-All-Star Red Carpet

-Red Sox winning streak

-Trade Deadline Predictions

-Divisonal Round Up

-Dean’s Latest HOF Auto

Overall Takeaway

Pour one out for this win streak. I think I speak for all Boston fans when I say this was the most exciting stretch of baseball we have seen in years—Ceddanne Rafaela’s walk-off last year aside. The 15-game streak tied a record set 80 years ago and put Boston firmly in the playoff race. Even with tonight’s loss, the Red Sox remain in sole possession of the third Wild Card spot. The Yankees split their doubleheader today, so the Rays will hold on to first place in the AL East.

All three teams will likely be buyers at the trade deadline. Most insiders—and opinionated non-insiders like myself—believe Tampa Bay will be the most aggressive. On tonight’s episode of The Skippers View Podcast, Hagen and I discussed several potential deals for Boston. I brought up Casey Mize, while he suggested Freddy Peralta. At this point, I will take any pitcher who can step in and help fill the void left by Crochet.

As fun as this run was, there are still holes on this team that need to be filled. Fewer holes than a month ago, but still enough to sink a ship.

Game 1: Red Sox 6-5

Game 2: Red Sox 6-3

Game 3: Orioles 5-1

What I Loved

• Win Streak

  • Fine with the win streak ended. Honestly, the 1946 roster was stacked. They won 104 games, went to the World Series, and had five guys in Top 10 MVP voting, with Williams winning. This team has maybe one Hall of Famer at best. (Obviously I wanted the win streak to continue.)

• Ceddanne Rafaela

  • I was posting my daily WAR leaders from www.statsoldier.com, and I noticed something interesting…. Ceddanne Rafaela had cracked the Top 10 for bWAR.

  • Forgot that Ceddanne had 4.9 bWAR last year as well. Still very early, but his contract is highway robbery. They got him for 8 years, $50 million. There is a real chance he produces $50 million of value this season alone.

• Willson Contreras

  • When Durbin hit his home run Monday, I thought that Contreras was going to run on the field and tackle Caleb before he rounded the bases. According to Stat Soldier, the last time Willson had a game that negatively affected Boston was June 23rd. A whole month!

  

• Caleb Durbin

  • Durbin’s home run into the night on Monday was electric and makes up for his slow start to the year. The broadcast was comparing his demeanor and work ethic to Dustin Pedroia today. I do not see the work he does so that I will take their word for it.

• NO ERRORS

  • Unlike last series, Boston had a clean series against Baltimore.

• Aroldis Chapman

  • Tied Dennis Eckersley, who was in attendance, for 9th All-Time on the saves list.

• Andruw Monasterio

  • Andruw has been superb over the last 11 days. Might be the best baseball he has ever played. I am posting this quickly, so I haven’t had time to check, but it feels right.

• Brayan Bello… Back?

  • *Knock on wood* Brayan Bello has been pretty good in his two appearances since returning to Boston. The team is desperate for some starter depth. Hoping it could be him.

  

• Jake Bennett… Again

  • An out away from his 6th straight quality start. This streak doesn’t happen without Bennett coming up and going on a streak. Biggest concern right now for Boston is taking care of their three young arms (Early, Tolle, Bennett)

What I Was ‘Mid’ About

• Jarren Duran Showing Some Life

  • His triple in Game One today reminded me of the spark that Duran can bring to this team. Still well below the Mendoza Line over the last 30 games, .139 AVG, so here’s hoping that today could be the start of a little hot streak. If not, I think the cries from fans will intensify to replace him at the deadline.

What I Didn’t Love

• Starting Pitching Depth Catching Up

  • Mentioned this on Sunday with the last bullpen game, and I am preaching to the choir, but the team desperately needs some starter depth.

  • It does not seem like Crochet will return in 2026, and Boston needs to keep Tolle, Early, and Bennett on some innings limit. Brayan Bello, knock on wood, could be that guy.

• Streak Ending

  • I know I said at the beginning that I was fine with the streak ending. I lied; it gave me life. It also gave me an excuse to watch the games every night. “Babe, I can’t be the one fan not to watch this historic streak.” Now I am going to have to watch Bravo Housewives in between innings again.

Now, I knew I had a next-to-zero percent chance of getting an interview. I was there to fill a spot and take some photos, and boy, did I.

Now, I didn’t get too many shots; I was bodied out of the way a few times and felt like the guy that Ken Rosenthal decked last year. It was definitely eye-opening for me that, for many of these reporters, it’s their sole job to get these photos and interviews. Meanwhile, I am just there for the first time getting my feet wet.

Overall, it was a very cool experience that was a good test run for Cooperstown. Two completely different beasts, but at least I got to see what it was like to be amongst the media.

As with all my review blogs, I will break this experience down into three categories. “What I Loved”, “What I was ‘Mid’ About”, “What I Didn’t Love”, and “Who Got Screwed.”

What I Loved

• Being In The Room Where It Happens (Sort Of)

  • There is a great song in Hamilton called “The Room Where It Happens.” It is all about the Compromise of 1790, in which Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison struck a deal about where the Capitol would be located. Aaron Burr was not in this meeting, so he sings about wanting to be in the room (this leads him into politics and eventually puts him at odds with Hamilton, who he kills, spoiler.)

  • Since starting The Skippers View, I wanted to eventually be “In The Room Where It Happens” for media. I am not saying I want to be front and center, but it is nice to see how the sausage gets made to a certain degree. Do I think I could handle it as my career? Nope, there were some savages out there (more on that later), but I had fun.

• Seeing The Players Up Close

  • I have been behind home plate at Fenway Park (flex), only a few feet from the players, but this was different. They were so close you could literally smell them (shout-out to Randy Arozarena’s cologne).

  • For me, the biggest thing was seeing them with their friends and family. It is very easy for us to trick ourselves into viewing these people as larger than life, both in size and presence. Being so close to them reminded me that they are just people.

• How Friendly The Players Were

  • There were for sure a few players that just tried to get down the red carpet as fast as possible and get on the buses to bring them back to the stadium. Besides the fact that they had a game in only a few hours, it was hot as heck. That being said, players really made an effort to stop, take pictures, sign autographs, do interviews, and even give a knuckle touch or two. Frankly, the bigger the name, the more they stopped.

What I Was ‘Mid’ About

• All The People Coming Out Before The Players

  • If it wasn’t so hot, I probably wouldn’t have cared, but watching the team mascots dance around for 30 minutes before players came out was rough. Not only did I feel bad for the poor souls inside the costumes, but I was also standing for two hours straight at that point waiting for the event to start.

What I Didn’t Love

• Adult Autograph Hawkers

  • I was shocked at how close fans could get to the players. Yes, the barriers were there, and the players tended to lean towards the media side of the carpet, but fans were right on the other side, throwing themselves over the barriers to get autographs. Now, I have no problem with kids trying to get autographs. However, grown men (even the ones with kids) who are begging players to sign their items and sprinting to the next players should be thrown on an island. I genuinely believe it is a reason that some players just zip on by and don’t turn their eyes. Even if they wanted to sign a few balls for kids, they know these hawks would fly in at any second and knock a kid over (happened twice, by the way)

  • Shout out to some players who seemed to sign as much as possible. Mike Trout, Paul Skenes (Livvy Dunne was practically held at gunpoint by some teenage boys), Corbin Carroll, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Matt Olson. Now, there were definitely other players signing, but these were the ones that stood out.

• The Heat

  • It was 100 degrees on the red carpet. My wife had me wear khaki pants as she thought I would be severely underdressed if I didn’t. I couldn’t disagree, and $80 later, I had them. Imagine my surprise when I got on the media line and saw people dressed in everything from tuxes to sweatpants and T-shirts. I like to think I fell somewhere in the middle. Back to the heat. It was hot, like I had five water bottles while I was standing there. You could tell by the players’ faces that they wanted to get off the carpet as fast as possible. All of them were dressed great, and all of them were sweating their balls off.

Who Got Screwed

• Fan Who Flipped Over Barrier

  • For some reason, once the event ends, they let you take (or steal, not really sure) all the covers to the barriers. They have cool logos on them, and I am sure would be cool to have at home on a wall somewhere. That being said, similar to the autograph hunters, once it was time to take them, people turned into savages. I watched a grown man (40s?) in a full sprint (sprint for him, jog for most) flip over a barrier as he was going to try and claim one of the covers. You would think that all the other fans would see this and respect the hustle; instead, a kid (12ish) just hopped over the guy and grabbed the cover.

  • Savages.

I will be in Cooperstown this weekend working the Hall of Fame Ceremony. If you haven’t already, make sure to subscribe below.

The AL East is 100% up for grabs. You began to feel that way before the All-Star break, but to come out and sweep the 1st place Rays cements that. The Yankees are a mess without Aaron Judge (dropped another game this afternoon and have to play the Dodgers again this evening), the Blue Jays are falling apart, and the Rays just got manhandled.

