Graeme Clarke wasn't a Senator for long last season, but he did enough in Belleville for fans to think he might earn a longer look.
At the NHL trade deadline back in March, the Senators acquired the Ottawa native from the Washington Capitals for forward Wyatt Bongiovanni. Clarke was a 2024 AHL All-Star who had back-to-back 25-goal seasons for Utica.
He found out about the deal a minute before the deadline passed.
At the club's annual golf tourney this week, Thomas Chabot was asked about the Sens captaincy.
"I get a call in a hotel room that I'm traded to Ottawa, and it was amazing," Clarke told TSN 1200 this week. "Like, I grew up going to Sens games as a kid, wearing Alfie's jersey and all this stuff.
"So just that, that itself was super cool."
Clarke was clearly energized by a chance to maybe play for his hometown team. He rolled into Belleville and immediately put up seven points in his first two games. He also credited a return to the centre-ice position, which he says he hasn't played for a couple of years, and relying more on his instincts.
Clarke closed the season with impressive AHL totals (19 points in 15 games), but despite that, he wasn't able to find a deal with an NHL organization this summer, at least not one he liked enough to sign.
So for Clarke, an Ottawa kid who grew up cheering for Daniel Alfredsson, he didn't get to play for Alfie's NHL team, but he will get to play for Alfie's old Swedish team.
Frölunda HC announced this week that it has signed Clarke to a one-year contract for the coming season. That club produced both Alfredsson and Erik Karlsson, probably the finest two players in modern Senators history.
“I’ve only heard good things about the club and the fans," Clarke said. “Frölunda is one of the best teams in Europe, with a clear goal of winning. I’ve also gotten a good impression of Gothenburg as a city. This will be exciting.”
Clarke does have a little experience in Europe. He and his younger brother, Los Angeles Kings defenceman Brandt Clarke, briefly played in Slovakia during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season. Graeme also represented Canada at the Spengler Cup last December and will compete in the event again this year, this time with his Swedish team.
Clarke wasn't part of Ottawa's NHL organization for long, but his Ottawa hockey roots run deep. He not only played AAA hockey here, but he also played for three years with the OHL's Ottawa 67s.
At 25, Clarke's NHL hopes aren’t necessarily over. A productive season in one of Europe’s best leagues could put him back on the radar of North American teams.
For now, being on the same path as the Senators' greatest player isn't a bad place to be.
By Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published in The Hockey News. For more Sens coverage at The Hockey News, click on one of the latest THN Ottawa headlines below:
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JULY 08: Gerrit Cole #45 of the New York Yankees walks back to the dugout following the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on July 08, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, when it comes to potential AL East playoff opponents, the majority want nothing to do with the New York Yankees.
For this week’s Rays Reacts poll, I asked which AL East team you least wanted to face, and the result was clear. Fifty-four percent of respondents said they do not want to face the Yankees in the postseason among the AL East options.
The result tracks with my own sentiments, which are familiar mix of respect, rivalry fatigue, and hard-earned wariness, although the numbers this season offer some encouraging context: The Rays currently lead the season series against the Yankees 6-3 (all in the first half), including an early-season sweep at the Trop.
Yet the Yankees remain the Yankees, capable of explosive offense, deep pitching, and that perennial October pedigree that has frustrated Rays fans for years. Even a favorable regular-season mark doesn’t fully erase the memory of high-stakes series that have gone the other way in the past.
Compare that to the other AL East clubs. Against the Toronto Blue Jays, the Rays have been dominant at 9-4. The Blue Jays have been the division’s soft underbelly this year, and the Rays have not missed their opportunities against the Canadians.
Against the Boston Red Sox, the season series sits even at 5-5, and the matchups have competitive and sometimes frustrating, but not nearly as strong of a problem with visiting fans as the Yankees pose at the Trop.
With the Rays sitting atop the AL East at 87-59 and the Yankees three games back at 84-62, the division race remains very much alive. The Red Sox at 80-67 are solidly in wild card contention, while the Blue Jays at 73-74 trail the playoffs by one game back.
Playoff matchups are never guaranteed: seeding, wild-card results, and the whims of October baseball will decide who lines up against whom. But if the Rays do clinch the East and earn a first-round bye or favorable bracket, the fan preference is unmistakable.
Given the current standings and remaining schedule, which includes a late September series in the Bronx, the preference may end up being tested one way or another. And when playoff time comes, you are welcome to put your money where your vote is with our friends at FanDuel, who sponsored this post.
For now, the message from the poll is simple: give us the Blue Jays or even the Red Sox. Keep the Yankees on the other side of the bracket, if possible.
The Lakers’ front office makeover continued on Friday.
The team announced it hired Keith D’Amelio as the franchise’s director of integrated performance systems, in addition to making the already-known hiring of Eric Amsler as an assistant general manager official.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka continues to add to the front office. Getty Images
“Continuing to invest in and strengthen our basketball operations group is a top priority as we build for the long-term success of our team and players,” Lakers president of basketball operations/general manager Rob Pelinka said in a statement. “Eric and Keith bring a wealth of experience that will add valuable expertise across our organization. Eric is a highly respected talent evaluator with an extensive background in scouting and player personnel, while Keith brings a unique perspective at the intersection of athlete health, performance, sport science and technology. We are excited to welcome them both to the Lakers.”
D’Amelio, who most recently worked for the New York Liberty, has over 25 years of experience across professional and collegiate sports in athlete health, performance, sport science and innovation.
The Lakers have made their first major hires since Josh Kushner (left) and Bob Iger (right) agreed to purchase the Lakers from Mark Walter. JASON SZENES/ NY POST
D’Amelio was most recently the Liberty’s chief innovation officer, working across the WNBA franchise’s basketball operations, health and performance, analytics and applied science.
