Benhard Janse van Rensburg’s hopes of a try-scoring England debut were dashed by fumbling hands as France emerged conclusive 35-19 winners in their non-cap international in Vannes.
South Africa-born Janse van Rensburg was brought on in the 52nd minute and shortly after he was presented with a routine run-in, only for the ball to slip from his hands. The opportunity was England’s last chance to start reeling in a 28-12 deficit and otherwise the Bristol centre’s involvement was limited.
Every offseason produces at least one difficult decision, and this one might define the Colorado Avalanche's pursuit of another Stanley Cup.
Valeri Nichushkin is simultaneously one of the team's biggest strengths and one of its biggest uncertainties.
When he's healthy and on the ice, few power forwards in the NHL can match the combination of size, speed and relentless puck pursuit that has made him such an integral part of Colorado's identity. But injuries and off-ice setbacks have repeatedly interrupted what could have been one of the league's most dominant careers, leaving the Avalanche to answer a question that doesn't have an easy solution.
Do you move one of the best playoff performers in franchise history while he still carries significant value? Or do you trust that a healthy offseason finally allows him to become the player everyone inside the organization knows he can be?
There's a compelling case for both.
When Nichushkin is healthy, he is one of the most efficient and impactful skaters on Colorado's roster. He can score in bunches, and when he finds his rhythm, he has a tendency to take over games.
Nichushkin finished the season with 17 goals and 32 assists for 49 points in 72 games. He scored in just 12 of those contests, but four of them were multi-goal performances, including a hat trick on New Year's Eve in a 6-1 rout of the St. Louis Blues — the same night Nathan MacKinnon scored his 400th career NHL goal.
Beyond the production, Nichushkin does countless things that don't always show up on the scoresheet. He has underrated puck skills that allow him to carry the puck into the offensive zone with possession, his speed makes him one of Colorado's best forecheckers, and his combination of size and hockey IQ helps him win battles along the boards and extend offensive-zone time.
He's exactly the type of power forward every contender wants.
The problem is that he isn't always available.
In fact, Nichushkin shares an unfortunate distinction with Hockey Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux: he has never played a full 82-game season. The closest he came was during the 2013-14 and 2015-16 campaigns with the Dallas Stars. Throughout his career, injuries have consistently interrupted his seasons, and in recent years, so have off-ice issues.
On April 22, 2023, Avalanche staff found a heavily intoxicated woman in Nichushkin's room at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seattle before Game 3 of Colorado's first-round playoff series against the Kraken. The team doctor called emergency services, the woman was transported to a hospital, and Nichushkin abruptly left the team.
No criminal charges were filed against Nichushkin, but he returned to Denver and did not play again as Colorado's Stanley Cup title defense ended in seven games. Nichushkin later revealed he would have returned had the Avalanche advanced to the second round.
Less than a year later, in January 2024, Nichushkin entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, and the Avalanche announced he would be away from the team indefinitely.
The program consists of four stages. Stage 1 involves an initial in-patient treatment program with no disciplinary penalty. A violation of the Stage 1 treatment plan moves a player into Stage 2, where he can be suspended without pay during active treatment before becoming eligible for reinstatement.
Stage 3, which follows a violation of the Stage 2 treatment plan, carries a suspension without pay for at least six months before reinstatement can be considered. Stage 4, following a violation of the Stage 3 treatment plan, results in a suspension of at least one year, with no guarantee of reinstatement.
Nichushkin completed treatment in late February 2024 and entered follow-up care under the Stage 2 treatment plan. He returned to the Avalanche on March 8 and still managed to finish the regular season with 28 goals.
Then came another setback.
After scoring nine goals in eight playoff games during Colorado's first-round series victory over the Winnipeg Jets, Nichushkin failed a drug test, was suspended for six months without pay, and entered Stage 3 of the Player Assistance Program.
Since returning, however, there have been no public issues. Head coach Jared Bednar repeatedly said throughout this past season that Nichushkin was in a great place mentally and had become an important presence inside the locker room.
That part of the story is often overlooked.
Nichushkin isn't someone who seeks the spotlight. If Nathan MacKinnon is quiet around the media, Nichushkin is even more reserved. Yet Bednar has spoken about how younger players gravitate toward him because he's approachable and easy to relate to. It's also no secret that he and goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood have developed a close friendship.
His statistical decline this season wasn't entirely his fault.
After Colorado's 4-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Nov. 11, Nichushkin had five goals and seven assists for 12 points in 17 games. In that game, though, he blocked a shot and suffered a lower-body injury that sidelined him for nearly a month.
Only a month after returning, Nichushkin was involved in a car accident on his way to the rink and missed a 5-2 victory over the Washington Capitals. He later dealt with an upper-body injury in early April before suffering another lower-body injury in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final. He missed the final 22 minutes of that game and Game 4 as Colorado was swept by the Vegas Golden Knights.
There may not have been a player more ready for the offseason than Nichushkin.
A healthy summer devoted entirely to recovery and conditioning could set him up for another productive campaign.
People also tend to forget what he has already sacrificed for the organization. Nichushkin has fought for this team, played through pain for this team and helped deliver a Stanley Cup.
During the 2022 Stanley Cup Final, he played Game 6 with a broken foot and still produced four goals and two assists in the series. Those four goals tied a franchise record shared by Joe Sakic and Alex Tanguay for the most in a Stanley Cup Final.
That's the version of Valeri Nichushkin the Avalanche are betting still exists.
Colorado could certainly explore moving his $6.125 million cap hit after creating additional flexibility with the Ross Colton trade. A left-shot defenseman or a younger, more physical forward could make sense on paper.
But there's another way to view it.
Nichushkin is 31 years old, not 36. His recent postseason numbers — five goals over his last two playoff appearances — don't erase the 19 goals he scored in the previous three postseasons, nor do they erase the reality that, when healthy, he remains one of the NHL's most dominant playoff wingers.
That's why the smarter approach may simply be patience.
Give Nichushkin a healthy offseason. See what he looks like over the first half of next season. If he returns to the player Colorado knows he can be, the Avalanche keep one of the league's most unique forwards. If not, his combination of production and contract certainty still makes him a valuable trade asset at the deadline.
If the Avalanche can find a way to retain Jack Drury and Brett Kulak while working within the nearly $7 million they have left in cap space, even better. The downside, however, is that it could leave Brent Burns as the odd man out.
But for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations, moving on from Valeri Nichushkin now might be the bigger gamble.
On Friday morning at the Jonathan Toews Sportsplex in Winnipeg, one of the most emotional moments of an already deeply moving retirement speech came when Toews began working his way through the teammates who defined his historic NHL career, and the first name mentioned was one that surprised nobody in Patrick Kane.
