HOOVER, AL - MAY 20: Head coach Tim Corbin of the Vanderbilt Commodores walks off the field during the SEC Baseball Tournament second round game between Vanderbilt Commodores and Florida Gators on May 20, 2026, at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama.(Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It’s Draft Day. For most sports, it’s a celebratory day where you’re glad to hear the names of your boys, cheering them on as they jump to the next level. For college baseball fans, it’s a PTSD-laden war of attrition where your mood is dependent on hearing the fewest amount of names of your potential incoming freshman class. Zero names is ideal, of course, but when you ‘croot at Vanderbilt’s level, that’s never (or almost never, it did happen once) a realistic ask.
In short, go ahead and forget the names of OF Eric Booth Jr. (expected to go in the top 10 picks of the 1st round) and SS Aiden Ruiz (a slick-fielding defensive maven likely to get tabbed in the first 50 or so picks). Expect also to lose top pitchers LHP Sean Duncan and RHP Joseph Contreras (though there’s an outside chance one makes it to campus) and at least one of our two top SS commits, SS James Tronstein and SS Luke Williams. Keep it to losing 4 or 5 of them, and none of our remaining members of the #1 ‘crootin’ class in the nation, and we have set ourselves up to return to the postseason, challenge for a #1 seed this year, and challenge for a title in 2-3 years. Get decimated and… well, remember when Krusty drank gasoline and woke up on Bart’s lawn?
Then there’s our boys (you know, the ones who haven’t transferred out like pretty much our entire 2026 bullpen). Honestly, not a lot of Diamond Dores are expected to get drafted, and none (well, maybe Braden Holcomb) should expect to hear their names today (rounds 1-4).
Regardless, join up in the comments to collectively white knuckle the worst weekend of the year for college baseball fans with us at Anchor of Gold. Pour Jobu his rum, Hail Pinman, and scream “OO!” at Vocockyteps. It’s Draft Day.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 10: Xander Bogaerts #2 of the San Diego Padres celebrates after hitting a home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Petco Park on July 10, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres brought the winning run to the plate with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays. Xander Bogaerts stepped into the batter’s box with Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr. on first and second base after the Padres recorded three consecutive two-out hits off Padres closer Louis Varland. Bogaerts worked the count full, but on the final pitch of the at-bat he hit a routine ground ball to third base, which resulted in the final out of the game to give San Diego a 5-3 loss at the hands of Toronto in their series opener at Petco Park on Friday night.
The Padres came into the bottom of the ninth trailing, 5-2. Jake Cronenworth pinch hit and struck out to open the inning and Luis Rengifo hit a deep fly ball into left field for the second out of the inning. Luis Campusano lined a ball back through the middle of the infield and Tatis followed with a line drive single through the right side of the infield. Merrill stepped in and connected on another base hit, which scored Campusano to cut the deficit to 5-3.
Bogaerts represented the winning run and Petco Park was waiting to erupt with a big hit from the San Diego shortstop. Bogaerts started the scoring in the game in the bottom of the first inning when he connected on a two-run home run off starter Shane Bieber to put the Padres up 2-0. Considering the speed of Tatis and Merrill and the fact that they were on the move on a 3-2 pitch, a base hit by Bogaerts might have tied the game, but it would have likely brought San Diego within a run with Manny Machado set to come to the plate. However, that was not how the 3-2 pitch played out. Instead, Bogaerts bounced a ground ball to Toronto third baseman Kazuma Okamoto who threw across the diamond in time to get Bogaerts to end the inning and the game.
Okamoto proved to have the game-winning hit for the Blue Jays in the top of the fifth inning. Padres starter JP Sears allowed two of the first three batters of the inning to reach base on singles and Jhony Brito came in to face Vladamir Guerrero Jr. Brito allowed an RBI-single and Toronto tied the game at 2-2. Brito then faced Okamoto who won a seven-pitch at-bat with a 377-foot three-run home run into the left field bleachers to give the Blue Jays a 5-2 lead.
San Diego will try to stop a two-game losing streak in the second game of the series against Toronto today at 5:40 p.m.
Shohei Ohtani hit a leadoff home run for the Los Angeles Dodgers the same night he was scratched from his start on the mound against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
BAD GASTEIN, AUSTRIA - MAY 28: The Schlossalmbahn cable cars transport guests to the attend the opening event of CALL Film Festival at Restaurant Hirsch & Maus on May 28, 2026 in Bad Gastein, Austria. (Photo by Julia Beverly/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hickory starter Daniel Keaney gave up five runs in five innings, striking out three and walking one.
