Roger Clemens is not in the National Baseball Hall of Fame but he will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday.
Clemens introduced Trump at a rally in San Antonio on Wednesday, with Trump dropping the announcement as the former pitcher stood nearby. During the announcement, Trump said he had played golf with Clemens earlier this year, which prompted him to call MLB commissioner Rob Manfred about his Hall of Fame case:
"We had a great time, he's an amazing guy. I said, 'I'm going to call the commissioner of baseball.' It's a ridiculous thing that you're not in the Hall of Fame with that kind of record. He won seven Cy Youngs!"
It's worth noting the MLB commissioner has no power over who gets into the Hall of Fame. That is determined first by voters from the Baseball Writers ******* ociation of America (BBWAA), then a committee of voters determined by the Hall of Fame itself.
Trump did successfully intervene on the part of the late Pete Rose last year, pushing Manfred to remove the league's all-time hits leader from the ineligible list. Clemens is not on that list, nor will Rose reach the Hall of Fame without a successful vote.

#Trump

Major League Baseball (MLB) leadership is no longer considering holding a game inside a national park, according to a letter commissioner Robert Manfred sent to officials in Teton county, Wyoming, on Thursday in what could be the league's biggest swing-and-a-miss off the diamond.
On 26 September, the Washington Post reported that MLB had reached out to the White House about staging a one-day game at Grand Teton national park in Wyoming. Teton county describes itself as a "a year-round resort community" and sits within the Jackson Hole valley. It's also a habitat for grizzly bears, osprey, bison and more.
News of MLB's outreach to the federal government quickly sparked concern about the impact that erecting a field and the infrastructure to hold spectators could have on the natural landscape and habitat of scores of wildlife that call the 310,000-acre (125,500-hectare) park home.
In the letter, Manfred noted that MLB had held games at places like the Fort Bragg military base in North Carolina and the nation's oldest Negro Leagues stadium in Birmingham, Alabama. He added that MLB staff had been doing their due diligence to see whether a game at Grand Teton was possible and to evaluate the potential environmental impact.
"Since the story was reported, it has become clear that the local community does not want us to continue Grand Teton national park as a potential site," Manfred wrote.

#park #national

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, along with the league's owners, offered a new proposal as part of the latest collective bargaining sessions that would create a limited free agent signing period. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
On Thursday, Major League Baseball made its latest proposal to the MLB Players ******* ociation for the next collective bargaining agreement. It would create an extreme shift in the free agent signing period, looking to mirror other sports by placing a strict limit on the window in which signings could take place.
As first reported by MLB.com, the five days after the World Series would still allow players and clubs to trigger or decline options. After that, free agents would be allowed to negotiate deals, but signings would only be allowed after 12 p.m. on the Monday of the first day of the Winter Meetings through December 21st. From Dec. 21st through the first Monday in February, no free agent signings or trades would be allowed. After the first Monday in February, free agent signings would then be allowed to resume.
It is not the first time that the league has sought to have a limited free agent signing period. The league proposed it as part of the negotiations of the current labor deal in place since 2021, and as recently as January, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred discussed it on WFAN, touting it as a way to promote excitement.
"I think there's going to be some more conversation about it, because I do believe that there's a marketing opportunity," Manfred said. "Let's face it, we operate in a really competitive environment. Just put entertainment, generally, to one side — just sports, right? It's really competitive. And I think that you make a mistake, particularly during the offseason, when you don't take every advantage to push your sport out in front of your fans during that down period."

