Editor’s note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
The Sharks have signed Michael Kesselring.
San Jose signed the 26-year-old defenseman to a three-year, $13.5 million contract ($4.5 million AAV), buying up two of his UFA seasons. There were no trade protections. Kesselring was a pending RFA.
The #SJSharks signed recently acquired 26 y/o RFA RD Michael Kesselring to 3 year $4.5M Cap Hit Deal.
Kesselring is an RFA. The deal covers 1 RFA & 2 UFA seasons.
Contract is $4.5M salary each season and does not include trade protection.
Kesselring was coming off a tough season with the Sabres, posting two assists in 34 games. He was a frequent healthy scratch and also dealt with injuries.
But Kesselring broke out with the Utah Mammoth in 2024-25, notching seven goals and 29 points, skating 17:41 per game. He also was used on the second-unit power play.
The Sharks are hoping for at least that type of return to form from Kesselring.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 28: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves pitches against the San Francisco Giants in the bottom of the fifth inning at Oracle Park on June 28, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
June cannot end soon enough for the Atlanta Braves.
It was another miserable week for the Braves, as Sunday was just the latest disappointing performance despite another awesome effort from ace Chris Sale. It truly has been an entire month of struggles for the Braves, who know see that the NL East division lead is down to three games over the Phillies. However, neither Walt Weiss or the Braves seem to concerned about anyone else but themselves. The focus remains on righting the ship as the calendar turns to July.
I’m going to attempt to jog your memory. A few years back there was a guy who made a few notable plays for the Cardinals during his collegiate career. While his legs were often the focus or talk of the town, his arm was equally impressive, and he slung the ball around the field with ease more times than I can even recall. While most are aware of his accomplishments, there may be a few fans here and there that have since forgotten about the records of the young man who took the field from 2015 to 2017. I believe his name was….Jackson. Lamar Jackson.
The Heisman trophy winning QB from Florida certainly made a mark on the program, and in doing so hung 69 career passing touchdowns on the record books, a Top 10 ranking in program history even though it was only three seasons long, and included another 50 touchdowns on the ground. It would be cool to watch all 119 touchdowns wouldn’t it? Well, here is a video I’ve watched more times than I care to publicly announce. Enjoy.
The Buffalo Sabres are keeping one of their pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs) around.
According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Sabres are signing forward Beck Malenstyn to a six-year contract extension with an average annual value around $3 million.
It was known that the Sabres were working hard to keep Malenstyn in Buffalo. Now, once this deal comes to fruition, the big winger will be a long-term part of the Sabres' roster.
Malenstyn's grit and speed make him a valuable asset to the Sabres' bottom six, and they are rewarding him for it with this six-year deal.
The 28-year-old appeared in 81 games last season for the Sabres, where he recorded seven goals, seven assists, 14 points, and a franchise-record 282 hits.
The Sabres acquired Malenstyn from the Washington Capitals during the 2024 NHL off-season. In 157 games over two seasons with the Sabres since then, the 6-foot-3 winger has posted 11 goals, 13 assists, 24 points, and 473 hits. It will be interesting to see how he builds upon these stats after landing this long-term deal from Buffalo from here.
With Malenstyn staying in Buffalo, the Sabres' most notable pending UFAs remaining are Logan Stanley, Luke Schenn, Joshua Dunne, and David Kampf, who was recently acquired from the Washington Capitals in the Alex Tuch trade.
The duo played together on the Los Angeles Lakers and won an NBA championship in 2020. Adding Davis and James to the Warriors will bring championship experience and a veteran presence, but will add to an aging roster led by Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
In order to acquire Davis, the Warriors would have to work on a trade that would include sending an injured Jimmy Butler to Washington. James would have to buy in on the reunion and the Warriors’ vision and sign as a free agent.
James was paid $52.6 million this past season on the final year of his contract.
Butler suffered a torn ACL injury this past season and enters the final year of his contract. He will make $56.8 million.
The Wizards, who continue to rebuild, would likely receive a package of future first-round picks and swaps in the deal. Washington recently re-signed Trae Young to a four-year deal and drafted BYU's AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall pick.