Before working for the Liberty, he spent 13 years at Nike, in addition to having roles with the Stanford’s men’s basketball team, the Raptors and Celtics.
Amsler’s official title with the Lakers is assistant general manager, player personnel.
He spent 22 years in the Heat organization, starting as an intern in 2004-05 before working his way up to various other roles, including being the Heat’s vice president of player personnel before joining the Lakers.
General manager Rob Pelinka overhauled the Lakers’ roster in addition to adding two assistant general managers this summer. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 10: Jackson Flora #9 of the San Jose Giants pitcher against the Stockton Ports in the top of the first inning in the Cal Division Series Game 2 at Excite Ballpark on September 10, 2026 in San Jose, California - Region AMER. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Three games for the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates on Thursday, as the season nears an end for everyone. Here’s everything that happened.
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
Some good news on the injury front. AAA Sacramento outfielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) was in huge amounts of pain on Wednesday when he fouled a ball off his foot, and had to leave the game with the trainers. But the Giants are officially calling it just a contusion, rather than a fracture. Hopefully that means he can still return before the season ends.
In transaction news, AA Richmond RHP Manuel Mercedes was placed on the Development List, while Low-A San Jose outfielder Peyton Bonds was activated off the Injured List.
AAA Sacramento (77-61)
Sacramento River Cats lost to the Las Vegas Aviators (A’s) 6-2 Box score
After back-to-back excellent pitching games from the River Cats, they finally fell prey to the offensive environment of Las Vegas.
It was RHP Trystan Vrieling whom the Aviators got to, as the soon-to-turn 26-year old once again got beat up. The 2022 3rd-rounder got rocked for 10 hits in 5 innings which, along with 2 walks, put 4 runs on the board. Needless to say, 12 baserunners in 5 innings isn’t a good game, but it was notable that Vrieling struck out 9 batters. That’s a large number for the Gonzaga alum, as he is not really a strikeout artist: he had just 8.3 strikeouts per 9 innings in AA this year.
Vrieling has really struggled since a recent promotion which, admittedly, was due more to roster logistics than merit, as he only had a 4.23 ERA and a 5.06 FIP in Richmond. Through 3 games with Sacramento, Vrieling has given up a staggering 28 hits in just 13 innings, with 8 walks and 16 earned runs, though he does have 18 strikeouts.
RHP R.J. Dabovich also had a tough go of it, as he gave up a walk and a 2-run home run in an inning of work, with an error, though he struck out 2 batters. Dabovich has been quite good since returning to health, so this was a rare not-great game for him. RHP Wilkin Ramos was the lone bright spot on the mound, as he pitched 2 shutout innings with 1 hit and 2 strikeouts.
The offense did very, very little. The best performance came from first baseman Charlie Szykowny, who hit 3-4 with a double. Szykowny, a 26-year old lefty taken in the 9th round in 2023, is, like Vrieling, likely in AAA more because of roster needs than because of AA performance. But he’s certainly making the most of his opportunity: he has an 8-game hitting streak going, and in 10 games with Sacramento has an .885 OPS and a 128 wRC+. It will be fun seeing him have a full year at the level next season.
Quiet games for the top prospects: third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) hit 1-4 with 2 strikeouts, while center fielder Scott Bandura went 0-4 with a strikeout. Outfielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) didn’t play, after injuring his foot on Wednesday. Designated hitter Victor Bericoto (No. 35 CPL) made his 2nd rehab appearance, and hit 1-4.
AA Richmond (73-60)
Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Chesapeake Baysox (Orioles) 8-2 Box score
The struggles continue for the Squirrels, who have seen their losing streak creep all the way to 8 games. The regular season ends on Sunday, so they’re certainly limping to the finish line, but hey … at least they’re guaranteed to finish, at minimum, 10 games above .500, even if they end the year with a double-digit losing streak!
This was another fairly uninteresting game for Richmond, save for one player: third baseman Sabin Ceballos (No. 43 CPL). The just-turned 24-year old put on quite a show in the batter’s box, going 2-3 with both a home run and a double, while also drawing a walk and striking out once.
With the big fly, Ceballos has now tripled his home run output over last year, which was spent at the same level (and he only has 76 more plate appearances this season). That’s pretty notable, as you need a good chunk of power to survive at an infield corner.
Yet despite that, Ceballos’ wRC+ has only gained 3 points year over year (102 to 105), the result of both struggling to get hits that aren’t homers, and the improved offensive environment in the Eastern League this year (his OPS has risen from .670 to .750).
As I’ve written about many times this year, Ceballos is just … an odd offensive profile. In both of his years in AA, he’s done a great job making contact … his strikeout rate and swinging strike rate have gone a little backwards this year, but they’re still just 17.9% and 10.3%, very good numbers. And yet, despite all that contact, Ceballos has a miserable .225 batting average. He’s basically doing 3 things at the plate: hitting home runs, drawing walks, and hitting into a whole bunch of outs. It’s a little odd.
No one else had particularly good offensive days. Center fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) had the only other multi-hit game, as he went 2-5 with a strikeout, while designated hitter Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) had a rough game as he continues to shake the injury rust off, going 0-4 with a strikeout hat trick. Cohen, who turns 23 in December, has a .745 OPS and a 101 wRC+ in 47 games since getting promoted; Jordan, who turned 23 in May, has a .707 OPS and a 90 wRC+ in 20 games.
