SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 13: Trevor McDonald #72 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Chicago Cubs in the top of the first inning at Oracle Park on June 13, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s time for Game 2 between the San Francisco Giants and Miami Marlins. And it’s time for weekend baseball! It’s a battle of right-handed pitchers, as Trevor McDonald (2-4, 4.64 ERA) faces off with Max Meyer (7-0, 2.75 ERA).
CJ Kayfus hit a three-run homer in the first game but Steven Perez got lit up in relief.
Bo Naylor went 2 for 4 with two homers including an inside-the-parker to walk it off, where the Railriders’ outfielder seemed to forget what the score was. Oops. Franco Aleman had another scoreless outing.
Ralphy Velazquez has raised his Triple-A OPS to .700… now to see if he can take the next step.
The Flyers traded Deslauriers to the Hurricanes ahead of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. In the end, the move certainly paid off for the 35-year-old forward, as he is now a Stanley Cup champion.
Deslauriers played in seven regular-season games for the Hurricanes following being traded by the Flyers, where he had one assist, five penalty minutes, and 35 hits. He also played in one playoff game for the Hurricanes.
Deslauriers spent four seasons with the Flyers from 2022-23 until his trade to the Hurricanes this campaign. In 195 games with the Flyers over that span, he posted nine goals, 11 assists, 20 points, 273 penalty minutes, and 665 hits.
DETROIT, MI - JUNE 9: Pitcher Troy Melton #52 of the Detroit Tigers during the fifth inning of a game against the Minnesota Twins at Comerica Park on June 9, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Troy Melton gave the Tigers six innings of one-hit ball on Saturday, leading them to a 4-1 victory and a series win over the Chicago White Sox. Dillon Dingler and Jake Rogers both had great games by their respective standards, and contributions from Kevin McGonigle, Spencer Torkelson, James Outman, and Tyler Holton were key in this one. Kenley Jansen locked up his 485th save to finish this one off.
Things did not begin well for Troy Melton, but they would get much, much better after the first batter. The second pitch of the game was a fastball on the inner half of the strikezone and Sam Antonacci lifted it to right field for a solo shot. Melton retired Miguel Vargas, Andrew Benintendi, and Colson Montgomery without difficulty from there, though the only thing he was commanding decently was the fourseamer early on.
Antonacci robbed Dillon Dingler of a flare single with a leaping grab at second base in the bottom half. That helped lefty Sean Newcomb to a 1-2-3 bottom of the first.
The White Sox continued to take their hacks at first pitches from Melton in the second, but it only led to two quick outs. Melton started to find the handle on his cutter and slider, but still had zero feel for the splitter. Braden Montgomery waited out a few errant splitters and drew a two-out walk. Jake Rogers tried to backpick him and Torkelson couldn’t handle the throw. Montgomery took second while Melton challenged the pitch correctly as Rogers was otherwise occupied. Rogers got the error despite the ball being right to Torkelson. It ultimately didn’t matter as Melton carved up Tristan Peters with a good curveball for a swinging strike three and his first strikeout of the game.
Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter, getting a rare start against a lefty, grounded out weakly in the bottom of the second, while in between them, Spencer Torkelson whiffed on a Newcomb fastball to strike out. The lefty wasn’t showing much beyond a good, well located fastball, but early on that was plenty.
Drew Romo flew out to start the third. Melton, trying to get inside on Antonacci, hit him, but Miguel Vargas flew out to center field, and Benintendi grounded out to first in another quick inning for Melton. The right-hander finished the third at 39 pitches.
Hao-Yu Lee flew out to right to open the bottom of the third and Jake Rogers took a called striked three. The White Sox had their bullpen warm as Newcomb was only scheduled to throw around 45 pitches, but things were going well, and Will Venable stuck with Newcomb against Zach McKinstry, who whiffed on 96 mph up to complete three perfect frames.
Melton got a weak fly out from Colson Montgomery to open the fourth, mixing in some good curveballs now. Grichuk bounced a cutter to McGonigle at third for the second out. Jacob Gonzalez bounced out to Lee at second just as Melton’s pitch count topped 50.
Will Venable did turn to RHP Tyler Davis in the bottom of the fourth. He walked Kevin McGonigle on four straight pitches, and the Tigers had the leadoff man on. Dillon Dingler got tied up with a good fourseamer and popped out on the first base side in foul territory. Vierling pulled a pair of two strike pitches just foul of third base, and battled his way back to 3-2 and through a 10 pitch AB before Davis yanked a fastball wide to issue a walk. Davis then fired three straight balls to Riley Greene. Greene swung at a fastball on the inner edge, pulling it foul, and then got jammed, blooping one to Montgomery at shortstop for the second out. That left it up to Torkelson, and Davis continued to be pretty wild, walking him on five pitches.
And so, Kerry Carpenter stepped into a perfect matchup for him, and Venable wanted none of it, turning to lefty Joe Rock instead. And after starting Carpenter with Newcomb facing him the first time, AJ Hinch now turned to fan favorite, Jahmai Jones. He fouled a ball off his shin and was in obvious pain, and then struck out on a slider that backed up and never broke into the zone as boos rained down from the crowd.
Good times.
James Outman took over for Jones, playing center field as Vierling moved over to right field. Melton got Braden Montgomery to open the fifth, but then walked Peters on four straight. That brought Chris Fetter out for a quick factory reset. It worked, as the right-hander carved up Romo with a nasty curveball for a swinging strike three and his second punchout. Melton fell behind against Antonacci, worked it back to 3-2, and then missed the lower outside corner to walk him. It was initially called a strike three, but Antonacci correctly challenged it. So it was Melton versus Vargas, and the Tigers’ starter came after him, blowing him away with 98 mph to strand both runners in the first stress of the outing.
