Sometimes it’s the smaller trades that end up having the biggest impact. We’re putting the spotlight on six under-the-radar moves that are currently shaping the 2026 season.
Jon Heder, Efran Ramirez and Jon Gries, stars of the 2004 cult classic, are part of the ownership group of a team in the Northwoods League. MLB.com’s Matt Monagan joined them for a night at the ballpark.
The Cardinals honored the heroes of the classroom for Teachers Appreciation Night, with Katelyn Ingoldsby, JJ Wetherholt’s fifth-grade teacher, throwing out the first pitch to her former student.
Joshua Báez, No. 65 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list and third-ranked Cardinals prospect, crushed four home runs on the anniversary of his father’s passing. “I think that he guided me today to be able to do that,” he said.
The National League’s co-Player of the Week appeared on the Best Interview in Baseball, presented by Corona, to discuss winning the award — and his labradoodle.
Tune in to watch Mets vs. Reds at 12:30 p.m. ET (or Marlins vs. Phillies), followed by the Rays vs. Dodgers. Later, it’s White Sox vs. Yankees at 7 p.m. (or Red Sox vs. Blue Jays at 6:30) and Pirates vs. A’s (or Orioles vs. Mariners).
The Draft class of ’25 is still taking its first steps, but some players are already separating themselves from the pack. From No. 1 overall pick Eli Willits (Nationals) to under-the-radar steals, here is every organization’s best-performing Draft pick from last year.
Minor League Baseball is about far more than what happens on the field. On the latest episode of “Grass Routes,” Jonathan Mayo explores the culture, history and personalities that make Rochester, N.Y., a destination every bit as memorable as the baseball played there.
Most walk-off wins end with a hit. Reds prospect Kien Vu had other ideas, turning a daring dash home into one of the season’s most unforgettable finishes. The 2025 Draft pick literally stole a victory for High-A Dayton in the most ironic of walk-offs.
For more than 40 years, Ron “Roady” Plein was the heart of baseball in Cedar Rapids. Following the clubhouse manager’s passing earlier this year, the club and its fans are celebrating the life of a man who was so devoted to the Kernels, he lived at the ballpark.
A year after leading LSU to a national title, Anthony Eyanson is turning heads as a pro. On the latest episode of The Show Before the Show, Boston’s No. 2 prospect talks winning it all, his breakout campaign and how it’s already put him on the big league radar.
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. Today’s edition is brought to you by David Adler and Brian Murphy.
As a Yankee, Mickey Mantle’s home run distances were the stuff of legend. But even before he ever put on the pinstripes, Mantle was crushing legendary homers.
In fact, the story of his very first professional home run, in Independence, Kan., in 1949, might top them all.
Mantle had just signed with the Yankees at 17 years old and had been sent to play for their Class D Minor League team, the Independence Yankees. They played at Shulthis Stadium, the ballpark where the very first night game in organized baseball historytook place in 1930.
It was there that, on June 30, 1949, The Mick crushed a tape-measure shot over dead center field for his first homer as a pro.
The center-field fence at Shulthis Stadium was about 460 feet away. Mantle’s blast cleared it easily. But how far did it go? Well, according to legend, as Mantle’s home run sailed over the wall, the fans yelled: “That ball is headed to Monkey Island!”
Wait … Monkey Island? What’s Monkey Island?
It’s a monkey exhibit at the Independence Zoo — an exhibit that’s still there! — and it’s located more than 100 feet beyond the spot in center field where Mantle hit his homer. Oh, and fun fact: 10 years later, a rhesus monkey named Miss Able from Monkey Island became the first primate to survive space travel.
So yes, Mickey Mantle may have hit a 600-foot home run into a zoo of screeching monkeys, one of which eventually traveled into space. That’s how baseball legends are born.
No, he didn’t run the bases clockwise; he went homer, triple, double, single, in that order. No Cub had achieved a “reverse” cycle before.
Now, if you’re just awakening from a 12-month coma, you probably aren’t too surprised by this news. Sure, the cycle is extremely cool, but Crow-Armstrong was one of the Majors’ very best players for the bulk of last season. He was the National League leader in FanGraphs WAR (5.4) entering August.
