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Here’s some reading for you while we build towards kick-off:
It’s not as dramatic, but England have had to make a late change of their own.
Continue reading... All the latest news from Saturday’s action at Old Trafford
Raf Nicholson’s WT20 World Cup final preview | Mail Tim
Sooryavanshi faces his first ball in international cricket… and misses! He flashed outside off at Josh Tongue, whose lift was too much for him.
1st over: India 4-0 (Sharma 4, Sooryavanshi 0) Never mind the prodigy, Abhishek can play a bit too. Archer starts well, beating him with a lifter, but the next ball is swished over slip for four, with one hand off the bat. Archer beats him again, and again, before finishing with a rap on the glove. The wind assisted both the bowler’s movement, away from the left-hander, and the lone scoring shot.
Continue reading...
Former Duke Blue Devil Maliq Brown got his first taste of NBA competition Friday night, and held his own in a summer league game vs. the Miami Heat: the new San Antonio Spur played 22 minutes, scored 10 points, shooting 4-7/2-4, and had three rebounds, a steal and a block.
Not bad at all.
On the other side of the court, former Blue Devil Trevor Keels had 18 points, hitting 6-13/2-5, pulling down 7 rebounds, and also had 3 assists and 2 steals.
It was a pretty solid debut for Brown, who still has to earn a full-time spot. Currently, he’s on a two-way contract, but for those who watched closely at Duke, Brown is the sort of player you grow to appreciate.
His greatest talent is his defense, and part of that is his excellent footwork that puts his hands in position to just devastate an opponent. Advanced analytics will suss that out, but most fans won’t fully appreciate it right away.
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The NBA world is waiting on LeBron James, and he reportedly has a short list of finalists he’s considering signing with in free agency. When will LeBron make up his mind? Who knows. He’s the top unrestricted free agent on the market by a mile despite turning 42 years old in December, and he can take as long as he pleases before he announces his next move.
Once James is off the board, the top players available will mostly be younger restricted free agents unlikely to change teams barring a surprise. Jalen Duren reportedly wants to leave the Detroit Pistons, but unfortunately for him he doesn’t have any leverage since his team has the ability to match any contract offer. Peyton Watson is in a fascinating situation because Denver probably has to cut salary elsewhere to retain him. Bennedict Mathurin is probably looking at a return to the Clippers, where he should be in line for more minutes following Los Angeles’ decision to trade Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors.
You can find every signing and trade during 2026 NBA free agency at our tracker. Now, let’s rank the best remaining free agents left on the market.
Need a pure off-ball shooter? Gary Trent Jr. might be the best available. Over the last five seasons, he’s made 38.5 percent of his three-pointers on 11.1 attempts per 100 possessions. His pull-up three ball off the dribble is less reliable after only hitting 28.6 percent of those last season.
Brown can still be a connective guard even if he’s lost the scoring juice he once showed on the 2023 champion Nuggets. He can be a low-cost shooter and defender in the backcourt who can soak up some minutes, but he doesn’t really move the needle in a major way anymore.
Williams is a 26-year-old point guard who took a leap in the second half of last season. He’s an excellent driver who can touch the paint and force his way to the foul line. His lack of size and shooting caps his value somewhat, but he feels like he could be one of the more high-upside players still available.
The idea of Kuminga as some young superstar in waiting has totally dissipated at this point. If he wants to carve out a lucrative NBA career, he’s going to need to realize he needs to improve his defense, rebounding, and spot-up shooting with his bully-ball drives as only part of the package, not the entire sell.
Payton still grades out as an impactful player because he’s an efficient scorer (63.5 percent true shooting last season) who grabs a lot of offensive rebounds for a guard and forces turnovers on defense. He’s only good for 15-20 minutes a night at this point at age-33, but he could add value for a contender on a cheapo contract.
Hachimura is big and strong for a wing with a nice spot-up three-point stroke. He made 42.6 percent of his threes during his three full years on the Lakers, but his volume wasn’t great at only 6.4 attempts per 100 possessions. He doesn’t rebound or defend all that well, and his playmaking is non-existent.
Mathurin can score in bunches, but he’s never been particularly efficient because he’s a low-ish volume 33.6 percent three-pointer shooter for his career. He can really rebound the ball for a wing. Still only 24 years old, he should get a solid deal to return to the Clippers, but probably needs to make himself more of a dirty work guy going forward.
Watson has always been a good wing defender, but he exploded as a scorer when Nikola Jokic got hurt midway through last season. Watson eventually went down with a hamstring strain that took him out of the playoffs, so there are still questions on if his improved scoring punch is actually sustainable. His shot diet features a lot of mid-range looks, but he did show some ability to knock them down at a better-than-average clip last season before the injury.
Harden opted out of his player option to give the Cavs more flexibility to try to sign LeBron James. He’s one of the best regular season guards ever, but on the brink of his 37th birthday, it’s becoming foolish to think he’ll ever avenge his playoff demons.