The two arrived in Chicago together, were drafted back to back in 2006, and spent the better part of 16 seasons as the engine behind one of the most celebrated dynasties in 21st century hockey.
From their rookie season in 2007 all the way through Kane's trade to the New York Rangers in 2022-23, Toews and Kane were one of the best duos the sport has ever seen, winning three Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks and built a bond that clearly ran far deeper than the rink.
"Kane came in with me as a rookie, we're kind of an odd couple for a lot of those years, especially when we were rooming together," Toews laughed.
"Going through the journey with a young player like himself definitely took the pressure off me, but at the same time, a guy like that is going to push you to get better and his commitment to the game and the career he's had. I get to look back and be thankful I got to play with a player like him."
Toews closed his NHL career having played 1,149 games, recording 383 goals and 529 assists for 912 points, numbers that tell only part of the story of a player whose value was always measured in championship rings and leadership as much as individual statistics.
Kane, meanwhile, is not yet finished writing his own chapter as the Detroit Red Wings winger put together a strong 2025-26 campaign, posting 57 points in just 67 games, and is widely expected to return to the ice next season despite not yet signing an extension with Detroit.
When he does return, he will carry a distinction that no other player in the league can claim, as the last remaining active player from those legendary Blackhawks teams, a living piece of hockey history skating on into a new era while his former partner steps away from the game for good.
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MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JUNE 12: Jacob Misiorowski #32 of the Milwaukee Brewers walks off the mound after the third out of inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at American Family Field on June 12, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, the slump is on. While it’s not surprising for any team to slump for a few games, and even less surprising for an injury-laden squad to do so, it’s still been quite a turnaround for a team that held baseball’s best record for quite a while. After going 1-6 in their last seven games, with three consecutive series losses (two shortened by rain), the Braves are now a full game behind the Dodgers in the best record race. They’re a half-game ahead of the Brewers, who come to town for a holiday weekend series.
If you were hoping that maybe the Braves could change their fortunes with a new series, well… uh… maybe shunt those hopes onto tomorrow. Because, tonight, the pitching matchup involves Martin Perez and Jacob Misiorowski.
The Miz, as he is affectionately called these days, has basically been eating MLB batters for dinner. He already had an impressive debut in 2025, putting up 1.2 fWAR and a 104/88/89 line (ERA-/FIP-/xFIP-) in 15 appearances (14 starts), but 2026 has been worlds apart. Through 14 starts, Misiorowski has completed 87 innings with a 33/40/49 line. We used to talk about Chris Sale and Spencer Strider video game numbers, and, honestly, these are even better than those numbers. The Miz has 3.9 fWAR and it’s not even July yet; he leads MLB in pitching fWAR, FIP-, and xFIP-, and is second by a smidge in ERA- to boot. While his April was very good, things have taken a turn for the sublime when the calendar turned to May. In his last eight starts, Misiorowski has an 80/9 K/BB ratio, and a 4/18/38 line. Those don’t even seem like real numbers.
He’s coming off one of the greatest MLB pitching performances ever, a near-perfect game where he faced the minimum (but had a hit off him) and threw just 95 pitches while striking out 15 Phillies. Those Phillies weren’t mired in terrible offensive doldrums and the Miz diced ‘em up. What will happen to the Braves? Well, watch and witness, I guess.
To do battle against Misiorowski, the Braves will deploy Martin Perez. At one point, this was tabbed as a Chris Sale-Miz matchup, but the Braves are definitely not yet (or ever?) in the “give Chris Sale as many starts as humanly possible” operating mode, so… Perez it is. To his credit, Perez has taken over the “unexpectedly pretty good starter” position from Bryce Elder, and his season line now sits at 0.8 fWAR and a 70/93/94 line in 62 total innings, which is certainly way better than anyone was expecting out of him. Due to the phenomenon I still think of as Perez pachinko, it’s pretty hard to know exactly what you’re going to get out of him other than a relatively short outing, but maybe he can help keep the score fairly close if nothing else.
On Friday morning at the Jonathan Toews Sportsplex in Winnipeg, the hometown hero officially announced his retirement from the NHL, closing the book on a 17-year career that cemented his legacy as one of the greatest winners the sport has ever produced and arguably the finest athlete Manitoba has ever given the world.
Toews admitted he was more nervous than he expected to be, but spoke with the same calm, measured presence that defined him throughout his playing days, working his way through a lengthy and heartfelt speech that touched on the people, the moments and the memories that shaped everything he became.
He began with the Chicago Blackhawks, the organization that drafted him third overall back in 2006 and gave him the stage to become a legend. Toews described his time in Chicago as going by in the blink of an eye, calling it a special chapter he remains deeply grateful for.
He thanked former general manager Stan Bowman and head coach Joel Quenneville before reflecting on the three Stanley Cups that defined the Blackhawks dynasty, recalling the surreal feeling of winning the first one and the almost incomprehensible moment of bringing the Cup home to Winnipeg, describing the experience of having it sitting in his living room and barely being able to process that any of it was actually happening.
As the first teammate he wanted to single out, Toews turned to Patrick Kane, his longtime linemate and the other half of one of the most celebrated duos in modern NHL history.
"Patrick Kane came in with me as a rookie. We're kind of an odd couple for a lot of those years, especially when we were rooming together," Toews laughed.
"Going through the journey with a young player like himself definitely took the pressure off me, but at the same time, a guy like that is going to push you to get better and his commitment to the game and the career he's had, I get to look back and be thankful I got to play with a player like him."
Toews also extended gratitude to Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Patrick Sharp, describing the veteran core as big brothers who helped shape his understanding of leadership and what it meant to be a captain in the NHL. He thanked the Chicago faithful as well, noting that the pace of the game rarely allowed him to stop and appreciate what was happening around him.
Toews reflected on how the NHL demands you always be focused on what comes next, leaving little time to smell the roses, but said the ovations he received from the Chicago crowd caught him off guard and that being able to skate around and soak it all in served as a powerful reminder of just how special his years with the Blackhawks truly were.
Toews finished his tenure with the Blackhawks with 372 goals and 511 assists for 883 points in 1,068 games, adding 119 points in 137 playoff games across 16 seasons.
When he turned his attention to the Winnipeg Jets, Toews began by singling out Jets chairman Mark Chipman, calling him a hero and crediting his work in bringing the NHL back to Winnipeg as nothing short of monumental.
"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to live out my dream of pulling on that Jets sweater and playing in front of my hometown community, my family, my friends, all the people that have supported me over the years. It meant a lot to them and it means a lot to me," Toews said.
He thanked general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff and head coach Scott Arniel for taking a chance on a player who had been away from the game for two years and represented something of an unknown commodity.