Pablo Guerrero was 2 for 5 with a double. Yolfran Castillo was 3 for 4 with a double, a triple and a walk. Paulino Santana had a hit and a walk. Daniel Flames doubled and walked twice. Angel Arredondo doubled. Marco Argudin had a hit and a walk.
Round Rock starter Jose Corniell allowed five runs in 1.2 IP, walking three and striking out one. Emiliano Teodo walked one, struck out one and allowed one run in 1.1 IP. Wilian Bormie allowed two runs in an inning of work, walking two. Luis Curvelo threw two shutout innings.
Another busy slate in the Majors means more opportunity for long balls in my MLB player props home run analysis.
I'll include James Wood, Chase DeLauter, and Ben Rice in today's MLB picks for Saturday, July 11.
Best MLB home run props today
Player to hit a HR
Odds
James Wood
+350
Chase DeLauter
+549
Ben Rice
+275
💲Today's HR parlay
+8986
Home run pick: James Wood (+350)
Washington Nationals star James Wood is crushing baseballs right now. He owns a .722 ISO over his last six games, going deep four times during that span. Wood's hard-hit rate over the last week also sits at 62.9%, with a barrel rate just under 20%.
The slugger will face New York Yankees ace Cam Schlittler tonight. Although the youngster has been dominant overall, he's had trouble with the long ball recently. Schlittler has allowed 3.00 HR/9 across his last two outings.
This Yankees pen has also surrendered 1.63 HR/9 across their last 27 2/3 innings. There's a lot of opportunity for Wood to leave the yard again.
I'll play this pick down to +300.
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: YES, Nationals.TV
Home run pick: Chase DeLauter (+549)
Cleveland Guardians youngster Chase DeLauter has homered in back-to-back games, and he has three bombs in his last six contests. DeLauter carries a .417 ISO during that span and an astounding 68.4% hard-hit rate. The 24-year-old is consistently squaring up the baseball.
DeLauter will face Miami Marlins starter Eury Pérez this afternoon. The righty has allowed a home run in six of his last eight outings. He's been pitching well, but it's common for him to make a mistake in a start, and an opponent punishes it.
That could be DeLauter this afternoon, considering just how well he's seeing the baseball.
I'll play this pick down to +450.
Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Guardians.TV, Marlins.TV
Home run pick: Ben Rice (+275)
Ben Rice has emerged as a superstar this season, and he's showing off his power ahead of the HR Derby. The slugger has clubbed five long balls in his last seven games. Over that span, he owns a .556 ISO and 19% barrel rate.
Today's matchup heavily favors Rice. The Yankees will face the struggling Miles Mikolas. He's surrendered 2.77 HR/9 across his previous two appearances, and opponents also have a 40.8% hard-hit rate against him over the last two weeks.
This Nationals bullpen is also giving up 1.86 HR/9 over the last seven days. Whether it's against Mikolas or the relief corps when they enter, Rice has a great chance to put one in the bleachers.
Play this down to +250.
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: YES, Nationals.TV
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 15-75, -4.99 units
Today’s HR parlay
James Wood
Bet Now +8986
Chase DeLauter
Ben Rice
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1st over: England 4-0 (Salt 2, Buttler 1) Another quiet opening over for England with the bat. Arshdeep Singh is swinging the ball with his left-arm efforts, and neither Salt nor Buttler tries anything expansive.
SINGAPORE, Jan. 21, 2020 -- A dumbo rat is seen with the Chinese character "Fu", which means good fortune, during an event to welcome the Year of the Rat in Singapore Zoo of the Wildlife Reserves Singapore on Jan. 21, 2020. (Photo by Then Chih Wey/Xinhua via Getty) (Xinhua/ via Getty Images) | Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images
Less than a month after playing a competitive game, the Knicks were back on a court doing some goofy play. Here are some links and notes before New York gets back to it against a familiar foe later today.
The Knicks opened Summer League with a 91-65 loss to the Nets. Shouts out to my Brooklynites for taking advantage of the only time of the year they’re good enough to beat New York.
Mohamed Diawara did not sugarcoat his awful performance after going 1-for-9 from the field and putting up a monster minus-39 in 23 minutes of playing time.
