Alexis Farinacci

With the MLB trade deadline around the corner, there are several relief pitchers who are gaining speculation as potential trade candidates with their teams out of wild card contention as the All-Star break approaches. Enyel De Los Santos - Astros The Houston Astros, sitting five games out of a Wild Card spot, could potentially part ways with right-handed pitcher Enyel De Los Santos as they look to add pitchers who can be durable and add depth to their bullpen. De Los Santos was signed by the Astros as a free agent in August 2025 after the Braves designated him for assignment, and he elected free agency. He is currently on a small, one-year, $1.6 million contract. So far this season, the 30-year-old from the Dominican Republic has appeared in 31 big league games, throwing 32 innings. He has an FIP of 2.73, with a 23.7 strikeout percentage, a 6.1 percent walk percentage, and a wOBA of .321 on the season. Kenley Jansen - Tigers The Tigers follow behind the Astros at six games out of the wild card and are another team that could part ways with one of their relievers, in closer Kenley Jansen. The 38-year-old is on a one-year, $11 million contract with a club option for 2027. The Tigers acquired him as a free agent in December after he elected free agency from the Angels. This season, the right-hander, Jansen, has 5.22 FIP through 18 innings, with a 30.1 strikeout percentage and a 13.1 walk percentage. His wOBA is .249. Aroldis Chapman & Garrett Whitlock - Red Sox The Red Sox are a team that is highly expected to make some moves at the trade deadline. They are 31-43 to date and have suffered numerous injuries, including to their pitching staff. As the August deadline approaches, it is the hard-throwing left-handed pitcher Aroldis Chapman who the Red Sox could be willing to sell, along with the right-hander, Garrett Whitlock. With the trade value of both players as high as it is, along with the Red Sox needing to free up salary and build out their farm system, these players become valuable trade options for the Red Sox. Chapman, acquired as a free agent from the Pittsburgh Pirates in December of 2024, is on a one-year, $13 million contract with an AAV extension of $13.30 million and a 2027 vesting option that vests with 40 innings pitched and a passed physical. So far this season, Chapman has thrown 21 2/3 innings. He sits with an FIP of 1.81, a strikeout percentage of 33.7, and a walk percentage of 10.5 percent. He also has a wOBA of .255. Whitlock, signed by the Yankees in 2017, has been with the Red Sox since he was claimed off waivers from the Yankees in 2020. After being with the team from 2020 to 2023, he signed a four-year, $18.75 million extension through 2026. He has an AAV extension of $4.69 million and club options for 2027-2028. Whitlock has thrown 22 2/3 innings this year, being limited by time on the injured list with left knee inflammation. So far this season, he has a 30.8 strikeout percentage and a miniscule 6.6 percent walk percentage. He has an FIP of 2.57 and a wOBA of .287. He’s one of the strong relievers in the league, but has had an elevated 2.78 ERA so far. But when he’s healthy, he’s a strong reliever and a pitcher who can make a difference on many rosters. Lucas Erceg & John Schreiber - Royals After a very rough 32-45 start, the Kansas City Royals find themselves in second-to-last in the American League standings ahead of the All-Star break. Two relievers they could look to sell are right-handed pitcher Lucas Erceg and right-handed pitcher John Schreiber. Erceg has seen his season decline a bit as he was previously used as a closer, but as of recently, however, the Royals have moved him into a lesser role with a decline in his number of strikeouts and his command issues, which have led him to many blown leads and saves this year. The data shows the same as Erceg has an FIP of 4.57 this season, with an 18.1 strikeout percentage and a 15.0 walk percentage, putting his strikeout percentage not that far ahead of his walk percentage. He has a wOBA of .380, which is in the bottom six percent of all of baseball. Erceg is on a one-year contract with the Royals, worth $803.500. He also has a pre-arbitration AAV of $804,000. The righty, Schreiber, however, has had a stronger season than Erceg, but as a pending free agent, he becomes a player who could add value to sell as well, and a small $3.715 million, one-year contract is attached to him. So far this season, Schreiber is sitting with a 4.96 FIP, with an 18.0 strikeout percentage, and a 9.0 walk percentage. He has a wOBA of .300. Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, & Luke Raley - Mets Shifting to the National League, the Mets have not had the season they had hoped for at all; with a 32-42 record, they sit seven spots out of a wild card in the National League standings. Looking to make some moves and turn their season around, it is likely that we see relievers Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, and Luke Raley depart the orange and blue before or at the deadline. Williams has struggled transitioning from Milwaukee to New York in the last couple of years. After going from the Brewers to the Yankees in 2025, he struggled with arm-angle and command. There was hope that reuniting with former teammate Freddy Peralta would give the closer a spark, but Williams continued to struggle early in 2026, still with command issues. But a tweak to his mechanics has helped him begin to show signs of the dominant reliever he was; however, if a team is willing to pick up the last two years of his contract, he could still be headed elsewhere. He is currently on a three-year, $51 million contract with an AAV of $15 million. Deferrals lower his AAV. Williams this season has an FIP of 2.90, with a strikeout percentage of 34.9, and a walk percentage of 13.8. His wOBA is .278. Weaver, the right-handed pitcher from Deland, FL. Is also another former Yankee. The Mets signed him as a free agent in 2025 to a two-year, $22 million contract through 2027. He has an AAV of $11.00 million. Weaver has been adjusting to the Queens very well, having a dominant 2026 season. But as a player with peak trade value as a high-leverage reliever, the Mets could sell him to bolster their farm system in the future. Weaver has a strong 26.4 strikeout percentage, a 6.4 walk percentage, and a 2.70 FIP. He also has a .222 wOBA, which is in the top two percent of pitchers in the league, and a 2.93 xERA, which is in the top 10 percent of pitchers. Finally, the left-handed pitcher, Brooks Raley, has been with the Mets since 2022. As another very dominant reliever, the Mets could potentially part ways with Raley because of his pending free agency at the end of the season. Raley is in the final year of his two-year, $6.25 million contract. This year, the lefty has an FIP of 3.33, with a strikeout percentage of 26.5 and a walk percentage of 10.3. He holds a wOBA of .268. These are just some of the many relievers who could be on the trade block, and more names could be tossed around ahead of August 3rd.

While the rookie league players took center spotlight at the plate last week, it was the more experienced Triple-A players (three), along with a player from Double-A, and a player from Single-A, who took the hitters’ spotlight among all MiLB players this last week. Catcher Luis Puello of the Tampa Tarpons, Single-A affiliate of the New York Yankees; Outfielder Raudi Rodriguez of the Rocket City Trash Pandas, Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels; Third baseman Tommy White of the Las Vegas Aviators, Triple-A of The Athletics; Left fielder Alan Roden of the St. Paul Saints, Triple-A of the Minnesota Twins; and Third Baseman and MLB veteran Brandon Drury of the Omaha Storm Chasers, Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals who found themselves at the top of the hitters’ leaderboard for the week of June 16th through 21st. Luis Puello, C – Tampa Tarpons (Single-A, New York Yankees) This week, the Tarpons were at home for a six-game series against the Fort Myers Miracle (Minnesota Twins). While they only took 2-of-6 from Tampa, it wasn’t due to a lack of runs scored. The Tarpons combined across all six games to score 49 runs this week. Puello, the 20-year-old from Venezuela, played in four of the games this weekend, hitting .600/.647/1.467, with an OPS of 2.114, which is the highest OPS among MiLB hitters all week. He had nine hits in 15 plate appearances, including one double and four home runs. He hit a hat trick of homers on June 16th, driving in seven RBIs that day (eight RBIs on the week) and had six runs scored on the week as well. He is in his first two months at Single-A after being promoted following three seasons at the rookie level. Over the course of his first 28 games in Single-A, he is batting .292/.350/.558, with a .90 OPS. He has five doubles, two triples, and seven home runs, along with 21 RBIs driven in, 15 runs scored, and two stolen bases. He’s proving he has what it takes to play against this level of pitching. If he continues to hit as he has since joining the Tarpons, Double-A could be in his future in the second half of the year or to start the 2027 season. 2026 Player Batting Splits Split G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB Total 35 149 137 21 40 6 2 9 25 4 2 9 38 .292 .349 .562 .911 77 4 3 0 0 0 Last 7 days 3 12 11 1 5 1 0 1 1 2 0 0 2 .455 .500 .818 1.318 9 0 1 0 0 0 Last 28 days 18 78 69 12 21 3 0 5 12 2 0 7 16 .304 .385 .565 .950 39 2 2 0 0 0 Last 90 days 35 149 137 21 40 6 2 9 25 4 2 9 38 .292 .349 .562 .911 77 4 3 0 0 0 Home 22 91 82 14 26 2 2 7 17 4 1 7 25 .317 .385 .646 1.031 53 3 2 0 0 0 Away 13 58 55 7 14 4 0 2 8 0 1 2 13 .255 .293 .436 .729 24 1 1 0 0 0 vs RHP as RHB 34 122 112 30 5 1 6 15 9 32 .268 .328 .491 .819 55 0 1 0 0 0 vs ?HP as RHB 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 0 vs LHP as RHB 18 27 25 10 1 1 3 10 0 6 .400 .444 .880 1.324 22 0 2 0 0 0 May 21 89 85 11 23 4 2 5 16 2 2 3 28 .271 .303 .541 .845 46 2 1 0 0 0 June 14 60 52 10 17 2 0 4 9 2 0 6 10 .327 .417 .596 1.013 31 2 2 0 0 0 2 outs, RISP 23 24 23 10 1 0 1 9 1 7 .435 .458 .609 1.067 14 0 0 0 0 0 vs. Younger Pitchers 16 32 32 9 1 0 2 3 0 6 .281 .281 .500 .781 16 0 0 0 0 0 vs. Older Pitchers 34 117 105 31 5 2 7 22 9 32 .295 .368 .581 .948 61 0 3 0 0 0 Raudi Rodriguez, OF – Rocket City Trash Pandas (Double-A, Los Angeles Angels) It was a busy week for Rodriguez and Rocket City as they welcomed the Montgomery Biscuits (Single-A, Tampa Bay Rays) to town for a seven-game series that included the completion of a game played on May 31 that was suspended due to weather. Rocket City went 4-3, winning the series over Montgomery. Rodriguez appeared in five of the seven games, batting .643/.737/1.357, with a 2.094 OPS. He had nine hits, including one double and three home runs. He drove in six RBIs, walked four times, stole a base, and had five runs scored. On June 19 he was 3-for-4, hitting two home runs and driving in two RBIs. Rodriguez is in his first season in Double-A and is hitting .307/.425/.520, with a .945 OPS. He has 11 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs, 37 RBIs, and 57 runs scored. He’s absolutely crushing the ball and showing great plate discipline with 44 walks and flashing his speed with 21 stolen bases as well. 2026 Player Batting Splits Split G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB Total 64 274 224 57 69 11 2 11 37 21 6 44 52 .308 .426 .522 .949 117 6 3 1 1 1 Last 7 days 4 16 10 5 7 0 0 3 5 1 1 4 1 .700 .800 1.600 2.400 16 0 1 1 0 0 Last 28 days 22 89 73 16 23 3 1 5 8 4 3 14 16 .315 .432 .589 1.021 43 2 1 1 0 0 Last 90 days 64 274 224 57 69 11 2 11 37 21 6 44 52 .308 .426 .522 .949 117 6 3 1 1 1 Home 30 119 95 17 30 5 0 4 17 10 3 20 22 .316 .449 .495 .944 47 3 3 1 0 0 Away 34 155 129 40 39 6 2 7 20 11 3 24 30 .302 .409 .543 .952 70 3 0 0 1 1 vs RHP as RHB 62 221 183 59 7 2 10 29 33 39 .322 .434 .546 .980 100 0 3 1 0 0 vs LHP as RHB 31 53 41 10 4 0 1 8 11 13 .244 .396 .415 .811 17 0 0 0 1 1 April 22 98 78 19 21 1 0 3 18 10 2 18 17 .269 .412 .397 .810 31 2 1 0 0 1 May 26 110 93 28 30 7 2 4 12 9 1 15 23 .323 .418 .570 .988 53 3 1 0 1 0 June 16 66 53 10 18 3 0 4 7 2 3 11 12 .340 .462 .623 1.084 33 1 1 1 0 0 2 outs, RISP 30 40 29 9 2 0 0 9 10 7 .310 .500 .379 .879 11 0 1 0 0 1 vs. Younger Pitchers 23 48 43 12 1 1 4 6 4 4 .279 .354 .628 .982 27 0 1 0 0 0 vs. Older Pitchers 63 226 181 57 10 1 7 31 40 48 .315 .442 .497 .939 90 0 2 1 1 1 Tommy White, 3B – Las Vegas Aviators (Triple-A, Athletics) Las Vegas just completed a six-game series against the Round Express (Triple-A, Texas Rangers), in which they dominated, going 4-2 on the week. White played in four of the six games against the Red Express. He hit .467/.556/1.400, with an OPS of 1.956. He struck for one triple and four home runs, driving in 10 RBIs and nine runs scored. On June 18, he drove in six of those RBIs on two home runs. Drafted in 2024 in the second round at pick No. 40 overall in the MLB draft out of Louisiana State, White has swiftly worked his way through the minor leagues, making his way to Triple-A in just two years, as the struggling Athletics have moved players around quite a bit in the last several years. White started his season in Double-A after ending his season there in 2025. He played 21 games in Double-A this year before being promoted to Triple-A Las Vegas. So far in 37 games played with Triple-A, he is batting a total .295/.337/.513, with a .850 OPS. He has a combined nine doubles, two triples, and seven home runs, driving in 33 RBIs, and 30 runs scored. He has walked seven times. He’s had a quick start to his career and could hear his name called later this year or early next year, depending on the Athletics’ needs in the outfield. 