Then his numbers at the plate sank over the final two months of the year, and his offensive struggles continued into 2026. From Aug. 1, 2025, through May 29, 2026 — a span of 109 games and 440 plate appearances — PCA recorded a .207/.279/.332 slash line. His defense in center field remained golden, but with a 71 wRC+, he was one of the worst qualified hitters in the game.
However, over the past couple of weeks, he’s become a five-tool dynamo once again. Besides being the most valuable fielder in the sport, Crow-Armstrong has put up offensive numbers that are out of this world over his past 15 games:
A .453 average (29-for-64), seven home runs, four stolen bases and an MLB-best 1.400 OPS.
Suddenly, Crow-Armstrong is up to No. 2 in FanGraphs WAR among position players this season (3.9), just a tick behind Bobby Witt Jr (4.0).
He may not ultimately beat out two-way Shohei for MVP honors; Ohtani already has 5.0 fWAR when you combine his work as a hitter and a pitcher. But when he’s right, the uber-talented PCA is an absolute joy to watch. And right now, he is doing everything right.
— Brian Murphy
DO YOU KNOW THIS MAN?
There is a starting pitcher who currently ranks 11th in the Majors with a 2.71 ERA. And there is a starting pitcher who ranks second in the Majors — trailing only Ohtani among pitchers with at least 500 innings — with a 2.78 ERA since the start of 2021.
They are the same pitcher. And that right-hander, the Rays’ Drew Rasmussen, will face Ohtani and the Dodgers in Los Angeles tonight (10:10 ET, MLB.TV). Hopefully you know his name already, but if you don’t, tonight’s matchup gives you a great reason to see why the 30-year-old Rasmussen has been one of the top hurlers in baseball.
Last season, Rasmussen was an All-Star, finished ninth in the AL Cy Young voting and posted a 2.76 ERA across 150 innings. Now in his sixth season with Tampa Bay after being dealt by the Brewers in a trade headlined by Willy Adames, Rasmussen has ended every season with the Rays with a sub-3.00 ERA.
His success story is a rare one; Rasmussen has undergone three major, season-ending elbow surgeries, the most recent of which occurred in 2023. Not only has he bounced back, but he also seems more dominant than ever. In his previous two starts, he allowed a total of three hits and one walk over 14 scoreless innings with 22 strikeouts. He leads the AL in WHIP (0.88) and sits sixth in the big leagues in strikeout-minus-walk rate (22.7%).
What has been the key? Here’s a hint: Fastball, fastball, fastball. But check out this story from Brent Maguire for the full scoop on how Rasmussen has ascended to the elite level of starting pitchers.
— Brian Murphy
GAMES OF THE NIGHT
Before Rasmussen takes the mound in L.A., here are a couple of other games worth watching tonight.
The White Sox won both of their games last week against the Braves, the team with MLB’s best record. Then they took two of three games over the weekend against the Dodgers, the defending two-time World Series champs. The club’s extremely tough road takes it to the Bronx next to open a three-game series against the Yankees, who own the best record in the American League.
The White Sox, in a virtual tie for first place in the AL Central, will have breakout ace Davis Martin on the mound against Gerrit Cole, who is making his fifth start of the year. Even without the injured Aaron Judge, the Yankees have continued their winning ways of late, thanks in part to contributions from players such as outfielder Cody Bellinger, who is looking like the best free-agent signing of the offseason.
Tigers at Astros (8:10 p.m. ET, MLB.TV) We’ll have dual homecomings in this one. Right-hander Hunter Brown will return to the Astros’ rotation for his first start since March 31. The 2025 AL Cy Young finalist has been sidelined for more than two months by a right shoulder strain. Also making his return to Houston? Framber Valdez. The left-hander, who inked a three-year deal with the Tigers in February, spent his first eight seasons with the Astros, represented them as a two-time All-Star and won the clinching game of the 2022 World Series.
Atlanta re-signed veteran pitcher Carlos “Cookie” Carrasco to a Minor League deal on Sunday. Actually, the Braves re-re-re-re-signed him.
Yes, this is the fourth time that the Braves have signed Carrasco to a Minor League deal in 2026. His transaction log is stuck in a loop. Here’s what it looked like before this latest reunion:
Find yourself someone who loves you as much as the Braves love Carrasco.
