What happened: McCarthy has 10 home runs and 55 RBIs in his first 86 games of 2026. Over his past 28 games, he has produced six homers, 28 RBIs and a 1.005 OPS.
Why it matters: McCarthy is owed about $500,000 for the rest of 2026 and remains arbitration-eligible for two more years. That combination of production, low cost and club control could increase his value in deadline talks.
By the numbers: McCarthy's past-28-game totals account for 60% of his home runs and roughly 51% of his RBIs this season.
What to watch: MLB's trade deadline arrives Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. ET. His availability and potential return remain the key questions.