2026 Player Batting Splits Split G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB Total 58 260 239 39 71 14 2 8 50 1 3 15 38 .297 .350 .473 .823 113 9 5 0 1 0 Last 7 days 4 18 15 9 7 0 1 4 10 0 0 1 4 .467 .556 1.400 1.956 21 0 2 0 0 0 Last 28 days 15 63 55 14 16 3 1 5 16 0 0 6 11 .291 .381 .655 1.035 36 1 2 0 0 0 Last 90 days 58 260 239 39 71 14 2 8 50 1 3 15 38 .297 .350 .473 .823 113 9 5 0 1 0 Home 30 131 117 25 32 4 2 4 25 0 1 10 19 .274 .344 .444 .788 52 5 3 0 1 0 Away 28 129 122 14 39 10 0 4 25 1 2 5 19 .320 .357 .500 .857 61 4 2 0 0 0 vs RHP as RHB 58 192 176 48 9 1 5 32 10 28 .273 .328 .420 .749 74 0 5 0 1 0 vs ?HP as RHB 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 0 vs LHP as RHB 33 68 63 23 5 1 3 18 5 10 .365 .412 .619 1.031 39 0 0 0 0 0 April 24 106 94 10 29 5 0 1 18 1 2 9 14 .309 .377 .394 .771 37 5 2 0 1 0 May 24 112 111 16 31 8 1 3 20 0 1 0 17 .279 .286 .450 .736 50 3 1 0 0 0 June 10 42 34 13 11 1 1 4 12 0 0 6 7 .324 .452 .765 1.217 26 1 2 0 0 0 2 outs, RISP 36 50 45 17 6 1 2 20 5 7 .378 .440 .689 1.129 31 0 0 0 0 0 vs. Younger Pitchers 14 29 24 8 2 0 0 5 3 3 .333 .414 .417 .830 10 0 1 0 1 0 vs. Older Pitchers 57 231 215 63 12 2 8 45 12 35 .293 .342 .479 .821 103 0 4 0 0 0 Alan Roden, LF – St. Paul Saints (Triple-A, Minnesota Twins) Roden and the Saints remained at home as well this week as they welcomed in Drury and the Omaha Storm Chasers (Triple-A Kansas City Royals). As such, two of the top five MiLB hitters of this week were both in action during this week’s series, in which St. Paul took three wins, and Omaha took four wins in the seven-game series. Starting first with Roden. The 26-year-old from Middleton, WI, hit .556/.619/1.278, with a 1.897 OPS. He hit one double and four home runs, driving in seven RBIs and nine runs scored. He walked three times. His biggest game came on Tuesday, June 16, in the series opener, in which he drove one double, one home run, had four RBIs, and four runs scored. On June 21, he had another huge game, driving in two RBIs on two home runs and three runs scored. Roden has had a roller coaster year. He started his year in Triple-A, but unfortunately lost some time to a shoulder contusion that sidelined him from April to June. He’s since worked his way back to being activated just in time for the series against Omaha. With that, he has only played 23 games so far this season. Over those 23 games with Triple-A, he’s batting .333/.463/.632, with a 1.095 OPS. He has five doubles and seven home runs, with 22 RBIs and 18 runs scored. He also has 20 walks. 2026 Player Batting Splits Split G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB Total 28 127 99 21 34 7 0 8 25 3 1 27 20 .343 .488 .657 1.145 65 1 1 0 0 0 Last 7 days 3 15 14 5 7 0 0 3 3 0 0 1 2 .500 .533 1.143 1.676 16 0 0 0 0 0 Last 28 days 9 40 30 12 15 3 0 5 10 1 0 10 6 .500 .625 1.100 1.725 33 0 0 0 0 0 Last 90 days 28 127 99 21 34 7 0 8 25 3 1 27 20 .343 .488 .657 1.145 65 1 1 0 0 0 Home 16 72 57 21 26 4 0 8 18 1 0 14 8 .456 .569 .947 1.517 54 0 1 0 0 0 Away 12 55 42 0 8 3 0 0 7 2 1 13 12 .190 .382 .262 .644 11 1 0 0 0 0 vs RHP as LHB 28 91 69 26 4 0 6 19 22 15 .377 .527 .696 1.223 48 0 0 0 0 0 vs LHP as LHB 22 36 30 8 3 0 2 6 5 5 .267 .389 .567 .956 17 0 1 0 0 0 March 4 19 13 0 4 1 0 0 4 0 1 6 2 .308 .526 .385 .911 5 0 0 0 0 0 April 15 68 56 9 15 3 0 3 11 2 0 11 12 .268 .397 .482 .879 27 1 1 0 0 0 June 9 40 30 12 15 3 0 5 10 1 0 10 6 .500 .625 1.100 1.725 33 0 0 0 0 0 2 outs, RISP 19 25 19 11 2 0 1 10 6 2 .579 .680 .842 1.522 16 0 0 0 0 0 vs. Younger Pitchers 17 38 25 10 4 0 2 8 13 4 .400 .605 .800 1.405 20 0 0 0 0 0 vs. Older Pitchers 24 89 74 24 3 0 6 17 14 16 .324 .438 .608 1.046 45 0 1 0 0 0 Brandon Drury, 3B – Omaha Storm Chasers (Triple-A, Kansas City Royals) Drury is no stranger to the MLB and has had a heck of an up-and-down career, but he does not give up and continues to fight to live out his dream. He’s an MLB veteran, and this week was in the opposite dugout of Roden and the Saints, playing third base for the Storm Chasers. In the series, he appeared in four games, hitting .600/.667/1.200, with a 1.867 OPS. He had three doubles, one home run, driving in six RBIs, and four runs scored. He had three walks. Over the course of this season with Triple-A Omaha, he’s hitting a combined .306/.377/.500, with a .877 OPS. He has six doubles, two home runs, nine RBIs, and six runs scored. Whether or not Drury ever makes his way back to the big leagues, no one can say it’s a lack of trying. He’s fought his entire career to do what he loves, and that’s inspirational to young up-and-coming players. 2026 Player Batting Splits Split G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB Total 25 98 84 13 27 8 0 3 15 2 0 13 27 .321 .418 .524 .942 44 1 1 0 0 1 Last 7 days 4 18 15 4 9 3 0 2 6 0 0 3 0 .600 .667 1.200 1.867 18 1 0 0 0 0 Last 28 days 11 47 37 11 17 5 0 3 12 2 0 10 7 .459 .574 .838 1.412 31 1 0 0 0 1 Last 90 days 25 98 84 13 27 8 0 3 15 2 0 13 27 .321 .418 .524 .942 44 1 1 0 0 1 Home 12 41 35 6 10 3 0 1 4 0 0 5 11 .286 .390 .457 .847 16 0 1 0 0 1 Away 13 57 49 7 17 5 0 2 11 2 0 8 16 .347 .439 .571 1.010 28 1 0 0 0 0 vs RHP as RHB 24 82 70 21 8 0 2 10 11 23 .300 .402 .500 .902 35 0 1 0 0 1 vs LHP as RHB 11 16 14 6 0 0 1 5 2 4 .429 .500 .643 1.143 9 0 0 0 0 0 March 3 13 13 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 .231 .231 .308 .538 4 0 0 0 0 0 April 11 38 34 2 7 2 0 0 3 0 0 3 13 .206 .289 .265 .554 9 0 1 0 0 0 June 11 47 37 11 17 5 0 3 12 2 0 10 7 .459 .574 .838 1.412 31 1 0 0 0 1 2 outs, RISP 10 18 16 4 1 0 0 4 2 7 .250 .333 .313 .646 5 0 0 0 0 0 vs. Younger Pitchers 25 93 79 27 8 0 3 15 13 25 .342 .441 .557 .998 44 0 1 0 0 1 vs. Older Pitchers 4 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 0 MLB Pipeline Top-100 Moving on to MLB Pipeline’s Top-100, two players from Double-A, two from Triple-A, and a player from Single-A round out the players of the week for minor league baseball. Cooper Ingle is MLB’s NO. 69 prospect playing with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Guardians). This week, he hit .357/.412/1.143, with a 1.555 OPS. He had one home run and three RBIs. 2026 Player Batting Splits Split G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB Total 49 211 168 33 49 8 1 12 40 1 0 39 48 .292 .422 .565 .987 95 3 1 0 3 1 Last 7 days 3 13 11 3 4 1 0 3 5 0 0 1 3 .364 .385 1.273 1.657 14 0 0 0 1 0 Last 28 days 19 90 79 11 19 4 1 5 14 0 0 9 24 .241 .311 .506 .817 40 3 0 0 2 0 Last 90 days 49 211 168 33 49 8 1 12 40 1 0 39 48 .292 .422 .565 .987 95 3 1 0 3 1 Home 23 90 69 18 21 4 0 7 17 0 0 20 22 .304 .456 .667 1.122 46 1 0 0 1 0 Away 26 121 99 15 28 4 1 5 23 1 0 19 26 .283 .397 .495 .892 49 2 1 0 2 1 vs RHP as LHB 47 174 133 39 7 0 12 36 37 40 .293 .443 .617 1.059 82 0 1 0 3 1 vs LHP as LHB 21 37 35 10 1 1 0 4 2 8 .286 .324 .371 .696 13 0 0 0 0 0 March 3 12 8 0 2 0 0 0 4 0 0 4 3 .250 .500 .250 .750 2 0 0 0 0 0 April 12 42 25 14 11 1 0 4 12 1 0 16 6 .440 .667 .960 1.627 24 0 1 0 0 0 May 20 93 80 11 23 4 1 5 17 0 0 12 21 .288 .376 .550 .926 44 1 0 0 1 1 June 14 64 55 8 13 3 0 3 7 0 0 7 18 .236 .313 .455 .767 25 2 0 0 2 0 2 outs, RISP 30 43 35 15 3 0 3 18 7 10 .429 .535 .771 1.306 27 0 1 0 0 1 vs. Younger Pitchers 12 19 15 6 0 0 3 9 4 7 .400 .526 1.000 1.526 15 0 0 0 0 0 vs. Older Pitchers 48 192 153 43 8 1 9 31 35 41 .281 .411 .523 .934 80 0 1 0 3 1 Demetrio Crisantes with the Double-A Amarillo Sod Poodles (Arizona Diamondbacks) hit .421/.500/.947, with a 1.447 OPS. He hit two home runs and drove in eight RBIs and eight runs scored. 2026 Player Batting Splits Split G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB Total 22 97 78 24 25 8 1 4 16 0 0 16 22 .321 .454 .603 1.056 47 1 3 0 0 0 Last 7 days 4 18 15 6 6 2 1 1 5 0 0 2 1 .400 .500 .867 1.367 13 0 1 0 0 0 Last 28 days 18 84 68 18 22 7 1 2 12 0 0 13 18 .324 .452 .544 .996 37 1 3 0 0 0 Last 90 days 22 97 78 24 25 8 1 4 16 0 0 16 22 .321 .454 .603 1.056 47 1 3 0 0 0 Home 17 71 55 18 18 5 1 4 15 0 0 15 14 .327 .479 .673 1.152 37 0 1 0 0 0 Away 5 26 23 6 7 3 0 0 1 0 0 1 8 .304 .385 .435 .819 10 1 2 0 0 0 vs RHP as RHB 21 68 53 17 5 0 4 11 13 14 .321 .471 .642 1.112 34 0 2 0 0 0 vs LHP as RHB 13 29 25 8 3 1 0 5 3 8 .320 .414 .520 .934 13 0 1 0 0 0 May 7 26 20 6 5 1 0 2 4 0 0 6 8 .250 .423 .600 1.023 12 0 0 0 0 0 June 15 71 58 18 20 7 1 2 12 0 0 10 14 .345 .465 .603 1.068 35 1 3 0 0 0 2 outs, RISP 12 15 13 2 0 0 1 4 2 5 .154 .267 .385 .651 5 0 0 0 0 0 vs. Younger Pitchers 3 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 .000 .500 .000 .500 0 0 0 0 0 0 vs. Older Pitchers 22 93 76 25 8 1 4 16 14 21 .329 .452 .618 1.070 47 0 3 0 0 0 Jesus Rodriguez is a catcher with the San Francisco Giants’ Triple-A affiliate, Sacramento River Cats. This week he hit .462/.556/.769, with a 1.325 OPS. He hit one home run and drove in three RBIs this week. JoJo Parker sits as MLB Pipeline’s No. 29 prospect. Playing with the Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays (Toronto Blue Jays), this week he hit .300/.364/.950, with a 1.314 OPS. He hit three home runs, drove in nine RBIs, and had five runs scored on the week. 2026 Player Batting Splits Split G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB Total 58 262 214 40 53 15 2 7 38 18 3 41 66 .248 .378 .435 .812 93 1 5 0 2 2 Last 7 days 4 18 16 5 6 2 1 3 9 1 0 2 5 .375 .444 1.188 1.632 19 0 0 0 0 0 Last 28 days 19 85 72 16 20 4 2 4 19 6 0 11 20 .278 .376 .556 .932 40 0 1 0 1 1 Last 90 days 58 262 214 40 53 15 2 7 38 18 3 41 66 .248 .378 .435 .812 93 1 5 0 2 2 Home 28 126 102 15 23 6 0 3 12 8 2 21 34 .225 .365 .373 .738 38 1 2 0 1 1 Away 30 136 112 25 30 9 2 4 26 10 1 20 32 .268 .390 .491 .881 55 0 3 0 1 1 vs RHP as LHB 58 224 181 48 13 2 6 35 36 54 .265 .397 .459 .856 83 0 5 0 2 2 vs ?HP as LHB 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 0 vs LHP as LHB 24 38 33 5 2 0 1 3 5 12 .152 .263 .303 .566 10 0 0 0 0 0 April 20 93 73 10 16 6 0 2 11 8 1 17 21 .219 .387 .384 .771 28 1 3 0 0 0 May 23 105 87 17 21 7 0 1 12 5 2 15 32 .241 .362 .356 .718 31 0 2 0 1 1 June 15 64 54 13 16 2 2 4 15 5 0 9 13 .296 .391 .630 1.020 34 0 0 0 1 1 2 outs, RISP 36 51 43 14 5 1 3 23 7 9 .326 .431 .698 1.129 30 0 1 0 0 0 vs. Younger Pitchers 4 8 3 2 1 0 0 4 3 1 .667 .750 1.000 1.750 3 0 1 0 1 0 vs. Older Pitchers 58 254 211 51 14 2 7 34 38 65 .242 .366 .427 .793 90 0 4 0 1 2 Jesus Made has made himself to be MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 overall prospect. Playing with the Brewers’ Double-A affiliate, he has really made a name for himself in the minor leagues. This week, the young, impressive 19-year-old from the Dominican Republic had a solid week as well. He hit .462/.533/.769, with a 1.302 OPS on the week. He hit one home run and drove in nine RBIs and four runs scored on the week. 2026 Player Batting Splits Split G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB Total 62 281 249 47 72 11 4 7 51 21 7 29 44 .289 .363 .450 .813 112 5 1 0 2 1 Last 7 days 4 15 13 4 6 1 0 1 9 0 0 2 5 .462 .533 .769 1.303 10 0 0 0 0 0 Last 28 days 20 80 72 15 23 4 1 1 16 3 2 7 13 .319 .388 .444 .832 32 0 1 0 0 1 Last 90 days 62 281 249 47 72 11 4 7 51 21 7 29 44 .289 .363 .450 .813 112 5 1 0 2 1 Home 33 144 126 21 37 3 2 2 31 9 5 17 23 .294 .375 .397 .772 50 2 0 0 1 1 Away 29 137 123 26 35 8 2 5 20 12 2 12 21 .285 .350 .504 .854 62 3 1 0 1 0 vs RHP as RHB 1 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .500 .500 .500 1.000 1 0 0 0 0 0 vs RHP as LHB 62 232 205 56 11 4 5 41 24 36 .273 .349 .439 .788 90 0 1 0 2 1 vs LHP as RHB 29 47 42 15 0 0 2 10 5 7 .357 .426 .500 .926 21 0 0 0 0 0 April 24 117 100 21 29 5 3 2 16 13 2 16 19 .290 .385 .460 .845 46 2 0 0 1 0 May 21 97 89 15 24 3 1 4 24 6 3 7 13 .270 .320 .461 .780 41 3 0 0 1 0 June 17 67 60 11 19 3 0 1 11 2 2 6 12 .317 .388 .417 .805 25 0 1 0 0 1 2 outs, RISP 37 46 43 15 2 2 0 19 3 9 .349 .391 .488 .880 21 0 0 0 0 0 vs. Older Pitchers 62 281 249 72 11 4 7 51 29 44 .289 .363 .450 .813 112 0 1 0 2 1 As the season continues and players move around throughout the minor leagues and some prospects graduate into the major leagues, the MLB Pipeline rankings continue to be fluid. But for this week, this is where the players stand and who are the top hitters from throughout the minor leagues as of June 16 – June 21.

