Financial Fair Play leveling the field in Europe + should MLS teams refuse to do business with rivals?

Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros react to Crystal Palace winning their first ever trophy alongside Bologna & Newcastle ending trophy droughts. Has Financial Fair Play leveled the field and fixed soccer? Christian and Alexis break down the drama with LAFC’s Mark Delgado receiving last season’s MLS Championship ring and why MLS teams shouldn’t make trades with their rivals. Later, Christian and Alexis bring back Rápido Reactions and react to the latest transfer news and rumors across Europe.

‘We deserve a trophy’: Van de Ven claims Tottenham are ready to end drought

  • Europa League would be club’s first silverware since 2008
  • Van de Ven: Postecoglou has ‘proved all you guys wrong’

Micky van de Ven remembers being told that he would never win a trophy in his career after he moved to Tottenham. But the centre-half, who was signed by Ange Postecoglou from Wolfsburg in the summer of 2023, says the collective determination within the club to break the silverware curse will fuel them in Wednesday’s Europa League final against Manchester United in Bilbao. Spurs have won nothing since the 2008 League Cup.

“It will be a big thing, of course, because everybody knows that when you join Tottenham, you get the words through of: ‘Ah, you’re not going to win a trophy, you will be trophyless for the rest of your career,’” Van de Ven said. “All the guys that came up here were like: ‘We’re going to change something about this club.’

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New York Knicks vs Indiana Pacers Preview: 2025 NBA Playoffs series prediction, schedule, player to watch

This Eastern Conference Finals brings some deep history, going back to Reggie Miller taunting Spike Lee and Patrick Ewing dominating games (but missing a clutch finger roll). But there's also history from a year ago, when the Pacers beat the Knicks in the second round in seven games. Will history repeat itself?

When does the Knicks vs. the Celtics begin?

New York travels to Indianapolis for Game 1 of the series on Wednesday, May 21, at 8 p.m. Eastern. The series goes almost every other day the rest of the way.

New York vs. Boston Playoffs Schedule 2025

All times are Eastern (* = if necessary)
Game 1: Pacers vs. Knicks; Wednesday, May 21 (8 p.m., TNT)
Game 2: Pacers vs. Knicks; Friday, May 23 (8 p.m., TNT)
Game 3: Knicks vs. Pacers; Sunday, May 25 (8 p.m., TNT)
Game 4: Knicks vs. Pacers; Tuesday, May 27 (8 p.m., TNT)
Game 5: Pacers vs. Knicks; Thursday, May 29 (8 p.m., TNT)*
Game 6: Knicks vs. Pacers; Saturday, May 31 (8 p.m., TNT)*
Game 7: Pacers vs. Knicks; Monday, June 2 (8 p.m., TNT)*

Players to watch

Myles Turner

Turner's had a pretty good postseason thus far, averaging 16.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 2.5 blocks and 1.8 three-pointers per game, shooting 50.9 percent from the field and 80.4 percent from the foul line. However, Karl-Anthony Towns will be a more difficult matchup for the Pacers center than Brook Lopez (Milwaukee) or Jarrett Allen (Cleveland) were in the first two rounds. On one hand, it must be acknowledged that Indiana has been one of the NBA's best teams since the calendar turned to 2025. However, they had no answer for Towns in the teams' three meetings, two of which occurred in 2024. In the lone 2025 meeting, Towns went for 40 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, three steals and three three-pointers, shooting 14-of-23 from the field. If the Pacers are to win this series, Turner will have to hold serve with Towns.
Raphielle Johnson, Rotoworld basketball analyst

Bennedict Mathurin

In a matchup between two teams with loaded starting lineups, depth should end up being a big factor. Bennedict Mathurin had a lot of success against New York during the regular season, and his instant offense could be the difference for Indiana. In three games against the Knicks this year, Mathurin averaged 25.3 points per game, which led all Pacers players. Through the first two rounds of the playoffs, Indiana has shot an absurd (and likely unsustainable) 50.1 percent from the floor and 40.6 percent on three-pointers. Mathurin had some strong performances against Milwaukee and Cleveland, but he also had some games where he didn't provide much. Having him at his best on offense will open things up for Indiana against a tough New York defense that has the fifth-best defensive rating in the playoffs.
Noah Rubin, Rotoworld basketball analyst

Keys to watch for in New York vs. Indiana

1) Pace

It's simplistic to say the Pacers want to run and the Knicks want to slow the game down — Indiana was top 10 in the league in offense started in transition in the regular season, New York was bottom 10 — but not totally accurate. In the playoffs, especially as teams have geared up to slow the Pacers in transition, the two teams have had about the same amount of offense started on the break.