Rock got a weak flyout to right from Lee in the bottom half, then a grounder from Rogers. McKinstry hung in there to draw a walk and turn the lineup over. Rock slung a pair of sliders in for strikes to get ahead of McGonigle, but the rookie eventually got a fastball and lined it up the middle for a single and the Tigers first hit of the game. Dingler followed suit, inside outing a fastball in and lining it for an RBI single to right field. McKinstry scored and McGonigle went first to third with ease. Tie ballgame. Vierling popped up a slider to shallow center field, and we were onto the sixth in a 1-1 game.
Melton was at 71 pitches to start the inning, so this was probably his final frame. Hao-Yu Lee made a nice diving stop to get Benintendi on a hard grounder to start things off. Melton dusted Colson Montgomery with a good slider for the second out, and then did the same thing to the right-handed Grichuk for his fifth strikeout of the game on his 84th pitch.
The breaking stuff really came around as the game progressed and they ditched the splitter. As usual, Melton’s strength is the mix of stuff he can throw, and the fact that he rarely makes a mistake over the middle. He issued three walks as a result, but only allowed one hit, Antonacci’s solo shot which started the game. He racked up 11 whiffs, getting one or more with six different pitches.
6.0 IP, ER, H, 3 BB, 5 K.
Riley Greene made an opposite field bid on a Rock slider as the lefty continued to pour them in, but it fell shy on the warning track for the first out of the bottom of the sixth. Torkelson got a sinker and smoked it to the wall in right center field for a one-out double. Outman got a breaking ball first pitch and torched a hard grounder through the right side of the infield for an RBI single. Nice job there, and the ball was thrown away by right fielder Braden Montgomery so Outman beat feet to second base. Lee lifted a deep sac fly to right field, allowing Outman to tag and take third, but that left it up to Jake Rogers. If I don’t sound confident there, it’s because I was not at all confident. Instead, Rock fired an 0-1 fastball in there and the Tigers backup catcher ripped an RBI single to left center field. 3-1 Tigers. That move to take second from Outman paid dividends.
Rock was clearly shook, and then Tigers fans decided to serenade the airwaves with Take Me Home, Country Roads, perhaps learning from the absolutely epic World Cup invasion of fans who know how to produce chants, sing songs together, and generally live it up. Of course, the John Denver staple has recently spread well beyond West Virginia and the Blue Ridge Mountains. As a result, Rock walked Zach McKinstry. Unfortunately, McGonigle smoked a line drive right to Gonzalez at first, ending the inning.
Tyler Holton took over in the seventh, and Venable pinch-hit Chase Meidroth in for Gonzalez. He bounced out, but Braden Montgomery bounced one down the first base line for a double. Junior Perez then hit for Tristan Peters. Holton carved him up with a backfoot cutter for the second out of the inning. Drew Romo grounded out to McGonigle, and that was that. Still 3-1 Tigers.
It was quickly 4-1 Tigers, because Dillon Dingler was up first against RHP Trevor Richards. A 1-1 fastball got vaporized 430 feet to straightaway center for the best catcher in baseball’s 17th home run of the season. DING DING.
Vierling, Greene, and Torkelson went in order from there, and we were onto the eighth with a 4-1 lead.
Hinch stuck with Holton against Antonacci, and the left-handed hitter ripped a leadoff single to right to open the inning. Vargas lifted a shallow fly ball to right field to Greene. The wind was blowing the ball toward the foul line, but Greene caught it and then dropped it on the transfer. Third base umpire Rob Drake thought otherwise and ruled a no catch, but Greene immediately fired to second to get Antonacci, who had no chance. Edgar Quero hit for Benintendi, and Holton popped him out to Lee at second. That left it to the dangerous Colton Montgomery, but Holton absolutely carved him up despite Rogers missing a call that should have been challenged. A sweeper that started at the shortstop’s head dropped in for strike three to end the top of the eighth.
Outman pulled another sharp grounder ball to the right side to open the bottom half against lefty Chris Murphy. Antonacci slid for it but couldn’t hang on, and it bounced away for a leadoff single. Lee flew out to center field, but Outman got a big jump and swiped second base easily. Rogers struck out, and McKinstry lifted a fly ball to center to end the inning.
So, it was Kenley Jansen time again. The big right-hander notched his 484th save on Friday night, but the three hitters he faced wouldn’t be seeing him again in this one.
Grichuk grounded out to McKinstry at shortstop to start the inning. Chase Meidroth dropped down a perfect bunt down the third base line on the first pitch he saw for a single. Jansen got right in Braden Montgomery’s kitchen, and he popped out to McGonigle. That left it to Perez, as the Tigers led Meidroth take second base. Jansen got a little wild and walked Perez, and no one liked that as Drew Romo came to the plate as the potential game-tying run, but he lifted a fly ball out to Outman to end the game.
Nice to get a series win. Melton and Dingler were great. Outman and Rogers had good games. Tyler Holton did a great job. And Jansen gets save number 485. The Tigers will hunt the sweep of their AL Central foes on Sunday.
RHP Keider Montero will take on a tough right-hander in Davis Martin at 1:40 p.m. ET on Sunday.
The Toronto Marlies are AHL champions for the second time in their history, and it was a former Senator who helped lead the charge.
The Leafs' top farm club edged the Chicago Wolves 4-3 in Toronto on Friday, winning the best-of-seven Calder Cup championship series in 5 games.
Artur Akhtyamov made 27 saves for the win and won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the MVP of the AHL playoffs. But when it came time to bring out the biggest AHL Trophy of them all, that was presented to Marlies captain and former Senator Logan Shaw.
Steve Warne suggests that London Knights forward Jaxon Cover might be a good option for the Sens at the NHL Draft next week.
Shaw played sparingly in parts of two seasons in the Senators organization from 2020-22 and finished the postseason among the AHL's leading scorers with 17 points in 24 playoff games.
His biggest connection to the Senators these days is Drake Batherson.
For many years now, he and Batherson have been members of the famous East Coast summer skate that features the likes of Sidney Crosby, Nate MacKinnon, and Brad Marchand. When Marchand won the Stanley Cup last year, Shaw (far left below) was part of the fun, along with Batherson and ex-Senator Chris Kelly (far right).