RHP Niko Mazza’s 2nd game in AA was rough on his ERA, though he pitched better than the 4 runs he allowed in 4 innings. A run per inning is a bad ratio, but a baserunner per inning? Well, that’s mighty fine, and it’s exactly what Mazza did, as he gave up just 3 hits and 1 walk, with 4 strikeouts. Unfortunately, one of those hits (a double) immediately preceded the walk, which immediately preceded another one of the hits (a 3-run home run). The 3rd and final hit (also a double) opened up the 5th inning, and immediately preceded a rain delay, which immediately preceded Mazza being replaced by RHP Manuel Mercedes, who allowed the inherited runner to score.
LHP Jack Choate (No. 37 CPL) continued the trend he’s had for a few years now, of getting far more strikeouts than one would expect out of a soft-tosser, but also not pitching all that well. He struck out 4 batters in just 2.2 innings in this game, but also gave up 3 hits, a hit batter, and a run. The 2022 9th-round pick, who turned 25 at the start of the season, has a 4.38 ERA and a 4.17 FIP this season, despite a fantastic 11.4 strikeouts per 9 innings.
RHP Marty Gair made his 3rd appearance since getting promoted and it didn’t go super well, as he allowed 2 hits, 1 walk, 1 hit batter, and 2 runs in just 1 inning of work, though he struck out 2 batters.
Low-A San Jose
San Jose Giants beat the Stockton Ports (A’s) 3-1 Box score
And with that, the Baby Giants are championship bound. After ending the regular season with 20 wins in their final 22 games, San Jose swept the best-of-3 divisional series against their northeast neighbors, and will now face the Lake Elsinore Storm of the Padres organization for the Cal League championship. That series, which is also best of 3, starts on Sunday in Lake Elsinore, and continues in San Jose on Tuesday and, if necessary, Wednesday.
The big news in this game was that RHP Jackson Flora made his 2nd career appearance (and, thanks to the Giants advancing, we’ll likely get to see him pitch a 3rd time). Flora was impressive if a little shaky in his professional debut last Friday, which was the only official appearance he made in his debut season, as only regular season stats count in the record books.
But his follow-up performance, in Thursday’s playoff game, was where Flora really showed why he was the No. 4 overall pick in the draft, and immediately becomes the top pitching prospect in the system (and one of the best pitching prospects in baseball). Flora was utterly dominant, striking out 4 batters in 2 no-hit innings, while touching triple digits with his electric fastball. The command still isn’t quite there — he walked 2 batters and only threw half of his 32 pitches for strikes — but that’s also very understandable given that he went a few months without pitching.
Good morning, good afternoon, good night.
Jackson Flora strikes out the side, and reminds the crowd to tip your beer batter responsibly. pic.twitter.com/5HsmG5NlyQ
Seeing Flora overwhelm Single-A hitters like that made it pretty clear, in my eye, that he belongs in High-A to start the 2027 season, though I suppose there’s a chance the Giants give him the Carson Whisenhunt treatment (Whisenhunt was similarly dominant after being drafted in 2023, and returned to San Jose for his first full season, but only spent 4 games there before getting promoted to High-A … where he only spent 6 games before getting promoted to AA).
After Flora, the bulk innings went to LHP Ricardo Estrada, who gave up 5 hits, 0 walks, and 1 run over 4 innings, with 3 strikeouts. Rounding out the pitching performance were RHPs Chen-Hsun Lee and Samir Chires, who each had no-hit, no-run showings (Lee gave up 1 walk in 1.1 innings, while Chires allowed 1 walk in 1.2 innings, with 2 strikeouts). Lee, who is finally healthy after losing all of 2024 and 2025 to injury, posted a 1.42 ERA in 14 appearances for San Jose this year, those his strikeout and walk numbers weren’t particularly good and, as a result, he had a 4.73 FIP. Chires, who had struggled with both performance and injuries for 3 years in the Complex League before finally dominating the league in his 4th attempt, had a 1.82 ERA and a 3.36 FIP in 15 Low-A games this year. Counting the playoff performance, the Venezuelan, who turns 23 next week, had 29 strikeouts to just 6 walks in 26.1 innings.
Despite this being a low-scoring game, and despite the big story being Flora, the star of the game actually came on the other side of the ball, as designated hitter Drew Smith carried the team to victory. Smith was the team’s 15th-round pick in July, and signed for a very modest $25,000 out of Oregon. But my goodness has the 23-year old right-hander fit right in. He wasted no time making his mark on this game, as he bopped a 2-out, 2-run double in the 1st inning, which proved to be all the offense the Baby Giants would need.
Drew Smith with a two-run, two-out double, and the Giants take an early 2-0 lead! pic.twitter.com/0W6fSpH8QA
But as the game grew tense, Smith — who finished 2-4 with a strikeout — provided the insurance. In the 8th inning, with San Jose clinging to a 2-1 lead, Smith bashed a solo home run to increase the margin.
Have a series Drew Smith! His second HR in as many games is a HUGE insurance run. To the ninth we go. pic.twitter.com/9pTddilBVB
Smith hit just 3 home runs as a freshman for Oregon, just 4 as a sophomore, and just 5 as a junior. But he exploded for 16 home runs in his senior season, and it seems he’s carrying that into the pros: he only got into 3 regular season games, but hit a home run, and now has smacked big flies in both of San Jose’s playoff appearances. 3 dingers through 5 career games! Hard to argue with that!
Catcher Rod Barajas Jr. also had a nice game, as he went 2-4 with a double. Shortstop and uber-prospect Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) went 1-4 with a double and a strikeout. Right fielder Peyton Bonds, the team’s 3rd-round pick who hadn’t played in quite a while due to injury, returned to the lineup for half the game, and hit 1-2.