“I got to do way better. I think the level that we take back is, like, a little way better. I can play like I played today, and just be better than last game.”
Pacome Dadiet somehow looked like a player, scored a team-high 20, and multiplied his value as he enters his third season in the League, earning $2.9 million. Of note, per the Daily News’ Kristian Windfield, Dadiet’s cap hit rises to $5.4 million next year, so the Knicks will need to make a business decision here.
Rookie Tyler Nickel made a smooth impression, coming off the pine and drilling six threes of 10 attempted for all 18 of his points. Fellow drafted neophyte Jack Kayil did not make his Summer League debut (no big deal) after the mini-paperwork saga that finally got him onto the roster. Debut expected against the Spurs on Saturday, per Kris Pursianen.
T.J. Saint is already impressed (h/t James L. Edwards) with a particular area of Nickel’s game, and it’s got nothing to do with his three-point shooting. before the shooting show, but acknowledged Dadiet and Diawara’s struggles.
The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy wrote that the Knicks are now in the NBA’s “culture” sweet spot, revealing its two ingredients and comparing this New York team to Tim Duncan’s Spurs and Steph Curry’s Warriors. Trying to keep it spoiler-free:
“The reality, as evidenced through the NBA’s history, is ‘culture’ cannot be spoken into existence. It requires two important components, both non-negotiable and both currently achieved by the Knicks.
“(The Spurs and the Warriors) represented the standard because of Duncan and Curry. When Duncan left, Gregg Popovich was just a below-average coach. When Curry is injured, Steve Kerr’s record plummets.”
Julius Randle is back in New York, just on the wrong side of the bridge. On Friday, attending the Nets-Knicks Summer League game, Randle spoke about plenty of things, including his role as a mentor in Brooklyn and the similarities between this new chapter and the one he spent with the Knicks. Never not like Jules.
“It feels great to be here. It’s a great opportunity. It’s a city I’m already really familiar with; it’s a situation that I’m familiar with. Then, there’s a lot of talent.
“As far as the trade stuff, man, I’m 13 years in, bro. I played in New York already; so you hear that stuff all the time. I’m used to that. It just is what it is. You ride the wave of it. At the end of the day, I’m playing basketball and I’m doing what I love for a living. So, it’s all I ask for.”
Victor Wembanyama pulled a Brunson and signed a five-year, $252 million rookie extension with the Spurs, locking himself into the 25 percent max instead of preserving the chance to jump to the 30 percent max with All-NBA, Defensive Player of the Year, or MVP honors next season. In other words, he left about $10 million annually on the table to give the Spurs some flexibility going forward.
Down in Miami: chaos. Bam Adebayo punched Tyler Herro in the face at a Las Vegas practice court in front of Herro’s AAU squad. Chaz with the full breakdown here.
There is only one “rightful” farewell tour for LeBron James, thinks Charles Barkley.
Meanwhile, a former Ohio cupcake-shop owner who once became famous for calling LeBron’s 2014 Cleveland return is now claiming LeBron is coming back to the Cavs with Bronny James and Draymond Green. Personally, I never found a cupcake I didn’t like, so I’m with Jonathan on this one.
Jul 10, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Anthony Seigler (48) reacts after reaching second base on an error by New York Mets left fielder Juan Soto (not pictured) during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Meet the Mets
The Red Sox had a bunch of issues getting to New York for yesterday’s game, but you wouldn’t know it based on the results. Boston scored two unearned runs off Nolan McLean in the first inning to take the lead and the Mets stayed behind all evening, ultimately losing 6-2.
The Mets made a series of roster moves prior to last night’s game, including officially placing Mark Vientos on the injured list and bringing Tobias Myers back to the active roster.
Vientos will be out for 6-8 weeks due to his hand injury; in happier news, Clay Holmes continues to progress in his return.
NBA Summer League picks for Saturday, July 11 feature a rematch of the 2026 NBA Finals, and I’m taking the San Antonio Spurs to get the win over the New York Knicks.
I’m also backing a couple of underdogs today, as I see value in both the Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Lakers to win on Saturday.
