Thursday, July 02

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Welcome to The Pregame Lineup, a weekday newsletter that gets you up to speed on everything you need to know for today’s games, while catching you up on fun and interesting stories you might have missed. 

This is our last newsletter before the Fourth of July weekend. We’ll be back on Monday.

Now that the calendar’s flipped to July, it’s officially trade season. We’ll have you covered with the latest Trade Deadline buzz all month long.

Today Mark Feinsand takes a look at the biggest trade questions facing American League clubs ahead of the Aug. 3 Deadline. 

He’s got a whole top 10 in his article, so check out the full list, but here are five of the most interesting: 

1) Will the Yankees’ internal “additions” be enough? 

The Yankees have been scuffling lately with stars like Aaron Judge, Max Fried and Giancarlo Stanton on the injured list, but they’re still one of the best teams in the AL. They should be even better once those guys come back … but that doesn’t mean they’ll stand pat at the Trade Deadline. Feinsand expects the Yanks to at least add a relief arm or two, and maybe do even more.

2) Will the Rays go all-in? 

The Rays have taken back first place from the Yankees in the AL East and currently boast the best record in the American League. President of baseball operations Erik Neander has been aggressive in the past when his team’s in contention, so will he push his chips in again in 2026? Tampa Bay has multiple areas of need, especially some depth for a top-heavy lineup. Feinsand thinks Luis Arraez might make sense as a trade target.

3) Can the Tigers find a way to hold onto Skubal? 

The biggest fish on the trade market is still Tarik Skubal. But what once seemed like a lock that the back-to-back reigning Cy Young winner would get traded is now more of a question, with the Tigers playing better and both the AL Central and Wild Card races wide open. Whatever Detroit ultimately decides to do, expect to hear Skubal’s name a whole lot between now and Aug. 3.

4) Will the surprise White Sox be buyers? 

The White Sox are the big surprise of that aforementioned wide-open AL Central. They lead the division at 45-40 after three straight 100-loss seasons. Chicago might already be good enough to win the Central, but if the team wants to swing some trades to really make the leap, the pitching staff will likely be the focal point. 

5) Do the Rangers have enough to add any difference-makers? 

The AL West is also wide open, and the Rangers have used their recent hot streak to get to the top — they’re tied with the Mariners for the division lead at 44-43. Last time they were a playoff team, in their World Series-winning 2023 season, president of baseball operations Chris Young made several big moves at the Trade Deadline, adding players like Max Scherzer, Aroldis Chapman and Jordan Montgomery. Texas might want to do that again, but the team doesn’t have a ton of high-end prospects. So the Rangers might have to get creative to make trades.

See all the biggest questions facing AL teams ahead of the Trade Deadline here >> 

 

ALL-STAR ROSTERS REVEALED ON SATURDAY

All-Star voting is now over. All that’s left is to reveal the teams. 

The American League and National League rosters for the 2026 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard will be announced on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

That includes the players who will join Shohei Ohtani and Ernie Clement in the starting lineups after winning the fan vote, as well as the pitchers and reserves for both teams. 

Ahead of the announcement, Anthony Castrovince has a handy FAQ on how the All-Star rosters are selected.

If you need a reminder of which players were finalists to be All-Star starters (and where the standings stood at the final ballot update), you can check that out here.

The All-Star Game is Tuesday, July 14 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Watch at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.  

GAMES TO WATCH THIS 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND

We’ve got a ton of great games to watch this holiday weekend. Here’s something for every day. 

Tonight: Rays at Royals (7:40 p.m. ET, MLB.TV) 

Save some for the Derby, Junior Caminero! The first confirmed 2026 Home Run Derby participant has now gone deep in six consecutive games, and the Rays are running out of words to describe their young superstar slugger. The 22-year-old Caminero is the youngest player ever to homer in six or more straight games, ahead of a 23-year-old Ken Griffey Jr. in 1993, a 24-year-old Willie Mays in 1955 and a 24-year-old Nolan Arenado in 2015. 

“Probably call him an All-Star, maybe a Home Run Derby champion,” teammate Shane McClanahan said. “Junior is the best.”

Tomorrow: Padres at Dodgers (10:10 p.m. ET, MLB.TV) 

Shohei Ohtani is preparing for his sixth straight All-Star Game, where he’ll be the starting DH for the NL. But you might recall he’s also a pitcher who’s 8-2 with a 1.58 ERA, and he returns to the mound tomorrow nightas the Dodgers face the rival Padres in L.A. Ohtani has a strong case to make the All-Star team as a pitcher as well as a hitter, as he’s been one of the best aces in the league all year.

4th of July: Mets at Braves (8:08 p.m. ET, FOX)

The national pastime will get a slate of national broadcasts over Fourth of July weekend, and this one should bring the … fireworks. Two longtime division rivals clash on Baseball Night in America, with Braves ace Chris Sale headlining the matchup. Sale is 8-6 with a 2.10 ERA and 109 strikeouts this season for the NL East leaders and is rocketing up our Starting Pitcher Power Rankings.

Sunday: Cardinals at Cubs (2:30 p.m. ET, Peacock / NBCSN Extra)

To end the weekend, we get a “Star-Spangled Sunday,” with NBC and Peacock broadcasting all 15 MLB games on the schedule throughout the day. Here, we’ll highlight the series finale between the Cardinals and Cubs, two classic NL Central rivals who are both in playoff contention. Ahead of their weekend clash, the Cubs are in the top NL Wild Card spot, while the Cardinals hold the third Wild Card spot. 

50 STATES, 50 STORIES: BASEBALL IN AMERICA

Fourth of July weekend is here, and in honor of the 250th birthday of the United States, we’re reflecting on the best stories of Baseball in America. 

Baseball is America’s pastime for a reason, and each pocket of the country has its own unique connection to the sport. So this summer, we’re bringing you 50 stories from all 50 states.

You can read about baseball played under the Midnight Sun in Alaska. Mickey Mantle hitting his first professional home run into a zoo of monkeys in Kansas. The first baseball game ever recorded in New Jersey, and the longest baseball game ever played in Rhode Island. How Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe got their start in a tiny town in New Hampshire, or how Tim Lincecum became the whirling dervish of Washington. 

There are so many great American baseball stories, and we have a lot more still to come.

See the collection of Baseball in America stories here >> 

ODDS AND ENDS

• One of the best bits of Americana has to be the baseball card. And spanning back through the generations, there are certain baseball cards that simply stand out — from the early-1900s T-206 Honus Wagner to the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle to the 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card.

With an assist from none other than Bob Costas, we identified the most iconic baseball cards of every era. Check them out here >>

• Why did a host of English soccer fans start an impromptu fan club for Braves outfielder Michael Harris II? Some questions need no answers.

• Cubs hurler Jordan Wicks preserved a one-run lead for his second career save on Sunday. And then last night, Wicks helped Chicago hang on to a narrow 20-run victory with a three-inning outing vs. the Padres. Both outings counted as saves.

How rare is it to earn a save in a game your team won by 20? Thomas Harrigan has the details right here. 

 

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