Sacramento: 7:05 p.m. PT at Las Vegas (SP: TBD) Richmond: 4:05 p.m. PT vs. Chesapeake (SP: Jacob Bresnahan) Eugene: 6:35 p.m. PT vs. Vancouver (SP: Hunter Dryden)
Reminder that almost all MiLB games can be viewed on MLB TV
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 25: Jalen Green #4 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball as Oso Ighodaro #11 screens Ajay Mitchell #25 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half in Game Three of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 25, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. 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. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, a day that changed the course of history and reshaped society as we know it. For those who know 9/11 only as a chapter in a history book, understand that it was a line of demarcation. There was life before September 11, and life after it.
Anyone who lived through that day remembers where they were, what they were doing, and the feeling that something had permanently changed. I was a freshman at Scottsdale Community College at the time and remember sitting at a bench on campus, attempting to comprehend what happened and what it meant moving forward. It’s hard to believe a quarter of a century has passed since those tragic and horrific events, and the repercussions are still felt today, whether we always recognize them or not.
September 11 carries another anniversary for me, a much more personal one. It was the day I graduated from Basic Combat Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, in 2003. After struggling through two years of community college, I joined the United States Army because guys my age were doing something meaningful, serving and defending the country, while I felt like some jackass without direction, purpose, or structure.
The Army gave me structure. There was an order to things. A cadence to every day. Wake up. PT. DFAC. Training. MREs. More training. DFAC. Shine your boots. Go to bed. Then wake up and do it again. I didn’t fully appreciate the structure being drilled into me during those hot, humid days in Missouri, or Misery, as I still like to call it. But that structure became a cornerstone of my life.
That cadence is still with me today. And, strange as it sounds, you can see some of it in the way we approach SunsRank. Like life in the military, an NBA season has rhythm. Structure. An order of operations. Here at Bright Side, SunsRank is part of that cadence.
Before the season starts, we rank the entire roster from top to bottom based on who we believe the best players are at that exact moment. It becomes a snapshot of our collective thinking before anything real happens. Then come the player previews. Then Media Day. Training camp. Preseason. And finally, the season itself. That’s the structure. That’s the order of things.
Before we reveal the final preseason SunsRank tomorrow, I wanted to first show how the writing staff views this roster. These are the voices who will help narrate the 2026–27 Phoenix Suns, and these rankings represent their baseline for how they see each player and where they fit within the hierarchy of the roster.
Here are our rankings.
Voita
Brandon
Holden
Bruce
Luke
Mark
Tom
Kevin
Justin
Devin Booker
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Dillon Brooks
3
2
2
2
2
2
3
2
3
Jalen Green
2
3
4
3
3
6
2
3
2
Miles Bridges
4
4
3
4
4
3
4
4
4
Collin Gillespie
6
6
5
5
5
4
5
5
5
Jordan Goodwin
7
7
6
7
7
5
6
7
8
Mark Williams
5
5
7
6
6
10
9
8
6
Luke Kennard
8
8
8
8
9
9
10
9
10
Oso Ighodaro
10
10
10
9
10
7
7
6
9
Khaman Malauch
9
9
9
10
8
8
8
10
7
Rasheer Fleming
11
12
11
11
11
11
12
11
11
Koa Peat
12
11
12
15
13
14
13
12
13
Ryan Dunn
14
14
15
12
14
13
11
13
12
Haywood Highsmith
16
16
14
14
12
12
14
14
15
Jamaree Bouyea
13
15
13
13
15
16
15
16
14
Pat Spencer
15
13
16
16
16
15
16
15
16
CJ Huntley
17
17
17
17
18
17
18
18
18
Koby Brea
18
18
18
18
17
18
17
17
17
You’ll notice that some writers are higher on certain players, while others are clearly lower. That’s a good reminder that SunsRank is built around a subjective question. Who is better than whom? There isn’t always a clean answer.
So after looking through the rankings, I identified a few of the larger deviations from the group and asked each writer to explain why they had certain players higher or lower than everyone else.
Mark, you had Jalen Green ranked 6th on the roster, which feels a little lower than where most people might expect him to land. What kept him from cracking your top five?
Mark Bowser: I viewed the rank as a question of value, which, to me, needs to consider production per dollar of contract amount. Right now, Gillespie and even Goodwin have shown more value per dollar and greater availability. This could obviously change as the season progresses. If Jalen shows he can facilitate, pound the rock and turnover less, continue to produce rim pressure and threes — and do it for 75+ games — then he might rise to #2 on my list.
Brandon, you were the highest on Koa Peat, putting him 11th in your rankings. What is it about Peat, whether it’s his upside, versatility, or potential role, that made you more bullish on him than the rest of the staff?
I believe Peat’s body is NBA-ready, and he brings a lot of what the Suns don’t have at the forward position. He is a bruiser. He is physical. He plays with toughness, and plays with an edge. He can handle the ball, make plays for others, and finish at or around the rim. I view his transition to the NBA as a seamless one, and believe many will look back and wonder how he fell as far as he did. He may not get minutes right away, but by the end of the year, it’s easy to envision him being an impact player, at whatever role he is assigned.
Holden, you were the lowest on Ryan Dunn, placing him 15th. After everything we saw from him last season, what caused him to slide that far down your SunsRank ballot?
Holden Sherman: Once Rasheer Fleming started to get more playing time, Dunn became unplayable. His inability to space the floor and his lack of progression on the offensive end renders him unplayable when Phoenix is playing a center or forward that can’t space the floor.
Tom, you came in on the lower end with Mark Williams, ranking him 9th. Is that more about concerns with Williams himself, or are there simply other players on this roster you value more heading into the season?