Now Boston will get both Baltimore and Toronto at Fenway. Do not be surprised to see Boston a game or two back by next Monday.

Game 1: Red Sox 10-0

Game 2: Red Sox 5-3

Game 3: Red Sox 7-6

Game 4: Red Sox 6-1

What I Loved

• Willson Contreras

  • The heartbeat of the team returned, hitting another two home runs this series. He is now two away from matching his career high.

  • More importantly, he told Boston he will not waive his no-trade clause. Wants to finish his career with the Red Sox. We are not worthy!

• Jake Bennett

  • Five straight quality starts for Bennett. Completely entrenched in this rotation.

• Wilyer Abreu’s Power

  • Back-to-back games with 2 HR, including the go-ahead game-winning blast against Garrett Cleavinger on Saturday. His power had disappeared for almost a month, but he now has 5 home runs over his last seven games.

• Game One Hit Parade

  • All the starters got hits on Friday, except Romy Gonzalez (although he walked)

  • Home runs from Masataka Yoshida and Carlos Narvaez highlighted it.

• Sonny Gray

  • Gray threw 49 of 91 pitches for strikes, but it didn’t matter as the Rays could do nothing with RISP. That is now nine straight quality starts for Gray.

  • Forget about trade value; Gray is here to stay.

  

• Aroldis Chapman

  • Back-to-back saves in high-leverage spots (Save #20 in Game 2, Save #21 in Game 3). He navigated heavy traffic in Game 3 without breaking a sweat.

What I Was ‘Mid’ About

• Bullpen Games

  • An Eduardo Rivera start is a bullpen game, even if they aren’t always fully presenting it as such.

  • Now, the bullpen was on fire in Game 2 after Guerrero gave up three over 2.1 innings—just a little concerning long-term.

What I Didn’t Love

• Patrick Sandoval Start

• Defense

  • Four errors across the series. Not terrible, but not what you expect out of arguably the best defensive team in baseball.

Who Got Screwed

• The Haters

  • I will continue to mention it because I think it is important. Many Twitter personalities took a hard stance against this team. Many said blow it up, many said sell the team, and many are now deleting those tweets and pretending it didn’t happen.

Stat Soldier Score Cards

Game 1:

Game 2:

Game 3:

Game 4:

The Home Run Derby is about as American as Apple Pie. For the past 40+ years, some of Major League Baseball’s best sluggers have gathered before the All-Star Game to hit absolute bombs in an effort to crown the best home run hitter of that season. The Home Run Derby has produced many iconic moments and even more iconic winners. Ken Griffey Jr, Barry Bonds, David Ortiz, and Prince Fielder are just a few of the legendary players to win the coveted Home Run Derby trophy.

Unfortunately, not all champions are created equally, and while there really hasn’t been a “bad” player who has won the derby, there certainly have been some winners whose career statistics do not come close to the pedigree of Bonds or Junior.

I tasked myself with the difficult challenge of ranking all 28 unique (non-active) Home Run Derby Champions based on their overall career achievements and statistics.

Important note: these rankings are subjective and based on my opinion.

28. Wally Joyner (1986 Co-Champion)

The former California Angels first baseman was the co-champion of just the second Home Run Derby in MLB history. Ironically, 1986 was Joyner’s rookie season and also his first and only All-Star appearance. Ranking him last speaks more to the strength of the Derby’s winners than it does to Joyner’s career. Across 16 seasons, he collected more than 2,000 hits, hit 204 home runs, posted a .289 career batting average, and was a dependable middle-of-the-order hitter for over a decade.

27. Todd Frazier (2015 Champion)

“The Toddfather” enjoyed one of the best peaks of any power hitter during the mid-2010s. From 2012 through 2016, Frazier averaged 28 home runs per season, earned three consecutive All-Star selections, won a Gold Glove, and accumulated more than 17 WAR. His career tailed off after age 30, preventing him from building the longevity needed to climb this list, but his unforgettable hometown victory at Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park remains one of the most memorable Home Run Derby performances ever.

26. Ruben Sierra (1989 Co-Champion)

Ruben Sierra often gets overlooked when discussing the stars of the late 1980s and early 1990s, but he quietly put together an impressive 20-year career. A four-time All-Star and Silver Slugger winner, Sierra finished with 306 home runs, over 2,100 hits, and nearly 1,300 RBIs. He was one of the American League’s premier run producers during his peak with the Rangers, even finishing second in AL MVP voting in 1989. While he lacks the accolades of many players ahead of him, Sierra’s longevity and consistent production keep him comfortably ahead of the bottom two.

25. Yoenis Cespedes (2014 & 2015 Champion)

Few players embodied raw power quite like Yoenis Céspedes. His back-to-back Home Run Derby victories remain one of the event’s most entertaining stretches, and at his peak, he was among baseball’s most exciting hitters. However, injuries significantly shortened what appeared to be a potentially great career. Despite finishing with only 165 career home runs across eight MLB seasons, Cespedes was a two-time All-Star, Gold Glove winner, and key contributor to the Mets’ 2015 National League pennant. His spectacular peak earns him a spot above the bottom tier, but his lack of longevity prevents him from climbing much higher.

24. Garrett Anderson (2003 Champion)

One of the most underrated hitters of the 2000s, Garrett Anderson spent 15 seasons with the Angels and became one of the franchise’s all-time greats. A three-time All-Star, Anderson amassed more than 2,500 hits, 287 home runs, and over 1,300 RBIs while playing a major role on the Angels’ 2002 World Series championship team. His consistency and longevity make him one of the stronger players in the bottom half of this ranking, even if he never reached true superstar status.

23. Tino Martinez (1997 Champion)

Tino Martinez will forever be remembered as the first baseman who helped bridge the Yankees from the Don Mattingly era into their late-1990s dynasty. Although he was never considered one of the game’s elite individual stars, Martinez compiled an outstanding career that included 339 home runs, over 1,200 RBIs, two All-Star appearances, and four World Series championships. His postseason résumé is among the best on this list, but compared to the players ranked above him, he falls a bit short in terms of individual accolades

22. Eric Davis (1989 Co-Champion)

At his peak, Eric Davis looked destined for Cooperstown. A dynamic five-tool player, Davis combined elite power, speed, and defense in a way few players of his era could match. Unfortunately, injuries prevented him from ever putting together the sustained dominance many expected. Even so, Davis finished his 17-year career with 282 home runs, 349 stolen bases, three Gold Gloves, two Silver Slugger Awards, and nearly 37 bWAR.

21. Ryan Howard (2006 Champion)

Few players have ever reached the heights Ryan Howard did during his prime. From 2006 through 2009, Howard averaged nearly 50 home runs and 143 RBIs per season while winning National League Rookie of the Year, MVP, and helping lead the Phillies to the 2008 World Series title. His production fell dramatically after injuries, particularly a torn Achilles tendon in 2011, shortened his peak. Despite finishing with 382 career home runs, Howard’s relatively short period of elite play keeps him toward the bottom half of this ranking.

20. Darryl Strawberry (1986 Co-Champion)

Darryl Strawberry possessed Hall of Fame talent and, for much of the 1980s, played like one of baseball’s biggest stars. An eight-time All-Star, four-time World Series champion, and National League Rookie of the Year, Strawberry blasted 335 career home runs despite numerous injuries and off-field struggles that shortened his career. His combination of power and postseason success places him ahead of several players with longer careers.

19. Justin Morneau (2008 Champion)

Justin Morneau was one of the American League’s premier hitters during the mid-2000s. The Canadian slugger won the 2006 AL MVP Award, made four All-Star teams, won two Silver Sluggers, and finished with 247 home runs and a .281 career batting average. A series of concussions, unfortunately, derailed what appeared to be a Hall of Fame trajectory, but Morneau still enjoyed an outstanding 14-year career.

18. Jason Giambi (2002 Champion)

Jason Giambi was one of baseball’s most feared hitters during the late 1990s and early 2000s. The 2000 AL MVP reached base at an elite rate throughout his career, finishing with 440 home runs, over 2,000 hits, and a .399 career on-base percentage. While PED allegations have clouded his legacy and likely kept him out of Hall of Fame consideration, Giambi’s offensive production alone earns him a solid middle-of-the-pack ranking.

17. Miguel Tejada (2004 Champion)

Miguel Tejada built one of the most consistent careers of any infielder in recent history. The six-time All-Star won the 2002 American League MVP Award, collected over 2,400 hits, hit 307 home runs, drove in more than 1,300 runs, and played in an incredible 1,152 consecutive games. While PED ties have also impacted his legacy, Tejada remains one of the best offensive shortstops of his generation.