James is probably the second-best player in league history, and it still feels like he’s a top-50 player in the league as he readies to turn 42 years old midway through next season. I’d love to see him in Minnesota, but I still think it’s Warriors or Cavs for his future.
Will Duren consider playing on the qualifying offer to get out of Detroit? That would be massively risky if the Pistons are offering him $140 million guaranteed. Take the money, Jalen, and try to help the Pistons get to the NBA Finals next year after a deeply disappointing playoff run.
Will Dawkins has made a habit of buying low on assets deemed negative by their previous teams.
He did so with Trae Young, then Anthony Davis and now Deandre Ayton, who all enter Washington under similar circumstances: Their former teams wanted nothing to do with them, and yet the Wizards wanted everything to do with them.
Dawkins first acquired Young for the low price of CJ McCollum’s expiring contract and Corey Kispert. Then he acquired Davis for four players not in Washington’s plans beyond last season and five picks — two late first-rounders and three second-rounders — that weren’t the team’s own.
Four months later, Dawkins has struck again, this time acquiring Ayton for Jaden Hardy and second-round picks in 2031 and 2032. It marked another smart move by Washington’s fourth-year general manager as the team builds toward its first season of true competitiveness since 2017-18.
Why the trade makes sense
The Wizards entered free agency needing a backup center.
Behind Davis and Sarr sat Tristan Vukcevic, Felix Okpara and Julian Reese. While capable big men in their own ways, competing in a talented Eastern Conference with such raw and inexperienced frontcourt depth appeared risky.
But the search didn’t stop at experience or even talent. The Wizards needed a backup center not only equipped to produce in 20-25 minutes a night but also capable of starting 15-20 games as an insurance policy for Davis, who played just 71 games over the last two seasons.
Dawkins checked all three boxes when adding Ayton, who averaged 12.5 points and 8.0 rebounds on 67% FG with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The 7-footer shot an NBA-best 80.1% at the rim in 2025-26 and ranks second in the NBA in FG% within five feet over the last three seasons.
For a Wizards team that ranked dead last in the NBA in defensive rebounding percentage last season, Ayton’s career 93rd-percentile defensive rebounding percentage should certainly help.
While Ayton’s always provided efficient interior scoring and above-average rebounding, his critics highlight his inconsistent play, poor hands and apparent disinterest in buying into his role as reasons he’s incapable of being a starting center on a contender.
It’s a somewhat fair assessment of a player blessed with incredible skills he’s never truly realized.
The good news for the Wizards is that this role is different. The former No. 1 pick won’t be required to start 72 games like he did on a 53-win Lakers team. Nor will he be given the workload asked of him in Los Angeles, Portland or Phoenix.
Ayton needs to set screens, finish around the rim and rebound in a bench role for a Washington team stacked with young talent and accomplished veterans. Seems like an easy ask.
The Wizards didn’t give much to acquire Ayton, either. Hardy wasn’t an expected rotation player, and the two second-round picks don’t make a dent in Washington’s war chest of them.
Dawkins said adding depth next to and behind Sarr was a goal at February’s trade deadline and into the offseason. Washington’s GM has done that by acquiring Davis and Ayton to compliment his young shotblocking center.
What it signals
Trading future draft capital to fill a roster hole signals a shift in Washington’s team-building philosophy.
It’s a transaction that suggests the Wizards have entered a new phase of their rebuild, one uninterested in taking on bad contracts for draft capital or trading talented players for promising prospects and future picks.
Washington is finally serious about competing. And its roster supports that desire.
The Wizards had a gaping hole at backup center. And instead of signing a player like Marvin Bagley III to a veteran minimum deal to temporarily fill that void, they traded two future draft assets to secure a starting-caliber center in Ayton to serve in a bench role.
It’s not a move that immediately turns the Wizards into title contenders. But it’s a noteworthy transaction regarding the team’s direction, which is one focused on assembling a group talented enough to make noise in the East.
Happy 250th birthday America! And keep chatting about moves that happen in the NBA. There will be moves happening with various teams, even if it’s an American holiday!
Could you believe Cape Verde was this close to advancing in the knockout stages of a freaking World Cup!? Didn’t happen, but the African nation surely made Lionel break a sweat. Sweet goal!
Anyway, links and notes…
“The Knicks still have two roster spots to fill and roughly $6.5 million remaining under the second apron. Jonas Valanciunas, another veteran center, is a target to further bolster the frontcourt depth, according to The Athletic. Jordan Clarkson, a guard, is also a candidate to return, sources said.”
“After sitting here watching NBA free agency this year and overall NBA movement over the past 2 years somebody has to say it… The next CBA is a do or die moment for us as players. It’s only going to get worse for us. We need transparency, accountability, and a serious re evaluation of who is representing us and how they are representing us.”
