“Your son needs better competition; he needs private training; he needs more exposure; he needs better equipment.” Blah, Blah, Blah.

Next thing you know, you are paying up the wazoo to send your son to showcases halfway across the country with the best equipment there is.

So many problems come from this. The biggest being the delusion that parents have when their child gets to high school. I cannot tell you how many parents think their child should automatically be on a varsity team. They all think that. Why? Because they have spent, in some cases, upwards of $100,000 on their child’s training.

I don’t blame all the parents. Yeah, some of them are just crazy. But many are being placed in a tough position. These youth sports have become like politics. You want in? Well, open up your wallet.

I believe that MLB could help fix this system.

It should steal one of the best ideas in European soccer and require every MLB organization to operate free, official youth teams.

Cry about it. Here’s my pitch.

The Person Evaluating Your Child Is Also Sending the Invoice

Look, there are excellent travel teams with great coaches. There are private instructors who care deeply about their players and provide valuable coaching. This is not a blanket accusation that all of them are bad.

It is an indictment of the system.

In youth baseball, the person evaluating a child is frequently the same person collecting money from the family. That is a HUGE conflict of interest.

What incentive does a private coach have to tell a family that weekly training is no longer necessary? What incentive does a travel team have to say a player would be equally served on a less expensive local team? How often does a coach tell a parent that their son is a perfectly fine player but might not be cut out for high school or college?

Honesty can cost that coach a customer and money.

The word “elite” has consequently lost almost all meaning. We have elite teams, elite camps, elite tournaments, elite instructors, and elite showcases. Some organizations operate multiple “elite” teams in the same age group.

In modern youth baseball, elite is often something a family purchases. In a legitimate professional academy system, like the one I am suggesting, it would be something a player earns.

(I am sure there is some corruption in the Premier League system, so there probably will be a little bit here as well.)

What Parents Are Really Spending

There is no reliable national average limited specifically to travel-baseball families. The Aspen Institute found that baseball families spent an average of $1,112.50 in 2024, but that figure includes recreational, community, and school baseball. Only 16.8 percent of the baseball families surveyed regularly participated in travel, elite, or club programs. It does not reflect the full cost of the private baseball pipeline.

Current prices tell a different story. One competitive travel program charges close to $4,000 after tuition, uniforms, and an additional tournament fee. On Long Island, private baseball lessons commonly cost $55 to $70 per half hour, adding another $1,650 to $2,100 for one lesson a week over 30 weeks. Then come bats, gloves, cleats, hotels, gas, meals, tournament admission, and destination events such as Cooperstown.

That makes $8,000 a reasonable annual benchmark for a family seriously invested in travel baseball, but a realistic picture of what the complete commitment can cost. If a child plays from age 10 through age 18, that is potentially $72,000 over nine seasons. Some families will spend less; many will spend more.

What percentage of those families should really be spending $72,000 on their child’s sports? Realistically, none, but if there is, it is a very small percentage.

In my pitch, that small percentage would be folded into the youth teams that the MLB teams would fund.

The Odds Never Match the Sales Pitch

Data from the Aspen Institute's Project Play initiative (in partnership with Utah State University and Louisiana Tech University) surveyed nearly 2,000 youth sports parents and found that 10.3% of baseball parents believe their child has the ability to eventually reach professional sports.

That is an insane number. Want to guess how many play before high school? Around 4 million. How many of those play in high school? 472,598.

Those 10% of parents who think their son is going to go pro will be lucky if they play in high school.

Of that nearly half a million athletes playing in high school, around 41,580 competed at an NCAA school. So, about 8.8% reached the college level, with only 2.7% of them reaching Division 1.

The road narrows dramatically from there. The NCAA estimated that 9,240 college baseball players were eligible for the 2025 MLB Draft. Only 452 NCAA players were selected, or approximately 4.9% of the eligible group. That does not mean those 452 players will make it to MLB. It will probably be around 10%. (Seriously, I am shocked how many times it is 10%. It fits perfectly into what I am doing.)

These percentages really drive the point home.

The Premier League Offers a Different Model

Across the pond, the Premier League teams have a different process. Academies there can begin at the Under-9 level and continue through the Under-21 teams.

The league’s Elite Player Performance Plan classifies academies from Category One through Category Four based on factors including coaching, facilities, education, welfare and player development. A Category One academy provides a complete U9-to-U21 pathway and can offer full-time education beginning at U12.

Players receive professional coaching. The age-group teams play organized schedules against other academies. Clubs track their development and provide medical, educational, and performance support. The biggest part is that parents aren’t paying for this.

It is not a perfect system. Some players are recruited too early; there is a lot of pressure, and, like with baseball, most will not make a Premier League team.

But the pathway to the pros is there, and it is not a “pay-to-play” model like the one we see in baseball in the United States.

Seriously, do you think these “elite” teams in America would ever spend money on the educational, mental, and physical well-being of these boys? No.

Want to know who can afford to? Major League Baseball teams.

What Would MLB Youth Teams Look Like?

Imagine every MLB organization operating official U13, U15, and U18 teams.

Players would compete regionally during the season, with national tournaments or an academy championship held at major-league and spring-training facilities.

Because the United States is too large for 30 locations to cover the entire country, MLB organizations could use their minor-league affiliates and existing youth facilities as regional development centers. Open community programs could serve thousands of players.

The system would include:

• Free regional tryouts

• No team dues or participation fees

• Equipment and uniforms supplied by the organization

• Travel, lodging, and meals paid by the club

• Licensed coaches who are not compensated based on roster size

• Independent medical and child-welfare oversight

• Strict pitch limits and mandatory offseason rest

• Educational support and coordination with local schools

• Published evaluation standards

• Multiple opportunities to enter the system as players develop

• Honest exit meetings for released players and their families

• Public reporting on advancement, injuries, and player outcomes

Keep the Draft

MLB should adopt the Premier League's developmental structure without copying its approach to player ownership. (Although I love signing 15-year-olds in FIFA and having them come up early and become stars.)

A 13-year-old should not sign away his future rights to the organization operating his youth team. (Ironically, as I am writing this, I am pretty sure a 12-year-old just signed with a team.)

Academy players should remain eligible for the normal MLB Draft, and participation should not prevent them from attending the school or college of their choice.

That means the Mets might invest in developing a player whom the Cubs eventually draft. The goal is to expand and improve the sport, not to allow teams to acquire permanent control over children.

There is also a historical reason to retain the draft.

Before MLB introduced its amateur draft in 1965, high school and college players could sign with any team. The best amateurs could effectively offer their services to the highest bidder. The draft gave weaker organizations an opportunity to select the best young talent rather than allowing the wealthiest clubs to dominate amateur recruitment. The goal is to avoid the Dodgers giving 70-year deferred contracts to 12-year-olds.

The solution is central funding and strict limits. Every organization should receive the same baseline resources from an MLB development fund (I am sure they would argue about it). Territories should be balanced by youth population rather than simple mileage, with league-operated academies covering areas without nearby franchises. We aren’t looking to uproot families too much here.

MLB Has Already Proven Part of This Can Work

This would not require starting from nothing.

MLB already operates youth academies and development programs around the country. The Houston Astros MLB Youth Academy offers free, year-round instruction for players ages 7 through 17, along with tutoring, career development, and other educational programming. The Texas Rangers Youth Academy similarly provides free instruction for athletes between 7 and 18.

What MLB lacks is a connected national structure: official age-group teams beneath every MLB organization, standardized coaching and welfare requirements, regional competition and a visible pathway from community programming to the highest youth level.

What Happens to Travel Baseball?

Travel baseball would not disappear (Sadly).

MLB would not be able to fund teams for the 4 million kids who play baseball. Plus, some talented players might not want to participate in the MLB programs.

But those coaches and teams would have a much more difficult time selling a bag of lies that leads over 10% of parents to think their child can be a pro.

If MLB organizations held free open trials, employed regional scouts and operated their own youth leagues, “exposure” would become a much harder product to package and sell. A team could not imply that attending its expensive tournament was the only way to be discovered when every MLB organization already had its own free versions across the country.

Let The Kids Play… The Right Sport

Growing up, most kids played at least three sports. Now, we are seeing children practically out of the womb focusing on one sport their entire childhood.

I loved soccer and baseball growing up. But when it came time to go to high school, I was told those would not be an option. So, I just pivoted to my third sport, track, and went on to become an All-American runner and compete in college.

Did I want to run track? Hell no. I wanted to play soccer. But I couldn’t, and when that happened, I just transitioned easily over to another sport.

We aren’t seeing that today. Now we have parents who are convinced their son or daughter should automatically play in high school because they played the same sport for the last ten straight years and spent 100,000 doing so.

Major League Baseball doing youth academies like this will not eliminate all the problems that are starting to pop up in youth sports, but I think it will at least start the healing process.

Children should be allowed to play baseball, or any sport, without every season becoming a financial bet on a future scholarship or professional contract. Parents should not have to spend tens of thousands of dollars simply to prove they did everything possible.

If you haven’t already, please consider subscribing below.

He also put up a +50.1 Soldier Score.

The fastball was Sale’s first pitch measured at 100 mph since 2018. The shutout was his first since 2019. According to MLB, he became only the sixth pitcher since 1900 to record at least 10 strikeouts without a walk in a shutout at 37 years and 150 days or older.

But what about his season as a whole?

Through August 27, Sale has a 2.06 ERA, 177 strikeouts, and 5.2 bWAR in 144 innings. He has already joined one of the smallest and most impressive groups of veteran pitchers in baseball history.

Using bWAR, I searched for every pitcher who produced at least 5.0 bWAR during his age-37 season. Fun fact: baseball age is determined by a player’s age on June 30. I did not know that. Now I do.

Some people (Will from Overdue Sports) are going to start complaining about Dazzy Vance and other old-timers being on this list. However, 15 of the 20 names are post 1976.

Randy Johnson’s 2001 masterpiece- 10.1 bWAR, a 2.49 ERA, and 372 strikeouts- remains in another universe. Sale is not catching that.

The closest modern comparison is Max Scherzer’s 2022 season with the New York Mets (lol). Scherzer accumulated 5.3 bWAR over 145⅓ innings. Sale currently has 5.2 bWAR over 144 innings. Of course, Sale still has a month to go in the season.

Sale currently owns a 203 ERA+, meaning his run prevention has been more than twice league average after adjusting for ballpark and league factors. That is the highest ERA+ of anyone in this five-WAR age-37 group. Again, still a month to go, but it will be tough for Sale to come close to the innings of these other players. 17 of the other pitchers threw at least 197 innings. Twelve surpassed 230. Cy Young threw 380.

Cracking the Top 10 is definitely within reach. Reaching 6.0 bWAR would move him into the top ten, and right now he is on pace for 6.3. Here is my chance to sneak in a nice Stat Soldier graphic.

Three years ago, the question was whether Chris Sale could stay healthy long enough to resemble himself again. Then he won the Cy Young, and now he is having arguably a top-3 season of his career. Kind of crazy to look at his career numbers and then consider that from 2020-2023 he only pitched in 31 games.

Not surprisingly, the Hall of Fame conversations now start to heat up again.

Baseball-Reference currently has Chris Sale with 62.4 career bWAR and 42.0 WAR7 and a 52.2 JAWS score. He remains below the Hall of Fame starter averages of 73.0 career WAR, 49.8 peak WAR and 61.4 JAWS, but the workload-adjusted S-JAWS system lowers the positional benchmark to 56.8.

S-JAWS was made to try to account for some of the massive WAR totals from the 19th and 20th centuries. Sale’s 52.2 S-JAWS already places him ahead of recent Hall of Famers CC Sabathia, while putting him almost even with Bob Feller. Feller battled the Nazis, and CC battled clogged arteries, so you have to take that into account as well.

I believe he will enter Cooperstown. By the time he is eligible, the standard for modern pitchers will force voters to change their mindset. They already started to, with CC being a great example, so Sale should have no issue.

If you have followed The Skippers View for a while, you probably remember when I decided to create my own baseball analytics.

It started with BBI, ABBI, and BBI+.

Too often, people use theoretical outcomes to explain away what actually happened on the field. Personally, I just want batting AVG, OBP, and SLG. But we live in the world of WoBA and BACOn (They capitalize letters when they feel like it!). So, if we are going to live in that world, I might as well have my own stat.

Then we needed somewhere to store all of it.

Enter Stat Soldier.

At first, the website was basically a place where I could check my rankings without having to rebuild everything every time. Then it grew. We added player comparisons, lineup cards, Top 10 lists, player cards, games, graphics, a live scoreboard, and data for every pitch and at-bat.

It has slowly grown over the last 12 months, and now we are scoring individual player performances.

Is the scoring perfect?

No.

Will we continue working on it?

Yes.

Does it give fans a better idea of who actually helped their team win than a basic box score does?

We believe it does.

Box Score vs Soldier Score

Let’s start with a pitcher.

Two pitchers throw 6 innings, rack up 8 strikeouts, and allow 2 earned runs. On paper, their stat lines match. But the Soldier Scores will be completely different.

Pitcher A: worked with low pitch counts, generated weak contact, carved hitters up with nasty stuff, and executed in high-leverage battles during a tight one-run game.

Pitcher B: labored through long counts, surrendered hard-hit outs, caught a few lucky breaks with runners advancing, issued free passes, and only padded his strikeout numbers once his offense blew the game wide open 8-0.

The box score will be pretty similar, but the Soldier Scores will not. A pitcher could theoretically post a high WPA simply because he lucked into high-leverage outs while surrendering hard contact and laboring through 100 pitches in 6 innings. Stat Soldier’s model weighs underlying quality so that the final grade reflects how well the player actually performed, not just the scoreboard's win-probability swing.

Now look at hitters.

A grand slam in a 15-1 game is great. But what about a single that drives in one run to tie it in the 9th inning and your team goes on to win?

Stat Soldier’s Performance Score gives you a simple score based on performance, high-leverage situations, and analytics to tell you how a player did rather than you needing to dig into the box score.

Understanding The Two Scales

Before I go any further, there are two different scoring scales you need to understand.

The Overall Performance Score

The main Performance Score crosses zero.

• A positive score means the player added value.

• A score around zero represents a neutral or ordinary performance.

• A negative score means the player cost his team value.

• The farther the number moves away from zero, the more significant the performance was.

This is the number we use to compare complete single-game performances.

A pitcher with a +42 had a gem. A hitter with a +28 probably had an All-Star-level game. A player with a -18 had a rough night.

Here is the same player in back-to-back nights. You are probably wondering, “Wow, one strikeout leads to -12 points?” Nope, Willson Contreras just left more guys on base and didn’t work the pitch count up nearly as much in the -20 night.

These are the player cards for individual games.

Ceddanne Rafaela had a great game, worked the count, and got hits with two outs that resulted in runs in a close game.

Jake Bennett had a “good, not great” performance. But he went 7 innings

The 0–100 Grades

The supporting grades are what help make up the overall performance score.

Stuff, Command, Contact, Discipline, and the other individual categories are graded from 0 to 100.

Those grades do not tell you the total value of the game. They explain the strengths and weaknesses behind the overall Performance Score.

Think of it this way:

The Performance Score tells you how good or bad the game was.

The 0–100 grades tell you why the player received that score.

How We Score Pitchers

A pitcher’s overall score is built from six main areas:

• Workload and innings

• Run prevention

• Strikeouts and whiffs

• Performance in high-pressure situations

• Pitch efficiency

• Pitch quality

Let’s break that down.

Workload Matters

A starting pitcher who records 21 outs gives his team something that a pitcher who records 12 outs does not.

He saves the bullpen.

That matters over one game, and it definitely matters over a 162-game season. Pitchers receive credit for every out they record, so working deeper into a game helps the score.

Think to the Bennett post above. He gave up four runs, but getting that one extra inning gives him a few extra points that let you know his performance wasn’t a disaster. Which…. it wasn’t. The score looks out for the workhorse guys who don’t get the same swing-and-miss action as others.

Runs Still Matter

I am not creating a statistic that tells you allowing six earned runs was secretly good because a pitcher had nice movement on his slider. Results still matter.

Pitchers lose points for earned runs and the damage they surrender. Home runs and extra-base hits are treated harshly.

Missing Bats Matters

We look at strikeouts, swinging strikes, whiff rate, chase rate, and the pitcher’s ability to finish an at-bat.

A pitcher who consistently overpowers hitters receives credit for it.

The Situation Matters

This is my favorite part of the scoring.