Tom Mildenberger: Any discussion about Mark Williams has to start and end with availability. 60 games were a jump, but he wasn’t available when we needed him the most in the postseason. Beyond that, I’m not super high on his impact.
He’s a legit 7-foot starting center, but despite his Go-Go-Gadget arms, he’s not a great rim protector, nor is he a plus rebounder for his position. Those are two things the Suns are going to need more from at the center. It’s really easy to compare him to Deandre Ayton as they are physically very similar players, but Mark Williams production has never surpassed the Ayton line. A lot of that may be due to inconsistencies with health, and I’m not completely out on Mark Williams potential, but until I see a rise in blocks and ten rebounds a game, the Western Conference playoff teams feature a lot of good centers.
Right now, I see Mark Williams as an average center when he’s on the court.
Kevin, you have Oso Ighodaro at 6th, easily the highest ranking among the staff. What do you see in his game and his potential role that made you willing to put him that high?
Kevin Humphreys: Last season, Oso Ighodaro played in all 82 games and earned the trust of Jordan Ott to close out games for the Suns. His switching ability on defense and his connectivity on offense are unique to the roster. With score-first players like Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and Miles Bridges all playing significant minutes, the Suns will need connectors on the floor, which is where Ighodaro will slide in and be a valuable asset to the team. If Maluach’s ability to stretch the floor is legit and they can play together in the second unit… look out. Despite having Mark Williams and Maluach on the roster, I expect to see Ighodaro closing games again this season because of his high basketball IQ.
Bruce, you’re the high man on Jamaree Bouyea, ranking him 13th. What has he shown you that makes you think he deserves a little more respect in the SunsRank hierarchy?
Bruce Veliz: Bouyea gets the 13th ranking as he has proved last year that if he gets an opportunity, he can make the most of it. The big question revolving around that this season, though, is whether he will still get those opportunities with a deeper roster this year.
Bouyea is someone to me who could make a rotation if all the stars align for him, and that could become a possibility here in Phoenix.
Who do you align with most? Which writer shares a similar methodology, ranking philosophy, and overall SunsRank with you? Maybe that’s the writer you’ll find yourself agreeing with throughout the season because your perceptions of the team are similar. Or maybe you’ll identify a writer or two who are consistently higher or lower on certain players than you are.
That’s part of the point. Our goal has always been to provide a complete, holistic picture of the Phoenix Suns, not clickbait designed purely to shock and awe. Because if history has taught us anything, shock and awe campaigns tend to be heavy on noise and light on substance.
Sep 7, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Jonah Tong (21) rubs a baseball during the fifth inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Your 2026 New York Mets: Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose.
“I was looking for a good pitch in the zone and he threw it there. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose and today was my turn [to help us win].” -Francisco Lindor [MLB]
It’s been a tough year for a number of players, but I’m glad Tobias Myers worked hard and made it back to the big leagues.
“[Tobias Myers] just lost a little bit of the stuff.” -Andy Green [MLB]
“Time’s kind of flown, honestly. I haven’t really noticed how long I’ve been down here [in AAA].” -Tobias Myers [MLB]
“Not an easy inning any time [Rafael] Devers is the middle of your inning. Had to go through the heart of their order and did a really nice job.” -Andy Green [MLB]
This does feel like it’s been a running theme for the Mets…
“It’s unfortunately not that uncommon where some guys get a little bit lost, and that’s such a hard level to fix things. You just feel that pressure to go out there and perform all the time. Sometimes, they come down here and it just allows them to take a breath. I think [Myers] was able to do that.” -Syracuse Mets pitching Coach A.J. Sager [MLB]
…everyone just needs to take Chet Steadman’s advice and ‘deal from the have to’…
“The last couple of weeks, it’s definitely gotten back to just being free. No thinking up there. Just pitch, and gradually I’ve gotten better and better.” -Tobias Myers [MLB]
…‘the have to is what you use when you’re afraid’.
“Last year, I felt like a kid going out there every time, just being shell-shocked by a lot of things. Now, it’s more like [my] feet are more set … and just going out there just trying to do my job.” -Jonah Tong [MLB]
At least it’s just Tong being nitpicky about himself…
“[I felt] good. Just one walk and a couple of pitches here and there, but it’s just me being nitpicky. Happy with it, [the] team won.” -Jonah Tong [MLB]
…oh and his catcher…
“The home run pitch was a good pitch. It was a pitch on the black, away. [Pauley] just had a good swing on it and that happens. [Tong] executed, the walk was the only thing.” -Francisco Alvarez [MLB]
…but Tong’s manager has his back and Green’s right that it was a good outing with some bad luck.
“[I’m] really pleased with [Tong’s] outing. The second inning is one of those things that just the only hits he gives up all day are sequenced together right there, and then the home run bites pretty hard at that point in time.” -Andy Green [MLB]
“To watch [Tong] be a cutthroat competitor, get in there and just go right back at them for the next three innings, it was really good. … I know he’s not going to love the line at the end of the day, with the four runs coming in, but the way he pitched today was way better than that line is going to indicate.” -Andy Green [MLB]
I think Andy Green might be really into boxing.
“We’ve put pressure on the other team. Not waiting for them to throw the first punch. We have gone out there and thrown it and we threw a lot of them today.” -Andy Green [MLB]
Lindor’s positive energy continues unabated.
“Everyone is like, ‘If I don’t do it, the next one will.‘ And that is contagious.” -Francisco Lindor [MLB]
In case you missed it, Will Sammon had an insightful interview with Eric Jagers.