The rookies stole the show again this week as three rookie-level players ranked atop the best hitters from throughout the minor leagues this week, along with a player from Triple-A, and one from High-A as well. Reiner Herrera, C (ACL Guardians – Rookie level, Cleveland Guardians); Cal Raleigh, C (major league rehab assignment, Tacoma Rainers, Triple-A – Seattle Mariners); Tucker Toman, SS (Vancouver Canadians, High-A – Toronto Blue Jays; Juan Martinez, SS (ACL Brewers, Rookie level – Milwaukee Brewers); and Isaias Castillo, OF (DSL NYY Yankees – Rookie affiliate, New York Yankees) were this week’s MiLB hitters of the week. Reiner Herrera, C – ACL Guardians (Rookie level, Cleveland Guardians) This week, the ACL Guardians took on the ACL Brewers, ACL Reds, ACL Padres, and ACL White Sox. During that stretch of games, Herrera was 8-for-15 and hit .533/.611/1.467, with a massive 2.078 OPS. He hit two doubles, four home runs, driving in 10 RBIs, and eight runs scored. He also recorded a stolen base. Over the course of the season, he is batting .330/.485/.740, with a 1.225 OPS, and a .324 BABIP. He has a total of 33 hits this year (six doubles, one triple, 11 home runs), with 38 RBIs, and 31 runs scored. He has recorded nine stolen bases and walked 29 times this year. With already hitting well-above his average from 2025, now in his second season in the ACL, we could see the 20-year-old catcher promoted to Single-A soon. Split G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB Total 31 136 100 31 33 6 1 11 38 9 4 29 24 .330 .485 .740 1.225 74 2 4 0 3 0 Last 7 days 4 18 15 8 8 2 0 4 10 1 0 3 2 .533 .611 1.467 2.078 22 0 0 0 0 0 Last 28 days 20 86 67 23 27 5 1 9 28 4 2 14 17 .403 .523 .910 1.434 61 0 4 0 1 0 Last 90 days 31 136 100 31 33 6 1 11 38 9 4 29 24 .330 .485 .740 1.225 74 2 4 0 3 0 Home 15 65 47 17 19 3 1 7 23 0 2 15 7 .404 .538 .957 1.496 45 1 1 0 2 0 Away 16 71 53 14 14 3 0 4 15 9 2 14 17 .264 .437 .547 .984 29 1 3 0 1 0 vs RHP as LHB 31 112 81 24 4 0 9 29 24 20 .296 .464 .679 1.143 55 0 4 0 3 0 vs ?HP as LHB 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1.000 1.000 2.000 3.000 2 0 0 0 0 0 vs LHP as LHB 15 24 19 9 2 1 2 9 5 4 .474 .583 1.000 1.583 19 0 0 0 0 0 May 21 90 63 19 17 4 1 5 21 6 4 22 15 .270 .456 .603 1.059 38 2 2 0 3 0 June 10 46 37 12 16 2 0 6 17 3 0 7 9 .432 .543 .973 1.516 36 0 2 0 0 0 2 outs, RISP 20 32 23 8 1 0 3 14 7 5 .348 .531 .783 1.314 18 0 2 0 0 0 vs. Younger Pitchers 28 70 49 15 2 1 7 19 16 14 .306 .486 .816 1.302 40 0 3 0 2 0 vs. Older Pitchers 29 66 51 18 4 0 4 19 13 10 .353 .485 .667 1.152 34 0 1 0 1 0 Cal Raleigh, C – Major League Rehab Assignment - Tacoma Rainiers (Triple-A, Seattle Mariners) Raleigh is temporarily playing with Triple-A Tacoma while on a major league rehab assignment. He was placed on the IL on May 14 with a right oblique strain and started his rehab assignments on June 7th, playing with Tacoma the last four games during Tacoma’s series against the Albuquerque Isotopes (Triple-A, Colorado Rockies). The Rainers won five of six games against the Isotopes, including three of the four that Raleigh played in. Raleigh’s performance in the last four games showed his oblique is no longer a problem as he hit .429/.529/1.500, with a 2.029 OPS. He was 6-for-14, with five towering home runs, 12 RBIs, and seven runs scored in four games played. Over the course of the season prior to being placed on the IL, he was hitting .161/.243/.317, with a .560 OPS and a .192 BABIP. He has four doubles and seven home runs in the major leagues this season, driving in 18 RBIs and 16 runs scored in the first month of the year before his stint on the IL. He has walked 18 times. Raleigh is set to come off the IL and be activated again on Tuesday when the Mariners take on the Baltimore Orioles. Split G GS PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB ROE BAbip tOPS+ sOPS+ vs RHP 37 130 116 14 20 4 0 6 15 1 0 14 41 .172 .262 .362 .624 42 2 0 0 0 0 0 .203 122 72 vs LHP 24 51 45 2 6 0 0 1 3 1 1 4 16 .133 .196 .200 .396 9 2 0 0 2 0 0 .167 44 13 vs RHP as LHB 37 130 116 0 20 4 0 6 15 0 0 14 41 .172 .262 .362 .624 42 2 0 0 0 0 0 .203 122 66 vs LHP as RHB 24 51 45 0 6 0 0 1 3 0 0 4 16 .133 .196 .200 .396 9 2 0 0 2 0 0 .167 44 10 vs RH Starter 29 29 130 115 13 18 4 0 5 14 1 0 13 41 .157 .238 .322 .560 37 2 0 0 2 0 0 .183 100 56 vs LH Starter 12 11 51 46 3 8 0 0 2 4 1 1 5 16 .174 .255 .304 .559 14 2 0 0 0 0 0 .214 101 55 Tucker Toman, SS – Vancouver Canadians (High-A, Toronto Blue Jays) Toman was drafted by the Blue Jays in the second compensation round of the 2022 MLB draft (Pick No. 77 overall). He hasn’t had an easy road so far, spending three years with Dunedin before finally making his way to High-A Vancouver last year. He hit .302 last year, but so far this year, he is hitting just .277 and looking for a spark. This past week could have just been that spark to get him going this year. With the Canadians taking on the Everett Aquasox (High-A, Seattle Mariners), Toman had a massive week. He was 10-for-16, hitting well over .500. He hit .625/.708/1.313, with a 2.021 OPS. He hit two doubles, this week, three home runs, driving in five RBIs, and six runs scored. He walked four times and acquired 10 total bases in the week. His big game came on June 13 when he went 4-for-5 with a double and a home run. Over the course of this season, Toman is hitting a total of .277/.410/.447, with a .857 OPS, and a .362 BABIP. He has seven doubles, one triple, six home runs, 27 RBIs, and 29 runs scored. Through 47 games, he has walked 31 times, showing his patience at the plate. With the road he’s been on, he’ll need to keep hitting well if he wants to get that call-up to Double-A. He has one or more hits in six of his last 10 games played and is on the right track. Split G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB Total 47 200 159 29 44 7 1 6 27 0 1 31 51 .277 .410 .447 .857 71 5 7 0 3 0 Last 7 days 6 24 16 6 10 2 0 3 5 0 0 4 4 .625 .708 1.313 2.021 21 1 3 0 1 0 Last 28 days 18 80 61 15 18 3 0 4 8 0 1 13 16 .295 .450 .541 .991 33 3 5 0 1 0 Last 90 days 47 200 159 29 44 7 1 6 27 0 1 31 51 .277 .410 .447 .857 71 5 7 0 3 0 Home 27 113 88 14 25 4 1 3 13 0 0 19 29 .284 .425 .455 .879 40 4 4 0 2 0 Away 20 87 71 15 19 3 0 3 14 0 1 12 22 .268 .391 .437 .827 31 1 3 0 1 0 vs RHP as LHB 47 161 130 35 6 1 5 20 25 45 .269 .391 .446 .837 58 0 3 0 3 0 vs LHP as RHB 7 10 8 3 0 0 0 2 1 2 .375 .500 .375 .875 3 0 1 0 0 0 vs LHP as LHB 18 29 21 6 1 0 1 5 5 4 .286 .483 .476 .959 10 0 3 0 0 0 April 18 79 61 13 19 3 1 2 13 0 0 15 22 .311 .456 .492 .947 30 2 2 0 1 0 May 19 78 68 5 12 1 0 0 7 0 1 8 21 .176 .269 .191 .460 13 1 1 0 1 0 June 10 43 30 11 13 3 0 4 7 0 0 8 8 .433 .581 .933 1.515 28 2 4 0 1 0 2 outs, RISP 32 41 32 7 1 0 0 7 9 9 .219 .390 .250 .640 8 0 0 0 0 0 vs. Younger Pitchers 16 29 21 7 2 0 1 2 5 7 .333 .483 .571 1.054 12 0 2 0 1 0 vs. Older Pitchers 46 171 138 37 5 1 5 25 26 44 .268 .398 .428 .825 59 0 5 0 2 0 Juan Martinez, SS – ACL Brewers (Rookie affiliate, Milwaukee Brewers) The ACL Brewers this week took on the ACL Guardians, ACL Mariners, ACL Angels, and ACL Royals. They won three of those games, and during that stretch, Martinez shone at the plate. The 19-year-old from Cumana, Venezuela, was 7-for-12, hitting .583/.667/1.333, with a 2.000 OPS. He was one of five players to hit 2.000 or above this week. Along with his stellar average on the week, he hit one double, one triple, and two home runs this week. He drove in five RBIs and four runs scored, stealing two bases this week as well. Over the course of the season, the rookie, in his first season with ACL, is batting .384/.475/.605, with a 1.080 OPS, and a .400 BABIP. He has eight doubles, a triple, three home runs, 13 RBIs, and 15 runs scored. He has walked 14 times and stolen 19 bases. It’s been an impressive year for the 19-year-old shortstop, and if he continues to hit well, he could find himself in the ranks of Single-A soon. Split G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB Total 6 27 23 3 10 2 0 0 4 3 1 3 1 .435 .519 .522 1.040 12 0 1 0 0 0 Last 7 days 2 9 9 0 3 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 .333 .333 .444 .778 4 0 0 0 0 0 Last 28 days 6 27 23 3 10 2 0 0 4 3 1 3 1 .435 .519 .522 1.040 12 0 1 0 0 0 Last 90 days 6 27 23 3 10 2 0 0 4 3 1 3 1 .435 .519 .522 1.040 12 0 1 0 0 0 Home 3 13 10 1 5 2 0 0 2 1 0 2 0 .500 .615 .700 1.315 7 0 1 0 0 0 Away 3 14 13 2 5 0 0 0 2 2 1 1 1 .385 .429 .385 .813 5 0 0 0 0 0 vs RHP as RHB 6 22 19 10 2 0 0 4 2 1 .526 .591 .632 1.222 12 0 1 0 0 0 vs RHP as ?HB 1 2 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1.000 1.000 1.500 2.500 3 0 0 0 0 0 vs ?HP as RHB 1 3 3 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 .667 .667 .667 1.333 2 0 0 0 0 0 vs LHP as RHB 4 5 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 .200 .000 .200 0 0 0 0 0 0 vs ?HP as ?HB 1 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 .000 .667 .000 .667 0 0 1 0 0 0 June 6 27 23 3 10 2 0 0 4 3 1 3 1 .435 .519 .522 1.040 12 0 1 0 0 0 2 outs, RISP 5 7 6 1 0 0 0 2 1 1 .167 .286 .167 .452 1 0 0 0 0 0 vs. Younger Pitchers 4 11 8 4 0 0 0 0 3 0 .500 .636 .500 1.136 4 0 0 0 0 0 vs. Older Pitchers 5 16 15 6 2 0 0 4 0 1 .400 .438 .533 .971 8 0 1 0 0 0 Isaias Castillo, OF – DSL NYY (Rookie affiliate, Dominican Summer League – New York Yankees) The DSL NYY this week took on the DSL Twins, DSL Rangers Red, and the DSL NYY Bombers. They took two of four, with one game result not yet logged. The Yankees have a lot of depth in their farm system at the outfield position, and it goes all the way down into the DSL, with Castillo putting himself in the conversation just one year after being signed to a minor league contract as a free agent by New York last year. In five games played this week, the 18-year-old outfielder from the Dominican Republic was 7-for-16, hitting .438/.571/1.250, with a 1.821 OPS. He hit four doubles and three home runs, driving in 10 RBIs and scoring 11 runs. His big game came on June 12 when he went 3-for-4, with two doubles, a home run, eight total bases, and two RBIs with three runs scored. Over the course of the season, his first full season in the DSL, Castillo is batting .383/.463/1.00, with a 1.463 OPS. He has six doubles, one triple, seven home runs (in just 11 games), 18 RBIs, and 21 runs scored. He has a big .478 BABIP. He’s on course for his first call-up with numbers like this if he continues hitting this way. Split G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB Total 10 50 43 21 18 6 1 7 18 3 0 7 14 .419 .500 1.093 1.593 47 0 0 0 0 0 Last 7 days 4 21 16 11 7 4 0 3 10 1 0 5 4 .438 .571 1.250 1.821 20 0 0 0 0 0 Last 28 days 10 50 43 21 18 6 1 7 18 3 0 7 14 .419 .500 1.093 1.593 47 0 0 0 0 0 Last 90 days 10 50 43 21 18 6 1 7 18 3 0 7 14 .419 .500 1.093 1.593 47 0 0 0 0 0 Home 5 25 21 14 12 3 1 5 10 0 0 4 4 .571 .640 1.524 2.164 32 0 0 0 0 0 Away 5 25 22 7 6 3 0 2 8 3 0 3 10 .273 .360 .682 1.042 15 0 0 0 0 0 vs RHP as RHB 10 38 31 13 6 1 5 14 7 9 .419 .526 1.161 1.688 36 0 0 0 0 0 vs ?HP as RHB 1 4 4 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 .500 .500 1.250 1.750 5 0 0 0 0 0 vs LHP as RHB 6 12 12 5 0 0 2 4 0 5 .417 .417 .917 1.333 11 0 0 0 0 0 June 10 50 43 21 18 6 1 7 18 3 0 7 14 .419 .500 1.093 1.593 47 0 0 0 0 0 2 outs, RISP 6 10 8 4 2 0 2 8 2 1 .500 .600 1.500 2.100 12 0 0 0 0 0 vs. Younger Pitchers 5 12 9 3 2 0 0 2 3 4 .333 .500 .556 1.056 5 0 0 0 0 0 vs. Older Pitchers 10 38 34 15 4 1 7 16 4 10 .441 .500 1.235 1.735 42 0 0 0 0 0 MLB Pipeline Top-100 hitters of the week While none of MLB Pipeline’s Top-100 cracked into the top hitters of the week, Charlie Condon, Eli Willits, Rainiel Rodriguez, Josue De Paula, and George Lombard Jr. had strong weeks at the plate. Condon, the 23-year old outfielder and MLB Pipeline’s No. 75 prospect with the Albuquerque Isotopes (Colorado Rockies) was 8-for-22, hitting .364/.462/.90, with a 1.371 OPS. He hit four home runs, drove in 10 RBIs, and six runs scored. Willits is MLB’s No. 4 prospect in all of baseball. He is currently with the High-A Wilmington Blue Rocks. He 18-year old shortstop was 5-for-19, batting .263/.462/.895, with a 1.357 OPS. He had four home runs, eight RBIs, and five runs scored. Rodriguez is a catcher with the Double-A Springfield Cardinals (St. Louis Cardinals). In his first season with Double-A, last week he went 10-for-23, hitting .435/.480/.783, with a 1.263 OPS. He hit two home runs and drove in four RBIs, with seven runs. De Paula is another top-10 prospect, sitting at No. 9 among all players. He is currently with the Double-A Tulsa Drillers (Los Angeles Dodgers), where last week he was 11-for-24, batting .458/.552/.708, with a 1.260 OPS. He hit one home run, with three RBIs and seven runs scored. Lombard Jr. is a player who has quickly made a huge name for himself within not just the Yankees’ organization in the last year, but among all of MiLB as well. The son of George Lombard Sr. was the Yankees’ first round pick (pick No. 26 overall) in the 2023 MLB draft, and he has cruised through the minor leagues. The shortstop this week was 8-for-24, hitting .333/.393/.792, with a 1.185 OPS. He hit two home runs, with three RBIs, and six runs scored. Just a couple of weeks until the minor leagues hit their All-Star break.