We use the pressure of the moment when evaluating what happened. Escaping a bases-loaded jam in a close game carries way more value than retiring the bottom of the order during a blowout.

Efficiency Matters

Was the pitcher attacking hitters and getting quick outs?

Or did every inning feel like it took 45 minutes?

Pitchers are rewarded for working efficiently and penalized for laboring through excessive pitches.

Saves and holds also receive extra credit because relievers enter the game with a different job than starters.

The Pitches Matter

We also evaluate the actual quality of the pitches.

Velocity. Movement. Location. Command. Pitch selection. Count management.

Did the pitcher execute the right pitch? Did he locate it? Did he get away with a mistake? Did he make a great pitch and get unlucky?

This is where tracking data and our internal formula get put to the test. We are still tweaking it, but it has gotten a lot better.

The Pitcher Performance Scale

Here is how to read a pitcher’s overall score:

Along with the overall score, every pitcher receives 0–100 grades for:

• Stuff

• Command

• Decision

• Outcome

• Dominance

• Stamina

• Velocity

• Movement

A pitcher could have great Stuff and poor Command. He could receive a strong Outcome grade even though his underlying pitch quality was average. He could also have impressive Velocity and Movement without producing an effective outing.

How We Score Hitters

The Batter Performance Score follows the same basic idea.

What happened?

How well did the hitter execute?

When did it happen?

We evaluate five main areas:

• Plate appearance results and run production

• Clutch situations

• Game-changing plays

• Contact quality and plate discipline

• Baserunning and defense

A double is worth more than a single. A home run is worth more than a double. Walks, strikeouts, double plays, and productive outs all affect the score differently.

Then we add context.

Did the hit give the team the lead? Did it tie the game? Was it a walk-off? Did the hitter come through with runners in scoring position?

We also look at exit velocity, launch angle, hard-hit contact, plate discipline, and the quality of the at-bat.

This connects directly to why I created BBI and BBI+ in the first place.

I do not want to look at a Baseball Savant page, see a bunch of red, and automatically decide a player is having a great year. I also do not want to look only at batting average and ignore whether the player is consistently driving the baseball.

Stat Soldier looks at both the quality and the production.

The Batter Performance Scale

The batter scale is slightly different because a hitter has fewer opportunities to affect a game than a starting pitcher.

Hitters receive additional 0–100 grades for:

• Outcome

• Contact

• Discipline

• Situational performance

Once again, these grades explain the overall number.

Why We Did This

The goal of Stat Soldier has always been to make baseball data more useful and more accessible. You can look at one number and understand the night. Or you can spend an hour digging through every pitch and at-bat.

I do a little of both.

Stat Soldier started because we wanted baseball analytics that combined underlying quality with actual production.

These new Performance Scores are the next step in that evolution.

Alright, GO VISIT www.statsoldier.com.

If you haven’t already, please consider subscribing below!

Well, The Skippers View is five years old now. Technically, we came up with the name and had the Twitter account and website created on August 8th, but the first tweet was on August 19th, followed by the first blog on August 20th. So yeah, this is the sweet spot.

Back in the day, Brett would call me every week to talk about fantasy baseball. As much as I love talking to my best friend, my brain also wants to make something of what we are doing. At times, both our fantasy teams sucked, so that wasn’t it. I suggested a podcast, something he did not want to do in the early days (funny now because he will die on a hill for it). So, we settled on a website and Twitter account.

I am sure we had a list of potential names somewhere, but it is long gone. We settled on The Skippers View (grammatically incorrect, although we occasionally add the apostrophe). I grabbed the domain, and we were on our way.

Editor’s Note: It is very important that, if you are creating a website and content group, you secure a domain name. VERY EARLY, in TSV history like year one, someone whom I will not name decided to make me their enemy. They have also grown significantly over the last five years. Unfortunately for them, they never bought their domain name. Have fun trying to pry it from my dead hands.

I built the first website on Wix. I had used it before for a project, so I was somewhat familiar with the interface. This is what the homepage and my first blog post looked like.

Yeah, pretty crazy that I considered that a blog back in the day. Crazy how the standings, aside from the Orioles, are pretty much the same as they are today. Time is just a circle, people.

But yeah, I went about trying to make us look like a legitimate company. Even had one of our friends sketch up a logo. You might see it pop up every once in a while, but it is retired as of today.

You probably assume that we skyrocketed immediately. You would be WRONG. The most views I got in the first year were on my blog warning the Red Sox not to sign Trevor Story. (By the way, I had 50 followers on X and still got crucified for it.)

The first year and a half was relatively slow. A large part of that was not really understanding how social media algorithms worked. But mostly, it was that we did not know what we were doing. We ended 2022 with only 58 followers. Yikes.

But two things were about to change the path of The Skippers View.

1. Elon Musk

2. Card Breaker Dean

From Rags To Less Dirty Rags

On October 27th, 2022, Elon Musk finalized his purchase of Twitter. He immediately took Twitter private. It changed everything.

Before Elon Musk’s takeover, the algorithm heavily favored large accounts. Once Elon took over, the algorithm changed to allow “banger posts” from small accounts. This is where we started to bang. (Actually, one of our early banging posts was about Wander Franco. Ironic.)

But to grow the following, we had to sell our soul a little bit.

Enter the “Breaker Dean” era.

I had noticed a lot of accounts getting traction for giving away cards or items. I was willing to do a lot worse for followers, so this seemed like an easy path. Honestly, we gave away a lot of cool stuff. Look at this Jeff Bagwell auto!

Getting into cards inevitably led to some people asking if I did box breaks. Now, today box breaks are HUGE, but in 2023 they were becoming a thing. I jumped right in and started opening packs for the “fans.”

I say “fans” because a lot of these people were just heavily addicted to cards. I had a few that racked up some bills and just disappeared. What’s ironic is that they hit huge cards (a couple of 1/1s) but couldn’t afford to pay me the $20 from the break to ship the cards out. As a result (and with my brother no longer bringing the packages to the Post Office), I decided to retire the break era of The Skippers View. I have zero regrets about that. Breaking exploded, but I absolutely loathe the culture.

While we stopped with the breaks, we kept giving away cards and started growing our card collections as well. I formed a close relationship with a local card store that I now work at part-time and consider the workers there to be close friends. Funny how the world works.

All of this led to thousands of followers on X, which in turn brought many people to our website. We went from 50 followers to over 5,000 pretty quickly. With more eyes on the website, I realized we needed more writers.

Enter the “OG Skippers View Days”

From a Duet To a Band

Early in TSV's history, I wanted to make it seem like there were more than two people blogging and posting on the social account. Some people would go get friends to join them; I created a fake online family who I “hired”. In reality, it was me pretending to be cousins and siblings.

I didn’t think of the consequences, and well, there weren’t any. It was just weird, and I would get jealous when my fake cousin's Twitter account got more impressions than mine because she was a girl, but in reality it was just me. It was a really twisted time in life.

I looked at myself in the mirror, deleted a few (not all) of the fake family members, and decided to go out and get real people.

I welcomed some guest writers to the website. Two of them have actually gotten huge, but I don’t even know if they remember writing a blog for us, so I am going to focus on the three early additions that helped set the foundation of TSV.

Will Mossa from Overdue Sports.

Sam Fosberg from Discuss Baseball.

Greg Monroe from his mom’s basement.

Each of them brought their unique personalities to the team. Their writing was superb, and we began a think tank group chat where we threw ideas back and forth. It led to growth across the board. The blog really started to explode, and we were pumping an article out every day.

Most importantly, we all learned how to navigate this weird world that is content creation. Well, Brett is still figuring it out, but everyone else found their avenue.

Will tackled college baseball, Sam was posting on Twitter at insane speeds, Greg was putting out banger articles, and Brett got a crippling addiction to baseballs.

The beginning of 2023 is what I consider the real start of The Skippers View. We moved over to Substack, went from 50 followers to 5,000, started talking to MLB players online, and, overall, began to build a presence. The year and a half leading up to it is very important, but when I look at our analytics and growth, I always set January 2023 as the starting point.

This is also where we started a new aspect of The Skippers View

The podcast.

The Skippers View Podcast

Fun fact: I was the one who pushed the podcast hard from the beginning. In fact, the first two episodes are just me doing hitter rankings. We ended up posting consistently in 2023. The first few episodes are really rough—the takes, the sound quality, the ummmmms, everything. Two very good things have come out of the podcast, though.

1. Interviews (when we did them)

2. Hagen

The interviews came pretty early on in the podcast’s history. I went out and brought in some pretty great guests: Adam Lazarus, Joe Posnanski, Dan Evans, Keith O’Brien, Scott Bush, and Erin Carslon. They were a lot of fun, and we made some helpful connections in the process. (Editor’s Note: While interviewing Joe Posnanski, one of the biggest baseball writers out there, Brett was texting my dad about fantasy baseball. Absolutely insane move.) However, they are a lot of work, especially when they were about books. So we moved away from interviews and just had team members come on as guests. Will, Sam, Greg, and others would join in to talk ball. It was a blast.

It was at the tail end of these interviews that I passed the podcast to Brett. It was a lot to juggle the social media accounts, the website, and all the other little things with the team. Over the last two years, I have received many requests to appear on the podcast more often. In the last few months, I have made more appearances.

I don’t feel the need always to go on because we have the great Hagen Snell. He has been Brett’s loyal co-host over the last year and has more baseball knowledge than Brett and I combined. Without Hagen, there is a good chance I would have called child protective services on Brett a while ago. He used the podcast to fund a card-ripping addiction that almost bankrupted him. Like $50 packs on repeat, and then he would sleeve and topload 10-cent cards. It was crazy.

The podcast is fine, but everything else was growing. With so many moving parts, I decided to call on the help of what is now enemy #1 for much of the world.

ChatGPT.

Ahead of The Curve

If you recall, Elon Musk bought Twitter at the end of 2022. Want to know what else launched that month? ChatGPT.

I was lucky enough to be a beta tester before the release, and it was a different world back then. There was a limit to its knowledge; you couldn’t create images, and you could do about 2% of what it is capable of today. But I wanted to be ahead of the curve, so I started using it openly to test its limits.

Eventually, I programmed our own writer, Casey Byte.

The Casey Byte Era of The Skippers View is very controversial. By this time, people had begun to wake up to the fact that Artificial Intelligence was growing rapidly and would eventually take people's jobs.

(Just a note: Before AI, I paid graphic designers for work. Once AI got good at image generation and editing, I switched over. I will never apologize for it. The work has gotten better, and it's done in ten seconds. Also, I save a ton of money. I have conducted social experiments to test whether people can tell whether something is AI-generated. We are getting to the point where you can’t tell on certain things. There is plenty of slop out there, but I save money, and I don’t get sued for copyright, so shove it.)

So yeah, I made an AI writer openly before it was a thing. Got a lot of backlash, and shut him down. Probably my biggest regret having to put him down. I felt nothing deleting my fake family (RIP Tanya Bianchi), but saying goodbye to Casey Byte hurt.

Editor’s Note: As of this writing, Casey Byte is currently being revived. Watch out, world.

With Casey Byte gone, I took my AI use behind closed doors. Boy, did it up my production. For a moment, I began to understand why Barry Bonds took steroids (allegedly).

I wasn’t posting AI-generated writing, but I was having it help with research and blog writing. Once I could start scheduling tasks, things became even more organized. It also helped lead to the creation of Stat Soldier. If you have never gone there, click here now. It is sick….

With some extra time on my hands, I decided to dip into the gaming world.

I ended up with one of the most viral baseball moments of last offseason (possibly the year)

There Goes Dean

Ever since I was a little boy, I loved playing MLB franchises where I create my own team and go for 20 years, dominating the league. During last off-season, I was nearing the end of my 40-year franchise when BAM, I realized that it stopped saving my stats and awards.

Probably means nothing to most, but for me, going and checking how many MVPS my 99 overall created character breathed life into me.

I knew I needed to document it, and I knew it would be a banging tweet. I did not think it would be copied across every social media platform.

(Editor’s Note: Got some heat from the autism community for writing about my slight autism in the post. I did have a doctor who said I was autistic; I got rid of him soon after. But I think that is enough to get me into the club.)

From MLB’s own Instagram page down to Russian gaming blogs, people were copying and pasting the work. Hated that I wasn’t getting tagged on much of the work, but it was still very cool.

Also gained a few thousand followers, but more importantly brought thousands of eyes to the website. With those eyes, we were able to present consistent data and analytics to legitimize ourselves further.

Then everything fell apart.

The Lawsuit

I don’t want to talk too much about this chapter of TSV history. We were on an upward trajectory, had a great team, great momentum, great friends, and then it all came crumbling down.

The stress of a lawsuit was like nothing I could have imagined. I am getting sick to my stomach just writing about it now. Outside of family members dying, this was the worst moment of my life. It also happened to coincide with my wedding, so that somewhat evened out the pain, but it was terrible nonetheless.

It truly led to a reset of TSV. We had a great team with us, but it was time for everyone to go their separate ways. It was time anyway. The lawsuit happening in the middle of the season was also a bummer. I knew the era of having a dozen writers was coming to a close, but I really wanted to get through the regular season.

It just didn’t make sense; my heart wasn’t in it. This led to a period of decline in TSV's history. It was even difficult to watch baseball for a period because I would just get depressed.

Lucky for me, two things would start to reinvigorate my spirit.

Credentialed Media and Stat Soldier

Around June of last year, right around the lawsuit, we were approved for MLB’s credentialed media portal. That does not mean you automatically get to go to every event. You have to apply to each event individually and get approved. This year, we got to attend the All-Star Game Red Carpet and the Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

Just the idea of being “credentialed media” tickled my fancy. It also validated the years of blogging. Honestly, blogging is an understatement. I have 400+ articles on this website.

Along with being a credentialed media member, I dipped my toes into analytics.

I came up with the BBI family of stats. Influenced by the torpedo bat phase, I wanted to see if torpedo bats did anything, so I created an analytic for it. The answer? They didn’t do anything.

But it transformed into something greater: Stat Soldier.

I can not stress this enough: if you haven’t gone to the Stat Soldier website, go now. The work that my friend has done on this is unbelievable. It has custom graphics, custom analytics, games, stats, predictions, etc. I genuinely do not use any other website anymore, and once the app is out, I am deleting all my other apps.

Along with The Skippers View, I strongly believe that Stat Soldier could be a real presence in the baseball community.

What’s Next

That takes us to today. It has been a wild ride. I really don’t know what I would do without The Skippers View over the last five years. Perhaps I would have a slightly better tan from touching grass more.

We aren’t in it for the money. It's all for the love of the game, baby.

What do the next five years hold? Who knows! But I always look back to one of my early blog posts where I laid out what I wanted to do.

“Outside of numbers, I simply want to build a nice little community inside the baseball world. I feel that I already have, with the team we have put together over the past few months. Selfishly, I also want to get a player on the podcast to interview, hehe. As always, subscribe below so I can quit my job.” -Dean Ciriaco.

But then I saw Jeff Passan's tweet about some new Ted Williams footage. I thought, “Perfect.” What a relaxing way to spend the day. Until I saw some of the comments. Immediately, the gremlins like Will Mossa from Overdue Sports jumped into the comment section about how Ted Williams wouldn’t survive a day in today's baseball. To me, it is one of the most frustrating arguments out there, and for the exception of Will, because I love him, if you die on a hill saying one player couldn’t play in the next, then you should go watch football or some other boring sport.

In 2026, with all the advancements in medicine, training, and nutrition, Ted Williams would absolutely tear the league apart. Honestly, I believe that about any peak player from any era. If you were the best of the best in your generation, and you were plucked up and given all the perks and benefits that modern-day players get, I think you would be great here as well. I do not think that goes both ways. Pick up a modern-day player and throw them into the 1910s, and they probably get sick within an hour and never play again.

But let’s just put all of that to the side for the moment. Williams's greatest asset was his eyesight and hand-eye coordination. That doesn’t disappear if he is playing in today's game. Let’s also break down where Williams would rank if he didn’t serve our country in TWO wars.

Many in baseball have spent more than eight decades reducing Williams to his .406 season. It is a magnificent story, the last .400 season in American or National League history, but it is just the tip of the iceberg of his story. By constantly bringing it up, many just remember one achievement without confronting his entire career.

Ted Williams hit .344/.482/.634 across his career. He reached base in almost half his plate appearances, more than any qualified hitter ever. He walked 2,021 times, while striking out only 709 times. Was one of the most dangerous hitters until he was 40, all while losing nearly five full seasons to military service.