"I know I was kind of a wild card, not knowing what this year would look like, having been away from the game for two years," Toews explained.
"It's a business and you guys are out there to win and I can't thank you enough for your patience and your support, helping me find my way and be part of this locker room and this team."
Toews spoke warmly about his Jets teammates, laughing as he noted he had collected more nicknames in one season in Winnipeg than in his entire career before it, and was quick to praise the culture Cheveldayoff and Arniel have built within the organization, noting it was not something that happened overnight.
"Even though I feel like I struggled on the ice and didn't quite contribute the way I wanted to at times this year, you guys made me feel part of the group right away."
He spoke to the resilience of the group throughout a season that did not end the way any of them had hoped, and offered words that carried the weight of someone who has lived through both the highest highs and lowest lows the game has to offer.
"I wish I could have done more, I wish we would have had a little bit more team success. I think we all wanted that this year, and you guys just kept showing up every day, ready to work and have fun and that starts with you guys."
Toews went on to thank the training staffs of both the Blackhawks and Jets before reflecting on the personal journey that brought him to this moment, one that included prolonged health battles that left him uncertain whether he would ever play again.
"I think, when you're heading into the unknown a little bit and your whole life has kind of been structured and predictable from one year to the next, it is not easy. Sometimes I catch myself wishing that things had gone differently, and I could have finished my career on a different note these last five years or so, but truth be told, I'm grateful for the struggle and the learning experiences I've been through," Toews noted.
"Ironically, I feel like I've learned so much more about myself and about life through the low points than I ever did when my career was at its height."
He closed by thanking his family for consistently putting their own needs aside to support his dream, and offered a final word to the city that raised him.
"The old saying goes, it takes a village. In my case, it couldn't be more true. Too many people to name, my coaches, childhood friends, people all over the city of Winnipeg. It was super special this year to reconnect and cross paths with people I haven't seen in 15, 20 years. It's just special to see what the Jets and hockey means in the city and thank you all for everything."
To close out his speech, Toews spoke directly to Jets fans one final time.
"Lastly, thank you to our loyal Jets fans and the city of Winnipeg. Something special about being from this city. I'm so proud to be from Winnipeg and thank you guys for making this year so special. I hope I represented you guys well over the years, so thank you very much."
Among the most decorated players of his generation, Toews leaves the game with a resume that will make Hall of Fame voters take little time in making their decision. He won three Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013 and 2015 with the Blackhawks, capturing the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2010.
At the international level, he was equally dominant representing Canada, winning two Olympic gold medals with Team Canada in 2010 and 2014, a World Junior Championship gold medal and a World Championship gold medal, becoming one of the rare players in hockey history to complete the Triple Gold Club.
Individually, he was a Frank J. Selke Trophy winner as the league's best defensive forward, a Mark Messier Leadership Award recipient and was named Winnipeg's Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy nominee this past season.
It was a fitting final scene for a player who began his hockey journey with the Winnipeg Warriors U15 AAA and the Winnipeg Jr. Jets, and who ends it in the same city, having represented it with distinction every step of the way.
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TOKYO, JAPAN - MARCH 08: Tsung-Che Cheng #1 of Team Chinese Taipei celebrates after hitting a solo home run in the sixth inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool C game between Chinese Taipei and South Korea at Tokyo Dome on March 8, 2026 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Lehigh Valley IronPigs 5, Worcester Red Sox 4 (BOX)
After falling behind 3-0 early, the Woo Sox battled back to tie the game on three solo home runs. Max Ferguson hit his first of the year, Tyler McDonough his second, and Tsung-Che Cheng his seventh. Cheng had a big day, going 3-for-5. Mikey Romero and Allan Castro also contributed two hits apiece, part of a 13-hit effort from the Woo Sox. Kristian Campbell (.217 BA) was 1-for-4.
Starter Raymond Burgos went five innings, allowing three earned runs and striking out four. Devin Sweet fell to 1-4 in relief, allowing two runs in the sixth inning to the IronPigs (PHI) for the loss.
Worcester will play at 6:45 this evening and has not yet announced a starter.
The Sea Dogs matched the Woo Sox effort with 13 hits of their own against Somerset (NYY) on Thursday, and were able to pull out a one-run affair. Portland got two-hit efforts from Marvin Alcantara, Will Turner, Brooks Brannon, and Stanley Tucker. A home run from Will Turner capped a four-run second inning, as well.
Will Turner gives Portland the lead with a solo shot.
The Boston Red Sox prospect has nine home runs and 21 RBI in Double-A this season. pic.twitter.com/RXyPU9CMmK
Hayden Mullins struggled in the start for the Sea Dogs, allowing nine baserunners and three runs in three innings. Michael Sansone got the win, going 5 ⅔ innings, and allowing three runs, before giving way to Cade “don’t call me George” Feeney for the save. Yes, Mister Matthews.
John Holobetz (3-3, 4.70) will toe the rubber at 6:00 tonight.
Jersey Shore BlueClaws 8, Greenville Drive 5 (BOX)
A 1-1 game entering the fifth, things got ugly fast against the BlueClaws (PHI), when they exploded for a seven run inning. Tyler Davis allowed six of those runs, getting the loss. The Drive fought back a bit in the eighth inning with four runs, including a Luke Heyman home run, part of a two-hit day. Yophery Rodriguez also homered, his 11th, in the loss.
The Drive will send Kyson Witherspoon (2-3, 5.28) to the hill at 7:05.
Salem RidgeYaks 10, Fredericksburg Nationals 5 (BOX)
The RidgeYaks had just six hits on the day, but still managed to get ten runs, thanks to eight walks from Fredericksburg (WAS) and two errors.
Salem got three runs apiece in the second, seventh, and ninth innings. Right fielder Andrews Opata homered in the ninth inning to break the game open. Avinson Pinto and Andruw Musett each had two RBI games.
Control was not the story of the day in this one, as Salem pitching walked twelve, to go along with the eight from the Nationals. Six of those walks came from reliever Joey Gartrell. Cole Tolbert didn’t allow an earned run in three innings as the starter, and Harry Blum got the win with 2 ⅔ hitless innings.
Brady Tygart (0-0, 5.79) takes the mound at 6:35 tonight for the ‘Yaks.
The Ducks' 2025-26 season has been over for just over a month and with the 2026 NHL Entry Draft just around the corner, it feels like a good time to start recapping this past season for each player in the organization.
Today's edition of 'By the Numbers' will feature players who wore Nos. 11-20 this season.
If you missed the previous edition of 'By the Numbers', you can click here to read it.
