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Why aren’t the Yankees walking anymore?

KANSAS CITY, MO - MAY 27: New York Yankees centerfielder Trent Grisham (12) is congratulated by teammates after scoring during a MLB game between the New York Yankees and the Kansas City Royals on May 27, 2026, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The last two weeks have been downright depressing in Yankeeland; that much is obvious. Pretty much every facet of the game has been agonizing to watch, and even though several of these games have been winnable towards the end, only one of them have ended in the win column over the last 10 games. While injuries are a big factor, it’s also just maddening regression from the 26 guys on the roster. If you removed the contributions of Aaron Judge and Max Fried from the team’s first two months, they’d still probably have the best record in the AL through mid-June. Their struggles are much more predicated on the guys on the roster stumbling over themselves.

The team is doing a lot less of a lot of things right now. They aren’t slugging. They aren’t making basic defensive plays. The rotation has only put up a zero twice to start the game in the last nine games. Some of this can be explained, though. The slugging drop-off makes sense with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton sidelined, along with a slump by Ben Rice. The defensive miscues make more sense with how players are being played out of position out of necessity. The rotation is experiencing natural regression from a strong start and is without Max Fried or Carlos Rodón.

Something that can’t be as easily explained is the other big part of a formidable Yankees offense vanishing, their ability to draw walks. That and hitting the long ball carry a whole lot of weight for an offense that’s usually among the game’s elite. Since mid-June, the team has gone from one of the best at taking the free pass to one of the worst:

Walk Rate:
Through June 16th: 11.3 percent (first in MLB)
Since June 17th: 7.1 percent (26th)

Sure, Judge and Trent Grisham are big reasons why the team has the league’s best walk rate, but even with their absence, the team should still be pretty good at it. Even if you remove their plate appearances from the sample, something that would not be a clear representative of the data, they drop to sixth in walk rate through mid-June at 10.3 percent.

The raw numbers tell the story of a team that, overall, is walking less across the board, but maybe not as much as you’d think given the drop off.

BB% since June 17, change from pre-June 17th:
Ryan McMahon: 7.8 percent to 11.8 percent (+4.0)
José Caballero: 5.6 percent to 7.3 percent (+1.7)
Amed Rosario: 6.2 percent to 7.3 percent (+1.1)
Cody Bellinger: 13.5 percent to 13.4 percent (-0.1)
Anthony Volpe: 12.6 percent to 12.3 percent (-0.3)
Jasson Domínguez: 4.9 percent to 2.9 percent (-2.0)
Ben Rice: 13.3 percent to 8.5 percent (-4.8)
Paul Goldschmidt: 8.3 percent to 3.4 percent (-4.9)
Jazz Chisholm Jr.: 11.5 percent to 5.5 percent (-6.0)
Spencer Jones*: 13.2 percent to 6.8 percent (-6.4)
Austin Wells*: 13.6 percent to 0.0 percent (-13.6)

The asterisks for Jones and Wells are for their inconsistent playing time, but I want to key in on Wells, whose descent offensively has been both bewildering and incredibly tragic for both his psyche and the organization. Even when he was objectively bad the first few months of the season, he showed improved plate discipline. He was striking out less and walking more. Through May 30th, Wells had a 13.5 BB%, but has since not drawn a single walk in 45 plate appearances. You really have to wonder at this point if those headaches he had is something closer to an Anthony Rizzo situation with how far he’s even dropped off from his pre-IL stint’s plate discipline.

The three players who’ve improved their walk rates are McMahon, Caballero, and Rosario, but the latter two are still decently below average in that regard (MLB average is 9.0 percent). Bellinger and Volpe are still well above average themselves, but the problems start after them.

Rice’s decline is pretty stunning. You would expect a guy like him to actually walk more with Judge out as the premier threat, but teams are just not scared of him right now. Maybe how mortal he’s looked lately is contributing to it? It could also be that his chase rate has ballooned from 23.3 percent to nearly 30 percent. Goldschmidt and Chisholm don’t necessarily come to mind when you think about walks, but both were drawing them at a decent rate before a recent fall-off. Goldy’s faced a ton of lefties of late, likely prompting more aggressive swing decisions, while Chisholm’s is harder to quantify.

Looking deeper, the decrease in walk rate is inversely correlated with a spike in strikeout rate. They were striking out more than league average before this recent stretch, but it’s been even more so:

Strikeout Rate:
Through June 16th: 22.8 percent (20th in MLB)
Since June 17th: 26.6 percent (27th)

K-BB% is more of a pitcher’s stat, but to give you some context, we’ll use it on the offense. Through mid-June, pitchers against the Yankees had an 11.5 K-BB%, which is like Jeffrey Springs. Since then? It’s 19.5 percent, which is similar to Yoshinobu Yamamoto. That’s self-explanatory.

The more contact-oriented hitters on the team are making less contact, especially Bellinger, who’s up to a 22.4 K% over the last three weeks. He’s never been someone afraid to chase to spoil a two-strike offering or serve a single to left field, but this isn’t helping. His chase and whiff rates are both up five percent in the last three weeks.

You’d think with Judge and Grisham out, the Yankees would be seeing a lot more pitches in the strike zone. After all, there’s a lot less firepower to be worried about, right? I guess not.