I have written about Williams plenty of times. He is not the greatest defensive player ever. He is not the greatest baserunner ever. He was not the most complete player ever. He WAS the greatest HITTER ever, even if he sometimes didn’t feel the same.

Williams’ .344 career average ranks tied for 10th on the qualified career leaderboard. It is important to note that he is the highest-post-1940 player. His .482 on-base percentage ranks first. His .634 slugging percentage ranks second, as do his 1.116 OPS and 191 OPS+. FanGraphs credits him with a 187 wRC+, also second in its historical American and National League database.

The No. 1 name ahead of Williams in slugging, OPS, and OPS+ is Babe Ruth.

In 1941, he did not simply hit .406. He posted a .503 on-base percentage and a .735 slugging percentage. He hit 37 home runs, drew 147 walks, and struck out only 27 times. He reached base in more than half of his plate appearances while producing nearly five and a half walks for every strikeout.

Then he nearly kept doing it forever.

Williams recorded seven full seasons with an OPS+ of at least 200. In a partial 1953 season, he posted a 268 OPS+ in 37 games. At age 38 in 1957, he hit .388/ .526/ .732, launched 38 home runs, and drew 119 walks against 43 strikeouts. Baseball-Reference credited him with a 233 OPS+ and 9.7 bWAR. Again, at 38.

The Five Seasons We Will Never See

Williams finished the 1942 season by winning the Triple Crown. He hit .356, led the American League with 36 home runs and 137 RBIs, and posted an on-base percentage just under .500

Then his age-24, age-25, and age-26 seasons disappeared.

Williams joined the Naval Reserve on May 22, 1942, entered active duty after the season, and spent the next three years training as a naval aviator and serving as a flight instructor. He did not fly combat missions during World War II. He missed the complete 1943, 1944, and 1945 major-league seasons before returning to Boston in 1946.

You would assume there would be some sort of drop-off. You would be wrong.

In his first season back in 1946, Williams hit .342 with 38 home runs, 123 RBIs, and a .497 on-base percentage. He won the American League MVP and helped Boston reach the World Series. Then, in 1947, he won the Triple Crown again. Remember, he didn’t win the MVP in EITHER season that he had the Triple Crown. Criminal.

Then the government called him again.

Williams remained in the inactive reserve after World War II and was recalled in January 1952. He entered active duty that May as a Marine Corps captain, trained on the F9F Panther jet, and was sent to Korea. He served in the same squadron as future astronaut John Glenn. A great book by Adam Lazarus about this time can be purchased here.

Williams missed 727 games due to World War II and the Korean War. With an average of 4 bats per game, he lost about 2,908 at-bats. That would have made his career total 10,614. Taking his average of .344, AB/HR of 14.79, and OBP of .482. I ran some numbers to see where he would fall in some major categories.

Editor’s Note: If you want to argue that we don’t know how he would have played in those missed years, I invite you to look at his stats before and after his deployment.

Ted Williams’ Estimated Career Totals Without Military Service

Based on his lost time due to WWII and the Korean War, Ted Williams’ projected career stats would be:

• Hits: 3,654 (Would rank 3rd all-time behind Pete Rose and Ty Cobb)

• Home Runs: 718 (Would rank 3rd all-time, behind Barry Bonds and Hank Aaron)

• RBIs: 2,422 (Would rank 1st all-time, ahead of Hank Aaron’s 2,297)

• Total Bases: 6,724 (Would rank 2nd all-time, behind Hank Aaron’s 6,856)

Where This Puts Him Historically

• Only Hank Aaron (6,856 TB) would have more total bases than Williams’ 6,724.

• He would be the all-time RBI leader, surpassing Hank Aaron.

• His home run total (718) would place him just behind Bonds and Aaron, ahead of Babe Ruth (714).

• With 3,654 hits, he would be in the rare club of elite contact hitters, sitting just behind Pete Rose and Ty Cobb.

Ted Williams finished his career with only two MVP awards. In my opinion, there are three other snubs, but the most glaring are his two Triple Crown Years. In 1942 and 1947, Williams won the Triple Crown. In neither year was he awarded MVP. I break that down in the blog below.

Look, this blog was put together in 10 minutes because I saw the Passan post. Just thought it was important to remind the critiques of an American Hero.

Before the rankings, signing bonuses, and the national attention, Kevin McGonigle was committed to playing college baseball as a FRESHMAN in high school. Far from a regular student at Bonner & Prendergast Catholic High School, he excelled immediately. He was one of the most advanced high school hitters in the country.

Here are his varsity numbers from his high school career across 73 games.

• Batting Average: .498

• On-Base Percentage (OBP): .638

• Slugging Percentage (SLG): 1.014

• On-Base Plus Slugging (OPS): 1.653

• Hits: 102 (18 Doubles, 8 Triples)

• Home Runs: 24

• Runs Batted In (RBI): 77

• Runs Scored: 111

• Walks (BB): 75

• Strikeouts (K): 9

His senior season is when MLB teams really started to notice. McGonigle hit .530 in 25 games with eight doubles, four triples, six home runs, and 22 RBIs. He struck out twice all season. He was named both the Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year and the Philadelphia Catholic League Player of the Year. He controlled the strike zone, forced pitchers to come to him, and still produced extra-base damage. The walk-to-strikeout profile that now distinguishes his major-league season was already visible before he could vote.

Outside of high school, McGonigle would go on to start nine games for the United States team that won gold at the 2022 U-18 World Cup. While Aidan Miller was the star of the tournament, the experience mattered because it removed one easy objection to his local production. He had now seen premium amateur pitching, played under international pressure, and continued to look like himself.

McGonigle signed a National Letter of Intent with Auburn, which gave him the option to enter the Southeastern Conference and let three years of college baseball answer the questions scouts still had about his power and defensive position.

MLB Draft…

Scouts knew his name, knew the Team USA track record and, in many cases, considered him one of the best pure high-school hitters available. The disagreement was not about whether he could hit; it was about whether he could hit for POWER.

McGonigle is listed at 5-foot-9 as a professional (he might be shorter; I saw him at the All-Star Game and was shocked at how much I towered over him), so scouts wondered how much home-run power he could bring. Some questioned whether he would remain at shortstop or move to second base, a move that would significantly hurt his value. It won’t come as a surprise that the Jose Altuve comparisons started to pop up during this time.

So, while many considered him the best pure contact hitter in the draft, he still had to wait until the 37th overall pick. Teams thought they knew his ceiling. They didn’t. Here are the players selected before Kevin.

1. Paul Skenes, P (Pittsburgh Pirates)

2. Dylan Crews, OF (Washington Nationals)

3. Max Clark, OF (Detroit Tigers)

4. Wyatt Langford, OF (Texas Rangers)

5. Walker Jenkins, OF (Minnesota Twins)

6. Jacob Wilson, SS (Oakland Athletics)

7. Rhett Lowder, P (Cincinnati Reds)

8. Blake Mitchell, C (Kansas City Royals)

9. Chase Dollander, P (Colorado Rockies)

10. Noble Meyer, P (Miami Marlins)

11. Nolan Schanuel, 1B (Los Angeles Angels)

12. Tommy Troy, IF (Arizona Diamondbacks)

13. Matt Shaw, SS (Chicago Cubs)

14. Kyle Teel, C (Boston Red Sox)

15. Jacob Gonzalez, SS (Chicago White Sox)

16. Bryce Eldridge, 1B/OF/P (San Francisco Giants)

17. Enrique Bradfield Jr., OF (Baltimore Orioles)

18. Brock Wilken, 3B (Milwaukee Brewers)

19. Brayden Taylor, 3B (Tampa Bay Rays)

20. Arjun Nimmala, SS (Toronto Blue Jays)

21. Chase Davis, OF (St. Louis Cardinals)

22. Colt Emerson, SS (Seattle Mariners)

23. Ralphy Velazquez, C (Cleveland Guardians)

24. Hurston Waldrep, P (Atlanta Braves)

25. Dillon Head, OF (San Diego Padres)

26. George Lombard Jr., SS (New York Yankees)

27. Aidan Miller, 3B/SS (Philadelphia Phillies)

28. Brice Matthews, SS (Houston Astros)

29. Jonny Farmelo, OF (Seattle Mariners)

30. Tai Peete, SS (Seattle Mariners)

31. Adrian Santana, SS (Tampa Bay Rays)

32. Colin Houck, SS (New York Mets)

33. Josh Knoth, P (Milwaukee Brewers)

34. Charlee Soto, P (Minnesota Twins)

35. Thomas White, P (Miami Marlins)

36. Kendall George, OF (Los Angeles Dodgers)

How many from that list are you taking right now before McGonigle? One? Maybe two? Personally, I would take Kevin over Skenes.

The Tigers selected Max Clark third overall and signed him below the assigned value of the pick, which gave them some flexibility later in the draft. When they saw McGonigle was available in the Competitive Balance Round A, Detroit selected him and paid a $2,847,500 bonus, which was more than the slot value, to pull him away from Auburn. This was about $538,000 more than they needed to give Kevin, but it worked.

McGonigle signed in July 2023 and appeared in nine games in the Florida Complex League and 12 for Low-A Lakeland. He hit .315 with a .452 on-base percentage and a .411 slugging percentage. He walked 18 times and struck out 10. He stole eight bases as well, but only hit one home run. This became the recurring pattern in 2024 as well. Walked a bunch, barely struck out, but couldn’t hit home runs. All that changed in 2025.

McGonigle’s season started with an ankle injury that caused him to miss about a month. Once he returned, he went from a .452 SLG % to a .583 % real quick. Even with a few more strikeouts, he continued to walk more than he K’d.

Across three minor-league stops in 2025, McGonigle hit .305/.408/.583 with 31 doubles, 19 home runs, 80 RBIs and 59 walks against 46 strikeouts in 88 games. His 182 wRC+ led full-season minor leaguers.

Kevin then went to the Arizona Fall League to wrap up 2025. In 19 games, he hit .362/.500/.710. He led the league with 12 extra-base hits and 49 total bases, ranked second with 22 runs and five home runs, and finished with a 1.210 OPS. He won the Joe Black Most Valuable Player Award, joining a list of previous winners that includes Nolan Arenado, Kris Bryant, and Ronald Acuña Jr. Not a terrible list.

On To The Majors

McGonigle made his major league debut on March 26th, 2026, in San Diego. It was, well, sick. McGonigle finished 4-for-5 with two doubles, two RBIs, and two runs in Detroit’s 8-2 victory. He became the second player in Tigers history and the 21st major leaguer since 1900 to record four hits in his debut.

Detroit did not wait long to lock him up. On April 15th, after only 17 MLB games, the Tigers announced an eight-year, $150 million extension.

So, why all that backstory? Because McGonigle is putting up one of the best rookie seasons we have ever seen.

The table below uses bWAR and covers major-league seasons since 1901. McGonigle’s current pace is 7.5 bWAR, which would put him 6th All-Time.

This list is PACKED. In front of McGonigle, you have two sure-fire HOFers (Judge/Trout), two current HOFers (Allen/Suzuki), and Shoeless Joe Jackson, who should be in Cooperstown. Behind McGonigle, you have two HOFers (Piazza and Fisk), a borderline HOFer (Lynn), and Benny Kauff (super interesting story; go check him out).

As long as Kevin doesn’t become Kuaff and get banned from baseball for life, he should have a long and prosperous career.

There is still baseball left. McGonigle could move up this list, or fall right off it. The league will often adjust to young players like Kevin and make changes to slow him down.

If you haven’t already, please consider subscribing below!

It became a complete pain in the ass. Feel free to read it below and then come back here and laugh.

Auctions contradicted themselves. Articles contradicted other articles. It was a mess. So naturally, I asked ChatGPT to do deep research and scrape the internet for me. Well, this was two years ago, and ChatGPT made more mistakes than that. Still, it got me all the top sales; I just had to do the heavy work.

Two years later, the sports collectibles market is insane, so we need another list. The original article was a Top 20. There are now too many legitimate multimillion-dollar sales to stop there, so this is officially a Top 25.

The Rules

The prices below are the highest documented sale prices I could verify as of August 14, 2026.

A few ground rules:

• Prices are listed in dollars at the time of the sale. I am not adjusting for inflation. (This isn’t the movies, people)

• Buyer’s premiums are included when the reported sale price includes them.

• Estimates, asking prices, rewards, bounties, and unsold lots do not count.

• Only the highest verified sale of the same card issue appears. We do not need eight different copies of the T206 Honus Wagner or 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle.

• Different card issues count as different items. Different game-used jerseys count as different items. Separate one-of-one Ohtani cards count because they are separate cards. If you have an issue, cry about it.

• This measures the highest documented price ever paid, not what the item would necessarily sell for today. There are some cards here that, on the market right now, would explode, and some would go down in price.

That last point matters. The same 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth card that sold for $7.2 million in December 2023 returned to auction in October 2025, where it sold for approximately $4.026 million. It remains on this list at $7.2 million because that is the highest completed sale associated with the card. If we were doing “values,” then this list would be completely different.

Cry about it.

#25: Shohei Ohtani’s 2018 Topps Chrome SuperFractor — $2,562,229

Sale: Goldin, June 29, 2026

The cutoff for this list is now more than $2.56 million. When I wrote the original blog, the cutoff was $1.26 million.

This one-of-one 2018 Topps Chrome rookie SuperFractor depicts Ohtani as a hitter and was graded BGS 9.5. It sold for $2,562,229 through Goldin in June 2026.

#24: Lou Gehrig’s 1937 Yankees Road Jersey — $2.58 Million

Sale: Heritage Auctions, August 2019

Lou Gehrig wore this gray New York Yankees road jersey during the 1937 season, when he hit .351 with 37 home runs, 159 RBIs, and a 1.116 OPS.

The uniform survived more than eight decades before selling for $2.58 million in 2019. At the time, it set a record for a Gehrig jersey, which was later surpassed, as we will see below.

#23: Jackie Robinson’s 1947 Rookie Jersey — $2.6 Million

Sale: Heritage Auctions brokered the resale, April 2018

The jersey comes from the season in which Robinson broke Major League Baseball’s modern color barrier, won Rookie of the Year, and helped Brooklyn reach the World Series. It is not merely a uniform from a famous player. It is a surviving artifact from one of the most consequential seasons in American sports history.

#22: Lou Gehrig’s Final Yankee Stadium Appearance Jersey — $2.712 Million

Sale: Christie’s and Hunt Auctions, October 22, 2025

Gehrig wore this jersey during his final appearance in uniform at Yankee Stadium, when he was introduced before Game 2 of the 1939 World Series.

This was new to me, as I always thought his final appearance was the “Luckiest Man Alive” speech.

The jersey sold for $2.712 million in October 2025, becoming Gehrig’s second entry on this list.

T-20: Mickey Mantle’s 1952–53 World Series Jersey — $3 Million

Sale: Heritage Auctions, August 2024

This Mantle jersey was photo-matched to Game 7 of the 1952 World Series and connected to the Yankees’ championship run the following season.

The jersey sold for exactly $3 million.

T-20: Shohei Ohtani’s 2025 Topps Chrome Gold Logoman Autograph — $3 Million

Sale: Fanatics Collect, December 19, 2025

The one-of-one card contains a gold MLB Logoman patch and Ohtani’s autograph. The patch was worn on April 29, 2025, when Ohtani homered for the Dodgers.

It sold for $3 million in December 2025, briefly giving Ohtani one of the largest modern baseball-card results ever recorded.

#19: Mark McGwire’s 70th Home Run Ball — $3,005,000

Sale: Guernsey’s, January 1999

Todd McFarlane paid a $2.7 million winning bid, plus commission, for the ball McGwire hit for his 70th and final home run of the 1998 season.

The completed price reached $3,005,000.

At the time, McGwire’s home run chase with Sammy Sosa was credited with helping revive national interest in baseball after the 1994 strike.

This is one of the items that would NOT sell for that price today.

#18: Mickey Mantle’s 1951 Bowman Rookie Card — $3.192 Million

Sale: Memory Lane, December 2022

The 1952 Topps Mantle gets most of the attention, but the 1951 Bowman is Mantle’s actual rookie card.

This PSA 9 copy sold for $3.192 million in December 2022. At the time of the sale, only nine examples had received a PSA 9 grade, with none graded higher by PSA.

There is a PSA 10 of this card. Apparently, Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick owns it. Doutbtful we see it sell anytime soon.

