Action Jackson
Jackson Merrill did it all for the surging San Diego Padres on Sunday, going 2-3, with a HR, R, 2 RBI, BB and a SB as the team held on for a 5-4 victory over the Giants. San Diego has now won eight of their last nine games and have flipped their trade deadline position from reluctant seller to possible buyer, as they sit one game out of the NL Wild Card race. The Padres recent hot streak has been in large part thanks to the efforts of their 23-year-old centerfielder, who has been on fire since the All-Star break. Since the Midsummer Classic, Merrill has hit .339/.354/.677 with six of his 16 HRs and a 180 wRC+, showing flashes of his 2024 rookie season when he hit .292/.326/.500. With a number of aging veterans struggling to justify their contracts in the San Diego lineup, the onus has fallen on the young studs like Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr. to carry the Padres back to the playoffs. If Merrill can continue this hot streak over the last two months, the Padres could see themselves back playing baseball in October.
Let’s see how the other hitters did on Sunday:
Chase DeLauter (CLE): 2-4, 2B, R, 3 RBI, SB.
Guardians rookie Chase DeLauter knocked in three runs and stole his seventh base of the season as the Guardians shut out the Diamondbacks 5-0. The 24-year-old has been stellar this season and his plate discipline has been particularly impressive, as his Squared-Up, Chase, Whiff and K rates are all in the 87th percentile or higher.
Tyler Stephenson (CIN): 2-4, HR, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB.
Tyler Stephenson continued to display himself as an attractive trade candidate, with a pair of extra base hits, including his ninth HR, in the Reds 10-2 trouncing of Pittsburgh. Stephenson is hitting .337/.409/.551 over his last 30 games and could be a nice backstop option for a team that doesn’t want to pay up for the likes of Hunter Goodman and Ryan Jeffers.
Nathaniel Lowe (CIN): 3-4, 2 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB.
Nathaniel Lowe could also be a sneaky trade candidate for team’s looking for a veteran lefty bat at Monday’s deadline. After his three-hit day on Sunday, Lowe is hitting .266/.341/.480 with a 120 wRC+ on the season, a nice bounceback from his tough 2025 season when he hit .228/.307/.381 with a 91 wRC+.
Everson Pereira (CHW): 2-4, HR, 2B, R, 4 RBI.
Former Yankees farmhand Everson Pereira had a big day in Chicago’s 9-1 win over Tampa Bay, including his career-high fourth HR of the season. While he has struggled mightily over his three seasons in the Majors, Pereira has some pop in his bat and could be an important bench piece down the stretch for the first-place White Sox.
Brandon Nimmo (TEX): 2-3, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB.
Brandon Nimmo continued his solid first season in Texas, getting on base three times and hitting a game-tying solo HR off lefty relever Steven Okert, although the Rangers eventually fell to Houston 7-3. The Wyoming native’s numbers have been in line with his career numbers with the Mets and the 33-year old is hitting .270/.339/.436 with a 119 wRC+ in 2026.
Yordan Alvarez (HOU): 4-5, 3 2B, R, 2 RBI.
AL MVP frontrunner Yordan Alvarez continued to mash on Sunday, rapping out three doubles among his four hits as Houston now sits in sole possession of first place in the AL West.
Cole Carrigg (COL): 3-4, 2B, R, RBI, 2 SB.
Rockies rookie Cole Carrigg has thoroughly enjoyed the start to his Major League career, as the former 65th overall pick in the 2023 draft is hitting .305/.389/.525 over 141 at-bats in Colorado. The 24-year old has cut way down on his 27.0 K% in AA in 2025 and his power/speed combo could produce big numbers in Coors Field.
Gleyber Torres (DET): 1-2, 3 R, 2 RBI, 4 BB.
It isn’t always about hitting home runs when you’re at the plate, as Gleyber Torres had a huge game on Sunday despite only recording a single. The veteran second baseman got on base five times thanks to four walks and could be playing for a different team later this week as the Tigers have clearly announced themselves as sellers at the deadline.
Eduardo Valencia (DET): 2-5, 2 2B, R, 4 RBI.
Backup catcher Eduardo Valencia has been doing his best Dillon Dingler impression in his 31 Major League at-bats this season, with a .452/.469/.935 batting line after his two doubles in the Tigers 11-0 victory over the Athletics.
Cole Young (SEA): 4-5, R, RBI.
Cole Young has turned into an interesting waiver wire pickup batting at the top of the Mariners lineup and he showed why with a four-hit game in Seattle’s 7-6 win over Minnesota on Sunday. The young (pun sort of intended) second baseman has been on of the team’s best hitters over the past month and is hitting .316/.355/.561 with seven HRs and just a 14.9 K% over his last 30 games.
Royce Lewis (MIN): 2-4, HR, R, 3 RBI.
Royce Lewis has found himself all over the diamond for the Twins of late, but it didn’t affect his offensive performance on Sunday as he connected for a three-run HR in the bottom of the eighth inning. Lewis played both first and second base in the game and could be an interesting fantasy option with multiple position eligibility.
Masataka Yoshida (BOS): 2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB.
The hottest baseball team of all-time award goes to the 2026 July/August Boston Red Sox, as they mashed four HRs in their 8-4 win to sweep the Dodgers on the road on Sunday Night Baseball. One of those HRs was delivered by DH Masataka Yoshida, who has hit a very respectable .290/.353/.462 with four HRs and more walks than strikeouts over his last 30 games.
