Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world this weekend:
1. 2025 Draft to begin:
The 2025 draft kicks off this weekend, with the first three rounds scheduled to begin at 5pm CT on Sunday evening. The Nationals, Angels, Mariners, Rockies, Cardinals, and Pirates have the top six picks after winning the draft lottery this past winter. While those six teams were the big winners, they’re far from the only teams that will be in prime position to bolster their future. The Orioles, for example, have four of the top 37 picks after dealing Bryan Baker to the Rays yesterday morning in exchange for the 37th pick in this year’s draft. Competitive Balance Round picks are the only ones that can be traded in MLB, but it’s at least plausible that another team with one of those picks could look to dangle it in trade talks over the next couple of days in order to facilitate an early deal rather than waiting until the Trade Deadline on July 31.
2. Pitchers’ duel in Minnesota:
The Pirates are headed to the Twin Cities this weekend for a three-game set, and the series kicks off tonight with a pitchers’ duel scheduled for 7pm local time. The Twins will send All-Star right-hander Joe Ryan to the mound for his 19th appearance of the season, while Pittsburgh will counter with superstar right-hander Paul Skenes. Ryan, 29, is in the midst of a career year with a 2.76 ERA and a 28.6% strikeout rate in 104 1/3 innings of work. Skenes, meanwhile, will enter his 20th start of the season with a sterling 1.94 ERA and a 27.8% strikeout rate in 116 innings. The Twins are one of several teams on the buy/sell bubble with the trade deadline looming just under three weeks away. They’ll play three of their next four series against clear sellers — Pirates, Rockies, Nationals — and likely need a strong showing in those winnable series to avoid selling off some rental pieces.
3. Mets rotation gets reinforcements:
The Mets have battled injuries in the rotation throughout the year, but their starting staff finally appears to be getting healthier. Right-hander Kodai Senga is scheduled to be activated from the injured list and start today’s game against the Royals and righty Michael Wacha. Senga has been out with a hamstring strain for the past month but had a sensational 1.47 ERA in 13 starts prior to that injury. He’s not the only arm the Mets figure to get back this weekend. While New York hasn’t announced a starter for Sunday’s game, Will Sammon of The Athletic was among those to note that lefty Sean Manaea is expected to be activated for his season debut on Sunday. Manaea re-signed with the Mets long-term over the winter after serving as a key fixture of the rotation last season, when he posted 3.47 ERA in 32 starts. He’s been sidelined all season with an oblique injury but is in line to square off against Royals rookie Noah Cameron on Sunday.
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