#17: The 1857 “Laws of Base Ball” Documents — $3,263,246

Sale: SCP Auctions, April 2016

These documents were connected to the 1857 convention of New York-area clubs and belonged to Daniel Lucius “Doc” Adams, one of the most important early figures in the sport's formal development.

Among other things, the convention helped establish nine players per side, nine innings, and bases separated by 90 feet.

The papers sold for $3,263,246 in 2016. Fun fact: they are currently on display in Cooperstown. I saw them at the induction ceremony about a month ago.

#16: Shohei Ohtani’s 2018 Bowman Chrome Batting SuperFractor — $3.365 Million

Sale: Fanatics-brokered private transaction, July 14, 2026

This one-of-one 2018 Bowman Chrome batting variation SuperFractor, graded BGS 9.5, sold privately for $3.365 million.

#15: Mike Trout’s 2009 Bowman Chrome SuperFractor Autograph — $3.936 Million

Sale: Goldin Auctions, August 2020

For a short time, this was the most expensive sports card ever sold.

The one-of-one 2009 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospects SuperFractor autograph was graded BGS 9 with a 10 autograph. It sold for $3.936 million in August 2020, surpassing the T206 Honus Wagner.

It remains the most expensive Mike Trout item publicly documented. (duh)

#14: Jackie Robinson’s 1950 Home Jersey — More Than $4.2 Million

Sale: Hunt Auctions private treaty, August 2021

This photo-matched 1950 Brooklyn Dodgers home jersey sold privately for more than $4.2 million.

The precise amount was not disclosed.

That creates a ranking problem. The next item sold for $4.212 million, so the Robinson jersey could technically belong above it. I am placing the jersey here conservatively because $4.2 million is the only usable public figure.

This jersey also sold in 2012 for $400,000. Nuts.

#13: Babe Ruth’s 1933 Goudey Card — $4.212 Million

Sale: Memory Lane, July 2021

The 1933 Goudey set contains four different Babe Ruth cards. This copy of card No. 53 was graded PSA 9 and sold for $4.212 million.

There is only one PSA 9 of this card, with zero PSA 10s ever graded.

#12: Shohei Ohtani’s 50/50 Home Run Ball — $4.392 Million

Sale: Goldin Auctions, October 23, 2024

On September 19, 2024, Ohtani became the first player in major-league history to hit at least 50 home runs and steal at least 50 bases in the same season.

The home run that completed the achievement came during an absurd six-hit, three-homer, 10-RBI game against the Miami Marlins.

The ball sold one month later for $4.392 million, including buyer’s premium. It surpassed McGwire’s 70th home run ball as the most expensive baseball ever sold.

Ohtani did in one month what the rest of the sport had failed to do in 25 years: knock the McGwire ball out of the top spot.

#11: Babe Ruth’s Circa-1920 Yankees Road Jersey — $4,415,658

Sale: SCP Auctions, May 2012

This road jersey dates to approximately 1920, Ruth’s first season with the Yankees, and has been described as the earliest known Ruth Yankees jersey.

It sold for $4,415,658 in 2012, setting what was then a record for sports memorabilia.

#10: Mickey Mantle’s 1958 Yankees Jersey — $4.68 Million

Sale: Heritage Auctions, August 19, 2023

Mantle wore the jersey throughout the 1958 season, and it had been matched to multiple photographs.

Mantle hit 42 home runs, led the American League with 127 runs and 129 walks, finished fifth in MVP voting, and helped the Yankees defeat the Milwaukee Braves in the World Series.

#9: Aaron Judge’s 2013 Bowman Chrome SuperFractor Autograph — $5.2 Million

Sale: Fanatics-brokered private transaction, March 12, 2026

Judge’s one-of-one 2013 Bowman Chrome Draft SuperFractor autograph, graded BGS 9.5, sold privately for $5.2 million in March 2026.

It had previously sold for $324,000 in 2022.

#8: Mickey Mantle’s 1960 Signed Game-Worn Jersey — $5.246 Million

Sale: Heritage Auctions, August 23, 2025

This signed Mantle jersey was photo-matched to 13 images from the 1960 season, including the second 1960 All-Star Game.

Mantle hit 40 home runs, led the American League in runs, and won his fourth home run title that season. He also hit three home runs during the World Series, although Bill Mazeroski’s Game 7 walk-off prevented another Yankees championship.

#7: Jackie Robinson’s 1951 Jersey and 1950 Pants — $5.52 Million

Sale: Heritage Auctions, August 2024

This lot is commonly described as a Jackie Robinson uniform, but the pieces are not from the same season.

The Brooklyn Dodgers jersey dates to 1951. The pants date to 1950.

The jersey and pants sold together for $5.52 million.

#6: Babe Ruth’s Circa-1928–30 Yankees Road Jersey — $5.64 Million

Sale: Hunt Auctions, June 2019

This Ruth road jersey dates to approximately 1928 through 1930, placing it near the center of the Yankees’ original dynasty.

The uniform sold for $5.64 million in June 2019, temporarily becoming the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia ever sold.

Ruth averaged 46 home runs, 148 RBIs, and a 1.173 OPS over those three seasons. The Yankees won the 1928 World Series, sweeping the Cardinals one year after the celebrated 1927 team swept Pittsburgh.

#5: Babe Ruth’s 1914 Baltimore News Rookie Card — $7.2 Million

Sale: Robert Edward Auctions, December 2023

Only 10 examples of Ruth’s 1914 Baltimore News card are known in red and blue variations. The card depicts a 19-year-old Ruth as a member of the minor-league Baltimore Orioles, before he reached the Red Sox and long before he became baseball’s greatest slugger.

This SGC 3 example sold privately through Robert Edward Auctions for $7.2 million in December 2023.

Then things became interesting.

The same card returned to auction in 2025 and sold for approximately $4.026 million. It is considered the biggest loss in trading card history.

#4: The T206 Honus Wagner — $7.25 Million

Sale: Goldin-brokered private transaction, August 2022

The T206 Honus Wagner remains the hobby’s most famous baseball card.

This SGC 2 example sold privately for $7.25 million in August 2022, setting a record for the issue. Fewer than 60 authentic examples are generally believed to exist, although exact population estimates vary.

There has been a $5.1 million sale since then. That card was a PSA 1 and was also sold by Goldin. The highest-graded Wagner is a PSA that is currently owned by none other than Ken Kendrick.

#3: Shohei Ohtani’s 2026 Topps Chrome Dual Gold Logoman Autograph — $11 Million

Sale: Reported private transaction, July 30, 2026

The one-of-one 2026 Topps Chrome Back-to-Back Dual Gold Logoman Autograph contains two gold MLB logo patches commemorating Ohtani’s consecutive MVP seasons. It also carries signatures in both English and Japanese kanji.

There is an unusual detail. The card was originally pulled as a redemption at Boca Sports Cards, and the reported $11 million transaction involved the redemption rights before the physical card had been delivered to the owner.

Pretty sure it sold to the fund that Kevin O’Leary is helping to run. It also more than tripled the Ohtani card record established just 16 days earlier and placed the card behind only the 1952 Topps Mantle among baseball cards.

#2: Mickey Mantle’s 1952 Topps Card — $12.6 Million

Sale: Heritage Auctions, August 2022

The 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle is not Mantle’s true rookie card. That distinction belongs to his 1951 Bowman.

The 1952 Topps card became the defining image of the postwar baseball-card hobby. This SGC 9.5 example came from the famous 1986 discovery of unopened 1952 Topps material owned by Alan Rosen and was celebrated for both its condition and provenance.

It sold for $12.6 million in August 2022, becoming the most expensive sports card ever sold.

There are three PSA 10 versions of this card. They are estimated to be worth between $30 million and $50 million.

Yes, Ken Kendrick owns one.

There is also one that was purchased for $275,000 in 2001. Holy smokes.

#1: Babe Ruth’s 1932 “Called Shot” Jersey — $24.12 Million

Sale: Heritage Auctions, August 2024

Nothing else is particularly close.

The jersey is photo-matched to Game 3 of the 1932 World Series at Wrigley Field—the game in which Ruth appeared to gesture toward center field before hitting a home run off Cubs pitcher Charlie Root.

Whether Ruth was actually calling his shot has been debated for generations. The mythology is now inseparable from the moment.

The jersey had previously sold in 2005 for $940,000. Nearly two decades later, with additional photo-matching work supporting its connection to the game, it sold for $24.12 million.

That made it the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia ever sold and gave it an $11.52 million advantage over the second-place Mantle card.

Ruth did not simply retain the top spot.

He destroyed the field.

Ruth, Mantle and Ohtani

Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and Shohei Ohtani now have five entries apiece in the Top 25.

For Mantle, that doesn’t include multiple high sales of his cards; remember, I only took the highest.

Ohtani represents something different. His cards have completely changed the modern collecting hobby. Many say he is the greatest baseball player of all time.

But $24.12 million is $24.12 million.

The Babe is still the king.

If you haven’t already, please consider subscribing below!

Overall Takeaway

Just have to talk about this to start. I cannot believe how toxic Red Sox fans were on Twitter over the last five days. I genuinely could not believe how you could be that negative after one of the best runs in not only Red Sox history, but MLB history. I unfollowed what felt like 35 accounts.

I am a 162’er like many. I write about every series and ride the roller coaster that is a baseball season. I can be critical; I can be negative, but you will never see me fly off the rails like what we have seen this year. To me, it seems like everyone is trying to emulate a specific Red Sox personality. Just makes for a bad vibe all around.

Watching five losses in a row was not fun, but the panic button was never close to being hit. Unless this team falls 3.0 GB of the Wild Card, I am calm as a butterfly.

Game 1: Toronto 2-1

Game 2: Toronto 5-3

Game 3: Toronto 6-4

Game 4: Red Sox 7-0

What I Loved

• Caleb Durbin GRAND SLAM

  • 12th homer of the year, but let’s talk about what led to it. Runners on first and second with Willson Contreras at the plate. Most teams, including the Red Sox under Cora, are swinging for the fences. Nope, Contreras bunts and moves the runners over. Blue Jays walk Yoshida to try and set up a double play, and then BANG, Durbin to left field. That is the type of baseball Chad Tracy has brought to the team.

• Ranger Suarez Rebound

  • Game 3 was the best start from Suarez in over a month. It was not great; it was fine. But when you only give up one run, you get some love from me. Ranger threw only 81 pitches, so we are still building towards him being able to consistently go deeper into games.

  

• Willson Contreras Calling Out Trolls

  • 1. Tied career high in home runs. 2. Called out the people who booed him and spoke poorly about him for not running out a grounder the other day.

  • I was shocked to see fans boo and the Twitter personalities go after him. He has been the lifeblood of the team from day one. So happy to see him address it.

• Fighting To Stay Alive

  • This is more of a testament to the pitching over the course of the season, but in all the losses from the last week, Boston was alive going into the 9th. Felt like every game they were able to get the tying run to the plate. Now, nothing came from it, but at least they weren’t being blown out.

• Sonny Gray Game 1 Start

  • Gray tossed another quality start on Monday and kept the team in the game. The offense responded with one run.

• Payton Tolle

  • Payton seemingly used all his strikeouts in his last start. Second time this season Payton has gone 8 innings. Absolute gem.

What I Was ‘Mid’ About

• Masataka Yoshida

  • 1-11 the first three games, but went 2-3 with a walk on Thursday.

What I Didn’t Love

• Losing (Obviously)

  • Two series losses in a row and a five-game losing streak were not fun.

• Defense

  • Errors in the first three games of the series. The most glaring mistake came in the bottom of the 8th inning on Wednesday. Willson Contreras dropped a routine pop-up in foul territory. It extended Kazuma Okamoto’s at-bat and led to the go-ahead RBI. The inning fell apart after that.

Who Got Screwed

• Jarren Duran’s Hater

  • If you did not see Jarren Duran’s Instagram story from last night. Go check it out. Not sure I am okay with doxxing, but I think the guy had it coming.

If you haven’t already, please consider subscribing below.

The Derby always produces the same next question: what happens when the real games begin again? I am simply going to break down the players from last month, not get into the entire season.

Through August, the answer is sharply divided. Five hitters have posted an OPS of at least .879. The other three are at .638 or lower. The most surprising detail is that Walker and Schwarber, the two finalists, are both in the struggling group.

Here is the post-Derby breakdown.

Willson Contreras

AVG: .286/ 3 HR/ 9 RBI/ .949 OPS

Willson Contreras hasn’t hit the most home runs in the group, but he has been the best overall hitter of them. Across 18 games, the Boston first baseman is batting .296 with three home runs, nine RBIs and a .965 OPS. Beyond that, Contreras has been the lifeblood of this Red Sox team that went on a historic run in July.

Munetaka Murakami

AVG: .250/ 6 HR/ 11 RBI/ .906 OPS

Munetaka Murakami has hit the most home runs of this group the last month. His six home runs in 21 games, coupled with a .906 OPS, have helped Chicago maintain its first-place lead in the AL Central.

Bryce Harper

AVG: .234/ 5 HR/ 14 RBI/ .901 OPS

I had to do a quick double-take with this one, because the last I saw Harper trending on X it was for how bad he was playing. Meanwhile, he has a better OPS post-All-Star Game than he did before it.

Junior Caminero

AVG: .273/ 5 HR/ 12 RBI/ .871 OPS

The Rays are 8-2 in their last 10 and are the first American League team to hit 70 wins.

Jac Caglianone

AVG: .280/ 5 HR/ 14 RBI/ .859 OPS

Jac has been playing great, so don’t go thinking that these stats are inflated from his great game Saturday. He did have an 0-18 stretch mixed in since the Derby, but has rebounded over the last 10 days.

Kyle Schwarber

AVG: .209/ 3 HR/ 9 RBI/ .778 OPS

Honestly, because Kyle Schwarber hit two home runs today, I felt obligated to go and re-do all the stats for this blog. I was totally okay with just using the stats through August 8th, but noooooo, Kyle then needs to go hit two home runs.

Jordan Walker

AVG: .250/ 1 HR/ 9 RBI/ .620 OPS

Jordan Walker left Citizens Bank Park as the Derby champion. Since then? He has the weakest offensive line in the field. Doesn’t help that he is playing for a team that seemingly doesn’t know if it wants to compete, as well as dealing with a knee issue. He has recently strung together a 9-game hitting streak, so here’s hoping that momentum continues.

Ben Rice

AVG: .169/ 3 HR/ 7 RBI/ .583 OPS

Rice has probably been the most inconsistent of the group. Will hit a home run, then go 0-16, hit a home run, then go ice cold for two weeks, then hit another home run.

If you haven’t already, please consider subscribing below.

Overall Takeaway

The vibes were sky high on Friday after arguably the game of the year against the White Sox on Thursday. Boston delivered, putting up 9 runs across the first four innings in Friday’s game.

Not a complete surprise that they came into Saturday’s game sluggish. A lot of players are sick after their West Coast trip, and it was clear the extra-inning bonanza also took a lot out of them. During Saturday’s game, the camera caught multiple players coughing, blowing their nose, and frankly looking terrible. It has also been DISGUSTING in New England the last few days. Kudos to the team for toughing it out.

Sucks that both the winning streak and the series win streak have ended. All good things come to an end

“End? No, the journey does not end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The grey rain curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass. And then you see it. White shores, and beyond. A far green country, under a swift sunrise.” -Gandalf

Game 1: Red Sox 13-1

Game 2: A’s 7-3

Game 3: A’s 4-3

What I Loved

• Dave O’Brien Renewal

  • It was announced prior to the game that Dave O’Brien had signed a two-year extension to bring him through the 2028 season. I love OB, so give him a lifetime contract for all I care.

• BUNTING

  • I believe that Chad Tracy might love bunting more than he loves his wife. Saw that the team was struggling offensively the last two games, so decided to play some small ball during the 5th inning Sunday. Led directly to the lead and kept Boston in the game.

• Payton Tolle

  • Absolute masterclass on Friday. 14 Ks over six innings and was perfect through four to help secure a 13-1 win. One of the best performances for a Red Sox starter I have watched in a long time.

• Brayan Bello… Again

  • Another 4 innings today after pitching 2 great innings during extras on Thursday. His ERA this season as a reliever sits at 0.75…

    

• Wilyer Abreu

  • Wilyer took a hard foul off his leg Friday, which led to him being pulled in the sixth inning and scratched from the lineup Saturday. He was 2-2 Friday with 3 RBI’s and knocked in the winning run Saturday with a sacrifice fly to right field.

