Lucky added two hits. Jonathan Santucci was excellent, allowing no runs on five hits over six innings, walking two and striking out seven to earn the win and improve to 2-5. The only blemish on the day came in the seventh, when Danis Correa allowed a run. Carlos Guzman closed the ninth with three strikeouts. Binghamton left 10 runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Chris Suero 3 1 1 2 2 1 Jose Ramos 3 2 1 1 1 1 Nick Lorusso 4 1 2 0 1 1 JT Schwartz 4 1 0 0 0 1 Vincent Perozo 5 0 3 2 0 1 Wyatt Young 4 1 0 1 0 1 Jaylen Palmer 3 1 1 0 1 0 Nick Roselli 3 0 0 1 1 1 Nick Lucky 4 1 2 1 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jonathan Santucci 6 5 0 0 2 7 0 Danis Correa 1 1 1 1 1 2 0 Justin Armbruester 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Carlos Guzman 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 Houck And Collins Lead A Late Push, But Brooklyn Falls Short Brooklyn rallied late but could not overcome an early deficit, losing to the Wilmington Blue Rocks, 5-4. The Cyclones trailed 4-0 before pushing across two runs in the seventh. Ronald Hernandez walked, Corey Collins singled, and Daiverson Gutierrez brought home a run with a sacrifice fly. Yonatan Henriquez doubled, and Colin Houck added a second sacrifice fly to make it 4-2. In the ninth, Houck homered with Collins aboard to pull within 5-4, but the comeback ended there. Houck finished with three RBI, while Collins went 3-for-4. Henriquez added two hits. Daviel Hurtado took the loss, falling to 2-1 after allowing four runs on six hits over 4 1/3 innings with five strikeouts and no walks. Hunter Hodges followed with 1 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit with two strikeouts. Brooklyn stranded 12 runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Mitch Voit 4 0 0 0 1 1 Ronald Hernandez 3 1 1 0 2 1 Corey Collins 4 2 3 0 1 0 Daiverson Gutierrez 4 0 0 1 0 1 Yonatan Henriquez 4 0 2 0 1 1 Colin Houck 3 1 1 3 1 1 JT Benson 5 0 1 0 0 3 Trace Willhoite 2 0 0 0 2 2 Sam Biller 2 0 1 0 2 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Daviel Hurtado 4 1/3 6 4 4 0 5 1 Hunter Hodges 1 2/3 1 0 0 0 2 0 Bryce Jenkins 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Gregori Louis 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 A Six-Run Second And Lara's Hitless Start Carry St. Lucie St. Lucie built a big early lead and held on to defeat the Daytona Tortugas, 8-5. After Antonio Jimenez doubled home Elian Peña in the first, the Mets scored six times in the second. Jeremy Rodriguez singled home a run, and after a bases-loaded walk to Julio Zayas and another to Chase Meggers each forced in a run, Simon Juan cleared the bases with a three-run double. Juan finished with three RBI, while Peña went 2-for-4 with a walk, a run, and an RBI, reaching base three times. Jimenez and Jackson Hauge each doubled. Joel Lara was outstanding in his start, throwing four hitless innings with one walk and seven strikeouts. Luis Alvarez earned the win to improve to 2-0, allowing one run on two hits over two innings with three strikeouts. The Tortugas chipped away late against the bullpen but never drew even. St. Lucie left 9 runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Elian Peña 3 2 1 1 2 1 Ronny Mauricio 3 1 1 0 0 0 Branny De Oleo 2 0 0 0 0 0 Antonio Jimenez 5 0 1 1 0 3 Julio Zayas 3 1 1 1 2 2 Chase Meggers 3 1 1 0 2 0 Simon Juan 4 0 1 3 0 0 Jack Scanlon 3 1 0 0 0 2 Jackson Hauge 3 1 1 0 1 0 Jeremy Rodriguez 3 1 1 1 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Joel Lara 4 0 0 0 1 7 0 Luis Alvarez 2 2 1 1 1 3 1 Elwis Mijares 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 Joe Scarborough 1 1 1 1 2 0 0 Ernesto Mercedes 1 3 2 2 0 2 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Carson Benge: DNP A.J. Ewing: DNP Jonah Tong: DNP Elian Pena: 1-for-3, 2 BB, RBI Jack Wenninger: DNP Ryan Clifford: 0-for-4, BB, 4 K Jacob Reimer: DNP Nick Morabito: 2-for-5, 2 HR, 2 RBI Mitch Voit: 0-for-4, BB Jonathan Santucci: 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K (W) Chris Suero: 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB Zach Thornton: DNP Wandy Asigen: DNP Will Watson: DNP Eli Serrano III: DNP Randy Guzman: DNP Ryan Lambert: DNP Dylan Ross: DNP Antonio Jimenez: 1-for-5, 2B, RBI, 3 K R.J. Gordon: DNP View the full article

The Minnesota Twins' endless bargain-bin shopping has resulted in precious few finds, but it feels safe to say that acquiring Kody Clemens for cash in April 2025 was an unqualified success. Clemens has played close to every position on the field, hit for unexpected power, and is a clubhouse favorite. Has the thriving journeyman taught the Twins any lessons about scouring for talent on a budget? Maybe it's in the genes. On Thursday, the team announced it was signing Trent Hrbek and Chad Radke, sons of Twins greats Kent Hrbek and Brad Radke, to minor-league deals. Both players will report to Single-A Fort Myers this weekend. "The naysayers will call it nepotism," said a front office source. "We call it building a contender. Part of that is finding talent where others aren't looking." Those naysayers aren't just calling it that, but they're also concerned that the players aren't as they seem. "Neither Hrbek nor Radke have children with those names," said Aaron Gleeman of AaronGleeman.com, a local website for (baseball) perverts. "No photos or stats exist of either player. Also, my friend Dana (Wessel, notorious sicko shock jock at 93X) said he bought a couple fake mustaches at the party store for his quote 'baseball project' unquote. It's obviously one of his dumb bits." Wessel was unavailable for comment. "It's hard for small-market teams like the Twins to compete with the Dodgers and Yankees of the world," said the front office source. "So when someone cold-calls us and says that he's Trent Hrbek, starts laughing, clears his throat, then says that he and his buddy Chad Radke want to help us hit dingers, throw shutouts, and crush beers with the boys just like their dads used to, we'd be foolish not to follow up. "We also have a voicemail from Todd Carew and are performing due diligence." The Twins begin a 3-game series in Arizona versus the Diamondbacks this evening. View the full article

As MLB’s August 3 trade deadline inches closer, the Minnesota Twins continue to occupy baseball's uncomfortable middle ground. They're not out of the race. They're not exactly contenders either. At 36-40, Minnesota sits third in the American League Central, 4 1/2 games behind the division-leading Cleveland Guardians and lingering on the outskirts of the Wild Card picture. FanGraphs gives them a 28.7% chance of reaching the postseason, which is enough hope to keep the front office from making any easy decisions over the next six weeks. That uncertainty has naturally fueled trade speculation, and one name that continues to generate national attention is Byron Buxton. ESPN recently ranked the top trade candidates ahead of the deadline, placing Buxton second overall behind Detroit ace Tarik Skubal. While ESPN acknowledged the hurdles involved, they still assigned a 30% chance that Buxton could be moved before the deadline. There's just one problem with that prediction. Buxton doesn't sound remotely interested. When asked by The Athletic about his name surfacing in trade rumors, the Twins center fielder didn't leave much room for interpretation. Buxton said, "I don't give a f---." He wasn't finished. "End of the day, nobody's in my shoes. Nobody can say anything about what I'm going to do. I know what I'm a doing. The only way I'm getting out of here -- they're going to have to come talk to me and tell me something else. Simple as that. ... I ain't said nothing about leaving, nor will I. I'm a Twin." That's about as definitive as a player can be. Of course, Buxton has backed up those words before. During the 2025 All-Star festivities, he repeatedly stated his desire to spend his entire career in Minnesota. Every time the topic has surfaced over the last couple of seasons, his answer has remained remarkably consistent. He's a Twin, and he wants to stay a Twin. That matters because Buxton isn't just another player with trade value. He controls much of the situation himself. The 32-year-old has two seasons remaining after this year on the seven-year, $100 million extension he signed before the 2022 season. More importantly, he possesses a full no-trade clause and reached 10-5 rights earlier this season. Any potential deal would require his approval. That's a significant obstacle for rival executives dreaming up blockbuster scenarios. Could Buxton waive that protection under the right circumstances? Sure. Every no-trade clause comes with an asking price. But based on everything he's said publicly, there is currently no indication that he's looking for a way out. And from Minnesota's perspective, trading him would be complicated even if they wanted to explore the possibility. The Twins already endured a painful teardown last summer when they moved 10 players at the trade deadline. Ownership then followed by trimming approximately $38 million from payroll during the offseason. Asking fans to watch another sell-off while simultaneously moving the most popular player in the organization would be difficult to justify. It would also mean parting with one of the best seasons of Buxton's career. Through 64 games, he's batting .270 with 23 home runs and 36 RBIs while once again providing elite defense in center field. When healthy, he's still capable of impacting games in ways very few players can. That's why national outlets continue to mention his name. Teams would line up for the opportunity to acquire a player with Buxton's talent. The challenge is that the player himself doesn't seem interested in joining that conversation. The Twins still have plenty of time to determine whether they'll buy, sell, or attempt something in between. Their performance over the next six weeks will likely dictate the direction of the deadline. But unless Buxton experiences a dramatic change of heart, the trade rumors surrounding him may be generating far more noise outside Minnesota than inside the clubhouse. For now, Buxton's stance remains exactly what it has been for years. He's a Twin. And he seems perfectly happy keeping it that way. View the full article