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Now the group will have another day with another Cup this summer.
Shaw's biggest moment in the final was cramming home the overtime winner in Game 2, allowing the Marlies to take a 2-0 series lead and take control of the series and win it in 5 on Friday.
"This tops my hockey moments for sure," Shaw said in a post-game interview with Shawn McKenzie on the club's YouTube channel. "I hope these young guys get a lot more (championships). I hope to guide them to a lot more, as much as I can.
"But I'm gonna soak this one in for sure. And Toronto, they're in a great spot. The prospects are awesome; these guys are awesome. The organization does everything the right way. And we're champions!"
Shaw was the 2011 third-round pick of the Florida Panthers, and has appeared in 232 NHL games with Florida, Anaheim, Montreal, Winnipeg and Ottawa. But the 33-year-old has spent the past four seasons as the Marlies captain, providing a mentorship role for the Leafs young prospects.
Another local connection is Marlies' 22-year-old forward Luke Haymes, who grew up in Ottawa. Haymes made his NHL debut this season, getting into four games with the Leafs, including a game in Ottawa against the Senators.
In his first full pro season, Haymes is an AHL champion.
Marlies head coach John Gruden also figures in the Ottawa connections. Gruden played a couple of seasons with the Sens back in the late 90s. When the Senators sought to replace DJ Smith a couple of years ago, Gruden was said to be a possible candidate.
Meanwhile, Gruden's boss, Marlies GM Ryan Hardy, was responsible for one of the most beautiful gestures you'll ever see in a championship celebration. As the Marlies celebrated on the ice Friday night, Hardy joined his team for all the hugs, wearing Rodion Amirov’s No. 72 jersey.
Amirov was the Leafs 15th overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, but passed away in 2023 after being diagnosed with a brain tumour a year earlier.
Akhtyamov, this year's playoff MVP, was Amirov's teammate at the 2021 World Juniors and was proud to pose with his friend's jersey in the Marlies' official championship photo.
MIAMI — With Tyler Mahle’s pending return to the rotation, the Giants faced a coming logjam of starting pitchers. The odd man out, despite his objections: Adrian Houser.
“I mean, I’m not going to be happy with it, but I understand,” Houser told The California Post after manager Tony Vitello delivered the tough news Saturday. “I signed here to be a starter. I didn’t sign here to be in the bullpen.”
With Tyler Mahle’s pending return to the rotation, the Giants faced a coming logjam of starting pitchers. The odd man out, despite his objections: Adrian Houser.
Yet, that is precisely where the 33-year-old right-hander will find himself only three months into his Giants tenure, at least for now. In 14 starts, Houser was 2-6 with a 5.73 ERA with a 1.573 WHIP, the highest of his career and the third-worst mark of any starter with at least as many innings.
“He wants the same thing as everybody else,” Vitello said. “He wants to do better.”
Houser, in particular, has struggled against lefties and in the first inning. Left-handed hitters are responsible for nine of the 12 home runs Houser has allowed while batting .339 with a 1.042 OPS, compared to right-handers’ .218 average and .540 OPS.
In his last start, Houser served up a 473-foot home run to the Braves’ Drake Baldwin in the first inning, raising his ERA in the first frame to 9.64. His ERA in the fifth, when the lineup typically turns over for a third time, swells to 12.46. But in between, he owns a 2.79 mark.
“He’s really found a rhythm in the middle of outings,” Vitello said. “The first inning has given him trouble. Third time through the order has given him trouble. Those are things he’s done well before in the past.”
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That track record, most recently featuring a 3.31 ERA in 21 starts last season for the Rays and White Sox, led president of baseball operations Buster Posey to award Houser a two-year, $22 million contract to round out their starting rotation with Mahle, another free-agent addition.
Mahle hasn’t been any better — 1-7 with a 6.04 ERA in 11 starts — but could be a trade piece at the deadline. He is only under contract for the rest of this season at a rate of $10 million.
Houser, on the other hand, will attempt to convince Vitello and the Giants brass that he belongs in the rotation. Of his 187 career appearances, 139 have come as a starting pitcher.
Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
“I proved last year that I’m a starter, and I’ve done it in years past, too,” Houser said. “At the end of the day, it’s still the same goal — you’ve got to get outs. I’m gonna do everything I can to get back in the rotation because I signed here to be a starter, not a bullpen guy.”
Houser talked with The Post following a “good day of catch play,” where he was getting hands-on advice from director of pitching Frank Anderson. The team believes his struggles against left-handers has more to do with pitch selection than mechanics.
“The sinker’s been getting damaged a little bit, and that’s kind of been the root cause,” pitching coach Justin Meccage told The Post. “So a little more four-seam usage. Really, a true mix of all four pitches. And moving the fastball around the different quadrants.”
Because of his release point, lefties tend to see the ball better out of Houser’s hand than a typical righty, Meccage said. Too predictable of a pitch mix makes it even easier to tee off on.
Houser talked with The Post following a “good day of catch play,” where he was getting hands-on advice from director of pitching Frank Anderson. The team believes his struggles against left-handers has more to do with pitch selection than mechanics. Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
“So you’ve got to disguise pitches to create an unpredictable look,” he said. “Make that [swing] decision really hard as long as possible. That’s where the sequencing comes into play.”
Houser has started to incorporate his four-seamer more, but teams still have stacked lefties at the top of the lineup, leading to his troubles in the first inning.
A simple solution, it would seem, would be to use a left-handed opener in front of Houser if and when he returns to the rotation. The idea has been bandied about among Giants coaches, but Houser said he hasn’t been approached about it.
He would be about as receptive to it as he was about his new assignment in the bullpen.
“I’m not big on it,” Houser said. “I like to stay in my routine.”
So much for that routine, at least for now.
Houser, having only thrown one inning before his last start was interrupted by rain, will be available in the bullpen beginning Saturday, Vitello said. How he will be used remains to be determined, though they expect to need some length behind Mahle in his return Wednesday.