What I Was ‘Mid’ About

• Bullpen Game

  • I hate the idea of bullpen games. They did great Sunday, but I can’t put it in the loved section on principle.

• Jarren Duran Tying To Heat Up

  • Duran sparked the scoring in Game 1 by crushing a two-run shot over the Green Monster to open the scoring. However, he showed a lot of temper over the last few days. Slammed his bat, slammed his helmet, and screamed some unsavory words. Like many, I love his fire, but at some point he has to dial it back a little.

• Jake Bennett’s Start

  • Bennet threw 88 pitches (59 for strikes), but could only get through 5.1 innings. Second game in a row he could not get out of the 5th, this time giving up four runs.

What I Didn’t Love

• Winning Streak Over

  • The streak died at nine games after Gage Jump carved up the lineup with 11 K’s. Still, Boston had the bases loaded with two outs in the 9th, so they made sure to keep it entertaining.

• Offense

  • Offense was great Friday, but as I said up top, you can tell this team had nothing left this weekend.

Who Got Screwed

• Willson Contreras

  • If you have been watching the games, you can see that everyone is sick. Some are clearly worse than others. Contreras is one of them. So, to boo the guy who has been the lifeblood of this team seems a little ridiculous to me.

If you haven’t already, please consider subscribing below!

Editor’s Note 2: Let me be clear, I do not want to go to war with Jeff Passan. I feel it is important to defend the legacy of those who have passed on.

On a recent episode of the All the Smoke Podcast, Jeff Passan explained why he gave away his Hall of Fame vote. He referenced Joe Morgan’s 2017 letter that appealed to BBWAA Hall of Fame voters. In it, Morgan urged voters to keep known steroid users out of the Hall of Fame. In 2017, Passan wrote about his decision to give up the vote then. You can find it on Yahoo’s website, and while there are points I agree with, overall I think he is off point. My main crux is his comparing greenies to steroids. I think it is a problematic argument, but that is a discussion for another day.

Where Passan lost me was name-dropping Ty Cobb in his podcast appearance the other day.

“And you're telling me that Barry Bonds, because he chose to pursue, you know, an area of the game that was beyond things that make him- that makes him worse than Ty Cobb, that makes him worse than people who are racist.”- Jeff Passan

(Editor’s Note: Real quick, before I start my defense of Ty Cobb, I want to encourage you to look into Barry Bonds and some accusations that have come his way by ex-wives and girlfriends over the years.)

To be precise, Passan did not directly call Cobb a racist. His sentence separates Cobb from “people who are racist,” so it would be unfair to put those exact words in his mouth. Regardless, he is putting Cobb in the same sentence, so he is at least insinuating that Cobb was a bad guy.

That is where Jeff Passan loses me.

Growing up, I also fell for the myth that Ty Cobb was this terrible person. Like many, I saw the movie Cobb starring Tommy Lee Jones. Turns out, the vast majority of that film is made up and inspired by the works of Al Stump, who was tasked with writing Cobb’s autobiography. Almost all of Stump’s writings have been proven to be false, something that the director of the film even admitted when pressed for evidence on the outlandish claims in the film.

The “familiar” version of Cobb is almost too perfectly villainous.

-He sharpened his spikes before games to carve up infielders

-He killed a black man.

-He terrorized teammates, assaulted strangers, drank uncontrollably

-He hated fans.

Sure, there are some things that Cobb did over his life that don’t look great. He did get into fights; he did injure some players, and he had a foul mouth.

The most famous story comes from an incident in 1912. Ty ran into the crowd and attacked a disabled man who had lost his hands in an accident. As Ty beat him, onlookers screamed: “He has no hands!” Cobb yelled back, “I don’t care if he has no feet!”

Sure, not a great look. But I encourage you to go and look at what the man was yelling at Cobb that provoked him. Go, look it up and come back. You back? Cool, wouldn’t you do the same? It’s not like Cobb knew the guy had no hands. Also, do you get to act like that if you lose your hands? I don’t believe you do.

However, most stories that make him out to be a monster, which I believe Passan is referencing, were assembled after Cobb died in 1961. By none other than Al Stump himself.

Al Stump Helped Manufacture “Tyrus the Terrible”

Stump was tasked with writing Cobb’s 1961 autobiography My Life in Baseball: The True Record. Shortly after Cobb died, Stump published a sensational account of Cobb’s final months in True magazine. He would later expand this with the book Cobb: The Life and Times of the Meanest Man Who Ever Played Baseball, which became the basis for the Tommy Lee Jones movie.

The stories Cobb laid out were crazy; they were also unreliable.

Not only did he attribute quotes to people who died years before Stump began working with Cobb, but the FBI also proved Stump forged Cobb letters and diaries. Then Stump claimed that Cobb confessed to killing one of the three men who attacked him in 1912. The three “black men” who turned out to be white did attempt to rob Cobb; none of them were killed.

Honestly, there are many other stories he made up; please check them out.

In 2015, Charles Leerhsen published Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty. It is a must-read for any baseball fan, especially those like Jeff who don’t seem to know their history.

Charles was able to debunk many of the stories that Stump and others had told over the years, including the story where Cobb fought a black bellhop at a hotel. You guessed it, he was white.

Here are a few more stories that Leershen and others have debunked.

• “Cobb’s mother killed his father with a shotgun.”

  • This was repeated for decades and dramatized in gruesome detail. The official coroner’s report states that William Herschel Cobb died from a pistol bullet, consistent with Amanda Cobb’s testimony that she fired a revolver. The shotgun version first appeared in Stump’s posthumous 1961 article.

• “Cobb kept the shotgun that killed his father and later used it for hunting.”

  • A supposed Cobb shotgun was sold through the memorabilia world with that story. Because the murder weapon was actually a pistol, the story attached to the shotgun was false. Turns out Al Stump made it all up and sold the gun for profit.

• “Cobb’s private diary proved he drank heavily and contained his secret thoughts about other players.”

  • The Hall of Fame displayed a purported 1946 Cobb diary after MLB acquired it from the Barry Halper collection. An FBI examination determined that it was a forgery, and handwriting expert Ron Keurajian concluded that the diary was written in the same hand as other material attributed to Stump. Numerous supposed Cobb letters, annotations, and signatures connected to Stump were also rejected as forgeries. So yeah, Stump made it all up.

• “Cobb and Ted Williams ended their friendship after a furious argument about an all-time team.”

  • Stump told this story, but Williams directly denied that the falling-out occurred and dismissed Stump’s account.

• “Cobb refused to sign autographs and was cruel or dismissive toward children.”

  • The record includes hundreds of authentic Cobb-signed balls, photographs, postcards and letters, including personalized responses to young fans. A nurse who cared for him shortly before his death also recalled that he willingly signed baseballs for her teenage brother. Look in museums; the letters are there plain to see.

• “Only a few baseball people attended Cobb’s funeral because everyone in baseball despised him.”

  • Only a small number of baseball figures indeed attended. What Stump omitted was that Cobb’s family requested a private service, held only 48 hours after his death, and specifically asked friends and baseball dignitaries not to attend. Several prominent baseball figures had reportedly offered to serve as pallbearers.

• “Cobb spent his final months as a drug-crazed, whiskey-soaked lunatic terrorizing everyone around him.”

  • This was the centerpiece of Stump’s posthumous portrayal. But Stump spent only intermittent periods with Cobb, while the nurses and medical personnel who cared for Cobb continuously near the end of his life described a substantially different man.

• “Cobb routinely sharpened his spikes into weapons so he could deliberately cut infielders.”

  • Cobb 100% slid hard, spiked players, and cultivated fear on the bases. That was baseball in the early 1900s when men played it. What has not been substantiated is the familiar image of him filing his spikes into blades before games. James Lanier, Cobb’s batboy, said he personally cleaned Cobb’s shoes and never saw sharpening marks, a file, or any evidence that Cobb sharpened them.

• “Cobb was universally hated, even by his own teammates.”

  • Cobb had strained relationships and was disliked by some players. But “everyone hated him” is too broad. In 1912, his Detroit teammates refused to play in protest of his suspension, producing baseball’s first major player strike. Cobb also maintained lasting friendships with several prominent baseball figures. He even became friends with his “enemy” Babe Ruth in later years.

Look, Cobb is by no means perfect; he has some skeletons in the closet. But this idea that he should be consistently used as an example of bad people being in the Hall of Fame needs to be thrown out the window.

If you haven’t already, please consider subscribing below. If you are Jeff Passan and you are reading this, don’t destroy me.

Overall Takeaway

Editor’s Note #2: I am a teetotaler, fancy word for I don’t drink. I don’t know what drunk feels like at this point in my life. But I imagine it is how I feel after this game.

Both Tuesday and Wednesday, I was late to the party. Boston came out to early leads before many fans were even in their seats (or on the couch in my world). Thursday I told my wife I would be down in time for Real Housewives. That never happened, and I am afraid to go back downstairs from the attic. My nachos from Uber Eats have also been sitting on my porch for over an hour. Couldn’t risk missing any of this classic.

Another eight-game win streak, another sweep, but more importantly, nine consecutive series wins. This is the second-longest streak in franchise history behind an 11-series run in 1912.

I have written and rewritten this section three times now. I am running out of words at this point. Down five different times tonight and just battled back each time. If you want to sit and

Like last week, I just need to add a note about the bunts. If we were still in the Alex Cora era, we would not be seeing these sacrifice bunts. Tracy has been utilizing them to perfection.

Game 1: Red Sox 14-2

Game 2: Red Sox 4-0

Game 3: Red Sox 12-11

What I Loved

• Andruw Montasterio

  • Andruw was not in this blog until his double in the 10th inning. He should be offended that I did not add him. He had a great series, going 5-11 with 5 RBIs. Forget about Trevor Story, I want to keep Andruw

• Erik Miller

  • I would be lying if I said I knew anything about Erik Miller prior to the trade. Then I saw the video where he tried to fight an entire team. Immediately fell in love.

  

• Caleb Durbin Grand Slam

  • Durbin’s grand slam Tuesday set the tone for the rout. Since June 1st, he is batting .303 with 10 HR and 28 RBI. ALSO WON THE GAME TONIGHT.

• Sonny Gray

  • Another quality start for Gray and his 14th win of the season, which is tied for 1st in all of MLB with Cristopher Sanchez.

• Patrick Sandoval

  • Been moving Patrick Sandoval up the ladder the last couple of reviews. Tuesday represented his first win since May 2024. If he can continue to show any signs of his 2022 self, it will be huge for a depleted Boston rotation.

• Brayan Bello

  • Bello pitched another flawless three innings on Tuesday, which counted as his first career save. He has a minuscule 0.54 ERA since rejoining the team. Editor's Note: Bello came in after I wrote this. He was very tired, as was I, so I do not fault him for giving up the ghost runner. Forget it happened. I don't have his updated ERA that includes tonight’s game, but he was great again.

• Wilyer Abreu Power Surge

  • Another three home runs this series. Nine of his 20 home runs have come since July 18th. Also knocked in the tying run in the 11th with a sacrifice fly, something a lot of Red Sox hitters have struggled to do.

What I Was ‘Mid’ About

• Anthony Seigler

  • Broke an 0-for-11 slump with a great day Friday.

What I Didn’t Love

• Ranger Suarez

  • It has been over a month since we have seen a quality start from Suarez. Injury aside, he has not been great.

• Jarren Duran Stealing 3rd

  • I write these prior to the post-game interviews, so if this changes, excuse me, but who in the world sent Duran there?

There are two things I know when it comes to prospects

1. The name of the Red Sox top guys.

2. Tai Peete

For those of you that do not know, I am the proud owner of a PSA 10 Tai Peete Bowman 1st gold autograph (flex).

I think Tai Peete can be a Top 10 prospect. He has hit for the cycle twice this year, and is a real 30/30 threat in my opinion. I truly believe it could be a $10,000 card.

Alright, back to what I was saying. I won’t pretend to know a ton about the prospects that were dealt yesterday. My grades are mostly off of vibes. I will give commentary for some of the teams, but not all.

Enjoy.

American League East

Baltimore Orioles — Grade: C+

Acquired: Cash considerations; C Jake Rogers; OF Jhomnardo Reyes; RHP Anthony Eyanson; RHP Kyson Witherspoon; OF Enddy Azocar; C Carlos Narváez; a player to be named later; RHP Alex Hoppe; RHP Harrison Kreiling; RHP Brock Moore; RHP Michael Forret; OF Christian Franklin

Traded away: OF Johnathan Rodríguez; RHP Zane Barnhart; RHP Dean Kremer; C Adley Rutschman; C Jake Rogers; cash considerations; OF Taylor Ward; RHP Tyler Wells; RHP Joe Glassey

My Thoughts: I have seen a lot of grades in the high B’s to A’s, but I think this is a sad day for Orioles fans. Trading Rutschman marks the end of an era.

Boston Red Sox — Grade: B

Acquired: OF Jahmai Jones; INF Curtis Mead; C Adley Rutschman; C Jake Rogers; cash considerations; LHP Erik Miller; OF Eli White

Traded away: LHP Connelly Early; RHP Anthony Eyanson; RHP Kyson Witherspoon; OF Enddy Azocar; C Carlos Narváez; IF Marcelo Mayer; RHP Tyler Uberstine; two players to be named later

My Thoughts: Most of my thoughts can be found on the latest episode of The Skippers View Podcast. I am completely fine with the Rutschman deal if they extend him. If they don’t, I am not a fan. With Mayer, it has become evident that he was not built for Boston.

New York Yankees — Grade: D+

Acquired: C Omar Alfonzo; OF Luis Cruz; 1B Luis García Jr.; OF Heliot Ramos

Traded away: RHP Camilo Doval; RHP Yovanny Cruz; RHP Jake Bird; RHP Jack Cebert; RHP Ben Grable; LHP Henry Lalane; SS Kaeden Kent

My Thoughts: Became clear to everyone that New York does not believe that Aaron Judge will be returning this season. If he were, I think they would have been a little bit more aggressive.

Tampa Bay Rays — Grade: A

Acquired: RHP Freddy Peralta; C/1B Liam Hicks; RHP Tyler Wells; OF Jack Suwinski; international bonus-pool money

Traded away: OF Aidan Smith; RHP Gary Gill Hill; 2B Émilien Pitre; INF Brayden Taylor; RHP Jacob Kisting; INF Adrian Santana; RHP Michael Forret; C Hunter Feduccia; RHP Jacob Kmatz

My Thoughts: According to Brett, Tampa Bay nailed the deadline. I know that because when I went to see his thoughts on George Lombard Jr, I was met with a tweet about the Rays.

Toronto Blue Jays — Grade: B-

Acquired: C Ryan Sprock; OF Brett Bateman; INF Ty Southisene; RHP Jameson Taillon; cash considerations; RHP José Soriano; RHP Spencer Arrighetti; LHP Dasan Hill; RHP John Klein; 2B Dameury Pena; international bonus-pool space; INF Josh Smith; RHP Josh Stephan

Traded away: RHP Tommy Nance; international bonus-pool money; RHP Kevin Gausman; a player to be named later or cash considerations; INF Arjun Nimmala; OF Eddie Micheletti Jr.; RHP Angel Rivero; OF Daulton Varsho; RHP Jeff Hoffman; cash considerations; LHP Adam Macko

My Thoughts: The classic buy/sell. Let’s see how it works out (it won’t)

American League Central

Chicago White Sox — Grade: A

Acquired: 2026 Competitive Balance Round A pick; LHP Jaden Woods; RHP José Urquidy; RHP Luis Castillo; RHP Huascar Brazobán; OF Brenton Doyle; C Joey Bart

Traded away: INF Jacob Gonzalez; LHP Brandon Eisert; RHP Felix Doroteo; RHP Seranthony Domínguez; OF Nolan Jones; C Boston Smith; RHP Gabe Davis; RHP Zach Franklin; RHP Mason Adams; SS Carlos Vielma; RHP Duncan Davitt

My Thoughts: White Sox get an “A” exclusively because they are buyers.

Cleveland Guardians — Grade: B+

Acquired: RHP Craig Yoho; OF Blake Perkins; OF Jo Adell; LHP Foster Griffin; 1B Nathaniel Lowe; cash considerations

Traded away: C Bo Naylor; RHP Codi Heuer; C Jacob Cozart; LHP Josh Hartle; LHP Will Dion; RHP Kendeglys Virguez; OF Nick Mitchell; RHP Alejandro Rivera; INF Juan Brito

My Thoughts: Upgraded middle of the order, and have officially broken free from the Naylor brothers.