Transactions: N/A Game Action: Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Memphis (Cardinals) 7, Nashville 3 Box Score Via a Sounds’ press release, game details: Ethan Murray Homers in Sounds Loss – Nashville's Playoff Hopes Dwindle Nashville dropped Thursday's game 7-3 at AutoZone Park. Ethan Murray (1-for-4, HR, 3 RBIs) provided all three Sounds runs with his third home run of the season but a four-run first was too much to overcome for Nashville who now sit three-games back entering the final three games of the first half. Video of Murray’s blast RHP Gerson Garabito (2 IP, 4 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 2 Ks) made his first AAA start of 2026, after recovering from a foot injury suffered in spring training. He surrendered two singles that allowed the first run of the night to score for Memphis ahead of a hit by pitch. Bligh Madris put Memphis up 4-0 with a three-run home run. OF Greg Jones (1-for-4, SB) was the first Nashville player to reach base with a two-out single in the top of the second. The first Memphis error allowed Brock Wilken to reach and sent Murray to the plate. He jumped on the first pitch of his at-bat to bring Nashville within a run; the closest the Sounds would get. Following a leadoff walk in the bottom of the third, RHP Lyon Richardson (3 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 4 BB, 1 HBP, 1 K) relieved Garabito and worked a double play and a ground out to get out of the inning. Richardson stranded the bases loaded in the fourth after a leadoff single and two-out walk and hit batter. Memphis hit their second home run of the night with a solo shot by Joshua Baez in the bottom of the fifth. Two walks and another hit batter by Richardson once again loaded the baes. An RBI single pushed the deficit to six with Jones throwing out a runner at the plate to keep it 6-3. Memphis hit their third home run of the night with a one-out solo home run off Will Childers (2 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 BB, 2 Ks; 3.10 ERA) in the bottom of the sixth. The right-hander worked a scoreless seventh despite a two-out double. SS Eduardo Garcia (2-for-4) recorded a multi-hit game for Nashville with a pair of singles. His second hit of the game was Nashville's final hit when he singled in the top of the seventh. The final seven Sounds batters were retired as Nashville went scoreless over the last seven innings. RHP Reiss Knehr continued his solid relief work (1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 K; 2.66 ERA), but there was no comeback for Nashville this particular night. Sounds’ Extras: Despite the 84-degree weather, it was a cold evening for Nashville’s 1-3 hitters, as 3B Jett Williams, DH Tyler Black and OF Luis Lara combined to go 0-for-10 with a walk. Apart from Murray, C Jeferson Quero had the team’s sole other extra-base hit, leading off the 5th inning with a double as the team only trailed 4-3 at that point. Unfortunately, he was stranded alongside Jones as the Sounds went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Murray clubbed his third home run of the season and first since game two of a doubleheader at Louisville on May 7. Garcia earned the first multi-hit game of his Triple-A career, notching a hit in both games he's gotten an at-bat since joining Nashville. Friday’s outlook: The Sounds and Redbirds continue their series on Friday night with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. RHP Garrett Stallings (3-2, 3.59 ERA) will get the start on the mound with Nashville needing to win each of the last three to keep any playoff hopes alive. Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes Rain Out: Columbus (Braves) at Biloxi Via the Shuckers’ website, rain out details: Shuckers, Clingstones Doubleheader Postponed on Thursday The doubleheader washout didn’t hurt Biloxi in the standings, as they now sit one game ahead of Montgomery and Pensacola with three days left in the season’s first half. Friday’s outlook: The Shuckers and Clingstones take another shot at playing a doubleheader. Red-hot RHP Jaron DeBerry (20 IP, 4 R, 24 Ks over last 4 starts) is slated to start one of the games, while RHPs Yorman Galindez and Travis Smith are likely to tag-team the other contest. Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Quad Cities (Royals) 9, Wisconsin 3 Box Score Via the Timber Rattlers’ website, game details and we encourage readers to review affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine: Wisconsin’s First Half Ends with a Loss at Quad Cities As you’ve read in the linked game report, OF Braylon Payne (2-for-4, triple, double) drove home 3 runs in the first 3 innings to tie things up 3-3, before a challenging 4th inning put Wisconsin in too deep of a hole to recover from. Four of the runs against starting RHP Ethan Dorchies (3 2/3 IP, 7 R (3 ER), 6 H, 4 BB, 4 Ks) were unearned, but they count just the same. On the bright side, RHP Daniel Corniel’s return to High-A ball was a smashing success (3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 Ks; 44 pitches), while OF Josiah Ragsdale (2-for-3, double, walk) remains on-fire atop the lineup. Timber Rattlers’ Extras: Credit the River Bandits’ staff, as they retired 15 consecutive Timber Rattlers (as mentioned in the linked game report) after Payne’s game-tying 3rd inning triple. In fact, they registered 15 strikeouts in total versus just 1 walk issued. Corniel had last pitched at this affiliate level on April 9, 2025, but the 21-year-old is now fully recovered from Tommy John surgery. Time will tell if and when he’ll re-join the starting rotation. Even with the warts (4 unearned runs, 1 error, 1 passed ball, 1 caught stealing, 1 wild), Wisconsin’s defense still delivered a line out double play (Payne with the assist) and two ground ball double plays. Friday’s outlook: RHP Jason Woodward (5.67 ERA, 1.70 WHIP, 10.0 K/9 in 27 IP) gets the call, with Wisconsin needing a victory to even this week’s series at two games apiece. Wilson Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Wilson 6, Charleston (Rays) 5 Box Score Via the Warbirds’ website, game details: Rodriguez Rakes Wilson to Walk Off Win One rough inning (a 5-run third frame which tied the contest) did not derail Wilson’s road to victory, as their three relievers combined on six scoreless innings to set the stage for 1B Tyler Rodriguez’s walk-off blast. Rodriguez had also doubled in the Warbirds’ 5-run second inning, though the big blasts in that frame came from 2B Luis Lameda (1-for-3, HR, walk, RBI, SB) and OF Jose Anderson (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBIs). After RHP Miqueas Mercedes (3 IP, 5 R, 8 H, 0 BB, 0 Ks) struggled a bit, RHP Eric Prado restored order with his bulk relief effort (3 1/3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 3 BB, 2 Ks), as the Warbirds prevailed despite running into three outs on the basepaths in the 5th and 8th innings. Warbirds’ Extras: C Kevin Garcia had an all-around productive evening, going 2-for-3 with a walk, while also catching a baserunner to help RHP Ismael Yanez (1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 BB, 0 Ks) get out of the 8th inning unscathed. RHP Jose Meneses was his usual lock-down self, delivering a 1-2-3 top of the 9th inning on 10 pitches (1 K; 2.18 ERA; 4-0 record). Friday’s outlook: RHP Tyler Renz (3.66 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 8.0 K/9 in 51 2/3 IP) is Wilson’s scheduled starter, with the team aiming to claim a 3-1 series advantage. Final: ACL Brewers 15, ACL Athletics 8 (in 7 innings) Box Score OF Alexander Frias (2-for-4, double, HBP, 3 RBIs; 1.144 OPS), 2B Juan Martinez (2-for-3, double, walk, HBP, 4 RBIs; 1.107 OPS) and C Jonathan Rangel (1-for-3, triple, walk, HBP, 3 RBIs; 1.048 OPS) continued their season-long assault on ACL pitching by combining to drive in 10 of the winning side’s 15 runs on Thursday. DH Malachai Halterman’s 2-out, 3-run double in the first inning set the early tone for the game, which saw the Zona Crew take a 4-0 lead, cough up 4 runs in the second frame as the Athletics tied it 5-5, then respond with a 5-run third inning capped by Martinez’s 2-out, 2-run double. Every position player reached base via the team’s 7 hits, 14 walks(!) and 5 hit-by-pitches(!!), including Martinez and Halterman (1-for-2, double, 2 walks, HBP, 3 RBIs) reaching base 4 times. INF Cristopher Acosta missed out on the fun (last played June 8), as the Brewers now boast a winning record (18-17). The pitching staff was less successful, though they did well to ensure that 4 errors only resulted in 1 unearned run: RHPs Chase Bentley (2 IP, 5 R, 1 K), Cesar Espinal (2 IP, 1 R, 3 Ks; 3.86 ERA), Luke Roupe (2 2/3 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 2 Ks) and Josue Toledo (1/3 IP; 0.96 ERA). Final: DSL Tampa Bay 1, DSL Brewers Blue 0 (in 7 innings) Box Score Top 2026 signing DH/INF Diego Frontado (2-for-3) doubled, singled and stole his 11th base, but was pinch run for in the 6th inning, so we’ll have to monitor his status. Trailing 1-0 in that penultimate frame, the Blue Men loaded the bases with one out, but were unable to push the game-tying run across. The team’s combined on only 8 hits and 5 walks as pitching ruled the day. RHPs Luis Aguayo (2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 4 Ks) and Steven Duran (4 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 2 BB, 2 Ks) were both stellar, with a 5th inning solo homer being the sole damage allowed. Unfortunately, that was enough for Tampa as Brewers Blue fell to a 9-3 record. Final: DSL Orioles Orange 5, DSL Brewers Gold 2 Box Score Big 2026 signing 3B Ricki Moneys (3-for-4, HR, double, 2 RBIs, SB) was the Gold squad’s standout performer, nearly hitting for the cycle as he collected 3 of the team’s 4 hits. Despite ultimately being outhit 12-4, the game was tied 2-2 entering the 8th inning, with RHP Gustavo Garcia delivering a strong start (5 IP, 2 R, 7 H, 2 BB, 1 K). Moneys’ 2-out solo homer tied the game in the 5th inning and 2B Santiago Garcia doubled with one out in the following frame but was stranded (Golden men: 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position, stranding 8 baserunners). RHP Miguel Andrade registered 6 strikeouts in relief (4 IP, 3 R, 5 H, 1 BB), though was also touched for 3 runs in the 8th inning as the Goldmembers fell to 3-10 on the still-young DSL season. We hope that you enjoy the Minor League Link Report. On Friday, eight contests are scheduled for Brewers’ minor league affiliates, with the 3 rookie squads playing early (DSL: 10:00am CST, ACL: 1:00pm CST) and the full season affiliates playing late (e.g. Biloxi doubleheader from 5:05pm CST). The Milwaukee Brewers also play at the Braves from 6:15pm CST. 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