16. Luis Gonzalez (2001 Champion)

Luis Gonzalez enjoyed one of the finest late-career breakouts in baseball history. Best remembered for his walk-off single that won Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, Gonzalez finished with 354 home runs, over 2,500 hits, five All-Star selections, and five Gold Gloves. Although much of his production came after age 30, his longevity and postseason heroics give him the edge over those ranked below him.

15. Dave Parker (1985 Champion)

Nicknamed “The Cobra,” Dave Parker was one of baseball’s most complete players during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The seven-time All-Star won the 1978 National League MVP, captured three Gold Gloves and three Silver Sluggers, and finished with 339 home runs and over 2,700 hits. Parker also won two World Series championships and was finally elected to the Hall of Fame by the Classic Baseball Era Committee after his playing career.

14. Juan Gonzalez (1993 Champion)

Few hitters were more intimidating during the 1990s than Juan Gonzalez. The Rangers slugger won two American League MVP Awards, led the league in RBIs three times, and blasted 434 career home runs despite playing only 17 seasons. Injuries shortened what could have been an even greater career, and his PED-era reputation has complicated his legacy, but his offensive peak remains among the best on this list.

13. Prince Fielder (2009 & 2012 Champion)

Like his father, Cecil, Prince Fielder became one of baseball’s premier power hitters. The six-time All-Star hit 319 home runs, drove in over 1,000 runs, won three Silver Sluggers, and twice claimed the Home Run Derby crown. A neck injury forced Fielder to retire at just 32 years old, cutting short what appeared to be a path toward 500 career home runs.

12. Bobby Abreu (2005 Champion)

Bobby Abreu may be one of the most underrated players of his generation. The two-time All-Star combined power, speed, patience, and durability to produce over 2,400 hits, 288 home runs, 400 stolen bases, and nearly 60 bWAR. While he never won an MVP or reached the Hall of Fame, Abreu’s all-around game and remarkable consistency make him one of the strongest resumes outside the top ten.

11. Robinson Cano (2011 Champion)

At his peak, Robinson Cano was regarded as the best second baseman in baseball. An eight-time All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger, two-time Gold Glove winner, and 2009 World Series champion, Cano produced over 2,600 hits and 335 home runs. However, two PED suspensions significantly damaged what otherwise looked like a certain Hall of Fame career.

10. Ryne Sandberg (1990 Champion)

One of the greatest second basemen in baseball history, Ryne Sandberg, revolutionized the position with his combination of power and defense. The 1984 National League MVP won nine Gold Gloves, seven Silver Sluggers, made ten All-Star teams, and finished with over 2,300 hits and 282 home runs. His Hall of Fame induction cemented his status as one of the all-time great infielders.

9. Andre Dawson (1987 Champion)

“The Hawk” was one of baseball’s premier five-tool stars throughout the 1980s. Dawson won the 1987 National League MVP, earned eight Gold Gloves, eight All-Star selections, and hit 438 career home runs while collecting over 2,700 hits. His combination of power, speed, and defense eventually earned him a well-deserved place in Cooperstown.

8. Mark McGwire (1992 Champion)

Mark McGwire forever changed baseball during the historic 1998 home run chase. One of the greatest pure power hitters ever, McGwire slugged 583 home runs while posting an astonishing .588 career slugging percentage. However, his admitted steroid use has complicated his legacy and prevented him from being elected to the Hall of Fame during his tenure on the ballot. Even so, few players in MLB history have matched his ability to hit baseballs farther or more frequently.

7. Frank Thomas (1995 Champion)

“The Big Hurt” was one of the most dangerous offensive players the game has ever seen. A two-time American League MVP and first-ballot Hall of Famer, Thomas finished with 521 home runs, over 2,400 hits, a .301 batting average, and an incredible .419 career on-base percentage. His combination of power, patience, and consistency made him one of the defining hitters of the 1990s.

6. Vladimir Guerrero (2007 Champion)

Vladimir Guerrero was one of the most electrifying all-around players that baseball has ever seen. Famous for crushing pitches well outside the strike zone, Guerrero collected 2,590 hits, 449 home runs, a career .318 batting average, and won the 2004 American League MVP Award. A nine-time All-Star and Hall of Famer, “Vladdy” combined tremendous power with one of the strongest throwing arms in baseball history.

5. Sammy Sosa (2000 Champion)

Sammy Sosa is responsible for one of the greatest power-hitting stretches in MLB history, becoming the only player ever to hit 60 or more home runs three times. The 1998 National League MVP finished his career with 609 home runs, over 1,600 RBIs, and seven All-Star appearances. While PED allegations have overshadowed his accomplishments, Sosa’s offensive production remains among the greatest ever.

4. David Ortiz (2010 Champion)

Few players have delivered in the biggest moments quite like David Ortiz. “Big Papi” hit 541 career home runs, made ten All-Star teams, won three World Series championships, and was named MVP of the 2013 World Series after carrying Boston through one of the most emotional seasons in franchise history. A first-ballot Hall of Famer, Ortiz is regarded almost universally as the greatest designated hitter in baseball history.

3. Cal Ripken Jr. (1991 Champion)

“The Iron Man” redefined durability while becoming one of the greatest shortstops ever to play the game. Ripken’s record streak of 2,632 consecutive games played may never be broken. Add in two AL MVP Awards, over 3,100 hits, 431 home runs, 19 All-Star selections, two Gold Gloves, and first-ballot Hall of Fame induction, and it’s easy to see why he ranks among baseball’s all-time legends.

2. Ken Griffey Jr. (1994, 1998, 1999 Champion)

No player is more synonymous with the Home Run Derby than Ken Griffey Jr. Junior’s signature backwards hat and sweet lefty swing resulted in an MLB record 3 Home Run Derby victories. Beyond the Derby, “The Kid” became one of baseball’s most beloved superstars, finishing with 630 home runs, ten Gold Gloves, an MVP Award, and 13 All-Star selections. Widely considered one of the greatest center fielders ever, Griffey was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016 with what was then the highest voting percentage in history.

1. Barry Bonds (1996 Champion)

No Home Run Derby champion can match the career accomplishments of Barry Bonds. The seven-time National League MVP remains MLB’s all-time home run king with 762 career home runs while also holding the single-season record with 73. Bonds won eight Gold Gloves, 12 Silver Sluggers, 14 All-Star selections, and finished with an astonishing 162.8 bWAR—the highest of any position player since Babe Ruth. Although his legacy remains deeply intertwined with performance-enhancing drug allegations, his statistical résumé is unparalleled, making him the clear choice for the top spot on this list and virtually any list ranking the greatest players in MLB history.

Hope you enjoyed. Please make sure to subscribe to the site for more articles coming soon!

Editor’s Note: All my graphics going forward will come directly from Dean’s new website, Stat Soldier. Go check it out by clicking here.

Tonight is the night! The MLB Home Run Derby.

This is one of the most exciting events in sports. Every year, we see some of the best power hitters in baseball come together to show us what they can do at the plate, essentially during a controlled batting practice.

The field this year is super intriguing, and it got me thinking about how this year’s field stacks up to others. So I took the last 10 seasons of home run data pre-All-Star Break, excluding the Covid-19 season, and wanted to see how this year’s Home Run Derby Field stacks up against the previous 9.

See what I found out and check out my prediction for tonight!

10) 2022

The Field: Kyle Schwarber (PHI) - 29, Pete Alonso (NYM) - 23, Corey Seager (TEX) - 22, Juan Soto (WSH) - 21, Jose Ramirez (CLE) - 19, Julio Rodriguez (SEA) - 15, Ronald Acuna Jr. (ATL) - 8, Albert Pujols (STL) - 6

The Winner: Juan Soto (WSH)

Total HR By All-Star Break: 143

9) 2023

The Field: Luis Robert Jr. (CHW) - 24, Pete Alonso (NYM) - 26, Mookie Betts (LAD) - 26, Adolis Garcia (TEX) - 21, Randy Arozarena (RB) - 16, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR) - 13, Julio Rodriguez (SEA) - 13, Adley Rutschman (BAL) -11

The Winner: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR)

Total HR By All-Star Break: 150

8) 2018

The Field: Jesus Aguilar (MIL) - 24, Bryce Harper (PHI) - 23, Max Muncy (LAD) - 21, Alex Bregman (HOU) - 19, Kyle Schwarber (CHC) - 17, Javier Baez (CHC) - 18, Freddie Freeman (ATL) - 16, Rhys Hoskins (PHI) - 14

The Winner: Bryce Harper (PHI)

Total HR By All-Star Break: 152

7) 2021

The Field: Shohei Ohtani (LAA) - 33, Joey Gallo (TEX) - 24, Matt Olson (OAK) - 20, Salvador Perez (KC) - 21, Pete Alonso (NYM) - 17, Trey Mancini (BAL) - 16, Trevor Story (COL) - 11, Juan Soto (WSH) - 11