Mason McTavish
2025-26 was a very mixed bag for McTavish. He missed the start of training camp due to a contract dispute, but got off to a hot start in October and November while playing on a line with fellow youngsters Cutter Gauthier and Beckett Sennecke.
However, the second half of his season was a bit more inconsistent. Some of that can be attributed to being split up from Gauthier and Sennecke, but McTavish was also given the opportunity to fill in as the top line center while Leo Carlsson was recovering from surgery to remove a Morel-Lavallée lesion and still wasn't able to produce consistently, even with the increased ice time.
An upper-body injury in late January sidelined McTavish for six games, and things didn't get much better for him upon his return as he managed just 11 points in the final 26 games of the regular season. A shift to the wing and a couple of healthy scratches in mid-March and twice during the playoffs have caused trade rumors to crop up this summer.
With McTavish under contract for five more years, this situation feels much different from what transpired last June, when Trevor Zegras was dealt for the Philadelphia Flyers for Ryan Poehling. Moving on from McTavish now would signal that general manager Pat Verbeek does not believe McTavish is capable of being the Ducks' 2C behind Leo Carlsson. 2025 10th overall pick Roger McQueen may get a look during training camp this fall, but it's unfair to expect him to come in right away and have an immediate impact like Sennecke did last October.
Mikael Granlund is more than capable of acting as a second line center, but he is 33 and missed 24 games this past season due to various injuries. The aforementioned Poehling can also fill in in a pinch, but is more suited for a third line role on a perennial playoff contender, which the Ducks hope to be moving forward.
Improving his foot speed and defensive habits are two focus points that McTavish touched on during his exit interview in May. A faster, more defensively-inclined McTavish, while maintaining his offensive abilities, would dissuade any worries that have started.
Jansen Harkins
When Harkins signed a two-year contract with the Ducks on the second day of Free Agent Frenzy in 2024, not much was made of it. It appeared to be a simple signing to strengthen the Ducks' AHL depth. But just four games into the regular season, Harkins was recalled by the Ducks after Frank Vatrano returned home for the birth of his second child. After being sent down following that game, Harkins was again recalled 11 games later and remained on the NHL roster for the rest of the season.
Harkins likely would have been on the 2025-26 opening night roster if he hadn't suffered an upper-body injury during a preseason game against the Los Angeles Kings. He missed a month with the injury before returning to the NHL roster and was a regular fixture in the bottom-6 up until December. He, along with Nikita Nesterenko, was a healthy scratch for almost the entire month.
May 6, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Anaheim Ducks center Jansen Harkins (24) shoots and scores an empty net goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during the third period of game two of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Upon his re-insertion into the lineup on Dec. 22, Harkins once again became a regular in the bottom-6 before suffering a hand injury in late March. Hand surgery ruled him out for a minimum of four weeks and he didn't return to game action until Game 2 against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Harkins is a pending UFA and, at his best, is a reliable depth forward who forechecks well, brings energy and can play on the penalty kill. He is also capable of playing all three forward positions. His price tag shouldn't be too high in the event of a return, but there are also several players from AHL San Diego who need to get NHL action at some point or be moved on from (Ex: Nathan Gaucher).
Ryan Poehling
As mentioned above, Poehling was acquired from the Flyers in the Trevor Zegras deal and demonstrated his ability to be a jack of all trades during his first season with the Ducks. He began the season as the team's fourth line center, but was elevated to the third line after Granlund suffered a lower-body injury eight games into the season.
Granlund's return in November ironically coincided with Poehling being sidelined due to a back injury. He missed seven games with the injury before returning, but continued to nurse it throughout the season. Poehling continued to provide secondary scoring in his role as a bottom-6 forward, even getting elevated to the second line for a bit in February. His stellar debut season with the Ducks was good enough to earn him a four-year contract extension, which was signed on Mar. 5. His contract carries an AAV of $3.75 million.
Depending on how things shake out with McTavish this summer, Poehling will likely be the Ducks' third line center next season. He is a vital part of the penalty kill, forming a tandem with Alex Killorn on the top unit. His season came to a premature end after he was on the receiving end of a violent hit from defenseman Brayden McNabb in Game 5 of their playoff series against the Golden Knights. Poehling has a history of concussions, so there was concern about the after-effects. Fortunately, the Ducks announced in their season-ending injury report that Poehling did not have any lingering symptoms.
Jeff Viel
Another player whose addition to the roster initially received mixed reactions, Viel was acquired from the Boston Bruins on Jan. 16 for a 2026 fourth-round pick and made his Ducks debut the very next day against the Kings. He did his best to have an immediate impact, fighting Samuel Helenius in the first period. He would then have three points (two goals) in the next three games, quickly endearing himself to the Anaheim faithful.
A gritty forward, Viel found himself playing all over the lineup, with head coach Joel Quenneville finding plenty of ways to deploy him. But Viel saved his best for last. For the first round of the playoffs against the Edmonton Oilers, Quenneville chose to run a line of Viel, Tim Washe and defenseman-turned-forward Ian Moore against one of the NHL's best players in Connor McDavid. Their job would be suppressing the Oilers star as best as they could, and they did quite well. Viel also had two big goals in Games 3 and 4, both of which the Ducks won. His impact wasn't as profound in the Vegas series, but he did provide two assists, with both again coming in Anaheim victories.
Viel is also a pending UFA and finds himself in uncharted territory after setting a new career high in games played. His sandpaper style of play is attractive to many teams and his performance on the national stage surely will not go unnoticed. It's possible that he prices himself out of the Ducks' price range thanks to those performances.
The Montreal Canadiens are in need of an upgrade at their second-line center spot. Because of this, they have been viewed as a potential fit for New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck, who is one of the NHL's top trade candidates.
While Trocheck would have the potential to be a nice pickup for Montreal's 2C spot, it appears that he is not on the Canadiens' radar.
"Many of the teams believed to have interest are the same as The Athletic reported in March, but others have emerged as potential suitors in recent weeks. The Montreal Canadiens are not one of them, according to a league source, who noted there has been no contact between the two clubs about Trocheck," Mercogliano wrote.
With this update, it seems very unlikely that the Canadiens will be the landing spot for Trocheck this off-season. While the Pittsbrgh, Pennsylvania native could be a nice pickup in theory for the Habs, he is also 32 years old, and the Rangers want a lot for him in a move. Due to this, it would make sense for the Canadiens to explore other options who would be a long-term fit on their roster.