Given Houser’s objections and his status as a player Posey handpicked to fill a role that has suddenly changed, it made for a test for how the rookie manager would deliver hard news.
“There’s no real easy way to tell somebody they’re being demoted or moving to the bullpen or someplace they don’t want to go to,” Houser said. “He handled it the best he could.”
Former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz has landed a new gig.
The Seattle Kraken have announced that Schultz has returned to the organization in a player development role.
Schultz played his final two NHL seasons with the Kraken before signing with HC Lugano of Switzerland's National League during the 2024 NHL off-season. However, the former Penguins defenseman announced his retirement early on in the 2024-25 season after he had six assists in eight games for HC Lugano. Now, he is heading back to the Kraken in his first post-playing career NHL role.
Schultz spent five seasons with the Penguins from 2015-16 to 2019-20. In 234 career games with the Penguins over that span, he recorded 22 goals, 91 assists, 113 points, and a plus-43 rating. He also won the Stanley Cup twice during his time with the Penguins.
In 745 career NHL games over 12 seasons split between the Edmonton Oilers, Penguins, Washington Capitals, and Kraken, Schultz posted 71 goals, 253 assists and 324 points.
Jun 19, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; A view of a tifo during the game between the Texas Rangers and the San Diego Padres at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
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HOUSTON, TEXAS - JUNE 06: Manager Joe Espada #19 of the Houston Astros looks on during batting practice prior to the game against the Athletics at Daikin Park on June 06, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Joe Espada has done a far better job than you think.
Much has been made again this season over Astros manager Joe Espada’s performance. For the third straight year, Espada has been asked to take a highly injured roster filled with Triple-A players and get elite results.
In his first season, he was able to keep the team together through it’s first half struggles and lead them to a Division Title.
In his second season, he kept an injury ravaged team in the hunt all season, and missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker.
Now in his third season, and managing on the final year of his contract, Espada has again had to deal with a team devastated by injuries in both importance and volume. The Astros record is not where fans or management want, but it is hard to win Major League games with half your roster being Triple-A talent.
Many media and fans alike have stated that they believe Espada is on the hottest of seats, and others have called for his outright immediate termination.
So exactly what kind of job has Espada been doing? The numbers (thanks to our friends at @TigersData) are going to surprise you:
This chart from @TigersData on X shows two different metrics. The first is Bullpen Situation and the second is Pinch Hitter situation.
In Bullpen Situation, the grade is based on going to the bullpen with runners in scoring position (RISP) and 2 outs, and whether or not the new pitcher stranded the runner(s) or allowed the inherited runner(s) to score.
In this situation, Joe Espada ranked 9th in MLB, with his move to a new pitcher stranding the runner(s) 15 out of 20 times.
In Pinch Hitter Situation, the grade is based on going to a pinch hitter with RISP and either the batter reached base or drove in at least one runner.
In this situation, Espada ranked 11th in MLB, with his pinch hitting decision being successful 7 out of 16 times.
That would cumulatively make him a Top 10 manager in MLB based on game altering decisions that managers are entrusted to make.
Now let’s peel the onion back a little further.
This chart from @TigersData shows the expected change in Win Probability that the manager’s decisions in those bullpen and pinch hitting situations created.
Here, you will notice that despite the fact Espada ranked 9th and 11th in Bullpen and Pinch Hitting actual success, the expected win probability added was negative, rating at -0.43. That left him 20th in the ranking.
How can this be?
It’s because Espada has been getting success with players who were not expected to succeed.
When considering the Astros injury-depleted roster, you must understand that often times, Espada has been required to make pinch-hitting decisions with Triple-A players more than any manager should be asked to. Yet, he has chosen the right player at a Top-11 rate.
He has chosen the right bullpen arm to be a stopper in an inning at a Top 9 rate, despite the injuries and underperformance of the bullpen that left it with an MLB-worst ERA through the first two months of the season.
Analytically, his choices have been expected to fail. They are succeeding.
Espada is maximizing the talent on his team, directly in the face of what the metrics say he should be getting from those plyaers.
Forget making chicken salad out of chicken you-know-what, he’s making Chicken Cordon Bleu.
Espada has the respect of the clubhouse, he knows his players, and he is getting the most from them.
Those are the marks of a manager who should be extended and appreciated, not one who should constantly have his job security or job worthiness questioned.
Welcome to Inside the Suns, your weekly deep-down analysis of the current Phoenix Suns team. Each week, the Fantable — a round table of Bright Siders — gives their takes on the Suns’ latest issues and news.
Fantable Questions of the Week
Q1: If the Suns stay at 47 in the draft, they’re most likely going to get a developmental player with identifiable flaws. What player flaw would be the biggest red flag to you?
Ashton: This is a player question, and the easy answer is size or ability to see the court. The NBA combine has taken the measurements, but many of the top picks opted not to play in the 5-on-5 play.
Which leads me to my next point, the answer to the question. The biggest flaw is the player’s character. Yeah, they had the interviews with mealy-mouthed or just plain stupid questions, but is the player just a little too big for their britches? I am talking about the type that thinks it can make an impact on the league immediately, when very few rookies or even second-year players can. You have to be humble and hungry enough to organically grow within a system. And when that system eventually trades you, shrug it off and realize you are making serious money as an adult playing a child’s game.
Voita: I’ve spent the past week reviewing prospect videos, looking at scouting reports, and formulating who I want the Suns to take if they stay at 47 or decide to move up. And without a doubt, the biggest red flag to me is basketball IQ and the ability to process the game.
I think that’s what has made Oso Ighodaro so valuable, his ability to process and react. He understands what’s happening around him and knows how to make the right decision. That’s a skill that translates.
When you get down to the second round, you’re going to find players who might not be the most athletic. They might not shoot well. They might be liabilities on defense. They might not have ideal size. But if they don’t have the ability to process the game, everything else is a wasted skill. Athleticism only takes you so far. Size only takes you so far. Shooting only takes you so far. If you can’t read what’s happening on the court and react accordingly, those tools become much harder to maximize.