The reunion goes much deeper than James and Davis, as the duo also won an Olympic gold medal for Team USA with Curry and coach Steve Kerr, who decided to return to Golden State as head coach.
One potential hurdle that O'Connor points out in his report is that Davis is on track for a four-year extension worth $275 million on Aug. 6.
Under the collective bargaining agreement, if Davis is traded, his extension clock would be reset and he wouldn't be ineligible to sign a full max deal until six months after the potential trade becomes official.
CHICAGO, IL - MAY 11: NBA draft prospect, Braden Smith poses for a portrait during the 2026 NBA Draft Combine on May 11, 2026 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The NBA Draft was largely a success for the Purdue men’s basketball team with two players getting drafted and two players signing deals after the draft meaning that their journeys are just beginning. Ryan and I discuss the landing spots for the four Boilermaker men’s basketball players in this episode of the Boiler Alert podcast. Ryan laments the fact that his Chicago Bulls held the rights to Braden Smith for all of a couple minutes before sending him to the Pacers. Ah what might have been…
Then, we take a look at incoming Purdue men’s basketball freshman Rivers Knight and what he will bring to the Boilermakers next season. He’s got a lot of upside especially with his size. He also spent a season playing with fellow incoming freshman Jacob Webber. That could result in some instant chemistry for the Boilermakers. With the forward position having a lot of opportunity how will the young man respond? All that and more in today’s Boiler Alert podcast.
Despite disappointments we remain indebted to an all-round talent for transforming the way in which Test cricket is played
Last year I completed a book on England’s cricket captains since Mike Brearley and the final chapter was devoted to Ben Stokes. It began with the observation: “There is jeopardy here”; it ended with the conclusion: “I would be hard pressed to name anyone in the last few decades who has done more than Ben Stokes to keep a format [Test cricket], still beloved by so many, alive.”
Jeopardy and Stokes have often been frequent bedfellows, on the field and off it. My jeopardy came in having to assess Stokes the captain before last winter’s Ashes series given that there is a long tradition of deciding the merit of England captains based upon their results against Australia. We know now it did not go so well; we also have an idea of how much torment it brought him. Yet I’m still content with those pre-Ashes observations. Of course there is always jeopardy with Stokes. We have never known what he would do next (which now includes his sudden decision to retire from international cricket). Moreover despite the recent disappointments, I think he remains one of the best captains England have had – to the amazement of most of us.
In two days, the Philadelphia Flyers will lock down their starting goalie for another five years, finally finding some security between the pipes.
On Sunday, TSN NHL insider Pierre Lebrun reported that the Flyers and Dan Vladar have agreed to a five-year contract extension worth $27.5 million ($5.5 million AAV), with some final details, likely to be pay structure or trade protection, still to be ironed out.
The Flyers, Vladar, and his camp have plenty of time to work that out, as the extension cannot officially be signed, sealed, and delivered until Wednesday, July 1, anyway.
Vladar's new contract was consistent with my reporting from last month, when the expectation was a five-year deal worth somewhere between $5- and $5.5 million annually.
Of note, Vladar still has one year remaining on his current contract at a $3.35 million cap hit, and his new contract extension will officially begin next July 1.
The 28-year-old Czech netminder will turn 29 on Aug. 20, which means that, next year, Vladar will play his first game on the new extension at the age of 30.
That will invariably carry some risk for the Flyers, who now have Vladar signed until he's 34 years old.
But, so long as Joseph Woll lives up to expectations, plays to his potential, and stays healthy, the Flyers will be able to preserve Vladar and run an efficient platoon in goal.
It helps, too, that the Flyers just drafted Martin Psohlavec and Marek Sklenicka in the 2026 NHL Draft, adding two more promising prospects to a goalie prospect group that also features Carson Bjarnason, Aleksei Kolosov, and Egor Zavragin.
Vladar figures to be the first of many re-signings in Philadelphia in the coming days and weeks, as the Flyers also need to extend forward Trevor Zegras, defenseman Jamie Drysdale, and winger Nikita Grebenkin, among other players.