In 67 games this past season with the Blueshirts, Trocheck had 16 goals, 37 assists, and 53 points.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 17: Otto Lopez #6 of the Miami Marlins bats against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on June 17, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Marlins defeated the Phillies 12-4. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You probably don’t remember the hiccup in time when infielder Otto Lopez was a San Francisco Giant, but it did happen. For 5 weeks or so, the team had a 25-year old second baseman who had hit .300/.365/.413 in 2,255 minor league plate appearances. Then, they designated him for assignment and he was claimed by the Marlins. Since then, he’s hit .275/.322/.395 across 2+ seasons (1,343 plate appearances) and with some well above average defense has amassed 7.8 fWAR. This year, he’s playing at an All-Star level: .336/.368/.473 (132 wRC+), 2.9 fWAR. He’s been exactly as valuable as Luis Arraez, but was this another miss by the previous front office?
You know, it’s pretty interesting to chart how we got to the “Aw, geez, I’m just trying to figure it out; baseball is hard” dynamic of the current front office. A general disgust and distrust of computer numbers and “phantom” value, certainly some anti-Dodger sentiment mixed in, and the inability to find a proper post-Bochy figurehead in the dugout; but mainly, the missteps and misfires piled up. I think six seasons was good and plenty for that experiment, but I’m starting to wonder if Buster Posey & Zack Minasian are simply speedrunning the Zaidi era.
Both Posey & Zaidi were both wiz kids in their respective areas of the industry. Both hired similarly inexperienced GMs to work under them. Both hired new managers after their first season on the job — those managerial choices were extremely controversial (for wholly different reasons, of course). Those managers were both well-groomed and appearance-focused. They both were prone to word salad. They both ticked off beat writers and fans alike for basically the same reason. Their managerial choices were somewhat inscrutable, though Gabe Kapler’s strategizing worked out more often than Vitello’s has. But, Buster has undermanaged and understrategized with the roster while Zaidi overmanaged and overstrategized. Both have had managers receive their vote of confidence only to see that manager lose control of the clubhouse (or, in Vitello’s case, never really seem to have had it at all). The key difference might be the upcoming minor league talent, which appears to be thriving a lot more under the new regime.
I mention all this because the Miami Marlins, led by Peter Bendix as the President of Baseball Operations, and now Gabe Kapler as their GM, seem to be what it would’ve looked like if the Zaidi era had gone right. A steady stream of important trades and savvy waiver & rule 5 pickups coalescing into a scrappy team that doesn’t cost much but stays competitive. Part of that is “analytics,” sure, but I’m not blind to the Marlins having a lot of useful inventory to sell over the years and get back some quality, well-scouted (both by human scouts and data analysts) major league talent. Their primary starting lineup does not scream home grown:
C —1st round pick (2021) 1B — Acquired in trade with Orioles for Trevor Rogers (2024) 2B — Acquired in trade with Rays for a pair of minor leaguers (2022) 3B — International free agent signing (2019) SS — Waiver claim (2024) LF — Acquired in trade with Orioles for Trevor Rogers (2024) CF — Acquired in trade with Padres for Luis Arraez (2024) RF — Acquired in trade with Cubs for Edward Cabrera (2026) DH — Rule 5 pick (2024)
For this, the Marlins have a middle of the pack lineup (97 wRC+). I didn’t look at the pitching side, but that’s the 10th best in MLB heading into this series. If you’re the Marlins, you need to be able to stay on top of the roster by constantly reinventing it, but if you’re the Giants, all you really have to do — and, it’s not easy, as they’ve shown — is build a roster that is then supplemented by free agents rather than need to rely on them. A quick comparison.
C — Rule 5 pick (2025) 1B — Acquired in trade with the Red Sox for a bunch of dudes (2025) 2B — Free agent (2026) 3B — Free agent (2024) SS — Free agent (2024) LF — 2nd round pick (2020) CF — Gilbert: trade, Bader: free agent RF — Free agent (2023) DH — 1st round pick (2023)
Of course, the real comparison point is the results. Since Buster Posey took over, the Giants are 112-124. The Marlins over this same span are just 116-121. Well, okay, that’s not right. The other comparison point is the cost. The Giants have committed $376.2 million since the start of last season while the Marlins have only committed $144.7 million. There’s also a bit more of a lottery ticket/upside play going on with the roster — and if any of the younger players really blossom, they become trade bait that can help refresh the system and the cycle can start anew.
Has the Marlins’ approach been better? Hard to say. But the Giants have been penny wise and pound foolish. Ditching the thought of Kevin Gausman only to spend a lot more money finding a #2 starter. Their inability to draft, develop, or acquire younger players has necessitated resorting to free agency again and again.
But this ship has sailed. The Giants have turned away from the analytical approach and the notion of building a roster from the bottom up — unless, of course, Randy Winn has really transformed the Giants’ farm system into a real winner, because that would really be nice, and there wouldn’t have to be much too much consternation when a player leaves the Giants and is productive elsewhere.
Who: San Francisco Giants (31-43) at Miami Marlins (37-38) Where: loanDepot park | Miami, Florida When: Friday at 4:10pm PT, Saturday at 1:10pm PT, Sunday at 10:40am PT National broadcasts: None
Projected starters Friday: Landen Roupp (RHP 5-7, 4.24 ERA) vs. Lake Bachar (RHP 0-0, 2.97 ERA) Saturday: Trevor McDonald (RHP 2-4, 4.64 ERA) vs. Max Meyer (RHP 7-0, 2.75 ERA) Sunday: Logan Webb (RHP 4-4, 3.46 ERA) vs. Ryan Gusto (RHP 0-2, 7.24 ERA)
Players to watch
Marlins
Liam Hicks: In June, he’s been just slightly better than Otto Lopez, posting a 159 wRC+ to Lopez’s 152. He’s done so by hitting for a bit more power (.189 ISO) and a higher on base (.422) thanks to impressive walk and strikeout rates (13.8% and 10.8%, respectively). On the season, he’s hitting .280/.362/.477 with 13 home runs and 52 RBI, a 10.2% walk rate and 9.5% strikeout rate. The Marlins got him in the Rule 5 draft from Detroit. The 27-year old left-handed first baseman/catcher has been another impressive find by the Marlins’ front office.
Kyle Stowers: He was the main piece of the Trevor Rogers deal with the Orioles back in 2024 and quickly became their middle of the lineup hitter, posting an impressive .912 OPS last season in 457 PA. He started this year on the IL and got off to a fast start (6-for-his-first-15), but it was a rough April and May after those first four games (.198/.276/.331 in 134 PA). However, in June, he’s picked it back up, with a line of .241/.323/.537 in 63 PA. He’s hit 4 homers and driven in 16 over this span, too. He has an .841 career OPS against the Giants, too (44 PA).