Wow, the NBA offseason has been a wild ride over the last couple of days. With free agency kicking off and trade season underway, we have already seen some big dominoes fall. LaMelo Ball to the Timberwolves, Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Heat, Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto, and most recently, the Jaylen Brown trade that sent him to Philadelphia.
All this hectic moving of stars has definitely shaken up the landscape for the next year, and it just goes to show that a lot can change in just one offseason. Teams are always looking to improve and find ways to get to the NBA finals, and at this rate, it only takes one bad playoff performance to make their minds up. That’s what happened in Boston, as we just saw all of this unfold. With two disappointing exits, they realized this iteration of the team could no longer compete for championships.
Regardless of how you feel about the value the Celtics saw in this deal, they needed to move off Brown for whatever reason and focus on their new path to bring a championship back to Boston. That said, many Suns fans are furious that they did not get in on the deal.
Well, to put it lightly, they never had a chance, and for multiple reasons.
As many of you know, I am a Massachusetts native who writes about the Suns. The Celtics are my home team, and I’ve spent most of my life, besides my college years, in this state. Even if I still have a heart that beats purple and orange, my love for the green and gold will never fade.
From what it seems, the value of Brown around the league was very low. At first, Celtics general manager Brad Stevens was looking for upwards of 4-5 first-round picks for Jaylen. When offers for that were unavailable, it was said he went back to those teams and made the best offer he could. This shows the Celtics’ valuation of Brown was higher than the league’s.
That simply suggests Phoenix could have had a chance, but with what? They had already traded their most valuable draft asset, the 2033 first-round pick, for Miles Bridges this past Sunday. They could have expanded on this deal, since it hasn’t been made league official, but who is to say the Celtics wanted Bridges, Grayson Allen, or Royce O’Neale? Who is to say the Hornets wanted to lose any of those guys, either?
Even with their other draft capital, like the picks they opened up or the 2029 one, those were not nearly as valuable as the ones Philly was willing to give up. The 2029 first-round pick they got back is the worst of the four teams, and it’s going to be a bottom-10 selection. Why would Boston entertain that when they could get a lottery pick in the Clippers swap from 2028?
Then you look at what else the Suns have to trade: it’s just Jalen Green. Green, who is still young and has some potential, could be a nice fit to reset around, but does Boston feel confident in that? When he suited up in Boston this year, he had 21 points on 8-of-20 shooting and 1-of-7 from three with seven rebounds and one assist. Obviously, that is one game, but the sample size does not look good for Boston in that regard.
You also add that Green is looking for a new extension and is playing for it. With him being younger, you could be excited by that, but then have to deal with the fact that you either pay him or lose him for nothing. With George at least, even if he opts into that $50+ million free payday next year, it’s an expiring tradable.
With Brad Stevens, you never know what is up his sleeve, so never say never. But it seemed too far away for Phoenix to reach. Boston would have asked for the young assets in Khaman Malauch and Rasheer Fleming, and then it would have gone further back than it would have gone forward.
That does not mean, though, that the Suns can’t get aggressive at any moment. Even if the roster is full now with Luke Kennard signing going into the year, we could see some shakeups with weird fits. It will be a challenge for Jordan Ott, but the challenge will not be trying to fit in Jaylen Brown, one that would have been worth it if they had the ammo.
This past NBA season, there was a fascinating Rookie of the Year race between former Duke roommates Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel.
Everyone expected Dallas Maverick Flagg to be the leading contender, but not many thought Charlotte Hornet Knueppel would be there.
Now we move on to their respective careers, and who might be in position to win a championship first. And while most people would concede the talent advantage to Flagg, things may be different when it comes to their teams.
The Mavericks have overhauled their front office, bringing in Masai Ujiri, who has an excellent reputation. He’s made several interesting moves. He hired Mike Schmitz as his GM, fired Jason Kidd as coach, hired Michigan’s Dusty May to replace him, and drafted May’s frontcourt utility man Morez Johnson, along with Sergio de Larrea, and Virginia Tech’s Toby Lawal. He’s made a number of other behind-the-scenes moves revolving around scouting and analytics.
The Mavericks are almost certainly heading in the right direction.
But Charlotte is way ahead of them.
GM Jeff Peterson has made some brilliant moves of his own. His most acclaimed effort so far was drafting Knueppel, but he also picked up Sion James, which in retrospect was a smart second-round pick. This year, he selected Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson. He got one good year out of the erratic and oft-injured LaMelo Ball, then traded him to Minnesota for Naz Reid and a bunch of draft picks before he could flake out again. They then sent Miles Bridges to Phoenix for Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, and more draft picks.
Then Peterson got Dorian Finney-Smith from Houston for nothing. Yes, it was a salary dump, but Finney-Smith is an excellent defender and reputedly a solid presence in the locker room.
And the Rockets kicked in draft picks, too, which in some ways, is the most interesting thing Charlotte has done lately.