The Knicks are actually at their best on offense when they force turnovers (or get stops) then get out and run, but they need to be selective with that in this series — if it's a track meet, Indy will win.

Pace, however, is more than running — Indiana is quicker in the halfcourt and uses that to get shots. Haliburton collapses defenses and finds the open man, but Indiana cuts and moves the ball far faster than the Knicks, and that will test New York's defense (both the Celtics and Pistons offenses are more station-to-station, the Pacers are a new kind of test). While New York moves the ball, its offense is more Brunson (and sometimes Towns) based, they can pound the ball a lot. If the Pacers get the ball flying around in the halfcourt and get clean looks because of that, it's a huge advantage.

2) Which team defends the paint better?

Both the Knicks and the Pacers were top-10 in the NBA in chasing teams off the 3-point line this season, but the cost came in allowing points in the paint (both teams were in the bottom half of the league in that stat, but the Pacers were 26th and much worse).

Whichever team does a better job of taking away those easy looks inside on drives (or in transition) will have a considerable advantage.

This is where Mitchel Robinson comes in. He didn't play in any of the meetings between these teams in the regular season and he has been the playoff X-factor for New York and will continue to be so in this series.

Rebounding is a part of the battle in the paint. Indiana has struggled on the glass in the playoffs while the Robinson-led Knicks have been beasts. Indiana has to focus on keeping New York off the glass and getting easy putback buckets.

3) Which team thrives in the clutch?

Comebacks and clutch plays could well decide this series — and both teams have thrived in them these playoffs.

New York was down 20 to Boston on the road in each of the first two games of the last series and came back to win. Indiana has three comebacks of at least 19 points to win this postseason.

Jalen Brunson has done this:

While Tyrese Haliburton has done this:

Multiple games in this series are going to come down to the wire, and it's going to be spectacular.
—Kurt Helin, NBC Sports lead NBA writer

Predictions

Jay Croucher (NBC Sports Lead Betting Analyst): Pacers in 6

From January 1 to regular season end, Indiana had the 5th-best net rating in the NBA, and a +11.5 net rating when Haliburton and Siakam shared the court. The Pacers might be a juggernaut hiding in plain sight. Indiana's pace and ball movement stand in contrast to New York's relative lack of creativity on offense.

Drew Dinsick (NBC Sports Betting Analyst): Pacers in 6

My series price is dead even, and the most likely outcome by my numbers is Pacers 4-2 (at 17%). Pacers plus the points in Game 1 is also a bet for me. Pacers have the best offensive player in the series with Haliburton (narrowly edges Brunson with a 99th percentile oEPM) and they have the two best defensive players with Nembhard and Siakam (95th and 91st percentile dEPM, respectively). I give the coaching edge to Indiana as well.

Brad Thomas (NBC Sports Betting Analyst): Pacers in 7

There's no reason to continue to doubt the Pacers. The Bucks did it, as well as the Cavaliers. Now they have the "overrated" moniker as their motto. Doubt them if you want but this is a crazy talented team.

Their biggest knock all season was their inability to play defense. However, the last month and a half of the season they were one of the best defensive units in the NBA.

They are a lethal offense with a floor general who gets others going and can find his own shot.

That's not a knock on the Knicks. It just feels like a massive let down after knocking off the defending NBA Champs. The price on the Pacers to win the East is too good to pass up.

Kurt Helin (NBC Sports lead NBA writer): Knicks in 7

This series is a coin flip. I came very close to picking the Pacers in 6, and that legitimately could happen — Indiana has more depth and more versatility than New York, and a coach in Rick Carlisle who knows how to exploit that. What is underrated about the Pacers is not Haliburton but their defense.

The Knicks bring size and a little more physicality, and in this postseason, that has generally won out. I think it will here, with Towns and Robinson being the keys that get New York back to the NBA Finals for the first time since Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca" topped the charts.

US Open’s $800m renovation to include ‘spa-like’ locker rooms

  • Arthur Ashe Stadium will be overhauled as part of project
  • Project will not use public funds or taxpayer money

The site of the US Open will undergo an $800m transformation, the US Tennis Association said on Monday, with a “top-to-bottom” modernisation of the famed Arthur Ashe Stadium and a new player performance center planned for the sprawling Queens campus.