The right-hander from Venezuela is now in his 17th big league season. He was a legit ace for the Guardians about a decade ago, he’s a Clemente Award winner, and he freaking beat cancer. So, although we joke about his on-again, off-again relationship with the Braves, the fact that he is still a viable Major Leaguer at age 39 is quite the accomplishment.
— Brian Murphy
VOTE NOW FOR THE ALL-STAR GAME
Phase 1 of All-Star voting is open until Thursday, June 25, at noon ET.
(43) And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. King James VersionChange email Bible version
In Luke 23:43, Jesus Christ tells one of the criminals being crucified next to Him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” This statement forms the foundation of belief for the majority of professing Christians that they will go to heaven as soon as they die. The common interpretation is that Jesus promises the malefactor he would be with Him in “Paradise”—assumed to be heaven—later that day, after both had died. From this scenario, they extract the theory that all of the faithful are likewise caught up to heaven immediately upon death. This verse has become the modern pillar of the ancient pagan belief that our soul lives on after the death of the body and finds its way to heaven to be with God.
The only problem is that Luke 23:43 does not support this at all!
Jesus gave only one sign that He was the One He said He was: that He would be in the grave for three days and three nights:
Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:38-40, emphasis ours throughout)
If Jesus was not in the grave for three days and three nights, He is not our Savior! But since we know He was telling the truth, He must have been in the grave for exactly three days and three nights—thus, He could not have been in Paradise that day. Following this through, if He was not in Paradise on the day He died, neither was the criminal hanging next to Him.
The apostle Paul corroborates that Jesus did in fact fulfill His prophecy. In I Corinthians 15:3-4, he tells Christians: “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” Notice that Paul says Jesus was buried, not that the body was buried and His consciousness went to Paradise. It reads that He—Jesus, Himself, entirely—was buried. He was dead for three days. He died for our sins, was in the grave for 72 hours, then came back to life after being resurrected by the Father.
John gives further proof of where Jesus was: “Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So there [in the tomb, the grave] they laid Jesus . . .” (John 19:41-42). Similarly, Peter told those present on Pentecost, “[David], foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.” (Acts 2:31) This states that Jesus’ body and soul were in “Hades” (the grave) before His resurrection, not in Paradise.
Jesus Himself tells us He was not simultaneously in the grave and in Paradise. When Mary Magdalene stood outside the tomb, she encountered the resurrected Savior (John 20:14). After He identified Himself (verse 16), He told her plainly where He had not been: “Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, “I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.”‘” (John 20:17). Clearly, He had not been in Paradise with the Father during the time He was in the grave, thus the criminal was not either!
Every day offers a new chance to grow—so explore stories filled with real-life inspiration, practical wisdom, and ideas that fuel your next step forward. Discover uplifting content curated to support your personal growth, and join thousands of readers who visit our site daily for motivation, insight, and a positive boost.
“Rest is not the opposite of progress — it is one of the most essential parts of it. Honor the seasons that ask you to slow down.”
There is a pervasive belief that slowing down means falling behind — that rest is something to be earned after enough effort, not woven into the process itself. But rest is not a pause in your journey. It is part of the journey. The seasons that ask you to slow down, recover, and replenish are just as important as the seasons of action and output. You are not falling behind by resting. You are preparing for what comes next.MORE INSPIRATION
You’re always one blessing away from a brighter day… and a bigger life. May these stories, affirmations, prayers, and insights lift your spirits and inspire you to lift others.
We had an amazing time last week traveling to Cincinnati and Norfolk! The shows we did in each city were truly beautiful. Getting to meet and connect with so many people really makes my heart happy. Thank you to everyone who came out to support! Plus, special shoutout to Terez Dean who always take such great photos of our shows!
I’m doing our first live Zoom with Patreon members on Saturday, 6/27. It’s a chance to actually connect, ask questions, and be part of this in a different way!
As I grow as an artist, it is really exciting to be able to have different ways and be more engaged with our fans. And whether it’s at a meet and greet or on my Patreon, having you all here as fans and friends means so much. Thank you!
Catch you on the road or on the web!
With love, Lindsey
P.S. We are restocking some favorites that have sold out and will be posting a new merch drop next month. Patreon members get first dibs!
peace, love + music
And of course, shows are constantly being added, so check back frequently!all show tickets
RJ Hamster 