St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker won the 2026 MLB Home Run Derby in his debut, becoming the first Cardinal in franchise history to win the event. Walker hit 12 home runs in his final round to edge out hometown favorite Kyle Schwarber's 11 — doing it with six consecutive home runs in a do-or-die moment at Citizens Bank Park. The 24-year-old has 17 home runs through the first half with the Cardinals legitimate contenders heading into the second half.
The Brewers transferred Brandon Woodruff to the 60-day injured list with an anterior capsule injury in his right shoulder — the same structure he had surgically repaired in 2023. Woodruff was removed from a July 4 start against Arizona after his velocity cratered to 87 mph, with imaging revealing a new injury to the previously reconstructed capsule. He is ineligible to return until at least Sept. 5, and a second opinion from surgeon Dr. Keith Meister was scheduled during the break. Combined with ace Jacob Misiorowski skipping the first post-break series with fatigue, Milwaukee enters the second half with significant rotation concerns.
Misiorowski is set to resume throwing today (July 14) after being scratched last Sunday due to arm fatigue. The 24-year-old, who carries a 1.62 ERA across 18 first-half starts and 111 innings, will not pitch in Milwaukee's upcoming three-game series against Miami. His next projected start would come when the Brewers host the Mets from July 20–22. The Brewers had already been considering workload management as Misiorowski approaches his career-high innings total as a pro.
Who's Hot This Week
Multiple second-half breakout lists this week targeted Basallo as the sleeper catcher of the second half. The young Orioles backstop has elite underlying metrics — he's been described as one of the most dangerous hitters in the game when locked in — and at catcher with only ~22% ownership, there's no risk in stashing him. The Orioles have a strong lineup around him and a favorable second-half schedule. Buy for pennies now and revisit in August.
Worth Reading
Comprehensive weekly add list entering the second half, covering Lane Thomas (Royals), Reynaldo Lopez (Braves), and a handful of other hitters and pitchers with FAAB bids for each. Good orientation piece if you're planning your first wire run of the second half.
Ammirante makes his case for Jac Caglianone and Samuel Basallo as the top second-half breakout hitters worth trading for. Each pick is supported by Statcast data — strong exit velocity and barrel metrics that suggest the surface stats haven't caught up yet. A good read before you set your second-half trade targets.
Martin runs through bat speed data for hitters under 25 — top names include Caminero, Walker, Kurtz, and Caglianone. Most useful section: the breakdown of Esmerlyn Valdez (74.8 mph bat speed, 28% barrel rate) and how his profile compares mechanically to Samuel Basallo. Required reading before making waiver wire or trade decisions on either player.
Transferred to the 60-day IL with an anterior capsule injury in his right throwing shoulder — the same structure repaired surgically in 2023. His velocity cratered to 87 mph in a July 4 start before he was removed. Ineligible to return until at least Sept. 5; a second opinion from Dr. Keith Meister is scheduled. The prognosis on a re-injured capsule that was previously reconstructed is concerning. Season likely over.
Dealing with a mild left glute strain; will not throw off a mound until post-break. Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said a bullpen session is targeted for Friday or Saturday (July 17–18), with a 15-day IL stint under consideration. He is not expected to be available 'right away' for the second half. First-half line: 7-5, 3.49 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 122 K across 100.2 IP — a genuinely elite first half before the setback.
Scratched from his final first-half start with arm fatigue after throwing 111 innings — approaching his career high as a pro. He resumes throwing today (July 14) and is targeting a return to the rotation July 20–22 when the Brewers host the Mets. Manager Pat Murphy confirmed this is workload management, not a structural injury.
Placed on the 15-day IL (retroactive to June 30) with right elbow discomfort. Further testing revealed no torn UCL — the inflammation is around the ligament, which remains intact. Helsley will begin a rehab program with the goal of returning in the second half. This is his second IL stint of the season (also missed May 1–June 16 with elbow inflammation). Tyler Wells has seized the role with 2 saves in 2 opportunities to close the first half.
Jack Martin's July 10 deep dive into bat speed data for hitters under 25 is already the most useful piece of research to carry into second-half planning. The top five names — Junior Caminero, Jordan Walker, Nick Kurtz, Cam Smith, and Jac Caglianone — are mostly household fantasy names. But the buried lead is Esmerlyn Valdez, who now looks like the most actionable fantasy asset of the group given his first-half numbers.
Valdez posts 74.8 mph of bat speed — a couple ticks above average — but what separates him from a typical power-only profile is how much his contact quality has improved. His K-rate has dropped from 30% in the minors to 21% at the big-league level. His barrel rate sits between 28–30%, his average exit velocity is 91 mph, and his launch angle regularly hits the 16–18 degree sweet spot. Martin compares him mechanically to Samuel Basallo — two young hitters with nearly identical swing profiles, whose paths to production diverge primarily based on plate discipline development.
Martin's broader thesis: elite bat speed is a necessary but not sufficient condition for fantasy value. The hitters who sustain it are those who combine it with quality contact decisions. Since the article was published, Valdez has only strengthened the case: three more home runs in a July 11 doubleheader pushed him to 13 HR and 34 RBI in just 29 games. The .400 BABIP will regress, but the power production won't.
The July 13 Leverage Ledger covers the final weekend before the All-Star break — a busy save environment across 15 afternoon games. The headlining closer news: Tyler Wells (BAL) stepped in for injured Ryan Helsley and delivered twice; Jacob Webb has been quietly banking saves for the Cubs while Palencia rehabs; and Jordan Romano looks like the real deal in Colorado. The Ledger's biggest warning entering the second half: the Angels and A's both remain full committees — don't trust either in weekly formats.
Read the full Ledger →| Closer | Team | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Wells | BAL | 🟡 Watch | Helsley (elbow inflammation, UCL intact) is out for weeks. Wells went 2-for-2 in save chances closing the first half — 3.02 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and a 43:10 K:BB in 41.2 IP. Clear add in all formats. Note: Helsley is expected to avoid surgery and could return mid-second half, so this isn't a season-long answer. |
| Jacob Webb | CHC | 🔴 Committee | Palencia (elbow, IL-15) won't be activated immediately post-break. Webb has 3 saves over three weeks but shares the bullpen with Trent Thornton and Caleb Thielbar. Manager Counsell has shown willingness to go to other arms. Worth rostering in leagues with daily moves; riskier in weekly formats. |
| Jordan Romano | COL | 🟡 Watch | Added July 4 and has converted both save opportunities since. Low-save-opportunity team in a bad division, but a clean ninth-inning role in a Coors environment is real. Speculative grab in 14+ team leagues or deep formats. |
| Elvis Alvarado | OAK | 🔴 Committee | The A's show no urgency to name a closer — Alvarado and Hogan Harris continue splitting save chances with no hierarchy. Organizational ambiguity makes neither safe in standard formats. Monitor for any sign of consolidation. |
Jordan Walker's complete final round at the Home Run Derby — the six consecutive home runs that ended it, including the walk-off blast that silenced Citizens Bank Park.
Kyle Schwarber vs. Jordan Walker — the full Home Run Derby championship round, with every swing from both competitors including Junior Caminero's 491-foot bomb earlier in the night.
Post-Derby sitdown with Jordan Walker on the Phillies crowd boos, his Iron Man bat, and what winning the Derby in enemy territory meant to him.
Free. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.