Work at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center will be completed by the 2027 US Open, with construction taking place in phases to avoid any interruption of the 2025 or 2026 editions of the tournament.

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WNBA What to Watch Week 1: Paige Bueckers returns home, defending champs New York Liberty meet Indiana Fever

Opening weekend in the WNBA has come and gone with eight matchups taking place in the first three days of the regular season.

History was made with the first WNBA regular season game ever being played at the Chase Center for Valkyries vs. Sparks and the Liberty watched their first-ever championship banner hit the Barclays Center rafters.

But history couldn’t occur without also some major drama. All of the talk in WNBA circles right now is the aftermath of the Fever’s home opener against rival the Sky where Caitlin Clark committed a take foul on Angel Reese and as a result the WNBA opened an investigation into hate comments within Indiana’s Gainbridge Fieldhouse toward Reese. This all comes just days after the league announced their new campaign “No Space for Hate” a platform meant to target instances like these.

Once again the WNBA is enduring narratives questioning the league’s physicality following the flagrant foul from Clark and Reese’s subsequent reaction. Former WNBA player Chiney Ogwumike hopped onto ESPN’s First Take to explain that hate shouldn’t be tolerated in basketball and that the flagrant foul was a part of the game.

She explained that she saw tension between the Liberty’s Jonquel Jones and Chelsea Gray of the Aces in New York and then technicals flew in Connecticut after Washington’s Shakira Austin and Connecticut's Kariata Diaby were battling for position.

”This happens in the WNBA,” she said. “The WNBA is what a lot of people celebrate the NBA for embracing right now. It’s a physical league. This had gasoline because it had two megastar players, household names, but my number one theory is if the players are unbothered we should be too.”

In addition to drama, there was some injury news that rocked the league within its first few days of play. Sparks wing Rae Burrell lasted 41 seconds in the Sparks first game of the season before going down with an injury where she couldn’t put a lot of weight on her right knee. The Sparks expect Burrell to miss anywhere from six-to-eight weeks. So she’ll be out for a couple of months. Also, the Phoenix Mercury announced that franchise face Kahleah Copper got a left knee arthroscopy and gave her a four-to-six week timetable to return to basketball activities. Phoenix’s center Natasha Mack injured her back and will also be out for two-to-three weeks.

Anyway, the league's first weekend also produced a ton of impressive rookie performances especially coming from Washington duo in forward KiKi Iriafin and wing Sonia Citron. In two regular season games, Iriafin has established herself as the Mystics’ second option to Brittney Sykes. And Citron has had a slew of welcome to the league moments, but that hasn’t gotten her too rattled. In two games she averaged 17 points, 2.5 assists, 1.5 rebounds, shooting 64.7 % from the field and 40 % from three equating to 25 fantasy points.

Speaking of the Mystics, they shockingly remain 2-0 heading into the first full week of play. Will that continue?

WNBA: Chicago Sky at Indiana Fever
Check out Rotoworld’s newly-launched WNBA Player News section, the best place to keep up to date with transactions, injuries, and game results around the W this season!

Here are five matchups to watch in the WNBA’s first full week of regular season play:

Atlanta Dream @ Indiana Fever

(Tuesday, May 20 at 7 p.m. ET on NBA TV)

This is the first of two games in a home-and-home series between the Dream and the Fever. Atlanta is looking to bounce back after a 94-90 loss to the Washington Mystics where Atlanta struggled to defend and allowed Washington to shoot 50.8 % from the field. Head coach Karl Smesko explained postgame that in training camp his focus was more on the offense and he wasn’t surprised that his team’s defense struggled. I highlight this first matchup because I’ll be really curious to see how Brittney Griner matches up against Aliyah Boston, a matchup Boston has historically struggled with because of Griner’s strength, size and length. While Indiana’s defense was lauded for how it played against the Chicago Sky, it’s worth remembering the backcourt personnel the Fever were defending. A strength of Atlanta’s are their more dynamic guards in Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray who are better one-on-one shot creators than Chicago’s Ariel Atkins and Courtney Vandersloot.