That’s why, as I’ve gone through these prospects, basketball IQ has become the trait I value most. Because if a player can process the game, there’s at least a foundation to build on.
Rod: There are some red flags that I’d say are more positional than others (ie, a center who is a poor rebounder is much more of a problem than a PG who is a poor rebounder), but overall, I’m going with low BBIQ. Unfortunately, that is also one of the things that can’t really be measured, and teams will just have to estimate based on past, pre-NBA performance and interviews. A player can have some of the greatest skills in the world, but if he can’t figure out how to best use them, he’s not going to be a strong asset to the team.
Q2: If the Suns were to trade one of Grayson Allen or Royce O’Neale in the offseason, which would you prefer that they keep?
Ashton: Let me think, if I say trade Grayson Allen, then all the Duke fans on the board will hound me. If I say trade Royce O’Neale, then all the “size matters” fans will hound me.
Put me in the category that “size matters” (it fits 😉 and keep RO. GA is just too often injured for my taste, though he has the clearer upside. But if I am being honest, with all the trade speculation going on, I actually put a higher percentage that both will be packaged for some unnamed asset. Maybe the desert heat is getting to me.
Voita: I’d prefer to keep Grayson Allen. Perhaps that’s me being contrarian. I still think he has a lot of good basketball left in him, and his skill set is one the Suns could use coming off the bench. Yes, he can shoot, but he can also facilitate and get to the rim. There’s more to his game than simply standing behind the three-point line waiting for kick-outs.
I also don’t know if I can go through another season of watching Royce O’Neale become a turnstile on defense.
If Royce is gone, there’s more opportunity for Rasheer Fleming to earn starting minutes and work through everything that comes with that role. That’s another point in Grayson’s favor in my book. Yes, he makes more money. But if you keep him around and he has a good season, he becomes a much more valuable asset next offseason. That’s why, if I’m choosing between the two, I’m keeping Grayson.
Rod: I’d keep Royce over Grayson for two reasons. First, he’s on a cheaper contract. Second, he’s much less injury-prone. Although I think Grayson is the more talented player overall, the biggest difference between the two is simply availability to me.
Q3: I read some speculation that, unless Fleming, Dunn, and/or Maluach prove ready to start this fall, the Suns’ starting lineup could be Booker, Green, Goodwin, Brooks, and Williams (or Ighodaro). What are your thoughts on this starting lineup?
Ashton: I am good with it. I stated last week in this space to just run it back and keep it below the repeater tax. Of course, someone has to go. That may very well be CG (that sucks) or Mark Williams, which makes Oso the starter at center. Meh, but it is what it is. I would prefer the veteran, but I think he is not taking the qualifying offer and is taking his skills to another team that is willing to pay more.
Do the Suns lose more games? ESPN has projected as such (10th in the West). This should not surprise anyone, as that is about where I have them as well. Anything above that is another good and surprising year.
Voita: It’s not ideal, but I would much rather have that lineup than one that starts Collin Gillespie.
Goodwin might not have the ideal size for the position, but you’re also not asking him to facilitate the offense the way you would with Gillespie. That’s important because it prevents you from once again running out three-guard lineups, something we’ve seen enough of over the past few seasons. If Goodwin is your starting small forward, he at least gives you an added presence on the glass. Rebounding matters, and that’s one area where he can provide value despite being undersized.
So while I wouldn’t call it the ideal starting lineup, and I’d still love to see Dillon Brooks playing small forward next season, it’s a lineup I find acceptable. Especially if the goal is to continue to develop Rasheer Fleming. The more minutes Fleming gets at power forward, the more opportunities he’ll have to work through the growing pains that come with the position. If the organization truly believes he’s part of the future, then those reps matter.
Rod: First off, I hope the person who wrote that was wrong. As much as I like Goodie, I think his best role on this team is coming off the bench. My preferred starters (for now) would be Book, Green, Brooks, Fleming, and Williams (if he’s still with the team). If Williams is no longer on the roster, Oso certainly has the most experience, and I wouldn’t mind him starting, but I’d want to see a LOT of Khaman off the bench too…like a near 50/50 split in court time for the two of them, with the one playing the best that night finishing.
As always, many thanks to our Fantable members for all their extra effort this week!
APPLE POD:
Suns Trivia/History
On June 20, 1969, the Suns officially signed Connie Hawkins as a free agent after the Suns had won a league-sponsored coin toss over the Seattle SuperSonics to determine who got the rights to him. Hawkins had been playing for the ABA’s Pittsburgh Pipers the previous season after having been unjustly banned from the NBA. Hawkins had the ban rescinded after suing the NBA, which then lifted it and settled out of court.
On June 20, 1993, the Suns were down 3 games to 2 in the NBA Finals but led the Chicago Bulls 98-96 in the final seconds of the 4th quarter. The Bulls had the ball and, although Westphal’s sole instruction on the play was for none of the players to double-team any of the Bulls (even Michael Jordan), Danny Ainge left John Paxson to try and either steal the ball or foul Horace Grant, who had missed all five of his shot attempts in the game and wasn’t a good crunch-time free-throw shooter. Grant saw Paxson alone 25 feet from the basket and fired a perfect pass, and Paxson then made a three-pointer with 3.9 seconds left, giving the Bulls a 99-98 lead. A last-second shot attempt by Phoenix’s Kevin Johnson was blocked by Grant, and the Bulls won the series 4-2.
On June 20, 2021, the Suns defeated the LA Clippers 120-114 in the first game of the Western Conference Finals. In this game, Devin Booker got his first-ever triple-double (regular season or playoffs) with 40 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists.
On June 21, 1972, KTAR radio hired Al McCoy to call Phoenix Suns games beginning with the 1972-73 season, replacing Joe McConnell, who had called the Suns for 2 years. McCoy was well-known in the Valley (since 1957), and previously was the voice of the Phoenix Roadrunners hockey.