On June 5, New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge was placed on the 10-day IL with a right rib stress fracture, sidelining the perennial All-Star for six to eight weeks. Before hitting the shelf, the 34-year-old was hitting .248/.375/.533 with 17 home runs and a 148 wRC+. Performing 48% better than league average, Judge was clearly one of the best hitters in the league. However, he was meaningfully worse than in 2024 and 2025, when he generated a combined 212 wRC+ and 111 home runs over 1,383 plate appearances, winning back-to-back AL MVP awards. Given the downtime he faces, the future first-ballot Hall of Famer is all but guaranteed not to earn his third consecutive MVP, opening the door for a new winner. At first glance, Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez appear to be the co-favorites. Headlined by his Platinum Glove-caliber defense at shortstop, Witt has generated the most Wins Above Replacement at Fangraphs (fWAR) among position players in baseball, with 4.5. Putting together a Judge-esque season himself (24 home runs over 327 plate appearances; 190 wRC+), Alvarez is close behind Witt, generating 3.6 fWAR. West Sacramento (occasionally Las Vegas) Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz has generated the third-most fWAR in the AL, with 3.3, and a pair of Detroit Tigers in Dillon Dingler and Kevin McGonigle round out the top five, each at 3.1. Colson Montgomery of the White Sox is sixth, at 3.0. Coming in with the seventh-most fWAR, however, is Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton. Earning AL Player of the Week honors for the week of June 8-14, Buxton has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball this month, hitting .340/.389/.760 with six home runs and three doubles over 54 plate appearances. Buxton’s performance this June has been the peak of his best offensive season in the majors, wherein the 32-year-old has hit .275/.336/.601 with 23 home runs (third-most in MLB) and a 154 wRC+ over 283 plate appearances. Buxton hasn’t been the same caliber of hitter as Alvarez or Kurtz this season. Kurtz has been phenomenally consistent in the OBP department, and Alvarez, as mentioned earlier, is the only AL batter with more home runs than Buxton this season, while also hitting for average. What separates Buxton from Kurtz and Alvarez, however, is that he's playing solid defense at an up-the-middle position, while Kurtz plays first base and Alvarez is almost exclusively a DH. If Buxton can continue his elite performance at the plate while being a plus defensive center fielder, he could surpass Kurtz and Alvarez in this race over the second half of the year. As mentioned earlier, Dingler and McGonigle have generated more fWAR than Buxton. Yet, Buxton is outhitting both Tigers' position players. McGonigle is a rookie who has consistently been one of baseball’s best hitters this season. Dingler has undergone a recent offensive renaissance while catching almost every game, helping him jump up the fWAR leaderboard. Still, given that McGonigle is the heavy-favorite to win the AL Rookie of the Year Award, and Dingler should regress at the plate soon, the Tigers' star duo likely aren’t legitimate AL MVP Award contenders. Witt has meaningfully outperformed Buxton in terms of fWAR. However, a significant portion of his fWAR accumulation has come from his stellar defense at shortstop. Witt might be the best defensive shortstop in the league right now. Still, just like how hitting alone likely won’t be enough for Alvarez to win with just his bat, it's going to be exceptionally difficult for Witt to do so based primarily on his elite defense. Through 335 plate appearances, Witt Jr. has hit .290/.365/.451, which is good for a 128 wRC+. The 26-year-old has performed well offensively, but he hasn’t been a world-class hitter, which is a trait that should be necessary for any MVP award winner. It's a relative dearth of power slowing Witt at the moment. He's only hit 10 home runs. There's a chance Witt turns on the jets offensively and hits closer to the 169 wRC+ over 709 plate appearances he put together in 2024. If so, he could run away with this—literally, since he also leads the big leagues with 28 steals. The difference in how much value the two provide is probably being overstated a bit by fWAR, though—and Witt left the Royals' game Thursday after tweaking his knee, so another injury could be opening the door for Buxton. The final consideration when discussing potential MVP award winners is team performance. Right now, the Twins have better playoff odds than the Royals and Astros. The Tigers have better playoff odds than Minnesota, according to FanGraphs. The Twins are still five games up on Detroit in the AL Central and Wild Card standings, however. Only 1.5 games out from the third AL Wild Card spot, Minnesota is very much in postseason contention. If Minnesota does make the postseason, Buxton will have had to play a significant role, meaning he avoided any serious injuries while maintaining his elite production at the plate. Again, a lot has to go right for both Buxton and the club. Still, given that Judge is hurt; Alvarez doesn’t play the field; Witt hasn't hit for great power, and may now be hurt; Dingler, and McGonigle are likely due for regression while playing on a worse club; and Kurtz plays a position much lower on the defensive spectrum while hitting for less power than Buxton, the long-time Twins star could win his first AL MVP award this season. However slim the chances, if that does happen, it would be a triumphant display of perseverance for a player who was once one of the most injury-riddled players in the sport. View the full article

For most pitchers, reaching 10 wins is a milestone that reflects months of taking the ball every fifth day. Aaron Ashby has taken a far different path. The Brewers’ versatile left-hander became the first pitcher in Major League Baseball to reach double-digit victories in 2026, despite working out of the bullpen, turning timely appearances and shutdown innings into one of the season’s most unlikely storylines. While wins are hardly the definitive measure of pitching success, Ashby’s perfect 10-0 record has become a fascinating subplot in Milwaukee’s season and provides the perfect excuse to revisit 10 memorable moments, fun facts, and questions from the Brewers' campaign so far. No. 1 – Opening Day Excellence The Brewers pitching staff started off the season with a bang. Jacob Misorowski, Ashby, Grant Anderson, DL Hall, and Jake Woodford combined for 20 strikeouts, tied for the major-league record in a standard nine inning game, while the offense amassed 14 runs on 12 hits. It was a tone-setter for the year and a sign of great things to come for Milwaukee. No. 2 – Brewers Reach 40 Wins in Only 63 Games The Brewers have set a lot of records so far this year, but the most impressive may be that no other Brewers team has ever reached 40 wins in their first 63 games. It is a testament to all the players and coaches that have contributed to this season so far, and if this keeps going, they'll top the franchise high for regular-season wins set by the team last year, at 97. Time will tell if this squad can keep it up, but all signs point to that with an offense third in runs scored, a young rotation with the lowest FIP in the league, and a great manager at the helm in Pat Murphy. No. 3 – Starting Rotation First in FIP, Less Career Starts Than MLB Notables Milwaukee’s young rotation has been dominant throughout the first part of the season, with Misiorowski and Kyle Harrison leading the charge. Just how young is this rotation, though? Well, combining the 5 current starters (Misiorowski, Harrison, Robert Gasser, Brandon Sproat, and Shane Drohan) gives you 110 career starts. Add in the veteran of the staff, Brandon Woodruff, who should be back with the big-league club soon, and you get 243 career MLB starts. That's still far fewer than these high-profile arms all by themselves: Justin Verlander (556), Max Scherzer (480), former Brewer Jose Quintana (366) and Gerrit Cole (322). This hopefully shows just how good a position the Brewers’ rotation is in, now and for the future. No. 4 - Miz’s Maddux Misiorowski struck out 15 in a 95-pitch complete-game shutout against the Phillies last Friday. It was the most strikeouts in a Maddux ever, topping Tarik Skubal and Clayton Kershaw, who had 13 each. He threw the fastest pitch ever recorded by a starting pitcher (104.5 MPH) to Kyle Schwarber in the first inning, and in the end, he only surrendered only one hit to Schwarber in the top of the fourth. It was one of the greatest pitching performances in baseball history. Games like this are proof that the Miz is one of the best pitchers in baseball, if not the best. No. 5 – First Base Platoon Is Working The Brewers are currently 8th in the league in fWAR at first base. Much of this is due to Jake Bauers, who carried the load while Andrew Vaughn was out with an injury. Both are playing at very high levels, with Bauers slashing .270/.372/.507 in 250 plate appearances and Vaughn hitting .354/.429/.535 in 112 plate appearances. Both guys have been great so far and will be needed as middle-of-the-order bats down the stretch for the Brewers. No. 6 – 182 That’s the number of pitches it takes an individual to scroll on the pitch velocity by a starter leaderboard until you find a player (Jared Jones of the Pittsburgh Pirates) who isn’t Misiorowski. His five hardest-thrown balls came in his last start against the Phillies. He may have