Batting Zone%:
Through June 16th: 41.5 percent
Since June 17th: 41.7 percent

Negligible. This isn’t, though:

Chase%:
Through June 16th: 30.3 percent (sixth lowest in MLB)
Since June 17th: 35.5 percent (fifth highest)

That’s probably what it drills down to. They’re pressing. They feel the pressure of the situation and are flailing at more pitches, being more aggressive. The team’s overall swing percentage has increased from 44.6 percent to 48.4 percent, going from one of the most passive teams to one of the most aggressive. Aggressiveness on hittable pitches is good. That’s a major reason why the offense shook off a slump in the first two weeks, as they started swinging at hittable pitches more. This time, they’re eating out of the pitcher’s hands. It’s not a winning formula.

It also doesn’t help that the pitching staff has them trailing before they can even pick up the bat. Here’s some stats from the last nine games:

  • The Yankees have not scored first once
  • The rotation allowed a run in the first seven times
  • They trailed before coming to bat five times
  • They’ve allowed 4+ runs in the first three innings five times

The only two times the game was scoreless after one inning were on June 28th against Boston and July 1st against Detroit. In those games, the offense was dead silent for eight innings, trailed 2-0 after eight, forced extra innings, and lost in extras despite both being very winnable.

All told, nobody is contributing and that blows, but what the team could really use right now as they head into a do-or-die four-game set at Tropicana Field is to breathe, be more selective, and take the advice of Passion Pit:

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Senators Forward One Of 15 Players To File For NHL Arbitration

The NHL Players’ Association announced on Sunday that 15 players have filed for salary arbitration. The list includes Senators winger Xavier Bourgault, who made his NHL debut this season at age 23. 

Bourgault appeared in two games for Ottawa, but had a fine AHL season in Belleville with 25 goals, 32 assists and 57 points. In his four years as a pro, those are all career highs as Bourgault found some magic playing on a line with Arthur Kaliyev and Phillip Daoust.

Goalie Leevi Merilainen was also arbitration-eligible, but he agreed to a one-year, one-way deal with the Sens last week. He's ready to be an insurance policy if Samuel Ersson doesn't work out.

Sens area scout Beau Moyer describes what he likes about Senators first-round pick Jaxon Cover (Senators YouTube).

Bourgault, on the other hand, isn't likely to be in Ottawa's plans this fall, at least to start the season, nor will he get a one-way contract. But he and his agent must believe that, as an RFA, he can get a little more guaranteed AHL money by taking the arbitration route.

Bourgault was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers, 22nd overall, in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. He was acquired by the Senators in 2024, along with Jake Chiasson, in exchange for Roby Jarventie and a 2025 fourth-round pick (David Lewandowski).

Here's the full list of NHL players who filed for arbitration:

Bourgault, Xavier (Ottawa Senators)

Dach, Kirby (Montreal Canadiens)

Drysdale, Jamie (Philadelphia Flyers)

Greaves, Jet (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Jefferies, Alex (New York Islanders)

Krebs, Peyton (Buffalo Sabres)

McMichael, Connor (St. Louis Blues)

Perfetti, Cole (Winnipeg Jets)

Robertson, Jason (Dallas Stars)

Robertson, Nick (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Schmid, Akira (Florida Panthers)

Schneider, Braden (New York Rangers)

Seeley, Ronan (Carolina Hurricanes)

Sillinger, Cole (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Zegras, Trevor (Philadelphia Flyers)

The rules say that once you file for arbitration, you're no longer eligible to sign an offer sheet with another club.

These players can still avoid arbitration if they sign a deal with their team before their hearing. Hearings are scheduled to be held from July 20 to Aug. 1. Last year, every player headed toward arbitration signed with their teams before their hearings.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News

This article was first published on The Hockey News Ottawa Senators site. For full coverage of the Senators, check out one of the latest headlines below:

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Ben Humrichous shows out in Nets’ first two Summer League games

In his two-year stint as an Illini, forward Ben Humrichous was particularly impressive at one thing above all: knocking down the triple.

And after upping his physicality last season for Illinois, becoming a weapon on the boards and brick wall on defense, the Brooklyn Nets signed him to an Exhibit-10 contract to give him a chance to show what he can do.

His first Summer League game came in a narrow loss to the Sacramento Kings, where he put up six points on 2-for-5 shooting from three-point range. But that’s not all he did. Humrichous showcased that same physicality he utilized last season, snagging two boards, two steals and one block.

Just a day later, after building up some confidence, he decided he’d carry the offensive load for the Nets to help them secure a 20-point blowout victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Humrichous racked up 15 points after knocking down 5-of-12 from beyond the arc. That’s a lot of triples. In his entire career at Illinois, Humrichous hit five threes in only three games.

But yet again, he offered more on the court than just three-pointers, snagging eight rebounds and tallying two steals.

And to make his night even better, one of Humrichous’ five threes was a buzzer-beater to end the first quarter.

If all of his summer league performances look like this, Illinois fans could see Humrichous earn some real minutes for the Nets in the regular season.

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LeBron going back to Cleveland seems to be picking up steam

CLEVELAND, OHIO - NOVEMBER 25: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers wait for a free throw during the first quarter at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on November 25, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It’s understandable if you took the holiday weekend off of LeBron Watch.

Unfortunately, the latest seems to suggest James could be nearing a reunion with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst seemingly confirmed that the Cavs are the favorites on Pardon My Take Monday.

“I can’t take that off the table,” Windhorst said when asked about the idea of ending a championship drought in Philly being alluring to James.

Longtime NBA Insider Marc Stein’s opinion was slightly different.

So, the Sixers are still in it, but how much optimism you want to have is up to you.