#allowed #Monday #signing

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hunter Goodman homered in his return from a shoulder injury, Mason Adams worked into the fifth inning in his big league debut, and the Colorado Rockies snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night.
Daylen Lile went deep off Adams in the fourth, but that was all the scoring for Washington against six Colorado pitchers. Mark Manfredi (1-0) won in relief for his first career victory, and Jordan Romano worked the ninth for his 13th save in 16 chances.
Andrew Alvarez (2-6) allowed three runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings with two walks and six strikeouts.
Playing for the first time in nearly two weeks, Goodman opened the scoring with a solo shot in the fourth, his 35th homer of the year. Connor Norby added an RBI double later that inning.
Lile's homer made it 2-1, but the Rockies restored a two-run lead when Jordan Beck scored all the way from second on a wild pitch. Alvarez covered the plate and received a throw from catcher Harry Ford before Beck came sliding in, but umpires ruled third baseman Brady House impeded Beck after he came around third, and the run was awarded.

#beck #alvarez #worked

José E. Feliciano looks on during the Game 2 of the MLB World Tour Mexico City Series between the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks at Alfredo Harp Helu Stadium. The record sale of the Padres to him is already playing into salary cap discourse. (Photo by Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
It may seem odd that the sale of the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Lakers would become a flashpoint for Major League Baseball's push for a salary cap, but make no mistake, the league and the MLB Players **** ociation are already teeing it up.
For all the talk by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and other executives in the league about listening to the fans regarding implementing a salary cap, underneath the surface is something tied to it that would massively inflate owner profits: increased franchise valuations. A salary cap, with its floor, ceiling, and other constraints on player contracts, creates cost certainty and therefore improves the value of the franchise itself.
Within the last week, two club sales highlight the differences between MLB and the NBA. Both have details that provide context over some of the talking points that the headline figures provide.
On Monday, MLB's owners unanimously approved the record-setting $3.8 billion sale to the new ownership group of the San Diego Padres, led by incoming control person José E. Feliciano and his wife and business partner, Kwanza Jones. The vote, conducted by conference call, does not close the books entirely on the sale. Approval remains contingent on closing the transaction involving the controlling interest in the club with the Seidler family, which the league said is "expected in the weeks ahead."

#league #sale #already

On Friday, we got confirmation that San Francisco would be the host city for Major League Baseball's 2028 All-Star Game. It's very cool news and it gives us all something to look forward to as we wait for the Giants' next competitive window to open in 2030. And, of course, it's more than just the game itself. There's the Home Run Derby, the Futures Game, celebrity interactions, the draft, and an All-Star village. So, I figured this would be a good place to gather everything we know about the event so far. I promise I'm not riffing through the entire article, but it's a lot of riffing.
No exact date yet, but it's almost certainly the week of July 12th, which is when the Baseball portion of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles will kickoff. That tournament runs July 13-19 at Dodger Stadium.
Last month, Bruce Meyer, who's leading the negotiations on behalf of the MLB Players ***** ociation, indicated that he knew San Francisco had already been chosen as the site of the 2028 All-Star Game to which Rob Manfred responded, "With all due respect, Bruce does not pick the All-Star Games. He's not necessarily correct."
It would be funny if the situation wasn't so dire. Commissioner Manfred has been a terrible ambassador of the sport, a true antagonist to players and fans, a bad businessman, and now he's going to carry water for the owners who want to try to bleed the sport for more profit.
The reason why Oracle Park was chosen as the 2028 site had less to do with the city or the stadium or even that it had been a long time since the game had been hosted there and more to do with proximity to the Olympics. Being an hour away by plane really takes some of the pressure off for making sure as many great players can participate. The sticking point is that the league is trying to negotiate a new CBA along with the details of Olympics participation. If the negotiations drag on, it's not wild to imagine the owners blaming the players for there being no MLB representation in the summer games or whatever.

#players #francisco #manfred

Yankees 4 Jays 3 (10 innings)
Well, I didn't expect a sweep, not that it wouldn't have nice.
Tied in the tenth the Yankees scored two in the top of the inning. After a sac bunt, to move the Manfred Man to third base, Ben Rice homered off Braydon Fisher.
We got one in the bottom of the inning, Andrés Giménez singled home the Manfred Man, but we couldn't bring him home to tie the game.
As usual, our offense didn't do enough, just two runs in regulation time.

