MLB Notebook: Ohtani tops Home Run Derby field

We’re closing in on MLB’s All-Star Break. With the Midsummer Classic coming up next week in Colorado, it’s a good time to take stock of the biggest news and notes from around the world of baseball. Let’s get to it!

Ohtani Tops Home Run Derby Field

Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani has been named the top seed for Monday’s Home Run Derby, which promises to be a spectacle given that it’ll take place at a very high altitude.

The rest of the field, in order, consists of Joey Gallo, Matt OIson, Salvador Perez, Pete Alonso, Trey Mancini, Trevor Story, and Juan Soto.

Another No-Hitter (sort of)

The Tampa Bay Rays have enjoyed a strong season to date, and they earned a signature win Wednesday to cap off a doubleheader sweep of the Cleveland Indians. Five Tampa Bay pitchers combined to hold the Indians hitless over seven innings, but the game will not be recorded as an official no-no.

Like Madison Bumgarner’s performance earlier this season, it’s been ruled a seven-inning performance of this magnitude is not an official no-hitter, which begs the question: If achievements in seven-inning games don’t count, why are we playing them to begin with?

No Bobblehead for Bauer

I wish there was a more substantial update to the Trevor Bauer situation, but all we have as of now is that the Dodgers have cancelled a bobblehead giveaway scheduled for next month.

The club has deemed the promotion inappropriate given the current investigation focusing on the star pitcher. Bauer is accused of sexual assault in a domestic violence restraining order, and a hearing on the matter is scheduled for later this month.

It’s Almost Time for the Draft!

The first round of the annual MLB draft is scheduled for Sunday night. In a sport where the dividing line between success and failure is so small, it’s fascinating to see the stories that come out of each event (Mike Piazza, of course, went off the board in the 62nd round of the 1988 draft).

The story of this year’s draft appears to be an array of promising pitchers. Al Leiter’s son, Jack, could be the top overall pick after two stellar seasons at Vanderbilt, and he’s joined near the top by fellow Commodore hurler Kumar Rocker, who struck out 179 batters in 122 innings this season.