The Hornets now have two first-round picks in 2026, up to 3 in 2027, 1 in 2028, and multiple picks in 2029 and beyond.
As for second-round picks, they have 20 over the next seven years.
In other words, if a rising young star – hypothetically Cade Cunningham, VJ Edgecombe, or Paolo Banchero – decided to force a trade, Charlotte has the assets to make a move like that happen.
In other words, the Hornets absolutely have the potential to become an elite NBA team.
Dallas isn’t in quite as good of a situation, but with a transcendent talent like Flagg, assuming they draft well, they can pick up the pieces they need via free agency.
And Flagg will draw other players. His new coach, May, says that the chance to work with a player like Flagg was a major part of his decision. He won’t be the last guy to say that.
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After Gavin McKenna admitted that he probably didn't expect to wear his preferred No. 72 in the NHL next season because of the addition of Sergei Bobrovsky, the two-time Stanley Cup champion goaltender confirmed on Friday in his introductory media availability.
Bobrovsky said he and McKenna spoke on Thursday about the number.
"He gave that number to me, we had a little chat," Bobrovsky said. "He's a bright guy. He's got really positive energy. And I'm excited to watch him develop into the big superstar, honestly."
Now that it's confirmed, Bobrovsky will keep the No. 72 that he's worn with the Florida Panthers and Columbus Blue Jackets.
In the meantime, McKenna can't even use the two fallback options as his number, because No. 27 and No. 9 are both in the rafters. So, what number will McKenna wear for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL next season? Here are three suggestions.
Why Sergei Bobrovsky Thought He’d Stay With Florida Panthers Until A Trade Changed Everything, And How Gavin McKenna Handed Over No. 72The two-time Stanley Cup champion details the sudden trade that altered his future, his excitement to reunite with championship teammates in Toronto, and the respectful phone call with top pick Gavin McKenna that settled his iconic jersey number.There are a couple of reasons why McKenna could wear the No. 12 for the Maple Leafs in the upcoming campaign.
The No. 12 is the closest McKenna can get to wearing No. 72 in terms of the numbers looking similar.
But the more meaningful reason behind wearing No. 12 is in relation to how the Maple Leafs landed the 2026 first overall pick in the first place.
At the NHL's draft lottery, Toronto had an 8.5 percent chance of winning the first pick. The first three lottery balls were Nos. 7, 2 and 11. And to officially win the NHL draft lottery, out came the ping-pong ball that was labelled with the No. 12. Without that number on the ball, McKenna's life would've played out differently.
The last player on the Maple Leafs to wear this number was Zach Aston-Reese in 2022-23.
From Doom And Gloom To A 'Fortuitous Bounce' As Maple Leafs React To Winning 2026 NHL Draft LotteryA "fortuitous bounce" in Secaucus has transformed Toronto’s outlook, handing the Maple Leafs the first overall pick and a franchise-altering opportunity just days into a new management era.It would certainly generate plenty of reactions from hockey fans, but what if McKenna decided to wear No. 16, previously worn by Mitch Marner?
Marner wore No. 16 throughout his entire tenure with the Maple Leafs from 2016-17 to 2024-25, scoring 741 points in the process, putting him sixth among all-time leaders in franchise history. He was known for his playmaking and chemistry on the ice, regularly setting up Auston Matthews.
In a sense, McKenna has similarities to Marner in his game, particularly in his ability to see the ice, his vision, and his playmaking. Also, the 18-year-old may get a spot on the top line with Matthews, just like Marner did for a chunk of his career.
It would be a bold choice to wear No. 16, but McKenna has shown he is a confident individual.
Maple Leafs' Gavin McKenna Doesn't Expect To Wear No. 72 Next Season Amid Sergei Bobrovsky AcquisitionWith the dilemma of Gavin McKenna and Sergei Bobrovsky both preferring to wear the No. 72 on their jersey, the Toronto Maple Leafs' 2026 first overall pick says the two-time Stanley Cup champion can have it.In the build-up to the NHL draft and even around the time of the 2026 World Junior Championship, McKenna has said that he has modelled his game and shares a similar playing style to Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Nikita Kucherov. And of course, Kucherov wears No. 86.
Marner is an example of a player choosing a number to match an idol. Though he wore No. 16 with the Leafs, he wore No. 93 with the London Knights, and now for the Vegas Golden Knights because of his hockey hero, Doug Gilmour.
McKenna has also revealed another hockey hero of his to be Patrick Kane, but his famous No. 88 is already taken by William Nylander.
Therefore, it wouldn't be completely out of the ordinary if McKenna went on to choose No. 86. In fact, he'd become the first player to ever wear that number in franchise history.
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I will miss watching the greatest maestro and savant in the history of basketball, LeBron James. He is to basketball what Van Gogh was to painting, Coltrane to music, Hemingway to literature. He came from poverty and rose to a global hero and gave back. His after-game interviews were always intelligent and sometimes humorous. To all his detractors and haters? Eat your hearts out, he is a happy man.