The rookies reigned supreme last week across Minor League Baseball as three rookie-level players were among the top-five hitters of the week. They were joined by two High-A players. This week’s top-five hitters from throughout the minor leagues included Douglas Hodo III, outfielder from the Frederick Keys (High-A, Baltimore Orioles); Angel Guzman, shortstop out of the Florida Coast League Blue Jays (Rookie level, Toronto Blue Jays); Tre Richardson III, shortstop with the Peoria Chiefs (High-A, St. Louis Cardinals); Aaron Pinero, shortstop from DSL Tampa Bay (Rookie level, Tampa Bay Rays); and Eriel Dihigo, shortstop from the ACL Rockies (Rookie level, Colorado Rockies). All five players had huge OPS’ this week, with the lowest OPS among the five being a 1.767. Douglas Hodo III, OF – Frederick Keys (High-A, Baltimore Orioles) Hodo III was placed on the seven-day injured list by the Double-A Baysox back in April. He is currently playing with the Frederick Keys on a Double-A rehab assignment. He and the Keys just wrapped up a six-game series against the Hudson Valley Renegades (New York Yankees). They took four of six from the Yankees’ High-A affiliate and remain in first place in the South Atlantic League North. Hodo III, rehabbing and rebuilding in playing volume, appeared in three of the six games, hitting .643/.688/1.500, with a huge 2.188 OPS, the largest OPS among players this week. He was 9-for-14 with three doubles, three home runs, and walked twice. He drove in seven RBIs and had eight runs scored. June 7th was his strongest performance of the week, going 4-for-6 on the night with two doubles, a home run, and four RBIs. Including his time on the injured list and on rehab assignment, he has split the season between the FCL, High-A, and Double-A. He is hitting a combined .353/..421/.667, with a 1.088 OPS through just 14 games played this season. He also has a .405 BABIP and eight extra-base hits. Prior to injury, he was hitting .258/.324/.387, with a .711 OPS in Double-A. He wasn’t on the IL long and, barring any setbacks, should find himself back on the road to being sent back to Chesapeake soon. 2026 25 3 Teams 3 Lgs AA-A+-Rk BAL 14 58 51 13 18 3 2 3 13 5 0 6 11 .353 .421 .667 1.088 34 0 0 1 0 0 2026 25 1.3 Chesapeake EL AA BAL 9 35 31 5 8 0 2 0 6 3 0 3 8 .258 .324 .387 .711 12 0 0 1 0 0 2026 25 2.9 Frederick SALL A+ BAL 3 16 14 8 9 3 0 3 7 2 0 2 1 .643 .688 1.500 2.188 21 0 0 0 0 0 2026 25 5.7 Orioles FCL Rk BAL 2 7 6 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 .167 .286 .167 .452 1 0 0 0 0 0 Split G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB Total 14 58 51 13 18 3 2 3 13 5 0 6 11 .353 .421 .667 1.088 34 0 0 1 0 0 Last 7 days 3 16 14 8 9 3 0 3 7 2 0 2 1 .643 .688 1.500 2.188 21 0 0 0 0 0 Last 28 days 5 23 20 8 10 3 0 3 7 2 0 3 3 .500 .565 1.100 1.665 22 0 0 0 0 0 Last 90 days 14 58 51 13 18 3 2 3 13 5 0 6 11 .353 .421 .667 1.088 34 0 0 1 0 0 Home 9 39 35 8 14 3 1 3 11 3 0 3 8 .400 .447 .800 1.247 28 0 0 1 0 0 Away 5 19 16 5 4 0 1 0 2 2 0 3 3 .250 .368 .375 .743 6 0 0 0 0 0 vs RHP as RHB 14 42 37 13 2 1 3 12 5 8 .351 .429 .703 1.131 26 0 0 0 0 0 vs LHP as RHB 8 16 14 5 1 1 0 1 1 3 .357 .400 .571 .971 8 0 0 1 0 0 April 9 35 31 5 8 0 2 0 6 3 0 3 8 .258 .324 .387 .711 12 0 0 1 0 0 May 2 7 6 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 .167 .286 .167 .452 1 0 0 0 0 0 June 3 16 14 8 9 3 0 3 7 2 0 2 1 .643 .688 1.500 2.188 21 0 0 0 0 0 2 outs, RISP 9 14 13 2 1 1 0 3 1 1 .154 .214 .385 .599 5 0 0 0 0 0 vs. Younger Pitchers 14 38 35 14 3 2 3 11 3 6 .400 .447 .857 1.305 30 0 0 0 0 0 vs. Older Pitchers 8 20 16 4 0 0 0 2 3 5 .250 .368 .250 .618 4 0 0 1 0 0 Angel Guzman, SS – FCL Blue Jays (Rookie, Toronto Blue Jays) Guzman is in his first season in the Florida Coast League. He was signed by Toronto as a free agent in 2024 from the Dominican Republic and played his first two years with the DSL Blue Jays before being promoted to the Florida Coast League this year. This week, the FCL Blue Jays had matchups against the Tigers’, Yankees’, and Phillies’ FCL affiliates. Over the course of those eight games last week, Guzman hit .391/.481/1.043, with a 1.829 OPS. He was -for-23, with three doubles, four home runs, 11 RBIs, and eight runs scored. He walked four times this week. On June 4th, the 19-year-old was 4-for-4 with two doubles and two home runs, with five RBIs, and four runs scored. He also walked once in that game. Over the course of his first year in the FCL, he is slashing .307/.376/.545, with a .921 OPS. He has five doubles, two triples, and five home runs with 12 walks, four stolen bases, 26 RBIs, and 21 runs scored. His BABIP is .321, and he has 12 extra-base hits. With having already surpassed his 2025 numbers, it would be no surprise if we see Guzman called up to Single-A Dunedin this season. Split G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB Total 25 113 97 20 30 5 2 4 25 4 4 12 18 .309 .381 .526 .906 51 1 1 0 3 0 Last 7 days 4 19 16 7 8 3 0 3 10 0 2 3 1 .500 .579 1.250 1.829 20 0 0 0 0 0 Last 28 days 18 81 70 17 24 5 2 4 19 2 3 8 11 .343 .407 .643 1.050 45 1 1 0 2 0 Last 90 days 25 113 97 20 30 5 2 4 25 4 4 12 18 .309 .381 .526 .906 51 1 1 0 3 0 Home 13 58 49 13 15 2 1 3 13 2 1 7 8 .306 .379 .571 .951 28 1 0 0 2 0 Away 12 55 48 7 15 3 1 1 12 2 3 5 10 .313 .382 .479 .861 23 0 1 0 1 0 vs RHP as LHB 25 87 75 23 4 2 3 17 9 13 .307 .379 .533 .913 40 0 1 0 2 0 vs LHP as RHB 15 26 22 7 1 0 1 8 3 5 .318 .385 .500 .885 11 0 0 0 1 0 May 20 90 78 13 22 2 2 1 15 4 2 8 17 .282 .344 .397 .742 31 1 1 0 3 0 June 5 23 19 7 8 3 0 3 10 0 2 4 1 .421 .522 1.053 1.574 20 0 0 0 0 0 2 outs, RISP 17 25 22 5 2 0 1 7 3 4 .227 .320 .455 .775 10 0 0 0 0 0 vs. Younger Pitchers 6 7 6 2 0 0 0 0 1 3 .333 .429 .333 .762 2 0 0 0 0 0 vs. Older Pitchers 25 106 91 28 5 2 4 25 11 15 .308 .377 .538 .916 49 0 1 0 3 Tre Richardson III, SS – Peoria Chiefs (High-A, St. Louis Cardinals) Richardson, drafted in 2023 by the Cardinals in Round 15 (Pick No. 455 overall) out of Texas Christian, has had a strong start to his professional career, making his way in his first three seasons to High-A Peoria and making a strong case for a call-up to Double-A with the numbers he’s putting up this year. It was a great week for Richardson III and the Chiefs. They swept the Beloit Sky Carp (Miami Marlins) in six games, and Richardson was named the Midwest League Player of the Week with the sky-scraping stats he put up. The 24-year-old shortstop from Oklahoma City played in five of the six games against Beloit. He was 7-for-17 on the week, hitting .412/.500/1.294, with a 1.794 OPS. He hit five home runs, driving in nine RBIs and eight runs scored. He also walked three times. On June 3rd and 5th, he had two home runs each, and on June 5th, he drove in five of his nine RBIs for the week. Over the course of 26 games in High-A this year, he is batting a combined .337/.426/.733, with a 1.159 OPS. He has two doubles, one triple, and 10 home runs. He has driven in 26 RBIs and 28 runs scored. He also has a .413 BABIP and 13 extra base hits credited to his stats. With some of his stats (home runs and triples included) already surpassing 2025 and some of his stats close to that mark in just a quarter of the games, it can be expected that Richardson III could get his call to Double-A this year. 2025 23 0.7 Peoria MIDW A+ STL 85 345 303 42 73 18 0 3 30 16 9 33 60 .241 .330 .330 .660 100 7 8 0 1 0 2026 24 1.8 Peoria MIDW A+ STL 26 101 86 28 29 2 1 10 26 8 1 12 31 .337 .426 .733 1.158 63 1 2 0 1 0 Split G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB Total 26 101 86 28 29 2 1 10 26 8 1 12 31 .337 .426 .733 1.158 63 1 2 0 1 0 Last 7 days 5 20 17 8 7 0 0 5 9 0 0 3 5 .412 .500 1.294 1.794 22 0 0 0 0 0 Last 28 days 17 67 57 21 22 2 1 10 23 4 1 8 16 .386 .463 .982 1.445 56 1 1 0 1 0 Last 90 days 26 101 86 28 29 2 1 10 26 8 1 12 31 .337 .426 .733 1.158 63 1 2 0 1 0 Home 16 62 53 17 20 2 0 7 20 3 0 8 20 .377 .468 .811 1.279 43 0 1 0 0 0 Away 10 39 33 11 9 0 1 3 6 5 1 4 11 .273 .359 .606 .965 20 1 1 0 1 0 vs RHP as RHB 26 81 69 24 2 1 8 22 10 25 .348 .432 .754 1.186 52 0 1 0 1 0 vs LHP as RHB 13 20 17 5 0 0 2 4 2 6 .294 .400 .647 1.047 11 0 1 0 0 0 April 6 23 20 3 4 0 0 0 3 2 0 3 10 .200 .304 .200 .504 4 0 0 0 0 0 May 15 58 49 17 18 2 1 5 14 6 1 6 16 .367 .448 .755 1.203 37 1 2 0 1 0 June 5 20 17 8 7 0 0 5 9 0 0 3 5 .412 .500 1.294 1.794 22 0 0 0 0 0 2 outs, RISP 18 29 22 7 1 1 2 12 6 6 .318 .483 .727 1.210 16 0 1 0 0 0 vs. Younger Pitchers 26 85 74 26 2 1 10 26 8 26 .351 .424 .811 1.234 60 0 2 0 1 0 vs. Older Pitchers 9 16 12 3 0 0 0 0 4 5 .250 .438 .250 .688 3 0 0 0 0 0 Aaron Pinero, SS – DSL Tampa Bay (Rookie affiliate, Tampa Bay Rays) Pinero is in his second season with DSL Tampa, but his third year in rookie ball, as he looks to break through and get his number called to head to Florida to play in the FCL or FSL. This was the first series he played in this year, and it was a strong start for the 19-year-old from Venezuela. He was 13-for-23, hitting .565/.688/1.043, with a 1.785 OPS. He hit two doubles, three home runs, and drove in 10 RBIs and 11 runs scored. He also walked six times and had four stolen bases this week, showing how dangerous he can be on the base paths when you put him on. Having just played in those six games this season, those are his season stats. However it’s already improvement from the 23 games he played last year. He had just two home runs last year and this year has three already, and he’s on track to surprise his RBI count from last year, too. His BABIP is already improved so far this year, with a .556 right now over a .313 last year. He also already has five extra-base hits this year. 2025 18 0.3 Tampa Bay DOSL FRk TBR 42 179 141 27 37 11 0 2 25 13 1 24 30 .262 .402 .383 .785 54 4 11 0 3 0 2026 19 1.3 Tampa Bay DOSL FRk TBR 5 27 19 9 11 2 0 3 9 3 0 6 1 .579 .704 1.158 1.862 22 0 2 0 0 0 Split G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB Total 5 27 19 9 11 2 0 3 9 3 0 6 1 .579 .704 1.158 1.862 22 0 2 0 0 0 Last 7 days 4 21 14 7 8 1 0 2 6 2 0 5 0 .571 .714 1.071 1.786 15 0 2 0 0 0 Last 28 days 5 27 19 9 11 2 0 3 9 3 0 6 1 .579 .704 1.158 1.862 22 0 2 0 0 0 Last 90 days 5 27 19 9 11 2 0 3 9 3 0 6 1 .579 .704 1.158 1.862 22 0 2 0 0 0 Home 1 6 5 2 2 0 0 1 2 0 0 1 0 .400 .500 1.000 1.500 5 0 0 0 0 0 Away 4 21 14 7 9 2 0 2 7 3 0 5 1 .643 .762 1.214 1.976 17 0 2 0 0 0 vs RHP as RHB 5 20 14 10 2 0 2 8 4 1 .714 .800 1.286 2.086 18 0 2 0 0 0 vs ?HP as RHB 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 .500 .000 .500 0 0 0 0 0 0 vs LHP as RHB 2 5 4 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 .250 .400 1.000 1.400 4 0 0 0 0 0 June 5 27 19 9 11 2 0 3 9 3 0 6 1 .579 .704 1.158 1.862 22 0 2 0 0 0 2 outs, RISP 4 10 6 4 0 0 0 3 4 0 .667 .800 .667 1.467 4 0 0 0 0 0 vs. Younger Pitchers 5 11 8 5 0 0 2 4 2 0 .625 .727 1.375 2.102 11 0 1 0 0 0 vs. Older Pitchers 5 14 10 6 2 0 1 5 3 1 .600 .714 1.100 1.814 11 0 1 0 0 0 Eriel Dihigo, SS – ACL Rockies (Rookie affiliate, Colorado Rockies) This is Dihigo’s first year in ACL with the Rockies, and already some of his stats have tied those of the numbers he hit last year, showing improvement like many of the other young rookies mentioned above. This week, Dihigo was 7-for-14, hitting .500/.668/1.100, with a 1.767 OPS through five games. He had six doubles, with four RBIs, and five runs scored. He also walked four times, reaching 11 times across 14 at-bats. Across the course of the season, his first with the ACL, he is batting .273/.443/.455, with a .898 OPS. He has a total of six doubles, three triples, with 10 RBIs, and 15 runs scored. His BABIP is .375, and he has nine total extra-base hits on the season. Split G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB Total 24 89 66 15 18 6 3 0 10 1 0 17 19 .273 .443 .455 .898 30 0 4 1 1 0 Last 7 days 4 15 10 5 5 4 1 0 2 0 0 4 1 .500 .667 1.100 1.767 11 0 1 0 0 0 Last 28 days 17 64 48 10 14 6 2 0 8 0 0 12 14 .292 .460 .500 .960 24 0 3 1 0 0 Last 90 days 24 89 66 15 18 6 3 0 10 1 0 17 19 .273 .443 .455 .898 30 0 4 1 1 0 Home 14 46 36 7 11 4 2 0 5 1 0 10 13 .306 .457 .528 .984 19 0 0 0 0 0 Away 10 43 30 8 7 2 1 0 5 0 0 7 6 .233 .429 .367 .795 11 0 4 1 1 0 vs RHP as RHB 23 76 54 14 6 2 0 8 16 16 .259 .453 .444 .898 24 0 4 1 1 0 vs LHP as RHB 7 13 12 4 0 1 0 2 1 3 .333 .385 .500 .885 6 0 0 0 0 0 May 19 70 52 10 11 0 2 0 6 1 0 13 18 .212 .391 .288 .680 15 0 3 1 1 0 June 5 19 14 5 7 6 1 0 4 0 0 4 1 .500 .632 1.071 1.703 15 0 1 0 0 0 2 outs, RISP 14 20 14 3 0 0 0 2 4 5 .214 .450 .214 .664 3 0 2 0 0 0 vs. Younger Pitchers 10 16 13 5 0 1 0 1 2 4 .385 .500 .538 1.038 7 0 1 0 0 0 vs. Older Pitchers 24 73 53 13 6 2 0 9 15 15 .245 .431 .434 .865 23 0 3 1 1 0 MLB Pipeline Top-100 Prospects With an MLB Pipeline Top-100 Prospects mid-season update coming, there were quite a few players who graduated out of the Top-100 prospects this week. Out of all of MLB Pipeline’s Top-100 prospects currently still on the list, just one had a decently strong week, and that was Jonny Farmelo (No. 70) from the High-A Everett AquaSox. He batted .409/.536/1.000, with a 1.536 OPS, three home runs, five RBIs, and eight runs scored. Split G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB Total 53 252 206 45 53 9 5 7 21 15 9 42 66 .257 .389 .451 .840 93 1 3 0 1 0 Last 7 days 6 28 22 8 9 2 1 3 5 1 3 5 7 .409 .536 1.000 1.536 22 1 1 0 0 0 Last 28 days 23 108 88 21 26 2 3 4 9 8 4 19 26 .295 .426 .523 .949 46 1 1 0 0 0 Last 90 days 53 252 206 45 53 9 5 7 21 15 9 42 66 .257 .389 .451 .840 93 1 3 0 1 0 Home 27 124 99 30 30 4 4 5 15 5 6 23 30 .303 .435 .576 1.011 57 1 1 0 1 0 Away 26 128 107 15 23 5 1 2 6 10 3 19 36 .215 .344 .336 .680 36 0 2 0 0 0 vs RHP as LHB 50 189 153 40 8 5 6 18 34 51 .261 .397 .497 .894 76 0 1 0 1 0 vs LHP as LHB 33 63 53 13 1 0 1 3 8 15 .245 .365 .321 .686 17 0 2 0 0 0 April 22 105 85 14 17 5 1 3 9 3 3 18 28 .200 .343 .388 .731 33 0 1 0 1 0 May 25 119 99 23 27 2 3 1 7 11 3 19 31 .273 .395 .384 .779 38 0 1 0 0 0 June 6 28 22 8 9 2 1 3 5 1 3 5 7 .409 .536 1.000 1.536 22 1 1 0 0 0 2 outs, RISP 28 35 27 6 1 0 1 6 7 12 .222 .400 .370 .770 10 0 1 0 0 0 vs. Younger Pitchers 14 28 23 5 0 0 2 6 3 10 .217 .321 .478 .800 11 0 1 0 1 0 vs. Older Pitchers 52 224 183 48 9 5 5 15 39 56 .262 .397 .448 .845 82 0 2 0 0 0