Dallas Wings @ Minnesota Lynx

(Wednesday, May 21 at 8 p.m. ET on WNBA League Pass)

Paige Bueckers will return to home state Minnesota to play her first game as a pro in the arena she grew up going to against the team she grew up watching. While the Lynx won this first matchup on Friday handily 99-84 after a competitive three quarters, Bueckers will look to show out against her personal home crowd in Minneapolis. I’ll be curious to see what adjustments first-year head coach Chris Koclanes makes to counter the Lynx’s aggressive ball-pressure which is what Koclanes thought hindered the pace of the Wings’ offense. While the sample size is limited, after two games played, the Lynx are the third worst rebounding team in the league. What does Dallas do to take advantage? But also even if Bueckers comes out with a more dominant stat line, Wednesday night is the Lynx’s home opener. Sure the Minnesota crowd will welcome back Bueckers, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be rooting for her.

Golden State Valkyries @ Los Angeles Sparks

(Friday, May 23 at 10 p.m. ET on ION)

Not only are the Valkyries the first WNBA expansion franchise to play in 17 seasons, but they also give the W its first same state matchup since the Sacramento Monarchs folded in 2009. On opening night these two teams played in San Francisco and the Sparks won 84-67 pretty decisively on the back of new franchise player Kelsey Plum who had a historic night scoring 37 points (11-of-19 shooting), two rebounds, six assists, five steals and four three-pointers in her Sparks debut. How does Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase attempt to neutralize Plum who she coached for years in Las Vegas as an assistant? Nakase, an Anaheim native and UCLA alumna, will return home to LA for her very first game coaching at the helm. To defeat the Sparks in this second matchup, the Valkyries will have to get out more in transition as in game one they only had nine fast break points to the Sparks’ 17.

Phoenix Mercury @ Seattle Storm

(Friday, May 23 at 10 p.m. ET on ION)

While this matchup will be on at the exact same time as Valkyries vs. Sparks, I recommend watching both on multiview. The Storm were smacked 81-59 by the Mercury in the season opener on Saturday. How will Seattle respond to that in their home opener against the same team on Friday? Storm head coach Noelle Quinn explained that she believed her team didn’t get downhill enough in that first game against the Mercury, and didn’t put themselves in position to get shots at the rim. Phoenix appeared fine without Copper as superstars Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally took the brunt of the scoring load. The only other double-digit scorer for Phoenix was undrafted rookie guard Lexie Held who had 11 points (4-of-9 shooting), two rebounds, three assists and a three-pointer in her WNBA debut. Will that be enough for Phoenix in Game 2 against the Storm? We’ll have to watch to find out.

New York Liberty @ Indiana Fever

(Saturday, May 24 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS)

New York and Indiana had strong opening weekend debuts against their natural rivals in Las Vegas and Chicago. With two of the strongest schemers in the league in New York’s Sandy Brondello and Indiana’s Stephanie White going up against each other, this is bound to be a high level basketball game. Brondello has coached both new Fever acquisitions in DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard. And White helped create a scheme that neutralized Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu during multiple WNBA semifinal games during her tenure in Connecticut coaching the Sun. A matchup to watch will be following how Natasha Cloud defends Clark and how the Liberty use their length to their advantage to stop Indiana’s second most reliable option in Kelsey Mitchell. Expect Leonie Fiebich to take on this assignment. Another matchup to pay attention to will be Jonquel Jones vs. Aliyah Boston, two very physical centers who have previously frustrated each other with physicality and frustration over who’s getting calls and who’s not. Expect this game to be physical with a ton of threes taken. That’s how some of the best WNBA games are meant to be.

Braves activate Spencer Strider from the injured list

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves reinstated right-handed pitcher Spencer Strider from the injured list.

Strider, a former Major League Baseball strikeouts leader in 2023, has made only one start this season because of a right hamstring injury that occurred during a warm-up session in mid-April.

Strider’s next start will be just his fourth since the beginning of the 2024 season. He was limited to two starts in 2024 by elbow surgery to repair an ulnar collateral ligament injury.

He made his first start in a year on April 16, a 3-1 loss at Toronto, before hurting his hamstring. He pitched a simulated game, after which he said he felt ready to return.

The Braves next play against the Nationals in Washington.

The Wraparound: Dissecting The Leafs, The NHL's Round 2 Winners And Losers And More

Welcome to a new week of the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs with rapid-fire topics on The Hockey News Wraparound Show.

Dissecting The Leafs, The NHL's Round 2 Winners And Losers And More by The WraparoundDissecting The Leafs, The NHL's Round 2 Winners And Losers And More by The Wraparoundundefined

Here's what Emma Lingan and Michael Augello discussed in this episode:

0:00: Should this be the end of the ‘Core Four’ era with the Toronto Maple Leafs?