On June 21, 1987, the Suns traded Ed Pinckney and a 1988 2nd round draft pick to the Sacramento Kings for Eddie Johnson. In his 3 and a half season with Phoenix, EJ averaged 18.4 ppg, averaged 36.3% from three, and won the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award in 1988-89. He was the first of four Suns players to win the award. The others were Danny Manning (1997-98), Rodney Rogers (1999-00), and Leandro Barbosa (2006-07).
On June 21, 2018, the Suns drafted Deandre Ayton with the 1st pick of the 2018 NBA Draft. They later drafted Zhaire Smith with the 16th pick and promptly traded Smith and a 2021 1st round draft pick to the Philadelphia 76ers for Mikal Bridges, whom the Sixers had selected earlier with the 10th pick.
On June 24, 1998, 2nd-year player Steve Nash was traded to the Dallas Mavericks for Pat Garrity, Martin Muursepp, Bubba Wells, and a 1999 1st-round draft pick (Shawn Marion was later selected).
On June 25, 1993, after 5 seasons with Phoenix, the Suns released 34-year-old power forward Tom Chambers. Chambers was a three-time All-Star with the Sun, averaged 20.6 points (7th best All-Time) and 6.6 rebounds per game, and his 7,817 point total ranks 12th on the list of All-Time Suns scorers. His 27.17 ppg average in 1989-90 is still the best single-season ppg average in franchise history.
On June 25, 2015, the Suns drafted Devin Booker in the 1st round (13th pick) of the 2015 NBA Draft.
On June 26, 1996, the Phoenix Suns used the 15th pick in the NBA Draft to select Steve Nash. Upon hearing the draft announcement, Suns fans booed in disapproval of the (then) relatively unknown player. This was because, despite his impressive college accomplishments, Nash had not played in one of the major college conferences.
Important Future Dates
June 23 – NBA Draft First Round, 8 ET (ABC/ESPN) June 24 – NBA Draft Second Round, 8 ET (ESPN) June 30 – Teams can begin negotiations with all free agents July 1 – Official start of the 2026-27 league year and moratorium period July 6 – Moratorium ends, official free agent contract signings can begin July 9-19 – NBA 2K Summer League 2026 in Las Vegas Late September (dates TBD) – NBA Training Camps open
SAN ANTONIO, TX - JUNE 13: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs looks on during the game against the New York Knicks during Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 13, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant /NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
One of the great joys about being a fan of a team is sharing the experience with other fans of your team. That is why many of us wear our team’s gear around town – a “Go Spurs” greeting from a total stranger who sees your Spurs hat means that the two of you are no longer total strangers, at least for that moment. And that moment can becomes minutes, or more, if the two of you turn that greeting into a conversation. Most of you reading this live much closer to San Antonio than I do here in LA, so my “Go Spurs” encounters are few and far between – and that much more special. Last winter I had one on a bus coming back from skiing in Park City with my super-daughter. I also still remember one in Cancun, Mexico where a guy in a #21 Duncan jersey was thrilled to run into someone who wrote for Pounding the Rock.
That shared connection is why fans gather at each other’s houses, or at outdoor watch parties, or at the home stadium when the team is on the road to watch on the Jumbotron. Of course, best of all is being at the game itself, even if some participants in the front row spend the game looking down at their phones, or even worse, fall asleep in their luxury suites. If all goes extremely well, all the fans of one special team get to gather one last time for that season with a victory parade.
Knicks fans were the lucky ones who had their victory parade. Apparently, two million fans attended the parade. Two million! There were more people at the Knicks’ victory parade than the entire population of the cities of twenty-five of the NBA’s thirty teams.
Perhaps because New York is the media capital of the country, the media was all-in celebrating the Knicks victory, whether on the national nightly news, morning talk shows, or late night TV. Of course, that the Knicks had not won since 1973 mattered too. That was a long time ago: The top song of 1973 was “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree” by Tony Orlando and Dawn. The highest-grossing movies were The Exorcist and The Sting, and the most popular TV shows were All in the Family and The Waltons. Put another way, the car I drove in law school was a used maroon 1974 Chevy Vega.
That car had not been built the last time the Knicks won the NBA Championship. Neither that car or I attended the Knicks’ victory parade.
I watched the games at home with friends, family and food – all very good, except for the outcomes of four of the five games. But while those outcomes, and the overall outcome, were very much not good, sharing those games with others brought the same sense of camaraderie that sports fans love to share. Long-time Laker season-ticket holder Mike jumped on my Spurs bandwagon early, and sat next to me for the games talking out what “we” (the Spurs) need to do in the next quarter, the next possession of (after a loss) the next game.
Two women who sit near my office at work would say “Go Spurs” as I left early to get home in time for that night’s tip-off – and we all then avoided talking about Game Four until very late in the afternoon the day after. A long-time friend called me near the end of the series to tell me that even though his mother and the rest of his family were from New York and Knicks fans, he was rooting for my Spurs because he wanted me to be happy. That meant a lot.
Many post-series conversations with sympathetic friends ended with how bright the Spurs’ future is. And while we all recognize that the future is not promised to anyone, I do like the “future is bright” mindset. Known as The Lil Ol Band from Texas, ZZ Top sings:
Things are going great, and they’re only getting better I’m doing all right, getting good grades The future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades I gotta wear shades, I gotta wear shades I gotta wear shades
Other end-of-season thoughts
The outcome drives the narrative. Jalen Brunson was an easy choice for Finals MVP. And people are praising him as a “winner”, with the Knicks’ championship as proof. But the outcome drives the narrative. Most would agree that two plays that turned the Finals were Victor Wembanyama’s pass to Stephon Castle’s back at the end of Game Two and OG Anunoby’s game-winning tip-in to win Game Four. Both of those came off misses by the Finals MVP — Brunson missed a runner with the score tied that led to Victor’s rebound, followed by his disastrous turnover. People forget that after the ensuing foul, Brunson bricked the first free throw before making the second to give the Spurs the chance to win the game on their last shot — which would have made Brunson the goat for the missed free throw. On the OG tip-in, Brunson fired up a long three-pointer that missed. If that brick had gone anywhere else than the perfect volleyball-like set for OG, Brunson’s ill-advised three would have been the story. And if both of those plays had gone differently, the Spurs would have headed back to San Antonio with a 3-1 lead, with all the momentum and confidence to finish the Finals at home. But those plays broke the other way, resulting in Brunson rightfully winning the Finals MVP. The outcome drives the narrative.