#manfred #didn 't #home #tied

Aug. 14 (UPI) -- San Francisco will host the 2028 MLB All-Star Game, commissioner Rob Manfred announced Friday.
The San Francisco Giants last hosted the Midsummer Classic in 2007 at AT&T Stadium, now known as Oracle Park, on the coast of San Francisco Bay.
"With its passionate fanbase, world-class ballpark, and rich baseball history, San Francisco will be an outstanding host for All-Star Week, which culminates in one of Major League Baseball's best traditions, the Midsummer Classic," Manfred said in a statement.
The annual matchup between the American League and National League also was held in San Francisco in 1961 and 1984.
The 2027 MLB All-Star Game will be held at Wrigley Field, the home of the Chicago Cubs.

#francisco #star

Monday was Major League Baseball's trade deadline. and the Colorado Rockies were sellers.
For the big-league team, that generally means sending out good, current major-league level players and replacing them, again generally speaking, with still developing minor league players.
And for the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes, what Monday's trade deadline means is star players like Charlie Condin and Zac Veen are still in the organization, although they could be heading to replenish the Rockies roster soon.
It also means the Isotopes will likely be getting some new names/faces as soon during as this week's six-game homestand against the Sugar Land ***** e Cowboys. At least three — RHP Mason Adams, LHP Mark Manfredi and INF Connor Norby — have already been ***** igned to report to the Isotopes this week.
And while he's not yet on a homecoming trip to Albuquerque, Sandia High graduate Aiden May, a 23-year-old right handed pitcher who was drafted out of Oregon State in 2024, was acquired by the Rockies in a trade with the Miami Marlins and could be an Isotope in the next couple of years if his minor-league progression continues. He was ranked as Miami's No. 27 minor-league prospect.

#Rockies #minor

The Milwaukee Brewers acquired longtime Colorado Rockies pitcher Antonio Senzatela to bolster their bullpen Aug. 3, trading minor-leaguers Mark Manfredi and Juan Martinez.
Here's what to know about the right-hander:
He's 31 years old.
He stands 6-foot-1, 235 pounds.
The native of Venezuela has been with the Rockies organization since making his Major League debut in 2017, and he's been a starting pitcher for most of his career. He's made 145 career starts and appeared in 212 big-league games overall.

#league #pitcher #antonio #mark

The Milwaukee Brewers acquired longtime Colorado Rockies pitcher Antonio Senzatela to bolster their bullpen Aug. 3, trading minor-leaguers Mark Manfredi and Juan Martinez.
Here's what to know about the right-hander:
He's 31 years old.
He stands 6-foot-1, 235 pounds.
The native of Venezuela has been with the Rockies organization since making his Major League debut in 2017, and he's been a starting pitcher for most of his career. He's made 145 career starts and appeared in 212 big-league games overall.

#Rockies #mark

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers had their sights set on acquiring a top-tier pitcher before the trade deadline — namely Tarik Skubal — but had to shift gears when the back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner ended up with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Instead, the Brewers, who entered Monday tied with the Dodgers for the best record in the major leagues, settled for veteran starter Dustin May, who was acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals shortly before the deadline.
Milwaukee also got left-handed reliever JoJo Romero in the deal. In exchange, the Brewers sent minor league outfielders Alexander Frías and Josiah Ragsdale to the Cardinals.
The NL Central leaders bolstered their bullpen further by obtaining reliever Antonio Senzatela from the Colorado Rockies for left-hander Mark Manfredi, who has split time between Double-A Biloxi and Triple-A Nashville, and infielder Juan Martínez, who has played with the Rookie ACL Brewers and Class A Wilson this season.
"The fans have every right to have any opinion they want about what we should or shouldn't do," Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy said before Monday night's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. "But ****** ody wants to win more than the guys in that (clubhouse)."