4:50: Could this be the year this Carolina Hurricanes core finally makes its way to the Stanley Cup final?

7:40: Will Alex Ovechkin go to the KHL once his NHL contract expires?

9:40: Did the Winnipeg Jets play well enough against the Dallas Stars to deserve a better result?

13:00: Do the Winnipeg Jets have enough as a core to contend in the Western Conference?

15:25: Has Jake Oettinger become the favorite to be the Team USA starter at the 2026 Olympics?

18:00: Do the Edmonton Oilers have the depth to take down the Dallas Stars again?

21:45: Should Ken Holland and the Los Angeles Kings have been open to moving on from Jim Hiller?

25:10: What will Jack Eichel’s next contract look like? Will he stay with the Vegas Golden Knights?

See below for where to subscribe to the show for future episodes.

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Podbean

iHeartRadio

Amazon

Promo image credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Three takeaways: Experience shines through for Panthers, Game 7 was tighter than score indicates

The Florida Panthers looked pretty good in Game 7.

Is anyone really surprised by that at this point?

Florida has done nothing but show why they are built for the playoffs, overcoming adversity, injuries, suspensions and deficits in both series’ and games, and now they’re back in the conference final for the third straight season.

It took an impressive effort against the Toronto Maple Leafs, winning a pair of games at Scotiabank Arena by a combined score of 12-2 that left a fanbase desperate for some semblance of postseason success equally shocked and saddened.

Now Florida will face the Carolina Hurricanes, another team that should give the Panthers an extremely strong fight for the right to play for the Stanley Cup.

But first, let’s get to the Game 7 takeaways:

A PLAYERS’ WIN

At this point of the season, hockey players generally know what needs to be done in order to find success.

Some are able to continue doing their thing, because they are that good and can impose their will on other talented teams during the playoffs.

That certainly appears to be the case with the Florida Panthers.

Entering Sunday’s winner-take-all Game 7 against the Maple Leafs, which also happened to be the biggest game played in Toronto in over 20 years, there was a quiet confidence surrounding the Panthers.

They have a veteran room full of postseason experience, and boy did it shine through on Sunday.

“Game 7s are players’ games,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “We're at game 94 this year, there's not much coaching. We've been doing it for 93 games coming in. There's nothing new. There's no tactics.”

BUILT FOR THIS

When the Panthers hired Maurice during the summer of 2022, it was with the idea that he would make them a better playoff team.

More physical and defensive in style, more aggressive in nature and overall, just tough as nails to play against.

To say that it’s been a success to this point would be an understatement.

Maurice has shaped the Panthers into a group that combines an old school mentality with elite players that utilize the tools of today to help research, react and perhaps most importantly, recover, so they can go out and do it again in a day or two.

This team has it all down to a science.

“If the core foundation of your game is the simplest things, it doesn't matter how your hands feel, it doesn't matter how your body feels. It doesn't matter how well you execute, if it's how comfortable you are in hard situations, then you have a chance,” Maurice said. “It starts in training camp for us, it's a grinder. This has been a grinding season for us, not just because the games we played, our schedule was abusive, but that turned out to be the right adversity that we would need to play. We talk about Game 7 in training camp. Let's want to play a style of game that gives us a chance to win tonight. It gave us a chance to win tonight.”

CLOSER GAME THAN THE SCORE

Just like in Game 5, Maurice was quick to point out that Sunday’s Game 7 was not the blowout that the score would indicate.

Earlier in the series, the bounces and puck luck were going in Toronto’s favor, but later in the series, Florida started getting many of the favorable bounces, particularly around the net.

The Maple Leafs did their darndest to keep goaltender Joseph Woll clean and protected, blocking shots left and right, but ultimately, the Panthers were just too much to handle, and the fortune usually follows the deserving side.

“Those games are so tight, the emotion, the buildup to the games,” Maurice said. “When we score the first goal, we own the first 10 minutes of the first period. They own the second 10 minutes. That's it. If you flip it, they'd say, ‘Oh, they came out right.’ We came out right. They found the answer to come back at us. That's the truth, right? We scored a goal, and then we got those two (goals), and it's just a puck to the net. It's so much closer than you think, but you're going to kill these guys, and they don't deserve it. That’s seven games, and we played well. I didn't like our first period in Game 1, we played well in the two losses, we played well in Game 6 and got beat, that's how tight it is. So that's how I feel about it. I mean, the margin for error is small. Before the puck dropped tonight, there were five teams in the NHL left. Five, all of them capable of winning. The puck went our way tonight. That's it.”

