PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 13: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates with teammates Brandon Marsh and Bryce Harper during the 2026 T-Mobile Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on Monday, July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski answers questions during media day at the MLB All-Star Game in Philadelphia July 13, 2026. | Curt Hogg / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Team MVP
Paul Dietrich: Brice Turang
The correct answer here is Jacob Misiorowski but given that he’s going to get the Cy Young award below, I’ll choose a position player for variety’s sake. And while there are several important contributors among that group, the player most worthy of recognition here is also the one who leads the team in WAR: Brice Turang.
Though he has slumped at times (as all hitters do), Turang has still been excellent. He’s had a nice bounce back defensively after the metrics last season weren’t as kind as in previous years. He’s 15-for-18 in stolen base attempts. And the offense that miraculously appeared last summer has mostly sustained — Turang’s 126 OPS+ is right there amongst a cluster of Brewers for tops on the team behind the first-base platoon of Jake Bauers and Andrew Vaughn. He’s first on the team in games played and second in home runs. The combination of all of these things makes him the most valuable Brewer position player, and it’s not all that close. And it’s a joke that he isn’t an All-Star.
Harrison Freuck: Brice Turang
Turang has only gotten better from last season, when he exploded for 18 homers after displaying virtually no in-game power in his first two seasons. This year, he’s already posted 4.0 bWAR, putting him well on track to outpace his 5.5 mark from last year, and part of that is due to the return of his strong defensive metrics. It seems silly to go with anyone besides the fourth-year second baseman here.
Dave Gasper: Brice Turang
Turang has continued his progression into a star player this year with the power surge that began last year. He’s up to 14 homers already, just four shy of last year’s total and is close to being on pace for a 30-30 season. Turang is already up to a 4.0 bWAR. He’s an anchor in the heart of the lineup and he continues to provide stellar defense up the middle.
Jackson Heiden: Jake Bauers
Much like the real-life MVP, it typically goes to the best offensive player, and although that’s certainly not the case with this year’s Brewers, that’s what I’m going to do today. Jake “Light Tower Power” Bauers is taking home my midseason MVP honors. Through all of the ups and downs with this season’s offense so far, Bauers has been the most consistent. Bauers is currently having the best season of his career, with his batting average currently over 30 points higher than his second best, which came last year. Most impactfully, his long ball is what stands out to me, with his ability to come in through the clutch. Furthermore, his interview with the Baseball is Dead podcast makes this season that much more magical for him and fans alike.
There’s always a discussion about whether or not a pitcher should be a team MVP or not. When it comes to a starting pitcher, they only pitch once every five (or so) days, so they have a lower overall contribution to the team. However, even though he’s only pitched in 18 of the Brewers’ 96 games this season, Misiorowski has had the biggest contribution to this team. At 4.4 fWAR, his value not only is the best of any Brewer, it’s also the highest fWAR of any pitcher in the majors this season. He had a sub-1.00 ERA in both May and June, and the Brewers lost only two games he pitched in those months. Whenever he pitches, the Brewers’ chance to win the game increases significantly. There’s not a more valuable player on this team right now.
Adam Zimmer: Brice Turang
There are several Brewers with legitimate cases here. Jackson Chourio, Misiorowski, William Contreras, Jake Bauers, Garrett Mitchell, and even Aaron Ashby have all played valuable roles this season. Ultimately, though, Turang gets the nod. His 4.0 WAR entering the break is nearly double that of Milwaukee’s next-most valuable position player, a testament to just how impactful he’s been on both sides of the ball. Offensively, he’s hitting .266 with an .826 OPS, 14 home runs, and a 126 OPS+, while also totaling 10 Defensive Runs Saved. It’s hard to believe he wasn’t named an All-Star, but an extra week of rest and a little added motivation heading into the second half might not be the worst thing for Turang and the Brewers.
Cy Young
Paul Dietrich: Jacob Misiorowski
Jacob Misiorowski isn’t just the best pitcher on the Brewers — he’s the best pitcher in baseball this season, I think. Enough digital ink has been spilled (by me and others) that I don’t feel I need to spend a whole lot of time justifying this decision, but yeah, Miz is the best.
Harrison Freuck: Jacob Misiorowski
I don’t think there’s much more that I can say about Milwaukee’s ace — all I do now is talk about how good is Misiorowski is. Loads of strikeouts? Check. Low(er) walk numbers? Check. Best WHIP in baseball? Check. Enough said.
Dave Gasper: Jacob Misiorowski
Is there really any other candidate for this award? Aaron Ashby is making a push with his win total, but this is not the Cy Young voting of yesteryear. It’s Miz and it’s not close.
Jackson Heiden: Jacob Misiorowski
As I’m sure many people across baseball will determine, Miz is my Cy Young at this year’s halfway mark. Having only missed one start this season, Misiorowski has a 1.62 ERA with a league-leading 167 strikeouts. As of right now, he leads in two of the three categories needed to win the pitching crown, which was last done in 2024 by both Tarik Skubal and Chris Sale. Entering the second half, the arm fatigue is something to be concerned about, but the first half was one to remember, most notably his complete-game shutout where he faced the minimum under 100 pitches, striking out 15.
Jason Paczkowski: Jacob Misiorowski
While there is a discussion to be had around the team MVP, Misiorowski is a clear favorite for the team Cy Young award. Not only is he leading the majors in fWAR, he’s putting up incredible numbers in ERA (1.62), FIP (2.09), and strikeouts (167). He will easily break the 200-strikeout mark this season and has a chance to set the team record for strikeouts in a season. The biggest concern for him is the innings count, since he is already at 111 IP and is closing in on the 141 1/3 pitched last season. An additional 20% for innings would be around 170 IP, which he could hit in roughly 10 more starts in the second half. It will be something to watch, especially with the extra rest he’s getting during the All-Star break.
Adam Zimmer: Jacob Misiorowski
Misiorowski is the no-brainer pick here as the current odds-on favorite to win the actual Cy Young Award. Miz leads baseball with a 1.62 ERA and is the only qualified pitcher under 2.00. He also leads the league in WHIP (0.76), strikeouts (167), and is tied with Dylan Cease for the MLB lead in strikeouts per nine innings (13.5). Many expected the right-hander to take a step forward in his first full major league season, but I’d guess almost nobody expected him to become the most dominant pitcher in baseball. Milwaukee needed someone to step up in the wake of Freddy Peralta’s departure, and Misiorowski has done far more than that. He’s emerged not just as a legitimate front-of-the-rotation starter, but as one of the best pitchers in the game.