#milwaukee #deadline

The Diamondbacks dropped the opener of The Most Important Series of the Season™, losing 3-2 in ten innings to the Pirates. Merrill Kelly pitched well, and Max Kepler gave Arizona a 2-0 lead. But a throwing error by Kelly allowed a key Pittsburgh run, and Juan Morillo then gave up the tying score, which pushed the contest into extras. The Diamondbacks were unable to take advantage of a major Pirates gaffe, stranding the Manfred Man. A ball which was clanked off the glove of Ildemaro Vargas let the home team walk off, but the key stat tonight was the D-backs going just 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position. And one of those hits didn't score a run either.
But to focus on the positives. Merrill Kelly continued his resurgence. He finished June with an ERA above six (6.11, to be precise). But since the calendar turned to July, he has been much improved. Tonight, he allowed only an unearned run over 5.2 innings, on four hits – all of which were singles. He walked one and struck out six. [That is still an area of concern. Through nineteen starts last year, he had 7 or more K's eight times: he hasn't gone past six at all this year] He did hit a batter, Pirates' rookie Esmerlyn Valdez wearing a pitch around the wrist area, and having to leave the game in obvious discomfort. Hopefully, there's no serious damage there.
Through five innings, both Kelley and his opposite number – confusingly, called M. Keller – were basically cruising. Each side has managed to advance only one runner past first-base to that point. In the top of the second, Max Kepler led off with a single, advanced to third on a pair of outs, but was stranded there when Ildemaro Vargas grounded out. For the Pirates, they got a two-out single in the bottom of the fifth, and the runner stole second before being left there. Kelly even got a pick-off, ending the fourth by nailing the pinch-runner who had come in to replace Valdez. Rather embarrassing for them, I imagine.
Both pitchers were also being highly efficient. Through five innings, Keller had needed just 63 pitches, and Kelly less than a handful more at 67. I particularly enjoyed this strikeout by Kelly which ended the fifth inning. None of the six pitches in the zone, and zero contact by the batter on his three swings. However, my hopes of a quick recap foundered thereafter, as neither starting pitcher would make it through the sixth. Corbin Carroll and Geraldo Perdomo singled to lead off the top of the frame, though Gabriel Moreno would strike out looking, on a master-class of ABS by the Pirates catcher, which reversed two ******* to strikes, by very narrow margins.
[Conversely, Moreno was 0-for-2 in his challenges tonight. Though it is worth noting that the team's overall challenge rate when on defense is still 66.7%, significantly better than the MLB average of 58.1%.]

#innings #tonight #runner

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has failed to reject the notion of President Donald Trump getting involved in MLB's ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations.
The President of the United States has become no stranger to involving himself in the behind-the-scenes negotiations in sports.
Only a matter of weeks ago was Trump involved in the FIFA U-turn to lift Folarin Balogun's suspension for the last 16 game against Belgium at the World Cup.
Whether people like it or not, the 80-year-old carries a lot of weight when it comes to situations like the MLB's negotiations.
The current CBA expires in December, but the clubs are believed to be far apart when it comes to reaching an agreement.

PHILADELPHIA – For the better part of 90 minutes Tuesday, July 14, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred and MLB Players' ****** ociation interim executive director Bruce Meyer laid out their alternative visions of reality, staking out opposite poles on a salary cap, revenue sharing, and perhaps the color of the sky as the sport grinds toward a Dec. 1 owners' lockout.
Yet there's one subject in which they were in full agreement: If sports gambling and prediction markets are legal, they most certainly should get a piece of it.
Meyer, in his first major press briefing since Tony Clark's February resignation, acknowledged that widespread legalized sports betting has created "an environment where our players are subject to constant threats, harassment. Always has been, but I think the players will probably say it's reached a new low."
Yet in late April, the MLBPA struck a long-term licensing agreement with Hard Rock Bet, which it said integrates "MLB player name, image, and likeness directly into the core of the betting experience across Hard Rock Bet's digital and retail platforms throughout North America."
That would seem to put the union at odds with one of its core principles, protecting player safety and welfare. Yet both league and union have adopted a mindset that could also serve as the ****** les of a '90s album: Everybody else is doing it, so why can't we?