Dell Franklin
Cayucos
I have always been in awe of LeBron’s athleticism and basketball IQ. And I greatly admire his dedication to maintaining his physical abilities throughout the years and his philanthropic pursuits.
But, as a lifelong Lakers fan, I will not miss LeBron. He was never a true Laker. He made it clear when he announced that he was taking his talents to South Beach that he cared only about LeBron, not the team.
So, as he closes out his career elsewhere, I will enjoy watching his superior playing prowess from afar. But I will be grateful that I can now cheer for my Lakers without the drama LeBron brings to every team he’s been on.
Linda Salzman
Rancho Palos Verdes
I agree that it was probably time to move on from LeBron simply in the interest to pursue a long-term player versus one more year from the King. But Bill Plaschke’s argument that he was tired of the mind games LeBron supposedly was playing is a terrible take. Losing 27-7-7 is not replaceable overnight, if ever.
George Metalsky
Redondo Beach
While acknowledging LeBron James as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, it never really felt as if he was selflessly committed to the Purple and Gold team concept like so many of the legendary players that preceded him.
During his eight years as a Laker there seemed to be countless occasions when Lakers brass capitulated to his “demands.” Year after year we endured a mishmash roster with his hand-picked players, just to appease LeBron.
During the Lakers’ dynasty we had championship teams. With LeBron we had a king shaping his fiefdom to first and foremost best serve him.
He’s a great player but a horrible GM. The Lakers will be a better team without him.
David Griffin
Westwood
I only have one question regarding LeBron James: What happens to Bronny now?
David Waldowski
Laguna Woods
Great article “Deep into Dodgers career, he’s batting close to 1,000” by Maddie Lee. Dave Roberts has a tough job. When he substitutes a pitcher or a hitter and it works out, Dave is a hero, and when it doesn’t work out, Dave is a bum. Sometimes there is a fine line between being a hero or a bum, but Dave has been able to negotiate that line, because players trust him, and the players know that Dave cares about them and their families. Maybe one day Dave will have 2,000 wins as a Dodger, and he will be closing in on Walter Alston.
Vaughn Hardenberg
Westwood
I have never thought much of Dave Roberts’ managerial abilities when it comes to handling pitchers but I’ve seen improvements in that area, particularly in last year’s playoffs. He has been blessed with terrific talent but clearly has melded that talent to win games and keep the clubhouse on the same page. Congrats on hitting the 1,000-win milestone, Dave, let’s go for 2,000!
Ken Blake
Brea
Kawhi Leonard has played terrifically the last couple of years. Maybe Bill Plaschke would be aware of that, and give due credit, if his hometown major newspaper bothered to have a dedicated correspondent covering one of the city’s NBA teams. The Clippers aren’t the minor leagues.
E.R. Samulon
Los Angeles
Bill Plaschke claims Kawhi Leonard is the worst free-agent signing in L.A. sports history. Not a chance. That dubious honor belongs to the Angels (of course!) for signing Anthony Rendon.
With the Clippers, Kawhi has been a three-time All-Star, a four-time All-NBA selection, and finished high in the MVP voting multiple times. He averaged nearly 28 points per game in 65 games last season. The Clippers had a couple of decent playoff runs during his tenure.
What did the Angels get for their $245-million investment in Rendon? Setting aside the shortened 2020 season, Rendon averaged just 51 games per season from 2021 through 2024. He then didn’t play at all in 2025 or 2026. Over the last six seasons, he hit a total of 13 home runs, and his batting average never exceeded .240. The Angels never made the playoffs during his tenure. Rendon’s attitude and performance became so disappointing that the Angels effectively told him to stay away in 2026 and restructured the final year of his contract.
Rendon wins the title of worst free-agent signing in L.A. sports history by a landslide.
Dave Ring
Manhattan Beach
A number of years ago, the Lakers had a coach by the name of Mike D’Antoni. The joke then was that his name should be Mike Antoni, as there is no “D” to be found in his coaching. There is no “D” in Sparks coach Lynne Roberts either. If the Sparks want to seriously ride the wave of WNBA and women’s sports popularity, and take advantage of great players like Kelsey Plum, they need to quickly make a change in the direction of this franchise.
Arnold Anisgarten
Los Angeles
I thought NBA players were bad with respect to yelling at the referee to call a foul every time they hit the floor. Soccer players, however, are in a league of their own. They fall to the ground after barely being touched, writhing in fake pain and yelling at the ref to call a foul. Luka Doncic played soccer when he was a kid. Now I know where he learned it from.
Doug Vikser
Manhattan Beach
Please save us from these boring British futbol announcers that only inspire narcolepsy. There needs to be the excitement and energy that matches the game. Install hockey play-by-play announcers who emphasize the rising action, then scream “goal!” Otherwise, we will keep watching the games in Spanish.