Detroit Tigers — Grade: B

Acquired: A player to be named later; RHP Zane Barnhart; OF Zyhir Hope; RHP River Ryan; RHP Brady Smith; LHP Kash Mayfield; LHP Jackson Wolf

Traded away: OF Jahmai Jones; C Jake Rogers; LHP Tarik Skubal; RHP Casey Mize; 3B Gage Workman

My Thoughts: The Tigers had a D until they had their last-minute Hail Mary to get rid of Casey Mize. As a result, they get a B for at least committing to selling. My guess is they had a high asking price on Mize, and teams were not willing to bite. Until, of course, AJ Preller jumped in.

Kansas City Royals — Grade: D-

Acquired: RHP Nate Pearson; cash considerations; RHP Lucas Braun; LHP Carter Holton; RHP Carlos Duran; RHP Nolan Hoffman

Traded away: RHP Max Martin; OF Kameron Misner; OF Lane Thomas; LHP Bailey Falter; LHP Kris Bubic; RHP Manuel Colón

My Thoughts: I get wanting to keep Wacha and Lugo to “compete next year”, but that ignores the fact that a large percentage of the roster needs an overhaul as well. Plenty of teams would have paid a solid price for both, particularly Wacha.

Minnesota Twins — Grade: B+

Acquired: RHP Tommy Nance; international bonus-pool money; LHP A.J. Minter; RHP Dean Kremer; RHP Jeff Hoffman; cash considerations

Traded away: C Ryan Sprock; INF Bruin Agbayani; INF Billy Amick; OF Jhomnardo Reyes; LHP Dasan Hill; RHP John Klein; 2B Dameury Pena; international bonus-pool space

My Thoughts: I really like them getting Jeff Hoffman and commiting to competing. Dean Kremer is a major pet project.

American League West

Athletics — Grade: C+

Acquired: RHP Aiden Moffett; RHP Scott Blewett; RHP Seth Johnson

Traded away: RHP Aaron Civale; cash considerations; OF Colby Thomas

My Thoughts: Probably should have sold more.

Houston Astros — Grade: B-

Acquired: OF Jadyn Fielder; RHP Max Martin; OF Daulton Varsho

Traded away: RHP Lance McCullers Jr.; LHP Colton Gordon; cash considerations; RHP Nate Pearson; RHP Spencer Arrighetti

My Thoughts: Probably should have bought more.

Los Angeles Angels — Grade: A+

Acquired: INF Angel Arredondo; INF Arjun Nimmala; OF Eddie Micheletti Jr.; RHP Angel Rivero; C Jacob Cozart; C/DH Moisés Ballesteros; RHP Mason McGwire; RHP Kyle Robinson; INF Nacho Alvarez Jr.

Traded away: C Logan O’Hoppe; RHP Chase Silseth; RHP José Soriano; OF Jo Adell; RHP Ryan Zeferjahn; RHP Kirby Yates; LHP Brent Suter

My Thoughts: Angels get an A+ for actually looking in the mirror and seeing the disaster that their team is. They got great value, in my opinion, and might actually start to build a foundation now.

Seattle Mariners — Grade: C+

Acquired: RHP Seranthony Domínguez; OF Nolan Jones; C Boston Smith; OF Taylor Ward

Traded away: RHP Luis Castillo; RHP Alex Hoppe; RHP Harrison Kreiling; RHP Brock Moore

My Thoughts: I guess Taylor Ward is nice? But feels like they were afraid to commit to buying and trying to make a run. Also feels like they were hanging Hancock and Kirby in front of teams and not agreeing to any deal.

Texas Rangers — Grade: C-

Acquired: C Logan O’Hoppe; RHP Chase Silseth; LHP Adam Macko

Traded away: INF Angel Arredondo; INF Josh Smith; RHP Josh Stephan

My Thoughts: The Rangers are actually in a better positon then the Mariners right now in the standings. But they don’t have a roster built for October. It was clear they wanted to sell when the Jacob DeGrom news came out, but then they didn’t do anyhing. So what was the plan?

National League East

Atlanta Braves — Grade: D+

Acquired: OF Lane Thomas; LHP Bailey Falter; RHP Tyler Mahle; RHP Duncan Davitt; RHP Tyler Uberstine; LHP Brent Suter

Traded away: RHP Lucas Braun; LHP Carter Holton; RHP Anthony Molina; C Joey Bart; OF Eli White; INF Nacho Alvarez Jr.

My Thoughts: On the podcast yesterday I brought them up as the biggest losers of the deadline. I wasn’t really thinking about the DeGrom news, so I suppose they get a few points for at least trying to make a deal.

Miami Marlins — Grade: B

Acquired: INF Brayden Taylor; RHP Jacob Kisting; INF Adrian Santana; 1B/OF Jonathon Long; RHP Jace Beck; RHP Victor Vodnik

Traded away: C/1B Liam Hicks; LHP Braxton Garrett; INF Connor Norby; RHP Aiden May

My Thoughts: I don’t think many, including the Marlins, expected them to be 1.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. I think there is a lot to be excited about with this team, but they are still a few pieces away from making true noise. They are a worse team today then yesterday, but got some nice pieces in return for Hicks.

New York Mets — Grade: A

Acquired: INF Bruin Agbayani; INF Billy Amick; OF Aidan Smith; RHP Gary Gill Hill; 2B Émilien Pitre; RHP Gabe Davis; RHP Zach Franklin; 3B/SS Jefferson Rojas; SS Sammy Stafura; RHP Luke Gabrysh; OF John Spikerman; RHP Chayce McDermott

Traded away: LHP A.J. Minter; RHP Freddy Peralta; RHP Huascar Brazobán; RHP Clay Holmes; OF Tyrone Taylor; RHP Luke Weaver; LHP Brooks Raley; C Ben Rortvedt

My Thoughts: I saw a lot of outlets give low grades to the Mets. Sure, they are dead in the water and it is embarassing how bad they are. That being said, they went and got 11 prospects to bolster their farm system. Everyone knows they will open up the check books this winter, and this time they will also have some prospects to deal when needed.

Philadelphia Phillies — Grade: B+

Acquired: OF Kameron Misner; IF Luis Arraez; RHP Caleb Kilian; LHP Brooks Raley; OF Colby Thomas; RHP Manuel Colón

Traded away: Cash considerations; RHP Ramon Marquez; RHP Marty Gair; RHP Luke Gabrysh; OF John Spikerman; RHP Seth Johnson; RHP Nolan Hoffman

My Thoughts: Luis Arraez was my favorite player this deadline, so any team that got him get a big + in my books. Probably could have used another starter, but Andrew Painter did look good the other day soooooo.

Washington Nationals — Grade: A-

Acquired: LHP Connelly Early; RHP Yovanny Cruz; RHP Jake Bird; RHP Jack Cebert; RHP Ben Grable; LHP Josh Hartle; LHP Will Dion; RHP Kendeglys Virguez; OF Nick Mitchell; RHP Joe Glassey

Traded away: INF Curtis Mead; 1B Luis García Jr.; LHP Foster Griffin; OF Christian Franklin

My Thoughts: I love Connelly Early, but I don’t know much about the other prospects they got. Sold very high on Luis Garcia Jr, and kept their dynamic duo. Big wins for Washington.

National League Central

Chicago Cubs — Grade: A+

Acquired: RHP Aaron Civale; RHP Kevin Gausman; a player to be named later or cash considerations; RHP Clay Holmes; OF Tyrone Taylor; LHP Braxton Garrett; RHP Ryan Zeferjahn

Traded away: RHP Aiden Moffett; OF Brett Bateman; INF Ty Southisene; RHP Jameson Taillon; cash considerations; 3B/SS Jefferson Rojas; 1B/OF Jonathon Long; RHP Jace Beck; C/DH Moisés Ballesteros; RHP Mason McGwire

My Thoughts: Chicago sees Milwaukee in front of them and said “screw it, all in". I thought they would go for Casey Mize, but went and got Gausman and Holmes instead. Both of them are high risk high reward, but the Cubs need to take high risk if they want to catch the Brewers.

Cincinnati Reds — Grade: F

Acquired: RHP Alejandro Rivera; international bonus-pool money; INF Juan Brito

Traded away: 1B Nathaniel Lowe; LHP Caleb Ferguson; cash considerations

My Thoughts: If Cincinnati was 3.0 GB of the Wild Card, I could appreciate them holding on and going for it. However, at this moment they are dead last in the Central and 5.5 GB of the WC. They had at least six expiring contracts that they could have shipped off. They made one move….

Milwaukee Brewers — Grade: F- (If that is a thing)

Acquired: RHP Lance McCullers Jr.; LHP Colton Gordon; cash considerations; C Bo Naylor; RHP Codi Heuer; RHP Antonio Senzatela; RHP Dustin May; LHP JoJo Romero

Traded away: OF Jadyn Fielder; RHP Craig Yoho; OF Blake Perkins; LHP Mark Manfredi; SS Juan Martinez; OF Alexander Frias; OF Josiah Ragsdale

My Thoughts: Their farm is stacked and they have the best record in baseball. Their move? Go and get Dustin May. Can’t imagine being a Milwaukee fan.

Pittsburgh Pirates — Grade: B+

Acquired: INF Jacob Gonzalez; LHP Brandon Eisert; RHP Ron Marinaccio; RHP Felix Doroteo; OF Johnathan Rodríguez; RHP Camilo Doval; RHP Luke Weaver; RHP Kirby Yates

Traded away: 2026 Competitive Balance Round A pick; LHP Jaden Woods; international bonus-pool money; RHP José Urquidy; cash considerations; C Omar Alfonzo; OF Luis Cruz; SS Sammy Stafura; RHP Kyle Robinson

My Thoughts: Pittsburgh completely rebuilt their bullpen, and got what seems to be a solid closer in Luke Weaver. Their offense has been one of the best in baseballs and they fixed their biggest weak spot. Now lets see if Paul Skenes can be Paul Skenes again.

St. Louis Cardinals — Grade: B+

Acquired: Cash considerations; RHP Daniel Eagen; INF Ruben Santana; a player to be named later; OF Alexander Frias; OF Josiah Ragsdale; LHP Caleb Ferguson

Traded away: RHP Scott Blewett; OF Lars Nootbaar; RHP Dustin May; LHP JoJo Romero; international bonus-pool money

My Thoughts: St Louis fell below .500 for the first team this season last week. I was shocked they lasted this long. Chaim Bloom, whom I like, knows what he has with this roster. Got rid of some rentals, and hopefully got some pitching depth for next year. Still 2-3 years out in my books.

National League West

Arizona Diamondbacks — Grade: B

Acquired: OF Lars Nootbaar

Traded away: RHP Daniel Eagen; INF Ruben Santana; a player to be named later

Colorado Rockies — Grade: C

Acquired: OF Landyn Vidourek; RHP Nick Frasso; LHP Mark Manfredi; SS Juan Martinez; RHP Mason Adams; SS Carlos Vielma; INF Connor Norby; RHP Aiden May

Traded away: RHP Seth Halvorsen; RHP Antonio Senzatela; OF Brenton Doyle; RHP Victor Vodnik

My Thoughts: Just sell everyone.

Los Angeles Dodgers — Grade: A+

Acquired: RHP Seth Halvorsen; LHP Tarik Skubal; LHP Kris Bubic; C Hunter Feduccia; RHP Jacob Kmatz; C Ben Rortvedt

Traded away: OF Landyn Vidourek; RHP Nick Frasso; OF Zyhir Hope; RHP River Ryan; RHP Brady Smith; RHP Carlos Duran; OF Jack Suwinski; international bonus-pool money; RHP Chayce McDermott

My Thoughts: I suppose you have to give them an A+ being they got the best player available. I by no means think they are ruining baseball, but did they really need Kris Bubic?

San Diego Padres — Grade: A-

Acquired: International bonus-pool money; LHP Robbie Ray; RHP Casey Mize; 3B Gage Workman

Traded away: RHP Ron Marinaccio; RHP Miguel Mendez; IF Joniel Hernandez; LHP Kash Mayfield; LHP Jackson Wolf

My Thoughts: Robbie Ray and Casey Mize were the best two pitchers on the market outside Skubal. San Diego got them both. I have no idea how the Padres field minor league teams, but kudos to Preller for always going balls to the wall.

San Francisco Giants — Grade: B+

Acquired: RHP Anthony Molina; RHP Ramon Marquez; RHP Marty Gair; RHP Miguel Mendez; IF Joniel Hernandez; LHP Henry Lalane; SS Kaeden Kent; IF Marcelo Mayer

Traded away: RHP Tyler Mahle; IF Luis Arraez; RHP Caleb Kilian; LHP Robbie Ray; OF Heliot Ramos; LHP Erik Miller

My Thoughts: If they were able to unload one of their terrible contracts this would be an A.

Overall Takeaway

I said this as a joke initially, but I am not convinced that the Dodgers didn’t see Boston in action and immediately call Detroit for Skubal.

This weekend was the high point for me. As fun as the 15-game streak was, I don’t think anything tops going into Los Angeles and sweeping the back-to-back World Series champions. This is only the second time Los Angeles has been swept in 2026. The previous series was against the Diamondbacks right before the All-Star break.

I don’t know what Breslow is going to do tomorrow with the deadline. He will do something; he doesn’t have a choice. Boston is the best team in baseball right now, and momentum like this can easily carry you through the playoffs.

Just an extra note that I didn’t add in the sections below: the amount of sacrifice bunting Chad Tracy has this team do gets the blood flowing.

Game 1: Red Sox 9-4

Game 2: Red Sox 3-2

Game 3: Red Sox 8-4

What I Loved

• EIGHT STRAIGHT

  • Is there a better team in baseball right now? The Savannah Bananas couldn’t write this script.

• DEFENSE

  • After six errors against the Athletics, Boston had a clean sheet across three games in Los Angeles.

• Bullpen

  • All three starters were serviceable; no gem, but they got the job done. The bullpen, on the other hand, was nails. Outside of Ohtani’s home run against Moran, they gave up zero runs once again. Well, as I am writing this, Guerrero just gave up a run. Still keeping them in the loved section.

• Brayan Bello

  • Another solid outing by Bello. He currently has a 0.69 ERA as a relief pitcher across 39 innings. As a starter, he still holds a 10.35 ERA. Will be interesting to see

• Ceddanne Rafaela

  • Three straight games with a home run for Rafaela, two on Saturday. I am not going to pretend that Pete Crow-Armstrong isn’t the best CF in baseball; he is. But Ceddanne is #2 right now.

• Andruw Monasterio

  • Broke Yamamoto’s 13 straight retired batters with a ground rule double, which led to a -13.0 WPA for Yoshinobu. Real chance Boston gets a replacement in the next 24 hours, but I enjoyed my time watching Monasterio this month.

• Jarren Duran

  • Duran pumped (wow that sounds weird) his 14th home run of the season tonight. Already with 15 SB, he is on pace for a 20-20 season.

What I Was ‘Mid’ About

• Payton Tolle

  • Tolle was able to put together a quality start, but it wasn’t pretty. 9 hits and 2 walks spread across 6 innings. This resulted in a sky-high 1.83 WHIP. Was able to limit the damage by getting 7 strikeouts.

• Jake Bennett

  • Almost put Bennett in the “Loved” section, and in reality, I should probably take into account that Tolle and Bennett just beat the best team in baseball. So as I am writing this, I kind of want to retroactively move them up, but I can’t move it once it is here.

What I Didn’t Love

• Ranger Suarez

  • Suarez couldn’t get past the 5th inning on Friday, but was able to limit the damage to only two runs.

If you haven’t already, please consider subscribing below.

Trade Deadline Weekend is upon us, and it is time for me to give my final MLB Trade predictions. I was going to list a bunch of players, but I decided to just find the 10 most talked-about names on Twitter (thank you, Grok).

I have zero inside information on anything.

1. Tarik Skubal | SP | Detroit Tigers

2026 At a Glance: 7-5 | 2.79 ERA | 96.2 IP | 116 K | 0.91 WHIP

Contract Status: Earning $32 million in 2026 and eligible for free agency after the season.

Skubal is far and away the most talked-about player this deadline. Detroit seems to have made their decision and will be trading him

Skubal is months away from free agency and already earning a record $32 million arbitration salary. Detroit will save millions and get some top-end prospects as well.