PHILADELPHIA — The opening ceremony for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles is now exactly two years away, but the MLB players’ potential participation in those Games is still very much an open question.
There has long been conceptual agreement between MLB and MLB Players **** ociation that big leaguers should be there, and that the Olympics being in the United States provides a unique opportunity to raise baseball’s profile. From there, though, the negotiations have remained bogged down on a series of contractual details. Beyond these two entities, the LA28 organizing committee, the IOC, and the World Baseball Softball Confederation are involved in the talks.
The still-unresolved issues vary widely, including player accommodations, insurance, tickets, and service-time implications, among others. More broadly, there are ramifications—both known and unknown—of shutting down MLB play for roughly two weeks in the heart of the season, something that heretofore has precluded big leaguers from being in the Olympics.
Another major sticking point between the league and union surrounds mandatory player participation for those selected to play—an issue that also has roiled throughout this week’s All-Star Game.
“It is a disruptive undertaking for us,” league commissioner Rob Manfred said Tuesday. “If we’re disrupting an entire season, and we’re going to undertake that effort, we want our very best out there so that people see how great our game really is.”

The World Baseball Classic has been an exciting showcase for baseball on the international stage, but some MLB players, including Bryce Harper, have lamented their inability to taste a gold medal on an Olympic podium.
“I’ve been fighting for LA28 for a long time,” Harper said in March. “I think my whole career I’ve been trying to get something started or something coming up. Obviously, the WBC has been great, but it’s not the Olympics, right?”
Baseball was featured in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but MLB players on active 40-man rosters were prohibited from participating. After being excluded from the 2024 Paris Olympics, the sport is set to return to Los Angeles in 2028. Whether the MLB’s top stars get the chance to live out their dreams, however, remains to be seen.
Last year, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred opened the door to MLB participation in LA28, provided the ballclubs agree. MLB has since garnered support from owners, but according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, “disagreements with the MLB Players **** ociation over hotel rooms, tickets and a mandatory-participation agreement” have threatened proceedings.
Per emails obtained by ESPN, the MLBPA has balked at LA28’s current proposal, instead seeking a deal similar to the one struck between the Olympic Committee, NHL, and NHLPA that paved the way for NHL stars to return to the 2026 Milano Cortina Games after a 12-year absence.

PHILADELPHIA — Paul Skenes, Juan Soto, and Bryce Harper are among baseball’s All-Stars who say players never will agree to a salary cap but maintain there’s plenty of time to avoid a conflict that could shorten the 2027 season.
“Both sides kind of have their line that they’re not going to cross,” Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates ace who also is a member of the union’s eight-man negotiating committee, said. “Whether that results in missing games or missing a season, we’ll see.”
Baseball’s five-year labor contract expires Dec. 1 and MLB is expected to immediately lock out players. The more consequential deadline is in late February or early March, when Major League Baseball would announce whether it was postponing opening day.
Owners proposed a salary cap for the first time since the union fought off MLB’s cap plan with a 7 1/2-month strike in 1994-95 that caused the first cancellation of the World Series since 1904. Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says a cap is needed to lessen payroll disparity.
Soto, who signed a record 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets as a free agent after the 2024 season, would be limited to a six-year, $265 million deal under MLB’s proposal.