Newcomer
Paul Dietrich: Kyle Harrison
This is pretty obviously Kyle Harrison, who came to the Brewers (along with David Hamilton and Shane Drohan) when they traded Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, and Anthony Seigler to the Red Sox in the offseason. All three of those players have contributed to the Red Sox turnaround over the last few weeks, so this trade looks a little bit less like the fleecing that it looked like a couple months ago, but Harrison has still been by far the best player in the trade and looks like he’ll be a staple of the Brewers’ rotation for several years to come. Let’s just get him healthy and to the end of the season.
A couple others to quickly shout out here: Cooper Pratt, by moving Joey Ortiz out of everyday shortstop duties and relieving Luis Rengifo of his duties, has looked good on defense and has held his own offensively. It has been a huge boon to the Brewers’ team defense, and Ortiz has even perked up with the bat. Also give it up for Drohan, who came over with Harrison, and has been a crucial part of the team in his first major league season.
Harrison Freuck: Kyle Harrison
Have to go with the guy with the same name as me, right? While Harrison hasn’t been quite as good the last month or so, he’s still been Milwaukee’s No. 2 starter this season. He has a solid 8-2 record with a 3.01 ERA and 101 strikeouts, putting him on pace to approach the 200-strikeout mark if he’s able to stay healthy after what is hopefully a short IL stint. The lefty also turns just 25 in a few weeks, meaning there’s still plenty of potential. Shoutout to Shane Drohan and Cooper Pratt.
Dave Gasper: Kyle Harrison
I debated going with Luis Rengifo here (kidding) but it’s clear Kyle Harrison is the best newcomer of the first half. Brandon Sproat has flashed signs, but Harrison hit the ground running. Through 17 starts, he has a 3.01 ERA. Even though he’s on the IL right now, it was a dominant first half.
Jackson Heiden: Kyle Harrison
So few teams are lucky to have a two-headed monster at the front of the rotation like the Brewers have found. Not many people were expecting to see what Kyle Harrison has provided for the Brewers this season, being a perfect replacement for Freddy Peralta. Though he has stumbled a little bit down the stretch, he has been a phenomenal No. 2 pitcher in the rotation. Entering the All-Star break, he is currently having the best season of his career and is on pace to break his inning workload by roughly mid-August, assuming he is healthy. Once again, for what feels like the millionth time, the Brewers’ pitching lab is working wonders.
Jason Paczkowski: Cooper Pratt
If we’re looking at total contribution over the season so far, the newcomer should be Kyle Harrison. However, I’m going to give a vote to Pratt. He is fixing one of the biggest weaknesses that this Brewers team has had so far. Since making his debut on June 16, he has already matched Joey Ortiz’s full season value (0.6 fWAR) and surpassed David Hamilton (0.3 fWAR) and Luis Rengifo (-0.7 fWAR). In addition, we’re already starting to see him adjust to major league pitching. Since the start of July, he’s batting .306/.422/.417 with a 138 wRC+. It may be early for him, but he’s already showing why the Brewers signed him to a long-term deal before he even played a game in the majors.
Adam Zimmer: Kyle Harrison
Like Misiorowski, I expected Harrison to be good. I just didn’t expect him to be this good. Through his first 17 starts with the Brewers, Harrison owns a 3.01 ERA and a 1.076 WHIP while giving Milwaukee exactly what it needed after acquiring him over the winter. Shane Drohan, David Hamilton, and Gary Sánchez have all made valuable contributions in their first seasons with the club, but Harrison has separated himself from the rest of the newcomers. He’s pitched like a legitimate top-of-the-rotation starter, helping stabilize one of baseball’s youngest pitching staffs and playing a major role in the Brewers’ 100-win pace.
Team Grade
Paul Dietrich: A
I don’t see how you could give them anything else. The Brewers yet again traded away a franchise centerpiece and yet again came out of it as a better team. They have the second-best record in baseball in a season when essentially everyone thought they’d be worse. Yes, they scuffled into the break and yes, the Cubs are making a charge, but they’ve positioned themselves as well as they possibly could for the second half of the season.
Harrison Freuck: A
This was honestly kinda hard for me to decide on, because while there’s still room for improvement, the Brewers had such a great first half that it’s hard to complain. After the late April struggles, the team has really put things together since Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn returned in May, and Jacob Misiorowski has seemingly figured out at least some of the issues that plagued him last season. Milwaukee once again looks like the team to beat in the Central, and if it weren’t for the money machine of the Dodgers, I’d say they look like the team to beat in the NL, too.
Dave Gasper: A
At no point has it really felt like this team has fully hit their stride, yet they still have a franchise record for first-half wins and are in control in the NL Central. They lost Chourio and Vaughn for a month to start the season, they got nothing from the bottom three spots in the lineup for months, and they have not had Quinn Priester at all and missed other various starters throughout. Despite all that, being able to win that many games is an easy A grade. They haven’t fired on all cylinders, but you are what your record says you are, and the record says they had a great first half.
Jackson Heiden: A-
It feels almost cliché to give the Brewers an A- at the halfway mark. Despite having the second-best record in baseball and falling one win short of becoming the 21st team in baseball to hit 60 wins before the All-Star break, there are some glaring issues that will need to be addressed at the trade deadline if the Brewers want to make a run come October. The Brewers’ pitching staff has been the backbone, but with a roller coaster of injuries spread throughout, another arm wouldn’t hurt to help support the rotation. Offensively, despite seeing better production as of late from the left side of the infield, it’s still an area that could use some veteran leadership to really boost this lineup. Overall, the Brewers are in a great spot. In fact, the best spot they have ever been to this point in the season. Arms will get healthier, the bats will figure it out, and with a favorable stretch of schedule coming out of the break, it could be a good “get hot” time for the Crew.
Jason Paczkowski: A
A lot has gone right for the Brewers this season. Even though they did spend a few days in last place early in the season, they have never had a losing record this season. They’ve been in sole possession of first place since May 19 and have held a lead as large as 7.5 games. The young rotation has been a strength of the team, and the bullpen has also been as strong as last year. New additions to the position players are fixing some of the issues that the team has had so far. There are a few concerns as the team comes out of the All-Star break, with the rotation facing some injuries and the Brewers on a three-game losing streak. However, they’re still set up to finish the season strong.