Lake Bachar: Don’t be fooled by the name. He might sound like a sixth-billed sitcom star from the 80s, but he has swing-and-miss stuff throughout his arsenal. A ~95 mph four-seamer hitters have just a .190 BA against; a 2,669 rpm slider with a 45.5% Whiff rate, a similarly wipeout sweeper, a curveball that has a 37.5% whiff rate, a splitter, and a sinker. He’s basically a reliever, but because the Marlins have two starters on the IL (Janson Junk and Eury Perez), they’ve resorted to opener/bullpen game situations, and you can see how this arsenal makes him a perfect option. This month, Bachar has appeared in 5 games, starting 3 of them, and in 10.2 innings combined he’s struck out 13, walked 3, allowed just 3 hits and a run (0.84 ERA / 1.78 FIP).
Giants
Jung Hoo Lee: .364/.391/.364 in 6 games (23 PA) at loanDepot park and in the last calendar month (so, since May 17th; 80 PA) he’s hitting .468/.475/.597 with a homer, a triple, 5 doubles, 3 stolen bases, just 1 walk (oof), but only 3 strikeouts.
Luis Arraez: .349/.385/.454 in 105 games (446 PA) at loanDepot park is a good sign, I think. Also, in the last calendar month (so, since May 17th; 129 PA), he’s hitting .339/.362/.513 with a pair of homers, 4 triples, and 6 doubles. He spent about 7 months in a Marlins uniform but was an All-Star for them in 2023 (.354/.393/.469 over the whole season). Chances are he’ll be the Giants’ sole representative this season… unless he’s traded before the All-Star Game.
Logan Webb: He certainly looks like he’s returned to form after that IL stint. He’s made just 2 starts in his career at loanDepot park (yes, the ‘p’ in park is lower case), but they came in 2022 & 2023; so, is his 6.35 ERA in 11.1 innings a portent or a fluke? The Giants are hoping for the latter, of course, and Miami’s middle of the pack strikeout rate and high groundball rate for a lineup (43.8% — 5th in MLB) certainly suggests that a Logan Webb who’s on point will be setup to have another great game.
Prediction time
This section sure has gone off the rails, hasn’t it? I blame myself, of course, but it would be nice if I could put a poll down here in place of any rambling narrative I think up at the last minute, don’t you think? Anyway, the Giants took 2 out of 3 from the Marlins back in April, which seems impossible given how bad the team has been this season, and the Giants have also taken the series in Miami the last two seasons, which also seems impossible, given how tough the Marlins have been on the Giants, historically.
Yhe Marlins are running out two relievers to stanch the bleeding in their rotation, but they’re also 23-16 at home this season with a +30 run differential. Hmm. But the Giants also have their two best starters going in the series, and even if one of them is unsalvageable bigot, I’ll still say the Giants manage to win the series.
Chicago Blackhawks’ Jonathan Toews (19) reacts to a call during the second period of Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series against the Phoenix Coyotes in Chicago, Monday, April 23, 2012. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
AP
Jonathan Toews announced his retirement Friday, ending a decorated NHL career that included three Stanley Cups, two Olympic gold medals and a comeback season with his hometown Winnipeg Jets.
The 38-year-old center returned to the NHL in 2025-26 after a two-year absence related to Chronic Immune Response Syndrome and long COVID, recording 11 goals and 18 assists while appearing in all 82 games for Winnipeg.
Toews spent 15 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, captaining the franchise to Stanley Cup titles in 2010, 2013 and 2015 while winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2010.
He finished his NHL career with 383 goals and 529 assists in 1,149 regular-season games and was recognized as one of the league’s premier two-way forwards.
Toews also starred for Canada on the international stage, winning Olympic gold twice in 2010 and 2014, the World Cup in 2016, a world championship in 2007 and consecutive world junior titles in 2006 and 2007.
His final season allowed one of Manitoba’s most accomplished hockey players to complete a full-circle return home before stepping away from the game.
It appears the Pittsburgh Penguins are adding a franchise icon to their front office staff.
On Friday, president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas announced that the team has named Ron Francis as Special Advisor, Hockey Operations. According to the press release from the Penguins, Francis will "assist the Penguins' hockey operations leadership group with strategic planning, roster construction and optimization of all internal systems and processes to help further implement best practices within the organization."
He will also support the minor league and player development staff, and he will play an advisor role in next week's NHL Entry Draft as well as free agency, training camp, and the trade deadline.
"Ron's playing experience, management experience, and familiarity with the Penguins and Pittsburgh will be a great benefit to our organization and all members of our management team," Dubas said in the press release. "We look forward to having a person of Ron's experience and character in our front office as we continue to work to build the Penguins back into a perennial Stanley Cup contender."
A native of Sault Ste. Marie, Francis's NHL career resume speaks for itself, as the two-time Stanley Cup champion finished his 23-year NHL career with 549 goals and 1,798 points, which ranks fifth all-time. He spent eight seasons with the Penguins from 1990-98, winning both of his Stanley Cups in Pittsburgh in 1991 and 1992 and notching the best season of his NHL career in 1995-96 with 119 points.
He is a three-time Lady Byng Trophy winner (1995, 1998, 2002) and also won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2001-02 as well as the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the league's best defensive forward in 1994-95.
Most recently, Francis was with the NHL's newest team, the Seattle Kraken, starting in 2019 as their general manager and as their president of hockey operations in 2025-26. Prior to that, he spent 12 years as a member of the the Carolina Hurricanes' front office staff from 2006-2018.
Despite finishing third in the regular season table Exeter Chiefs are confident they can cause an upset at Twickenham
Prem finals do not always unfold as anticipated. Six of the last seven editions have been settled by six points or fewer and favourites are not guaranteed to have it their own way. Remember Freddie Burns’ late drop-goal to edge Leicester past Saracens in 2022? Or Harlequins coming from behind against Exeter the previous year? In Twickenham’s summer heat – it’s uncanny how often the weather plays ball – the best of plans can easily go awol.
In 2024 Bath were undone after Beno Obano’s first-half red card and 12 months ago Michael Cheika’s Leicester came within a couple of points of causing a big upset. The common denominator? Finals can be unpredictable occasions and, under pressure, what looked a dead cert last week becomes as relevant as last year’s lottery numbers.
Jun 16, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh (16) celebrates with teammates hits a two-run home run against the Miami Marlins in the second inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
The Phillies 3-9 record against the current three NL division leaders — Braves, Dodgers and Brewers — tells a pretty clear story.
Those three clubs are all significantly better than Philadelphia.
It was clear to see on the field in the two series against Atlanta, the series in Los Angeles and in the Phils’ trip to Milwaukee.
Here is how the Phils have fared against clubs currently holding down a playoff spot in the National League:
Los Angeles Dodgers (1-2)
Atlanta Braves (1-5)
Milwaukee Brewers (1-2)
San Diego Padres (6-0)
Washington Nationals (2-1)
That’s a collective 11-10 record, although more than half of those victories came against one team, the Padres.
