The All-Star Game ended in a “swing-off.” Big Dumper won the Home Run Derby. The Rays are sold, the draft is over and other news items from All-Star Week.
Good morning.
- The National League beat the American League at the All-Star Game 6-6 after a “swing-off,” a mini home run derby where the game’s MVP Kyle Schwarber hit three home runs.
- Matt Snyder writes that the ABS challenge system used at the All-Star Game not only worked, it worked really well.
- Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh won the Home Run Derby. Jeff Passan writes that this is just another step forward in what is a history season for “Big Dumper.” Passan also goes into how Raleigh’s life led to this point.
- Raleigh’s mother also has a video from 20 years ago when an eight-year-old Raleigh claimed to be the Home Run Derby.
- Julian McWilliams also profiles Raleigh and notes that for Raleigh, hitting comes second to his work as a catcher.
- As it turns out, some people who aren’t baseball fans are a little disturbed by Raleigh’s nickname “Big Dumper.”
- Raleigh has also been named to Team USA for the World Baseball Classic next spring.
- Remember torpedo bats from March and April? They got another bit of exposure when Raleigh used them in the Home Run Derby, but as Cody Stavenhagen writes, the torpedo bat revolution seems to have fizzled out (The Athletic sub. req.) Few players are still using the torpedo bat.
- The sale of the Tampa Bay Rays to Jacksonville developer Patrick Zalupski for $1.7 billion has been agreed to and is expected to be approved by MLB by September. (The Athletic sub. req.) Zalupski says he intends to keep the team in the Tampa Bay area, although he prefers a new stadium in Tampa over the current location in St. Petersburg. Evan Drellich and Ken Rosenthal report. (Here’s a non-paywalled summary.)
- Commissioner Manfred announced that the Rays will play any and all playoff games at Steinbrenner Field. There had been talk of moving some of the games elsewhere, most likely to the LoanDepot Park in Miami.
- Here are some looks from the All-Star Game Red Carpet.
- Bob Nightengale has a profile of Athletics rookie All-Star Jacob Wilson, calling him the “best old-school hitter in baseball.”
- Brewers rookie pitcher Jacob Misiorowski addressed the controversy with his being named to the All-Star Game. He says that none of the players blame him and he’s been treated nicely.
- Commissioner Manfred defended the selection of Misiorowski.
- Matt Snyder writes that yes, Mets outfielder Juan Soto deserved to be on the NL All-Star roster, but he should have kept quiet about it and he definitely shouldn’t have mentoned the bonus money he was missing out on. Read the room, dude.
- Four years after they were traded for each other, Tigers center fielder Javier Báez and Pete Crow-Armstrong got to share a moment at the All-Star Game. The two men shared their appreciation for each other. Evan Petzold reports.
- David Laurila speaks with Rockies All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman about how he cut down on his chase rate and became an All-Star.
- MLB is looking into allowing players to participate in the 2028 Olympics.
- Bob Nightengale speaks to Players Association head Tony Clark and notes that a labor war is coming fast as MLB pushes for a salary cap.
- Bill Shaikin writes that entertainment and development districts like the Braves’ “The Battery” are the new front in the upcoming labor war. Players will want revenue from those areas taken into consideration in any compensation scheme and the owners reject that idea entirely.
- John Shea notes that Manfred has not shut the door to the Bay Area getting an expansion team after the A’s left. Shea also looks at the possibility.
- Sad news as former Blue Jays pitcher Jim Clancy died at 69. Our condolences to out to his family, friends, former teammates and the Blue Jays, Astros and Braves.
- Former major leaguer Dan Serafini has been found guilty of murdering his father-in-law and is looking at life in prison. Serafini played for six teams, including the Cubs in 1999.
- The Players Association is telling players to keep proof of their legal right to be in this country with them at all times in case they get picked up by ICE. Carlos Monarrez writes that the Tigers players aren’t worried about it, but the union is and the team is not commenting.
- I’ve written a lot on the draft, but the MLB Pipeline staff have one “steal” pick from each of the first ten rounds. One Cubs draftee is on their list.
- R.J. Anderson has each team’s best pick after the first round.
- Anderson also looks ahead to the 2026 MLB Draft and who are the top players available as of right now.
- Jay Jaffe has started his series on “Replacement-level Killers,” or positions on contending teams that are dragging the rest of the team down. He’s got one piece on catchers and second basemen and another one on third basemen.
- In case you missed it, MLB re-created Henry Aaron’s 715th home run during the All-Star Game.
- And finally, Clinton Yates reports on how the legacy of Hank Aaron is still bringing Black ballplayers together through The Players Alliance. Several of them met in Atlanta before the All-Star Game to discuss the state of the game, their careers and Aaron.