The Winner: Pete Alonso (NYM)

Total HR By All-Star Break: 153

6) 2024

The Field: Teoscar Hernandez (LAD) - 19, Bobby Witt Jr. (KC) - 16, Alec Bohm (PHI) - 11, Jose Ramirez (CLE) - 29, Adolis Garcia (TEX) - 17, Marcell Ozuna (ATL) - 26, Pete Alonso (NYM) - 18, Gunnar Henderson (BAL) - 28

The Winner: Teoscar Hernandez (LAD)

Total HR By All-Star Break: 164

5) 2016

The Field: Mark Trumbo (BAL) - 28, Todd Frazier (CHW) - 23, Adam Duvall (CIN) - 22, Robinson Cano (SEA) - 20, Giancarlo Stanton (MIA) - 19, Wil Myers (SD) - 19, Carlos Gonzalez (COL) - 18, & Corey Seager (LAD) - 17

The Winner: Giancarlo Stanton (MIA)

Total HR By All-Star Break: 166

4) 2017

The Field: Giancarlo Stanton (MIA) - 23, Aaron Judge (NYY) - 29, Cody Bellinger (LAD) - 24, Mike Moustakas (KC) - 25, Miguel Sano (MIN) - 20, Charlie Blackmon (COL) - 18, Justin Bour (MIA) - 18, & Gary Sanchez (NYY) - 13

The Winner: Aaron Judge (NYY)

Total HR By All-Star Break: 170

3) 2019

The Field: Christian Yelich (MIL) - 31, Pete Alonso (NYM) - 28, Josh Bell (PIT) - 26, Alex Bregman (HOU) - 23, Joc Pederson (LAD) - 20, Ronald Acuna Jr. (ATL) - 20, Carlos Santana (CLE) - 19, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR) - 8

The Winner: Pete Alonso (NYM)

Total HR By All-Star Break: 175

2) 2025

The Field: Cal Raleigh (SEA) - 38, Junior Caminero (TB) - 23, Oneil Cruz (PIT) - 16, Byron Buxton (MIN) - 21, Brent Rooker (ATH) - 20, James Wood (WSH) - 24, Matt Olson (ATL) - 17, Jazz Chisholm Jr. (NYY) - 17

The Winner: Cal Raleigh (SEA)

Total HR By All-Star Break: 176

1) 2026

The Field: Kyle Schwarber (PHI) - 32, Bryce Harper (PHI) - 20, Jac Caglianone (KC) - 15, Junior Caminero (TB) - 28, Willson Contreras (BOS) - 20, Munetaka Murakami (CHW) - 20, Jordan Walker (STL) - 22, & Ben Rice (NYY) - 29

The Winner: TBD (My Prediction - Jac Caglianone)***

Total HR By All-Star Break: 186

The most shocking thing I took away from this exercise is that this year has had the most home runs hit as a group in the last decade, Pre-All-Star Break. Hitting has been “down” all year, but the home runs have not stopped.

• MLB Draft

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• Dean’s Hall of Fame Collection

Over the last six months, Boston Red Sox fans have been on a roller coaster. Through it all, I have tried to stay positive. I freaking love watching Red Sox baseball. Yeah, when they are losing in embarrassing ways, it could be a little depressing.

But I would rather be watching Red Sox baseball, win or lose, over anything else in the world (along with Batman: The Animated Series and Seinfeld).

So, yeah, having to go on Twitter and see people CONSTANTLY being negative put a damper on following the team. If you go to my Twitter account, you will see one person who thinks I am specifically talking about him. I am not. I am talking about dozens of Red Sox content creators who have been a miserable sight on my timeline this season. Why this one person (whom I don’t even follow on Twitter) has decided to target me is beyond my comprehension. Just got to pray for them, I suppose.

(Editor’s Note: Let me be clear, I have no problem with people being critical of the team. I have been in the past as well (Cora). It just hit a point this season where it was unbearable and also felt inauthentic to get more clicks and likes.)

That all brings me to Craig Breslow. Have I loved every move that Craig Breslow has made? Nope! Do I think the team's current structure is a little hectic? Yep! But I can also sit here and recognize that he has also made some great moves that deserve applause.

(Editor’s Note: A lot of internal thoughts in this blog. If you watch the Netflix Documentary about the team “The Clubhouse,” you will see there was a clear power struggle between Craig Breslow and Alex Cora. Carry on.)

Like most of my blogs, I am going to break it down into “What I Loved”, “What I was Mid About,” and “What I Didn’t Love”

(Editor’s Note: Me again, this might look like a Breslow burner account. But look me in the eye and tell me these moves haven’t worked out.)

What I Loved

• Payton Tolle

  • Tolle was drafted by Breslow in the 2nd round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of TCU. He rose up the minors and has been an integral part of this 2026 squad.

• Jake Bennett Trade

  • Bennett came over in a December trade that no one gave a second thought. Coming off Tommy John, he was great in the minors for the Nationals in 2025. After some great starts in Worcester and a cup of coffee at Fenway, Bennett is now entrenched in the rotation.

• Garrett Crochet Trade

  • No explanation needed.

• Ranger Suarez Deal

  • Right now, you have to put Suarez in the loved section. Unlike Gray, he has a longer deal, so we will see how I feel in two years.

  • Slight damper on things as he hit the IL right before the All-Star break. Doesn’t seem to be a long-term issue, and I imagine we'll see him within ten days.

  

• Sonny Gray Signing

  • Gave up Richard Fitts and Brandon Clarke, but got Gray and $20 million on top. Gray never found his Minnesota form with St. Louis, but he sure has with Boston this year. Now that Boston is right in the playoff race, I would be surprised to see him moved.

  

• Caleb Durbin Trade

  • A month ago, maybe Durbin wasn’t in the loved section, and you can argue now he shouldn’t be with his sub-700 OPS. But when Durbin got hot, the whole team followed. He is also a superb defender.

• Aroldis Chapman Signing

  • Along with Mason Miller, Chapman has been the best closer in baseball over the last two years. People are quick to forget his 1.17 ERA last year—a few hiccups here in 2026, but still an absolute dog.

• Willson Contreras Trade

  • When Contreras was swapped for Hunter Dobbins, I was definitely hurting a little. I was a big fan of Dobbins, mainly because he commented on one of my posts, but he tore his ACL last year and was a ways away from coming back.

  • I attribute 70% of the team’s success to Contreras. Besides being their best hitter, he is the team's heartbeat. An absolute psycho (respectfully) who will fight anyone and do anything to light a fire in the team. Even when Boston was in the complete gutter, he was playing like it was the World Series. Couldn’t ask for anything more.

  

• Move To Chad Tracy

  • This one is a biased pick for me. Personally, I was never a fan of Alex Cora as Red Sox manager. Some reports surfaced about extra tension in the clubhouse, and, frankly, watching the Netflix documentary, it was clear that the Cora/Breslow relationship wasn’t going to work. I don’t think it is worth debating who was at fault, but I think Cora wants to be a GM, and he wasn’t.

  • Tracy, on the other hand, has slid into a very difficult position and turned the team around.

• Trading Alex Verdugo

  • One of Breslow’s first moves was to trade Verdugo to the Yankees for Weissert and Richard Fitts. Richard Fitts was flipped for Sonny Gray.

  • Sonny Gray is an All-Star, and Weissert is part of the best bullpen in baseball. Feels like no one talks about this deal.

• Letting Alex Bregman Walk

  • Alright, here is where I know a lot of people are going to get upset. Durbin is better than Bregman this year. He is younger, costs less, and they will have him for three years at minimal cost.

  • Whenever this is brought up online, Bregman fans will jump in and say, “You can’t quantify the veteran presence.” You can, and it’s not worth almost $200 million.

    

• Kyson Witherspoon, Anthony Eyanson, and Justin Gonzales

  • All three are Top 5 prospects for Boston, with Eyanson and Gonzales both cracking MLB's Top 100—all are Breslow acquisitions. Don’t be shocked to see Eyanson called up in September.

What I Was ‘Mid’ About

• Handling of Marcelo Mayer, Kristian Campbell, and Roman Anthony

  • If I am going to give Breslow so much praise, I need to point this out. “The Big Three” have been a mess so far. How much of that is Breslow’s fault? At least some.

• Quinn Priester Trade

  • I liked Nick Yorke, and then I liked Quinn Priester, and now I don’t know who I like. It is too early to say anything about the players the Red Sox got from the Priester trade. They used the pick on Marcus Phillips, their #8 prospect. John Holobitz is their #12 prospect, and Yophery Rodriguez doesn’t crack the Top 30 at the moment.