The Dodgers, Yankees, Brewers, Rays, Braves, Cubs and Phillies have all been connected to the market.

Dean’s Prediction

Tarik Skubal is traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

I wanna be fringe so bad and say that he isn’t going to the Dodgers, but it just seems inevitable.

2. Mason Miller | RP | San Diego Padres

2026 At a Glance: 3-1 | 28 SV | 0.79 ERA | 45.2 IP | 85 K | 0.79 WHIP

Contract Status: Earning $4 million in 2026 with three additional arbitration seasons remaining; eligible for free agency after the 2029 season.

Miller is the best closer in baseball by a pretty good margin. He has allowed only four earned runs across 44 appearances, struck out 85 batters in 45.2 innings and held opponents to a .135 batting average.

His trade value is amplified by a contract that runs through 2029. A team acquiring Miller would get four potential postseason runs with one of baseball’s most dominant bullpen arms. That also explains why San Diego would need an extraordinary return. The Padres acquired Miller only one year ago and have played themselves back to within 2.0 games of a Wild Card position.

Dean’s Prediction

Mason Miller stays with the Padres.

Trading the best closer in baseball while sitting within striking distance of October would be difficult to justify. The Padres are more likely to trade Mason in the offseason as they start a rebuild or “retool”

3. CJ Abrams | SS | Washington Nationals

2026 At a Glance: .289 AVG | .362 OBP | .917 OPS | 27 HR | 82 RBI | 19 SB

Contract Status: Earning $4.2 million in 2026, arbitration eligible in 2027 and under club control through the 2028 season.

Abrams has transformed himself into one of the most productive players in the National League. He has already established career highs with 27 home runs and 82 RBI while producing a .917 OPS. He has been even hotter approaching the deadline, batting .361 with seven home runs, 15 RBI and four stolen bases over his past 15 games.

Washington has a stud in the minors by the name of Eli Willits, who also happens to play SS. Problem is, he is 18 years old and won’t be in MLB for years. The Nationals would need to receive the foundation of their next contending roster to move Abrams, which I don’t see teams doing.

Dean’s Prediction

CJ Abrams stays in Washington.

Teams have called, and Washington has listened. That does not mean the Nationals should trade him. Abrams is young enough to remain part of the next competitive team, inexpensive enough to fit any payroll plan and productive enough to build around.

4. Zach Neto | SS | Los Angeles Angels

2026 At a Glance: .232 AVG | .324 OBP | .757 OPS | 19 HR | 46 RBI | 14 SB

Contract Status: Earning $4.15 million in 2026 and under club control through the 2029 season.

Neto’s overall numbers are not as strong as they were during his 5-WAR 2025 season, but the underlying player remains attractive. He has hit 19 home runs, stolen 14 bases, and scored 73 runs while playing okay defense. His walk rate has improved, although a strikeout rate above 30 percent and a recent power drought- no home runs in his past 15 games- create legitimate questions as this weekend approaches

Neto has more of a track record than Abrams, but similar to Abrams, I do not see him moving this deadline.

Dean’s Prediction

Zach Neto stays with the Angels.

5. Luis Arraez | 2B | San Francisco Giants

2026 At a Glance: .328 AVG | .364 OBP | .811 OPS | 4 HR | 43 RBI | 10 SB

Contract Status: Playing on a one-year, $12 million contract and eligible for free agency after the 2026 season.

Luis Arraez is arguably having his best all-around season ever. I think he is the most underappreciated player of the last 5 years, and has been underutilized by his teams.

This is one of the clearest trade situations on the list. San Francisco is out of contention, Arraez is approaching free agency, and he is playing great.

Dean’s Prediction

Luis Arraez is traded to the Tampa Bay Rays.

6. Freddy Peralta | SP | New York Mets

2026 At a Glance: 5-9 | 4.99 ERA | 113.2 IP | 113 K | 1.48 WHIP

Contract Status: Earning $8 million in the final season of his extension and eligible for free agency after 2026.

As I am writing this, Freddy was scratched from his start. So, seems obvious that he is getting traded.

Peralta has not delivered the season the Mets expected when they acquired him from Milwaukee. He has allowed 120 hits and 48 walks in 113.2 innings, and his performance has deteriorated as the deadline approaches. Over his past seven starts, Peralta is 0-4 with a 7.92 ERA and a 1.96 WHIP. That is a dramatic decline from his 2025 season, when he finished 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA for the Brewers.

“Insiders” around the league have whispered that his bad season is because of the Mets. Feels like a rumor that Freddy Peralta’s camp would start.

Dean’s Prediction

Freddy Peralta is traded to the Chicago Cubs.

I think the Cubs are willing to take the risk to try and get in the way of the Brewers reuniting with Peralta. I can also see them wanting to try and set the market before Skubal gets traded.

7. Luke Weaver | RP | New York Mets

2026 At a Glance: 2-1 | 1.88 ERA | 43 IP | 44 K | 0.84 WHIP

Contract Status: Signed through 2027 on a two-year, $22 million contract.

Weaver has rebuilt his value with one of the best seasons of his career. He has allowed only 26 baserunners across 43 innings and recently completed a stretch of 25 consecutive scoreless innings. His strikeout total is not overwhelming, but his improved command, changing pitch mix and ability to limit hard contact have made him a dependable late-inning option. Over his past 30 appearances, Weaver has recorded a 0.84 ERA and 0.75 WHIP.

Unlike Peralta, Weaver is not a rental. His contract includes another season at a manageable salary, allowing the Mets to demand more than a typical middle-relief return. Pittsburgh and Milwaukee are among the clubs reportedly interested.

Dean’s Prediction

Luke Weaver is traded to the Milwaukee Brewers.

I believe the Cubs will swoop in and get Peralta, so the Brewers will settle for Weaver. (I also don’t totally believe that Milwaukee wants Peralta.)

8. Robbie Ray | SP | San Francisco Giants

2026 At a Glance: 10-6 | 3.08 ERA | 122.2 IP | 107 K | 1.29 WHIP

Contract Status: In the final season of a five-year, $115 million contract and eligible for free agency after 2026.

Ray has rebuilt his deadline value at exactly the right time. The 34-year-old left-hander has a 3.08 ERA through 122.2 innings and has been particularly effective during the second half of the summer. Over his past seven appearances, Ray is 5-0 with a 1.26 ERA. San Francisco also came out today and said they would pay down his salary. Teams love that.

Dean’s Prediction

Robbie Ray is traded to the Houston Astros.

9. Casey Mize | SP | Detroit Tigers

2026 At a Glance: 4-6 | 2.70 ERA | 86.2 IP | 85 K | 0.99 WHIP

Contract Status: Earning $6.15 million in 2026 and eligible for free agency after the season.

Mize has finally delivered the season Detroit envisioned when it selected him first overall in 2018. He owns a career-best 2.70 ERA, has allowed only 67 hits in 86.2 innings and has struck out 85 batters against 19 walks. His 2.9 FanGraphs WAR is already a career high.

Detroit has already scratched him, which is the sign that a trade is coming.

Dean’s Prediction

Casey Mize is traded to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Philadelphia will remain in the Skubal conversations but ultimately avoid the prospect cost required to acquire him. Mize offers a more affordable rotation upgrade without forcing the Phillies to empty the top of their system.

10. Kevin Gausman | SP | Toronto Blue Jays

2026 At a Glance: 4-10 | 4.51 ERA | 121.2 IP | 123 K | 1.27 WHIP

Contract Status: In the final season of a five-year, $110 million contract and eligible for free agency after 2026.

Gausman’s name value is stronger than his current performance. The 35-year-old owns a 7.27 ERA with a 1.85 WHIP over his past seven outings. The overall strikeout total remains respectable, 123 in 121.2 innings, but his recent results have hurt his trade value.

That does not eliminate his market. Gausman is an experienced starter with more than 2,000 career innings, postseason experience and an expiring contract. Toronto is buried in the American League East and has little incentive to retain a veteran who can leave after the season.

Dean’s Prediction

Kevin Gausman is traded to the Chicago White Sox.

The White Sox have to make a move, and this will probably be the biggest “splash” that won’t cost them.

If you haven’t already, please consider subscribing below; it is free.

Overall Takeaway

I love West Coast games during the summer. I don’t have any work, so staying up is a non-issue. Plus, I get to watch all the Bravo shows with my wife and then go up and watch the games. Killing two birds with one stone, as they say.

Watching was a little complicated this week. I went straight from covering the Hall of Fame ceremony in Cooperstown to Cape Cod. Got to see a Cape Cod League game, which was fun, but the house we stayed at did not have NESN and my app was blacked out. Had to be a radio guy again for a few days, but now we are back.

As you know, I write these blogs as the games go on. I had most of it written and had to quickly switch things up in the 8th inning tonight. Probably the fourth or fifth time this month Boston has turned the game around very late, and I will never complain about it.

Depending on how tomorrow goes, this could be the best July in MLB history. (Don’t quote me on that; I am trying to do math and it might not be, but it feels like it.)

Game 1: Red Sox 4-2

Game 2: Athletics 4-3

Game 3: Red Sox 4-2 (10 innings)

Game 4: Red Sox 5-4

What I Loved

• Bullpen

  • Wondering how many runs the bullpen gave up this series? One…..

• BACK TO BACK

  • Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu had both cooled off the last two weeks. So, they decided to heat up back to back in the 8th inning.

• Ceddanne Rafaela

  • Outside his three strikeouts on Wednesday, Rafaela was the best offensive player this series. Six hits, six RBIs, and that beautiful grand slam.

• Anthony Seigler Defense

  • Two sick plays at second base Thursday. The coolness makes up for his error the other day.

• Jake Bennett (Again)

  • Bennet went 6.1 innings, allowing 6 hits, 3 earned runs, and 2 walks while striking out 4. His quality start streak was broken last time out, so a new streak begins.

  

• Patrick Sandoval, Piano Piano (Little by Little)

  • I referenced in the last blog that I wanted to see more from Sandoval. He was able to get through five innings last night with 7 Ks, which is a season best.

What I Was ‘Mid’ About

• Streaky Offense

  • Of all the places for the Red Sox offense to get mid, I wasn’t expecting it to be Sacramento.

• Sonny Gray

  • Two “mid” starts in a row for Sonny after a great streak of nine straight games. To his credit, he ate up 7 innings and ended the game with four straight strikeouts. A very solid game nonetheless.

What I Didn’t Love

• ERRORS

  • Six errors in this series. Montaserio, Seigler, Contreras, and Abreu all contributed to the most errors in a series this season.

• Fans Turning On Andruw Montaserio

  • Won the game for the team on Wednesday, made an error Thursday, and Twitter immediately turned on him. Yeah, the defense isn’t there, but he is having a career year and has been an important part of this run. Give him some room.

• Jarren Duran Yelling At Willson Contreras

  • Whether he was yelling at the third base coach or Contreras doesn’t matter. He hit a shallow pop fly to left after Durbin got the runners over. Have to wonder how the clubhouse feels about him these last few weeks. Oh, and he was 2-15 this series.

Who Got Screwed

• Curtis Mead

  • Fractured his wrist right after joining the team. Can not make that up.

    If you haven’t already, please consider subscribing below!

    This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

The Angels, Athletics, Giants, Mets, Rockies and Royals are already positioned as the clearest sellers, and all have pieces that teams desire.

This is not strictly a ranking of the ten players most certain to be traded. There will be middle relievers, bench bats and expiring veterans who move with far less attention.

These are the ten impact players that I think could shape the deadline.

1. Luis Arraez — 2B, San Francisco Giants

Trade Probability: 95%

My Thoughts: Luis Arraez feels like the closest thing this deadline has to a guaranteed trade.

The Giants are firmly out of contention, and Arraez is approaching free agency. He has also bounced back in a major way and is having a career year on top of an already great career.

He does not provide zero power, but contenders know exactly what they would be getting: a guy who gets on base and walks more than he strikes out.

San Francisco has almost no reason to hold him through August.

Best Fits: Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox (RIP Curtis Mead)

2. Freddy Peralta — SP, New York Mets

Trade Probability: 88%

My Thoughts: The Mets are prepared to sell, and Freddy Peralta is the most obvious player for them to move.

Like Arraez, Peralta is an impending free agent with an affordable remaining salary and a long history of missing bats. He has been terrible in 2026 (something people around the league reportedly blame on the Mets), but there is a track record that will entice teams to take a chance.

Teams would hope that a change of scenery would bring back the 2025 Peralta in time for a playoff run.

The Mets have little incentive to keep an expiring starter while sitting near the bottom of the standings. Maybe eat a little money and get some prospects.

Best Fits: Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies

3. Antonio Senzatela — RP, Colorado Rockies

Trade Probability: 86%

My Thoughts: Moving Antonio Senzatela into the bullpen has completely changed his value.

After years of injuries and inconsistency as a starting pitcher, Senzatela has found new life in shorter appearances.

His contract is not completely insignificant. Senzatela is earning $12 million this season, and an acquiring team would owe roughly $4 million over the final two months. His deal also includes a $14 million club option for 2027.

That option could actually increase his appeal. A team can treat him as a rental, decline the option after the season, or retain him if he proves himself and they need the depth.

Colorado is rebuilding, and a 31-year-old reliever has more value to the Rockies as a trade chip than as part of their long-term plan.

Best Fits: Texas Rangers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Seattle Mariners

4. Casey Mize — SP, Detroit Tigers

Trade Probability: 68%

My Thoughts: Tarik Skubal may be the biggest name in Detroit, but Casey Mize could be the Tigers starter who is easier to trade.

Mize is in the middle of the best season of his career, carrying a 2.70 ERA and 0.99 WHIP. Like Skubal, he is also an impending free agent, and an acquiring team would owe only a small portion of his $6.15 million salary.

Detroit’s recent series loss to the Royals complicates things. They are currently 3.5 GB of the Wild Card and 5.0 GB of the division. On paper, and analytics like X-W/L, they are arguably the best team in the division. But they haven’t played like it, and letting Mize and Skubal walk for nothing would be a huge mistake.

However, the Tigers could also split the difference.

They could keep Skubal, move Mize and use the return to strengthen the organization beyond this season. Mize would also be an attractive alternative for teams that need starting pitching but cannot meet Detroit’s enormous asking price for Skubal.

Best Fits: Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies

5. Reid Detmers — SP, Los Angeles Angels

Trade Probability: 65%

My Thoughts: If you can get Reid Detmers, you are getting him for another two years after this season. The Angels have seemingly made him available, and teams might want to see what he looks like, well, not on the Angels.

He had a 3.12 FIP last year and is carrying a 3.36 right now. He gets a lot of swings and misses and has a very appealing 10.2 K/9 rate.

Los Angeles desperately needs to improve its farm system, and Detmers is one of the few players on the roster capable of returning multiple meaningful young pieces.

Best Fits: Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Guardians

6. Ryan Jeffers — C, Minnesota Twins

Trade Probability: 64%

My Thoughts: Back to rentals with Jeffers, who is having a career year by every metric. Catching is probably the weakest position to be found at the deadline, especially with Langeliers' injury. That makes Ryan Jeffers one of the most interesting position players on the market, provided Minnesota decides to sell.

The Twins are above .500, 2.0 GB of the division, and only 0.5 GB of the Wild Card. But they are mid; just take a look at this chart below.

I thought maybe it was a www.statsoldier.com bug at first, but no, the Twins offense is just the definition of league average.

So, let's assume the Twins take the middle road and Buy/Sell; Jeffers would make the most sense. Besides being a rental, they would be selling at a high.

Best Fits: New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox

7. Luis Robert Jr. — CF, New York Mets

Trade Probability: 55%

My Thoughts: It wouldn’t be a trade deadline without talking about Luis Robert Jr.

His 2026 season has not gone according to plan. A back injury cost him nearly three months, and the Mets are kicking themselves for taking his whole contract.

However, Robert is back and has homered twice since his return last week. Don’t look at any other metric, just those two home runs.

The appeal is obvious. A rental who hit 40 home runs three years ago, but has a club option if you want to roll the dice.

Robert is the riskiest player on this list. He also has massive upside and, at the very least, is a proven defensive center fielder.

Best Fits: Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Guardians, Houston Astros

8. Tarik Skubal — SP, Detroit Tigers

Trade Probability: 50%

My Thoughts: Without Tarik Skubal, there would be very little to talk about this deadline. Publications NEED drama and big-name players to talk about to drive eyes towards them. For two years now, that has been Tarik Skubal.

The back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner has looked healthy since returning from minor elbow surgery, quickly reestablishing himself as a Top 5 pitcher in baseball.