After three consecutive weeks of MLB top prospects being left out of the Top-five hitters of the week, two top-100 players represented MLB’s Top-100, making their way back into the top-five of hitters for the week of May 26th through May 31st. MLB Pipeline’s No. 9 prospect in all of baseball, outfielder Josue DePaula of the Tulsa Drillers (Double-A, Los Angeles Dodgers); No. 75 prospect, first baseman/ outfielder, Charlie Condon of the Albuquerque Isotopes (Triple-A, Colorado Rockies); left fielder, Brian Sanchez of the Greensboro Grasshoppers (High-A, Pittsburgh Pirates); outfielder Jaron Elkins of the Ontario Tower Buzzers (Single-A, Los Angeles Dodgers); and right fielder, James Tibbs III of the Oklahoma City Comets (Triple-A, Los Angeles Dodgers) represent this week’s top five offensive performers among all of MiLB position players for the latest week of games. As highlighted above, it was a big week for prospects in the Dodgers’ farm system as three of the top five hitters this week represented teams from throughout the Dodgers’ minor league affiliates, showing the depth of their farm system and the players they have coming up, as De Paula, Elkins, and Tibbs all represented Los Angeles. So we first take a look at the week they had. Josue DePaula (MLB No. 9 prospect), OF – Tulsa Drillers (Double-A, Los Angeles Dodgers) DePaula, the Dodgers’ top outfield prospect, had a strong week during the Drillers’ series against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Kansas City Royals). He was 10-for-20, hitting .500/.524/1.050, with a massive 1.574 OPS through six games played this week. He hit six doubles and two home runs, driving in six RBIs, 11 runs scored, and stole two bases this week. He now has a nine-game hit streak, connecting for at least one or more hits in 16 of his last 20 games. After spending the majority of the 2025 season in High-A and playing in just four games in Double-A last year, this season is his first full season in Double-A, and he’s making a case for a quick transition to Triple-A with the numbers he’s putting up. So far this season, he’s hitting a very impressive .323/.424/.545, with a .969 OPS. He has a total of 18 doubles, eight home runs, has walked 33 times, and driven in 45 RBIs and 44 runs scored. A threat on the base pads as well, he has 16 stolen bases and has been caught stealing just three times so far this year. He also has a .349 BABIP and a total of 26 extra-base hits. If DePaula can continue to put up the numbers he is, the Dodgers' top outfield prospect could either find himself getting called up soon or, because of the Dodgers’ depth at that position, could find himself a candidate to be traded to a team in need of outfield talent. Jaron Elkins, OF – Ontario Tower Buzzers (Single-A, Los Angeles Dodgers) Elkins is another talented outfielder that the Dodgers have coming up in the farm system. The 21-year-old was drafted by Los Angeles in the eighth round (Pick No. 250 overall) in the 2023 MLB draft out of Goodpasture Christian in Madison, TN. After playing the 2025 season with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakers and is in his second season at Single-A, but first with the Tower Buzzers. This week, the Tower Buzzers were taking on the Visalia Rawhide (Arizona Diamondbacks). Elkins missed the first two games of the six-game series as he was activated from the injured list on May 27 in time for game four against the Rawhide. Elkins was 8-for-19, hitting .421/.476/1.105, with a 1.571 OPS, the third-highest OPS among hitters in the MiLB this week, even with playing in just four games. He accumulated two doubles, one triple, and three home runs, driving in eight RBIs and seven runs scored throughout the series. Over the course of the 2026 season, Elkins is hitting .296/.399/.563, with a .962 OPS. As mentioned, he has missed time with injury, but through 35 games, he has eight doubles, three triples, and home runs, with 31 RBIs, 35 runs scored, and 18 stolen bases. He also has a .386 BABIP with eight extra-base hits. Similar to DePaula, the Dodgers are stacking up speed down on the farm. James Tibbs III, RF (Triple-A, Los Angeles Dodgers) The Dodgers’ outfielders had a week this week as the third prospect that put on a show was yet another outfielder from the Dodgers’ organization in Tibbs III. The right fielder is in his first season in Triple-A, and similar to De Paula, if he can keep putting up the caliber of numbers that he is currently, he could be on pace for a call-up before too long as well, or a trade as he runs into the same problem that De Paula is of the Dodgers having a stacked farm system with power-hitting outfielders who aren’t showing any signs of slowing down. Their lowest-averaged hitter right now is Kyle Tucker, who the Dodgers won’t be sending down to Triple-A any time soon. So where do DePaula and Tibbs fit in? That’s the current question up for grabs and to look at as the right fielder continues to cream the baseball in Triple-A. Oklahoma was in Sugar Land, TX this week to take on the Space Cowboys (Houston Astros) affiliate. The Comets took five of six games on the road against the Space Cowboys this week, and Tibbs was 16 of the reasons that led them to those wins. Tibbs played in all six games this week. He went 9-for-24, hitting .375/.444/ 1.125, with a 1.569 OPS. Over the course of the six-game series, he broke out for six home runs, including two on May 29. He has at least one home run in four straight games and five of his last six. He drove in a massive 18 RBIs (three on May 26, six on May 28, and four on May 30). He also scored six runs. Over the course of the season as a whole, Tibbs is hitting .322/.426/.659, with a 1.085 OPS. He has 16 doubles, two triples, and 17 home runs. He has driven in 51 RBIs and scored 55 runs, with three stolen bases. He also has a BABIP of .316 and 35 extra-base hits. It was a strong week for the Dodgers’ farm system, but now on to the two other prospects who had strong weeks this week, Sanchez of the Grasshoppers (Pirates) and Condon of the Isotopes (Diamondbacks) Brian Sanchez, LF – Greensboro Grasshoppers (High-A, Pittsburgh Pirates) Sanchez and the Grasshoppers closed out the month of May, taking five of six at home against the Hub City Spartan Burgers ( Texas Rangers). Sanchez contributed by going 8-for-18 in five games played. He hit .444/.500/1.167, with a 1.667 OPS, the highest among batters this week. He struck for four doubles and three home runs, driving in six RBIs, seven runs scored, and had one stolen base. In Game six on Sunday, he was 3-for-4 with a double, two home runs, four RBIs, and three runs scored. It was the best game of the series for him as the Grasshoppers went on to defeat the Spartan Burgers 5-1. Over the course of his first full season in High-A, the 21-year-old from Cumanacoa, Venezuela, is hitting .233/.319/.390, with a .709 OPS and a BABIP of .323. He has a total of 14 extra-base hits this year, including nine doubles, one triple, and four home runs. He has driven in a total of 13 RBIs, walked 16 times, and has 26 runs scored and four stolen bases. This is Sanchez’s first full year with the Pirates’ organization, as he was sent to Pittsburgh in the 2025 trade that sent right-handed pitcher David Bednar to the New York Yankees ahead of last season’s summer trade deadline. Charlie Condon (MLB No. 75 prospect), 1B/ OF – Albuquerque Isotopes (Triple-A, Colorado Rockies) Putting up numbers that place him at the top of all MiLB hitters again this week, he now has two consecutive weeks at Triple-A in which his name has been in the conversation, a breath of fresh air for MLB’s No. 75 prospect who struggled early this year. Condon and Triple-A Albuquerque were home to end the month as they welcomed the El Paso Chihuahuas for a six-game series in which they took four of six. Condon was 7-for-17 through five games played in the six-game slate. He hit .412/.545/1.118, with a 1.663 OPS, representing the second-highest OPS among hitters this week. He struck for three doubles, three home runs, driving in six RBIs and seven runs scored, with five walks, showing his patience at the plate. After a slow start to 2026, Condon is bouncing back and contributing in a big way. He now has at least one or more hits in 17 of his last 20 games. Over the course of the season, Condon is hitting .262/.391/.470, with a .861 OPS. He has a .328 BABIP. Of his hits, he has 21 extra base hits, including 12 doubles, one triple, and eight home runs. He has driven in 25 RBIs and 43 runs scored, along with accumulating 34 walks and four stolen bases. MLB Top 100 Prospects Joining Condon in what you could call the top eight hitters of the week were also MLB top-100 prospects, Joshua Baez (No. 87), an outfielder with the Memphis Redbirds (Triple-A, Cardinals); Mike Sirota (No. 60), another outfielder in the Dodgers organization, also with Double-A Tulsa; and outfielder Braden Montgomery (No. 36) with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights of the White Sox. Baez struck for five home runs this week. MLB’s top prospects made their way back toward the top this week, but it was the Dodgers’ organization that shone.

The San Francisco Giants, Colorado Rockies, New York Mets, and Washington Nationals have all been tabbed as the clear sellers ahead of August’s MLB trade deadline. San Francisco Giants Trade Candidates - Luis Arraez & Harrison Bader Looking specifically at position players in this piece, the Giants have been noted as being willing to field offers for second baseman, Luis Arraez, and outfielder, Harrison Bader. Arraez is currently on a one-year, $12,000,000 contract and will become a free agent after the season. After spending nine years with Minnesota, Arraez was traded to the Marlins in 2023, then to the Padres in 2024, and finally signed as a free agent with the Giants this past offseason. The 29-year-old is a three-time All-Star and a three-time batting champion known for elite bat-to-ball skills, along with his ability to put the ball in play and come in clutch with runners in scoring position. So far this season, he is hitting .319/.360/.421, with a .781 OPS. He has 10 doubles, three triples, and two home runs with 21 RBIs. He’s added 27 runs scored and five stolen bases. Along with his strong ability at the plate, he has speed on the base paths and is a threat to run. Over the course of his eight years in the big leagues, he has hit .317/.363/.414, with a .777 OPS. He has 179 total doubles, 21 triples, and 38 home runs. He has driven in 329 RBIs and 463 runs scored. The New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners are reportedly keeping an eye on the second baseman. Platoon Splits Split G GS PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB ROE BAbip tOPS+ sOPS+ vs RHP 52 172 153 20 51 6 2 1 14 5 0 13 4 .333 .380 .418 .798 64 2 1 1 4 3 0 .329 103 125 vs LHP 40 76 68 9 20 4 1 1 9 0 0 2 5 .294 .329 .426 .755 29 2 2 3 1 0 2 .302 91 114 vs RHP as LHB 52 172 153 0 51 6 2 1 14 0 0 13 4 .333 .380 .418 .798 64 2 1 1 4 3 0 .329 103 117 vs LHP as LHB 40 76 68 0 20 4 1 1 9 0 0 2 5 .294 .329 .426 .755 29 2 2 3 1 0 2 .302 91 123 vs RH Starter 43 43 190 169 21 57 8 1 1 16 5 0 12 4 .337 .374 .414 .789 70 2 1 3 5 3 1 .331 101 124 vs LH Starter 14 13 58 52 8 14 2 2 1 7 0 0 3 5 .269 .333 .442 .776 23 2 2 1 0 0 1 .283 96 116 Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table Generated 6/2/2026. Bader is currently in the first year of a two-year contract with San Francisco. It is a two-year deal worth $20,500,000 with an average salary of $10,250,000 and a signing bonus of $6,000,000. He will be a free agent in 2028. Not known as much for his bat, Bader is a player who brings defensive talent and speed to teams. Bader spent his first seven years of his career in the St. Louis Cardinals organization before going from the Yankees to the Reds, the Mets, the Twins, and the Phillies over the next four years, then landing with San Francisco in January. He has spent time between the Giants and Triple-A Sacramento during a rehab stint coming back from a hamstring strain. Over the course of this season, Bader is batting just .170/.198/.358, with a .556 OPS. He has hit just five doubles, five home runs, and driven in 14 RBIs. He has no stolen bases this year and just 10 runs scored. His struggle to put the ball in play is what has caused him to bounce around teams. Through his 11 seasons in the big leagues, he has hit .244/.309/.400, with an OPS of .709. He has accumulated 135 doubles, 14 triples, and 93 home runs, with 336 RBIs, 401 runs scored, and 105 stolen bases. Season Totals Split G GS PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB ROE BAbip tOPS+ sOPS+ 2026 Totals 30 27 111 106 10 18 5 0 5 14 0 0 4 34 .170 .198 .358 .557 38 3 0 0 1 0 1 .191 100 54 Last 7 days 3 2 9 9 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 5 .111 .111 .111 .222 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .250 -13 -40 Last 14 days 9 7 31 30 1 5 1 0 1 5 0 0 1 11 .167 .194 .300 .494 9 1 0 0 0 0 0 .222 82 37 Last 28 days 15 13 56 54 6 12 4 0 4 11 0 0 2 17 .222 .250 .519 .769 28 1 0 0 0 0 1 .242 171 113 Last 365 days 126 107 450 414 52 104 22 1 17 46 5 4 29 136 .251 .307 .432 .739 179 5 5 0 2 0 2 .331 176 104 Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table Generated 6/2/2026. Colorado Rockies Trade Candidates - Mickey Moniak, Brenton Doyle, & Willi Castro The Rockies are primarily in the market as sellers of pitchers, which we’ll discuss in a future piece. However, offensively, Mickey Moniak is the key player who appears to be on the board and a free game to be traded for ahead of August. Moniak, the 28-year-old veteran center fielder and former No. 1 draft pick of the Phillies, now with the Rockies, is with Colorado on just a one-year contract worth a guaranteed $4,000,000. Moniak will be in his final year of arbitration in 2027 before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2028. He is a player with power at the plate, speed, and is a versatile outfielder able to rotate through the different spots in the outfield. He started his career, as mentioned, with the Phillies in 20216. He made his Major League debut in 2020 with Philadelphia and has since spent time with the Phillies (through 2022), Angels (2023-2025), and Rockies (2025 to present). So far this season, Moniak is hitting .280/.335/.607, with a .942 OPS. He has nine doubles, two triples, and 12 home runs, including 28 RBIs and 21 runs scored. He has just one stolen base this season so far, but had nine last season and eight in 2024. Over the course of his career, Moniak has hit .247/.289/.458, with a .747 OPS. He has a total of 70 doubles, 15 triples, and 68 home runs, with 201 RBIs, and 185 runs scored. He has stolen 25 bases. While Moniak is rumored to be the biggest name who could be on the move by August, outfielder Brenton Doyle and utility player Willi Castro could also be headed elsewhere. However, Doyle still has several years of team control remaining, and Castro is a low-cost, utility bench bat for teams. However, Moniak is the most likely player to potentially be on the move ahead of or at the trade deadline in August. Season Totals Split G GS PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB ROE BAbip tOPS+ sOPS+ 2026 Totals 43 37 164 150 21 42 9 2 12 28 1 0 10 40 .280 .335 .607 .942 91 3 3 0 1 0 0 .303 100 160 Last 14 days 3 2 9 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 .111 .000 .111 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 .000 -67 -65 Last 28 days 15 12 53 48 2 8 2 1 1 7 0 0 3 13 .167 .245 .313 .558 15 1 2 0 0 0 0 .206 25 58 Last 365 days 124 108 461 431 66 126 25 6 31 81 9 1 23 110 .292 .332 .594 .926 256 7 4 0 3 0 0 .324 97 153 Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table Generated 6/2/2026. Washington Nationals Trade Candidates - CJ Abrams The big name coming out of Washington as a potential trade candidate ahead of August 3rd is veteran shortstop CJ Abrams. Abrams is being attracted for his youth, speed, and offensive abilities at the plate. He is a