If you factor in the American League playoff teams they’ve played, it looks like this:
Chicago White Sox (2-1)
Cleveland Guardians (1-2)
Athletics (2-1)
That would improve their record against current playoff teams to 16-14, 10-14 against teams not called the San Diego Padres.
Where the Phillies are doing real damage is against everyone else, which, makes a lot of sense.
Arizona Diamondbacks (1-2)
Boston Red Sox (2-1)
Cincinnati Reds (1-2)
Colorado Rockies (4-2)
Miami Marlins (5-1)
Pittsburgh Pirates (3-0)
San Francisco Giants (4-2)
Texas Rangers (1-2)
Toronto Blue Jays (2-1)
They’ve gone 23-13 against teams that currently do not hold a playoff spot. The Marlins came to town this week and the Phils bludgeoned them by a combined score of 15-2 in the first two games until Miami beat up on a now-demoted rookie starting pitcher, Andrew Painter.
Here’s the good news. The schedule look mighty nice heading into next month’s All Star break.
3 vs. NY Mets (33-41)
4 @ Washington Nationals (39-36)
3 @ NY Mets
4 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (37-37)
3 @ Kansas City Royals (30-45)
3 @ Cincinnati Reds (35-38)
3 @ Detroit Tigers (30-44)
Over their next 23 games, they play four games against teams with a winning record, next week in DC against the Nats. Their opponents have a combined record of 204-241 and a winning percentage of .458. The Phillies have a better record than all of them.
It’s a recipe for the success they’ve experienced since Don Mattingly took over as skipper to continue into the All Star Break.
TORONTO, CANADA - JUNE 13: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the sixth inning in their MLB game at the Rogers Centre on June 13, 2026 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees finally conquered one of their personal demons last weekend, winning a series at the Rogers Centre for the first time since September 2023. Principal to their success was the performance of the pitching staff, holding their hosts to just four runs across the final two games. Cam Schlittler was the catalyst for that stretch of shutdown pitching with his seven innings of one-run ball on Saturday to nullify another dominant start against the Yankees from his opponent, Kevin Gausman.
We join Schlittler with two outs in the bottom of the fourth. The score is tied, 1-1, following a Kazuma Okamoto solo shot in the third that Jasson Domínguez canceled out with a clout of his own to lead off the following half-inning — the only hit that Gausman would give up in his seven innings of work. With Domínguez having made it a new ballgame in the top-half and having seen how untouchable Gausman was on this given day, the pressure is on Schlittler to keep putting up zeroes.
However, he’s gotten himself into some trouble with runners on second and third with one out, Brandon Valenzuela drawing a one-out walk and advancing to third on a Yohendrick Piñango double. Schlittler then got Charles McAdoo to line out to pull within an out of escaping the jam. Schlittler could really use a strikeout, but stepping to the plate is a pesky hitter who has always been difficult to punch out in Andrés Giménez.
Schlittler’s typical M.O. against lefties is to attack early with the cutter, hoping to get to two strikes, where he can then target up and away with the four-seamer or up and in with cutters hunting the chase, whiff, and strikeout. True to form, Schlittler starts Giménez with a first pitch cutter up and in at 96 mph.
Giménez must be hunting something either low in the zone or out over the plate, because he never looks interested in offering at this cutter up and in that catches a lot of the strike zone. It’s still a devilish pitch at 96 and command to that location, and any contact would likely saw Giménez’s bat off at the handle.
Now that Schlittler has show Giménez an in-zone fastball with late movement down and in, he sequences the four-seamer trying to throw it out of the same tunnel as the previous pitch. If he can achieve that, it should look like a cutter that is going to break into the hitting are, only to then hold its vertical plane above the strike zone. The idea is to fool Giménez into chasing and whiffing under a pitch that looks the same as the previous one but does not break the way the hitter is expecting.
Of course, you actually have to execute to your spot for this strategy to work. Instead, Schlittler sails this four-seamer way above the zone. It’s a classic overthrow and a completely non-competitive pitch that achieves nothing in this encounter with respect to setting up future pitches.
Perhaps Schlittler didn’t like the way that four-seamer felt coming out of the hand, because he goes right back to the cutter with the count 1-1. Giménez was passive against the first one up and in so maybe Schlittler can extract a similar result with similar execution.
Schlittler commands this cutter to almost the same spot he hit with the first pitch of the AB except just a few inches higher. Interestingly, Giménez does swing this time at a pitch that is much harder to hit than the one he took for strike one. He has no chance of putting this pitch in play and only manages to foul it back with the handle of his bat.
With Giménez now showing a willingness to offer at the high fastball, and with the count to two strikes, all of the momentum is in Schlittler’s favor. The plan has become conveniently simplified: continue to pour in high heaters and let Giménez get himself out.
This is a perfectly located 1-2 four-seamer. It’s close enough to the zone to extract a chase but high enough to make solid contact almost impossible. Similarly, at 99 mph and in on Giménez’s hands rather than elevated but out over the plate, the hitter has zero time to pull his hands in and somewhat miraculously gets off an emergency hack to fight the pitch off foul and stay alive.
Two fastballs elevated above the zone and two chases — Schlittler simply needs to keep climbing the ladder just one rung higher than the previous pitch and eventually Giménez will be unable to raise his swing high enough to make contact.
Ask and you shall receive. Schlittler goes incrementally higher with this 96-mph cutter, and at last Giménez can’t adjust. Schlittler gets the swinging strikeout to strand the pair of baserunners in scoring position and hand it over to his offense with the score still knotted at one apiece.
Here’s the full sequence:
This sequence showcased several of Schlittler’s many talents. He has a unique ability to get chases and whiffs in bunches when he throws the four-seamer or cutter above the zone, which in addition to precise command suggests to me that his pitches just don’t move how hitters are expecting them to. We also noted that Schlittler recognized how Gausman was shutting down his teammates, necessitating that the likely All-Star be extra precise with his locations whereas he might have been able to attack the zone more freely had he been pitching with the lead.
Schlittler by his own admission was not at his sharpest in this game as evidenced by a season-high four walks. Still, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that Schlittler held Toronto to just one run across seven strong innings, a feat that very few starters in today’s game are capable of producing. I sometimes find myself falling into the trap of taking Schlittler’s ability for granted that he can go this deep in the game on a day when he doesn’t have his best stuff and/or command.