Adam Zimmer: A
At the All-Star break, the Brewers have 59 wins, the second-best record in baseball, the Cy Young frontrunner, the best farm system in the sport, and a front office that keeps plugging holes with talented young players. Sure, you can point to the bullpen’s occasional struggles, the inconsistent production with runners in scoring position, or the lack of elite power, but none of that changes the bigger picture: the Brewers are winning games. They’re just a game and a half behind the Dodgers for the best record in the majors. If that doesn’t deserve an A, what does?
Florida Complex League Yankees:L, 8-13 at FCL Blue Jays
1B-3B Richard Matic 0-4, BB, 2 K SS George Lombard Jr. 1-1, HR, 2 BB, RBI — another rehab game, another homer PH-1B Diego Flores 0-1, BB CF Wilberson De Pena 3-4, 2B, HR, BB, 3 RBI, K, CS — 16th homer, continues to lay waste to Rookie ball (1.085 OPS in 51 games); also a new FCL record for single-season homers! DH Queni Pineda 0-4, BB, 2 K 3B-2B Leni Done 0-4, SB RF Jose Castro 2-3, BB, RBI, K, 2 SB LF Francisco Vilorio 1-4, RBI 2B-SS Dexters Peralta 0-2, 2 BB, GIDP, CS, picked off C Justin Capellan 1-3, 2B C Carlos Rondon 0-1, K
Danny Flatt 2.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R (4 ER), 3 BB, 4 K, HR, WP (loss) Marco Manzano 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, WP Brian Hendry 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K Hueston Morrill 0.2 IP, 2 H, 4 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 2 K — on a rehab assignment of his own, but yike Brian Arias 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R (3 ER), 2 BB, HR, HBP Stanly Alcantara 1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 2 K, HBP
Solo homer to left field by George Lombard Jr. for the FCL Yankees on rehab.
Game 1 — completion of July 9th game suspended in the third
CF Isaias Castillo 2-2, 2B RF Manuel Aguilar 1-2, 2 BB, K SS Stiven Marinez 1-4, BB, SB, HBP RF-CF Yostin Pena 3-5, 2 2B, BB, 4 RBI, SB — three run-scoring hits in four innings DH Juan Torres 3-5, 3 RBI, SB 1B Juan Martinez 1-3, K 1B John Rosillo 1-2, HR, 2 RBI — first pro homer C Cesar Lopez 0-2, 2 BB, K, SB, HBP, passed ball LF Kendry Diaz 0-5, K 3B Abrahan Pichardo 1-2, CS, throwing error 3B Adrian Feliz 0-2, BB, K, CS 2B Emmanuel Orozco 1-5, 2 K, SB
Jhosneyker Colina 1 IP, 4 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 2 K Dariel Chalas 1.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R (1 ER), 3 BB, 0 K, 2 HBP Dalvin Taveras 1 IP, 2 H, 5 R (5 ER), 4 BB, 2 K, WP, HBP Angel Salazar 3.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 4 K, WP — DSL Rockies scored five in the eighth to come back Luis Rodriguez 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 0 K (loss)
Game 2
SS Stiven Marinez 1-3, BB C Juan Martinez 2-3, BB, SB, throwing error CF Yostin Pena 3-4, 3B, HR, 4 RBI, K — launched go-ahead homer in the sixth; six hits and eight RBI in the doubleheader, pretty good! 2B Juan Torres 1-4, 2B, RBI, SB RF Manuel Aguilar 1-4, 2 K LF Eliezer Adames 0-2, BB, K DH Edgar Jimenez 0-3 1B Jose Peralta 0-2, BB 3B Emmanuel Orozco 0-2, BB, K, fielding error
Jhosneyker Colina 4.2 IP, 7 H, 6 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 4 K, HR, HBP, fielding error — starting both ends of a doubleheader! wow! (yes I know he actually started the first one on July 9th) Varis Villarreal 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K (win) Emanuel Vargas 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K, WP (save)
Dominican Summer League Bombers:L, 6-8 (10) at DSL Colorado
2B Dariel Santana 2-5, 2B, 3B, K — scored on a fielder’s choice to briefly put Bombers ahead in 10th 3B Carlos Bello 0-3, BB, 2 K C Kenneth Melendez 1-5, K, SB, passed ball C Jesus Guerrero 0-0 RF David Carrera 3-4, BB, 2 RBI, SB, outfield assist DH Poly Ojeda 1-5, HR, 4 RBI — three-run blast in the eighth SS Germayhoni Beltre 0-4, BB, K, SB, CS 1B Stalen Ramirez 0-4, fielding error LF Sebastian Pinto 0-3, BB CF Alfiery Matos 0-4, K
Junior Tavera 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 5 K, HR Higor Requena 4 IP, 6 H, 3 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 4 K, HR, HBP — allowed game-tying homer in the eighth Diego Carrillo 0 IP, 2 H, 3 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 0 K, HR (loss) — gave up walk-off three-run bomb in the 10th
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 10: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks dribbles during the second quarter against the San Antonio Spurs in Game Four of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden on June 10, 2026 in New York City. 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 Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson is on a quest for his second championship after ending the Knicks’ drought of winning the Larry O’Brien Trophy this summer.
Brunson led a movement that snapped a 53-year drought of losing, but he hopes to bring another ring to the Knicks. Bleacher Report contributor Andy Bailey believes Brunson will be the 24th-best player in the NBA by the start of the new decade.
“Brunson has already had to learn how to dominate at both a size and athleticism deficit. He’s done it with skill and craft,” Bailey wrote. “And neither trait is likely to abandon Brunson over the next four years. In fact, there’s a real chance he only sharpens those between now and 2030. We just witnessed Chris Paul remain very effective well into his 30s, and the similarly built Brunson could do the same.”
Brunson turns 30 this summer, which could suggest that he is heading towards a decline. However, the injuries he has faced over the years have not slowed him down, and there’s reason to believe that he isn’t stopping anytime soon.