Billy Gonzalez
Redondo Beach
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Email: sports@latimes.com
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Per a Spurs press release:
“The San Antonio Spurs announced that they have signed first round selections Jayden Quaintance (20th overall) and Tarris Reed Jr. (26th overall), along with San Antonio’s second round picks Ja’Kobi Gillespie (42nd overall) and Maliq Brown (44th overall). Per team policy, terms of the contracts were not announced.”
Jayden Quaintance is out awaiting surgery on his torn ACL. Reed, Jr., Gillespie and Brown are participating in the Spurs Summer League. Friday evening was game one of the California Classic in San Francisco.* The teams are off today in observance of the Independence Day. The tournament resumes Sunday and concludes on Monday before the Silver & Black head to Las Vegas for the NBA 2026 Summer League.
*I wrote this last night as I had to work, I have not watched the game yet. If you did, please share your thoughts in the comments.
Happy 4th, Pounders. Celebrate safely and if you are in Texas, stay hydrated! It’s hot out there.
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Ireland score late and Australia miss a penalty as the visitors snatch victory in 10-try thriller.
Really keen to see how the midfield battle plays out.
Len Ikitau is one of the elite ballers in the game and Stuart McClosky was the best centre of the Six Nations (imo).
Continue reading...PHILADELPHIA — When Brandon Marsh jogged back to left field at Citizens Bank Park in the second inning of this past Monday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he wasn’t just met with applause for his home run the inning before.
Fans greeted him with a vinyl banner reading "Marsh To The Polls," with several supporters sporting beards to match his own.
It marked the official start of the Phillies' final campaign push to send Marsh to the Midsummer Classic at The Bank on July 14, something he told USA TODAY Sports before the game he wasn’t letting himself think too much about.
That doesn’t mean the All‑Star Game isn’t on his mind.
"I'd be lying if I said I haven't thought about the All-Star Game," Marsh said. "But I try my best not to and enjoy the present."
Marsh's rise from a platoon outfielder to one of the Phillies' most consistent bats is one of this season’s great storylines.
The whole city is behind MARSHY! ⭐
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 29, 2026
🗳️ https://t.co/cdVTjmanhFpic.twitter.com/aEmeQlfZRN
He opened the year hitting .295 in April — a far cry from the .095 he posted through his first 17 games last season — and strung together a 13‑game hit streak from April 28 to May 12. He followed his strong month of April with a .333 average in May. That dipped only slightly to .315 in June.
Factor in that he’s tracking toward his first All‑Star nod, and the arc becomes even more impressive.
“It’s been a different season for sure, having to adjust with the body and having to adjust with playing every day,” Marsh said. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. Just enjoying the ride.”
To reach this point — where he’s sitting among MLB’s top 10 leaders in batting average — Marsh has ridden out his share of turbulence. Dealt from the Los Angeles Angels at the 2022 trade deadline for top catching prospect Logan O’Hoppe, Marsh was seen as an everyday outfielder for both the present and the future. But he sat against lefties to lose starting opportunities and has mustered only two total hits across the last two postseasons, so the potential never fully materialized until now.
His path, once that of the Angels’ former No. 1 prospect, simply developed on a slower burn. It took time, and now the moment has arrived. Inside the Phillies clubhouse, his 2026 breakout hasn’t surprised anyone.
It's a 3-hit night for Brandon Marsh 👏
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 14, 2026
🗳️ https://t.co/cdVTjmanhFpic.twitter.com/q9hxVC84mQ
"He’s always been a good player," Phillies shortstop Trea Turner told USA TODAY Sports in May. "... Other people are starting to recognize him and deserve to do so."
Marsh said his breakout season stems more from a different approach and finding consistency, both with his pregame routine and playing time, than from any physical changes he made in the offseason.
To build his pregame consistency as an everyday player, Marsh has zeroed in on how veterans like Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Turner attack their work and how “stubborn” they are about sticking to their routines. He also mentioned he’s trying to keep his own routine simple, hoping that simplicity creates steady production.
"May not be true, but if you think that way, I feel like it’ll help," Marsh said.
Marsh finally got that consistent, everyday run when Don Mattingly took over as interim manager on April 28 after the Phillies’ 9-19 start under Rob Thomson. Since then, he’s hit .329, forcing Mattingly’s hand by penciling his name into the lineup every day, including some games at cleanup.
"It’s definitely helped just with staying in the flow of the game" Marsh said of the consistency he’s received from Mattingly. "Because pinch hitting is one of the hardest things to do in this game. It’s harder than playing every single day. … So there's something to the consistency that Donnie's been giving me and I'm super thankful."
Mattingly said he’s always believed Marsh had a good swing, and even conceded after the Phillies’ April 30 win over the Giants that when he was the manager of the Miami Marlins, the Marlins tried multiple times to trade for Marsh.