A bit more on Brunson. His output in Game Five was historical, scoring 45 of the Knicks’ 94 points. He took 27 shots and had 3 assists. (I have played with guys like that.) Brunson’s game joins the list of all-time memorable close-out performances. These include Magic Johnson’s 42 point, 15 rebound and 7 assist game in his rookie year against a powerful 76ers team led by Julius “Dr. J” Irving; Michael Jordan’s 45 point game against the Utah Jazz in the Bulls’ 87-86 clincher in 1998, including MJ’s game-winning shot over Bryon Russell (after MJ subtly shoved Russell away); Tim Duncan’s 2003 near quadruple double (21 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists and 8 blocks in Game Six against the New Jersey Nets, no, they have not always been the Brooklyn Nets), which the Spurs won by the ugly score of 88-77; and most recently, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 50 points (out of a team total of 105), 14 rebounds, and 5 blocks, on 16 for 25 from the floor, and his stunning 17 for 19 on free throws by, frankly, a bad free throw shooter. In honor of the Knicks, let’s also include Walt Frazier’s Game Seven win over the Lakers in 1970: 36 points, 19 assists (an NBA Finals Game 7 record), 7 boards, 5 steals (unofficial), 12-for-17 from the field and 12-for-12 from the free-throw line.
Now we need to consider the elephant in the room, or more appropriately perhaps, the giraffe in the room. Have NBA fans soured a bit on young Victor Wembanyama? (Spurs fans have not.) The two million Knicks fans at the victory parade spent the last two weeks rooting against Victor. As mentioned above, the New York media is also very influential. And the narrative of Victor shoving little Brunson away ignored Brunson’s grab of the jersey which led to the shove. Coming after the elbow of Naz Reid (again after several uncalled fouls), the inadvertent elbow to KAT’s neck and the non-called “landing zone” foul on Brunson. Victor leading the team off the court without congratulating the winners did not sit well with many, including this ex-coach. Victor remains a thoughtful, funny, intense, fascinating and extremely compelling and competitive young man. I hope he does some soul-searching about both his game and his reaction to frustration. I am sure that Spurs legends, including Pop and the Great Duncan will be more than happy to assist.
Often a game, or a series, just comes down to making shots. In the Finals, the Knicks’ top four scorers (Brunson, OG, KAT and Bridges) combined to shoot 41% from three. The Spurs’ top four scorers (Victor, Harper, Castle and Fox) combined to shoot 27% from three. Yikes. Even with good shooting from Vassel and Champagnie, the Spurs still only shot 34% from three as a team — worse than the 40% by notorious bad shooter Josh Hart. in the Finals.
Some commentators have compared the 2025-2026 Knicks to the 2014 Redemption Finals Spurs’ championship. The comparison is based on (1) both teams “putting it all together” for a magical 5-game Finals victory and (2) a big scoring margin throughout the playoffs. From my recap of the Redemption Finals in 2014:
“After winning the NBA Championship Sunday night, several Spurs went out of their way to say that this wonderful season, and the way they dominated the Finals, made last year’s loss OK. Essentially, last year’s defeat gave them a common pain. That common pain bound the Spurs together in a common goal. They decided to do everything they could to make this season’s ending different. Perhaps included in that was the desire to play so well that the Spurs would not lose on the sort of freak plays that led to the Game Six loss last year – which means not allowing close games. As a result of that common goal, this year’s Spurs crushed teams in the playoffs. It takes 16 wins to become NBA Champions. In 12 of the Spurs 16 wins, the margin of victory was 15 or more. The Spurs essentially eliminated the margin of error that leads to close losses. One missed shot, funky bounce or bad call (or one Ray Allen step back three from the corner) doesn’t matter as much when you are winning by 20 points.”
I would love to see the 2026-27 Spurs take that same attitude. This season, Spurs and their fans really enjoyed the journey, but the team just missed reaching the destination. Next season, the Spurs hope to again enjoy the journey, and then reach the destination.
Finally, as is my tradition, like “One Shining Moment” at the end of March Madness, I will end this season with a list of Favorite Memories. I hope these Favorite Memories will sustain me (and you) during the barren wasteland of the NBA offseason — some from the distant past, some from the recent present. Upon further reflection, many of these are both Favorite Memories and things I look forward to seeing again when NBA play begins anew.