“Was [Tong’s] major-league experience last year a good thing in hindsight? A bad thing? How do you view it, essentially one year removed from it?” -Will Sammon
“It’s hard to put a label on it. One, it was a really cool opportunity that he earned at the time. So in that part, it’s cool. It’s good. He had some fun moments, right? The debut was pretty good. He punched back against San Diego, and that was pretty good. And then he had some more unfortunate outings and appearances and things like that that certainly left a little bit of a sour taste in his mouth, I’m sure.” -Mets vice president for pitching Eric Jagers [The Athletic]
Mets Tweet of the Week
David Wright, John Franco, Todd Zeile, and Robin Ventura visiting 25 Hook & Ladder as we honor our first responders leading up to the 25th anniversary of 9/11. pic.twitter.com/zPXaMdlBuA
Debutant Razaullah launched a remarkable late salvo as Pakistan finally showed some fight at Edgbaston on Friday, setting England a target of 130 to seal a clean sweep in their three-Test series.
Debutant Razaullah launched a remarkable late salvo as Pakistan finally showed some fight at Edgbaston on Friday, setting England a target of 130 to seal a clean sweep in their three-Test series.
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — The Flyers don’t have an inexperienced group at 2026 rookie training camp.
Porter Martone, Denver Barkey, Alex Bump, Jett Luchanko and Oliver Bonk are all on the roster. Those five players saw action in the NHL playoffs last season, a good development for the club’s future.
“Going into camp again with a chip-on-your-shoulder mentality,” Barkey said after Friday’s practice at PPL Center, home of AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley. “That’s always something that has separated me, just bringing that compete, that motor. Coming into camp again with something to prove, not being satisfied with what I did last year.”
“Obviously it was really cool, it was great experience, I learned a lot and was able to grow a lot this summer coming back in now,” Barkey said. “But I’ve still got something to prove, got to earn your spot. I just want to continue to grow as a player and do whatever it takes to help the team win.”
Martone is undeniably the rookie camp headliner after fueling the Flyers’ playoff push at 19 years old. The winger is a slam dunk for a huge role this season, but he doesn’t act like it. The Flyers really like his humility and maturity.
“He asks a lot of questions, he’s always looking to better himself wherever it is on the ice,” Lehigh Valley head coach John Snowden said. “Even in practice today, ‘Can we do this? Can we look at something differently on this? What can I do different?’ He asks those questions, he wants to be a hockey player.”
“In fairness, he played at the end of the season last year, he got a very, very small taste of the NHL level,” Snowden, who runs rookie camp, said. “He should ask those questions and he should find every single resource and avenue to make himself a better player. He’s a very good player, he showed what he can be in the NHL, but he wants to be a superstar player. And those are the type of things that you’re going to have to ask.”
The 2025 sixth overall pick has been a busy and well-traveled teenager. His whirlwind year continued after the playoffs when he represented Team Canada at the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. He was also at development camp this summer. But he found some downtime.
“After the world championships there, I went home for probably about a month,” Martone said. “It was nice to kind of lay low, spend it with my family, see my siblings, my friends and kind of just be a kid again. I went back to Michigan State for about three weeks to a month this year and trained. Then I went home for a little bit, about two weeks, and then I’ve been in Philly for the past few weeks, kind of getting ready, getting back into the city and kind of getting rolling here.”
Similar to Barkey, the 22-year-old Bump is coming off his first full season at the pro level. He joined the Flyers after the March trade deadline and opened eyes. He recorded nine points (five goals, four assists) over 17 regular-season games and added two goals in six playoff games.
Last fall, the winger felt the pressure of his first NHL training camp.
“I kind of know what to expect more now,” Bump said. “More experience. Going into last camp, I didn’t really know what to expect and I just got overwhelmed almost. I think I just know what to expect and the experience definitely helps.”
He wants to make up for last year’s camp.
“This year’s big, I think this is kind of the next step for me, to make the NHL full-time,” he said. “This camp is big and kind go into it with a chip on my shoulder.”
Luchanko and Bonk also have a lot to prove. They had to miss last year’s rookie games because of injuries.
In a drill Friday, he scored on a nice rip from the slot. Snowden said Luchanko was “absolutely snapping the puck in the net” and that his shot looked “really, really good.”
“He’s a very responsible player, he has got a very high hockey IQ,” Snowden said. “The one thing that we all talk about is we want to squeeze that offense out of him. Today, seeing him shoot the puck and scoring goals from distance in some different scenarios, that’s a huge plus.
“He can make plays, we know he can make plays, but can we find that scoring touch? Can you be selfish in some situations? Where maybe you defer to pass, maybe now you’ve got an opportunity to shoot the puck in the net or create a secondary chance by shooting the puck.”
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 29: Andrew Abbott #41 of the Cincinnati Reds delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the third inning at Wrigley Field on August 29, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Isaac Wasserman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In the wee hours of Thursday morning, catcher Jose Trevino was once again pitcher Jose Trevino as the Cincinnati Reds wrapped up a 14-1 drubbing at the hands of the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers. The Reds managed just 6 hits in total on the night, their lone run coming off the bat of superstar Elly De La Cruz as he launched a moonshot off Yoshinobu Yamamoto to log a home run in his fifth consecutive game.
The loss sunk the Reds to the third worst run differential in the sport behind only the hilarious Colorado Rockies and homeless Athletics. Not exactly where you want to find yourself when you’re supposedly on the upswing of one of Nick Krall’s infamous rebuilds.
Now, the Reds head into Milwaukee to face the mighty Brewers, off whom they managed to take two of three in Great American Ball Park just last weekend. Safe to say, I expect there to be some revenge on the minds of those beermakers.