been a little fired up due to their comments about his All-Star appearance last season. Overall, this is just another example of how elite Misiorowski is; expect this number to grow further as the season goes along. Get your Blink-182 jokes in this morning. No. 7 – Youth Impact Here and Growing? Cooper Pratt recorded his first MLB hit, run scored, RBI, and stolen base Wednesday night against the Guardians. Called up as the corresponding move for the DFA’d Luis Rengifo, Pratt may signal a movement of calling up young prospects to replace struggling veterans. Players such as Jett Williams or the recently extended Luis Lara could contribute down the stretch for the Brewers if struggling veterans like Sal Frelick keep their performance up from this year. Even without having yet leaned into that possibility, though, Milwaukee is the fifth-youngest team in baseball, proving that their ability now may not be the ceiling for this team. No. 8 – Turang’s Continued Development A two-homer day on April 12 against the Nationals signified a new, more powerful version of Brice Turang. He’s slashing .266/.381/.472 with 11 home runs and has been worth 2.8 fWAR, most in baseball for a second baseman. He is firmly in contention to start the All-Star game for the National League at second base, despite struggling in May (.231/.355/.363). He deserves it for providing a steadying presence while the Brewers dealt with injuries to Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio, and Vaughn. Turang has turned himself into one of the more exciting players in baseball to watch, while still being a consistent offensive presence for a team that desperately needed it to start the year. No. 9 – Milwaukee Struck Gold Again The trade of Caleb Durbin to the Red Sox before the season was surprising to many, but it has continued to pay dividends for the Brewers this year. Kyle Harrison was the main piece of the package for Durbin, and he has been electric, pitching to a 2.47 ERA (3.05 FIP) in 65 2/3 innings. Harrison surpassed CC Sabathia (1.59) for the lowest ERA through 10 starts with the Brewers, before having his numbers rudely inflated by a visit to Las Vegas. Shane Drohan, the other pitcher acquired from Boston, has been solid as well, pitching in 14 games (4 starts) with a 3.59 ERA (2.72 FIP) in 42 2/3 innings. The lone position player acquired, David Hamilton, hasn’t been great at the plate this year (76 OPS+), but he does currently lead the team in stolen bases with 15. No. 10 – Can Ashby Catch Roy Face? Who is Roy Face, you ask? Well, he holds the record for most wins in a single season by a reliever, with 18 back in 1959 for the Pirates. Can Ashby top that? The conservative, realistic answer is no, but hey, wouldn’t that just fit who the Brewers are as a team? Ashby has the most appearances so far this season, so why not him? Who knows if it’ll happen, but it would be cool. He's on pace to sail past Face, so for a while, at least, we're all allowed to keep dreaming on this. Whether Ashby finishes with 10 wins or somehow chases down Face’s seemingly untouchable record, his season has already become one of the most unique stories in baseball. More importantly, it reflects what has made the 2026 Brewers so much fun to watch: unexpected contributors, a fearless young pitching staff, savvy roster moves, and stars emerging everywhere. From Misiorowski’s historic dominance to Jake Bauer’s breakout and Kyle Harrison’s immediate impact, this team has produced a ton of memorable moments. Ashby’s perfect record may have inspired this list, but it’s the collective effort of a talented and exciting roster that has Milwaukee positioned for what could be a truly special season. View the full article

Few players spend as much time caught between promise and production as Daniel Lynch IV did. The talent was always evident. Establishing himself in the role the Royals envisioned for him proved far more difficult. The Royals invested in him, hoping he would become an important piece of their rotation. There were flashes. There were promising starts. There were also injuries, inconsistencies, and seasons in which the results never quite reflected the potential that once made him one of the organization’s top prospects. In 2026, however, the story is different. Not because Lynch has finally become the starter many envisioned years ago. The transformation has come in another form. After making a permanent move to the bullpen, the left-hander appears to have found the identity he spent years searching for. The results are difficult to ignore. Through his first 30 appearances of the season, Lynch owns a 1.80 ERA, has allowed just 18 hits across 30 innings, and is holding opposing hitters to a .170 batting average. More importantly, the indicators behind those numbers suggest this is something deeper than a simple hot streak. The evolution begins with the quality of his pitches. table { border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 28px; width: 100%; } th { background-color: #4472a8; color: #ffffff; text-align: left; padding: 10px 14px; border: 1px solid #ffffff; } td { padding: 10px 14px; border: 1px solid #d0d0d0; color: #000000; } .stuff-2025 { background-color: #6c93c9; } .loc-2025 { background-color: #eef2f8; } .pitch-2025 { background-color: #eef2f8; } .stuff-2026 { background-color: #f4948c; } .loc-2026 { background-color: #fbf0ef; } .pitch-2026 { background-color: #f06b62; } Season Stuff+ Location+ Pitching+ 2025 95 99 97 2026 107 100 109 The table highlights one of the most significant changes in Lynch’s season. For much of his major-league career, the left-hander relied on command to compensate for an arsenal that rarely graded above average. In 2026, that equation has flipped. His command remains largely unchanged, but the quality of his pitches has taken the biggest step forward of his career. The development of his sinker, slider, and changeup has completely altered the way hitters interact with his repertoire. And that’s where the story becomes particularly interesting. The improvement is not limited to traditional metrics. It is also visible in the quality of swings he is generating. table { border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 28px; width: 100%; } th { background-color: #4472a8; color: #ffffff; text-align: left; padding: 10px 14px; border: 1px solid #ffffff; } td { padding: 10px 14px; border: 1px solid #d0d0d0; color: #000000; } .oswing-2025 { background-color: #fbeceb; } .contact-2025 { background-color: #6c93c9; } .swstr-2025 { background-color: #e8554d; } .oswing-2026 { background-color: #f4f0f5; } .contact-2026 { background-color: #7fa0cf; } .swstr-2026 { background-color: #f4948c; } Season O-Swing% Contact% SwStr% 2025 25.8% 79.4% 8.6% 2026 31.6% 69.0% 14.3% Opponents are chasing pitches outside the strike zone more often than ever before. At the same time, they are making significantly less contact when they decide to swing. That combination is often one of the clearest signs that a pitcher has genuinely improved the quality of his arsenal. For Lynch, the slider appears to be playing a central role. After several seasons of inconsistent results, the pitch has regained its ability to generate whiffs, producing a whiff rate north of 45% in 2026. His changeup continues to deliver strong results as well, while his 94.4 mph sinker allows him to generate uncomfortable contact even when he does not record a strikeout. Bat Tracking data helps visualize that evolution. It shows not only more swing-and-miss against several of his pitches, but also a significant reduction in ideal contact. In other words, when hitters are not missing, they are not striking the ball with the authority they once did. That distinction is important because it helps explain one of the most intriguing aspects of his season. Lynch has recorded 29 strikeouts in 30 innings, a strong figure for any reliever. Yet his success does not depend exclusively on swing-and-miss. In fact, he entered mid-June having gone five consecutive appearances without recording a strikeout. For most modern relievers, that would raise concerns. For Lynch, it simply demonstrates that there is more than one path to success. His ability to limit damage when the ball is put in play has been nearly as valuable as his ability to generate whiffs. Left-handed hitters, for example, are batting just .118 against him in 51 at-bats, the lowest mark in the American League among pitchers who have faced at least 50 left-handed batters this season. That ability to neutralize specific matchups has dramatically increased his value within the bullpen. The same can be said for his work in high-leverage situations with runners on base. Lynch has inherited 14 runners this season, and only two have come around to score. The Royals are not simply using the left-hander to absorb low-risk innings. They are using him to put out fires. That detail helps explain why his impact extends far beyond ERA. The most valuable relievers often share a common trait: the trust of the coaching staff. They are the pitchers called upon when the game is still hanging in the balance, when a runner on second can be the difference between a win and a loss, and when the opposing team’s best hitters are about to step to the plate. Lynch has earned that level of responsibility. Perhaps the most remarkable part of this evolution is that it comes after years in which his future appeared uncertain. Many pitchers spend much of their careers trying to become successful starters. Some never get there. A much smaller group discovers that their best version was waiting somewhere else all along. Everything points to Lynch belonging to that second category. The 1.80 ERA is unlikely to last forever. Few relievers sustain numbers that extreme over a full season. The changes driving those results, however, appear far more sustainable than the ERA itself. Hitters are chasing more pitches outside the zone. They are making less contact. They are producing weaker contact. And Lynch is accomplishing all of that with the best arsenal he has shown since reaching the major leagues. For years, Kansas City waited for Daniel Lynch IV to find his place within the organization. The answer turned out to be much simpler than anyone expected. It wasn’t in the rotation. It was in the bullpen. View the full article

