Pitching Grips

Katie Stratman and Brett Davis-Imagn Images 2026 Replacement-Level Killers Intro & C 1B & 2B SS & 3B Today, it’s another Killers two-fer, covering the left side of the infield. While still focusing on teams that meet the loose definition of a contender (Playoff Odds of at least 10%, a criterion that 22 of the 30 teams meet) and that have gotten about 0.6 WAR or less out of a position thus far (which prorates to 1.0 WAR over a full season), I have also incorporated our Depth Charts’ rest-of-season WAR projections into the equation for an additional perspective. That may suggest that some of these teams will clear the bar by a significant margin, but even so, I’ve included them here because their performance at that spot merits a closer a look. All statistics are through July 12. 2026 Replacement-Level Killers: Shortstop Team AVG OBP SLG wRC+ Bat BsR Fld WAR ROS WAR Tot WAR Red Sox .234 .298 .331 73 -11.8 -1.2 -4.7 0.0 0.7...

Jeff Curry-Imagn Images JJ Wetherholt is one of the biggest All-Star snubs this year, but he still had a pretty great end to the first half of his rookie season. On Friday, he agreed to an eight-year contract extension that runs until the end of the 2034 season. Wetherholt is hitting .259/.356/.399 for a 114 wRC+ and 3.5 WAR, the last number leading the St. Louis Cardinals and ranking second among all second basemen, in a virtual tie with Brice Turang and trailing only Luis Arraez , whose advantage of two-tenths of a win comes from his time as a DH. The eight-year deal guarantees that Wetherholt will make $112.5 million, with the potential to net an additional $20 million from MVP votes and All-Star appearances. He also receives a $2 million signing bonus this fall, which ensures he’ll get something soon if the upcoming CBA negotiation proves to be an extended one. We can argue all day whether or not Wetherholt is the most glaring All-Star omission this year, but with eight of...

Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images MLB Draft 2026 What Do Real Prospects Think About MLB’s Draft Proposal? 2026 Mock Draft 1.0 The Biggest (Literally) Draft Class Yet Jackson Flora's Evolution, Alain Gomez-Gudino's Incredible Journey, and Other Tales from the 2026 Draft Class 2026 MLB Draft Preview and Updated Rankings Day 1 Draft Chat 2026 Mock Draft 2.0: The Day Of The MLB Draft Is Once Again for Diehards Only Day 1 Recap Draft Potpurri Below is a team-by-team analysis of last night’s draft activity. Remember that you can find more detailed scouting reports and tool grades for the players drafted yesterday over on The Board . The positions below are what we have them projected as on The Board, not necessarily what the player was announced as. For pitchers, we have a role designated below: starter (SP), or single-inning or multi-inning reliever (SIRP and MIRP). Arizona Diamondbacks Team Pick Rank FV Name Pos. Age School Strengths ARI 15 25...