Editor's note: Follow the MLB Home Run Derby live!
PHILADELPHIA — Sure, Bryce Harper is quite appreciative that commissioner Rob Manfred personally selected him to be in the All-Star Game in his home ballpark, but to think that his gesture would even remotely soften his opinion on whether the players should accept a salary cap, sorry, he's not budging.
When asked Monday if he could foresee any scenario that the players union accepts a cap, Harper looking straight ahead, forcefully said: "No."
Harper, who shouted and swore at Manfred a year ago when he visited the Phillies clubhouse, telling him that he should leave if he even mentions a salary cap, insisted it's up to the players to stick together and remind each other of previous generations that fought for them.
"I think the opportunity for players to get paid is what this is all about,'' Harper said. "You know, that's why we have no cap, and what we we've done for so long, starting with Curt Flood. So, we owe it to the guys that have come before us to do the same thing, and all the young guys that are going to go through everything else.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Paul Skenes, Juan Soto and Bryce Harper are among baseball's All-Stars who say players will never agree to a salary cap but maintain there's plenty of time to avoid a conflict that could shorten the 2027 season.
"Both sides kind of have their line that they're not going to cross," Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates ace who is also a member of the union's eight-man negotiating committee, said Monday. "Whether that results in missing games or missing a season, we'll see."
Baseball's five-year labor contract expires Dec. 1 and MLB is expected to immediately lock out players. The more consequential deadline is in late February or early March, when Major League Baseball would announce whether it was postponing opening day.
Owners proposed a salary cap for the first time since the union fought off MLB's cap plan with a 7 1/2-month strike in 1994-95 that caused the first cancellation of the World Series since 1904. Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says a cap is needed to lessen payroll disparity.
Soto, who signed a record $765 million, 15-year-old contract with the New York Mets as a free agent after the 2024 season, would be limited to a $265 million, six-year deal under MLB's proposal.

The Chicago White Sox selected UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft on Saturday in Philadelphia.
Cholowsky has been an enormously praised prospect for a few years and was viewed as the clear favorite to be the top pick of the 2026 MLB Draft before the season even began.
So, much of the baseball world has been well aware of Cholowsky for a long while, and one would think that MLB commissioner Rob Manfred would be too. Or that he would at least practice how to ****** ounce the name before announcing it to the world during the draft.
But Manfred mispronounced Cholowsky's name when announcing the first pick of the draft, which was shown nationally on NBC for the first time (for the first 10 picks).
It's ****** ounced chil-OW'-skee.

The White Sox added a potential cornerstone player by selecting UCLA shortstop Daniel Roch Cholowsky with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 MLB draft, with the toss-up between Cholowsky and prep SS Grady Emerson apparently lasting deep into Saturday morning.
But that all turned out to be a ruse, as Cholowsky admitted that the White Sox informed him on Thursday that he was their pick, easing some of his anxiety about having lost out on the team he wanted to land with (as well as a record signing bonus — it won’t be the full $11 million-plus designated for the slot, but it won’t be a mere nine figures, either).
So, the rest of us still were stirred when word “broke” from MLB’s Jim Callis right before the pick announcement that Cholowsky — the presumptive No. 1 since the end of the 2025 draft — would join the White Sox. Minutes later, commissioner Rob Manfred made it official, welcoming Rob “Cha-lew-sky” (sic) to Chicago.
In doing so, Cholowsky becomes just the third college shortstop ever selected first overall, joining Bill Almon (1974) and Dansby Swanson (2015). Although neither player went on to a Hall of Fame career, that’s rare company, and another indication of just how highly Cholowsky is regarded.
“Drafting Roch today adds another standout talent and person of impressive character to this organization at absolutely the right time,” GM Chris Getz said in a press release announcing the pick. “Roch, his family and his support structure impressed us throughout the entire process, and his experience at UCLA certainly prepared him to take the next step as a professional. An outstanding defensive shortstop, Roch brings an impact bat to any lineup, and he is a leader on the field as well as in the clubhouse. He has more than lived up to very high expectations, and we cannot wait to get him into our organization, get started and see him continue his growth and success.”