Over the weekend, James was photographed after playing a round of golf with Cavs assistant GM Brandon Weems and friends in Akron. It’s worth noting that LeBron frequently goes back to his hometown in the offseason and Weems is one of his best friends.

Again, you choose to read those tea leaves however you’d like.

If he ultimately chooses Cleveland, it truly feels sentimentality-based. From a basketball standpoint, James would likely be tasked with guarding the opponent’s top perimeter threat every night while sharing the floor with Donovan Mitchell and old friend James Harden. Harden’s heliocentric nature also feels like a clunky fit with LeBron offensively.

Meanwhile, the Sixers and Timberwolves might present his best chance to win. He’d slide in at the power forward on either roster and immediately make them a legitimate contender in their respective conference. The Golden State Warriors are also still in the mix, but it seems like that might be contingent on them acquiring Anthony Davis from the Washington Wizards, something that doesn’t seem likely as of now.

A reunion with the Miami Heat — and partnering up with Giannis Antetokounmpo — also can’t be ruled out. Nor can the idea of James playing alongside Nikola Jokic with the Denver Nuggets.

As the moratorium ends and deals are officially announced this afternoon, we await LeBron’s decision. Only fitting for The King to take over one more NBA offseason before he hangs it up.

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MLB Draft: Looking back at the last five Cubs drafts

The 2026 MLB Draft starts this upcoming Saturday at noon, Chicago time. The Cubs have the 23rd pick of the first round. Rounds 1 through 4 will happen on Saturday and rounds 5 through 20 will be on Sunday. So yeah, they’re compressing the usual three days of the draft down to two days this year.

Before we look ahead to whom is available and whom the Cubs might take, it might be a good idea to look back at the Cubs’ last five drafts. These are the five drafts conducted by current Cubs scouting director Dan Kantrovitz. I don’t think there’s much use in going over earlier drafts conducted by different scouting directors.

It’s clear that Kantrovitz has a preference for college over high school players, at least in the first round. All five of his first-round picks have been from a four-year college. He is willing to grab a high school player after the first round and is willing to pay an over slot bonus to sign ones he likes. James Triantos, Drew Gray, Jackson Ferris, Nazier Mulé, Zyhir Hope, Kaleb Wing and Josiah Hartshorn are all types of raw talents out of high school that the Cubs took a chance on, but not in the first round.

Kantrovitz has also shown a willingness to gamble on higher-ceiling players who fell to the Cubs because of health questions. While Kantrovitz’s first first-rounder in Wicks was more of a safe, low-ceiling guy, Cade Horton was a bold pick of a pitcher who had barely pitched in college because of Tommy John surgery. Ethan Conrad was another player whom the Cubs would never have been able to get with the 17th pick had he been healthy.

I also think that the Cubs under Kantrovitz tend to pick more hitters than pitchers, with the exception of that wacky 2022 draft. Kantrovitz will claim that’s just how the talent falls.

You’ll also note that a lot of these players have been traded already. That’s a good sign that other teams want what the Cubs have been picking in the draft.

So let’s review the five Cubs drafts under Dan Kantovitz. The round is listed first, followed by the number of the overall pick in the draft in parenthesis. Also, just because I didn’t list someone in “others of note,” that doesn’t mean they’re not a prospect. There’s only so many of them I can list, especially for the more recent drafts when lots of players still show promise.

2021 Draft

1 (21) LHP Jordan Wicks Kansas State

2 (56) SS James Triantos James Madison HS (VA)

3 (93) LHP Drew Gray IMG Academy (FL)

4 (123) OF Christian Franklin Arkansas

5 (154) SS Liam Spence Tennessee

Others of note: RHP Riley Martin (6th round), 3B BJ Murray (15th)

In Kantrovitz’s first draft, he went with someone considered a safe, low-ceiling college player in Wicks. Wicks certainly hasn’t become that back-end starter they hoped for, but he is a major leaguer (for now) and may still end up as a kind of spot starter/bullpen arm.

Triantos has struggled to find a position and is blocked in Iowa. He’s having a good year there at 23, but has only developed fringy power. He’ll probably play in the majors somewhere. It may not be in Chicago.

Gray has struggled to stay healthy and he’s out for the season. Franklin was dealt to Washington in the Michael Soroka trade and is struggling in Triple-A. Spence was released after the 2024 season.

Martin, a fifth-year senior who signed for a $1000 bonus, has the highest bWAR of any 2021 Cubs draftees. Murray is leading the International League in hitting at age 26 this year. There may be a major league future for him yet, but time is running out.

2022 Draft

1 (7) RHP Cade Horton Oklahoma

2 (47) LHP Jackson Ferris IMG Academy

3 (86) SS Christopher Paciolla Temecula Valley (CA)

4 (113) RHP Nazier Mulé Passiac County Technical (NJ)

5 (143) RHP Brandon Birdsell Texas Tech

Others of note: RHP Mason McGwire (8th round), RHP Brody McCullough (10th round)

This is the draft that Kantrovitz went wild and took 16 pitchers out of 20 picks. Kantrovitz took a chance on Horton, who hadn’t pitched much in college because of Tommy John surgery. It looked like a brilliant move until Horton went down with elbow surgery again this year. If he bounces back like he did from the last surgery, it could still turn out to be a fantastic pick, because Horton finished second in Rookie of the Year balloting last year.