The top 30 players in the NBA in 2030, predicted by @BleacherReport
1. Victor Wembanyama 2. Luka Dončić 3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 4. Nikola Jokić 5. Anthony Edwards 6. Cooper Flagg 7. Cade Cunningham 8. Cameron Boozer 9. Tyrese Maxey 10. LaMelo Ball 11. Darryn Peterson 12. AJ… pic.twitter.com/IvkNBkQnZ1
There is still potential that Brunson has not played up to the best of his abilities quite yet. It’s possible he could have another gear in him, which would be great for the Knicks.
With his co-stars Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby lining up for extensions coming up, the Knicks could keep this core together for the next several years in hopes of winning another championship or two.
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - MAY 24: Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco on San Antonio's West Side cheer as San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet (7) runs toward the court during Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio on Sunday, May 24, 2026. (Katina Zentz/San Antonio Express-News via Getty Images)
My mom recently sent me a photo of Luke Kornet. How is my mother grabbing off-court photos of the Spurs center? He was at 6:00 a.m. mass at a local Catholic church this summer, the same church my parents attend. One of the parishioners asked and Kornet respectfully complied.
For those who are unaware, Kornet is a devout Catholic. In fact, when he was with the Boston Celtics, Kornet launched a blog in which he posted about the churches he visited while traveling with the team.
During the playoffs, the Spurs got an emotional and spiritual boost from the Saletian Sisters of St. John Bosco. There was a viral video of him being blessed before the game.
This time last year Luke Kornet was considered the steal of free agency. The 2024 NBA Champ came in to back up Victor Wembanyama and add a veteran presence to the young Spurs roster. He shined throughout the season, elevating the team and helping the Spurs get to their first Finals appearance in a dozen years.
Last week, Kornet made a phone message inviting LeBron James to consider the San Antonio Spurs as for his twenty-fourth season. If you haven’t listened to it yet, it is hilarious. Kornet really has a great sense of humor.
Luke Kornet’s voice memo for LeBron to join the Spurs:
“Mr. James, it’s Luke Kornet. You can play alongside a generational player (in myself), Victor too. We have SeaWorld, La Panaderia, it’s bussing. You’re chasing number 5, we have 5, we’re chasing 6. Around the same… pic.twitter.com/ASuyrYlTVy
Today, Luke Kornet turns 31. Hopefully, he is embracing his time off, enjoying his family, and recharging for next season.
Happy birthday, Luke.
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CORPORATE - 5/12/26 - The Disney Advertising Upfront is a showcase event that brings together all the content corners of The Walt Disney Company on one stage. On Tuesday, May 12, 2026 at North Javits in New York City, an incredible roster of all-star talent will tout their connections to storytelling, Disney, and each other while showcasing their latest projects for the upcoming year.(Disney/Michael Le Brecht II) COOPER FLAGG (Photo by Michael Le Brecht II/Disney via Getty Images) | Disney via Getty Images
Dallas Mavericks star forward Cooper Flagg is on a trajectory to be one of the top players in the league when he reaches his prime.
Flagg has not even turned 20 yet, but he is showing signs that he can be elite in the league. Bleacher Report contributor Andy Bailey believes he will be the sixth-best player in the NBA four years from now.
“As an NBA rookie, he averaged 15.7 points and shot 26.4 percent from deep in his first 19 appearances. Over the rest of the campaign, he put up 23.0 points and shot 30.8 percent from three,” Bailey wrote. “His assist numbers saw similar upticks too. And when you watched him play, it was clear that things were sort of clicking for Flagg with each successive appearance.
“At this rate, the three-point shot is bound to come along at some point. His playmaking is only going to keep getting better too. And with his competitiveness, the thought of being the sixth best player in the league in four years would only make him push even harder to be first.”
The only players that ranked ahead of Flagg were Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic and San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama.
It will be intriguing to see how Flagg operates under new head coach Dusty May. The Mavs have a vision for the future and Flagg is at the forefront of it. He showed in his rookie year how dominant he already is, but with a tailor-made plan for him over the next couple of years, Flagg could be a major problem for the other 29 teams in the league.
Mavs Moneyball community, how high do you think Flagg’s ceiling is? Chime off in the comments section below.
An unlikely match ‘like a World Cup final’ was for some first proof of Yorkshire immigrant community’s love of cricket
On 30 June 1986 the Yorkshire Postprinted an invitation to a pre-match reception at the Majestic hotel. “Meet cricket club celebrities,”the invite read. “Auction, £10 (including buffet).” But these were not just any old cricket celebrities, this was India and Pakistan, led by Kapil Dev and Imran Khan, due to meet for only the second time on British soil at the genteel English town of Harrogate.
This unlikely match, a 40-over bish-bash fundraiser for Help the Aged, had been encouraged by the cricketing bigwigs of both nations. India were already in situ on an England tour, while the Pakistan ambassador, Ali Arshad, was in charge of pulling together a team, flying five players over specially.
Every year, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler compiles a list of the players he deems the top 100 prospects who have been drafted but are not yet fully established in the NHL. To be considered, prospects must also be under 23 years old. Back in 2024, when Wheeler did this exercise, the Montreal Canadiens had five players on the list: Ivan Demidov in first place, David Reinbacher (24), Michael Hage (35), Logan Mailloux (58) and Joshua Roy (82). Last summer, the Habs had three players on the list: Ivan Demidov (3rd place), David Reinbacher (39th place) and Michael Hage (51st), and by the time Wheeler did the exercise again last April, Hage was number 11, Alexander Zharvosky had entered the ranking at 17, Reinbacher was 35th, and Bryce Pickford just made the cut at number 98.
Fast forward three months, and the Sainte-Flanelle now has three players in Wheeler’s ranking: Michael Hage is at number 21, a 30-place jump; Alexander Zharovsky is at number 33; and David Reinbacher has fallen to number 48. As for Pickford, he has fallen off the Top-100 but is mentioned as one of the final cuts.
Wheeler sees Hage as a second-tier prospect and notes that the youngster, once believed to be better suited to a wing role in the NHL, may stick at center. He describes him as having top-six potential and being gifted with the ability to be both a passing and a scoring threat. He wraps up the description by adding:
His blend of skating, skill, scoring, playmaking and sense is hard to come by and noticeable in every game he has played this year. I’m a big fan.
That’s a very fair assessment and represents everything Hage showed at development camp. Paired up with Logan Sawyer, the center created a lot of opportunities for his side but was often let down by his teammates' lack of finish. Still, he scored two goals and added an assist on a Sawyer goal before scoring with a nifty move in the shootout session.