The Chicago Blackhawks have been a team involved in all sorts of NHL conversations over the last couple of weeks.
That has to do with a big transaction that they made, along with some of the selections that they made in the 2026 NHL Draft.
Originally, the Chicago Blackhawks held the 4th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, but they traded it to the Buffalo Sabres in a deal that acquired them defenseman Bowen Byram.
At first, the move was met with criticism. They also had to give up pick 45 and Louis Crevier to acquire Byram. After some reflection and seeing what the Sabres did in the draft, it is clear that the Blackhawks made a move that will help their organization more than it hurts it.
With the 4th overall pick in the draft, Buffalo selected defenseman Daxon Rudolph. That was a shock, as he was expected to be the fifth blue-liner taken.
The Blackhawks believe that Byram will be a more impactful player over the next 8 years than whoever they would have gotten at four, and they feel the need to take a step in 2026-27. Byram will help them do that more than any prospect at the same position.
The Blackhawks then made two selections in the second round. First, they took Xavier Villeneuve with the 34th overall pick. This prospect had first-round grades for some scouts, and the Blackhawks made a great choice with him early in the second.
Villenueve is a slightly undersized defenseman, but he skates incredibly well and has undeniable puck-handling skills. It's trendy to compare defenders with his overall type to Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens, especially since he's going to Boston University next year, but the profiles are similar.
Obviously, a lot of development will be required for him to reach that ceiling, but the tools are there. If he were two inches taller, which isn't much in the grand scheme of things, he would have been taken much higher.
One selection later, the Chicago Blackhawks traded up from 37 to 35 to make back-to-back selections. With the pick, they took forward Ryan Roobroeck, who was once a top-ten prospect in an issue of The Hockey News.
Kyle Davidson confirmed that there was no intel that Roobroeck would have been off the board by his original pick of 37, but he felt that giving up pick 119 was worth it to make sure he got the player he wanted in Roobroeck.
This is a power forward who moves well for a big kid, has a physical element to his game, and can score goals. His compete level has been questioned in the past, but good coaching and hungry players around him should allow that to be a non-issue.
In the 3rd round, 66th overall, the Blackhawks selected defenseman Samu Alalauri. This is a player who leaves a lot to be desired offensively with his production, but his defensive game has a lot of promise.
Alalauri is always in the right spot, and he makes great breakout passes to exit his zone. These skills make it seem like there is a chance that he can develop some offense in his game, but it will never come at the expense of his defense.
After this third pick of the second day, over three hours of real time passed before the Blackhawks got back on the clock. They made two seventh-round picks in defenseman Alexander Ivanov and forward William Sorbrand.
When the draft concluded, Director of Amateur Scouting Mike Doneghey said that skating was the most important attribute they look for when they make selections this late in the draft. Everyone is a lottery ticket at this stage, so they look for the ones who are good at skating, which is the most important component for a hockey player.
Draft Grade: A
The Chicago Blackhawks get a solid A for this draft class, including the Bowen Byram trade. Instead of using an early selection in a weak draft for a player who might be good, they landed Byram, who is absolutely great.
In the second round, they took two players with high ceilings and low floors. If one or both of them hit, this draft will already be a win. There is great upside to Alalauri, who would fit in well as a third-pair guy in a few years.
The seventh round picks can't really be truly judged just days after the draft, because the odds are that every player in that round doesn't make it. However, a gem comes out now and again, just ask Louis Crevier.
The team gets an A for making a bold trade that is likely to add a number one defenseman for years to come, and volume in potential when it comes to prospects post-first round.
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While they have plenty of room to chase after UFAs, Leafs GM John Chayka has some internal business to take care of, because Toronto has four players on the roster who will be RFAs as of July 1.
Forwards Jacob Quillan, Nick Robertson, and Matias Maccelli are all pending RFAs, as is defenseman Emil Andrae, who was acquired this off-season.
Of those four players, who are all eligible for salary arbitration, here's a ranking on who is most likely to receive a qualifying offer and to be extended by the Maple Leafs ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.