What I Didn’t Love

• Rafael Devers Trade

  • There is a real argument that freeing up the money was the right move. There is a real argument that Devers was no longer a fit in the locker room. But I am never going to say trading a franchise cornerstone is the right thing to do.

• Chris Sale Trade

  • Hindsight is 50/50, but with a similar thought process as above, Sale was such a foundational piece of the team. For him to go out and immediately win the Cy Young was just the cherry on top. (The term doesn’t really fit there, but I can’t think of the opposite of a cherry on top.)

• Inability To Express Himself

  • Sam from Discuss Baseball gave me this idea, and it is dead on. Breslow is a robot at times and not great at expressing his thoughts both inside the organization and to fans. Kind of an important role in his position.

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Overall Takeaway

I was boots on the ground for Saturday’s game, and let me tell you, barely anything happened. Yes, the Red Sox won and hit two bombs, but that was it from both sides. Probably not the game to take my wife to in an attempt to get her into baseball. Regardless, I had fun.

Entering the All-Star Break, I don’t think vibes can be higher for Red Sox fans. They are in the Wild Card race, and games are fun to watch.

What else could you ask for?

Game 1: Red Sox 6-2

Game 2: Red Sox 4-0

Game 3: Red Sox 3-2

What I Loved

• SMALL BALL WINS GAMES

  • Alex Cora rarely utilized the sacrifice bunt. Chad Tracy lives for it. Using it won the Red Sox the game on Sunday. He knew all they needed was a run, and the bullpen would lock it up. Manager of the year for me.

• Masataka Yoshida

  • Home run on Saturday, doubled twice on Friday, got benched on Sunday. Would have loved to see him start on Sunday with his hot hand.

• Sonny Gray

  • Shrugged off a 24-hour travel nightmare to deliver 6 strong innings of 1-run ball with 5 strikeouts. He is unbeaten in 13 consecutive starts.

• Andruw Monasterio

  • I have been critical of Monasterio in the past, but seeing him hit a home run a few seats from me on Saturday changed me. I also have to appreciate his ability to move from 1B to SS without being a liability.

• Bullpen

  • Aside from a home run given up by Weissert on Friday and by Bello on Sunday, the bullpen was nails. (I kind of don’t count Bello; it was a planned ministart with Tolle on a short leash.)

  • They continue to have the 2nd-best ERA in the American League.

  • Helped lock in Boston’s AL-leading 9th shutout of the season.

What I Was ‘Mid’ About

• Brayan Bello

  • Bello looked great in his first two innings before giving up a home run to Francisco Lindor. He then settled in for the rest of the game. I am not ready to put him back in the “loved” section, but if you did, I wouldn’t fight you.

What I Didn’t Love

• The “Show and Go” Travel Nightmare

  • I don’t love the fact that something like this could totally derail a team. I do love the fact that yet another plane incident could start a Red Sox rally. The Red Sox caught fire after the Minnesota incident and secured an AL Wild Card spot. Hmmmmm.

• Jarren Duran

  • Jarren has a .457 OPS over his last 30 games. That is all.

    • (Editor’s Note: I have to write these blogs during the last game so that when it ends, I can publish them immediately. Very happy that Duran knocked in those runs in the 9th. That being said, it was not well hit, and I would not have removed him from this section.)

Who Got Screwed

• My Wife’s Credit Card

  • She got double-charged for a margarita behind center field at Citi Field. Financially, I do not know if we will ever recover from this.

Stat Soldier Score Cards

Game 1:

Game 2:

Game 3:

This year, I decided to do the last 10 as they are all still active in MLB. I’m also packing my bags to get boots on the ground for the Red Sox at the Mets at 4:10. I will post some photos from the game.

I will give their career stats, a quick summary, and a verdict.

Spoiler: Most of them are busts, and if you have a problem with that, I am sorry.

2025: Eli Willits

He is only 18, so not going to comment on him yet. However, I have stashed him in my dynasty leagues and hope he becomes a 30/30 guy.

2024: Travis Bazzana

Bazzana made his debut this year and has been solid. Over 63 games, he has produced 1.0 bWAR. Works out to about 2.6 across an entire season, which is not bad for a rookie.

Verdict: Australian

Career: 1.0 bWAR/ .242 BA / 7 HR / 28 RBI / 12 SB / .729 OPS

2023: Paul Skenes

I don’t want to say that Skenes has crashed back to earth, but he sure as heck isn't having the same success he had in his first two years. He is currently carrying a 3.58 ERA past the midway point of the year. His FIP is a significantly better 2.98, marking the first time in his career that it has been lower than his actual ERA. Some regression was expected, as his fastball velocity and spin rate have consistently dipped over the last two years.

Verdict: Home Run

Career: 15.6 WAR/ 21 Wins/ 2.36 ERA/ 509 SO/ 182 ERA+

2022: Jackson Holliday

He’s still only 22 years old. That is what Orioles fans are saying.

I agree with that, and I think he got rushed up to the majors two years ago because of his name and being the #1 pick.

Verdict: On The Path To Bust

Career: 1.3 WAR/ 27 HR/ .229 BA/ 93 RBI/ 88 OPS+

2021: Henry Davis

If he weren’t a catcher and seemingly Paul Skenes' buddy, he would be in the minors.

Verdict: Bust

Career: -1.11 WAR/ 22 HR/ .175 BA/ 54 OPS+

2020: Spencer Torkelson

I’ve stashed Torkelson on my dynasty team for years now. I have wanted him to work so badly. Last year, it looked like our dreams might finally be coming true. Then he went back to being a Mendoza Line hitter.

Look, I don’t love WAR. I use it because everyone wants me to. That being said, if you produce only 2.0 bWAR across 5 years, you aren’t getting anything above a BUST.

Verdict: BUST

Career: 2.0 / 96 HR/ .225 BA/ 291 RBI/ 101 OPS+

2019: Adley Rutschman

Adley started his career with a bang in his first three seasons. There were some red flags in the analytics, but he was consistent behind the plate and was healthy. Then those red flags started to manifest, and injuries began to appear as well. His 2025 was a real disappointment, and many fans started calling for Basallo to replace him. He has rebounded in 2026, so let’s see where the season finishes.

Verdict: Not a bust.

Career: 16.5 WAR/ 69 HR/ .255 BA/ 115 OPS+

2018: Casey Mize

Mize had a great 2021, in which he posted 3.4 bWAR. He then disappeared until last year, where he managed a sub-4.00 ERA again. He has looked great in 2026, carrying a 163 ERA+. Keep an eye on him at the trade deadline.

Verdict: Half Bust

Career: 7.3 WAR/ 9 Wins/ 3.98 ERA/ 437 SO/ 106 ERA+

2017: Royce Lewis

Unfortunately, Royce has never been able to stay healthy. At this point, we can only hope for a Mickey Moniak-type resurgence.

Verdict: Bust

Career: 4.5 WAR/ 55 HR/ .248 BA/ 183 RBI/ 105 OPS+

2016: Mickey Moniak

If you go to Mickey’s Baseball Reference page, there are a lot of negative WAR seasons with two exceptions. In 2023, he posted 2.2 bWAR over 85 games, and in 2026, he has posted 0.8 bWAR over 60 games. But for the non-WAR lovers (me), I like to look at his OPS. He has a .824 OPS over 135 games last year. PLENTY of teams would take that. This year, he has a .916 OPS. He won’t walk, he won’t make errors, he won’t make great plays, but he will hit some bombs.

Verdict: Bust

Career: 1.1 WAR/ 71 HR/ .248 BA/ 211 RBI

2015: Dansby Swanson

Dansby’s June was electric; the rest of 2026 has been mid at best.

He still has 2.6 bWAR for the year, and if you look at his Cubs contract, he has produced the “value” that they are paying him. If we are looking at the traditional $8 million per WAR, he more than covers what they have paid him so far. Take that, his 2 Gold Gloves, and his World Series title when judging him.

Verdict: Pleasntly pleased.

Career: 31.0 WAR/ 180 HR/ .248 BA/ 692 RBI/ OPS+ 97

Overall Takeaway

I am going to be very careful here with what I say in this blog. It has become clear that a Red Sox content creator is taking many of my tweets and blogs as direct attacks on him. Twice now, he has gone in and attacked me about my stuff. Little does he know I just got credentialed to attend the Hall of Fame Induction in Cooperstown (Blog coming about that), so nothing can bring me down.

Alright, on to the best team in baseball.

I am not going to sit here and pretend that this year has been a joy to watch from start to finish. But there is literally nothing else better in the world than watching Red Sox baseball. Win or lose, I don’t care, I just want to watch games.

Yeah, it is way more fun when the team is winning. And the team is on fire. They have won 11 of their last 13, including three sweeps (Yankees, Angels, and White Sox). They will now go play the Mets before the All-Star break. I will be boots on the ground for Saturday’s game, so look out for some content on my X account.