"He’s always been, for me, a good hitter. Been able to see this guy really young and probably just building confidence over time," Mattingly said in May when asked by USA TODAY Sports what he’s seen from Marsh. "Better game planner now (too), it sounds like. Knows what he wants to do with every guy (he’s facing)."
BRANDON MARSH HOMERS FOR THE THIRD DAY IN A ROW!
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 7, 2026
🗳️ https://t.co/cdVTjmanhFpic.twitter.com/njUInYKqrg
One contributing reason to Marsh’s platoon role under Thomson was his inability to hit against left-handed pitching. He’d either come off the bench as a defensive change late in the game once the opposing team’s left-handed starter was removed, or not play at all.
Last season, Marsh hit .197 against left-handed pitching. He’s hitting .259 against southpaws this season.
"You always knew he had it just by looking at his numbers based off right-handed pitching," Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott said. "Now he’s getting his chance and probably one of the best hitters in the league. It’s been really fun to watch him."
In just the last week, Marsh has delivered in big moments. In the Phillies’ dramatic 14-9 come-from-behind win over the Washington Nationals on June 23, Marsh crushed a game-tying, two-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.
BIG TIME BIG DAWG
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 24, 2026
🗳️ https://t.co/cdVTjmanhFpic.twitter.com/TDumesAxch
Through the Phillies' first 88 games, Marsh leads the team with a .315 batting average and 97 hits while he’s third in home runs, only trailing Schwarber and Harper, who have combined for 50 home runs themselves.
Marsh’s .315 batting average is good for the seventh-best among MLB hitters. He’s already surpassed his RBI total from last season, as he has driven in 46 runs thus far in the first half.
"He’s always asking questions, always wanting to get better. He’s putting it together," Harper said to USA TODAY Sports in May. "But he’s also taking his hits, (which) I think that’s huge also. He hits the ball both ways from left-center to right-center."
Former Phillies shortstop and manager Larry Bowa believes a big part of Marsh’s success at the plate comes from not being as hard on himself as he used to be.
"Sometimes he used to worry about his previous at bat, what he did or didn’t do. He’s finding a way now, whether you get a hit or whether you make an out, it’s a different at bat," Bowa told USA TODAY Sports. “Once you get into that mindset, the game’s never going to be easy, but you can relax a little bit."
Marsh agreed with Bowa and pushed it further. He said he’s made it a point this season not to sulk or dwell on past at‑bats, something that he’s struggled with in the past, especially once he came up to The Show after his success in the minors in the Angels’ organization.
"Learning how to honestly laugh at yourself a little bit without making a fool out of yourself,” Marsh said. “But (also) don’t be so hard on yourself because it’s already such a hard thing. It’s a game of almost impossible odds stacked against you as a hitter … Just have to know you’re going to fail."
He goes into the Phillies’ upcoming nine-game road trip to close out the first half of the season with 18 hits and 12 RBIs in his last 15 games to go along with six home runs, three of which came in the Pirates series.
AN ALL-STAR SWING!
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 1, 2026
🗳️ https://t.co/cdVTjmanhFpic.twitter.com/NyPuzazDQv
For all the success at the plate this season thus far, Marsh said it’s made him appreciate the work that it took to get here "a lot more."
"It makes me respect the guys that show up and step in the box or toe the rubber every single day. I now know how physically taxing it can be, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. I love everything that comes with it," Marsh said.
Marsh ranked third among NL outfielders in Phase 1 of All‑Star voting with 668,191 votes, trailing only the Dodgers’ Andy Pages (800,496) and the Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr. (693,472).
He’ll find out Saturday whether he’s been elected a starter for Dave Roberts’ NL squad. Starter or not, Marsh has more than earned the right to be considered for the Midsummer Classic, even if he’s too modest to say so himself.
“As a kid growing up, it's what everyone wants to be a part of, other than winning a World Series. Getting an All Star nod is pretty freakin cool,” Marsh said. “Hopefully this year I get to check it off of a bucket list. … It would mean the world, especially here in Philly playing for Philly.
“I'm getting chills right now thinking about it."
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: From platoon to starter: How Brandon Marsh is having All-Star season with Phillies
Saw this graphic online and figured it would make for a fun summer weekend exercise. What if the Penguins had to face the team that lost the Western Conference final in the years that Pittsburgh made the SCF? How might history have played out if the results of the other conference were flipped? Here are the hypothetical near-miss opponents that failed to advance in reality to the Cup finals each year that Pittsburgh made it.