4. Matias Maccelli, LW
Maccelli is coming off his first season with the Maple Leafs. Last off-season, he came in a trade from the Utah Mammoth in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2027 draft.
In 2025-26, the Finnish left winger scored 14 goals and 39 points in 71 appearances. That was an improvement on his previous campaign in Utah, when he put up just eight goals and 18 points in 55 games.
The 25-year-old is yet to reach the numbers he set in his second and third years in the NHL. Specifically in his third NHL season, in 2023-24 with the Arizona Coyotes, Maccelli set a career-high with 17 goals and 57 points, showing signs of a top-six forward.
Though last year was an improvement for him from the season prior, there's certainly room to improve for the playmaker.
There was a nine-game span in which Maccelli did not feature for the Maple Leafs, as he was a healthy scratch for a portion of the campaign.
Before that time in the press box, Maccelli played 22 games and had four goals and nine points. Since being reintroduced into Toronto's lineup on Dec. 20, his scoring consistency improved as he registered 10 goals and 30 points in his final 50 games of the year.
It's time for the Maple Leafs and Nick Robertson to go through another contract negotiation. Last season, he filed for salary arbitration. As a result, he earned a one-year deal at $1.825 million.
The 24-year-old will likely find himself signing another short-term deal when the time comes, considering the limited opportunity he's seen in the Leafs' lineup. Luckily, he's in another position to prove himself again with a new front office and head coach behind the bench.
Despite his limited role this past year, Robertson set career-highs in nearly all major categories. The 5-foot-9 left winger recorded 16 goals and 16 assists for 32 points in 75 appearances and averaged 12:40 of ice time, all of which are personal bests.
Even with steady improvement in terms of his production and numbers each season, it's been a challenge for Robertson to find a regular spot in the lineup. Even with left winger Bobby McMann out the door and to the Seattle Kraken, Easton Cowan and 2026 first overall pick Gavin McKenna are expected to have roles on the NHL roster next season.
And that's without mentioning Matthew Knies, William Nylander, Dakota Joshua and Maccelli (if re-signed) as wingers on Toronto's depth chart. If Chayka goes out and acquires another winger in free agency, that's another player to add to that list, creating a tougher path for Robertson.
Nonetheless, Robertson is a player who is capable of scoring 20 goals in the NHL.
A qualifying offer for Robertson would cost $1.825 million.
Quillan, 24, featured in about a quarter of the Maple Leafs' games this past regular season. He finished the year with one goal and three points in 23 contests for Toronto, with two of his points coming in the final two outings of the campaign, including his first NHL goal in Game 81.
Considering Quillan doesn't have much NHL experience - playing just 24 career games in the league - it wouldn't be very challenging, expensive or inconvenient for the Leafs to re-sign him. After all, he's filled in as a bottom-six center who can take shifts on the penalty kill and is relatively responsible behind the puck.
Most of his time was in the minors this past year. He contributed 14 goals and 36 points in 40 regular-season games, followed by three goals and nine points in 19 post-season affairs.
The Maple Leafs signed Quillan to a two-year contract in April 2024 after he went undrafted. That contract came after his third season with Quinnipiac University, when he provided 17 goals and 46 points in 39 NCAA games.
That deal saw the 6-foot-1 center earn $875,000 against the salary cap each year. With that, it would cost the Maple Leafs $850,000 to qualify Quillan.
1. Emil Andrae, D
Andrae seems like the most likely pending RFA to sign a contract with the Maple Leafs. He hasn't played a minute for Toronto, but the Maple Leafs acquired him from the Philadelphia Flyers, along with Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit.
In that trade, along with Andrae and a 2026 third-rounder (which was used to select goaltender Juuso Ainasto), was also goalie Samuel Ersson, who was also a pending RFA. Ersson ended up getting moved to the Ottawa Senators for a 2027 fifth-round pick.
Nonetheless, because Andrae was practically the main piece of that return from the Flyers, Chayka must have plans to sign the Swedish defenseman to a contract this summer.