Every contender wants him. Very few contenders can meet Detroit’s price. (Just a note: Detroit is afraid of that as well.)

The Tigers reportedly want a young, MLB-ready starting pitcher as the centerpiece of any Skubal package. That would allow Detroit to remain competitive while getting a return for a guy who will most definetly be leaving this off-season.

A Skubal trade would instantly alter the balance of power in October.

Best Fits: Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays

9. Seth Lugo — SP, Kansas City Royals

Trade Probability: 35%

My Thoughts: There was a report earlier this month that the ask for Seth Lugo is “massive.” It shouldn’t be, and I think Michael Wacha should be the player teams are chasing, but it is more likely that Lugo will get moved.

Kansas City controls Lugo through at least 2027, when he is scheduled to earn $20 million. His contract also contains a $17 million club option for 2028. That gives the Royals some leverage, and an opportunity to dump some money (in my opinion)

Starting pitching is so thin, with contenders desperate for innings, that Lugo becomes more valuable than he probably should be. I mean, look at these scores…

Any trade would probably be an overpay.

Best Fits: Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies

10. Mason Miller — RP, San Diego Padres

Trade Probability: 28%

My Thoughts: The San Diego Padres love making big moves at the deadline that don’t make sense. Mason Miller is this deadline’s mistake.

The Padres acquired him less than one year ago, and he is the best closer in baseball. They also gave up arguably the best prospect in baseball to get him, and they are probably feeling buyer’s remorse.

Miller is earning $4 million this season and remains under club control for three additional arbitration years. In their eyes, they could get back two Top 100 prospects, which for an aging team is probably the right move.

Best Fits: New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners

Final Thoughts

I don’t even know why I put percentages; I just saw other people do it, so I figured I'd do the same. I actually had ChatGPT come up with the percentages based on contract, rumors, and stats. Just like the humans who came up with these percentages, AI had no idea either and just threw random numbers at me.

There are plenty of other important players who could get moved by this deadline, but in my research I found that these 10 are the most likely to go (honestly, not Lugo; I should remove him, but I am tired).

If you haven’t already, please consider subscribing below. It is free. You can pay if you want to support us, but we will never have blogs behind paywalls. That is a promise.

This is the second event this month that I have been credentialed for, and I was definitely more comfortable as a result. Unlike the All-Star Red Carpet that was more of a celebrity event, this was a BASEBALL event, and everyone in the town was there for baseball.

It also happened to be my first wedding anniversary, so luckily my wife approved a little vacation weekend that was really a baseball weekend in disguise.

Like all my blogs, I will break it up into the categories below.

Enjoy.

What I Loved

Editor's Note: This is totally out of order chronologically, and I just wrote whatever came to my head first. Important to note that Main Street is completely blocked off the entire weekend, which is awesome.

• Cooperstown Itself

  • In each of the bullets, I highlight little things, but you truly feel transported into a movie when you are in Cooperstown for this weekend. The weather was also perfect, adding to the beauty of it all. It is one of those things where I don’t think I could ever go again NOT this weekend. Every time you walked past somebody, they were talking about baseball. Everyone was happy to be there and share in the experience. The only time I saw someone frustrated or mad was Friday night. Outside our Inn, there was a couple having wine on the patio, and the husband was fighting with an AI bank agent. His card had been charged, and he was trying to report it, but the robot could not understand, so he just started screaming at his phone. Outside of that, it was truly an experience like no other.

• The Parade

  • On Saturday night, most, if not all, of the Hall of Famers came down Main Street on the back of pickup trucks. Fans were setting up their lawn chairs two days in advance in anticipation of this. No one was actually sitting; you wouldn’t be able to see anything, but the chairs lined the street nonetheless. I didn’t think much of the parade when I saw it on the schedule. It was something we would go to, but maybe not stay the entire time. Boy was I wrong. It was electric. The fans, the players, the players’ families, my wife- everyone was eating it up. I talk about it at length at the beginning of our latest podcast, which you can watch below.

• Press Conferences

  • This was my first press conference, so I was really there to learn how everyone handles themselves and asks questions. All three players were great. Carlos Beltran was very introspective and thoughtful in his responses, Jeff Kent was chaotic/funny, and Andruw Jones was relaxed and chill.

• The Museum

  • The town is very old; you feel it in every building you walk into. While the Hall of Fame is historic, they have done a great job modernizing it and keeping it up to date. You could spend hours here going up to each exhibit and looking at everything they have. It being HOF weekend made it a little more difficult to maneuver around, but both times I went in, I spent over an hour looking at everything.

• Hank Aaron Exhibit (My Favorite One)

  • The two players that really get their own space are Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron. Ruth is very early on the second floor. Once you go past the pre-1900/founding of baseball, you get the Ruth exhibit. It is very cool, and you can spend 15 minutes just reading about Ruth. Aaron’s is slightly smaller and is found on the third floor. I didn’t expect it either. You walk up to the third floor and are greeted by a Japanese doorway, which leads you into the international (mostly Japanese) exhibit. Not remembering what else there was, I kind of just assumed it was going to be that until the end, and then BOOM Hank Aaron. It is a great depiction of his entire life, and of course, there are a bunch of his home run balls. Important to point out that the 715 ball is not there. You would have to go to Atlanta to see that.

• MEMORABILIA

  • It doesn’t matter what building you walk into; you will have the opportunity to buy some stuff. The museum itself has a great store right at the exit. I went there about five times because there is so much to look at. But outside of that, everything on Main Street has stuff you can buy. Is it overpriced? For the most part, yeah. I avoided adding to my autograph collection, but I got some hats and cool knick-knacks. Regardless, it is heaven for anyone who loves baseball.

• Stagecoach Coffee

  • I could shout out a bunch of stores, but this coffee place across from our inn (Tunnicliff Inn) was AMAZING. Now, I don’t drink coffee on a regular basis, but throw a sweet and savory decaf latte in front of me, and I can’t say no. They also have an unbelievable bacon egg and cheese.

• Seeing All The Players Up Close

  • I also mentioned this in my All-Star blog, but getting up close and interacting with the players not at a baseball field changes your perspective of them. When they are out of the uniform, they are just other guys. Really cool guys, but just guys.

What I Was ‘Mid’ About

• Being A Suburban Diva

  • Living in the suburbs of the world's biggest city, you take for granted all the things you have access to at a moment's notice. Cooperstown doesn’t have any chains or corporations. It is all mom-and-pop and privately owned stores and restaurants run by people in the town. I love that, until I need something quick and I am running around trying to find supplies. This isn’t as much a complaint as it is a PSA. Just bring everything you think you need, because the closest town with “regular” stores is about 30 minutes away.

What I Didn’t Love

• Grown Men Autograph Hunting

  • I spoke about this with the All-Star Red Carpet, but it was tenfold here at Cooperstown. Let me be clear, I have no issue with little kids asking for autographs. I do have an issue with grown men doing it. I would put the cutoff age at 20, and I think that is generous. However, the vast majority of the fans who were throwing themselves over the barricade were over 40. I have never seen anything like it. A player would come off their truck, kiss their wife, and then walk over to the side of the street to sign some autographs. As more players rolled up, the chaos spread out, and once one of the Hawks had the autograph they wanted, they would sprint down the sidewalk to the next player. I think it is fair to say that for most, this would be their exercise for the year. But yeah, it is something that needs to end. I understand the players want to go and sign for kids, but I do think security needs to be over there holding back these monsters.

Today's blog will double as a review of the Early/Mead trade that took place last night. I will start with that before moving on to the series itself.

Connely Early’s name was getting thrown around a lot in the 48 hours leading up to the trade. It seemed a given that Early, Bennett, or Tolle would be dealt. A lot of the internet seemed to agree that Early would be the one to get moved. Now, I don’t think that Curtis Mead was necessarily the player they were thinking of, but let’s focus on Early for a moment.

First, let’s start with the obvious. He is currently on the IL with an elbow issue. Yes, he has shown a lot of promise over the last 12 months, and fans will have fond memories of him against the Yankees last year. However, there were a lot of underlying numbers that pointed towards regression. He was giving up a lot of home runs, was getting hit hard, and was not getting the same swings and misses he did last year. All this can be seen below.

Tolle and Bennett, on the other hand, have + stuff that at the moment has not shown signs of regression. That does not mean Early is not going to be a good pitcher. He probably will be, but there is an abundance of arms similar to him on the market and in free agency. Boston was desperate for a right-handed bat, and they got one with this trade. Is it a player that any fan really expected? No, not really.

In terms of the series, there is nothing to complain about. Six straight series wins, and continuing to secure their playoff spot. 17-3 in the month of July, along with the team finally winning consistently at Fenway.

Game 1: Red Sox 6-4

Game 2: Blue Jays 6-0

Game 3: Red Sox 6-1

What I Loved

• Ranger Suarez Return

  • Once Boston came out to an early lead, it was clear Suarez wouldn't have to go deep into this game (he probably wouldn’t have anyway). Regardless, he made the most of it with six strikeouts over four innings.

  

• BUNT BUNT BUNT

  • Another three sacrifice bunts on Sunday. All three times they bunted, a runner scored. The Boston Red Sox are a small-ball team these days.

    March 2021- April 2026: 55 over 836 games

    April 25th-Today: 20 over 77 games

    Glaring difference in philosophy between Alex Cora and Chad Tracy.

• Jarren Duran Heating Up?

  • Duran had five hits this series, including a two-RBI single today, that builds off his last Baltimore series where he collected two more.

• SIX SERIES WINS IN A ROW

  • Boston has not lost a series since playing the Nationals at the end of June.

• Anthony Seigler Game 1 Masterpiece

  • Seigler was a one-man wrecking crew Friday. Missed the cycle, but went 4-5 with a home run, two doubles, and an RBI single.

• Ceddanne Rafaela Continues To Do It All

  • Another collection of defensive highlights plus a home run that just sneaked over the Green Monster. I tweeted about it the other day, but Rafaela’s contract is absolute ROBBERY.

What I Was ‘Mid’ About

• Patrick Sandoval

  • Sandoval will stay in Mid for now. He pitched 4.2 scoreless innings. The team needs him to continue ramping up and eat those innings.

• Bullpen Hiccups Friday

  • Unlike early in the year, the offense was able to bail out the bullpen on Friday after Weissert and Whitlock combined to blow the lead.

What I Didn’t Love

• Sonny Gray Quality Start Streak Ends

  • It was bound to happen, but Saturday’s game marked the end of Sonny Gray’s nine consecutive quality starts.

• Shut Out Saturday

  • Got to watch the game from Cooperstown as I was working the Hall of Fame Ceremony. Did not enjoy watching it.

Who Got Screwed

• Payton Tolle

  • Lost his best friend today with the Early trade.

The Boston Red Sox's 15-game win streak has taken the team from sellers to buyers. And if recent reports are true, they are AGGRESSIVE buyers.

As of July 24, Boston is 52–49, third in the AL East and holding the American League’s third Wild Card by two games. On June 24, the Sox were 32–46 and six games out; the franchise-record-tying 15-game winning streak changed the entire deadline conversation.

The streak changed the standings, not the roster. Boston still lacks power at important positions, and desperately needs some pitching help to alleviate their young stars (Tolle, Early, Bennett)

Craig Breslow must improve this team without treating one torrid month as permission to torch the farm. So who are they targeting? Well, these are apparently the top targets.

1. Zach Neto

2. CJ Abrams

3. Shea Langeliers

4. Freddy Peralta/Casey Mize

The first three have been heavily reported on, while the Peralta/Mize angle is something that Hagen and I spoke about on the last The Skippers View Podcast.

I have reached out to a few people about the search for pitching depth; I will wait to report back on that. So again, let’s break down the biggest needs which those above players should fill.

1. Dependable starting pitching. A reasonably priced rental works (Peralta); a top prospect should move only for a starter controlled beyond 2026.

2. A controllable right-handed middle infielder. A right-handed hitter who can exploit Fenway and play the middle infield is Boston’s ideal fit. This is structural roster balance, so it can justify serious prospect capital—but only for real impact and multiple years of control. (i.e Abrams or Neto)

3. Catching and bench depth. Connor Wong and Carlos Narvaez have shown their offensive ability. It is lackluster. Boston needs a better floor and injury insurance.

ZACH NETO

The Angels are open to proposals; Boston continues to view Neto as a strong fit, and the Red Sox have seemingly pursued him and Mike Trout in the past. Angels interim general manager John Mozeliak is open to moving controllable players for the right offer.

Through July 23, he has 19 homers, 13 steals and a .238/.326/.446 line with a 114 wRC+.

On paper, he would be great at Fenway. Neto’s right-handed pull power belongs near the Green Monster. Story can move to second when healthy; Mayer could enter the second- or third-base mix if retained.

At this point, Kristian Campbell is working exclusively as an outfielder in Triple-A, while Tsung-Che Cheng and Andruw Monasterio could continue to provide depth off the bench.

Now the warning label. Through July 23, Neto’s strikeout rate is 31.5 percent. Statcast lists a .203 expected average and .402 expected slugging percentage, below his actual marks, while his hard-hit rate has fallen from 46.6 percent in 2025 to 39.4 percent in 2026. He is also at minus-8 Outs Above Average at shortstop.

Now, Neto is not a rental; Boston would get 3.5 years of control. So, the asking price is going to be high, and I don’t really know what the package would look like. Here are the ones I am seeing

Option 1:

Red Sox Receive- Zach Neto

Angels Receive- Mikey Romero and Kyson Witherspoon

Option 2:

Red Sox Receive- Zach Neto

Angels Receive- Marcelo Mayer and Juan Valera

I have seen Anthony Eyanson in some mock trades. Boston will be hesitant to give up Eyanson, as he has a lot of upside, and while Neto or Abrams would be great, they do have Trevor Story returning eventually, as well as Franklin Arias on the horizon.

I don’t think those deals are enough, and it is very likely they would need to throw in another prospect to get it done.

CJ ABRAMS

I still don’t understand why the Nationals are so keen on selling CJ Abrams. I guess you could argue they are selling high and they see Eli Willits coming up the pipe as their future. I don’t know, but I do know that he could fit in Boston.

Abrams has consistently put up 3.3 bWAR over the last four years. This year, he has already accumulated 3.8 over 99 games.

Like Neto, this would not be a rental. Boston would have control of Abrams for 2.5 years. Unlike Neto, I think the asking price is going to be higher for Abrams. Some outlets are putting Connelly Early into mock trades, but I can't see the Red Sox doing that.

Here is what I saw that makes the most sense.

Red Sox get: CJ Abrams

Nationals get: Marcelo Mayer/Mikey Romero + Kyson Witherspoon + Justin Gonzalez.

SHEA LANGELIERS

The Shea Langeliers news is hot off the presses as Boston is apparently “salivating” over the idea of him behind home plate.

It is without a doubt the biggest hole Boston has. With Franklin Arias, Trevor Story, Marcelo Mayer, Mikey Romero, etc, there are plenty of in-house players that could theoretically fill the role that Abrams or Neto would come for. (Obviously they haven’t, which is why Boston is shopping, but still.) However, there is no reinforcement when it comes to catcher.

Again, this isn’t a rental, and you would be looking at a big package here to get the 2.5 years of control for Langeliers. Hitting catchers are a dime a dozen, and Boston would need to pay big.

Boston Red Sox receive:
C Shea Langeliers

Athletics receive:
LHP Connelly Early
RHP Kyson Witherspoon
C Carlos Narváez

You can swap about Narváez for another prospect if you want. There just isn’t a world where the A’s are willing to part with Shea and not get Early or Bennett.

Freddy Peralta or Casey Mize

Both Peralta and Mize are rentals, so I will keep this quick. Mize is having a very good season; Peralta is not. Peralta has a higher ceiling, but we haven’t seen it.

Boston is desperate for some pitching depth to help them keep Tolle, Bennett, and Early fresh. It does not look like Crochet is returning in 2026, so this is the price you pay. Thankfully, it is not a super high price.

Boston Red Sox receive:
RHP Casey Mize

Detroit Tigers receive:
RHP Marcus Phillips
RHP Tyler Uberstine

OR

Boston Red Sox receive:
RHP Freddy Peralta

New York Mets receive:
INF Mikey Romero
RHP Tyler Uberstine

This is going to be very fluid over the next couple of days, so expect a blog out of me by early next week with some updates. Until then, keep an eye on all the Cooperstown stuff I will be posting.