By 1991 the Oilers were a shell of their dynasty years. They were the defending Stanley Cup champions from 1990 (the one Cup they won post-Wayne Gretzky) but by 1990-91, their leading regular season scorer only had 69 points. That’s a far cry from the team they once were. All of Gretzky, Paul Coffey and Jari Kurri were long gone by ‘91, so too was Grant Fuhr out as their top goalie. The Oilers had some remnants of their glory days, this would be Mark Messier’s last season with the Oil and Esa Tikkanen and Glenn Anderson were in the lineup, though far from their primes. The Penguins probably still roll to the Cup at this point, but at least they would have done it against an opponent with a marquee name and the defending champ, instead of beating the Minnesota North Stars and the 27-39-5 regular season record they somehow carried into playoff success.
In 1992, it’s even more amazing that Edmonton was hanging on and making it to the Conference Finals. A potential alt-world Stanley Cup PIT/EDM rematch in ‘92 would have been a lot of fun given that Edmonton was able to reload quite a bit by 1992 to look better than they did in ’91. By this point they were almost completely reshaped with players like Vincent Damphousse, Bernie Nichols, Scott Melanby and Bill Ranford taking over for the departed former Gretzky/Messier/Fuhr core. Edmonton would hardly be confused from the dominant team of Hall of Famers that they were 5-10 years earlier, but it would have made a nice story. On the other side, the Penguins were peaking to 11 straight playoff wins, they still would have absolutely crushed anyone that came out of the other conference so it wouldn’t have mattered on the ice. Out of any alt-world hypothetical, this is the one to (by far) feel the most confidence in what would have happened. No team existing in 1992 was going to stop the Penguins from winning the Cup that year.
Would Sidney Crosby have four Stanley Cups if he had gotten to play against Dallas in 2008 instead of the loaded Detroit team? It sounds like a very real possibility. The Stars had a quality team back in ‘08, but the Pens (who went 12-2 in the East portion of the playoffs and had Marc-Andre Fleury arguably at his absolute most locked in) would have stacked up very well in a potential matchup against the Stars. Dallas, like the Pens, won two playoff games against the Red Wings, though it came after falling in an 0-3 hole for the Stars. Of course, in reality, there’s no reason to suspect Detroit ever would have been losing to Dallas, but if somehow they did, Pittsburgh’s second run of Stanley Cups likely starts one year earlier.
Much like it’s a shame the generation before that we never got a Gretzky/Lemieux Stanley Cup Final, it’s unfortunate that the two best teams of the 2010’s never made the SCF in the same year to see the Crosby/Malkin/Letang/Fleury core battle against Chicago’s group with Kane/Toews/Keith/Crawford. Between PIT/CHI, they won six out of the nine Cups between 2009-17, yet never played each other. There was this near miss in 2009, as well as 2013 when Pittsburgh was eliminated in the ECF and the Blackhawks won the Cup. The 2009 season was Chicago’s playoff breakout in the way that 2008 was for the Pens, the Hawks would have been younger and less experienced for the Stanley Cup moment at that point in history. That could give Pittsburgh the edge in this hypothetical battle, but of all the matchups I think this one could be considered the most up in the air to where Chicago might have made the series result a question. The Blackhawks would go onto make 2010 their version of Pittsburgh’s 2009 by winning the Cup the following season, they were well on their way to future glory. It would have been amazing to see those two young cores compete directly for the Cup, but it wasn’t meant to be since the Red Wings were still giving their last gasps of contention. The Pens probably still had enough talent with their experience boost to beat Chicago but it would have been one heck of a series. (Can’t be too mad since the real ‘09 SCF was one for the history books).
The 2016 Blues team was built around goaltending, tight checking and defense. They may have presented a challenge for the Penguins to punch through and earn a win, but St. Louis didn’t have enough offensive firepower to make the SCF that year and give little reason to believe they would beat the ‘16 Pens in a series. Given the balance and strength of the Pens this year, the result of this alternate reality ends up probably the same as it did in the real world where Pittsburgh eventually overpowers the Western representative that year in somewhat convincing fashion.
A 2017 Pens/Ducks SCF would have been fun. Anaheim had an older core (Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler, Corey Perry) complimented by emerging young players (Rickard Rakell, Cam Fowler, Shea Theodore). Overall the Pens would have matched up well against the Ducks, though the way John Gibson was playing might have given them more problems that year than Pekka Rinne did in reality. This would have been a fairly even battle, but at this point the Pens were battle-tested and always managed to find a way to come out on top. It’s not hard to believe they likely would have done the same against the WC runner-up just as they did against the team that defeated Anaheim.
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What matchup would you have liked to seen actually played out? It’s 2009 against Chicago for me, though several of the old Penguin players still talk about the bitterness they received from the outside over a perceived ‘easy path’ in 1991. Seeing them beat even a depleted version of Edmonton (who were defending champs) would have given a lot more street cred than they got, which is a shame since teams can only play whoever it is that they get matched up against. In the widest hypothetical possible, it would have been some of the most legendary hockey of all-time had Gretzky+Messier stayed with the Oilers a little deeper into the 1990’s to compete against Lemieux, but that window ended up not meant to be.