The 5-foot-9 blueliner played 64 NHL games last season for Philadelphia. In that span, he scored two goals and 13 points while averaging 15:20 of ice time. Andrae had the second-best plus-minus rating with a plus-15, only behind left winger Noah Cates' plus-26.
He also featured in four playoff games out of the Flyers' 10 post-season contests, providing one assist and averaging 11:05 of ice time per game.
Andrae, 24, is set to hang around the bottom pair or a seventh-defenseman role with the Leafs next season, as Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Darren Raddysh, Morgan Rielly, Chris Tanev and Jake McCabe all sit ahead of him on the depth chart.
Regardless, it's expected that Toronto inks Andrae eventually. He's coming off his three-year entry-level contract, which paid him $903,333 against the salary cap. It would cost the Maple Leafs $874,125 to give Andrae a qualifying offer.
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Happy birthday to Frank Schwindel, and a mighty host of others.
Today in baseball history, in 2004 – At Bank One Ballpark, the Diamondbacks’ 40-year-old fireballer Randy Johnson records his 4,000th career strikeout to become the fourth player in major league history to reach the plateau. The “Big Unit” needs fewer innings (3,237.1) than Nolan Ryan (3,844.2), Roger Clemens (4,151) or Steve Carlton (4,991.1) to accomplish the feat, and other stories as well.
Today in baseball history:
1905 – At Brooklyn, the Giants tally seven runs in the first three innings off Mal Eason to coast to an 11-1 victory. Christy Mathewson leaves after five innings of shutout ball. Dan McGann paces the offense with a triple and homer, while Moonlight Graham, in his only game in the majors, takes over in right field as a late-inning replacement. Graham will have no at-bats. bat, but he will be immortalized by W.P. Kinsella‘s book Shoeless Joe and the movie based on the book, Field of Dreams.
1968 – In the first game of a doubleheader, Mickey Mantle ties the score with a two-run homer in the sixth, but rookie Reggie Jackson breaks the tie in the 8th with his ninth homer of the year.
1969 – Tony Oliva collects eight straight hits in the Twins’ twinbill split with the Royals. Kansas City takes the opener, 7-2, behind homers by Mike Fiore and Bob Oliver. Oliva flies out his first time up, then strokes three singles. In the Twins’ 12-2 win in the second game, Oliva hits two homers, a double and two singles, driving in five runs.
1984 – In Los Angeles, Steve Sax hits a first-inning triple, then swipes home, and Orel Hershiser scatters nine hits to lead the Dodgers past the Cubs and Rick Sutcliffe, 7-1. Sutcliffe will not lose again in the regular season.
The Detroit Tigers failed to split their four-game weekend series against the Houston Astros on Sunday, falling 7-5 in 10 innings after taking a 3-0 lead into the seventh. Jack Flaherty gave his team five frames of shutout ball with a whopping nine strikeouts, but the trio of Tyler Holton, Kyle Finnegan and Kenley Jansen failed in their tasks out of the bullpen.
With the 10-game homestand now in the books, the Motor City Kitties hit the road for their next six matchups starting in the Bronx against the New York Yankees on Monday. Right-hander Casey Mize, who has struggled in his two games since returning from the injured list, will open things up on the mound.
The 29-year-old has put up a 6.10 ERA and 4.46 FIP over his last two starts, which includes his most recent outing against the Yankees at Comerica Park in which he surrendered four runs on eight hits (one home run) and a walk while striking out six in 5 2/3 frames of work. That stretch saw Mize add two losses to his total and extend the streak to four defeats over his last four decisions.
Up against him is left-hander Ryan Weathers, who has found a groove over his last two starts to the tune of a 1.46 ERA and 2.62 FIP stretching across 12 1/3 innings for a pair of quality starts. That includes the last time he saw the Tigers, in which the 26-year-old allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out six across six innings for his fifth win of the 2026 campaign.
Here is a look at how the two hurlers match up in the series opener on Monday night.