Boston, MA - May 13: Boston Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela wears the Wally the Green Monster head after hitting a home run in the sixth inning. The Boston Red Sox played the Philadelphia Phillies at Fenway Park on May 13, 2026. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
Even with the returns of Cal Raleigh and J.P. Crawford, the Mariners continue to be beset by injuries. Julio Rodriguez was held out of Thursday’s game with a minor hamstring injury and Luke Raley missed the entire series against the Orioles thanks to the flu. Somehow, the only part of the team that hasn’t been affected by injury is the starting rotation. We’ll see the return of the piggybacking strategy this weekend to alleviate the issues the six-man rotation caused over the last few weeks.
The Red Sox entered this season looking like one of the stronger teams in the AL East. They had navigated an awkward transition away from their older core, graduated a bunch of top prospects in 2025, and brought in a bunch of talented players during the offseason. Things quickly went off the rails. Manager Alex Cora was fired at the end of April after the team had limped to a 10-17 start to the season. Injuries to Garrett Crochet and Roman Anthony further depleted the talent on the roster and the lineup has been one of the most punchless in baseball. Things have gone so bad in Boston, the team is already considering selling at the trade deadline despite the gross mediocrity plaguing the entire American League.
Player
Position
Bats
PA
K%
BB%
ISO
wRC+
Mickey Gasper
DH
S
103
19.4%
6.8%
0.075
83
Ceddanne Rafaela
CF
R
272
20.2%
5.1%
0.163
116
Wilyer Abreu
RF
L
307
19.9%
8.5%
0.152
106
Willson Contreras
1B
R
292
26.0%
9.2%
0.253
153
Jarren Duran
LF
L
297
29.0%
6.7%
0.180
76
Caleb Durbin
3B
R
229
14.0%
5.7%
0.130
53
Isiah Kiner-Falefa
2B
R
132
13.6%
9.1%
0.084
96
Marcelo Mayer
SS
L
208
17.8%
7.7%
0.086
61
Connor Wong
C
R
92
228.0%
8.7%
0.101
103
It turns out, it’s really difficult to replace superstars like Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, and Rafael Devers. Those players were shipped out of Boston in the name of payroll flexibility, but the team has done an extremely poor job of replacing that talent on their roster. The result is an offense that has scored the fewest runs in the AL with a 90 wRC+. Sure, Roman Anthony was supposed to be a core piece in the lineup, and he has missed more than a month due to a sprained finger, but he had only produced a 91 wRC+ before getting injured. The lone bright spot has been the excellence of Willson Contreras. Acquired from the Cardinals to fill the gaping hole at first base, he’s been one of the best at the position in baseball this year, blasting 16 home runs and running a career high 157 wRC+.
The real problem for the Red Sox is guys like Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, and Caleb Durbin all taking a hefty step backwards this season. Combined with the lack of development from former top prospect Marcelo Mayer and you can see why the team has struggled to consistently score runs this year.
After a stint in Philadelphia where he was constantly overshadowed by the bigger names in the Phillies’ rotation, Ranger Suarez signed a huge five-year, $130 million deal with the Red Sox this offseason. He wasn’t a big name prospect, doesn’t have overwhelming stuff, but he owns a 3.25 ERA and 15.2 fWAR since joining the starting rotation full time in 2021. Excellent command, a bit of deception, and a deep repertoire all combine to help him run excellent strikeout-to-walk ratios while also limiting the amount of hard contact he allows. His sinker is one of the best in baseball and his curveball provides plenty of whiffs when he really needs to get a strikeout.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Connelly Early
75.2
22.0%
8.9%
15.7%
40.7%
3.81
4.99
Emerson Hancock
79.2
24.0%
5.4%
12.5%
41.5%
3.28
3.80
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
38.9%
34.3%
93.8
104
109
94
0.336
Sinker
13.7%
51.1%
92.3
96
103
85
0.354
Changeup
24.9%
3.4%
83.6
102
68
78
0.330
Curveball
15.1%
3.4%
79.9
105
59
77
0.390
Slider
7.4%
7.7%
86.8
100
Sweeper
0.9%
28.3%
82.2
100
Connelly Early made his big league debut last fall, showcasing strong strikeout stuff with good command. Ranked fourth overall on this year’s Red Sox prospect list, his first full season in the majors has been a little shaky this year. He moved through the minor leagues extremely quickly after being drafted in the fifth round in 2023, so it’s possible his struggles this year are simply normal speed bumps in his development trajectory. He’s got a deep six-pitch repertoire and likes to mix and match his pitch mix to avoid becoming too predictable. He’s got a pair of strong fastballs, an excellent changeup, and a trio of breaking balls to attack batters with.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Payton Tolle
58.1
25.4%
6.8%
6.4%
34.4%
2.93
3.08
Logan Gilbert
86.2
26.6%
5.8%
12.3%
32.9%
3.43
3.79
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
51.7%
41.4%
96.1
126
123
106
0.190
Sinker
20.4%
34.0%
95.0
98
94
114
0.394
Cutter
14.2%
19.9%
88.4
102
105
156
0.240
Changeup
4.3%
0.0%
88.5
Curveball
9.4%
4.7%
82.3
120
Payton Tolle raced through the Red Sox farm system last year. After being drafted in 2024, he made his pro debut the following spring and was eventually pitching in the big leagues by the end of the season. His fastball is one of the best in all of baseball; he throws hard from the left side, the pitch has tremendous carry at the top of the zone, and his 6’ 6” frame provides a ton of extension down the mound. His secondary pitches are still a work in progress but his plus plus fastball has enough quality that he can get by without a breaking ball or offspeed pitch. If he ever develops a consistent secondary weapon or two, watch out.
The Big Picture:
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Mariners
39-37
0.513
—
+23
L-L-W-L-W
Athletics
37-38
0.493
1.5
-46
L-W-L-L-W
Rangers
35-39
0.473
3.0
-12
L-W-L-L-L
Astros
35-41
0.461
4.0
-41
W-L-L-W-W
Angels
30-46
0.395
9.0
-44
L-L-W-L-L
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Rays
41-30
0.577
+6.0
+5
L-W-L-L-L
Guardians
40-35
0.533
+3.0
-7
W-W-L-L-W
Blue Jays
37-38
0.493
—
-13
L-L-W-W-W
Athletics
37-38
0.493
—
-46
L-W-L-L-W
Twins
36-40
0.474
1.5
-24
L-W-W-W-W
Rangers
35-39
0.473
1.5
-12
L-W-L-L-L
The Athletics wound up losing their series against the Pirates earlier this week but started off a four-game set against the Angels with a win last night. The Rangers were swept by the Twins, slipping down the Wild Card standings into a tie with Minnesota; Texas hosts the Padres this weekend. The Astros just took two of three from the Tigers and will get an opportunity to affect the AL Central standings even further with a series against the Guardians.