NBA Summer League predictions for July 11
Pick
Spurs moneyline
-133
Pacers moneyline
+122
Lakers moneyline
+170
Today's Summer League Picks
Spurs moneyline (-133 at Kalshi)
In a rematch of this year's NBA Finals, I’m picking the San Antonio Spurs to exact a small measure of revenge against the New York Knicks. The Spurs have a fascinating Summer League roster, including Carter Bryant, who played throughout the NBA Playoffs for San Antonio, as well as Tarris Reed Jr., the second-round draft pick who will be fighting to get minutes as a backup center behind Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet.
Meanwhile, the Knicks aren’t doing much of interest to fans or bettors in Summer League, with most of their roster — and especially their main rotation — already in place for next season. A New York roster led by Mo Diawara won’t have the depth to compete with the Spurs, who should win this game handily.
Pacers moneyline (+122 at Kalshi)
The Indiana Pacers showed their Summer League strength on Friday, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 99-93 in their offseason opener. Rienk Mast scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the win, with Jalen Slawson adding 15 points, six boards, and five blocks.
The Philadelphia 76ers are also coming off a win, but with Labaron Philon Jr. and Johni Broome leading the way, they have far less experience than Indiana on their summer roster.
Mast is battle-tested, as he plays for the Netherlands in international play and is clearly taking his Summer League opportunity seriously. Even as an undrafted rookie, I like that level of experience to help lead the Pacers to a win on Saturday.
Lakers moneyline (+170 at Kalshi)
The Los Angeles Lakers come into Saturday’s Summer League matchup against the Dallas Mavericks as a significant underdog, but I think they offer excellent value to bettors at this price.
With LeBron James moving on from the Lakers, Los Angeles has an added desire to consider its options when it comes to young players who may potentially end up on the NBA roster. That includes a number of promising draft picks like Adou Thiero and Cameron Carr, along with undrafted free agent Robbie Avila.
Thiero scored 20 points on Friday night in a 96-84 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, with Carr adding 18 points in the victory. I’m expecting more of the same on Saturday, with the Lakers likely to overwhelm a Mavericks team that lost 101-90 to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday.
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Saturday’s NBA Summer League parlay
Spurs moneyline
Pacers moneyline
Lakers moneyline
+950 at Kalshi
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A.J. Ewing is enjoying a fine stretch, 11-for-26 (.423) with three home runs and a double in his last six games. He's up to a .282 average and .805 OPS through his first 55 career games
Freddy Peralta could really do with a bounce-back start, as he's allowed 21 runs (16 earned) on 28 hits and six walks in his last 17 innings over four outings. But the one encouraging note for Saturday is that he was decent in his lone Citi Field outing in that span: pitching 5.2 innings and allowing three runs (no earned) against Chicago, but some walks loomed large
Today's Lineups
RED SOX
METS
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What channel is SNY?
Check your TV or streaming provider's website or channel finder to find your local listings.
How can I stream the game?
The way to stream SNY games is via the MLB App or MLB.tv.
Open “MLB” and tap on “Subscriber Login” for Apple Devices or “Sign in with MLB.com” for Android Devices.
Type in your MLB.com credentials and tap “Log In.”
To access live or on-demand content, tap on the "Watch" tab from the bottom navigation bar. Select the "Games" sub-tab to see a listing of available games. You can scroll to previous dates using the left and right arrows. Tap on a game to select from the game feeds available.
For more information on how to stream Mets games on SNY, please click here.
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 25: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the game on December 25, 2023 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Two weeks ago, the idea of LeBron James signing with the Sixers on a minimum contract would have sounded like an AI hallucination. It now appears to be under serious consideration.
On Tuesday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Sixers appeared to be in the inner circle of favorites to land LeBron, alongside the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat. He added that they were “not in the picture” prior to the Jaylen Brown trade, but LeBron is now “taking their pitch really seriously.”
Charania said Wednesday that a decision isn’t expected soon, so for now, we’ll have to stay twisting in the wind. But regardless of what James chooses to do, the fact that the Sixers are in the race at all is absurd given where they were in mid-June.
Although the trade for Jaylen Brown looks like a no-brainer at the moment (analytics nerds be damned), there’s at least one universe in which it works out better for the Celtics than it does for the Sixers. But pairing Brown with Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and Joel Embiid has caught the attention of none other than one of the greatest players of all time.
LeBron might not be the last star to think that way. That’s a testament to the work that new team president Mike Gansey and general manager Jameer Nelson have pulled off this summer.
No matter what happens from here, the Sixers have given fans reasons to buy back in again.