Detroit Tigers (35-49) vs. New York Yankees (48-35)
Time (ET): 7:05 p.m. Place: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York SB Nation Site:Pinstripe Alley Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 85: RHP Casey Mize (2-5, 2.95 ERA) vs. LHP Ryan Weathers (3-5, 3.95 ERA)
Jun 27, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA;Chicago Cubs/ designated hitter Seiya Suzuki (27) is tagged out by Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras (24) in the seventh inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
Last Week’s Results
Monday: Brewers 2, Reds 1
Tuesday: Brewers 2, Reds 0
Wednesday: Brewers 6, Reds 5
Friday: Brewers 6, Cubs 2
Saturday: Cubs 8, Brewers 2
Sunday: Cubs 4, Brewers 3
Division Standings
Milwaukee Brewers: 50-31
Chicago Cubs: 46-38 (5.5 GB)
St. Louis Cardinals 43-38 (7.0 GB)
Pittsburgh Pirates: 42-42 (9.5 GB)
Cincinnati Reds: 39-43 (11.5 GB)
Last Week
Brewers: 4-2
Cubs: 6-1
Cardinals: 2-4
Pirates: 3-3
Reds: 2-4
Top Pitching Performance of the Week
The Brewers weren’t short on solid pitching performances this week, so we’ll make this a “Brandon” award for Brandon Sproat and Brandon Woodruff. Sproat went six scoreless frames with just one hit and one hit batter while striking out 10 in a strong showing against the Reds, while Woodruff made a pair of scoreless starts, totaling 11 2/3 innings against the Reds and Cubs with 16 strikeouts and just two hits and two walks allowed. Those two helped contribute to this crazy pitching stat:
Honorable mentions go to Shane Drohan (4 1/3 scoreless innings in his start), Trevor Megill (four scoreless innings over four appearances), Abner Uribe (4 2/3 scoreless innings over four appearances), Jacob Misiorowski (six innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts), and Kyle Harrison (five innings of two-run ball with nine strikeouts).
Top Hitting Performance of the Week
There were no clear standouts for the Brewer offense this week, as Brice Turang and Jackson Chourio tied for the team lead with seven hits, though both batted just .269 (26 at-bats each). William Contreras had the best all-around week, though, as he went 6-for-18 with a pair of homers, four RBIs, three runs, and four walks for a solid .333/.455/.667 line.
The Brewers officially activated RHP Brandon Woodruff from the injured list ahead of Monday’s series opener in Cincinnati, and his return could not have gone smoother. Across six scoreless frames, he allowed just one hit and no walks, striking out 10. Left-handed reliever Drew Rom was optioned to Triple-A Nashville as the corresponding move.
After officially clearing waivers, third baseman Luis Rengifo was released by the Brewers on Tuesday.
Reliever Abner Uribe, who was given a one-game suspension for his WWE-style crotch chops toward the Cardinals’ dugout in late May, dropped his appeal and served his suspension on Wednesday after pitching the two nights before.
Reliever Peter Strzelecki, who opted out of an outright assignment to Triple-A Nashville in late May, re-signed with the Brewers on a minor league deal on Wednesday after being released by the Yankees (who had signed him to a minor league deal). He’s now back in Nashville, where he picked up the save in a scoreless inning of work on Thursday night.
Left-hander Jared Koenig, who missed more than two months with a left elbow sprain, was activated from the injured list on Friday. Right-hander Craig Yoho was optioned to Nashville as the corresponding move.
Jun 28, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz (55) watch his team play in the seventh inning against the Washington Nationals at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images | Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: the O’s just lost a series that they absolutely should have won, all because they did a whole lot of dumb stuff.
The Birds’ latest embarrassment came against their regional rival Nationals, who completed a season series win, four games to two. The O’s dropped yesterday’s rubber game because Kyle Bradish couldn’t throw strikes, Coby Mayo couldn’t throw the ball to first, and the Orioles couldn’t figure out how to hit a guy with a 5.40 ERA. Your 2026 Orioles, ladies and gentlemen. Alex Church recapped the fruitless O’s effort.