Go Boston.

Game 1: Red Sox 8-1

Game 2: Red Sox 5-0

Game 3: Red Sox 2-1

What I Loved

• Winning

  • Winning cures everything, and right now the Red Sox are the best team in baseball (Sorry, Marlins).

• Willson Contreras

  • Really only had an impact in Game 1, but his impact is beyond the diamond. He is the heart of the team at this point.

  

• Ceddanne Rafaela

  • Home run on Tuesday, followed by another 2-5 game on Wednesday. Not much noise on Thursday, but he did his job.

  • Here are Ceddanne Rafaela’s splits over the last few years.

    • 2023: .241 AVG | .666 OPS | 76 wRC+
      2024: .246 AVG | .664 OPS | 81 wRC+
      2025: .249 AVG | .708 OPS | 91 wRC+
      2026: .287 AVG | .780 OPS | 114 wRC+

• Bullpen

  • Pen has been nails the last six games with a 1.33 ERA. I have no idea if Tanner Houck will actually be able to pitch this year, but get that guy in the bullpen, too, and make a run.

• Jake Bennett

  • I have a blog coming out called “In Defense of Craig Breslow”. A section of the blog will cover the trade for Jake Bennett.

  • Four straight quality starts from Jake.

    

• Payton Tolle

  • Wow, another player chosen by Craig Breslow? Yep.

  • Payton Tolle bounced back from his worst start of the season to throw six shutout innings on Tuesday. Was throwing a lot of cutters in that game against the Nationals, but reversed and used the sinker as his main secondary pitch.

    

What I Was ‘Mid’ About

• NOTHING

  • I am on such a high with this win streak

What I Didn’t Love

• Jarren Duran

  • While the Red Sox have been great the last 20 games, Duran has not. He has carried a .495 OPS over that time span. Yikes. Lots of calls for him to be traded at the deadline, along with others, but that seems like a huge waste at this point. Any return you get will be underwhelming.

Who Got Screwed

• The Home Run Derby (Potentially)

  • I don’t think Contreras is ruled out of the derby yet, but you have to imagine they are contemplating it. Frankly, I was hoping to see him charge the mound or attack Junior Caminero. Would have made for good TV.

Stat Soldier Score Cards

Game 1:

Game 2

Game 3:

Editor’s Note: All my graphics going forward will come directly from Dean’s new website, Stat Soldier. Go check it out by clicking here.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

The 2026 MLB Trade Deadline is approaching fast, Monday, August 3rd at 6 p.m. EST to be exact.

We may be in store for one of the most interesting deadlines in recent history!

On one hand, the American League stinks this year. Outside of the current division leaders, Tampa Bay, Chicago, and Seattle, we are looking at a whopping ten teams all within striking distance of each other fighting for three Wild Card spots.

Between the Yankees, Guardians, Rangers, Astros, Twins, Blue Jays, Orioles, Red Sox, Tigers, and the Athletics, there are so many twists and turns we can see at the deadline. Team performance over the next 2-3 weeks is going to be critical to how these teams approach the trade market.

Then, on the other hand, the National League is starting to show its true colors. The Dodgers are, without a doubt, the apex predator in Major League Baseball, and have a 14-game lead in the West. The Brewers have a 7-game lead in the Central, which is a larger lead than any division leader in the American League, and the East is giving us a somewhat fun race to watch.

That being said, the NL Wild Card Race is exciting! The Cubs, Phillies, Marlins, Cardinals, Pirates, Nationals, Diamondbacks, and Padres are all battling it out and can give us a show down the stretch.

Trying to have a little fun, I am going to make 10 predictions about where some of the top trade candidates may land.

HM) Tarik Skubal - Detroit Tigers

Potential Landing Spots: Dodgers, Yankees, Phillies

Prediction —> Philadelphia Phillies

10) Isaac Paredes - Houston Astros

Potential Landing Spots: Marlins, Pirates, Brewers, Orioles

Prediction → Pirates

9) Pete Fairbanks - Miami Marlins

Potential Landing Spots: Nationals, Rays, Cardinals, Orioles

Prediction → Nationals

8) Christian Walker - Houston Astros

Potential Landing Spots: Pirates, Guardians, Orioles, Rangers

Prediction → Guardians

7) Reid Detmers - Los Angeles Angels

Potential Landing Spots: Padres, Mets, Nationals, Braves, Guardians

Prediction → Braves

6) Luis Arraez - San Francisco Giants

Potential Landing Spots: Yankees, Pirates, Royals, Padres, Tigers

Prediction → Yankees

5) CJ Abrams - Washington Nationals

Potential Landing Spots: Yankees, Guardians, Braves

Prediction → Yankees

4) Clay Holmes or Freddy Peralta - New York Mets

Potential Landing Spots: Padres, Blue Jays, White Sox, Rangers

Prediction → Blue Jays

3) Sandy Alcantara - Miami Marlins

Potential Landing Spots: White Sox, Cubs, Braves, Cardinals

Prediction → White Sox

2) Aroldis Chapman - Boston Red Sox

Potential Landing Spots: Cubs, Cardinals, Guardians, White Sox, Dodgers

Prediction → Dodgers

1) Rafael Devers - San Francisco Giants

Potential Landing Spots: Guardians, Padres, Tigers

Prediction → Tigers

• All-Star Snubs

• Junior Caminero (Again)

• Brett Pushing Fake Facts

• Divisional Round Ups

• Card Talk

The Boston Red Sox farm system currently ranks between 10 and 15, depending on the publication. They were as high as #3 last year, but graduated a wave of talent. Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, Kristian Campbell, Payton Tolle, and Connelly Early have all been removed from the list.

What do the Red Sox have for all that talent?

Well, they are four games out of the Wild Card!

Campbell has been a disaster, Mayer not far behind, Anthony made of glass… but… Tolle and Early have been great. So, mixed bag.

In terms of the current Top 10 prospects for Boston, their performances have been a mixed bag so far. A lot of pitching on this list, including Bennett, who will be removed soon, so here’s hoping they turn out like Tolle and Early.

On the position-player side, Franklin Arias is having one of the best seasons in the minors. While there have been some calls from fans to move him up, there would be no benefit in bringing him into the madness of the current squad.

However, barring injury, they will have to bring him up over the next year. It is IMPERATIVE that they pick a position for him (hopefully SS), move all the other players off that position, and put him right in his natural spot. The most frustrating piece of the Red Sox player development over the last few years is that they are constantly moving players around the diamond. Just keep them in their position!

That being said, here are the Top 10 prospects for Boston and their stats so far this year.

1. Franklin Arias, SS
   Level: Double-A
   Age: 20
   Stats: .332/.418/.602, 17 HR, 47 RBI, 5 SB

2. Anthony Eyanson, RHP
   Level: Double-A
   Age: 21
   Stats: 1.29 ERA, 55.2 IP, 71 K, 20 BB, 0.86 WHIP

3. Justin Gonzales, OF
   Level: High-A
   Age: 19
   Stats: .250/.366/.414, 10 HR, 35 RBI, 6 SB

4. Kyson Witherspoon, RHP
   Level: High-A
   Age: 21
   Stats: 5.02 ERA, 61.0 IP, 65 K, 30 BB, 1.44 WHIP

5. Juan Valera, RHP
   Level: High-A
   Age: 20
   Stats: 1.93 ERA, 9.1 IP, 17 K, 4 BB, 0.86 WHIP

6. Jake Bennett, LHP
   Level: MLB
   Age: 25
   Stats: Promoted to Boston; 2026 combined MLB.com line: 2.36 ERA, 80.0 IP, 72 K, 16 BB, 1.00 WHIP

7. Dorian Soto, SS
   Level: Rookie
   Age: 18
   Stats: .213/.325/.265, 0 HR, 15 RBI, 9 SB

8. Marcus Phillips, RHP
   Level: High-A
   Age: 21
   Stats: 6.75 ERA, 41.1 IP, 46 K, 33 BB, 1.79 WHIP

9. Henry Godbout, 2B
   Level: High-A
   Age: 22
   Stats: .277/.410/.492, 7 HR, 14 RBI, 2 SB

10. Enddy Azocar, OF
    Level: High-A
    Age: 19
    Stats: .267/.329/.465, 9 HR, 41 RBI, 11 SB

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• CBA

• Junior Caminero

• Red Sox vs Yankees

• Fake Barry Bonds Ball

• Divisional Round Ups

But for every team, there is at least one hitter who has been a disappointment. So, I went through all 30 teams and picked a player for each.

I’m not going to lie, some of the teams were pretty difficult to choose. Take teams like the Nationals and Marlins. They are overachieving offensively in a big way. If this list included pitchers, it would probably be easier. But I was not committed halfway through, so I stayed the course.