The era of apathy is over
Not only is Brown a clear upgrade over George at this point of their respective careers, but he’s also largely dodged the injury bug to this point. He’s missed no more than 15 games in all but one of his 10 NBA seasons, and he just played 71 this past year.
Given Embiid’s injury concerns, the Sixers couldn’t deal with another year of the nightly will-they-or-won’t-they-play game with both him and George. Brown will miss at least a few games here and there, but he figures to be far more available during the regular season than the 36-year-old George. That should help reduce the strain on Maxey and Edgecombe.
The trade doesn’t come without risk. Brown could be tough to fit on and/or off the court. The two first-round picks that the Sixers gave up could land high in the draft, especially given the new lottery system being trialed for the next few years. Now that the shock from the trade has worn off, smart basketball minds have found ways to rationalize the deal for the Celtics.
Celtics president Brad Stevens explained to reporters that he thought the team’s path “looked a little bit more challenging with 70 percent of our cap and such a high percentage of our usage tied into two players.” As someone who pushed back against the Sixers’ Big 3 hopes five months before they signed George, I can’t argue with that logic.
But the Sixers didn’t have a choice. That money was already allocated either way. It was either going to George, or it was going to someone else.
In that sense, the Sixers likely saw little harm in coughing up the draft capital it took to turn George into Brown. After all, given his age, injury history and the size of his remaining contract, it might have cost them nearly as much just to dump George outright.
After drafting Labaron Philon Jr. with the 22nd overall pick, Gansey said part of the appeal was that “he can come in and play some minutes and take a load off” Maxey and Edgecombe. That same rationale likely factored into the decision to trade for Brown.
Maxey averaged a league-leading 38.0 minutes per game last year, while Edgecombe wasn’t far behind at 35.0. That put him in a three-way tie with Anthony Edwards and Jalen Brunson for the ninth-most minutes per game in the NBA, which is absurd for a rookie. Given their spotty backcourt depth—Quentin Grimes and a half-season of Jared McCain—that massive workload was more or less out of necessity.
Between Philon and the newly signed Anfernee Simons, the Sixers have new reinforcements behind Maxey and Edgecombe, but their backcourt depth is still spotty beyond that. Luckily, Brown should be able to lighten the offensive burden on both Maxey and Edgecombe, allowing them to play fewer minutes without having the team crater in their absence.
It’s hard to believe this, but Maxey is already entering the third year of the five-year max deal that he signed in 2024. While three years might feel like an eternity in the NBA, front offices operate on far different clocks than the rest of us.
Had the Sixers not made this deal and largely ran back the same roster but with Simons, Dean Wade and Ariel Hukporti in place of Grimes, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andre Drummond, it’s fair to wonder how much better (if at all) they would be in 2026-27. Now, even if they don’t land LeBron, they’re currently considered one of the favorites in the East.
There has been zero indication that Maxey is already eyeing his exit from Philly. If anything, the addition of Edgecombe last summer should further entice him to stay. But he might have been wondering what the Sixers’ long-term plan was had they just rode out the remainder of George and Embiid’s bloated contracts.
There’s no guarantee that Brown is the answer to that question. The Sixers could once again run into the three-max problem in three years when both Maxey and Brown’s contracts expire right as Edgecombe’s rookie-scale deal runs out. They might eventually reach the same conclusion that the Celtics did about the viability of that model, although the NBA will have a new collective bargaining agreement in place by then.
There’s still plenty for head coach Nick Nurse to sort out on the court when it comes to figuring out the best way to fit Brown alongside Maxey, Edgecombe and Embiid. The LeBron wild card continues to loom large, too.
But the fact we’re having these conversations at all is absurd given where the Sixers were a few weeks ago.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 9: Joan Beringer #19 of the Minnesota Timberwolves looks on during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2026 NBA Las Vegas Summer League on July 9, 2026 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets Date: July 11th, 2026 Time: 6:30 PM CDT Location: Cox Pavilion Television Coverage: Prime Video
After what felt like an eternity, nearly two months since the Minnesota Timberwolves’ season came to an abrupt end against the San Antonio Spurs, Wolves fans finally got to celebrate another victory.