The O’s have won just one of their last seven series — against the Dodgers, oddly enough — and are 9-13 in that span. Their defeat yesterday clinched their third consecutive losing month. They’re one loss away from matching their season-low of eight games under .500. At 39-46, they’re also just two games better than the 2025 Orioles — the gold standard of underachieving O’s teams — were at the same point of the season. And the Orioles are 0-2 since Mike Elias told reporters that he intends for the team to be buyers at the trade deadline. He’s got a little over a month to change his mind.
Three months into the season, the Orioles haven’t gotten any better. Elias and the players continue to talk a big game about how a turnaround is just around the corner, how the team just needs more time for things to click, and they’ll soon become a force to be reckoned with. There is, unfortunately, no evidence that such a thing is ever going to happen. They haven’t cleaned up their sloppy play and poor fundamentals at all; if anything, they’ve only gotten worse throughout the season. And with each passing day, the Orioles’ chances of putting together an extended winning stretch are getting slimmer and slimmer. They’ve passed the halfway mark of the schedule and are only sinking deeper into quicksand.
Adding an extra layer of pain is watching the Orioles get passed in the standings by teams that weren’t even supposed to be contenders this year, like these Nationals. The Nats were thought to be a rebuilding club that was a year or two behind the Orioles’ progress; instead, they’re an above-.500 team that has thoroughly outclassed the Birds this year.
Then there’s the Orioles’ next opponent, the White Sox, who are coming off of three straight 100+ loss seasons, including a historically abysmal 41-121 just two years ago. This year the White Sox are the most out-of-nowhere success story in baseball, leading the AL Central with a 43-39 record, 5.5 games better than the Orioles. The White Sox had barely started to rebuild and are already an exciting, hungry team full of promising young players. The O’s, meanwhile, have completely flatlined in what was supposed to be their window of contention. It’s sad.
The Orioles are overdue for a brutally honest assessment of their organization and the many mistakes that have led to this point. That kind of thorough accounting might not take place until the offseason, which means we’re stuck watching this team in its current form for the next few months.
I know that Jeremiah Jackson hasn’t hit much since his hot April, but what exactly is the thought process that leads the Orioles to send him down instead of a completely unnecessary third catcher?
Says Gunnar: “It sucks. It’s baseball.” The motto of the 2026 Orioles, everyone!
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! And happy 25th birthday to Gunnar Henderson. The O’s shortstop has already racked up quite a few accolades in his young career, including AL Rookie of the Year in 2023 and fourth place in the MVP voting in 2024. His 2026 season, as we all know, hasn’t gone quite as well. But what better day than his birthday to start turning things around?
Former Orioles born on this day include infielder Emmanuel Rivera (30), left-hander Pedro Viola (43), and righties Travis Lakins Sr. (32) and the late Dizzy Trout (b. 1915, d. 1972).
On this date in 2007, the Orioles’ Aubrey Huff hit for the cycle in a 9-7 loss to the Angels. At the time he was just the third player in the 54-year history of the Orioles to accomplish the feat, but the O’s have since done it four more times.
And in 2013, Chris Davis bashed his league-leading 30th homer of the year in just his 82nd game, part of a two-dinger day against the Yankees. He ultimately finished the season with an MLB-best 53 home runs. Man, vintage Chris Davis was something else.
Random Orioles game of the day
On June 29, 1990, the Orioles defeated the Twins, 6-2, at the Metrodome. Baltimore’s own Dave Johnson earned the win with 6.2 innings of two-run ball, and Curt Schilling — yes, that one — finished things off with 2.1 scoreless frames to earn his first career save. The O’s offense collected 12 hits, including three by Ripken brothers Cal Jr. and Billy, and catcher Bob Melvin drove in two runs. Despite the win, the Orioles remained well under .500 at 33-41.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 28: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies watches the flight of his seventh inning two run home run against the New York Mets at Citi Field on June 28, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Imagine getting to 30 home runs before the calendar even flips to July? Kyle Schwarber just did that, becoming the fastest player in team history to do so.
It’s just so impressive how each season, he seems to be getting better. The strikeouts are high, but who really cares when he hits for this much power. I feel like another high finish in the MVP vote is in the offing.
