The second half opens with a few storylines already lined up, and the Yankees and Dodgers are right in the middle of the spotlight. Their three-game set starts out of the break, with Gerrit Cole taking the ball for New York and Roki Sasaki going for Los Angeles.
For a Yankees team still waiting on Aaron Judge, the timing matters. New York stumbled through a brutal stretch that ran into early July, losing 11 of 13, but it finished the first half by winning its last four.
That series also lands in the middle of a demanding run for the Yankees. What looked like a softer landing before the season - matchups with the Pirates and White Sox - has turned into anything but, since both clubs are playing well. The Phillies and Cubs are also on the slate, making this a key stretch on the calendar.
Elsewhere, Francisco Alvarez gave the Mets exactly the kind of night they needed on Thursday against the Phillies. The catcher powered the offense with two home runs.
His first put New York on the board in the third inning, and his second came back-to-back with Brett Baty’s solo shot in the seventh, the one that sent Aaron Nola out of the game. Alvarez now has a 106 wRC+ through 232 plate appearances.
When he’s been on the field, he’s been a real weapon for the lineup. A long stay on the IL after knee surgery will probably keep him from chasing a new career high in homers, but he should sail past the 11 he hit in 2024 and 2025.
The Athletics are set to add Tommy White on Friday against the Nationals, and the timing could open a real door for him. With Nick Kurtz on the injured list and Joey Meneses optioned, White may get regular run at first base.
The 23-year-old put up an .834 OPS in 55 Triple-A games this season, and the A’s made him the first pick of the second round in the 2024 draft. MLB Pipeline has him ranked No. 7 in the organization.
He hasn’t yet shown huge power or on-base production, but the hit tool has been there, and Sutter Health Park might give him a chance to find a little more thump.
The rest of the league is back in action today, and the first big one on the board is a crucial doubleheader between the Rays and Red Sox. Tampa Bay is trying to stay ahead of the Yankees in the AL East, while Boston sits just a half-game out of the final Wild Card spot.
In Other News...
Yankees May Have Found A Real Catcher Answer Before Deadline Panic
The Yankees catching situation has become one of the more obvious pressure points on the roster, and Brian Cashman has not tried to pretend otherwise. Austin Wells has not given the club the kind of steady production it expected, and with the Aug. 3 deadline approaching, the front office is at least looking around for help behind the plate rather than waiting for the problem to sort itself out.
Arizonas Gabriel Moreno has surfaced as one of the more intriguing names in the mix, a reminder that the market may offer more than just stopgap options if the Yankees decide to act. Moreno has been productive for the Diamondbacks and comes with additional club control, which only adds to the appeal for a team that wants more certainty at catcher, even if no deal has come together yet. [Read more 🡒]
This Under The Radar Bat Could Fix More Than One Yankees Problem
The Yankees still have the kind of deadline shopping list that can send a front office in a dozen directions at once. Catcher, bullpen and rotation upgrades sit near the top, but there are also secondary needs to cover, including a right-handed bat and some help around Ryan McMahon. In that kind of market, versatility matters almost as much as pure production, and few available names fit that mold better than a player who can move around the diamond and still give a lineup a useful split against left-handed pitching.
Spencer Steer has started to surface as one of those under-the-radar possibilities, especially with the Reds' playoff hopes fading and the possibility that they listen more seriously as the deadline gets closer. For the Yankees, the appeal is obvious: a bat that can help in more than one spot, some defensive flexibility, and contractual control that would make the move more than a rental gamble. The question now is whether the Reds are truly ready to move him, and if New York decides his fit is broad enough to justify paying the price. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees May Have Found A Real Answer To Their Catcher Problem
Austin Wells has shown signs of settling in lately, but the Yankees still do not have much overall offensive production from the catcher spot, which is why the front office is at least exploring upgrades. The search is not limited to one name, either, with Hunter Goodman and Ryan Jeffers among the options being discussed as New York looks for a more reliable answer behind the plate.
Miamis Liam Hicks fits the kind of profile that can make a team pause, since he brings versatility and long-term control, but the Marlins are not acting like sellers. Any deal would likely require real value going back the other way, the sort of major league-ready piece that could force the Yankees to decide how aggressive they want to be if they are serious about solving this position for more than just the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]