PHILADELPHIA — The 2026 MLB Draft began Saturday in Philadelphia, marking the sixth consecutive season that the draft has taken place as part of the All-Star festivities in July. An energetic crowd filled the Grand Hall at the Pennsylvania Convention Center to cheer as the next generation of baseball stars were announced as MLB draft picks (even though none of the players were actually in attendance).
Odd ambiance aside, it was a momentous day for all 30 major-league organizations as they added a wave of new talent to their organizations. Here are seven takeaways from Day 1 of the draft, which brought us the first four rounds. (Day 2, featuring rounds 5 through 20, will take place on Sunday.)
The draft proceedings began with an absolute stunner. Because while Roch Cholowsky going first overall to the Chicago White Sox didn’t catch anyone off-guard, commissioner Rob Manfred’s ****** unciation of the UCLA shortstop’s last name certainly did.
“Cho-LOO-ski”
With that, baseball had its Adele Dazeem moment.

The White Sox added a potential cornerstone player by selecting UCLA shortstop Daniel Roch Cholowsky with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 MLB draft, with the toss-up between Cholowsky and prep SS Grady Emerson lasting deep into Saturday morning. But word broke from MLB's Jim Callis right before the pick announcement that Cholowsky — the presumptive No. 1 since the end of the 2025 draft — would join the White Sox. Minutes later, commissioner Rob Manfred made it official, welcoming Rob "Cha-lew-sky" (sic) to Chicago.
In doing so, Cholowsky becomes just the third college shortstop ever selected first overall, joining Bill Almon (1974) and Dansby Swanson (2015). Although neither player went on to a Hall of Fame career, that's rare company, and another indication of just how highly Cholowsky is regarded.
Cholowsky also becomes the fifth UCLA player selected No. 1 overall in a pro draft, a group that includes Gerrit Cole, Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), Troy Aikman and
As the draft came closer, some of the conversation for No. 1 overall has shifted to the other prime prospects, Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey and Emerson. That turned out to be a case of overall draft fatigue and prospect evaluators rationalizing their professions, as Cholowsky has been at or near No. 1 overall in mock drafts for essentially a solid year now. The right-handed hitter entered the spring with a reputation for elite bat-to-ball skills and polished defense, then strengthened his case by continuing to produce throughout the 2026 season.
Cholowsky as Chicago's pick indicates the White Sox went with the prospect many evaluators considered the most complete position player in the class. Cholowsky offers an advanced offensive approach, dependable defense at shortstop, and the kind of all-around game that gives him both a high floor and an equally enticing ceiling.

Good morning! It's draft day for Major League Baseball which, strangely, comes at a terrible time for the Red Sox. They've won seven in a row! They're somehow surging up the standings despite suffering a new injury every day! It's time to celebrate the NOW! Not to look to the future!
Alas, the schedule is what it is, and the baseball gods Rob Manfred has decided that the best time to hold the MLB draft is on a Saturday afternoon, when it will compete against a full slate of MLB games as fans gear up for the All-Star Break. So, to some extent, the big league club will take a backseat today.
The Draft begins with rounds 1-4 today, which will be broadcast on NBC/Peacock starting at 1PM, with coverage moving to MLB Network at 2:30.
The Red Sox will make the 20th, 67th, and 96th picks in the first four rounds today.
Yesterday, Bob touched upon the question of what strategy the Sox should pursue, as Craig Breslow is coming off several years in a row of loading up on arms (to great success). Check out the discussion and mock drafts there, and then stay tuned to OTM as the picks come in.

