MLB News (non-Phillies) 2026 Season

[mdougherty12]

Keith Law's annual 10-year re- draft article for the 2016 draft (the Mickey Moniak draft):

Redrafting the 2016 MLB Draft: Will Smith, Pete Alonso top a not-very-good class

[andyb]

He added this follow-up also on the players that WERE drafted:

Biggest misses from the 2016 MLB Draft — Mickey Moniak, Nick Senzel among the...

In hindsight all of the players considered at the top were failures. Senzel looked decent for a moment but then injuries hit him. The worst thing as noted as that we were drafting Moniak with the purpose of saving money for our next picks but Gowdy and Stobbe were also failures (and really never seemed to have the tools they were supposed to have).

[Philsmania]

Interesting stuff about the 2016 draft. Makes me think of the 1989 draft in which the top ten was pretty disastrous for a few teams. The Phillies drafted Jeff Jackson and he was probably the worst of the busts but he was one of two guys who never made it to MLB who were drafted before Frank Thomas (the other was Paul Coleman drafted by the Cardinals) and the guy drafted right after Thomas (Earl Cunningham, Cubs) also didn't make it. Two others drafted before Thomas (Roger Salkeld by the Mariners and Donald Harris by the Rangers) had brief and undistinguished ML careers.

However, some good players were picked in early rounds, including future HOFers Jeff Bagwell by the Red Sox (4th round), Trevor Hoffman by the Reds (11th round, originally drafted as a SS, interestingly) and our future friend Jim Thome by the Indians (all the way down in the 13th round).

1989 Major League Baseball draft

This blogger's 2020 redraft of 1989 has the Phillies getting Thome right from the get-go.

1989 MLB Re-Draft

[EastFallowfield]

The Mets finally fired Mendoza. Just in time for the potential little boost to happen against the Phillies

[zambonir]

Are they gonna get Cora?

[bkox]

Angels Fire GM Perry Minasian, Hire John Mozeliak As Interim GM

[andyb]

This should bring a smile to everyone's face:

Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) on X

[EastFallowfield]

Jeff Passan:

The best team in baseball in June, by a decent margin, is the Miami Marlins. They're about to go 20-6, have outscored opponents 129-78 this month and have the lowest CBT payroll in MLB. The Marlins' third-highest-paid player is Giancarlo Stanton, who last played for them in 2017.

(Phils were 18-9, if you were wondering, and they're the only team to have beaten the Marlins in a series in June)

[VoteForKalas]

Marlins have definitely improved. And the big difference is their talent is young & cheap compared to our old & expensive.

The problem with the Marlins since their WS runs in the late 90's and early 2000's is the ownership & management instability and their refusal to take team investment to the next level and surround their young talent with key FA or trade acquisitions that increase their chances to compete for another championship.

[andyb]

Trade deadline season kicks off with a rare trade of good young players that fill needs on teams hovering between buy and sell modes. Nats desperately need pitching and have infield depth. Red Sox need a RH bat that can hit and have a bunch of young pitchers.

Nats agree to trade infielder Curtis Mead to Red Sox for starter Connelly Early

[mdougherty12]

Casey Schmitt is likely done for the season after tearing his meniscus:

Casey Schmitt Placed On IL With Torn Meniscus

[zambonir]

Only the Justice Department can stop the Dodgers

(paywalled, which is maybe why I haven't previously seen anything about this for the past week.)

https://www.wsj.com/finance/regulation/federal-probe-into-dodgers-owners-financial-empire-was-sparked-by-whistleblower-013b0053

(a free one)

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/dodgers/2026/07/20/mark-walters-federal-scrutiny-investigation-dodgers-lakers/90987864007/

[zambonir]

Phillies claim a victim

Nationals Designate Zack Littell For Assignment

[Philsmania]

The Justice Department might not be the only thing stopping the Dodgers. They've lost six straight and fallen to the third division winner spot.

[zambonir]

And lost a Skubal start 5-1, imagine how much the folks over at Dodgersfans dot com must hate their streaky team and inconsistent offense.

But do you really think they won't re-pass the Braves and Brewers before the season's over, unless all their IL guys stay that way? I feel like the Phillies got close but never got there last year.

[Philsmania]

They also were the third division winner last year and had to play in the WC. At the time, may wondered if that was the case of the Dodgers proverbially "keeping their powder dry" pitchingwise for October.

[zambonir]

Oh, right, I forgot. We thought we were gonna catch Milwaukee is all. Which would have let us miss the Dodgers in the NLDS.

Phillies also losing their shot at the 4th seed to the Cubs. Would probably not want to drop to that 6th seed if so. But especially if the Dodgers stay at three (but I'd say that about any West Coast team).

[Philsmania]

So long as the Braves are the #3 division winner, I wouldn't mind the Phillies falling to the wildcard #6 considering that a) we have not been very good at home this season so HFA is probably not worth all that much to this team and b) we own the Braves in October.

[zambonir]

Yeah, it would be a confidence-builder. But the Braves are also due, and we probably lose the Sale start. The Phillies' advantage in any WC series likely comes down to the Game 3 starter advantage. And then Game 1 of the next round becomes tricky.

I don't think you should put any stock into their home record from one season, just like you shouldn't in a reverse split from just one season. You want home games, you want your fans, you want to bat last (and you want the money). And you and I presumably want to go to a game!

[Philsmania]

And you and I presumably want to go to a game!

I certainly do but no home WC games gets me a credit for next year's season tickets.

Also, in terms of owning the Braves, you have to wonder how much we get into their heads. But, then again, prior to the 2002 NFC Championship Game, Eagles fans were convinced that the Birds were in the Bucs' heads.