Ferris proved useful to the Cubs as part of the Michael Busch trade. Paciolla was a bust and has been released. Mulé throws 100 miles per hour but has struggled with control. He has improved slightly this year. Birdsell would probably be in the Cubs starting rotation right now as a back-of-the-rotation guy were he not also recovering from Tommy John surgery.

McGwire missed all of last year with injuries, but this year he looks like a future major league pitcher. McCullough looked like a 10th-round steal out of a Division II school who has missed most of the past 2 1/2 seasons with injuries. But he’s just returning to the mound now and is a decent prospect who could be a back-end starter or a bulk reliever.

2023 Draft

1 (13) SS Matt Shaw Maryland

2 (68) RHP Jaxon Wiggins Arkansas

3 (86) SS Josh Rivera Florida

4 (113) RHP Will Sanders South Carolina

5 (149) C Michael Carico Davidson College

Others of note: OF Alfonsin Rosario (6th round), 1B Jonathon Long (9th round), OF Zyhir Hope (11th round)

I don’t think I need to tell you much about Shaw. Probably not Wiggins either, other than he’s rehabbing his way back to Iowa and should probably feature in the Cubs pitching staff next year. Rivera was traded to the Blue Jays for Nate Pearson and is currently in Triple-A. Sanders is Iowa’s best starter this year, which isn’t saying much, but he does appear on most prospect lists and could be in the Cubs rotation next year. Or this year if the injuries get even worse. The Cubs have pretty much given up on Carico as a catcher and he’s now a 1B/DH, where his bat just isn’t special.

Long is a tantalizing prospect at the moment who could be a major league starter somewhere. It would help if he proves able to handle left field.

Rosario was traded to Cleveland for Eli Morgan. Hope was part of the Michael Busch trade and is now a top prospect.

2024 Draft

1 (14) 3B Cam Smith Florida State

2 (54) 3B Cole Mathis College of Charleston

3 (90) SS Ronny Cruz Miami Christian (FL)

4 (120) SS Ty Southisene Basic HS (NV)

5 (150) C Ariel Armas San Diego

Others of note: C Owen Ayers (19th round)

You know what happened to Cam Smith. You probably also know what happened to Mathis, who was just dealt to the Mets for David Peterson. Cruz was dealt with Franklin for Soroka last year. He’s struggling a bit in High-A, but he’s also 19 and in High-A, so that’s not really a bad sign.

Southisene is having a breakout season in South Bend, putting up high batting and on-base averages, but no power. He could be a Tommy La Stella or Nick Madrigal-type player with speed. Armas is one of the best defensive catchers in all of the minors. It’s up in the air if he can hit enough to hold a backup catcher’s job.

Ayers is the real steal of this draft and is having a breakout year. Beyond the .318 batting average and 21 home runs in South Bend and Knoxville combined, he’s reportedly making great strides as a handler of a pitching staff. He already has a cannon for an arm. Ayers may always be a bat-over-defense catcher, but he’s starting to look like the Cubs’ catcher of the future.

Either in spite of or because of the Cubs trading away their first three picks, this is starting to look like a very good draft. The Cubs may not benefit from it as much as they would have hoped by trading the first three picks away, but at least they’ve gotten something out of each pick.

2025 Draft

1 (17) OF Ethan Conrad Wake Forest

2 (59) OF Kane Kepley North Carolina

3 (90) RHP Dominick Reid Abilene Christian

4 (121) RHP Kaleb Wing Scotts Valley HS (CA)

5 (151) OF Kade Snell Alabama

Others of note: OF Josiah Hartshorn Orange Lutheran (CA)

It’s obviously too early to say much about this draft class other than Hartshorn is looking like a very wise pick in the sixth round. Conrad is another one of those players that Kantrovitz tried to get a bargain with by taking an injured player. As Conrad has just started playing in Mesa, it’s too early to judge the wisdom of that. Kepley is also looking like a good pick with a .438 OBP and 40 steals so far in South Bend.

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Braves go for series win, facing Freddy Peralta

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 25: Freddy Peralta #51 of the New York Mets warms up before the first inning at Citi Field on June 25, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images) | Getty Images

At the time that I am writing this, it appears that top prospect Owen Murphy is being called up, but its unclear when he will be deployed, though presumably he will either start today’s game or tomorrow’s. The scheduled starter has been Reynaldo Lopez for today’s game. Lopez is coming off his best start in a while, against the Cardinals. We’ll either be hoping for Reynaldo to build on that success, or perhaps more interestingly, a successful MLB debut from the Braves’ former first round pick Owen Murphy.

For New York, Freddy Peralta will start today’s game, as the series will be decided between an Atlanta win or a 2-2 split. After being one of the jewels of the offseason last offseason, being traded from Milwaukee, Peralta has not lived up to expectations in Flushing. He’s been nothing more than solid on performance and worse on run prevention, with a 4.81 ERA and a 4.16 xFIP. His velocity is perhaps down a tick and his pitch shapes have moved a touch toward his arm-side, but the big change has been his extension dropping from very good to average and his arm angle dropping 6 degrees. The Braves’ offense has been good this series, a much needed change from the last month of play, so let’s hope that continues against Peralta and the Braves can seal a nice 4-game series win over their disappointing rivals in New York.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Monday, July 6, 7:15 p.m. ET

Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA

TV: BravesVision

Streaming: MLB.tv

Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan

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Islanders View Barzal, Horvat Contracts As Major Assets Amid Rising NHL Salaries

The NHL Draft and perceived uncertainty surrounding the New York Islanders led to surprising rumors about both Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat.