Josh Rojas and Gavin Cross each homered as the Omaha Storm Chasers took both ends of a doubleheader in St. Paul, 12-4 and 6-2. Ramon Ramirez crushed two home runs and drove in four to lead Quad Cities to a 9-3 win, while David Shields struck out 10 over five innings. Rudy Martin Jr. delivered a walk-off single to lift Northwest Arkansas past Tulsa, 6-5, and Columbia rallied for a 6-4, 10-inning win behind Stone Russell's three RBIs. Royals Transactions Kansas City Royals placed LHP Cole Ragans on the 60-day injured list. Left elbow impingement. Seattle Mariners traded RHP Randy Dobnak to Kansas City Royals for cash. Rojas And Cross Power Omaha In Game One Rout The Omaha Storm Chasers opened their doubleheader in St. Paul with a 12-4 win over the Saints. Leadoff man Rojas went 3-for-4 with a home run, three runs, and four runs batted in. Cross added three hits, a home run, and three runs in a 3-for-3 day with a walk, and Peyton Wilson doubled twice while driving in two. The decisive frame was the sixth, when Omaha plated five runs. Rojas singled home Drew Waters to start the scoring, Wilson doubled in two more, Rojas later scored on a Brett Squires groundout, and Matthew Lugo singled in another to break the game open. Bailey Falter started and worked four innings, allowing two runs on three hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Génesis Cabrera earned the win with a perfect inning, striking out two, and Luke Jackson finished with two innings, two runs, one walk, and four strikeouts. Omaha left three runners on base and went 6-for-13 with runners in scoring position. They improved to 31-39 after the game one victory. Player AB R H RBI BB K Josh Rojas 4 3 3 4 0 1 Peyton Wilson 4 2 2 2 0 1 Brett Squires 4 0 1 1 0 2 Matthew Lugo 4 0 1 2 0 1 Abraham Toro 4 0 0 0 0 1 Drew Waters 4 1 1 0 0 1 Gavin Cross 3 3 3 1 1 0 Luke Maile 2 2 1 0 2 0 Kevin Newman 4 1 1 1 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Bailey Falter 4 3 2 2 3 4 1 Génesis Cabrera 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Luke Jackson 2 3 2 2 1 4 1 Squires And Drury Go Deep In Omaha's Nightcap Win The Omaha Storm Chasers completed the sweep with a 6-2 win in the second game. Squires homered and drove in two runs, and Brandon Drury went 2-for-2 with a home run, a walk, and two runs batted in. Lugo collected two hits, including a double. Omaha built its lead with a three-run second inning, when Luca Tresh, Drury, and Rojas all delivered run-scoring singles. The Storm Chasers added a pair in the fifth on Squires' solo homer and a Waters single that brought home Lugo. Henry Williams started and went 3 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on five hits with four walks and five strikeouts. Ben Sears picked up the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings, Jose Cuas struck out two in a perfect inning, and Eli Morgan worked the ninth for the save. Omaha left five runners on base and went 4-for-12 with runners in scoring position. After sweeping the doubleheader in St. Paul, the Storm Chasers' record is now 32-39. Player AB R H RBI BB K Josh Rojas 4 0 1 1 0 1 Peyton Wilson 4 0 0 0 0 1 Brett Squires 3 1 1 1 1 2 Matthew Lugo 4 2 2 0 0 0 Luca Tresh 4 1 1 1 0 2 Drew Waters 2 1 1 1 1 1 Gavin Cross 3 0 0 0 0 1 Brandon Drury 2 1 2 2 1 0 Elih Marrero 3 0 0 0 0 3 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Henry Williams 3 2/3 5 4 4 4 5 1 Ben Sears 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 2 0 Jose Cuas 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Eli Morgan 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 Martin Jr. Walks Off The Naturals In Extras The Northwest Arkansas Naturals walked off the Tulsa Drillers, 6-5, in 10 innings. Martin Jr. finished 2-for-5 and delivered the winning single, scoring the zombie runner Spencer Nivens from third. Daniel Vazquez went 2-for-4 with a run batted in, and Omar Hernandez drove in two. The Naturals built their early lead in the fourth, when Vazquez singled home Sam Kulasingam, and Hernandez followed with a two-run single to plate Nivens and Vazquez. After Tulsa pushed the game to extras, Vazquez moved the zombie runner to third with a sacrifice bunt before Martin Jr. ended it. Steven Zobac started and allowed four runs on four hits over three innings, walking one and striking out three. Oscar Rayo followed with three scoreless innings, Tommy Molsky gave up one run across two innings, and Augusto Mendieta earned the win with two scoreless frames and five strikeouts. The Naturals left nine runners on base and went 4-for-13 with runners in scoring position. Northwest Arkansas improved its record to 29-35. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte 5 0 0 0 0 4 Jack Pineda 4 0 0 0 1 1 Sam Kulasingam 3 1 1 0 2 0 Spencer Nivens 4 2 0 0 1 1 Daniel Vazquez 4 1 2 1 0 1 Rudy Martin Jr. 5 2 2 1 0 1 Colton Becker 2 0 1 1 2 0 Omar Hernandez 4 0 1 2 0 1 Justin Johnson 3 0 0 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Steven Zobac 3 4 4 4 1 3 1 Oscar Rayo 3 0 0 0 1 3 0 Tommy Molsky 2 3 1 1 1 1 0 Augusto Mendieta 2 0 0 0 1 5 0 Ramirez's Two Homers And Shields' 10 Strikeouts Carry Quad Cities The Quad Cities River Bandits rolled to a 9-3 win over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Ramirez was the story, going 2-for-4 with two home runs and four runs batted in. Blake Mitchell drove in two, and Asbel Gonzalez led off with a 2-for-5 effort and a run batted in. The fourth inning blew the game open as Quad Cities scored five. Gonzalez singled home a run, Mitchell followed with a two-run single, and Ramirez capped the rally with a three-run homer. Shields was dominant on the mound, striking out 10 over five innings while allowing three runs on five hits and one walk to earn the win. Max Martin followed with three scoreless innings, and L.P. Langevin closed with a perfect inning and three strikeouts. Quad Cities left seven runners on base and went 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position. They are 30-33 for the season. Player AB R H RBI BB K Asbel Gonzalez 5 1 2 1 0 0 Nolan Sailors 4 1 0 0 1 1 Blake Mitchell 4 1 1 2 1 1 Ramon Ramirez 4 2 2 4 1 0 Derlin Figueroa 3 0 0 0 1 2 Erick Torres 3 0 0 0 1 2 Tyriq Kemp 4 1 1 0 0 0 Connor Rasmussen 3 2 2 1 1 0 Trevor Werner 3 1 2 1 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR David Shields 5 5 3 3 1 10 0 Max Martin 3 1 0 0 0 2 0 L.P. Langevin 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 Russell's Three RBI Lift Columbia In 10-Inning Comeback The Columbia Fireflies came from behind to beat the Hickory Crawdads, 6-4, in 10 innings. Russell led the way, going 2-for-4 with two doubles and three runs batted in. Hyungchan Um homered and drove in a run, and Josh Hammond scored twice. After Um's solo homer accounted for one of two Columbia runs in the fourth, the Fireflies broke a tie in the 10th. Ivan Sosa struck out swinging but reached when the zombie runner JC Vanek scored on a throwing error, and Russell followed with a two-run double to plate Sosa and Hammond. Ryan McDonagh started and allowed two runs on one hit over five innings, walking two and striking out four. Andy Basora and Hunter Alberini combined for three scoreless innings out of the bullpen, and Dash Albus earned the win in the 10th despite allowing two unearned runs while striking out three. Columbia left five runners on base and scored six runs despite going 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. The victory improved the Fireflies' record to 34-32. Player AB R H RBI BB K Yandel Ricardo 5 0 1 0 0 1 Josh Hammond 4 2 1 0 1 1 Stone Russell 4 0 2 3 0 2 Hyungchan Um 4 1 1 1 1 1 Sean Gamble 4 0 1 0 0 1 Roni Cabrera 4 1 1 0 0 0 JC Vanek 4 1 0 0 0 1 Angel Ramirez 3 0 0 0 0 1 Ivan Sosa 4 1 0 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ryan McDonagh 5 1 2 2 2 4 0 Andy Basora 1 2/3 1 0 0 2 3 0 Hunter Alberini 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 1 0 Dash Albus 2 2 2 0 0 3 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kendry Chourio: DNP David Shields: 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 10 K Sean Gamble: 1-for-4, 1 K Blake Mitchell: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K Josh Hammond: 1-for-4, 1 BB, 1 K Ramon Ramirez: 2-for-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB Drew Beam: DNP Asbel Gonzalez: 2-for-5, 1 RBI Ben Kudrna: DNP Carson Roccaforte: 0-for-5, 4 K Yandel Ricardo: 1-for-5, 1 K Felix Arronde: DNP Blake Wolters: DNP Michael Lombardi: DNP Luinder Avila: DNP Steven Zobac: 3 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K Frank Mozzicato: DNP Daniel Vazquez: 2-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 K Warren Colcano: 0-for-4, 1 K Shane Panzini: DNP View the full article