Hage’s presence and performance at development camp are why Canadiens fans shouldn’t panic about Kent Hughes not yet finding a top-six center on the trade market. The organization clearly thinks very highly of Hage, and when his season is over in the NCAA, hopefully with a national title in his back pocket, all eyes will be on him to make his NHL debut.
Zharovsky lands in the third tier of Wheeler’s list, and the journalist’s main qualm about him seems to be that he is quite lean, although he concedes he has started to put on some weight and muscle. He mentions that he set a scoring record for an under-19 player in the KHL last season, overtaking the likes of Evgeny Kuznetsov, Vladimir Tarasenko and Kirill Kaprizov, which is no small feat.
Wheeler labels him a slick puck carrier with the skills to take it wherever he wants; he also calls him a decent skater despite his lack of strength and wraps his description by conceding that it’s rare to get such a talented player outside the first round.
There’s no arguing there; his hands definitely caught eyes at the training camp, and he made it clear that he can beat his man one-on-one and even make him look silly in the process. Another year in the KHL, adding some more strength and muscle, certainly won’t hurt and given Montreal’s shortcomings when it comes to size, one has to hope that he will have a bigger frame when he makes the jump to North America.
Finally, Reinbacher lands in the third tier, and while Wheeler notes he’s not convinced he’ll live up to his selection, he believes the right-shot defenseman will become a good second-pairing blueliner with a long NHL career.
He calls him a two-way defenseman and praises him for knowing when to pick his spots and not getting out of position to gamble on big plays. He also reports that the blueliner has good vision and that his head is always on a swivel, keeping an eye on everything going on at both ends of the ice.
Given the fact that the Canadiens have Noah Dobson locked up for years, if Reinbacher does become a reliable top-four defenseman, the organization should be satisfied. It will be interesting to see whether the blueliner makes the jump to the NHL this season and can finally leave Wheeler’s lists behind.
One of the Pittsburgh Penguins' top needs right now is another left-shot defenseman. The left side of their blueline needs improvement, as they traded Parker Wotherspoon and lost Ryan Shea to the Edmonton Oilers in free agency this off-season.
When looking at trade candidates around the NHL, Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin is a player who immediately stands out as a potential target for the Penguins.
At 24 years old, Nikishin would have the potential to be a perfect fit on the Penguins' blueline. The 2020 third-round pick has great upside and just had a strong rookie season with the Hurricanes. In 81 games with Carolina this past season, he recorded 11 goals, 22 assists, and 33 points. With numbers like these, he has already proven that he can provide solid offense from the point.
If the Penguins acquired Nikishin, he would become their new top left-shot defenseman. With the Penguins being in a retool, Nikishin is exactly the kind of young defenseman that they should be making a push for. This is because he would have the potential to be a long-term part of their core.
It will be interesting to see if the Penguins try to acquire Nikishin, but the fit looks great on paper.
At this stage, James has all the information he needs from teams and is weighing his options, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told USA TODAY Sports.
The person spoke under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly comment on the specifics of James’ thinking. As a result, a decision could be imminent.
James, 41, is a player who has unparalleled stature in the NBA. As such, he’s calculated and deliberate about his decision making and is able to decide his future on his own terms. James has earned that right, and he’s being intentional about his decision.
James, a 22-time All-Star and four-time champion, has played a record 23 seasons in the NBA and wants to compete for another championship.
On one hand, given James’ tenure and stature in the league, the Cavaliers and Heat would appear to make the most sense; James has played for both before and has helped deliver championships to each franchise.
Cleveland selected James first overall in the 2003 NBA Draft, and he’s from Akron, Ohio. In fact, if James were to join the Cavs, he would be playing in his third different stint with the team. James willed Cleveland to its first championship in franchise history at the 2016 NBA Finals, when the Cavaliers came back from a 3-1 series deficit to win. James would be joining a Cavs team that got swept in the Eastern Conference finals but features star guards Donovan Mitchell and James Harden.
In Miami, James played arguably the best basketball of his career, winning Most Valuable Player in two of his four seasons there. The Heat also won two Finals, and the system, coaching staff and front office are mostly the same from when James played there, from 2010-14. The Heat just recently acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo, and he and James would making an intriguing pair of fastbreak threats, alongside Heat captain Bam Adebayo.
And while it may appear to be an odd fit for James to join a new team at this stage of his career, each of Philadelphia, Golden State and Minnesota present interesting options.
Although he turned 41 years old in December, James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds in 60 games this season. James owns a number of all-time records, including points (43,440), games (1,622), postseason points (8,521) and postseason games (302).
TORONTO, ON - May 13 - Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson during an optional practice at the Ford Performance Centre in Toronto, May 13, 2025. The Maple Leafs are tied 2-2 in their best-of-seven second-round matchup with the Florida Panthers Andrew Francis Wallace/Toronto Star (Andrew Francis Wallace/Toronto Star via Getty Images) | Toronto Star via Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Penguins and forward Nick Robertson have avoided the player’s upcoming arbitration hearing after agreeing to a two-year contract on Tuesday. The deal carries an average annual value of $3.25 million.
The new contract with his new team sees Robertson get quite the raise from the $1.82 million cap hit he had with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season.
General manager Kyle Dubas, who drafted Robertson in the second round of the 2019 NHL draft, clearly sees untapped potential with the 24-year-old, who recorded career highs last season with 16 goals and 16 assists for 32 points in 78 games.
In 234 career NHL games, Robertson has tallied 48 goals, 40 assists, and 88 points along with a career 12.5 shooting percentage. Yet he’s only averaged 11:52 of ice time over that span, in line with bottom-six deployment.
With this new contract in place, we have a better idea of what kind of player Dubas envisions Robertson to be: a top-nine forward and perhaps the latest successful reclamation project in Pittsburgh.
That kind of money won’t sit in the press box as the 13th forward, even with a skyrocketing salary cap.
Had the Penguins viewed Robertson as merely a depth winger, they could have sought a shorter or cheaper bridge contract. Instead, agreeing to terms before the hearing at that cap hit suggests Pittsburgh expects Robertson to play meaningful minutes.
Could this be another classic “change of scenery” trade that propels Robertson to new heights? He has been viewed as someone whose production hasn’t matched his opportunity.