power hitter with the ability to come in clutch with runners in scoring positions and create scoring plays as well. Abrams is in the midst of a one-year contract with Washington worth $4,200,000. He has two years of arbitration remaining before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2029. Since being drafted by the Padres with the first round, No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 MLB draft, Abrams has spent time with San Diego (2019-2022) and, most recently, with Washington for the last four seasons. So far this season, Abrams is hitting .294/.391/.542, with a .933 OPS. He has 13 doubles, two triples, 12 home runs, and 47 RBIs. He also has 36 runs scored and has flashed some speed with nine stolen bases so far this year. His nine stolen bases rank 18th in the National League for this season so far. Over the course of his five-season career, he has hit .253/.315/.424, with a .739 OPS. He has 117 total doubles, 21 triples, and 71 home runs. He has driven in 257 RBIs and 323 runs scored, with 125 stolen bases. Abrams ranked 3rd in 2023 for stolen bases (47), 7th in 2024 (31), and 9th in 2025 (31). He also ranked sixth in the league for Triples in 2024 (six) and seventh last season in doubles (35). Season Totals Split G GS PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB ROE BAbip tOPS+ sOPS+ 2026 Totals 60 59 257 218 37 64 13 2 12 47 9 4 27 50 .294 .389 .537 .926 117 3 9 0 3 2 1 .327 100 159 Last 7 days 6 6 25 20 3 7 2 0 0 1 2 0 3 4 .350 .480 .450 .930 9 0 2 0 0 0 0 .438 107 151 Last 14 days 13 13 54 44 8 12 2 1 3 8 2 1 7 9 .273 .407 .568 .976 25 0 3 0 0 0 0 .281 110 172 Last 28 days 26 26 114 100 18 29 9 2 4 20 3 2 10 25 .290 .368 .540 .908 54 1 3 0 1 0 0 .347 95 156 Last 365 days 158 155 686 615 95 163 37 5 23 88 30 5 51 136 .265 .334 .454 .787 279 6 15 0 5 3 3 .304 70 118 Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table Generated 6/2/2026. New York Mets Trade Candidates - Mark Vientos, Brett Baty, & Jorge Polanco The Mets have been all over the trade conversation, and as we’ll get into in our next piece, it appears one of their most high-profile pitchers they just acquired this past offseason could be back on the move before the season even ends. It has not been the season the Mets had hoped for, and their offensive struggles could force them to make moves in order to jump-start the team in hopes of making an unlikely playoff run. Two position players that have been in the discussion of potential trade candidates are first baseman/designated hitter Mark Vientos, along with infielder Brett Baty. Both are strong players with the ability to hit with power and provide teams' versatility defensively, with both taking reps at third and first base, especially with the Mets’ most recent signing of Bo Bichette, who has shifted from shortstop to third base this season, with Francisco Lindor already serving as New York’s primary shortstop. However, due to the injury to Lindor, Bichette has also spent time at his original position of shortstop. But then the Mets also add Jorge Polanco to the first base mix, and now Vientos and Baty are the limbo players who serve primarily off the bench and haven’t had that great of a season offensively either. Vientos is currently on a one-year contract with the Mets worth a guaranteed $813,750.00. He has two years of arbitration salary remaining. Drafted back in 2017 in the second round of the MLB draft, Vientos has spent his entire career with New York, but since 2022, because of New York’s infield depth, he has split the majority of the last few seasons between Triple-A Syracuse and the big leagues. Vientos has played in 51 games this season with New York. He is batting .225/.260/.390, with a .650 OPS. He has clubbed nine doubles, seven home runs, driving in 26 RBIs and 19 runs scored. Over the course of his career, Vientos has played in a total of 364 big league games, accumulating a hit .237/.289/.431, with a .720 OPS. He has 58 doubles, three triples, and 61 home runs. He has 183 RBIs and 143 runs scored. Season Totals Split G GS PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB ROE BAbip tOPS+ sOPS+ 2026 Totals 52 47 193 183 19 41 9 0 7 26 0 0 7 41 .224 .259 .388 .647 71 7 2 0 1 0 0 .250 100 80 Last 7 days 6 4 19 19 3 3 1 0 1 3 0 0 0 5 .158 .158 .368 .526 7 1 0 0 0 0 0 .154 56 34 Last 14 days 13 11 46 45 4 9 3 0 1 4 0 0 0 11 .200 .217 .333 .551 15 2 1 0 0 0 0 .242 70 52 Last 28 days 25 23 98 95 9 19 5 0 3 12 0 0 1 19 .200 .224 .347 .572 33 5 2 0 0 0 0 .219 76 60 Last 365 days 121 109 450 422 41 97 22 1 18 66 1 0 20 107 .230 .271 .415 .686 175 13 5 0 3 0 1 .263 112 89 Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table Generated 6/2/2026. Baty is also on just a one-year contract with the Mets, worth $811,500.00. He also has two years of arbitration remaining. Drafted in 2019 by the Mets in the first round (pick No. 12 overall) out of Lake Travis High School, Baty is another Met-born player, playing the entirety of his career so far (seven years) with the Mets. Over the course of the last five years, he has played in 354 big league games after his 2022 MLB debut. This season so far, he has played in 55 games, hitting .231/.304/.341, with a .645 OPS. Baty has eight doubles, one triple, and three home runs, with 23 RBIs and 22 runs scored so far this season, along with two stolen bases. Over the course of his career, the 26-year-old has hit .232/.296/.367, with a .663 OPS. That includes 36 doubles, three triples, and 36 home runs, along with 128 RBIs and 135 runs scored. He has a total of 12 stolen bases. Season Totals Split G GS PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB ROE BAbip tOPS+ sOPS+ 2026 Totals 56 49 198 176 22 41 8 1 3 23 2 1 18 56 .233 .305 .341 .645 60 2 1 0 2 0 2 .319 100 83 Last 7 days 5 5 16 15 2 3 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 6 .200 .250 .200 .450 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 .333 41 23 Last 14 days 12 12 40 36 3 8 1 0 0 3 0 0 4 12 .222 .300 .250 .550 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 .333 72 58 Last 28 days 24 22 86 77 10 21 4 0 2 11 0 0 9 25 .273 .349 .403 .751 31 0 0 0 0 0 0 .380 133 115 Last 365 days 145 122 502 449 61 112 17 1 15 53 8 1 45 128 .249 .317 .392 .709 176 6 2 0 5 0 5 .312 119 98 Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table Generated 6/2/2026. The 2026 MLB trade deadline is August 3rd.

This week’s MiLB Top performers at the plate were spread evenly between Single-A, Double-A, and Triple-A. This was also the third week in a row where the young prospects stepped up, and we did not have players within MLB Pipeline’s Top-100 crack into the top-five hitters for the week. Some had notable performances, but it was some of the younger talent that took the limelight during the week of May 19 through May 23rd, as the top of the crop players could not break an OPS over 1.387. It was a rather quiet, soft week for the top of the league players. Enyervert Perez, a righty shortstop with the Visalia Rawhide (Single-A, Arizona Diamondbacks); Cade Marlowe, a righty outfielder from the Las Vegas Aviators (Triple-A, The Athletics); George Wolkow, right-handed outfielder from the Winston-Salem Dash (High-A, White Sox); Cristofer Torin, right-handed shortstop with the Amarillo Sod Poodles (Double-A, Arizona Diamondbacks); and Alexis Hernandez, a righty left fielder with the Vancouver Canadians (High-A, Toronto Blue Jays) took home the honors of being the Top-five performers at the plate from throughout MiLB this week. Enyervert Perez – SS, Visalia Rawhide (Single-A, Arizona Diamondbacks) Perez shone at the plate this week as the Visalia Rawhide took on the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres) at home in California. In the series in which Visalia took four out of six games, Perez went 7-for-17, hitting .412/.524/1.118, with a 1.642 OPS. Over the course of the series, three of his seven hits were doubles, he drove out three home runs, driving in seven RBIs and five runs scored. He walked three times in the series. He had three doubles on May 20 alone and had two home runs and four RBIs on May 22. After splitting the 2025 season in the ROK and Single-A, in his first full season starting in Single-A in 2026, he is hitting a total of .226/.333/.462, with a .795 OPS. He has a total of seven doubles this season, with six home runs, 20 RBIs, and 16 runs scored. Those stats alone prove what a big series Visalia’s series against the Storm was. It was a breakout series for the 20-year-old from Venezuela. Cade Marlowe – OF, Las Vegas Aviators (Triple-A, The Athletics) Marlowe is in his first season with the Athletics after being signed out of free agency on a minor league contract by the Athletics last Winter. He’s in his second season in Triple-A, but his first full season, as he played in just 46 Triple-A games in 2025 with the Tacoma Rainiers. Now in his first season with the Aviators, he is proving what he’s made of. The Aviators this weekend were at home for a series against the Albuquerque Isotopes (Colorado Rockies) in which they split the series 3-3. During the six-game series, Marlowe went 14-for-26, hitting .538/.586/1.038, with a 1.624 OPS. He hit five doubles, one triple, two home runs, driving in 13 RBIs (He has 17 total RBIs in May), and nine runs scored. He walked three times and flashed his speed with two stolen bases during the series as well. Marlowe’s May 21 performance was the top of his series. In that game, he went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles, a home run, and six RBIs. Over the course of the season, the 28-year-old from Tifton, Georgia, in his first full Triple-A season, is batting .325/.389/.580, with a .969 OPS. He has 16 doubles, six triples, four home runs, 30 RBIs, and 32 runs scored. He has 17 walks and 12 stolen bases. Put him on a base, and he’s a threat to do damage. George Wolkow – OF, Winston-Salem Dash (High-A, White Sox) Wolkow, 20 years old from Downers Grove, IL, is in his first season at High-A. Drafted in 2023, he hopes this can be the year he starts climbing the ranks, and a continuous performance like he had this past week will help him do that. Winston-Salem took on the Greensboro Grasshoppers (Pirates) in Greensboro this past week. They split the series 3-3. Over the course of the six games, Wolkow was 12-for-23, hitting .522/.577/1.043, with a 1.620 OPS. He hit two doubles, two triples, and two home runs, driving in 13 RBIS (four in the series opener and six in game two), and six runs scored. On May 20, he went 3-for-5, hitting two doubles, a triple, and driving in six of his 13 RBIs he drove in this last week. In his first season with High-A, he is hitting .255/.339/.459, with a .798 OPS. He has seven doubles, two triples, and seven home runs, with 35 RBIs, 25 runs scored, 17 walks, and two stolen bases to add to the list. Cristofer Torin – SS, Amarillo Sod Poodles (Double-A, Arizona Diamondbacks) Torin was another prospect from the Diamondbacks’ farm system to have a big week this week, joining his club-mate Perez in the top-five hitters of the week. Torin, playing with Double-A Amarillo, helped the Sod Poodles split the series 3-3 with the NW Arkansas Naturals (Kansas City Royals). Over the course of the six-game series (two of which ended up being doubleheaders due to weather), Torin went 12-for-22, hitting .545/.565/1.045, with a 1.610 OPS. He hit four doubles, two triples, and two home runs, driving in four RBIs, and had seven runs scored, with one walk and one stolen base. On May 21, he went 4-for-4 with a double, a home run, three RBIs, and a run scored. Over the course of the season, his first full season in Double-A, he is batting .265/.337/.449, with a .786 OPS. He has nine doubles, three triples, and four home runs, with 17 RBIs and 26 runs scored. He has walked 15 times this year, with four stolen bases. Alexis Hernandez – LF, Vancouver Canadians (High-A, Toronto Blue Jays) Hernandez, the 23-year-old righty from Venezuela, rounds out our top-five hitters for this week from Minor League Baseball. Though the Canadians only split the series with the Spokane Indians (Colorado Rockies), it was a strong series for the left fielder with Vancouver. Over the course of their six-game series, Hernandez went 12-for-25, hitting .480/.517/.1.040, with a 1.557 OPS. He had five doubles, three home runs (including two on May 20), driving in 10 RBIs, and six runs scored. He walked three times in the series, along with one stolen base. His performances were strong this week, with his May 20 being the biggest of the week for him after hitting two home runs on the same night for the first time this year. This is Hernandez’s second season in High-A, though he only spent part of a season with High-A in 2025. Over the course of the start of the 2026 season, he is hitting .292/.375/.511, with a .886 OPS. He’s already touching a batting average he had last year and has an OBP, SLG, and OPS greater than last year to start 2026 as well, all good signs for him as he tries to make a push toward Double-A. Throughout this season, the 6’1” righty has eight doubles, two triples, six home runs, 24 RBIs, and 26 runs scored. He has walked 17 times and has three stolen bases. Top Hitters for the Week from the MLB Pipeline Top-100 As mentioned, none of MLB Pipeline’s top hitters found a way to crack into the top five of hitters for the week; in fact, none even had an OPS over 1.387, with none averaging over .476. Franklin Arias, shortstop with the Portland SeaDogs (Double-A, Red Sox), went 9-for-21, hitting .429/.435/.952, with a 1.387 OPS. He hit three home runs and drove in six RBIs this week. He is ranked No. 11 on MLB Pipeline’s Top-100. Josue DePaula, ranked No. 9 by MLB Pipeline and an outfielder with the Tulsa Drillers (Double-A, Dodgers), was 10-for-21 on the week, hitting .476/.538/.810, with a 1.348 OPS. He had one home run and seven RBIs. Steele Hall, MLB Pipeline’s No. 83 prospect and a shortstop for rookie-level ACL (Cincinnati Reds), went 7-for-16, hitting .438/.500/.813, with a 1.313 OPS. He drove in five RBIs. Jhonny Level, shortstop for the San Jose Giants (Single-A, San Francisco Giants) is MLB Pipeline’s No. 64 prospect. This week, he hit just a small 9-for-26, hitting .346/.387/.846, with a 1.233 OPS. He had four home runs and 13 RBIs, his best stat of the week and one of the ones that matter most when it comes to winning games. Alfredo Dunno is a name we’ve heard a couple of weeks in a row now. The No. 38 prospect on the MLB Pipeline Top-100 and big prospect for the Cincinnati Reds (currently playing for the Dayton Dragons, High-A), was 5-for-19 on the week. He batted just .263/.440/.789, with a 1.229 OPS. Dunno is a player who shows a lot of discipline at the plate. His track record could land him in Double-A as soon as he finds ways to get on base and contribute to the team. As the month of May winds down, teams are now just over a month & a half away from the All-Star break, which for minor league baseball means crowning first-half champions. The next four to five weeks will be crucial for some of these teams to clinch a spot in the postseason.