No, it didn’t carry the emotional weight of Game 4 against San Antonio, when Anthony Edwards dragged Minnesota back from the brink to even that second-round series. Nobody is hanging a Summer League banner. Nobody is pretending July basketball belongs in the same conversation as playoff basketball. But after weeks of trade speculation, draft debates, LeBron fantasy scenarios, and endless roster discussions, it was simply refreshing to watch a Timberwolves team take the floor, wear the uniform, and come away with a win.
The 103-90 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans also marked something much bigger than the score itself. It served as the official on-court debut of the Timberwolves’ new identity. The young Timberpups took the floor wearing the franchise’s redesigned royal blue and green color scheme, quietly ushering in what the organization hopes will become the next great era of Timberwolves basketball.
The previous era officially ended when the Wolves were eliminated by San Antonio. Julius Randle and Naz Reid are gone. LaMelo Ball has arrived. The roster has been reshaped. The logo has changed. The uniforms have changed. Even if it was “just” Summer League, this was the first real glimpse of what the next chapter actually looks like, and if there was one player who stole the show, it was Joan Beringer.
Coming into Summer League, Beringer was arguably the most important player on Minnesota’s roster, not because he was expected to dominate Las Vegas, but because the Timberwolves suddenly need him. Trading away Randle and Reid completely altered Minnesota’s frontcourt. What had been one of the deepest collections of big men in basketball has suddenly become one of the roster’s biggest question marks. Rudy Gobert remains the anchor, but beyond him there are opportunities to be earned.
Beringer looked like someone fully aware of that opportunity. His stat line of 18 points and 12 rebounds will immediately catch your attention, and deservedly so. Double-doubles always look nice in July. But what should excite Wolves fans even more was the simple fact that Beringer looked noticeably more comfortable than he did during stretches of his rookie season. Instead of simply surviving possessions, he looked like he was beginning to dictate them. He played with confidence around the rim, competed on the glass, and generally looked like a player beginning to understand where he belongs on an NBA floor.
That doesn’t suddenly mean Minnesota has solved its power forward problem. Let’s not do the annual Summer League thing where every solid performance immediately becomes proof that someone is ready for 28 meaningful minutes a night in May. We’ve all been down that road before. Last summer, Terrence Shannon Jr. looked like he was ready to kick the NBA’s front door off its hinges, only for injuries to derail much of his sophomore campaign. Summer League is filled with false positives every single year.
Now the attention immediately shifts to Sunday’s matchup with Denver. Obviously, nobody should confuse this with the epic battles these franchises have shared over the past few seasons. The last time Minnesota and Denver met in games that actually counted, the stakes involved advancing through the Western Conference playoffs. This time, we’re talking about Summer League, where half the players on the floor are trying to earn training camp invitations and the other half are hoping somebody remembers their name by October.
The Nuggets now get what amounts to the smallest, pettiest, and most meaningless revenge opportunity imaginable after Minnesota eliminated them from the first round. It won’t erase anything. It won’t change history. Nobody from Denver is going to feel significantly better if their Summer League roster beats Minnesota’s Summer League roster. Still, expect Denver to come ready.
For Minnesota, the priorities remain exactly where they should be. Can Beringer build on his impressive opener? Can the organization’s first glimpse into this new era continue building momentum? Those are the real victories that matter in July.
As always, Canis Hoopus will have you covered throughout Summer League. Grab a seat in the comments section, enjoy the basketball, overreact responsibly (or irresponsibly, we won’t judge) and let’s see what these young Timberpups have in store when they take on the Denver Nuggets.
Milwaukee Brewers infield prospect Andrew Fischer walks across the field during spring training workouts Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. | Dave Kallmann / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The 2026 MLB Draft kicks off at 12 p.m. CT today, as the Chicago White Sox are in line to make the first pick. Milwaukee’s first pick won’t come until late in the first round at No. 25. For our full draft preview from Adam released earlier this week, click here.
We’ll be keeping track of each Brewers pick as they happen, so stay tuned here for updates as the draft continues through Sunday.
Texas A&M Aggies' Caden Sorrell (13) catches a fly ball as Auburn Tigers take on Texas A&M Aggies during the SEC baseball tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Ala. on Friday, May 22, 2026. Auburn Tigers defeated Texas A&M Aggies 7-0. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The MLB Draft is this afternoon, which means the final batch of mock drafts have been published. Now, we wait to see which people are most in the know when it comes to the plans of all the other teams. Let’s see what people think the Phillies are going to do.