His goals/60 at 5v5 was 0.96 last season, per Natural Stat Trick, an impressive rate given his average ice time, indicating his efficiency as a finisher.
Nick Robertson, acquired by PIT, is a depth scoring winger who has shown some finishing touch and 5v5 scoring efficiency but hasn't been able to establish himself higher in the lineup. pic.twitter.com/O6IuNLZb5O
However, he’s historically logged limited minutes, never getting consistent top-six ice time or looks on the power play. Robertson spent much of his career buried behind established wingers like Matthew Knies, William Nylander and Mitch Marner. Even after Marner’s departure, Gavin McKenna is expected to occupy a prominent role on the wing.
Robertson’s numbers may not jump off the page, but they become more compelling when viewed alongside his limited usage.
Dubas has repeatedly targeted players who possess NHL tools but haven’t found stable roles elsewhere.
Rather than paying premium prices in free agency, the Penguins have increasingly targeted younger players who have flashed NHL ability but lacked opportunity. Justin Brazeau arrived from Boston looking for a larger role, while Egor Chinakhov represented another gamble on a talented winger whose development had stalled in Ohio’s capital city.
As of this way-too-early off-season projection, Robertson figures to slot into the third line flanking Ben Kindel with Andrei Kuzmenko.
Whether Robertson ultimately becomes a 20-goal scorer or simply another depth forward remains to be seen. But Tuesday’s contract makes one thing clear: Dubas sees far more in Robertson than the role he was given in Toronto.
Jul 14, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Cody Bellinger (35) reacts with family after being voted the 2026 MLB All-Star Game MVP (Arch Ward Trophy) at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Good morning all, and happy “Cody Bellinger is an All-Star Game MVP” Day!
Okay yes, it’s not really that big of a deal. Last night’s Midsummer Classic was kind of a grueling watch for even the most ardent of baseball fans, due in large part to bizarre production decisions by Fox Sports but also some downright anemic hitting. Belli was one of the few bright spots, driving in the first two runs of the game during the American League’s three-run first with a single (Ben Rice got the other ribbie). That was enough for MVP! Competition was not fierce, and this is of course an exhibition game award. But good for Cody.
We have two and a half days until we actually get Yankees baseball again, so we have to play The Waiting Game. In the meantime, we’ll still have plenty of material going live! So check that out as it comes across.
As for the daily question, rather than throwing another one out there, this morning I will simply tap the sign of our most recent SB Nation Reacts survey prompt. You can go there to log your answer if you haven’t already, or you can answer it at the bottom of this post and all the results will be combined (it’s the same code). We would love to get as many responses as possible, so let us know if you think the Yankees have a World Series in their future or what kind of playoff fate awaits them!
The comments may be repetitive from yesterday’s prompt, but so many of the regular comments here touch on the same general point—justifiably wondering about championship expectations in some form or another—that I don’t think it’s a big deal. Anyway, I’m feeling optimistic about the Yankees given the lighter American League field, but it does seem evident to me that work needs to be done on this roster over the next few weeks while the front office can still make trades, etc. And Aaron Judge and Max Fried making smooth returns from the IL is just so damn important. It’s just a matter of how close to their 2025 selves they can reasonably expect to get down the stretch as they shake off the rust and work through the aches and pains. I say at least a pennant if they can at least be 75-90 percent of those forms … but we’ll see.
Today on the site, Sam looks back at the biggest hits of the Yankees’ first half, Matt will celebrate the 134th birthday of a historic batting champion whose career briefly included the ol’ pinstripes, and Jeff will begin our individual player trade target series in advance of the deadline with a look at the biggest catch that could be on the market. Later, Jonathan will break down how the Yankees’ 2026 draft class should affect the system depth, and Scott will discuss Tyler Hardman’s award-winning recent series for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
Today’s Matchup
Offday (Yankees will resume on Friday at home against the Dodgers at 7:05pm ET)
Instead, it was seemingly harmless two-run, first-inning single by a former MVP participating in his first All-Star Game in seven years whose hit proved to be worthy of the All-Star MVP award.
New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger, who stood in front of his locker before the game reminiscing when he was the National League’s MVP for the Los Angeles Dodgers at the age of 24, and six hours later Tuesday night was sitting behind a podium holding the MVP award after the American League’s 4-0 victory.
Bellinger is the fourth Yankee to win the All-Star MVP award, joining Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Giancarlo Stanton, and also the first in MLB history to win Rookie of the Year, LCS MVP, All-Star MVP and a World Series title.
“Pretty special,’’ Bellinger, 31, said. “My first few years in the big leagues, I was here two of my first three years. I was, like, 'Oh, I'll be here every year. It took a long time to get back.'
“It's hard to be an All-Star. You know, health, performance, it all has to come together. Honestly, this one I just really enjoyed it.’’
Really, Bellinger was one of the few hitters in the 96th All-Star Game to actually have a satisfying evening. There were a record 27 strikeouts, the most in a nine-inning All-Star Game, including 15 by the American League pitchers. There was only one extra-base hit the entire game, an eighth-inning homer by Chicago White Sox infielder Miguel Vargas, one of 26 first-time All-Stars.
“It’s not really fair, I don’t know how those guys can even hit the way guys are throwing,’’ Cleveland Guardians closer Cade Smith said. “Everybody’s motion is completely unique. Then, there’s the different release points, arm angles. I wouldn’t say I feel sorry for them, but I don’t understand how they do what they do. It’s very impressive. It’s a hard line of work for sure.’’
While the game was rather dull, it was the city of Philadelphia that stole the show. They broke out an old-fashioned piece of Americana after the fourth inning with kids coming from the center-field gate on bicycles, camping out by the All-Stars on the field, some trading baseball cards, and others playing catch, like 14-year-old Noah with Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman.
“That was pretty cool, pretty fun,’’ said Freeman, who spoke to the team before the game along with Bryce Harper and Chris Sale, who had a combined 29 All-Star appearances. “I was telling them to appreciate the game, take a step back, and make sure you realize how special this is. So, make sure you take a step back and realize it’s not just you making it. It’s your parents, your friends, everyone who helped you along the way.’’
Bellinger, the son of former Yankees infielder Clay Bellinger, indeed heeded the advice, and watching the kids come out onto the field riding their bicycles, resurrecting memories for Bellinger growing up in Chandler, Arizona, and playing ball every day with all of the neighborhood kids.