Detroit — Justin Verlander announced Wednesday that this will be his final season.
The three-time Cy Young winner and two-time World Series champion made the announcement in a letter after he was selected to the All-Star game as a Legend Pick by commissioner Rob Manfred.
“This season has challenged me in ways I haven’t experienced before, both physically and mentally,” he wrote. “I’ve always believed that as long as I could compete at the level I expect of myself, I’d keep playing. I never wanted to retire because of a milestone, a number or a date on the calendar. I wanted the game to tell me it was time.
“Over the last several months, I’ve realized that time has come.”
Verlander, 43, who is on the injured list with a hamstring strain, said he was still committed to working his way back this season.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is pushing a cap system for the league, something that hasn't occurred since 1994. The question is, why now? (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Major League Baseball has yet to hit the All-Star break in the 2026 season, and already the league and MLB Players ****** ociation are locked in a battle over whether the league’s desire for a salary cap system will be part of the next collective bargaining agreement when the current one expires on December 1st. The big question is, why now?
In 1994, the league’s owners first sought a salary cap. The impending strike by the players over the issue canceled all of the 1994 postseason, including the World Series. After 232 days, on April 2, 1995, it concluded after then U.S. District Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor issued an injunction blocking team owners from unilaterally implementing the elimination of free agency and salary arbitration. While there has been no attempt at going after a cap system since then, it has always remained something that the owners have wanted.
Now, the league is seeking a hard cap system that sees elements of the NFL and NBA systems. While there have been early proposals by the league, there will inevitably be more. Here are the reasons why the cap is being pushed for now, and how the MLBPA has responded to it.
While one can debate that the problem in MLB is as much at the bottom of the payroll spectrum as at the top, the reality is that there is a significant gap. For 2025, the Dodgers had a Luxury Tax payroll of $417,341,608 compared to just $86,926,975, a staggering gap of $330,414,633.

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge and Los Angeles Angeles star Mike Trout were among those named as starters on Saturday for the 96th Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
Top players from the National and American leagues will meet in the annual showdown of superstars on July 14 at Philadelphia.
The American League leads the all-time rivalry 48-45 with two drawn after the NL won 7-6 last year in Atlanta.
Starting position players for both teams were selected in two rounds of fan voting. **** anese star Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers was the top overall NL vote-getter in round one to claim a designated hitter spot earlier while Toronto's Ernie Clement took the AL starting spot at second base.
Players vote for a remaining 17 players -- eight pitchers and nine position reserves -- for each team while MLB commissioner Rob Manfred selects four pitchers and two position players for each team.

The 2026 Orioles have played plenty of dumb, bad baseball. But the 10th inning of this 7-6 loss to the Angels on Wednesday afternoon in Anaheim may take the **** le for the absolute worst moment of the entire season. It also completely changed the tone of the now-concluded west coast road trip, which saw the Orioles lose five of nine and go home on a supremely sour note.
Let’s get right into that 10th inning because that ended up being the whole ballgame.
The two teams were knotted at five runs apiece after regulation. The Orioles began the 10th with Blaze Alexander as the Manfred runner at second base. Taylor Ward opened the frame with a single to put runners on a corners. A Gunnar Henderson swinging bunt sent Alexander towards home, but he would be tagged out, a call which was upheld after review. After Leody Taveras flew out for the second out of the inning it seemed like the Birds might not score at all. But Pete Alonso came through with a clutch single to score the one crucial run and give the bullpen a lead to work with in the bottom of the inning.
Keegan Akin was called on for the 10th in a game that saw the Orioles empty their bullpen. The only reliever that did not pitch in this loss was Albert Suárez. And while Akin would carry some blame for the loss, it wasn’t his pitching that was at fault.
Akin struck out Zach Neto to open the frame, and then got a fly out of Vaughn Grissom for the second out. Things were going well! All that stood between the Orioles and a winning road trip was Nolan Schanuel.

Major League Baseball and the San Francisco Giants are facing mounting pressure following backlash over three players writing Bible verses on special Pride Night caps.
During a press conference, Giants President Buster Posey declined to address the controversy in detail, saying the organization would focus on baseball and refusing to take questions on the issue.
MLB has said players are not allowed to alter their uniforms. The decision has prompted the Justice Department to examine whether the policy could amount to religious discrimination.
On Monday, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred placed responsibility on the Giants organization, citing a lack of clear communication with players.
VIDEO: SF Giants players draw backlash after writing Bible verses on Pride Night caps