Lefty Andrew Abbott looks to turn the tide on his wayward season with the start in Friday’s series opener at American Family Field that I still choose to call Miller Park. Dustin May takes the mound for the Beers, meaning this may well be Cincinnati’s best chance to sock some dingers and actually take home a win in the series.
First pitch is set for 7:40 PM ET. Here’s how the Reds will line up to start:
Toronto Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka told The Canadian Press on Friday that forward Max Domi will not be ready when the team opens training camp, remaining out indefinitely because of complications from off-season surgery.
“Max is going to come and be evaluated. He’s not going to be ready to start training camp. He’s going to be out indefinitely. At the right time in the near future, he wants to address it himself, and I think that’s best for him to do … we’ll leave it at that,” Chayka said, according to Josh Clipperton of The Canadian Press, who shared the quote on his X account.
The update comes four months after the Maple Leafs announced on May 25 that Domi had undergone a procedure to address an undisclosed issue he played through during the 2025-26 season and that complications had left him out indefinitely. The club said at the time he would continue working with team medical staff and be re-evaluated at the start of camp.
Domi, 31, appeared in 80 games last season and finished with 12 goals and 24 assists. He signed a four-year, $15-million contract with Toronto in July 2024 that carries a $3.75-million cap hit through 2027-28. The Winnipeg native has two seasons remaining on that deal.
Spoke with John Chayka today. The Maple Leafs GM says Max Domi will not be ready for the start of training camp due to complications from off-season surgery: pic.twitter.com/aGKCflBpVm
Domi has not spoken publicly about the surgery or the complications. Chayka indicated that the player intends to do so himself “at the right time in the near future.” The nature of the procedure and the exact complications have not been detailed by the organization.
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The Yankees could be getting a nice boost in their bullpen soon.
Clarke Schmidt will make one more rehab appearance this weekend, manager Aaron Boone said pregame Friday.
The team will wait and see how that outing goes, but if Schmidt is able to get through it okay, then the skipper said a return during the next road trip could be in play.
Schmidt has thrown 5.2 innings through four appearances to this point.
He's been slowly building himself up to rejoin the club in a relief role after missing 400-plus days following the second Tommy John surgery of his career.
The righty hasn't pitched in a big-league game since last July.
Schmidt could be a nice weapon for the Yanks when he does return, though, as he's pitched to a 3.18 ERA out of the bullpen in his career.
WEATHERS ON THE MEND
Ryan Weathers could be joining Schmidt in that bullpen down the stretch, as well.
The left-hander is said to be doing extremely well during his throwing progression, and Boone said that it's possible he'll be able to return during the final week of the season.
He could make his way back onto the mound as soon as next week, per Boone.
Weathers has been sidelined for just about three weeks now due to a left forearm flexor strain.
While there was initially some concern watching him leave his start, the expectation has been that he'll be able to help the Yanks again down the stretch in some capacity.
What do you do when you lose the back-to-back National League MVP for the home stretch of the regular season? If you're the Los Angeles Dodgers, you simply call up the No. 6-ranked prospect in all of baseball.
With Shohei Ohtani headed to the 15-day injured list, the Dodgers are bringing up their top prospect Josue De Paula for his first shot at the big leagues. The 21-year-old will make his MLB debut on Friday, Sept. 11, against the Miami Marlins at LoanDepot Park.
Though normally an outfielder, De Paula will take the "lion's share" of reps at the designated hitter spot left open by the absence of Ohtani, who has been hampered by multiple nagging injuries since June and will now be out until at least the Dodgers' final series of the regular season.
"Talking to Shohei, the doctors, the training staff, it’s the right thing to do," manager Dave Roberts told reporters after the Dodgers' 14-1 blowout win over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday. "I think that we tried to kick the can as much as we could, but we are going to bring Josue."
Roberts added that De Paula might get opportunities in either of the corner outfield spots, but those might be few and far between for a couple reasons. Teoscar Hernández has heated up with a 1.329 OPS and 12 RBIs in September and Kyle Tucker will try to get some momentum going into the postseason. De Paula as a prospect is still raw on the fielding side of things as well, but with Ohtani out, it leaves plenty of runway for De Paula to make the most of his biggest strength – his bat.
At 6'3, 185 lbs, the Brooklyn native has evoked comparisons over the last couple years to a "slightly smaller but more athletic version of Yordan Álvarez," according to MLB Pipeline. He's extremely selective with his swings – he swung at just 14% of pitches outside the zone in 2025 – but when he does, he makes hard contact and can drive the ball a very long way.
Why Josue De Paula never played Triple-A baseball
In his first full season at Double-A, De Paula has slashed .303/.401/.547 with 27 home runs and 104 RBIs. He's also stolen 81 bases despite his speed being graded as below average. According to The Athletic's Katie Woo, some evaluators within the organization believe De Paula has the Dodgers' best pure-hit tool since Corey Seager. That kind of production – and ceiling – made the front office brass more comfortable having him jump from Double-A straight to the big leagues and skip Triple-A entirely, the first time a position player has done so in the Andrew Friedman era.
"I think that our player development group is very confident in his ability to conduct an at-bat," Roberts said. "You could argue that the talent in Double-A is similar to Triple-A, as far as pure arms and arm talent. I think that we’ve seen him in camp for two or three years. He doesn’t run from velocity. He controls the strike zone. And I think this is just a good opportunity for him to kind of cut his teeth in the big leagues."
Who is Josue De Paula?