“I think it was special,’’ Bellinger said. “We do play a kids' game. We're all little kids at heart playing this game, even though it's a challenging game. But ultimately, we all fell in love with the game at a young age. We're all still those little kids with big dreams. We're just out here playing a game, and it's always nice to have that perspective.
“It was a really good weekend.’’
One that almost turned into an utter nightmare for the Tampa Bay Rays. They watched their season flash before their eyes when All-Star third baseman Junior Caminero was hit by a pitch in the left hand on a 98-mph sinker by St. Louis Cardinals reliever Riley O’Brien in the third inning, writhing in pain, with his face planted in the dirt.
He got up, ran through the visiting dugout, into the clubhouse, and was escorted into the X-ray room at Citizens Bank Park with the Phillies’ team doctor. O’Brien, who was visibly shaken, later accompanied him.
While the Rays held their breath, said their prayers, and clutched their rosary beads, X-rays came back negative. Caminero walked out of the clubhouse in a cream-colored suit, a rubber protective sleeve on his pinkie finger, and a huge relief on his face.
“I feel good,’’ Caminero said. “Thank God that nothing’s broken and it was just more of a scare than anything. I was just scared. You’re thinking the worst, and I honestly thought something might have been broken.
“But look, thank you to God that everything’s fine. It’s just a little bit sore, but we’re all good.’’
And just like that, the Rays’ five-man All-Star contingent, along with a fan base that has watched their team take a surprising three-game lead over the Yankees at the All-Star break, could exhale.
“It was extreme panic,’’ said Rays closer Bryan Baker, who recorded the final out. “We were stressing. I can take a breath now.’’
Said Rays starter Nick Martinez, who was making his first All-Star appearance at the age of 36: “Super scary. That’s our guy. Obviously happy that he’s doing all right.’’
Really, the only one who might have been the most relieved was O’Brien, who also visited Caminero in the clubhouse and apologized for the errant pitch.
“I felt terrible about that,’’ O’Brien said. “Last thing I want to do in an All-Star Game is hit someone, and God forbid, hurt him. I went over there just wanted to check on him to make sure he was all right. He was very understanding and classy about it, and understood.’’
Said Caminero, who plans to play in both games of the Rays’ doubleheader Friday, July 17 against the Boston Red Sox: “I really appreciate the gesture. He came into the clubhouse and he took a few seconds to apologize. But I told him, “Look, it’s part of the game.’ He was really worried, but I told him that these things happen. We’re here to have fun. We’re here to enjoy the night.’’
Few enjoyed the festivities more than Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout, who was born and raised in nearby Millville, N.J., and was treated to a thunderous ovation when he was introduced. The folks in Philly are notorious for booing the opposition, with the loudest boos of the night reserved for all of the rival players in the National League East, even including Mr. and Mrs. Met, the Mets' mascots, but they showed their love for Trout.
“This was one of the best All-Star experiences I ever had,’’ said Trout, who played in his first All-Star Game since 2019. “Just to be able to spend it with family, and a lot of friends, made it special. This was really cool.’’
And for the Phillies’ hometown contingent, like Kyle Schwarber, who leads baseball with 31 homers, it was the ultimate experience. It was his fourth All-Star Game, but easily the best time he’s had at the event, with the sellout crowds greeting him with thunderous ovations every time he stepped to the plate at the Home Run Derby and All-Star game.
“It’s definitely No. 1 for me,’’ he said. “It’s one that I’m going to remember for the rest of my life, and happy that my kids and family were able to be here and witness it. They did an unbelievable job to have a spectacle like this.’’
And, well, perhaps no one enjoyed it more than Bellinger, who’s a living, breathing testament to how difficult it is to make the All-Star Game. He hit eight homers with 38 RBI his first two months of the season, hitting .304 in May, but wounder up batting just .226 with three homers and 13 RBI in June and July.
“It’s just hard man,’’ Bellinger told USA TODAY Sports before the game. “You don’t get off to a hot start, and then you get like a decent May and have a good June, it’s too late. It just depends on your starts, and it’s hard to hit in April, it’s just cold.’’
Look no further than Hall of Famer Robin Yount, who produced 3,142 hits for the Milwaukee Brewers, but only made three All-Star Games in his career.
“That’s just crazy,’’ Bellinger says. “That just shows you how hard it is. And, the pitching today, man, you see it. It’s just unbelievable.’’
Yes, a night like Tuesday, when the best hitters in the world can step to the plate 69 times, produce just nine singles and a homer, with 23 hitters striking out at least once, and Dodgers starter Justin Wrobleski becoming the first pitcher to strike out five batters in an All-Star Game since Pedro Martinez in 1999, you realize just how utterly dominant the pitching is in today’s game.
“Yeah, tell me about it,’’ Bellinger said. “Just unbelievable, isn’t it?’’
PHILADELPHIA — Bombs burst in the air, and one even landed in the seats at Citizens Bank Park.
Yet for almost the entirety of this 96th All-Star Game, all was quiet on the banks of the Delaware during the American League’s 4-0 throttling of their National League counterparts in the first Midsummer Classic in Philadelphia since 1996.
Major League Baseball and the City of Brotherly Love went all in on America 250 – from quills to bike rides to Hologram Ray Charles and Patti LaBelle, all of which seemed to go over pretty well.
The baseball?
That was a much quieter affair, as you’ll discover when we break down the winners and losers of this annual midseason meeting:
Winners
The American League
And boy, did they need it.
After the AL set baseball back a few decades with an utterly mediocre first half – just five teams are over .500, and they went 132-160 against the National League – AL and Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider said before the All-Star Game that "the season is called a season for a reason. You see where it shakes out after 162, but there's definitely some strong teams in both leagues."
Well, after a 4-0 victory in which 11 AL pitchers held the NL to just three hits, maybe there’s a Junior Circuit renaissance around the corner.
Oh, one win in a truly meaningless exhibition doesn’t galvanize an entire league in any sense. It won’t make the Angels relevant, or the mound in Yolo County any more pleasant for Athletics pitchers.
But for a night the AL played crisp and nearly flawless baseball. Or perhaps, since the three-run first-inning rally was fueled by RBI hits from Cody Bellinger and Ben Rice, maybe just the Yankees are any good.