Michael Cooper in a defensive stance,
The Joker triple doubling,
The late great Jerry West dribbling hard right and pulling up for a clutch jumper,
The Spurs Beautiful Gaming the Miami Heat off the floor in the 2014 Redemption Finals,
Robert Horry spotting up in the last minute of a playoff game,
DannyGreen!! snuffing out an opponent’s fast break,
Wilt finger-rolling,
Dylan Harper attacking the hoop, finishing with either hand,
Steph Curry sprinting around the court, using multiple screens, looking for a split-second opening to catch, shoot and make a three — from distance!,
Magic Johnson running the middle dishing this way, wait, no, that way,
Patty Mills sprinting over to help a teammate to their feet after taking a charge,
Rick Barry under-handing,
Giannis Euro-stepping,
The Oui Frenchman tear-dropping,
Dirk step-backing,
My Man Manu Ginobili dunking all over Bosh,
Earl the Pearl spin-dribbling,
A Shooter heating up, with the crowd joining in,
Stephon Castle defending,
Pistol Pete behind-the-backing,
The Great Duncan blocking a shot, controlling the ball, and throwing the long bounce outlet pass,
Dr. J dunking,
Victor pointing at the rim for a lob without needing to use the words “throw it up there”,
And in honor of the NBA champion New York Knicks and their two million fans, enjoying each other’s company one last time as the long season ends, celebrating.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JUNE 19: Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves slides into home plate in the sixth inning of a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Truist Park on June 19, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Join us and discuss the game in the comments below, as the Braves look to take a big series win behind Chris Sale.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA- MAY 08: Mitch Bratt #38 of the Reno Aces pitches against the Sacramento River Cats during the first inning at Sutter Health Park on May 08, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Introduction
There were three rookies getting their very first taste of the big leagues on the D-Backs’ active roster in Ryan Waldschmidt, Tommy Troy, and most recently LuJames Groover. They represent a growing youth movement for the D-Backs that has helped fuel them into the postseason chase alongside their usual veterans. It hasn’t been completely smooth sailing for the trio as they have a combined 0.5 bWAR, a .237/.329/.338 slash line, and none of them currently has an OPS+ over 100. Of course, Waldschmidt is the only one with over 100 ABs so a small sample size qualifier is in effect, but they’ve all had the expected growing pains to one degree or another as they become more accustomed to the speed and skill that’s required at the big league level. However, all three of them are obviously position players and their emergence made me wonder if there were any pitching prospects who might make their debut and contribute to the team at some point this year. Of the team’s top 30 prospects, nearly half are pitchers of some kind with half of those sitting either at AAA Reno or AA Amarillo, giving them a realistic opportunity to make their debut this season. I am excluding players that have already made their debut like Yilber Diaz and ones that have injuries precluding them from contributing like Cristian Mena who will miss the remainder of the season. Additionally, since beginning writing this article, both Ryne Nelson and Michael Soroka have gone down with injuries, adding more urgency to these prospects’ debuts.
Mitch Bratt
The youngest of the three players listed here, the organization’s 14th-ranked prospect is also arguably having the best season of the three on the list too. In 11 starts with Reno, he’s pitched to an impressive 2.84 ERA, a 0.947 WHIP, and a .190 BAA. That’s particularly noteworthy given the elevated offensive environment the entire Pacific Coast League represents and that it’s Bratt’s first taste of the highest levels of the minor leagues. Since coming over from the Rangers as part of the Merrill Kelly trade, he has done nothing but impress the club – prompting them to add him to the 40-man roster in the offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. That move definitely increases the likelihood for Bratt to make his debut this season alongside his left-handedness for a starting rotation that leans righty pretty heavily, but given his age (he’ll turn 23 in July) and his lack of experience at AAA, he faces an uphill battle to get a call this year. But if and when he does make his debut, he’ll need to take advantage of his excellent control to make up for a lack of velocity on his fastball that usually sits in the 90-93 range that he can place excellently.
Kohl Drake
The other headliner in that Kelly trade at last season’s Deadline, Drake has gone in the other direction so far with his new organization. Drake was the Rangers’ 13th-ranked prospect before the trade and immediately slotted in at nearly the same place within the D-Backs’ system this year. Unfortunately, while he’s the more experienced player between he and Bratt with 21 starts at AAA, he has looked overmatched there to this point. He struggled to a 7.15 ERA in seven starts between Reno and Round Rock last year with a WHIP of 1.705 in those appearances. Those numbers have all worsened so far this season with a 7.83 ERA and 1.759 WHIP in 14 starts and he’s particularly struggled walking batters with 4.3 walks per nine. Even by the inflacted PCL standards, those kinds of statistics just simply aren’t very competitive. Still, he’s shown enough potential at the lower levels that if the coaching staff can fine tune his pitch mix and control, he could compete for a backend rotation spot at the end of this season or the beginning of next season.
Spencer Giesting
By far the most dark horse candidate on the list, Giesting has never been a ranked propsect, but has absolutely feasted in his time with Reno so far this season with a 2.87 ERA and a 0.973 WHIP in six appearances and 12.1 IP. Originally an 11th round pick out of the University of North Carolina, Giesting was mostly deployed as a starter for the beginning of his pro career with decent results at the lower levels with a 3.67 ERA at AA last year, but struggled as a starter at AAA with a 6.47 ERA. But since moving to the bullpen as a multi-inning reliever (MIRP in the FanGraphs parlance), the lefty has been a completely different player – increasing his strikeout rate from 8.7 per nine to 13.8 this year. He isn’t currently on the 40-man roster which likely does slightly decrease the likelihood of making his debut, but he’s also Rule 5 eligible this season and has opened enough eyes that the team will probably have to protect him from being scooped by an opportunistic club. Even still, it isn’t often that you’re able to develop a mid-rounder into a productive bulk reliever, but the “deceptive lefty” may be able to parlay an unusual delivery into a bullpen role that could desperately use such a pitcher.
SEATTLE, WA - JUNE 02: Reliever Matt Moore #55 of the Los Angeles Angels delivers a pitch during a game against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on June 2, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. The Mariners won 5-1. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Royals have been searching under every rock to build up their pitching depth after recent injuries have decimated their staff. After acquiring Connor Seabold and Randy Dobnak earlier this week, today they signed veteran pitcher Matt Moore to a minor league deal.
Not to be confused with the former Chiefs quarterback of the same name, Matt Moore has spent 13 years in the big leagues with the Rays, Giants, Rangers, Tigers, Phillies, Angels, Guardians, and Marlins. The 37-year-old has a career 4.39 ERA, spending his early career as a starter, but transitioning to a reliever later in his career.
The lefty was once one of the top prospects in all of baseball, and was an All-Star for Tampa Bay in 2013 as a starter. He had Tommy John surgery the next year, but bounced back to have a solid season in 2016. He missed most of the 2019 season with a knee injury, and played in 2020 with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan.
He returned to the States in 2021, and converted to the bullpenin 2023, posting a 1.95 ERA in 63 games with the Rangers. He last pitched in the big leagues in 2024, making 51 appearances with the Angels, posting a 5.03 ERA. Moore signed with the Red Sox last year, but experienced arm soreness and was released before ever making an appearance in the organization.
The Royals are currently without starters Kris Bubic and Cole Ragans, as well as relievers Nick Mears and Carlos Estévez.