The Islanders' best forwards are locked up for five more seasons at cap hits that are half of Leo Carlsson's new contract, whether that's in Philadelphia or Anaheim.

One massive takeaway from this summer is that the Islanders plan on retooling around Matthew Schaefer, leaving room for the plethora of young prospects they've accumulated and really starting to turn over the roster in 2027.

With that uncertainty, teams called about New York's top forwards. Islanders' General Manager Mathieu Darche's job is to listen, but that's all he did before he said no.

Then, Carlsson signed his offer sheet, and already solid-looking contracts turned into absolute steals.

Two bona fide top-of-the-lineup stars locked up through their primes at a very inexpensive cap hit? It makes no sense to move on from them in any way.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman confirmed that teams called on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast on Monday morning, but made it clear, the Islanders aren't moving those guys.

"Horvat's 31, Barzal's 29. They've both got five years left. You're not getting Bo Horvat at 5x$8.5 anymore. You're not getting Barzal at 5x$9+ right now.

And I think they [Darche & Islanders] look at it like 'If we lose these guys, those are going to open up huge holes to fill. And we're not getting guys at those numbers.'"

Darche stated on July 1, the team's going to have over $40 million in cap space next summer. That's before trading away any other contracts, including Anthony Duclair and Pierre Engvall.

Darche has positioned the Islanders to be in an incredibly flexible spot to build around Schaefer and the future, all while, as Friedman stated in his podcast, the Islanders become a destination.

Players, just like Brayden Schenn this past deadline, want to play for the Islanders to get to play with Schaefer.

Having Barzal and Horvat on team-friendly deals for the next half-decade?

That makes it all the sweeter for the Islanders. 

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MLB Expert Picks & Baseball Predictions July 6

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Looking for today's best MLB picks? Our baseball experts have you covered.

Neil Parker and Joe Osborne each highlight their favorite play from today's schedule, with the latest Polymarket prices and matchup analysis to help shape your betting card.

MLB expert picks for today

PickOdds
Neil Parker Neil Parker: Mets moneyline+117
Joe Osborne Joe Osborne: Dodgers -1.5-115

Prices courtesy of Polymarket.

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Neil Parker's expert pick: Mets moneyline

Price: 46¢ (+117) at Polymarket

The Atlanta Braves have dropped to 29th in wOBA and 27th in xwOBA through 21 games without star Ronald Acuna Jr. (hamstring), while the New York Mets comfortably sit 16th and eighth in the two metrics. Atlanta starter Reynaldo Lopez also sports a 4.60 xFIP across his seven 2026 starts that’s well above his 3.34 ERA, so statistical corrections looms.

It’s just the opposite with New York righty Freddy Peralta, too. He’s held opposing hitters to the sixth-lowest barrel percentage among pitchers with at least 75 innings to pave the way for a respectable 3.78 xERA that’s way below his 4.81 ERA. Peralta also has statistical correction coming to his unsustainably low 68.7% strand rate.

  • Time: 7:15 p.m. ET
  • How to watch: SNY, BravesVision

Joe Osborne's expert pick: Dodgers -1.5

Price: 54¢ (-115) at Polymarket

A perfect storm has formed for the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight with the Colorado Rockies coming to town. Los Angeles has demolished left-handed pitching over the past two weeks, leading MLB in OPS, and now gets a crack at Kyle Freeland, who's completely fallen apart with a 7.25 ERA through 15 starts.

Dodgers hitters have also crushed him for a .918 OPS across 200 combined at-bats. Eric Lauer has helped LA go a perfect 5-0 in his starts, while the Dodgers have won 10 straight home games against Colorado and are 13-1 in their last 14 following a loss, which is the situation tonight after losing to the Padres yesterday.

  • Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
  • How to watch: Rockies.TV, SNLA

More MLB best bets for today

PickOdds
Brewers moneyline-103
Read analysis in our Brewers vs Cardinals predictions
Yankees moneyline-101
Read analysis in our Yankees vs Rays predictions

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo's video will have Bucks fans sobbing

Giannis Antetokounmpo, 31, left a remarkable legacy on the city of Milwaukee. 13 seasons, 10 All-Star Games, two MVP awards, an NBA title, and a partridge in a pear tree.

However, that didn't stop Bucks president Josh Glessing from trading their legend away to the Miami Heat this offseason. Albeit, the Bucks did endure an underwhelming season and saw themselves miss the playoffs for the first time in a decade. That said, to trade away your franchise cornerstone, the man who gave everything he had to give your team everything they've earned, is a hard task regardless.

Rumors had been swirling about Giannis' departure for most of the season as well. It was only a matter of time, but that doesn't make the reality of the situation any less heartbreaking. And to boot, Antetokounmpo just posted a sorrowful video to social media thanking everyone involved during his time in Wisconsin.

What does Antetokounmpo say in his goodbye video?

In his video, Antetokounmpo stresses that he does not want the city of Milwaukee or the state of Wisconsin to remember him for the wins, the losses, the championships, or the basketball.

"I try to be like them," he says.

He describes the city as "blue collar." He continues, "It's people who work hard every day. And give all their hard-earned money just to come watch the Milwaukee Bucks ... I hope that I was able to represent them the best that I could."

Antetokounmpo then goes on to describe Milwaukee as his home. "This is a place that I had my kids. My mom is here. My father is here. My brothers played here. It made me the man that I am today."

"No matter where I am, Milwaukee will always be my city, my team, my family."