It sounds as if Horn has three or four teams that have him valued among the top-25 players in the draft, while others think he’s unsignable for how they have him evaluated. I don’t have that full list of interested teams, but rivals think that the Phillies are on the list. Marchand also fits here if he makes it this far, and Jason Amalbert is a target for a later pick.
Sorrell could be getting passed over by other college outfield profiles like Logan Hughes and Chase Brunson, but I do think he starts to pick up a lot of traction in this range. He would give a 29th-ranked Phillies farm system plenty of upside potential and tools.
Peterson has a super wide range, in our honest opinion. There’s a solid chance he goes much higher than this, but most people are split on his future outcome. The stuff is legit, but his command never turned the corner as we expected. If the Phillies had Peterson fall into their lap, they would be extremely happy.
BALTIMORE, MD - JUNE 09: Johnny Costello and Kimberly Perry of The Band Perry shake hands with Baltimore Orioles mascot the Oriole Bird after throwing the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Alyssa Piazza/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Tides out-hit the Chiefs in this one by an 8-4 margin and still lost the game. You might be tempted to think that means that Syracuse got clutch hits with RISP and Norfolk didn’t, but you would be wrong: Syracuse was 0-6 with RISP. Norfolk did not commit any errors. They scored first in the game, holding a 2-0 lead. Then they gave up three runs over the next two innings and lost the shortened game. This team is good at losing. They are 32-58.
Norfolk box scores have become a lot less interesting while Creed Willems is on the injured list. There is one prospect taking regular at-bats, and that is Enrique Bradfield Jr. The speedy outfielder had a single and a walk out of the leadoff spot on Friday night. He sits at a .680 OPS in 38 games. Not-prospect-but-I-always-root-for-him guy Heston Kjerstad had three of the Tides hits all by his lonesome, raising his batting line to .301/.330/.451 in 44 games.
A tough day at the office for 24-year-old lefty Sebastian Gongora, the Baysox starter. The RubberDucks dropped nine hits on him in only 4.1 innings and they were able to turn those hits into all five Akron runs. Gongora has been pretty good overall this year, so this rough start still only bumps his ERA to 3.55.
Chesapeake scored their two runs in the top of the first inning and then did not score for the remainder of the game. Thomas Sosa and Frederick Bencosme each drove in a run in the first frame. Brandon Butterworth, one of the players from the Padres deal last July, had three hits for the Baysox. He’s OPSing .766 through 28 games of his age 23 season at Double-A. It’d be more interesting if he was doing that at Triple-A, but it’s not nothing.
High-A: Frederick Keys 5, Jersey Shore (Phillies) 2
A masterful outing by 21-year-old righty Twine Palmer gave the Keys a good shove in the right direction in this one and they didn’t waste that chance. Palmer struck out eight batters over his six innings, allowing a run on three hits and two walks. Those are some good ratios. His ERA for the season is lowered to 3.58. Batters are hitting just .203 against him. He had a brutal introduction to the organization after being acquired from the Astros last July. This year is going better for him.
The only run the BlueClaws scored off of Palmer came home in the top of the first inning. Frederick’s offense scored two in the bottom half of the inning and never looked back. The Keys picked up three doubles in their first inning, starting with leadoff man RJ Austin. The infielder/outfielder from last year’s draft had three hits and a walk overall and stole a pair of bases as well. Austin is hitting .257/.352/.415 in 44 games with Frederick.
Other 2025 picks also played a part. Ike Irish drove in two of the five Keys runs thanks to one sacrifice fly and one RBI single. Wehiwa Aloy picked up a pair of hits and drove in a run. Each of these guys continues to OPS over .800.
An unfortunately typical sad-looking Shorebirds box score this season. True, it was a seven-inning game since this was a minor league doubleheader, but even so, they only got four hits. They also committed two errors. Tough way to win.
Shortstop DJ Layton was on base three times in four plate appearances, picking up a pair of singles and a walk. He also stole two bases, giving him 26 on the season in 37 tries.
More offense from the Shorebirds here. They actually got nine hits in this one. They still lost because they gave up ten hits and walked six guys.
One of the more exciting Delmarva players, Jaiden Lo Re, exited the game after picking up a single and a walk in two plate appearances. Lo Re was involved in a collision on the bases, according to MASN’s Roch Kubatko. We can all hope that was just precautionary and there’s not any prolonged absence because of it.
James Wood
Chase DeLauter
Ben Rice
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