High-A hitters highlighted the top-five minor league players of the week for the week of May 12 – May 17, with one hitter from Triple-A cracking into the top five. For the Hub City Spartanburgers, it was a strong week as two of their players were included in this week’s top hitters. Another interesting note was that once again, for the second week in a row, no MLB Pipeline Top-100 hitters hit better than unranked players this week, proving that even the unranked prospects are battling for spots at the next level. Malcolm Moore, catcher from the Hub City Spartanburgers (High-A, Rangers); Luke Hill, third baseman with the Lake County Captains (High-A, Cleveland Guardians); Jacob Gonzalez, shortstop with the Charlotte Knights (Triple-A, White Sox); Chase Call, outfielder with the Ashville Tourists (High-A, Astros); and Luke Hanson, a shortstop also with the Hub City Spartanburgers (High-A, Rangers), represented the top hitters in minor league baseball this week. The Hub City Spartanburgers were on the road facing the Ashville Tourists this past week. As such, this series featured three of the five top hitters for the week. The Spartanburgers took the series 5-1 over the Tourists this week, with the Tourists narrowly avoiding being swept with a massive 11-23 win on Friday. All six games were high scoring in this series, with the pitchers getting rocked. Game one 13-11, game two 6-4, game three 18-4, game four 11-23, game five 10-5, with the Spartanburgers defeating the Tourists 19-12 on Sunday. It was a very offensive-dominant series. Malcolm Moore, C – Hub City Spartanburgers (High-A, Rangers) Starting with Moore from the Spartanburgers, in five games played during the six-game series, he was 13-for-25, hitting .520/.571/1.160, with a 1.731 OPS. This included hitting four doubles, four home runs, driving in 10 RBIs, and eight runs scored. He also walked three times. His most notable performance was on Sunday when he went 4-for-6, with a double, home run, two RBIs, and four runs scored. Over the course of the season, the Rangers’ first draft pick (pick No. 30 overall) from the 2024 MLB draft is hitting a combined .318/.409/.573, with a .982 OPS. The 22-year-old has 10 doubles, six home runs, 13 walks, and 22 runs scored as he absolutely cruises through High-A on the hunt to hit Double-A. Luke Hanson, SS – Hub City Spartanburgers (High-A, Rangers) Staying in the same series, Hanson also had a standout week in High-A against the Tourists. The shortstop was 10-for-26 at bats across the six games, hitting .385/.407/.923, with a 1.330 OPS. That included hitting two doubles, four home runs, walking once, with 16 RBIs, and six runs scored. In game three on May 14 alone, he was 3-for-6 with a double, two home runs, nine RBIs, and three runs scored. Over the course of the season, the 22-year-old who was drafted just last year is hitting .226/.291/.443, with a .734 OPS in his first full season at High-A. He played in eight games in 2025 in High-A, and started the year there this season. Over the course of the year, he has seven doubles, six home runs, 11 walks, five stolen bases, 29 RBIs, and 19 runs scored. Though he has a slow start to the year, he’s starting to find his groove as of late. Chase Call, OF – Asheville Tourists (High-A, Astros) Finally, Call rounds out the group of three players from the same series to have an impressive week at the plate. Call, the 24-year-old from Los Angeles, California, was 10-for-18 through the four games he appeared in this week. He hit .556/.600/1.222, with a 1.822 OPS), which included three doubles, three home runs, two walks, three stolen bases, with 10 RBIs, and eight runs scored. He was 4-for-5 on May 15 and May 17 each, driving in three RBIs on May 15 and five RBIs on May 17. Over the course of the season, the Astros’ 16th round draft pick from 2025 is hitting a combined .240/.347/.510, with a .857 OPS. He has eight doubles, a triple, six home runs, with 14 walks, 10 stolen bases, and 19 RBIs, along with 23 runs scored. His 10 stolen bases prove that once he’s on the base pads, he’s a true force to be reckoned with. With this series now behind both teams, the Spartanburgers return home to take on the Rome Emperors (Braves), while the Tourists head to Bowling Green to take on the Hot Rods (Tampa Bay Rays). Luke Hill, 3B – Lake County Captains (High-A, Guardians) Hill and the Captains this past week were on the road to take on the Drayton Dragons of the Cincinnati Reds organization. Hill and the Captains split the series with the Dragons 3-3, in which Hill was 10-for-26 across the six-game series. He hit .500/.630/1.250, with a 1.880 OPS. That included three doubles, four home runs (two on May 14), with seven walks. He drove in 11 RBIs, and 10 runs scored. He at least two runs scored in four of the six games in a great series for the third baseman. He also led all hitters in the minor leagues in OPS this week. Drafted just last year by the Guardians (fourth round), Hill played 15 games in Low-A last year before getting the call to High-A to start the 2026 season. Over the course of his first season at High-A, he is batting .278/.432/.622, with a 1.054 OPS. He has four doubles, nine home runs (through just 28 games), 24 walks, with two stolen bases. He has 27 RBIs, and 20 runs scored. Though early in his career, he’s on track for a quick trip through the minor leagues if he continues hitting extra-base hits at this pace. Jacob Gonzalez, SS – Charlotte Knights (Triple-A, White Sox). This week Gonzalez and the Knights were in Norfolk, Virginia to take on the Norfolk Tides in a six-game series. They also split their series 3-3. Over the course of fives games he appeared in out of the six, Gonzalez was 10-for-21, hitting .476/.542/1.143, with a 1.685 OPS). He hit two doubles, four home runs, with three walks, and one stolen base. He drove in 12 RBIs, the most in minor league baseball this year, and had six runs scored over the course of the series. His best game was game six on Sunday, in which he was 4-for-5, with two doubles, a home run, four RBIs, and two runs scored. MLB Pipeline Top-100 hitters Though none of them managed to find themselves in the top five hitters for the week, five of MLB Pipeline’s Top-100 hitters also had strong weeks at the plate. Ralphy Velazquez (MLB Pipeline No. 59), first baseman with the Akron RubberDucks (Double-A, Guardians) was 9-for-25 against the Chesapeake Bay Sox. He hit .360/.407/.880, with a 1.287 OPS. That included three home runs and eight RBIs. Theo Gillen (MLB Pipeline No. 43), outfielder for the Bowling Green Hot Rods (High-A Rays), was 13-for-28 against the Greenville Drive (Red Sox). He hit .464/.500/.750, with a 1.250 OPS. That included one home run, five RBIs, and three stolen bases. He is currently tied for the most hits among hitters in the top-100. Nashville Sounds (Triple-A, Brewers) shortstop, Jett Williams (No. 60 on the MLB Pipeline Top 100) made a lot of headlines this week and by all accounts, has to be making David Stearns and the Mets start to scratch their heads about getting rid of the young prospect. Williams this week was 6-for-16, hitting .375/.565/1.063, with a 1.250 OPS. He hit two home runs, had five RBIs, and walked five times. He’s a player who controls the plate and finds a way to make an impact. Cooper Pratt (MLB Pipeline No. 66), also a shortstop with the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate, followed behind Williams with his performance in the Sounds’ series against the Iowa Cubs. He was 8-for-20, hitting .400/.478/.850, with a 1.328 OPS. He hit two home runs and had nine RBIs. Rounding out MLB Pipeline Top-100’s Top-five for the week was Josuar Gonzalez (No. 31 with MLB Pipeline), a shortstop from the rookie-level ACL Giants. In three games played this week, he was 7-for-12, hitting .583/.688/.1.000, with a 1.688 OPS. He hit one home run, walked four times, stole two bases, and drove in eight RBIs. A young Holliday, Ethan Holliday was just outside the standings. He hit three home runs this week and had a 1.247 OPS. While the top of the top prospects didn’t have their best weeks for the second week in a row, the young prospects made their bats heard.

In a surprising difference from last week, players in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 did not perform as well this week, paving the way for young up-and-coming prospects to shine. This week’s top minor league hitters included: Brooks Brannon, catcher with the Portland Sea Dogs (AA, Red Sox); Henry Bolte, outfielder with the Las Vegas Aviators (AAA, Athletics); Wehiwa Aloy, shortstop with the Frederick Keys (A+, Baltimore Orioles); RJ Schreck, outfielder with the Buffalo Bisons (AAA, Blue Jays); and Jason Shiavone, catcher with the Asheville Tourists (A+, Astros) Alfredo Duno, catcher from the Dayton Dragons (A+, Reds), also had a strong week at the plate, but not enough to crack into this week’s Top-5. He is the only MLB Pipeline Top-100 player who had an OPS above 1.400. Also of note, outside of Duno, all of this week’s Top-5 players are hailing from parent clubs in the American League. Duno is the only National League-based representative. Brooks Brannon, C – Portland Sea Dogs (AA, Red Sox) The Portland Sea Dogs last week were at home for a six-game series against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Double-A of the Toronto Blue Jays). Inclement weather only allowed for five of the six matchups to be played, and the Sea Dogs took just one of the five matchups, winning the final game of the series 12-4. Brannon was one of the big bats to come to life in the series. He combined to hit .600/.588/1.467, with a huge 2.055 OPS on the week. In four games played, he went 9-for-15, hitting two doubles, a triple, and three home runs last week. He drove in a total of 11 RBIs: six in Portland’s 13-15 loss on May 8 and five on May 10 when Portland defeated New Hampshire 12-4. He also accounted for three runs scored on the week. Over the course of the season, in total, Brannon is hitting .359/.469/.897, with a 1.366 OPS and a .391 BABP in his second season in Portland. He finished the 2025 season with the Sea Dogs and finds himself in a good position to find himself making his next climb to Triple-A soon if he continues to swing as well as he is now. He currently sits with four doubles, a triple, and five home runs on the year, with nine RBIs and seven runs scored. Henry Bolte, OF – Las Vegas Aviators (AAA, Athletics) Bolte and the Aviators this week faced off against the St. Paul Saints (Triple-A, Twins) in a six-game series in Las Vegas. They took just one of the six games from St. Paul, Game three on Thursday, 7-6. Though the Aviators couldn’t find many ways to stop the Saints, Bolte contributed to Las Vegas’ offense, contributing when he needed to. This week, the 22-year-old from San Francisco, CA, hit .556/.586/1.333, with a 1.919 OPS. He appeared in all six games last week, going 15-for-27, including hitting four doubles (two on Thursday, two on Friday), one triple (Thursday), and five home runs (one on Tuesday, two on Thursday, and two on Friday). He drove in nine RBIS and had nine runs scored. Between Thursday and Friday, Bolte had 10 hits, going a perfect 10-for-10 before being slowed down by the Saints' pitchers on Sunday. He had seven RBIs and five runs scored in two days. Over the course of the 2026 season (his second in Triple-A), he is batting a combined .348/.418/.658, with a 1.076 OPS and a .402 BABIP. That includes seven doubles, three triples, and 12 home runs. He has driven in 28 RBIs and has 41 runs scored, putting him on course to greatly surpass his 2025 stats. Wehiwa Aloy, SS – Frederick Keys (A+, Orioles) Drafted in 2025 in the first compensation round of the 2025 MLB draft at the No. 31 overall pick, Aloy, 22, is in his first season with High-A Frederick. He spent just a short time in Low-A last season and got the call to start the season in High-A this year. This week, the Keys were at home taking on the Jersey Shore Blue Claws (High-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies). They took five of six from the Blue Claws in a great week for the Orioles’ affiliate, and they were helped by their shortstop, Aloy. Aloy this week hit .500/.538/1.273, with a 1.811 OPS. He played in all six games this week, going 15-for-27, including two doubles and five home runs (hitting a home run hat trick on May 10). He drove in nine RBIs this week with seven runs scored. May 10 was a very strong game for Aloy. In that game alone, he hit three home runs, driving in three RBIs and three runs scored in the Keys’ series finale against the Blue Claws. Over the course of this season in total, Aloy is hitting .306/.355/.630, with a .985 OPS, and a .348 BABIP. He has hit three doubles, a triple, and 10 home runs this year, driving in 28 RBIs and 16 runs scored. RJ Schreck, OF – Buffalo Bisons (AAA, Blue Jays) It was the battle of the wild animals this week as Schreck and the Bisons traveled to Lehigh Valley for six games against the Iron Pigs. They split the series 3-3 with Lehigh Valley on the road. The 25-year-old outfielder from California this past week crushed the baseball, hitting .600/.667/1.080, with a 1.747 OPS. He made appearances in all six games this week for Triple-A Buffalo, going 15-for-25, including six doubles and two home runs. He drove in 16 RBIs this week and had nine runs scored. He walked five times. Of those games, on May 6 and May 7, he drove in five RBIs each. He drove in two on May 9 and four on May 10 as he helped the Bisons split the six-game slate with Lehigh Valley. Over the course of the season, Schreck, in his second season with Buffalo, is hitting .240/.380/.438, with an .818 OPS, and a .255 BABIP. He has seven doubles, one triple, and five home runs on the year so far. He has driven in a total of 27 RBIs and 21 runs scored. He also has three stolen bases. Unfortunately for Schreck, he spent quite a bit of time on the injured list in 2025, delaying his progress. So far this season, he has remained healthy, and if he can do so and continue to hit as well as he is, he could have a chance to hear his name called soon. Jason Schiavone, C – Asheville Tourists (A+, Astros) Drafted in 2024 by the Astros in the 11th round of the MLB draft, catcher Jason Schiavone is in his first full season with the High-A Asheville Tourists of the Houston Astros organization. Schiavone played eight games in High-A last season after being promoted from Low-A Fayetteville, but now finds himself cruising through High-A, including having a huge week this week against the Rome Emperors (Atlanta Braves High-A). Playing at home in Asheville, the Tourists won just two of six games against Rome, with the top hitter of the series coming from the Tourists in Schiavone. This week, he hit .400/.571/1.100, with a 1.671 OPS. Playing in all six games, he went 8-for-20 with two doubles and four home runs. He drove in six RBIs and had seven runs scored, with three stolen bases in the series as well. Over the course of his first full season with Asheville, he is hitting in total .260/.435/.740, with a 1.175 OPS, and a .267 BABIP. Top 100 MLB Pipeline Prospects Honorable Mention As mentioned, Alfredo Duno, catcher for the Dayton Dragons (High-A, Reds), was the only player from MLB Pipeline’s Top-100 who had an OPS over 1.400. In Dayton’s series against West Michigan (High-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers), Duno, MLB’s No. 31 prospect, hit .526/.625/.789, with a 1.414 OPS. He was 10-for-19 in five games played, hitting two doubles, one home run, and knocking in three RBIs, and six runs scored. The young prospects were the ones who shone this week. A new series gets underway for teams across minor league baseball on Tuesday.