Other social media posts for Antetokounmpo's farewell

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Giannis Antetokounmpo's video will have Bucks fans sobbing

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Connor Hellebuyck To Colorado Avalanche? Why The Rumor Doesn’t Match Reality

Connor Hellebuyck is not coming to the Colorado Avalanche.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news if anyone actually thought this "rumor" had any real traction. But there is one place where a Hellebuyck-to-Colorado blockbuster makes perfect sense: NHL 27, which launches worldwide on September 11 for PlayStation, Xbox, and other major platforms.

There, you can take over as Avalanche GM and rig the entire league to your heart's content. Turn off the salary cap. Let the CPU clean up the mess if you're too chicken to live with the consequences of your own trades. Heck, you can even disable the human element altogether, sparing yourself those morale meetings that somehow make Franchise Mode feel longer than an actual NHL season—all powered by Frostbite, an engine built for first-person shooters like Battlefield, not sports games.

Back in the real world, though, the Avalanche have exactly zero reason to chase Hellebuyck.

Colorado's goaltending situation is already set.

The Avalanche allowed just 197 goals during the regular season, the fewest in the NHL, earning Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood the William M. Jennings Trophy. It wasn't a fluke, either. Colorado built one of the league's deepest goaltending tandems, and both netminders rewarded that faith.

Wedgewood, who spent most of his career as a backup before arriving in Colorado, was nothing short of sensational. He finished the season 31-6-6 with a 2.02 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage—numbers that led the league. Had he made more starts, there's a legitimate argument he would've been in the Vezina Trophy conversation. Instead, Colorado's rotation, along with the handful of games he missed because of injury, likely cost him that opportunity.

Blackwood, meanwhile, quietly proved why the Avalanche were comfortable handing him a significant role. He went 23-10-2 with a 2.51 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage, but those numbers don't fully capture his value. During the regular season, he recorded back-to-back shutouts, becoming just the seventh goaltender in Colorado Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques franchise history to accomplish the feat, joining Patrick Roy, Darcy Kuemper, Pavel Francouz, David Aebischer, Clint Malarchuk, and Justus Annunen. He also came up big in the postseason, turning aside wave after wave of chances in Colorado's Game 4 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final and giving the Avalanche every opportunity to extend the series.

That's why the Hellebuyck speculation never made much sense.

Yes, Hellebuyck is arguably the best goaltender on the planet. If every general manager in the NHL could magically add him to their roster without giving up assets or worrying about the salary cap, they probably would.

That's not the world the Avalanche operate in.

Colorado is already paying Blackwood to be its starter while also having one of the league’s strongest goaltending tandems in Wedgewood. Any trade for Hellebuyck would almost certainly require a franchise-altering package of assets—think a player like Nathan MacKinnon or Martin Nečas—along with additional pieces, all while creating a massive salary-cap headache. In the end, the Avalanche would be sacrificing elite talent and financial flexibility to solve a problem they simply don’t have to begin with.

Rumors are part of the offseason. Fans love building fantasy rosters, and social media has never met a blockbuster trade it didn't like.

But fantasy and reality are two different things.

If you want to see Connor Hellebuyck wearing burgundy and blue, fire up NHL 27 when it releases and make it happen yourself.

Just don't expect it to happen in the real world. 

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Examining the state of the Washington Nationals a year after the Davey Martinez and Mike Rizzo firings

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 17: Washington Nationals President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni (R) introduces Washington Nationals Manager Blake Butera (L) with his jersey during a press conference at Nationals Park on November 17, 2025 in Washington, DC. Butera became the eighth manager in Nationals team history and the youngest manager in Major League Baseball since 1972. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images

A year ago today, the trajectory of the Washington Nationals changed drastically. Manager Davey Martinez and President of Baseball Operations Mike Rizzo were fired on July 6th, 2025. The duo had led the Nats to a World Series title in 2019, but in the midst of a disappointing season, it was clear that they were no longer the right men to lead the franchise forward. 

After the World Series in 2019, the Nats quickly aged out of contention, and the lack of depth on the farm meant that there were no replacements. In 2021, Mike Rizzo decided to sell off veteran pieces and lead the franchise into a rebuild. With a World Series ring only a couple years prior, Rizzo and Martinez were allowed to lead the Nats into this new era.

In 2022, the reality of the rebuild set in. This would be an even longer process than expected. That meant 23 year old future Hall of Famer Juan Soto had to be traded. The move was a painful one, but it turned out to be the best decision Mike Rizzo made in the rebuild. He got three cornerstone pieces in James Wood, CJ Abrams and MacKenzie Gore.

However, Rizzo’s lack of success in the draft and Martinez’s archaic coaching staff meant the fruits of that trade could not be fully realized. By 2025, the Nats were stuck. They had nice pieces, but there was a clear disconnect between the coaching staff and the players, and the roster was far too top heavy. With the Nats sitting at 37-53, the Lerner family made the big decision to fire Rizzo and Martinez.

A year later, that decision is looking very wise. Right now, the Nats are above .500 with a 46-45 record. Under Paul Toboni and Blake Butera, the organization has quickly modernized and embraced analytics in a way that they had not in the past. A big story this spring was how much new technology the Nats had. Between the trajekt machine, weighted bats and more, the Nats were finally embracing 2020’s baseball.

As you can see with the record, this new approach is paying immediate dividends. The Nats did not improve their record by going out and signing big name free agents. In fact, the Nats barely spent any money at all. Toboni’s three biggest free agent signings were Miles Mikolas, Zack Littell and Foster Griffin. 