When the Cubs gave Phil Maton a two-year contract worth $14.5 million over the winter, they expected him to solidify the back end of the bullpen and be a bridge to Daniel Palencia. It was an understandable contract for a reliever who has been pretty consistent since the 2020 season. Unfortunately, the contract is not off to a good start, as Maton has not been the steadying presence the Cubs hoped. What's gone wrong for the veteran reliever this year? In 2025, Maton turned in arguably his best season yet, with the highest bWAR of his career and the lowest FIP. He lit up his Baseball Savant page in red, despite one of the slowest fastball velos in the league at 89.6 MPH. That does feel like a pitcher who will age pretty well; he was already getting away with lower velocity. Primarily a two-pitch pitcher with nearly 75% of his pitches being the curveball and cutter, he was a master at messing with hitters' timing. The new Statcast timing metrics give us some really clear examples. At just 17%, batters were on time for Maton’s curveball less often last year than on any other major-league pitcher’s pitch. Only two pitches were under 22%! When you narrow the list to only fastball pitch types, hitters were on time for just 53% of Maton’s fastballs, good for 4th-best in MLB. His sinker and sweeper were less impressive, but he just didn’t throw them as much. With him throwing 38% curveball and 36% cutter, he rarely let hitters be on time with their swings. So far in 2026, Maton’s curveball has been even better, at a paltry 11% on-time swings. This is great! His fastballs tell a different story, though. Batters are no longer late on his cutter or sinker, with both dropping 10 percentage points. His fastball velo, however, is higher than it was last year. You read that right. He is throwing his fastballs harder and yet, he is getting many fewer late swings. What gives? The clearest issue is Maton’s pitch mix. He is throwing 10% fewer curveballs and has replaced those pitches with fastball pitch types. Batters are also swinging at only half of his curveballs, a rate lower than any year since 2020. Batters seem to have decided it doesn’t benefit them to swing at the curveball that was the highest run value curveball in the major leagues last year. I can’t blame them! The Cubs and Maton have decided to throw that pitch less often this year, despite it still generating the best results of any of his pitches. Since he is throwing less breaking stuff, hitters are able to time the fastballs better; hence the jump in the number of on-time swings on his fastballs. Why the Cubs would spend the money to acquire a veteran reliever coming off his best season and have him go away from what made him so valuable is anyone’s guess. If the Cubs want to get the Maton they signed, they should let him be the pitcher he was last year. Unless and until they do, the floggings will continue, and morale will not improve. View the full article

Brett Baty entered 2026 with far fewer questions surrounding his future than he had a year earlier. After finally translating his offensive tools into production during a breakout 2025 season, he appeared to have established himself as a meaningful part of the New York Mets' long-term plans. A few months later, much of that certainty has disappeared. The former first-round pick entered 2025 carrying many of the same questions that had followed him since his debut. The tools were obvious. The raw power was obvious. The talent that once made him one of the most highly regarded prospects in the Mets' system was obvious. What had never fully arrived was the production. From 2022 through 2024, Baty never posted a season above an 83 wRC+. He hit just .212 in 2023 and managed a .327 slugging percentage in 2024. Every slump seemed to reinforce the same concern: maybe the skills that made him such an intriguing prospect simply would not translate consistently against major-league pitching. Then came 2025. For the first time, Baty looked like a player capable of turning potential into production. He hit 18 home runs, posted a .435 slugging percentage, and finished the season with a 111 wRC+, comfortably above league average. More importantly, his .334 xwOBA actually exceeded his .324 wOBA, a sign that much of his success was supported by genuine improvements in his offensive profile. For a player whose future had often seemed tied to unanswered questions, that season felt different. It felt like a breakthrough. Which is why his 2026 season has been so perplexing. At first glance, it looks like a return to the player the Mets thought they had finally left behind. The easy conclusion is tempting. Baty finally broke through in 2025, then slipped right back into old habits. A deeper look at the numbers, however, points toward a much more specific explanation. The swing metrics paint a different picture than the results. His bat speed, his rate of fast swings, and the overall quality of his contact remain remarkably similar to what they were a year ago. Nor has there been a meaningful decline in his plate discipline that would fully explain such a sharp drop in offensive production. The problem begins after contact. His ISO has fallen from .181 to .092, while his home run-to-fly-ball rate has collapsed from 22.5% to just 6.0%. What's particularly striking is that Baty is actually hitting more fly balls than he did a year ago. His fly-ball rate has increased from 27.9% to 33.6%, while his ground-ball rate has declined significantly. So, where has the punch gone on his fly balls? The most interesting clue emerges when examining the types of pitches he faces. Before 2025, Baty's offensive success tended to come against a relatively narrow group of pitch types, particularly sinkers. What made last season different was his ability to expand that profile. For the first time, he consistently did damage against four-seam fastballs, forcing opposing pitchers to rethink how they could attack him. That improvement has clearly diminished in 2026. The difference against four-seamers is especially revealing. In 2025, Baty produced a 127 wRC+ against the pitch. This year, that figure has fallen to 92. It's not that he has stopped making contact against fastballs altogether. The issue is that he is no longer punishing them with the same authority. Even so, the numbers do not support the idea that the 2025 version of Baty has completely disappeared. His .360 xSLG comfortably exceeds his actual .318 slugging percentage, while his .296 xwOBA also sits above his .283 wOBA. Those aren't massive gaps, but they are large enough to suggest that the quality of his contact has been somewhat better than the final results indicate. And that brings us to the central question. In 2025, Baty found a way to punish four-seam fastballs with a consistency he had never shown before. That ability expanded his margin for error and allowed him to compensate for other weaknesses that remain part of his game. Can he get back to being that player? That's why the rest of the season will be so revealing. The future of his career, at least in New York with the Mets, may will be determined by how well he adjusts to his new deficiencies against the hard stuff. View the full article

The American League is an absolute mess, and yet the Boston Red Sox find themselves on the outside looking in and even further behind in the AL East standings after being swept at home by the Blue Jays. They are 0-39 in games in which they trail by three and, once they return to Fenway Park, seem to forget how to play cohesive baseball on a daily basis. It feels like we’re quickly approaching the “pivot” that President and CEO of the Red Sox Sam Kennedy spoke about just last week. The negativity is growing louder and louder with each loss, and the players you’d expect to be the most outspoken about it are nowhere to be found when the cameras are on in the clubhouse. Craig Breslow seems to be keeping an eye on buying at the deadline, but that pathway feels like the worst possible decision given the direction this team is headed. While there is time before any final decisions have to be made, the Red Sox look like clear sellers at this point and these names are the most likely to be involved. Ranking Red Sox Trade Chips We'll rank these players by group, starting with those who are certain to be gone and ending with those who should be super-glued to the locker room beneath Fenway. Definitely Will Be Traded CL Aroldis Chapman Team Control: Through 2026 with 40 inning vesting option for 2027 2026 Stats: 21 G, 14 S, 23.5 K-BB%, 0.9 fWAR Chapman has seen a career resurgence since signing with the Red Sox before the 2025 season, but his time in Boston is likely coming to an end sooner than later. He’s almost guaranteed to represent the Sox in the All-Star Game this year (if he is still on the team by then). Even though he was tagged with the loss in the series finale against the Blue Jays, he’s arguably the best closer in the American League. When he’s officially put on the trade block, he will be the best reliever available and contending teams will likely line up to acquire his 100+ mph fastball for a late season push. The last time Chapman was moved, from the Royals to the Rangers, he wasn’t nearly the player he has been over the last season and a half but he still netted LHP Cole Ragans in return. If the goal is to retool the upper minor leagues with players who can contribute next season, there’s no better trade chip than the future Hall of Famer himself. SP Sonny Gray Team Control: Through 2026, Mutual Option for 2027 2026 Stats: 12 G, 3.53 FIP, 13.7 K-BB%, 1.1 fWAR Gray has been an incredibly bright spot for the Red Sox for the majority of the season. He has started focusing on his “Dr. Spin” persona and throwing stuff with some ridiculous movement. It’s allowed him to generate a ton of swing and miss during his starts while inducing weak contact when the batter does manage to put the ball in play. In turn, he’s pitching deep into most games and is turning in quality start after quality start. The appeal of Gray is that he’s a dependable veteran that will come relatively cheap considering the Cardinals are paying half of his salary this season and, once the trade deadline gets here, the Red Sox will have paid more than half of the remaining salary left for this season. He'll be an affordable rental who will provide a spark in the middle of a contender's rotation. Given his status as a starter, he should return a similar (if not better) package than Chapman. Possibly Could Be Traded OF Jarren Duran Team Control: Through 2028 2026 Stats: 66 G, .293 wOBA, 79 wRC+, 0.7 fWAR I’ve already gone in depth on why the Red Sox need to move on from Duran here, so I’m not going to go into a ton of depth with this piece, but it’s time to move on from Duran. Once Roman Anthony returns from the injured list, Duran will be squeezed out of his starting job in left field again. His offensive numbers have taken a nose dive this season, but there’s still glimpses of an every day hitter there. His speed is top tier and will be useful for a contending team down the stretch. The ship has sailed on him returning multiple star prospects, but he'll still fetch a decent price given his remaining team control. UTIL Isiah Kiner-Falefa Through 2026 2026 Stats: 46 G, .310 wOBA, 90 wRC+, 0.9 fWAR Kiner-Falefa feels like the type of player that this team needed if they were able to repeat last season’s success. He’s a journeyman veteran that plays solid defense and has, almost inexplicably, woken up at the plate and come through in some