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Photo caption: May 18, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Florida Panthers forward A.J. Greer (10) celebrates a goal by forward Jonah Gadjovich (12) as Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60) lies on the ice during the second period of game seven of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

MLB Power Rankings: It's a Motor City takeover

Featured in this week's MLB Power Rankings, the Tigers just keep winning, Wilmer Flores is an RBI machine, Torey Lovullo appreciates a lost art, Cal Quantrill goes immaculate, and the disappointing Orioles make a change in the dugout.

Let's get started!

(Please note these power rankings are a combination of current performance and long-term projected outlook)

MLB: Athletics at Los Angeles Dodgers
Eric Samulski breaks down some of the top waiver wire adds for the upcoming week of fantasy baseball.

**Rankings are from the morning of Monday, May 19**

1) Detroit Tigers ⬆️

Last week: 3

We have ourselves a new No. 1. The Tigers were 10-8 on April 16, but they’ve gone 21-8 since then to claw to the top of our ranks. Gleyber Torres has enjoyed a sparkling month of May and the unexpected Javier Báez resurgence just keeps trucking along.

Also, is Jason Benetti the best play-by-play announcer in the game or what?

2) Los Angeles Dodgers ⬇️

Last week: 1

The Dodgers welcomed back Clayton Kershaw on Saturday, but they also waived goodbye to their two-longest tenured position players in Austin Barnes and Chris Taylor.

3) New York Mets ⬆️

Last week: 4

The Mets’ infield issues were exposed against the Yankees over the weekend. It would be a surprise if Brett Baty isn’t the primary third baseman moving forward, with Mark Vientos seeing most of his at-bats out the DH spot. That’s how it should be, anyway.

4) San Diego Padres ⬇️

Last week: 2

Swept by the Mariners over the weekend and seven losses in their last 12 games. We’ll see how much magic is left in Jose Iglesias’ OMG sign now that it has landed in San Diego.

5) New York Yankees

Last week: 5

The Yankees got the best of Juan Soto and the Mets this weekend, with Cody Bellinger playing the hero in the finale on Sunday night. Perhaps the best sign for the Yankees this weekend? Two dominant appearances from Devin Williams.

6) Philadelphia Phillies ⬆️

Last week: 7

Don’t look now, but the Phillies are just a half-game behind the Mets in the National League East. Sunday was a good news/bad news day for the Phillies, with Mick Abel shining in his MLB debut on the heels of Jose Alvarado’s 80-game PED suspension.

7) Chicago Cubs ⬇️

Last week: 6

After crushing the crosstown White Sox over the weekend, the Cubs will bring Matt Shaw back to the big league roster. The 23-year-old struggled before his demotion last month, but he’s earned his way back after slashing .286/.409/.560 with six homers and five steals over 24 games with Triple-A Iowa.

8) San Francisco Giants

Last week: 8

We’re almost at Memorial Day and Wilmer Flores is leading the majors in RBI. What a world. Not only did Flores have a three-homer game over the weekend against the A’s, he also drew a walk-off walk.

9) Minnesota Twins ⬆️

Last week: 16

Another big jump for the Twins after their 13-game winning streak. The pitching has been the big key during this run, but how long can they keep this up with Byron Buxton, Carlos Correa, and Matt Wallner missing from their lineup?

10) Seattle Mariners ⬆️

Last week: 11

A play in three acts.

Last Monday, Julio Rodriguez appeared on track to rob Trent Grisham of a home run but the ball deflected off his glove and trickled over the fence. Frustrating, embarrassing, etc.

Later in the game, Rodriguez just didn’t have enough room to track it down. Another homer for Grisham.

Two days later, though, J-Rod got it right, finally robbing Grisham of a home run. The lesson here, kids? Practice does indeed make perfect.

11) Cleveland Guardians ⬇️

Last week: 9

Just your weekly reminder that José Ramirez is awesome. Ramirez is hitting .378 during his current 12-game hitting streak. He homered in three straight games last week and also stole three bases in a game.

12) St. Louis Cardinals ⬆️

Last week: 13

Look who has finally perked up at the plate. After failing to hit a home run through his first 30 games (101 plate appearances this season), Alec Burleson is hitting .333/.357/.815 with four home runs and 10 RBI over last nine games.