To give readers a better picture of other teams' farm systems, we're going to highlight some of the top performers from MLB Pipeline's Top 100 prospects list. Two of MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 hitters and three up-and-coming prospects ranked as top performers for the week of April 28 through May 3. Outfielder Mike Sirota (Dodgers), shortstop John Peck (Tigers), first baseman Luke Cantwell (Padres), shortstop Ethan Holliday (Rockies), and outfielder Sterlin Thompson (Rockies) had the best stats for their series from last week. Mike Sirota, OF – Great Lakes Loons (A+, Dodgers) Sirota is an outfield prospect in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization and an MLB Pipeline Top 100 prospect. He is ranked at No. 50 in all of baseball. Currently in his first season at High-A, Sirota is off to a breakout start, hitting well through 25 games, including in Great Lakes’ series against the Peoria Chiefs (Cardinals). He hit .533/.682/1.467 with a 2.149 OPS. In five games, he went 8-for-15 with four home runs, one double, seven RBIs, eight runs scored, six walks, and struck out just twice. In the series opener, he drove in three RBIs, and on May 2, in the final game of the series, he scored three of Great Lakes’ nine runs. It was a standout week for the outfielder, who is having a great season overall. Over the course of the season as a whole, Sirota is hitting .329/.486/.671, with a 1.157 OPS, and a .386 BABIP. He has nine doubles, one triple, and six home runs. On top of that, he has walked 23 times, driven in 15 RBIs, and has 27 runs scored for Great Lakes. John Peck, SS – Erie SeaWolves (AA, Tigers) After 93 games in High-A in 2025, the Detroit Tigers promoted shortstop John Peck to Double-A Erie to finish out the season. After 25 games to end the season, the Tigers kept Peck in Double-A to begin his 2026 campaign. Last week against the Chesapeake Baysox (Orioles), he hit .526/.550/1.368, with a 1.918 OPS. In five games, he was 10-for-19 with four home runs, nine RBIs, and two stolen bases. He also had two doubles and nine runs scored. It was a great week for Eerie as they defeated Chesapeake in five of the six games. In the opening game of the series, Peck drove in four of Eerie’s five RBIs. Over the course of the season so far, the right-handed hitting shortstop is batting .287/.318/.554, with a .872 OPS, and a .348 BABIP. He has nine doubles, six home runs, and 23 RBIs. Along with that, he has 10 stolen bases and 24 runs scored through 24 games. Luke Cantwell, 1B – Lake Elsinore Storm (A, Padres) Luke Cantwell, 23, from Pittsburgh, is the third-best performing player from April 28 through May 3. Currently playing for the Padres’ High-A affiliate Lake Elsinore Storm, he had a standout series in Lake Elsinore’s series against the Ontario Tower Buzzers (Dodgers). He hit .714/.800/1.000, with a 1.800 OPS. In five games played, he was a very impressive 10-for-14 with a home run, one double, seven RBIs, three walks, and four runs scored. Lake Elsinore took five of the six games from Ontario. Over the course of the 2026 season, Cantwell is batting a total of .345/.493/.483, with a .976 OPS, and a .422 BABIP through 21 games. In 58 total at-bats, he has one home run, five doubles, 12 walks, 15 RBIs, and 10 runs scored. He also added three stolen bases. Ethan Holliday, SS – Fresno Grizzlies (A, Rockies) 19-year-old Ethan Holliday, the son of former big leaguer Matt Holliday, is making a name for himself in his first season of following in his dad’s footsteps. Drafted in 2025 out of Stillwater High School in Oklahoma, the brother of Jackson Holliday is also ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 17 prospect in minor league baseball and is having a huge first season in Single-A with the Fresno Grizzlies. In Fresno’s most recent series against the Stockton Ports (Athletics), Holliday hit .500/.682/1.083, with a 1.765 OPS. In five games, he was 6-for-12 with two home runs, one double, eight walks, driving in 11 RBIs, and five runs scored. In game two on April 29, Holliday had five of the Grizzlies’ nine RBIs and on May 2 he had four of their nine RBIs. Fresno won three of six against Stockton. Over the course of his first season in Fresno, the No. 4 draft pick in the 2025 draft is hitting .257/.412/.486, with a .898 OPS, and a BABIP of .326. He has a total of three doubles, one triple, four home runs, and has walked 17 times, showing true discipline at the plate and a great eye as well. He has 21 RBIs, 15 runs scored, and one stolen base in his first season. Sterlin Thompson, OF – Albuquerque Isotopes (AAA, Rockies) Another Rockies prospect, Sterling Thompson, is a left-handed hitter and outfielder with the Albuquerque Isotopes. Drafted in 2022 by the Rockies, Thompson is in his second season with Triple-A Albuquerque. In their latest series against the El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres), Thompson hit .647/.750/.941, with a 1.691 OPS. In five games, he went 11-for-17 with a home run, two doubles, nine RBIs, seven walks, and two stolen bases. He also had four runs scored in game three on May 1. May 1 was the best game of the series for Thompson. In Albuquerque’s mammoth 26-8 win over El Paso, he had five hits (home run, two doubles, two singles) with two walks, drove in four, and scored four runs. Over the course of the season, Thompson is hitting .343/.477/.495, with a .972 OPS. He has a total of five doubles, one triple, and three home runs. He has driven in 20 RBIs and has 23 runs scored through 30 games and a BABIP of .440. So far, he is on course to massively surpass his 2025 season if he continues to hit as well as he has been. MLB Pipeline Top-100 prospects Lazaro Montes, OF (No. 35 - Arkansas Travelers, AA), Caleb Bonemer, SS/3B (No. 51 – Winston-Salem Dash, A+), and Bryce Eldridge, 1B (No. 18 – Sacramento River Cats (AAA, Giants) also had huge performances in their latest series. Teams opened their latest series on Tuesday as MiLB continues its six-game series format that began in 2021.

As of April 16th, according to Baseball Reference, 273 total games have been played in the 2026 MLB season, with most teams playing anywhere between 17 and 18 games depending on off days. As of this date, it has become clear that pitchers and catchers have been more successful with the ABS (Auto ball strike) system this year. Per Baseball Savant, while hitters have won only 47 percent of ABS challenges, the defense has won 60 percent. League Challenge Rates Using ABS Across the league, there have been 1,082 challenges: 582 won and 500 lost. The league average is 54 percent of calls won when players challenge a call. The Minnesota Twins (61 challenges), Colorado Rockies (50 challenges), Miami Marlins (49 challenges), New York Yankees (44 challenges), and the Athletics (43 challenges) lead the entire league in number of challenges. Of those challenges, Minnesota and New York have won 57 percent of theirs, the Rockies and Athletics 56 percent, and Miami 55 percent. However, though those five teams lead the pack in number of challenges, there are five different teams who have been the most successful using the challenge system: The Cincinnati Reds have a challenge win percentage of 71 percent, with the Mets winning 65 percent of their challenges, Padres winning 64 percent, the Royals winning 63 percent, and the Cardinals winning 61 percent alongside the Chicago Cubs (perhaps the only time those two teams are comfortable being mentioned together). Out of the league-leading Reds, who have the highest win percentage in calls challenge, Sal Stewart leads that pack with three challenges, including two won calls. Tyler Stephenson, Will Benson, and Eugenio Suarez each have two challenges with two wins. Hitter Challenges Using ABS Hitters have challenged four percent of pitches this season. Through a total of 497 challenges at the plate, hitters throughout the league have won 232 challenges and lost 265 calls. They have eliminated 70 strikes and gained 35 walks as a result of calls overturned. Out of all batters in the league, Jose Caballero and Gary Sanchez lead the challenge in number of challenges with seven each; with Ivan Herrera, Kyle Schwarber, Josh Bell, and Ronald Acuna Jr. following behind with six challenges each. Caballero has won four of his challenges (57 percent), and Herrera has won five of his six (83 percent), showing consistency and his ability to read the ball at the plate. Outside of that group, Pete Alonso (4-4), Marcell Ozuna (3-3), Nick Kurtz (3-3), and Teoscar Hernandez (3-3) lead the league in being perfect (with at least three challenges this season). The ABS system shows that batters who see the ball well and are disciplined at the plate are most successful in getting calls overturned. It is also forcing batters to be smarter and more efficient with their time at the plate. Catcher Challenges Using ABS Catchers have challenged 2.1 percent of pitches thrown. Through 585 challenges, the catching group has won 350 calls and lost 235 calls. They have gained 98 strikeouts from challenges this year and lost 45 walks. Will Smith leads the catchers in the number of challenges, having challenged 21 calls by umpires. He has won 13 and lost eight, for a 62 percent overturn rate. Following behind Smith, Ryan Jeffers (20 challenges: 12 wins, eight losses, 60 percent overturn rate), Edgar Quero (20 challenges: seven won, 13 lost, 35% overturn rate), Salvador Perez (18 challenges: 13 won, five lost, 72 percent overturn rate), and William Contreras (18 challenges, 11 wins, seven losses, 61 percent overturn rate) are the catchers with the next highest challenge number. In terms of win percentage, Mitch Garver (4-4), Adrian Del Castillo (3-3), Adley Rutschman (2-2), PJ Higgins (2-2), Jeferson Quero (2-2), and Jake Rogers (2-2) lead the league (at least two challenges) in success rate of challenges behind the plate with perfect 100 percent rates. While batters are becoming more disciplined because of the ABS, pitchers are also focusing on being disciplined in throwing the ball in the strike zone, focusing on command over throwing as hard as they can, and catchers are improving in their ability to frame pitches in order to get better calls from umpires. ABS Is Slowing Games Down Again Looking deeper at ABS, according to David Brandtap of The Associated Press, after MLB aimed to make games shorter by implementing the pitch clock, the ABS system has once again slowed games down, slightly contradicting MLB’s attempt to speed them up. Through the first two and a half weeks of games, games are now ending closer to 2:42, opposed to 2:38 in 2025 and 2:36 in 2024. Though not a big difference, it is a sign that the ABS system is slowing games back down. However, though the system has been added, as Brandtap noted, games were up to over three hours (3:10) in 2021, so since implementing the pitch clock, and even with the newest addition of ABS, games are still quicker than they were five years ago.

April 6th will be a very special day for the Tampa Bay Rays. The team will return home to play baseball at Tropicana Field for the first time since September 2024. On October 9, 2024, a very dangerous Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key as a powerful Category 3 hurricane. The stadium was set to serve as a place of refuge for members of FPL and first responders helping with hurricane efforts after the storm, but instead, officials in Tampa were forced to put responders elsewhere and eventually were faced with having to temporarily relocate the Tampa Bay Rays for the 2025 season after figuring out what to do with a storm-ravaged Tropicana Field. The fiberglass roof was ripped to shreds, and the stadium was deemed unsafe by officials after the storm. As the city of Tampa banded together, two AL East foes became one when the New York Yankees opened their spring training home, George M. Steinbrenner Field, to the Rays to play their 2025 season home games. The Rays finished the 2025 MLB regular season fourth in the American League East with a 77-85 (.475) record, failing to make the postseason for a second straight season. At their home away from home, however, they had a winning, 41-40 record. But April will be a long-awaited homecoming when the Rays get to return to St. Petersburg for the first time in nearly two years. Rays Notable Roster Moves When the Rays open their season on Thursday in St. Louis, they will do so with four notable new faces on the roster. This offseason, the Rays signed left-handed pitcher Steven Matz, right-handed pitcher Nick Martinez, center fielder Cedric Mullins, and right-fielder Jake Fraley. All four were signed as free agents by the Rays. Matz, who split the 2025 season between the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox, was signed to a two-year, $15 million deal. The left-hander was 5-2 with a 3.05 ERA and a WAR of 0.9 in 2025. He had a .714 W-L% across 53 games (two starts, the rest in relief). Over the course of 76 2/3 innings, Matz gave up 26 earned runs on 73 hits (eight home runs), 11 walks, and struck out 59. He had a 1.096 WHIP, with an 8.6 H9 and a 1.3 BB/9. Of interest, Matz pitched better in the American League than in the National League. His ERA with the Cardinals alone in 2025 was 3.44 through 32 games; whereas, his ERA with Boston was 2.08. He will hope that trend continues now with a fellow AL East team, the Rays. The Rays secured Martinez for one year, $13 million, including a $4 million buyout and a $20 million mutual option for 2027. In 2025 with the Cincinnati Reds, the right-handed pitcher and Florida native was 11-14 with a 4.45 ERA. He threw in 40 games last season (started 26), striking out 116 over the course of 165 2/3 innings, with a 1.207 WHIP. He allowed 82 earned runs on 158 hits (22 home runs) and walked 42. He had a H/9 of 8.6, with a HR/9 of 1.2, and a BB/9 of 2.3. While he has a similar H9 to Matz, Martinez is able to get more swings and misses and has notably fewer runs allowed on his stats than Matz. Mullins signed with Tampa for one-year, $7 million, including a $500,000 buyout and a $10 million mutual option for 2027. After just a partial season with the New York Mets, Mullins became a free agent, leaving Mets fans with one less outfielder once again. In 2025, the outfielder split the season between the Baltimore Orioles and the Mets, though his playing time with Baltimore was interrupted by a 10-day stint on the injured list with a hamstring strain. Between the two teams, he hit .216/.299/.391, with a .690 OPS. He hit 23 doubles, one triple, clobbered 17 home runs, drove in 59 RBIs, and had 58 runs scored. The speedy lefty stole 22 bases and was caught stealing just four times. Opposing pitchers walked him 50 times. Fraley signed a one-year deal worth $3 million. He split the 2025 season between the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves, hitting .241/.332/.382, with a .714 OPS. He hit nine doubles, six home runs, and drove in 23 RBIS. He stole four bases, was walked 25 times, and scored 31 runs. Fraley missed a significant amount of time in 2025 on the 60-day injured list with a strained right oblique muscle while he was with the Braves, and then was picked up on waivers by the Rays before being designated for assignment, and then re-signed him as a free agent. In total, the Rays spent $30.5 million in 2026, with a total of $38 million. Other notable roster moves this offseason include sending Eric Orze to the Twins for right-handed pitcher Jacob Kisting; acquiring Yoendrys Gomez from the White Sox in a trade that included receiving Steven Wilson as well, but sending outfielder Everson Pereira to Chicago with Tanner Murray; and sending infielder Brandon Lowe, outfielder Jake Mangum, and left-handed pitcher Mason Montgomery to the Pittsburgh Pirates for outfielder Jacob Melton and right-handed pitcher Anderson Brito. The Rays also acquired fan-favorite outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. from the Marlins for infielder Angel Bracho. Projected Rays Lineup (Per MLB.com) Yandy Diaz, DH Jonathan Aranda, 1B Junior Caminero, 3B Ben Williamson, 2B Cedric Mullins, CF Jonny DeLuca, RF Nick Fortes, C Chandler Simpson, LF Carson Williams, SS The Rays’ top three were described by MLB.com as one of the best top three in the league because of their “strong mix of contact, on-base ability and power.” Diaz hit .300/.366/.482, with a .848 OPS last season. The right-handed hitter was fourth in the American League last year for on-base percentage and sixth in batting average. He ranked ninth in on-base plus slugging (.848) and fourth in the AL for hits with 175. Those hits included 29 doubles, 25 home runs, one triple, and he drove in 83 RBIs and 79 runs scored. Last season, Aranda batted .316/.393/.489, with a .883 OPS and a 146 OPS+. He hit 22 doubles, 14 home runs, driving in 59 RBIs and 56 runs scored. Caminero was among AL leaders in many categories last season. The 22-year-old third baseman hit .264/.311/.535, with a .846 OPS. He ranked 22nd in the American League for games played (154), 10th in the AL for runs scored (93), third in the AL for home runs (45), 14th in the AL for hits (159), ninth in the AL for at-bats (602), and sixth in the American League in slugging percentage (.535). MLB.com calls it “likely” that Kevin Cash will keep these three in the top three of the lineup, but could move them around slightly depending on how the season goes and game-to-game. Projected Rays Rotation (MLB.com) Drew Rasmussen, RHP Nick Martinez, RHP Steven Matz, LHP Ryan Pepiot, RHP Shane McClanahan, LHP Two of the Rays pitchers in this rotation will be new to their rotation after they were signed this offseason (Martinez and Matz). McClanahan underwent Tommy John Surgery in 2024, and in an unlucky break, he was placed back on the injured list in 2025 with a left triceps nerve-related issue that sidelined him until November. Now back healthy, he looks to be a big contributor as a veteran in the Tampa rotation. With spring training complete, McClanahan was 4-3 with a 2.08 ERA over the course of four spring starts. He pitched 13 innings, giving up a combined three earned runs on just eight hits, walked five, and struck out 15 over the course of those 13 innings. There’s no question that he’s healthy, as he looks to be in mid-season form already. He had a WHIP of 1.000 this spring, a 5.5 H/9, 0.7 HR/9, 3.5 BB/9, and a 10.4 SO/9. The Rays will enter the season with momentum just by returning home to Tropicana Field. Tiem will tell what the full impact will be, but expect the Rays to have energy to start the season with a new-look lineup and rotation coming into 2026.