clutch moments. He has been incredibly vocal with the media over the last few weeks, and seems to almost be the only veteran presence on the defensive side of the ball who is willing to speak on a regular basis. That was a role Rob Refsnyder filled during his tenure with the Red Sox and Kiner-Falefa has stepped into those shoes well this year. He seems to almost be at his wit’s end though, and as the season slips further and further away, he is likely looking at less and less playing time. Moving him in a small trade to clear the remainder of his $6 million off the books is the move here, but his veteran presence may cause him to stick around for the rest of the season. RP Justin Slaten Team Control: Through 2029 2026 Stats: 15 G, 5.57 FIP, 19.7 KK-B%, -0.2 fWAR Slaten has been an interesting case study since he arrived as a trade via the Rule 5 draft in 2023. He has an electric fastball and a curveball that, when it’s on, ranks as one of the top pitches for all relievers. The biggest knock against him has been his health. He has landed on the injured list for stints during every season he’s been with the Red Sox and has typically struggled to return to form once he is activated to the big-league club. He has the potential to be the next closer for the Red Sox but that role is likely occupied by someone else we’ll get to here later. Still, his raw stuff would surely interest some contender in need of high-leverage help. Thanks to his status as a pre-arb player, Slaten should net the Sox something useful, though that cheap team control also makes him an attractive reliever to keep around. 1B Willson Contreras Team Control: Through 2027, Club Option for 2028 2026 Stats: 69 G, .408 wOBA, 157 wRC+, 2.6 fWAR Contreras has been the best hitter on the Red Sox this season, without a doubt. Imagining this season without his presence in the lineup is even more depressing than the current reality. Should Contreras hit the trade block, he would be the best right-handed hitter available on the market and should bring a king’s ransom in return. That being said, the clubhouse would suffer if he was dealt and it would significantly harm the team's chances of bouncing back next year. Contreras is on a fairly friendly deal for the 2027 season with a team option for the 2028 season. He’s finally hitting in a ballpark that suits his swing and he’s been a leader for this club through a down season. While it’s possible he’s traded, I consider it unlikely unless the team is blown away by the offer. C Connor Wong Team Control: Through 2028 2026 Stats: 28 G, .340 wOBA, 111 wRC+, 0.5 fWAR There have already been rumblings that the team is shopping backup catcher Connor Wong, so he had to show up somewhere on this list. He’s played far better than he did during his injury-shortened 2025 season, but he’s failed to live up to the starting catcher potential so many predicted for him after he took the reins of the position after Christian Vazquez was traded in 2022. He’s a serviceable backup catcher at this point in his career, but the fact the team is willing to listen to offers on him indicates that they prefer Mickey Gasper in the backup role, or starter role if recent trends are any indication. Wong won’t net much, but he could be a throw-in piece as part of a larger package returning several prospects. Unlikely To Be Traded OF Wilyer Abreu Team Control: Through 2029 2026 Stats: 70 G, .337 wOBA, 109 wRC+, 1.6 fWAR Abreu is a two-time Gold Glove winner in right field who has finally been moved out of the platoon role and thrived for it. He’s arguably the second-best hitter on the team and should be considered a foundational piece of the organization moving forward. It would be shocking to see the team move off of Abreu, but he'd instantly become the team's most valuable trade chip if they put up him for auction. RP Garrett Whitlock Team Control: Through 2026, Team Options for 2027 and 2028 2026 Stats: 22 G, 2.64 FIP, 23.9 K-BB%, 0.6 fWAR Whitlock is the shining example of everything that can go right with a Rule 5 draft selection. While there is likely going to be a ton of interest in him, he’s far too valuable to the organization as they look to retool to compete in 2027 and beyond. He is likely the closer-in-waiting once the team moves on from Chapman, and he’s proven capable of handling that pressure. Teams in contention would likely pay a high price for Whitlock, and an overpay shouldn’t be ignored, but the best bet is to hang onto him for the remainder of his contract. SS Trevor Story Team Control: Through 2027, Club Option for 2028 2026 Stats: 41 G, .243 wOBA, 45 wRC+, -0.5 fWAR While moving on from Story before the end of his contract makes a ton of sense, he’s making far too much money ($23.33MM AAV) and has spent too much time on the injured list during his stint in Boston for any team to even consider bringing him in mid-season. He has likely lost his starting shortstop role to Marcelo Mayer, so there could be movement on him whenever the offseason gets underway in a pre-lockout world, or even after the lockout comes to an end in 2027, but his deal is almost certainly unmovable at this current juncture. View the full article

Welcome to Shape of the Blue Jays, my column where I dig into Statcast numbers to analyze recent pitch shape and swing shape trends for Toronto Blue Jays players and discuss how they have impacted their performance. Click here to read the last edition. Quick Hits: Another Rising Prospect After his first taste of big league spring training was followed by a .993 OPS in 49 games at Double-A New Hampshire, Toronto's 2024 fourth-rounder Sean Keys was promoted to Triple-A Buffalo earlier this month. Keys had never played above High-A before this year and was named the 20th-best prospect in the Jays' system by Baseball America in their preseason report. In 11 games so far with the Bisons, he's continuing to lay waste to opposing pitchers, slashing .343/.465/.771 with three homers. BA has already bumped him up to 14th in the system in their latest rankings. All Triple-A parks log Statcast data, meaning Keys's advanced stats are now available to the public. Since the promotion, his 90th-percentile exit velocity is a loud 108.7 mph. His hard hit rate is at 52%, his barrel rate is 12%, and his hard-hit balls are averaging a launch angle of 16°, indicating he's making his loudest contact in the air. To achieve these incredible batted ball numbers, he's had to fork over some discipline and contact, as his chase rate is a hair above the MLB average at 29.2%, while his zone contact rate is 79.7%. It's more than worth the tradeoff, though, if he's going to do this much damage. Keys is a lefty bat who just turned 23 and is limited to the corner infield positions, which somewhat limits the chances he'll play an immediate role in the majors in 2026, unless he picks up a new position like Charles McAdoo did. Still, his progression this year has nonetheless been exciting to see. George Springer George Springer is starting to look more like himself at the plate (122 wRC+ in June). It starts with his selectivity, as his chase rate this month is down to 19.2%, a decrease of 10% compared to May and the first time he's been under 20% in a month since August of last year. His mechanics have slightly changed too. His swing length this month is down a couple of inches from his season average without any material sacrifice to his bat speed. George Springer Bat Tracking Stats, 2026 overall vs 2026 June {C}%3C!%2D%2Dtd%20%7Bborder%3A%201px%20solid%20%23cccccc%3B%7Dbr%20%7Bmso-data-placement%3Asame-cell%3B%7D%2D%2D%3E--> Sample Bat Speed Swing Length Contact Point vs Center of Mass Attack Angle Attack Direction YTD 2026 72.5 mph 7.4' 21.9" 9° 0° June 2026 72.1 mph 7.2' 18.9" 7° 5° oppo The recurring issue with Springert early in the season was similar to what we saw in his down year in 2024: too many ground balls rolled over to the pull side. He has launched a couple towering pull-side dingers this past week, with one of them being his 300th career long ball, but he's been looking to use the whole field again in an effort to move away from those slow rollers to the left side of the infield. Springer already lets the ball travel more than almost every hitter in baseball, and this month, he's doubling down on that approach and shooting more hits the other way. This approach often leads to a decrease in power output, but his recent success indicates it might be what he has to do in order to avoid an abundance of weak contact. Louis Varland After finally reminding us that he was human last week, Louis Varland went right back to dominating in the first two games of the Boston series. On Wednesday night, he struck out the side on 10 pitches, one shy of an immaculate inning. The night before, Varland had to enter a three-run game for a four-out save after Tommy Nance struggled in the eighth, adding to the increasing concerns about his workload. Despite that, his stuff looked about as good as we've ever seen it the very next day. His fastball averaged 99.8 mph, and his slider was up a couple ticks in velocity to around 94 mph while adding some vertical drop. It feels like the Blue Jays have to turn to him every day, but that hasn't stopped his average fastball velocity from increasing each month of the season. Through 40 innings this year, Varland is rocking a 0.90 ERA, 1.50 FIP, 1.99 xFIP, and 1.8 FanGraphs WAR, tied with Cade Smith for the highest reliever WAR in the AL. Among every single Blue Jays relief pitcher season in history (max. 100 IP), Tom Henke has the highest fWAR at 3.5, a mark he reached in 1986. In terms of the best ERA, it's B.J. Ryan, who had a 1.37 in 2006. Varland is on pace to match Henke's fWAR in a slightly smaller sample, and his ERA is still on the right side of 1.00. I'll keep saying it until it isn't true: Appreciate this while you can. The Jays have never had a closer this good, and it'll be a long time before the stars align like this again. Andrés Giménez Andrés Giménez's hot streak has lengthened out the lineup quite nicely (146 wRC+ in his last seven games). His ability to occasionally surprise everyone with an absolute missile off a lefty pitcher is delightful on the rare occasion it happens, and in Tuesday's series opener, he took a Payton Tolle cutter deep to Fenway's cavernous right-center field, going back-to-back with Davis Schneider for the first instance of back-to-back homers the Jays have had in 2026. On balls in play, Giménez's xwOBA against changeups and splitters is a whopping .547 so far in June. A few things stand out from his bat tracking stats of late. Giménez is standing a tad farther back in the box, and his stance is both more open (12° open in June, compared to 2° open in 2026 overall) and more upright, with a smaller gap in between his feet in recent weeks. The visual comparison below shows that his front foot is slightly offset from his back foot, something we didn't see at the start of the year, as he's facing the pitcher more directly. When he first got to Toronto and immediately opened 2025 on a productive note, his stance was more open than it was in Cleveland. Hitting is a game of constant adjustments, so it makes sense this didn't last all year, but he's trying the same thing again right now, and it's working. Andrés Giménez Batting Stance Comparison, April 2026 (left) vs June 2026 (right) All stats entering June 18, 2026 View the full article

San Diego Padres affiliates went 4-1 Thursday as the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas lost to Reno 8-1, the Double-A San Antonio Missions surged to an 11-7 win over Corpus Christi, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps swept a doubleheader from South Bend 5-2 and 4-3 and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm cruised to a victory over San Jose 7-1. Padres Minor-League Transactions LHP Ryan Och activated from 7-day injured list and assigned to Fort Wayne TinCaps from San Antonio Missions. Chihuahuas Done In By Aces' Big Inning Nate Mondou hit a solo homer, but that would be the lone highlight as the host Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas gave up a sixth-run fifth inning en route to an 8-1 loss to the Reno Aces. Chihuahuas left-handed starter JP Sears was tagged for seven runs (six earned) on eight hits and no walks with four strikeouts in four innings. The bullpen came up with a strong effort, with right-hander Justin Yeager allowing a run in two innings and right-handers Misael Tamarez, Triston McKenzie and Ty Adcock each tossing shutout innings. Mondou had two of the Chihuahuas' four hits, going deep in the bottom of the sixth, his fifth of the season. EP_0618.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Bryce Johnson 2 0 0 0 1 1 Carlos Rodríguez 4 0 0 0 0 0 Mason McCoy 4 0 1 0 0 1 Marcos Castañon 4 0 0 0 0 0 Nick Pratto 4 0 0 0 0 0 Clay Dungan 4 0 1 0 0 2 Nick Schnell 2 0 0 0 0 1 Nate Mondou 3 1 2 1 0 1 Anthony Vilar 3 0 0 0 0 1 Colton Vincent 0 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR JP Sears 4.0 8 7 6 0 4 1 Justin Yeager 2.0 3 1 1 1 2 1 Misael Tamarez 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Triston McKenzie 1.0 1 0 0 2 0 0 Ty Adcock 1.0 1 0 0 1 0 0 Romeo Sanabria Leads 3-HR Parade In Missions' Victory Romeo Sanabria went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and four runs scored, including one of three homers as the Double-A San Antonio Missions toppled the host Corpus Christi Hooks 11-7. Luis Verdugo and Tirso Ornelas also went deep for the Missions, with Verdugo having two hits and three RBIs and Ornelas two RBIs and two runs scored. Francisco Acuna scored twice after singling and walking. Sanabria and Ornelas have eight homers and Verdugo four this year, with Ornelas hitting his second in three games. Missions left-handed starter Jagger Haynes, Padres Mission's No. 11 prospect, surrendered five runs on seven hits, including four homers, and a pair of walks with four strikeouts in 5⅓ innings. Ornelas drilled a two-run homer in the first inning with Sanabria aboard, then, after the Hooks took a 4-2 lead, Verdugo doubled home Sanabria in the top of the fourth, with the Hooks pulling within 4-3 in the bottom of the fourth. The Missions then pulled away on Sanabria's three-run homer in the fifth, Verdugo's two-run shot in the sixth and two more runs in the seventh for a 10-5 advantage. SA_0618.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ryan Jackson 5 1 1 0 0 1 Francisco Acuna 3 2 1 0 1 0 Romeo Sanabria 4 4 3 3 1 0 Tirso Ornelas 4 2 1 2 0 0 Braedon Karpathios 4 1 1 0 1 1 Luis Verdugo 4 1 2 3 1 0 Kai Murphy 5 0 1 2 0 0 Kai Roberts 3 0 0 0 1 2 Chris Sargent 5 0 0 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jagger Haynes 5.1 7 5 5 2 4 4 Andrew Moore 0.2 0 0 0 0 1 0 Andrew Thurman 1.0 3 2 2 0 1 0 Omar Cruz 2.0 1 0 0 0 3 0 Walk-Off Completes TinCaps' Doubleheader Sweep To End First Half Lamar King Jr. singled home the tying run and Jack Costello the winning run with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning as the host High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps walked off the South Bend Cubs 4-3 to sweep a doubleheader. In the opener, Alex McCoy and Jake Cunningham drove in a pair of runs in a four-run sixth inning as the TinCaps won 5-2. The win came as the TinCaps, who had lost 11 of 12 coming into the day, completed the first half with a 27-39 record, fifth in the six-team Midwest League East Division. The Cubs won the West Division at 39-23. Kavares Tears homered in the second inning of the first game, his eighth of the season. South Bend scored one each in the third and fourth innings. In the bottom of the sixth, the TinCaps loaded the bases on walks to Kasen Wells and Justin DeCriscio and Rosman Verdugo being hit by a pitch. One out later, McCoy hit an opposite-field go-ahead two-run double down the right-field line. Cunningham followed with a two-run single to left for a 5-2 lead. FW1_0618.mp4 In the nightcap, TinCaps right-hander Maikel Miralles pitched five shutout innings, giving up a pair of hits but walking four and striking out three. Right-hander Tucker Musgrove, Padres Mission's No. 14 prospect, gave up a pair of runs while punching out two in the top of the sixth as the Cubs took a 2-1 lead. Cunningham homered in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game 2-2. With the game in extra innings, South Bend scored once in the top of the eighth on a wild pitch by right-hander Ryan Och. In the bottom half, Wells was the zombie runner and was bunted to third by Rosman Verdugo. King, Padres Mission's No. 10 prospect, grounded a single to left to plate Wells. After a McCoy single moved King to second, Cunningham walked to load the bases and, after a dropped foul popup by the first baseman, Costello took advantage of the second chance by hitting a slow chopper to the third baseman and King raced home with the winning run before a play could be made. FW2_0618.mp4 FIRST GAME Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin DeCriscio 2 1 0 0 1 1 Rosman Verdugo 2 1 0 0 0 1 Lamar King Jr. 2 0 0 0 1 1 Alex McCoy 3 1 1 2 0 1 Jake Cunningham 2 0 1 2 1 1 Kavares Tears 3 1 1 1 0 1 Jack Costello 3 0 0 0 0 1 Zach Evans 2 0 1 0 0 1 Kasen Wells 1 1 0 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Carson Montgomery 4.0 3 2 1 2 3 1 Will Varmette 2.0 0 0 0 2 2 0 Javier Chacon 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 SECOND GAME Player AB R H RBI BB K Kasen Wells 3 1 1 1 1 1 Rosman Verdugo 2 0 0 0 1 0 Lamar King Jr. 4 1 1 1 0 2 Alex McCoy 4 0 1 0 0 0 Jake Cunningham 2 1 1 1 2 1 Jack Costello 3 0 1 1 0 1 Zach Evans 2 1 1 0 1 0 Oswaldo Linares 2 0 0 0 0 0 Carlos Rodriguez 1 0 0 0 0 0 Wyatt Hoffman 2 0 0 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Maikel Miralles 5.0 2 0 0 4 3 0 Tucker Musgrove 1.0 1 2 2 1 2 0 Clay Edmondson 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Ryan Och 1.0 0 1 0 2 3 0 Bryan Balzer, Kerrington Cross Fuel Storm To 5th Straight Win Right-handed starter Bryan Balzer threw five strong innings, while Kerrington Cross had three hits and was one of three players with two RBIs as the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm rolled to a 7-1 victory over the San Jose Giants, their fifth straight win. The Storm, winners of the California League's South Division, finished the first half 39-27. San Jose won the North Division at 37-29. Qrey Lott also had three hits and scored twice, with Jorge Quintana and Yoiber Ocopio driving in a pair. Dawson Willis singled, walked and scored twice. The Storm struck early for four runs in the second inning as Quintana had a sacrifice fly, Yimy Tovar an RBI single and Cross a two-run double. The Giants got one back in the bottom of the second, then Quintana made it 5-1 with a run-scoring single in the top of the third. Ocopio boosted the lead to 7-1 on a two-run single. Balzer allowed one run on five hits and a walk with a pair of strikeouts in five innings. Right-hander Rordy Mejia followed with two shutout innings and three punchouts and left-hander Cal Riehl and right-hander Sean Barnett each had a shutout inning. LE_0618.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ryan Wideman 5 1 1 0 0 0 Kerrington Cross 5 0 3 2 0 1 Jose Verdugo 5 0 1 0 0 0 Luke Cantwell 5 1 1 0 0 2 George Bilecki 0 0 0 0 0 0 Dawson Willis 4 2 1 0 1 3 Qrey Lott 4 2 3 0 0 0 Jorge Quintana 3 0 1 2 0 1 Yoiber Ocopio 4 0 1 2 0 2 Yimy Tovar 3 1 1 1 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Bryan Balzer 5.0 5 1 1 1 2 0 Rordy Mejia 2.0 1 0 0 0 3 0 Cal Riehl 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 Sean Barnett 1.0 2 0 0 0 2 0 Padres Mission Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: DNP Kash Mayfield: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Ryan Wideman: 1-for-5 Jorge Quintana: 1-for-3, K Ty Harvey: On injured list Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season Braedon Karpathios: 1-for-4, K Lamar King Jr.: Game 1: 0-for-2, K; Game 2: 1-for-4, 2 K Jagger Haynes: 5⅓ IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (W) Alex McCoy: Game 1: 1-for-3, 2B, K; Game 2: 1-for-4 Truitt Madonna: DNP Tucker Musgrove: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K Garrett Hawkins: DNP Michael Salina: DNP Eric Yost: DNP Rosman Verdugo: Game 1: 0-for-2, K; Game 2: 0-for-2 Bryan Balzer: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (W) Deivid Coronil: DNP View the full article