13) Kansas City Royals ⬇️

Last week: 10

With Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo on the injured list, maybe just maybe we will actually see 45-year-old Rich Hill back in the majors with his 14th team. That would tie Edwin Jackson for the major league record.

14) Atlanta Braves ⬆️

Last week: 15

Spencer Strider will come off the IL to pitch against the Nationals on Tuesday and Ronald Acuña Jr. has a couple of homers through four games on his minor league rehab assignment. Things are looking up for Atlanta.

15) Houston Astros ⬆️

Last week: 17

When the Astros acquired Isaac Paredes as part of the Kyle Tucker trade, the idea was that he was tailor-made for Daikin Park in Houston. Well, Globe Life Field actually worked out pretty well for him on Sunday as he delivered a huge moment for the 'Stros.

16) Arizona Diamondbacks ⬇️

Last week: 14

It seems like manager blow-ups are one of those things we mostly see in old highlight clips on social media, but Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo still gets it.

17) Boston Red Sox ⬇️

Last week: 12

Five losses in their last six games, but perhaps the best catch of the past week. One of those things you couldn’t do better if you planned it.

18) Texas Rangers

Last week: 18

In spinning eight scoreless frames against the Astros last Thursday, Jacob deGrom had his longest outing since April 23, 2021. The two-time Cy Young Award winner isn’t missing bats like he did during his peak, but it’s working for him just fine. He’s sporting a 2.29 ERA through nine starts this season.

19) Cincinnati Reds ⬆️

Last week: 22

The Reds swept the Guardians over the weekend and Will Benson was right in the middle of it. He’s homered in four straight games to begin the week.

20) Toronto Blue Jays ⬆️

Last week: 21

After an injury-plagued 2024 season, Bo Bichette is pretty much back to being Bo Bichette. Coming off a red-hot week, he finds himself tied for fifth in the majors with 57 hits this season.

21) Athletics ⬇️

Last week: 19

Five straight losses for the A’s and now they’ll head back to Sacramento, where they have posted a 5.81 ERA at home this season.

22) Milwaukee Brewers ⬇️

Last week: 20

Thanks in part to this amazing display of thievery from Jackson Chourio, the Brewers stopped the Twins’ 13-game winning streak on Sunday.

23) Tampa Bay Rays

Last week: 23

The Rays’ offense has been one of the league’s worst so far this season, so Josh Lowe’s return from the injured list is welcome indeed. However, it was what he did with his arm on Sunday which stood out.

24) Washington Nationals

Last week: 24

The Nationals swept the reeling Orioles over the weekend, scoring 10 runs on Saturday and Sunday against their Beltway rivals. C.J. Abrams clubbed two homers and Sunday and is now hitting .340 over 24 games since returning from the injured list last month.

25) Los Angeles Angels ⬆️

Last week: 26

The Angels move up a spot in our rankings after sweeping the Dodgers over the weekend. After saving 350 games as a member of the Dodgers, Kenley Jansen notched one against his old team on Saturday.

26) Miami Marlins ⬆️

Last week: 27

We saw a member of the Marlins pull of a first this season, and in a positive way. Right-hander Cal Quantrill unleashed an immaculate inning against the Rays on Sunday.

All the amazing pitchers in baseball and Quantrill is the first to pull it off this season. That’s the beauty of baseball.

27) Pittsburgh Pirates ⬆️

Last week: 28

Paul Skenes was awesome against the Phillies on Sunday, tossing eight innings of one-run ball with nine strikeouts. He also lost. That just about sums it up for the Pirates and new manager Don Kelly right now.

28) Baltimore Orioles ⬇️

Last week: 25

The Orioles fired Brandon Hyde over the weekend, which is one of those things that had to happen even if the club’s brutal start is more of a complete organizational failure than anything else. Baltimore has lost six straight and 12 out of 14.

29) Chicago White Sox

Last week: 29

The White Sox were outscored 26-8 while being swept at the hands of the Cubs this weekend, but this play by rookie Tim Elko was pretty darn nifty.

30) Colorado Rockies

Last week: 30

The Rockies outslugged the Diamondbacks 14-12 in a bonkers game on Saturday, which stands out for two reasons. One, the Rockies won a game. Two, it happened in Arizona and not Coors Field. One legitimate positive for Colorado is that Ezequiel Tovar is healthy again. He went 5-for-6 with a homer and a triple on Saturday.