If there is a player on your team you're more frustrated with, feel free to head over to Twitter and let me hear it.

AL East

Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Position: 1B
2026 Stats: .271 AVG / 4 HR / 34 RBI / .706 OPS

Orioles: Gunnar Henderson
Position: SS
2026 Stats: .223 AVG / 16 HR / 39 RBI / .708 OPS

Rays: Cedric Mullins
Position: CF
2026 Stats: .207 AVG / 7 HR / 24 RBI / .609 OPS

Red Sox: Jarren Duran
Position: LF/CF
2026 Stats: .198 AVG / 12 HR / 38 RBI / .615 OPS

Yankees: Austin Wells
Position: C
2026 Stats: .160 AVG / 4 HR / 9 RBI / .510 OPS

AL Central

Guardians: Steven Kwan
Position: LF/CF
2026 Stats: .209 AVG / 1 HR / 13 RBI / .574 OPS

Royals: Salvador Perez
Position: C/DH
2026 Stats: .200 AVG / 10 HR / 30 RBI / .573 OPS

Tigers: Spencer Torkelson
Position: 1B
2026 Stats: .207 AVG / 12 HR / 32 RBI / .712 OPS

Twins: Royce Lewis
Position: 3B
2026 Stats: .212 AVG / 7 HR / 22 RBI / .658 OPS

White Sox: Luisangel Acuña
Position: SS/OF
2026 Stats: .222 AVG / 1 HR / 10 RBI / .521 OPS

AL West

Angels: Logan O’Hoppe
Position: C
2026 Stats: .213 AVG / 1 HR / 8 RBI / .600 OPS

Astros: Brice Matthews
Position: CF/IF
2026 Stats: .196 AVG / 6 HR / 18 RBI / .574 OPS

Athletics: Lawrence Butler
Position: OF
2026 Stats: .198 AVG / 5 HR / 21 RBI / .593 OPS

Mariners: Cal Raleigh
Position: C
2026 Stats: .162 AVG / 8 HR / 21 RBI / .571 OPS

Rangers: Corey Seager
Position: SS
2026 Stats: .185 AVG / 10 HR / 25 RBI / .670 OPS

NL East

Braves: Austin Riley
Position: 3B
2026 Stats: .212 AVG / 8 HR / 36 RBI / .635 OPS

Marlins: Owen Caissie
Position: RF
2026 Stats: .227 AVG / 9 HR / 43 RBI / .703 OPS

Mets: Mark Vientos
Position: 1B/3B
2026 Stats: .214 AVG / 10 HR / 33 RBI / .643 OPS

Phillies: Trea Turner
Position: SS
2026 Stats: .233 AVG / 7 HR / 24 RBI / .622 OPS

Nationals: Brady House
Position: 3B
2026 Stats: .227 AVG / 7 HR / 25 RBI / .681 OPS

NL Central

Cubs: Alex Bregman
Position: 3B
2026 Stats: .242 AVG / 6 HR / 27 RBI / .678 OPS

Reds: Matt McLain
Position: 2B
2026 Stats: .198 AVG / 8 HR / 25 RBI / .646 OPS

Brewers: Joey Ortiz
Position: SS
2026 Stats: .201 AVG / 1 HR / 15 RBI / .533 OPS

Pirates: Marcell Ozuna
Position: DH
2026 Stats: .204 AVG / 7 HR / 26 RBI / .614 OPS

Cardinals: Nolan Gorman
Position: 3B
2026 Stats: .194 AVG / 7 HR / 26 RBI / .597 OPS

NL West

Diamondbacks: Nolan Arenado
Position: 3B
2026 Stats: .240 AVG / 8 HR / 33 RBI / .704 OPS

Rockies: Ezequiel Tovar
Position: SS
2026 Stats: .211 AVG / 6 HR / 25 RBI / .591 OPS

Dodgers: Kyle Tucker
Position: RF
2026 Stats: .238 AVG / 7 HR / 44 RBI / .718 OPS

Padres: Manny Machado
Position: 3B
2026 Stats: .183 AVG / 14 HR / 43 RBI / .647 OPS

Giants: Willy Adames
Position: SS
2026 Stats: .230 AVG / 14 HR / 32 RBI / .707 OPS

Last night, as I lay on the couch eating buy-one-get-one-free Mogu, I was unable to watch the Red Sox due to blackout restrictions. I had the live stats up on www.statsoldier.com and decided to put on the White Sox vs. the Royals instead.

The White Sox absolutely manhandled the Royals, putting up 22 runs. It was fun. However, every other player that stepped to the plate was a former member of the Boston Red Sox.

Now, I am a pretty positive guy. I think the Red Sox are a wagon, will sweep the Yankees this weekend, and go on a World Series run. But I wanted to try and come up with a Red Sox lineup of just former Red Sox players who are still in the league.

I immediately became depressed.

Here is what the Red Sox roster COULD look like, if they kept their guys.

C - Kyle Teel

Teel just came off the IL, so the stats aren’t there at the moment. Still, I think we could all agree he would be a step up from Mickey Gasper (mustache not included)

1B - Rafael Devers

Say what you want about Devers. Two years ago, everyone was kissing his feet. I’d still kiss his feet, given the opportunity, as a thank you for everything he did in Boston.

I have my feelings on who ruined Rafael Devers. Thankfully, that person is no longer with the organization either.

2B - Vaughn Grissom

At first glance, I thought, “Well, this is a stretch.” Then I remembered that Anthony Seigler (Who?) is playing 2B against the Yankees today.

SS - Xander Bogaerts

If I were to kiss Rafael Devers feet, you can only imagine what I would do for Xander Bogaerts. It is a travesty that he is wasting away in San Diego.

3B - Alex Bregman

Full disclosure, I wanted to put Blaze Jordan here. However, there are Red Sox fans on X that will try to ruin my life if I don’t mention how amazing Alex Bregman was to Boston.

LF - Andrew Benintendi

When I was a young man, I wrote a letter to Andrew Benintendi. It isn’t weird because we are the same age, and I did get a reply. It was from his agent at the time, who told me Andrew was on vacation, but that he would write back as soon as possible.

A month later, reports surfaced accusing the agent of installing cameras in his shower to record his clients.

I never got that letter from Andrew Benintendi.

I live with that every day.

CF - Braden Montgomery

Braden Montgomery was drafted in the first MLB Draft, which I actually sat and watched start to finish.

Never got to see him do anything with the Red Sox, as he was traded away for Garrett Crochet.

RF - Mookie Betts

I know what you are thinking.

“Why isn’t Alex Verdugo in this spot?”

Unfortunately, Alex had surgery and is not on any active roster. Don’t worry, the second he starts playing again, I will launch Mookie Betts into the sun.

DH - Kyle Schwarber

No comment.

SP - Chris Sale

It isn’t that the Red Sox's pitching is bad right now.

It’s just that Chris Sale is better.

SP - Kyle Harrison

I am fully convinced that Kyle Harrison had no desire to play for Boston. He self-sabotaged himself so that he could get traded. It is the only explanation for how he got so good immediately after he left.

Right?

SP - Nathan Eovaldi

Nathan should have been kept in Boston until he died for what he did in 2018. The biggest trend on this list is loyalty. If the Red Sox threw analytics and business to the side and just were loyal to their players, they would have a World Series-contending team still.

SP - Eduardo Rodriguez

Again, loyalty.

SP - Michael Wacha

If I am being honest, I totally forgot that Wacha played for the Red Sox.

That being said, he has averaged 2.6 bWAR a year since leaving.

CP - Kenley Jansen

Yeah, give me Chapman over this guy every day of the week.

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Overall Takeaway

This is my first Red Sox series review in a few weeks. I strongly believe that if you are not sitting and watching the games, you shouldn’t be writing about them. I have watched the games over the last two weeks, but I have missed a few in each series, and I wanted to stay true to my morals.

However, my schedule is now officially free for the next two and a half months, so I have nothing stopping me from watching all the games. I made sure on Monday to get everything done so I could sit and take it all in. Immediately was thrown into negativity city.

Yes, them blowing a game in the 9th against one of the worst teams in baseball stinks. But they are also one of the worst teams in baseball right now, so does it really matter. I began taking screenshotting all the negative things the “Red Sox Content Creators” have been posting over the last month. I had to move it to my laptop because my phone storage began to run out. However, like last year, I find it exhausting being on X and other social media platforms and just having this negativity thrown down my throat by people who claim to be super fans.

I will be working on a blog tomorrow that lays out the Red Sox second half schedule and if there is any world they could make a run for the playoffs. I will then decide who I feel should be traded away.

Go Sox.