At any rate, the AL has won 11 of the past 13 All-Star Games. Perhaps they can dig out their first World Series win since 2023 come October.
The City of Philadelphia
All-Star Games can become glorified corporate spectacles. As the only pre-fixed date on the baseball calendar, the brands can roll deep, and the crowd seemingly consists of a never-ending stream of Capital One assistant vice presidents.
But the irrepressible Philly fan forced their way into the proceedings, filling up far too many seats for the MLB draft, bringing more bodies and energy to the Futures Game than recent memory and providing a full-throated roar in rooting for their homeboys in the Home Run Derby.
As so often happens, the crowd was a little tamer for Tuesday’s game, but the sea of Utley and Howard and Harper and Schmidt and Victorino and Morandini jerseys from Pattison to Reading Market was a feast for the eyes all week.
The AL Central
The longtime punching bag for the AL was showing off all its wares Tuesday night – to the extent a team can in a 4-0 snoozefest of a game.
Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas put a capper on the game with a 433-foot blast to left field in the eighth inning. Pitchers Parker Messick and Cade Smith (Cleveland Guardians), Michael Wacha (Kansas City Royals) and Joe Ryan (Minnesota Twins) combined for four nearly perfect relief innings, with seven strikeouts and no walks.
And Area Young Man Kevin McGonigle of the Detroit Tigers got a very nice ovation in pregame introductions, marking his territory for what appears to be many, many All-Star nods.
The great Cristopher Sanchez’s outing was just a few batters old when, his pitch count mounting, you stopped thinking about the three runs he was giving up to the AL and started to wonder when NL coach and Phillies manager Don Mattingly was going to overrule Dave Roberts and go out and yank Sanchez himself.
So it went most of the week for the hometown All-Stars, as Bryce Harper crashed out of the Home Run Derby after 20 swings and Kyle Schwarber fell one soul-crushing longball short – again – of taking home the trophy and related branded swag from a popular streaming company.
The game wasn’t much better, with Schwarber and Harper hitless in four at-bats, and Harper staging one of the worst ABS challenges we’ve seen this year (Hey, he’s a veteran future Hall of Famer in his home ballpark. He’s allowed). We’d be remiss to not mention Jesus Luzardo’s spotless relief inning along with Phillies closer Jhoan Duran living up to his elaborate light show by recording the final two outs, albeit in junk time.
Otherwise, Phillies fans might try to take solace in the notion that maybe the lads were saving their bullets for a three-way second-half fight in the NL East.
National League hitters
Bad enough they got shut out on just three hits, all singles. Yet in this All-Star Game, where you want everyone to play, everyone to eat, the lineup barely turned over.
Schwarber, batting leadoff, was limited to two at-bats, Harper one. Home Run Derby champ Jordan Walker, towering slugger James Wood, the dynamic Pete Crow-Armstrong?
All got one turn at bat, allowing virtually no chance to impact the game.
The Home Run Derby and All-Star Game
Speaking of which … what are we going to do about this?
Commissioner Rob Manfred began his annual midseason meeting with baseball media with the usual glowing remarks about the previous night’s Derby. Well, he was kind of lucky: Despite the hometown juice from Schwarber and Harper, the new format was inconsistent at best, with Walker saving the day with an almost mathematically impossible six homers in his final six swings.
That was cool. The rest was really mid, with hitters often mathematically eliminated halfway through their rounds.
As for the game? We’ve documented the many reasons why it was a dud on a night they boomed fireworks high in the Philly sky. So, what to do?
You can’t legislate velocity and nasty stuff out of the game – all of which gets nastier when the game’s greatest pitchers are limited to just one inning and can turn it loose. The result: one extra-base hit.
The innings moved so fast that the Fox broadcast could hardly get into its mic’d up set pieces before moving to several more minutes of commercials.
The game is cyclical. Perhaps this game will experience an uptick, too.
Jul 12, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Mason Miller (22) celebrates after the Padres beat the Toronto Blue Jays at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
New York Post | Jon Heyman ($): While rumors will still swirl around landing Tarik Skubal, the Yankees seem to be prioritizing high-end relief help and a new catcher at the trade deadline. Heyman tells us that the Padres’ Mason Miller and Minnesota backstop Ryan Jeffers will be the club’s two biggest targets as we get closer to the deadline, and while both would likely help the team, the price for Miller especially will be steep. San Diego seems willing to shed payroll, but the dominant reliever is only going into his first year of arbitration this winter, and the prospect cost the Padres gave up a year ago may still be weighing on the minds of the front office.
New York Daily News | Peter Sblendorio: Cody Bellinger is an All-Star for the first time since his 2019 MVP campaign, and he is savoring every bit of the experience. You could build a case that Belli deserved the trip to the Midsummer Classic last year, but being an indispensable part of the Yankees this season and one of the game’s best defensive players made him an easy selection for Philadelphia. Now the only thing left is to mirror his first half performance as we turn into the dog days of summer.
As an added bonus, Bellinger became the fourth Yankee to win All-Star Game MVP, joining a quartet with Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and Giancarlo Stanton (the most recent winner, in 2022). It was a mostly quietly affair in the Midsummer Classic, but Bellinger had the two-run single that put the American League on the board in the first inning against the normally pristine Cristopher Sánchez. Teammate Ben Rice followed with an RBI single of his own and the AL won, 4-0.
NJ.com | James Mertz: Carsten Sabathia III, the oldest son of the former Yankee great CC Sabathia, was drafted in the 20th round of this year’s MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers, another of CC’s old teams. Carsten eschewed his father’s path to pitching, instead standing 6-foot-4 as a slugging first baseman for the University of Houston. He started out at Georgia Tech and also played a couple summers with the Yankees’ old Double-A affiliate, the Trenton Thunder, which is now a college wood-bat league team. It’ll be a long way to the majors from here, but congrats to the kid nevertheless.
FanGraphs | Jay Jaffe: This doesn’t directly cover the Yankees — thankfully — but it’s one of my favorite recurring series of the year. Keeping your players above replacement level sounds easy, but every year teams leave runs, and therefore wins, on the table by having guys that can’t out-produce a hypothetical Quad-A’er. The Yankees don’t feature the worst right side of the infield, even if we’re all kinda disappointed in Jazz Chisholm Jr., and indeed being above replacement level is a good reason why they’re in a real division hunt.