Born and raised in Brooklyn, De Paula moved to the Dominican Republic at the age of 15 when COVID-19 restrictions shut down baseball in New York. He enrolled at El Niche Baseball Academy in Santo Domingo, which has produced big leaguers such as Juan Soto, Elly De La Cruz, Otto Lopez and Angel Martínez, among others, and signed with the Dodgers for $397,500 in 2022.
One of his earliest highlights as a prospect came during the MLB All-Star Futures Game in 2025 in Atlanta, when he was named the game's MVP after crushing a towering three-run bomb off of Noah Schultz, who was then the No. 1 prospect in the Chicago White Sox organization.
De Paula has trained with Soto and De La Cruz, but because he's so confident in the physical side of his game, the biggest takeaways were what he learned from the pair of All-Stars off the field.
"Just a lot of things on the mental side," De Paula said. "I feel like with time, as long as I can dominate my mental, that I'm gonna be in a really good spot for a very long time. I got a few mental tips in just how they go about their work, how they go about their day, their routine, and just how to handle yourself in a full season."
He's done the work. He has the confidence and trust in his game. Now, in the last three weeks of the regular season, De Paula has a chance to show what he can do at the big-league level.
"The advice they gave me (in the Dominican Republic) has served me very well," De Paula said. "Now, it's time to put it into practice."
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 09: Jackson Merrill #3 of the San Diego Padres is congratulated by Austin Hays #15 after hitting a two-run home run against the Washington Nationals during the fifth inning at Petco Park on September 09, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres are back in the postseason! They’ll likely go back and forth as the season continues before they face off against the Arizona Diamondbacks for the final Wild Card spot. The Friars swept the Washington Nationals after Jackson Merrill’s two homer day. He finished a double shy of the cycle, with a single, a triple and two home runs. That production led the Padres to a 9-2 win in the series finale.
San Diego will now embark on a crucial road trip, facing the San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies. Both are divisional opponents who are very beatable for the Friars. Not only that, but both teams have been eliminated from the playoffs so they aren’t playing for as much. The Padres should be able to clean up against the two clubs, with the Friars beating San Francisco, 6-4, in the season series.
Taking the mound
Anthony Molina (SF) v. Robbie Ray (SD)
In a short stint with the Giants, Molina has managed to immensely impress. In three appearances (two starts), Molina owns a 1.88 ERA through 14 1/3 innings pitched. Prior to that, Molina had been on the Atlanta Braves, where he pitched just five innings in relief before he was traded for starting pitcher Tyler Mahle.
Molina doesn’t have an abundance of experience at the big-league level. He’s spent two seasons with the Rockies, posting an ERA over 6.00 in both years. Molina worked primarily out of the bullpen but has worked as a starter for San Francisco. It’s worked to mostly solid results, with Molina surrendering three runs in his last three starts.
This will be Ray’s homecoming since being traded by the Giants at the Trade Deadline. The veteran lefty has pitched incredibly well this season but has struggled with the Friars. He’s coming off of a miserable start in which Ray gave up five runs in just 2 1/3 innings versus the New York Yankees.
This is the perfect team for Ray to face in order to turn his Padres tenure around. Not only does Ray know these hitters well, having shared a clubhouse with them, but they have struggled immensely to produce runs this season. That said, San Francisco is on a three-game win streak after sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals.
Batter up!
Apart from Merrill’s hot day at the plate, the San Diego lineup still looked fantastic on Wednesday afternoon. The offense (without Merrill) went a combined 12-for-33. Three of the Padres had three-hit games (Ty France, Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr.) while five had multi-hit games.
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Jake Cronenworth, 2B
Manny Machado, 3B
Ty France, 1B
Jackson Merrill, CF
Luis Campusano, DH
Dustin Harris, LF
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Freddy Fermin, C
After Cronenworth’s day off on Wednesday, he’ll likely be back in the lineup for the series opener versus San Francisco. He’s spent most of the second half batting behind Tatis. That has worked pretty well for the Padres, but Craig Stammen could tinker a little bit after Merrill’s recent hot streak.
Relief corps
After Walker Buehler was pulled from the game early (perhaps accidentally), the Padres’ bullpen locked it down. With the bases loaded in the third inning, Kyle Hart stymied the Nats. Hart then pitched 1 2/3 more innings before David Morgan, Yuki Matsui, Wandy Peralta and Griffin Canning covered the final 4 1/3 innings.
With the off day on Thursday, San Diego will have all of its relievers available for the series opener. However, those who didn’t pitch in the series finale on Wednesday will be preferred over the rest. Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, Bradgley Rodriguez and Randy Vásquez will be available out of the ‘pen for San Diego. Vásquez seems likely to pitch only if Ray struggles to work deep into the game.
ST. LOUIS -- The NHL and NHLPA announced on Friday that St. Louis Blues prospect Adam Jecho will be unavailable to his club for an indefinite period while he receives care from the Player Assistance Program of the NHLPA and NHL.
Under the terms of the joint program, he will return to the club when cleared for on-ice competition by the program administrators.
Jecho, 20, was a third-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft who played for Edmonton of the Western Hockey League the past three years and was projected to play in Springfield of the American Hockey League this season after putting up 36 points (10 goals, 26 assists) in 47 games with the Oil Kings last season.
Last season, Blues prospect Zach Dean was in the player assistance program before returning to the Thunderbirds for the final 36 games of the season.
Jecho was slated to be at training camp when it opens on Sept. 17 and was on the roster of prospects to face the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday and Tuesday in Chicago.
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Leafs Make Decision On Gavin McKenna Ahead of Senators Prospect ChallengeSenators fans (and local Leafs fans) wanting to get their first in-person look at McKenna in a real NHL game will have to wait a little longer. 