The Nats biggest offseason move was actually to sell one of their core pieces away. After an offseason of speculation, MacKenzie Gore was shipped off to Texas for a five prospect haul. So far, that move is looking good, with Devin Fitz-Gerald becoming a top 100 prospect, and Gore failing to take the next step.

I am not going to sit here and say that Toboni’s trade history has been perfect. He has made a few moves that look dicey right now, such as the Harry Ford for Jose A. Ferrer swap and the Jake Bennett for Luis Perales deal. Toboni has also struggled to build a competent bullpen, much like Mike Rizzo had for the past few seasons.

However, it would be difficult to argue that the Toboni impact has been negative. He has made good moves like the Gore deal, the Foster Griffin signing and the Curtis Mead trade. His biggest impact though has been putting a development system in place that is helping improve players on the roster.

Right now, the Nationals have scored the most runs in all of baseball. Just about every player on the offensive side of the ball has improved. Already productive players like James Wood and CJ Abrams have taken the next step. However, the biggest success stories have been among guys who had previously been written off.

I thought I knew who Luis Garcia Jr. was. My perception of him has changed drastically in the past month though. He is swinging the bat harder, hitting the ball harder and hitting it in the air more often. That has led to an insane hot streak where he has 10 homers in his last 15 games. Garcia has already set a career high with 19 home runs.

Keibert Ruiz’s turnaround is a great example of what a new coaching staff can do. His career looked to be dead and buried after last season. He was awful on both sides of the ball, and had injury issues. Ruiz’s long term contract looked like an absolute albatross. With the help of catching coach Bobby Wilson and the rest of the Nats staff, Ruiz is having a career year.

He is hitting .285 with a .788 OPS while playing well above average defense. Despite not producing the last couple years, we knew that Ruiz had some offensive upside. The defensive turnaround has been nothing short of miraculous and the changes happened seemingly overnight. That is great work by the new coaching staff, but also a real indictment on the old staff.

By the end of his tenure with the Nats, Davey Martinez seemed stubborn and standoffish. He would rather go down with the ship than make any changes to his coaching staff. That stubbornness came to a head during his famous “never on coaching” rant.

A year after his firing, it sure seems like coaching does matter. Players like Ruiz, Garcia and Mead have been totally unlocked by this coaching staff. There is still room to grow, but for the first time in a while, you can really see coaches making players better. That is what they are here to do after all.

Blake Butera embodies the development first mentality that the Nats have. This should not come as a shock given the fact that the 33 year old worked in player development for the Rays prior to taking this job. He has given some great quotes about the importance of pre-game work and about how players are still not finished products when they get to the big leagues. This coaching staff is trying to make every player better, even grizzled veterans like Miles Mikolas.

The dedication to improving players is my favorite part of this new regime, and it is the biggest change. They are clearly working very hard to make these guys better, and they are seeing the fruits of their labor.

This is not just happening on the major league side either. We have seen some big breakouts on the farm as well. Seaver King had a disastrous first pro season, but after going in the lab with the new braintrust, he looks like a different player. He is hitting the ball harder, chasing less and whiffing less.

A year after the firings of Mike Rizzo and Davey Martinez, the Nationals are in a much better position. Sure, a lot of the main pieces contributing to this team were brought in by the old regime, but it is the new regime that is unlocking them.

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Chicago Cubs still are having their ups and downs, but they can really score runs when they get rolling

The Chicago Cubs battered San Diego to the tune of a 23-3 score that would have seemed more appropriate for an old Bears-Chargers matchup.

Then, in their very next game, they lost to St. Louis 17-1.

The Cubs have been a tough team to figure out this season. By May 9 they already had two separate 10-game winning streaks and were 15 games over .500. Then a week later they began a 10-game losing streak. Chicago now is 10 games over .500 but trails the Milwaukee Brewers by six games atop the NL Central.

Dansby Swanson hit three home runs with eight RBIs as the Cubs produced their most runs at home since 1977. San Diego catcher Rodolfo Duran pitched the final two innings, allowing eight runs.

After a day off, Chicago looked like a completely different team, when David Peterson allowed 10 earned runs in 3 2/3 innings against the Cardinals.

Perhaps it simply was a case of Chicago facing two opponents heading in different directions. The blowout loss was part of an eight-game losing streak for the Padres. Meanwhile, the Cardinals took two of three at Wrigley Field and have won five of their last seven overall.

The Cubs have been one of baseball’s better offensive teams despite a quiet season from new addition Alex Bregman. Pete Crow-Armstrong has 19 homers, 23 steals and a .910 OPS.

Trivia time

Crow-Armstrong is tied for the major league lead in homers plus stolen bases with 42. Which player is he tied with, and who led the majors in that stat last year?

Late dramatics

The Cubs lead the majors with 10 walk-off victories this season, and the crosstown White Sox are second with seven. But two of the biggest walk-off wins came against Chicago.

Brayan Rocchio hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to give Cleveland a 6-5 victory over the White Sox. Then Kahlil Watson hit a game-winning RBI single the following night in the 10th for a 4-3 triumph.

The first-place White Sox have been one of the game’s biggest stories this year, but even after Chicago took the last two games of the four-game set, Cleveland only is a game behind in the AL Central.

Performance of the week

Eury Pérez pitched seven perfect innings, then was pulled by Miami manager Clayton McCullough. The move nearly blew up in McCullough’s face, but the Marlins held on to beat the Athletics 9-8 after almost squandering an 8-0 lead.