Game 1: Rockies 3-2

Game 2: Red Sox 5-2

Game 3: Rockies 8-6

What I Loved

• Ranger Suarez/ Sonny Gray/ Jake Bennett

  • Not the first time all three starters pitched great in a series, and won’t be the last. The pitching for the Red Sox has been the lone true bright spot of this season. When looking at the run differential in the American League, I was shocked to see Boston at only -5. Then I remembered how truly bad their offense is.

  • For Suarez, it is four straight starts going at least five innings and giving up three runs or less. Sonny Gray has not given up more than three runs in a start since APRIL 14th.

  

  

• Connor Wong

  • I can’t believe Wong hit his first home run since 2024.

  • I can’t believe Wong is still getting at bats in 2026.

• Ceddanne Rafaela

  • Made the game worth watching on Wednesday.

  • I accidently put him in the “bust” section in my latest blog about early contract extensions. I really need to change that before Sox fans start going down my throat.

What I Was ‘Mid’ About

• Having To Watch Andruw Montaserio

  • Super happy he got a home run on Wednesday. The team can take any offense. However, having to watch three straight days of Andruw consistently playing made me depressed. Nothing against him personally, I just thought the team would be a different place.

• Marcelo Mayer

  • It is really dissapointing to see the only member of the “Big Three” left in the majors struggling. I try and give him the benefit of the doubt. He has been hurt, sick, and distracted by his girlfriend. We have all been there. He also was thrown around the infield by Cora and Tracy over the last year. Bryce Eldridge had a great quote today about how playing everyday is the only way to get comfortable and deliver. Boston should take notes.

What I Didn’t Love

• Roman Anthony News

  • First, it was day-to-day, then a few weeks, then 6-8 weeks; now it seems to be season-ending.

• Aroldis Chapman Implosion Monday

  • First time in a Boston uniform that he was unable to record an out. Probably doesn’t hurt his trade value, but doesn’t go towards his 40 innings needed for his option to kick in. Did he self-sabotage?

  

• Caleb Durbin Sliding Into Home

  • Maybe Caleb’s private trainers can fill him in on the analytics of sliding into first base. (Spoiler: It doesn’t work.)

Who Got Screwed

• Willson Contreras’ Helmet

  • Rumors of off the field issues for Willson. He seemed to take it out on his helmet yesterday.

Stat Soldier Score Cards

Game 1:

Game 2:

Game 3:

Ever wonder why so many of baseball’s greatest players were signing autographs and doing appearances up until they were on their deathbed? It’s because they made no money.

• Ted Williams: $1.5 million career earnings

• Hank Aaron: $2.1 million career earnings

• Willie Mays: $1.15 million career earnings

• Joe DiMaggio: $700,000 career earnings

• Babe Ruth: $856,000 career earnings

Even adjusted for inflation and taking into account all their other earnings, the combined net worths of just those five players at the time of their deaths were around $100 million. Over half of that comes from DiMaggio being the face of Mr. Coffee.

Then, in 1973, arbitration was introduced, with free agency following soon after, and over the last 50 years, players have been making more and more money.

Now? We have entered a new chapter.

Since 2018, MLB clubs have increasingly leaned into one of the most aggressive roster-building strategies in the sport: signing young players to long-term extensions before arbitration, buying out all of their arb years, and often pushing free agency into their late 20s or early 30s.

This is the world of Ronald Acuña Jr., Ozzie Albies, Julio Rodríguez, Corbin Carroll, Bobby Witt Jr., Jackson Merrill, Roman Anthony, Jackson Chourio, Kristian Campbell, Ceddanne Rafaela, and a growing list of players who signed away the traditional arbitration path before they ever had to go year-to-year with their teams.

And honestly? It’s a pretty mixed bag for the teams shelling out the money.

What These Deals Actually Are

Before getting into the names, let’s explain what is going on.

Under normal MLB rules, a player is generally under team control for six seasons. The first three are usually pre-arbitration years, during which the player earns close to league minimum. The next three are arbitration years, where his salary can climb quickly based on performance.

After that, he reaches free agency.

These extensions change that path.

Instead of waiting for arbitration, the team says:

“We’ll give you life-changing guaranteed money right now. In exchange, we get cost certainty, your arbitration years, and at least one or two free-agent seasons.”

The player gets security.

The team gets upside.

And if the player turns into a superstar, the team may have just saved itself tens — or even hundreds — of millions of dollars.

But if the player doesn’t pan out…. Well, these are billionaires, so who really cares?

The Acuña-Albies Blueprint

The modern version of this trend really started with the Braves.

In April 2019, the Braves signed Ronald Acuña Jr. to an eight-year, $100 million extension. At the time, Acuña was only 21 years old and had less than a full year of MLB service time. Albeit a Rookie of the Year's worth of service time.

The deal bought out his pre-arb years, all of his arbitration years, and multiple free-agent seasons. It also included club options for 2027 and 2028, meaning Atlanta could potentially control Acuña through his age-30 season. Which they will.

At the time, $100 million for a 21-year-old looked massive.

In hindsight, it became one of the most team-friendly contracts in baseball history. Acuna has already produced almost $200 million worth of value, and that doesn’t take into account the World Series and his MVP.

Just days after signing Ronald, they signed Ozzie Albies to a seven-year, $35 million extension. That one became even more controversial. Albies was already an All-Star-caliber second baseman, and Atlanta locked him up for an incredibly low guarantee with two club options attached.

Those two contracts became the template.

Not because every future deal would be that cheap — the market eventually corrected — but because teams saw the larger idea:

If you believe in a player early enough, you can buy their prime years before the market fully prices them in. And players have no problem locking up tens of millions of dollars.

The First Wave: Teams Testing the Market

From 2018 through 2020, teams started experimenting with this model more aggressively.

Some deals were attached to players who had barely played in the majors. Others were signed before the player even debuted.

The early group included:

This group is fascinating because it shows both sides of the risk.

Acuña and Albies became enormous wins for Atlanta.

Luis Robert Jr., when healthy, looked like exactly the kind of player this model is designed for.

But Scott Kingery and Evan White also showed the danger. These deals are not automatic wins. If the player does not develop, gets hurt, or simply never becomes the player the team thought it was buying, the club is stuck with a guaranteed contract for a player who might not produce enough value.

That is the tradeoff.

Then the Numbers Got Bigger

Once teams got comfortable with the concept, and the Braves won a World Series, the money started climbing.

That is how we got deals like:

This is where the trend changed.

The early deals were mostly team-friendly gambles. But by the time we get to Tatis, Julio, Carroll, Witt, and Chourio, these are no longer small bets. These are franchise-shaping decisions.

The Padres looked at Tatis and said, “This is our guy for the next decade-plus.” Then he got ringworm and drove a motorcycle

The Mariners looked at Julio and built one of the most complicated young-star contracts ever. (It could end up being like 17 years and over $400 million. It won’t, but it could, and it’s confusing.)

That Witt deal is especially interesting because it is one of the more player-friendly contracts in this category. It includes player opt-outs and gives Witt far more flexibility than a traditional team-control extension.

Players and agents saw what happened with Acuña and Albies. They were not going to keep giving teams the same level of discount forever.

The Prospect Extension Era Is Here

In the last two years, these contracts have exploded. You still have your Merrills and PCA’s who sign after showing some promise, but now guys just sign before getting a single at-bat.

Recent examples include:

The cheapest contract here, Luis Lara, is more than Albies signed for. Keep in mind, Albies was already an All-Star. Lara is still in the minors.

It is WAY too early to make any determination on these contracts.

What Are The Results Of All These Deals

Frankly, it is a mixed bag right now for the teams that have committed to their young players early. I will break it down into three categories. Worked, So Far So Good, Bombed, Jury Still Out.

I added a few players (Bello, Greene, Keith, Hayes, Franco), that I did not reference in the work above.

Worked:

• Ronald Acuña Jr.

• Ketel Marte (Sort of)

  • His initial contract did.

• Ozzie Albies (He got robbed)

So Far So Good:

• Julio Rodriguez

• Corbin Carroll

• Jackson Chourio

• Bobby Witt Jr

• Pete Crow-Armstrong

• Kevin McGonigle

Bombed:

• Scott Kingery

• Eloy Jimenez

• Evan White

• Luis Robert Jr

• Ceddanne Rafaela

• Kristian Campbell

• Brayan Bello

• Ke’Bryan Hayes

• Wander Franco (Duh)

Jury Still Out:

• Fernando Tatis Jr (Go look at it and come back)

• Roman Anthony

• Ezequel Tovar

• Michael Harris II (Leaning towards worked)

• Spencer Strider (Was great, now isn’t)

• Samuel Basallo

• Jacob Wilson

• Colt Emerson

• Konnor Griffin

• Luis Lara

• Cooper Pratt

• Lawrence Butler

• Jackson Merrill

• Hunter Greene

• Colt Keith

• All-Star Game

• Zack Gelof

• Home Run Derby Changes

• Divisional Round Ups