Part of McCullough’s explanation was that he was thinking long term, with the Marlins hoping to play beyond the regular season. And it probably is time for the rest of baseball to take Miami seriously as a playoff contender. The Marlins are percentage points behind St. Louis for the third wild card, and they have the second-best run differential in the NL East.

Pérez has allowed two runs in 17 innings since returning from a leg injury.

Comeback of the week

The Houston Astros rallied from a 7-2 deficit to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 10-8. Yordan Alvarez hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to win it. That snapped a nine-game winning streak by the Rays, who now lead the New York Yankees by four games atop the AL East.

Houston is 45-47 but just 2 1/2 games out of first place in the AL West and one game out of a wild card.

Trivia answer

Bobby Witt Jr. has 12 home runs and 30 steals.

Last year’s leader was Juan Soto (43 homers, 38 steals).

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Kansas City lays a Royal beating on Phillies' All-Star Cristopher Sanchez

Kansas City lays a Royal beating on Phillies' All-Star Cristopher Sanchez originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

KANSAS CITY – Cristopher Sanchez’ second-to-last audition to win the starting assignment for the National League in next week’s All-Star Game did not go well Monday afternoon.

In fact, it was pretty awful.

The left-hander was rocked for nine runs in 3 1/3 innings as the Phillies were hammered, 15-1, by the lowly Kansas City Royals for the second day in a row at Kauffman Stadium.

As bad as the results were for Sanchez, things might have gone differently for him and the Phillies had one of the team’s gnawing concerns not reared its head.

You hear a lot about the bullpen, the back-end of the starting rotation and the lack of a strong right-handed hitting outfielder as being the Phillies’ biggest flaws.

But Trea Turner’s defense at shortstop is a significant deficiency that the club cannot hide from.

Turner, who entered the game as the lowest-ranked shortstop in the majors with minus-8 defensive runs saved, according to Fangraphs, threw away a potential inning-ending double-play ball that opened the door for the Royals to score six first-inning runs against Sanchez. Turner was charged with an error, his 12th, allowing the runners to advance. But since a double play can’t be assumed, all the runs against Sanchez in that inning were ruled earned. His ERA jumped from 2.00 to 2.44 in the course of one inning.

Now, Sanchez should not be let off the hook here. He clearly did not do a good job limiting the damage. He allowed four straight hits, including a three-run homer, after Turner’s error. But not getting that inning-ending double play was a game-changer.

Sanchez will make his final start before the All-Star break on Saturday in Detroit. He’s probably still in the driver’s seat to make the start next Tuesday night in Philadelphia. But, recently, some of the luster of his run to the All-Star Game has been stripped away. He has allowed 14 runs in 8 1/3 innings in two of his last three starts.

Monday’s start was the shortest by Sanchez in over a year. He exited after two innings against the Mets on April 22 of last season, but that was due to forearm soreness. The 12 hits allowed by Sanchez matched a season and career high. His sinking fastball averaged 94.8 mph, down a tick from its 95.2 season average. His signature changeup produced six swings and misses, but there were times when it was up in the zone. He gave up three home runs, all on changeups.

As for Turner, the day started off promising. He opened the game with a double off the center field wall and scored on a double by Alec Bohm as the Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. The Phils looked to have some momentum going but everything changed in the bottom of the first inning.

Kansas City lefty Noah Cameron pitched five innings and, despite walking five, did not allow another run after the first. He used a six-pitch mix and a fastball that averaged just 92.7 mph to hold the Phillies at bay.

Phillies hitters were just 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position and they left 15 men on base. The Phils were out-hit, 22-10. Yes, the Royals feasted on the bullpen, as well.

Turner led the Phillies with three hits, but his 12th error loomed large. Turner is in the fourth year of an 11-year contract that runs through 2033. He made 40 errors his first two seasons with the Phils. His defense improved last season and he made just eight. Now, the defense is an issue again. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has said in the past that the club has not considered moving Turner to the outfield. The team might have to think about it before long because it’s getting difficult to hide from this gnawing concern.

More coming soon …

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Alex de Minaur wilts in fourth round Wimbledon defeat to Flavio Cobolli

  • Australian No 1 off the pace in 5-7 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 defeat

  • Fate sealed after throwing away 5-2 lead in second set

On a sweltering day when a series of spectators required medical attention at Wimbledon, Australia’s challenge also wilted in the heat.

Alex de Minaur, who walked on to No 1 Court with a first grand slam semi-final, at the least, very much in his sights, was left dejected after losing to Italy’s Flavio Cobolli 5-7 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 in the fourth round.

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Royals vs Phillies, July 6 Game Discussion

KANSAS CITY, MO - JUNE 30: Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Noah Cameron (65) as seen before a MLB game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Kansas City Royals on June 30, 2026, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

This afternoon the 36-54 Royals will play their last home game against the 50-40 Phillies before the All-Star break next week. After this game, the Royals will travel to New York and then Baltimore to finish out this disappointing first half of a season.

Noah Cameron takes the bump for the Royals. He was last seen getting shelled by the Rays and hasn’t really been all that good for a month. The lineup is, well, it’s certainly a lineup of baseball players.

The Phillies will start lefty Cristopher Sánchez, who is tied with human flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski for the MLB pitcher lead in fWAR and is a Cy Young candidate.

In other words, it doesn’t look good for the Royals today as the try to take the series.

The game starts at 1:10pm US Central time. You can watch on Royals.TV or listen on 96.5 The Fan/the Royals Radio Network.

Lineups: