Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon is facing criticism after engraving the names of six family members onto the Stanley Cup ahead of those who helped win their first championship in 20 years.
Dundon added the names of his wife and five children immediately after his own, placing them ahead of front-office members, coaches, players and staff.
As a result, Tom Dundon, Veruschka Dundon, Caden Dundon, Dax Dundon, Drew Dundon, Blake Dundon, and Tagan Dundon now occupy the first two lines of the iconic trophy.
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 08: James Wood #29 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with teammates in the dugout after scoring on a hit by CJ Abrams #5 during the third inning against the Houston Astros at Nationals Park on July 08, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees wrapped up a trip to Tropicana Field on Thursday with a much needed win and a breakout from the still Aaron Judge-less lineup. The double digit runs allowed them to salvage a series split after the two middle games of the series were a struggle. As a result, the Yankees ended the visit to the Trop four games back in the AL East, which is right where they began it.
Now, the Yankees are set to continue their road trip with a visit to the nation’s capital. At 48-46, the Washington Nationals are a somewhat surprising team over .500 and still in the playoff running. Ahead of Thursday’s games they were 3.5 games back of the last NL Wild Card spot and 6.5 back in the NL East. With a .948 OPS, James Wood is turning into a star in his third MLB season, while CJ Abrams, Luis García Jr., and Curtis Mead have also been pretty stellar in the Nats’ lineup. Their pitching has been less good, allowing one of the highest runs per game averages in the league, but the offense has been enough to cover some of that up so far.
Before the series gets going later tonight, let’s have a look at the pitching matchups we’ll see over the next couple days.
Friday: Ryan Weathers vs. Carson Palmquist (6:45 pm ET)
Weathers has been notably shaky of late, and that continued in his last start, as he gave up four runs in four innings against the Twins on Sunday. After seven shutout innings against the Rays back on May 24th, Weathers had a 3.14 ERA and 3.50 FIP. Those numbers now sit at 4.29 and 4.06, as he’s only had one game that you can categorize as good in that time.
We all know the meme about how the Yankees struggle against pitchers they’ve never seen before, and this will be their first game against the former Rockie and now National Palmquist. That being said, Palmquist has not had a good start to his MLB career. Last year in Colorado, he put up a 8.91 ERA in 34.1 innings. Getting away from the high altitude hasn’t done much to improve those numbers so far in 2026. He’s only pitched 6.1 innings in the bigs this year after moving to Washington, but he has a 7.11 ERA so far. That being said, he has a high strikeout rate in that time, and that’s something the Yankees have been prone to do a lot lately.
Saturday: Cam Schlittler vs. Miles Mikolas (4:05 pm ET)
With Judge on the shelf and the Yankees’ offense sputtering, Schlittler has been one of few things you can almost 100% count on for the Bombers. He continued that by allowing just one run in eight innings in a win over the Rays last time out, picking up the win before the rest of that series got annoying.
The veteran Mikolas has been, to put it politely, “butt.” He’s made 19 appearances this year, with eight coming as the Nats’ starter. In 90.1 total innings, he has a 5.78 ERA and a 5.52 FIP and has allowed 20 home runs. Over 5% of the batters Mikolas has faced have hit a home run off him. The offense truly needs to be able to do something in this game.
Sunday: Will Warren vs. TBD (1:35 pm ET)
Warren is another Yankee starter that’s been in a massive slump after a good start to the season. Since May 1st, he has a 5.34 ERA and his overall season total has gone up by nearly two whole runs, going over four for the first time this season in his last start. Even when Warren was doing well, he could be a bit of a tedious watch, but he’s been walking nearly 9% of batters over that stretch.
At time of writing, the Nationals have not announced a starter for Sunday’s series finale. They have one regular starter — Jake Irvin — on the IL, and another — Cade Cavalli — has been serving a suspension for playing a part in a brawl the Nats had with the Red Sox. Cavalli will have completely served said suspension by this game and would be on more than normal rest, so he would probably be the logical option to go in this game, but we shall see.
In case former Spurs announcer Jacob Tobey is seeking advice on his next move after being fired for an alleged affair with a player’s sister, the law office of Colin Cowherd is here to help.
“I learned something new today, that you can get fired in America for cheating on your girlfriend. I had no idea that was legal. That literally happened, it was a big story,” Cowherd said Thursday on his self-named show regarding the scandal. “You can get fired in America for cheating on your — not your wife, a girlfriend. Feels like he should hire an attorney, that is a crazy story. Um, whatever.”
Cowherd’s overview of the situation hits on some of the points, but leaves out the major detail that the alleged affair happened with a San Antonio’s player’s sister.
"You can get fired in America for cheating on your girlfriend. I had no idea that was legal…Feels like he should hire an attorney" – Colin Cowherd https://t.co/xxkT52Q6gSpic.twitter.com/GECQKWEOdK
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 9, 2026
Tobey is accused to have cheated on his girlfriend of six years with Loren Waters, the sister of reserve guard Lindy Waters III.
The accusations came to light earlier this week when an Instagram Story purportedly showing Tobey dancing with his girlfriend of six years with the caption: “This is my girlfriend of six years. But I cheaterdon her with Loren waters. @lorenkwatrs so feel free to continue following me if you really think I’m a good guy because I’m not. :)”
Former Spurs announcer Jacob Tobey in 2024. NBAE via Getty Images
Another Instagram Story showed printouts from a camera booth that showed Tobey and a woman — said to be Waters — kissing, with the caption: “Me and the new girl LorenKWaters :).”
Tobey has since changed his Instagram account to private, and Waters’ account is also private.
An alleged screenshot from a woman claiming to be his ex-girlfriend on Wednesday claimed she found out about the purported affair while staying with Tobey and his family recently.
Spurs broadcaster Jacob Tobey via IG:
“This is my girlfriend of six years. But I cheated on her with Loren Waters. So feel free to continue following me if you really think I’m a good guy because I’m not. :)”
Front Office Sports then reported Thursday that Tobey would no longer continue as the team’s play-by-play man after two years in the role.
Tobey said in June he signed a two-year deal to remain with the organization.
Spurs games are typically aired on FanDuel Sports Network Southwest and local CBS 5, according to cabletv.com, although FanDuel will not be the broadcast home for the 2026-27 season, per Yahoo.
Tobey allegedly had an affair with Loren Waters, seen here in 2025. Getty Images for IMDb
Before calling games for the Spurs, Tobey also worked for Fox Sports, 9NEWS in Denver, Pac-12 Network, the Mountain West Conference and the NBA G League, per his biography.
Jul 9, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Braves shortstop Jim Jarvis (74) circles the bases on a two run home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fourth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Happy Friday, everyone. We’ll start off today with a bit of baseball talk. The MLB Draft starts tomorrow, and SS Justin Lebron looks to become Alabama’s first top 15 selection in 35 years. Keith Law has Justin mocked to the Arizona Diamondbacks with the 15th pick, while ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel thinks the Angels will snag him at 12.
Lebron’s predecessor is in the majors, and he had a whale of a game yesterday.
Jarvis went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer and a double in Thursday’s 10-5 win over the Pirates
Jarvis extended Atlanta’s lead to 5-2 in the fourth inning with his two-run, 397-foot blast off Cam Sanders, the first homer of his big-league career. Jarvis has seen regular playing time at shortstop since he was recalled from Triple-A in early July. He’s gone 6-for-19 across five games after slashing .313/.406/.461 with six homers across 348 plate appearances in the minors this year.
Jarvis didn’t just get it done at the plate, either.
The question on Jim has been whether he could be a serviceable hitter at the big league level. His glove and athleticism are elite, and he has earned himself a chance to prove that he can stick in the lineup.
Moving on to football, Katie Windham notes that year three has been good to Alabama head coaches.
Dating back to Billy Curry in 1989, every Crimson Tide head coach has reached double-digit wins during his third season. Sometimes those seasons with at least 10 wins led to national championships that season or the next, and sometimes it created expectations that the coach could not live up to the following year.
Winning at least 10 games this year is a minimum expectation for DeBoer in 2026. How far past that can he get? Will he be like Saban and Gene Stallings and win a national title in Year 3? Will he be like Ray Perkins or Mike DuBose with a strong third season that just creates even higher expectations for Year 4?
Ten wins doesn’t mean what it did for most of those, but may the trend continue.
Dre Kirkpatrick is the latest in the “50 players” series.
Kirkpatrick remained suspended for the rest of the season but has since rejoined the team. The exact legal resolution is unknown, but his case and charges are no longer listed in the online court system.
Kirkpatrick was back practicing with Alabama this spring and now moves toward his junior season where he will be part of one of, if not the best, secondaries in the country.
“Yeah, he had consequences for what he did and the things he’s gone through,” Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer said after Alabama’s second spring practice. “There’s still pieces to that that he’s taking care of when it comes to those consequences with the team.
“He met those requirements and has a great attitude about him. He loves ball. He’s got to build the trust up with his teammates out there every day. He’ll do the things not just on the field, but off it as well to meet the standard our program expects.”
Dre probably won’t have a huge role on this year’s team, but it’s good to see him getting his life together.
“I think the thing that stood out the most was the consistency from day one,” Diaz’s father said. “There were times where I would get a phone call that (Alabama) was at Overtime Elite just to check on him. I thought that was really cool. Every time they rolled through Atlanta and had time, they would go see him for a practice. They stood really consistent with him from the beginning. They made him a priority.”
Diaz’s father shared a story during the recruitment when Diaz went through a little bit of a slump while competing out in Memphis (TN) during the contact period. (Nate) Oats and assistant Preston Murphy gave him a call after one of the games.
“It wasn’t like ‘he did this and he did that’,” he explained. “It was more of ‘we can fix that, he just needs to do this and do that’ and that fits him to me.”
Jul 9, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers designated hitter Wyatt Langford (36) and pinch hitter Nicky Lopez (33) celebrate after Langford hits a game winning walk-off single against the Los Angeles Angels during the ninth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Good morning, LSB.
The Rangers walked it off against the Angels last night.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 07: (L-R) Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Los Angeles Dodgers Owner and Chairman Mark Walter pose with a jersey presented to Trump as he hosts the 2024 World Series champions in the East Room of the White House on April 07, 2025 in Washington, DC. The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees with a 7-6 victory in Game 5. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There is a precedent among North American professional sports for the reigning champions to visit the White House. It is believed to have taken precedence when the Washington Senators visited President Calvin Coolidge in 1925, and it has become commonplace among the four major sports.
The Dodgers are certainly no stranger to visiting the White House over the course of the two most recent administrations, and the team is now scheduled to visit President Donald Trump at the Oval Office for a second time. Edward Lewis of the California Post reported Thursday that the Dodgers will arrive at the White House on July 23, wedged between trips to both Philadelphia and New York.
“President Trump is excited to welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers BACK to the White House to celebrate their World Series championship!” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said in a statement.
“As was the case one year ago, the Dodgers’ upcoming visits to the White House and Capitol Hill follow the longtime tradition of visits by other World Series champions. We appreciate these tributes in recognition of our back-to-back championships,” the Dodgers said in a statement to The Post.
Roki Sasaki had a decent ending to his first full half season at the big league level, going six innings while allowing three earned runs in a no-decision against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday.
It was the first time Sasaki had a quality start since his 10-strikeout performance against the Angels on June 5, and his first half has been defined by flashes of brilliance overshadowed by wild inconsistencies. When asked about how he assessed his season so far, he recognized his ability to remain in the rotation and improve on his fastball, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com.
“When you look at the numbers, I’m not satisfied with that,” Sasaki said through interpreter Kensuke Okubo. “But I was able to [stay in] the rotation and the velo’s kind of gotten a little bit up. So I’m kind of happy with it.”
The Dodgers bullpen will be patiently waiting for the return of Edwin Díaz, and following Evan Phillips’s activation, there will be another tough decision for Dave Roberts to make. One of those names in the “trust tree” right now is right-hander Edgardo Henriquez, as Roberts briefly mentioned during his post-game press conference on Wednesday.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 09: Michael Wacha #52 of the Kansas City Royals pitches during the first inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field on July 09, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Those of us that are hoping that the Kansas City Royals will make big trades during the MLB trade deadline at the end of July need to start bracing ourselves for the possibility of a quieter trading season. Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of the Athletic are reporting that the Royals are maintaining high asking prices on veteran pitchers Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo, and that they don’t expect teams to meet the Royals asking price:
The Royals, according to people briefed on their plans, are telling clubs they will listen on Lugo and Wacha, but their asks will be massive.
It’s certainly possible some team will meet a massive ask by the Royals, or that this attitude will change by the end of the month, but as things sit right now, I’m expecting Wacha and Lugo to be on the team for the remainder of the season.
Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino is hoping to return from the IL Friday. Manager Matt Quatraro talked to MLB.com reporter Bill Ladson about the first baseman:
Pasquantino is expected to play his last rehab game for Omaha on Thursday night.
“He is trying to see pitches and judge his health,” Quatraro said. “He is not making any swing adjustments.”
Pasquantino suffered a hamate bone fracture in his right hand. Those injuries are notorious for sapping power from a hitter even after they return, so temper your expectations on what we can expect from Vinnie when he returns.
Wacha pitched in his final game on Thursday before being one of two Royals representatives at the MLB All-Star game. The starter discussed his outing against the New York Mets with Ladson after the game:
“But there were a lot of long ABs. They were fouling off pitches and they ended up with some walks. The pitch count was getting up there [104 pitches total]. I had a long stressful inning [that] added up there in the fifth. I just have to do a better job right there. I have to limit the damage, limit those big innings and give our guys a chance to win.”
The Royals lost the series finale 7-3.
The MLB draft is on Saturday, but the Royals front office will not be in their draft room in Kansas City this time. General Manager J.J. Picollo explained why to Kansas City Star reporter Pete Grathoff:
“All the days leading up to the draft, there would be days impacted by the World Cup, so we just decided to move it to Arizona, just for simplicity of not having to worry about logistics, dancing around the World Cup,” Picollo said.
If the Royals are disappointed with their draft this year they can blame Lionel Messi.
Kiley McDaniel of ESPN posted his final mock draft, and has the Royals taking pitcher Jared Grindlinger at No. 6:
I think this pick comes down to Grindlinger, (Jackson) Flora and underslot pitching options such as Gio Rojas, Hunter Dietz and Mason Edwards. The choice from that group would depend on the bonus price and who can then be targeted at later picks.
McDaniel has the Royals taking UCLA pitcher Logan Reddeman at pick 30, as well as high school pitcher Jack Slightom at pick 56.
We are starting to get more information on the Royals plan for the new stadium at Crown Center: Kansas City Star writer Neil Nakahodo wrote about some newly released city records that show how the area could be reshaped and what the Royals are thinking about how people are going to get to the stadium:
A traffic study identifies a potential supply of 18,257 parking spaces, including 8,219 spaces at Crown Center and another 10,038 at off-site locations near the stadium.
The study estimates that as many as 67% of attendees would arrive by car, while 15% would use ride-share services such as Uber and 10% would walk or bike.
His article has a number of maps and images you can look at well, if you’re into that sort of thing.
“Every team needs a starter,” one American League executive said. “They’re the easiest players to move at the Deadline and often, [they’re] the ones that bring back the best return.”
The Toronto Rapors and Los Angeles Clippers trade involving Kawhi Leonard is on hold until the investigation into whether Leonard and the Clippers circumvented the salary cap is complete.
Eight men were indicted on attempted murder and terrorism charges for allegedly planning an attack during the UFC Freedom 250 event that was held at the White House in June.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - APRIL 22: Khaman Maluach #10 of the Phoenix Suns celebrates during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Round One Game Two of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 22, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Summer League basketball begins tonight for the Phoenix Suns, and with it comes the annual exercise of managing expectations. We want answers, we want progress, and we want to believe that the young players the Phoenix Suns are sending to Las Vegas will return looking a little more comfortable, a little more confident, and a little closer to becoming the players this organization needs them to be.
Personally, I’m most interested in Rasheer Fleming. He will almost certainly see an increase in minutes this upcoming season, which makes his progression important to the overall health of this roster. I want to see him look more comfortable on the floor, be more decisive, and more aware of where he needs to be and what he needs to do when he gets there.
I’m tempering expectations because, ultimately, these games don’t count. That doesn’t mean they don’t matter. Development is a pillar of this organization, and progression is paramount. When you’re trying to build something sustainable, the growth of your young players becomes one of the most important variables in the equation. And the cheapest. You must have quality youth to be competitive in the Apron Era of the NBA.
I’m not surprised that the majority of the community believes Khaman Maluach is the player who needs to showcase the most improvement. 64% of the Bright Side community believes this is true. After all, he’s a lottery pick. Quite possibly the last lottery pick the Suns will make for nearly half a decade. With that comes the weight of expectations, whether people are comfortable admitting it or not.
That became a topic of conversation on the infamous Suns Twitter this week. Dave Burns of Arizona Sports 98.7 said that by this time next year, we need to know that Khaman Maluach can provide quality NBA minutes, or it might be time to panic.
“I need Khaman Maluach to play more than he did,” Burns said of Maluach. “I think it’s imperative that Khaman Maluach, by the end of the season, you can see it. You can start to see it happening with him. And if it hasn’t happened by the end of the season, brother, it is panic time.”
"If you're not seeing NBA-quality minutes out of Khaman Maluach, something went horribly wrong and a mistake was made," says @Burnsy987.
What do you need to see out of the young Sun this year?
Of course, the comment section is ridiculous. I’ll get to that shortly.
Panic? I’m not sure I’d go that far. Concerned? Absolutely. If we’re sitting here one year from now and Maluach hasn’t progressed, hasn’t demonstrated that he can contribute, and hasn’t begun turning his physical tools into productive NBA basketball, there should be concern. And again, for those who wonder how a path to opportunity exists to provide a platform for development, I’ve covered that.
As I see the responses and reactions to someone simply stating that plateauing in year two is not a good thing, I feel it. I feel a rant coming on. And you know what? I haven’t had a good rant in a while, so why not? Let’s stand on the podium for a few paragraphs and let off some steam that is surely fueled by the festing rage only the Arizona heat can bring out of someone in July.
Apparently, saying out loud that a year in which Khaman Maluach does not show improvement is a cause for concern is controversial. Sections of Suns’ Twitter immediately went on the defensive. The local media was “being negative”. The expectations were “unfair”. “Why are we attacking a young player?”
I find the reaction strange. Maybe it’s a product of a broader cultural shift in which criticism is interpreted as cruelty and expectations are seen as unfair pressure. Everything is expected to be positive, comfortable, and affirming. Disagreement is mistaken for hostility. Accountability is viewed as negativity. Maybe it’s the product of gentle parenting. Everyone gets a sticker, nobody keeps score, and pointing out deficiencies makes you the bad guy.
I’m not interested in gatekeeping how anyone chooses to be a fan. Root however you want. But I reserve the right to find some of these reactions bizarre.
Maluach turns 20 in September. He hasn’t played basketball for very long and his development will require patience. All of that is true. And that is precisely why progression is so important. If he’s plateauing after two years inside an NBA development system, that’s a red flag. It doesn’t mean the Suns should abandon him. It doesn’t mean he’s a bust. It means you should be concerned about the trajectory. Apparently, even acknowledging that possibility is too aggressive for some people.
We’ve lived this before in Phoenix, haven’t we? Marquese Chriss. Dragan Bender. Josh Jackson. After two seasons, the warning signs were there. Development had stalled. Progression wasn’t occurring at the rate the organization needed. Concern crept in because that’s what happens when expectations collide with reality.
Yet somewhere along the way, it became taboo to say these things out loud. To admit that you’re worried about a player. To establish expectations and acknowledge that failing to meet them would be disappointing. Maybe I’m the old guy yelling from the lawn now, wondering how we reached the point where the media is considered harsh for observing that professional athletes have expectations attached to their performance.
Criticism isn’t inherently negative. It’s part of analysis, part of accountability, part of sports. And if you think Phoenix media is brutal, spend a week following a team back east. We’re playing with Nerf guns out here.
Social media has complicated the relationship between fans, media, and players. It provides direct access, or at least the illusion of it. Too many people crave that interaction. They want the follow. The reply. The acknowledgment. They want to be liked. They need to be liked. And criticism threatens that possibility.
If you say something negative about a player’s performance, perhaps he won’t interact with you. Maybe he won’t repost your work or acknowledge your existence. So criticism becomes something to avoid. Every performance needs an excuse and every concern needs a qualifier. Every uncomfortable observation is dismissed as negativity because telling the truth might jeopardize the possibility of that idyllic affection.
I have news for you. Being critical allows you to see the entire picture. It forces you to examine strengths and weaknesses, successes and failures, progress and regression. That’s what analysis is supposed to be. Being balanced doesn’t make you a hater. It makes your praise carry more weight because people know you’re willing to acknowledge the flaws as readily as you celebrate the accomplishments. And in the long run, balance is what earns respect.
Summer League begins tomorrow, and hopefully we begin finding answers to some of these questions. Development isn’t linear and Maluach doesn’t need to score 20 points and grab 20 rebounds to prove he’s progressing. He doesn’t need to be the guy who moves the FanDuel win total up three wins next season. Fleming doesn’t need to dominate every possession. Koby Brea doesn’t need to look like a finished NBA product.
What do I define as progression? I want to see confidence, court awareness, basketball IQ, and execution. I want to see young players process the game faster than they did a year ago, making quicker decisions, understanding where to be defensively, and recognizing opportunities offensively. The goal should be to turn mistakes from last season into lessons they no longer need to learn twice.
Whether those improvements translate into counting statistics is secondary. Progress isn’t always found in the box score. Sometimes you have to watch closely enough to see it. And that is what I’ll be watching for when the Phoenix Suns take the floor at NBA Summer League 2026.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MAY 08: A general view of Oracle Park during a fireworks show after the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants on Friday, May 8, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
San Francisco Giants baseball is back at Oracle Park this weekend, so let’s see what’s on deck for fans planning to attend.
Friday is Black Heritage Night at Oracle Park. This is a special event, so fans interested in receiving the Black Heritage Night three-quarter sleeve baseball tee will have to purchase special event tickets. There will be events throughout the ballpark celebrating the Black community and honoring their history and impact on the game. After the game, there will be a fireworks show as well. You know, just in case you haven’t had enough from your neighbors all week.
Saturday will be a Fiesta Gigantes celebration throughout the park, as all home Saturday games are this season. And the first 20,000 fans in attendance will receive a Gigantes Aloha Shirt, which is the perfect addition to any collection. Saturday will also be Dog Days 1, which requires a special event ticket. Special event ticket holders will get to participate in a pre-game field parade with their pups! If you can’t make this one, they will have another event in September.
Sunday is Nickelodeon Day at Oracle Park. The first 20,000 fans in attendance will receive a SpongeBob SquarePants hat giveaway, perfect for the millennial in your life.
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants continue this four-game series against the Colorado Rockies tonight at 7:15 p.m. PT.
DENVER, COLORADO - JULY 05: Kyle Karros #12 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates with Braxton Fulford #37, TJ Rumfield #7, and Brett Sullivan #26 after his go-ahead three-run home run in the eighth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field on July 5, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When the calendar turned the page from May to June, something happened to the Colorado Rockies.
As the weather got hotter and summer really turned on, so did the Rockies offense.
In the 60 games from the season opener on March 27 to May 31, the Rockies production at the plate ranked No. 22 in MLB in OBP (.313) and home runs (54), No. 18 in runs scored (251) and SLG (.384) and tied for ninth with a .245 average. Colorado was tied for the third-highest strikeout rate at 24% with the Chicago White Sox and owned a 7.7% walk rate, which was second-worst in the league.
The team’s combined WAR was 0.0 — the worst in MLB, trailing the Dodgers 12.8. The result was a 22-38 record.
Since June 1, the Rockies have been drastically different.
Time Frame
G
PA
HR
R
RBI
SB
BB%
K%
BABIP
AVG
OBP
SLG
wOBA
xwOBA
wRC+
Off
WAR
March 27-May 31
60
2252
54
251
239
49
7.70%
24.0%
.307
.245
.313
.384
.308
.303
79
-56.5
0
June 1-July 8
34
1321
53
206
198
16
9.30%
21.0%
.319
.278
.354
.494
.365
.319
117
24.8
6.3
Total
94
3590
107
457
437
65
8.30%
22.9%
.311
.257
.328
.424
.329
.309
93
-32.4
6.3
The first big improvement is in their approach and eye at the plate. In the 34 games since June 1 through Wednesday’s 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Rockies have improved their strikeout rate to 21% (ranked No. 21), which is down 3%. In addition, the walk rate has increased 1.6% to 9.3%, which is No. 7.
Outside of increased walks and fewer strikeouts, the results are evident in the stats. The Rockies .278 batting average, .354 on-base percentage and .494 slugging percentage are all the best in baseball since June 1. Their 206 runs and 198 RBIs are also tops. It’s shifted Colorado’s runs per game from 5.57 before June to 6.06 since.
In their first 60 games, the Rockies hit 54 homers. In their last 34, they’ve hit 53. The total is nearly the same in half the games. In that time frame, the 53 homers are also tied for third-most in MLB with the Twins and trailing the Washington Nationals and Detroit Tigers.
The team’s combined WAR has bumped up to 6.3, which is tied for the ninth-best since June 1. The result is a 16-18 record, a .471 winning percentage compared to .367.
Along the way, the Rockies have played in more close games. They were 6-9 in one-run games before June and are 6-4 in them since. They have rallied back in the eighth and ninth innings more often to rediscover the “LoDo Magic.” Entering Thursday’s series against the Giants, the Rockies have scored more runs in the eighth inning or later — 129 — in the big leagues. The next-best is Atlanta’s 116.
One of the biggest reasons for this success is that it isn’t just because of one player. It’s been a true team effort.
Five Rockies have hit over .300 since June 1 with Kyle Karros at the top of the list. Karros has hit .343 with a .440 OBP and 24 runs scored. Jake McCarthy has driven in 27 runs while hitting .325. Cole Carrigg is hitting .307 with 23 runs scored and 21 RBI. All-Star Hunter Goodman has hit 14 homers, driven in 28 runs and scored 24. TJ Rumfield and Troy Johnston have hit .317 and .302, respectively. The surge hasn’t even included Mickey Moniak, who was sidelined with an ankle injury from May 22 to June 22.
So what’s the reason for the surge?
Talented young players like Carrigg, Rumfield and Karros help, continued production from back-to-back All-Star Goodman and the surprising addition of McCarthy adding a spark to the offense are all paying off. It’s a good sign for the new coaching staff and front office that the moves they are making are starting to pay off. Time will tell if it’s sustainable, especially with the Draft and tradeline coming up.
While Colorado’s record is still suffering from the slow start and sits at 38-56 (.404) after dropping the Dodgers series 2-1, the Rockies are projected by FanGraphs to finish 66-96. That would be a 23-win improvement from their 43-119 2025 season.
Sterlin Thompson hit an RBI single and Vimael Machín hit a sac fly to score Charlie Condon in the first inning to help the Isotopes jump out to an early 2-0 lead. Sugar Land rallied back to take a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the first, but Albuquerque reclaimed the lead in the second when Nic Kent hit a two-run homer, which was his 11th of the season. The Space Cowboys bounced back again, tying the game in the bottom of the second. That score stuck until the sixth inning when Adael Amador connected for a two-run double that ended up being the game-winner.
Keegan Thompson started the game and allowed four runs on two hits with four walks and three strikeouts in four innings. Evan Shawver earned the win by striking out six and giving up only two hits in four scoreless innings.
The Rumble Ponies and Yard Goats both recorded 10 hits, but it was Binghamton that pieced together a four-run rally in the sixth on its way to the win on Thursday night. Dyan Jorge went 3-for-3 with a double, two walks and two runs scored, Roc Riggio added three hits and an RBI, GJ Hill chipped in two hits and scored a run, Mike Antico posted an RBI double, and Jack O’Dowd recorded a sac fly. Stu Flesland III had a short, but solid start, giving up one hit and striking out six in four scoreless innings. Fisher Jameson took the loss after allowing seven runs on nine hits with one walk and five strikeouts in the final five innings.
Despite trailing 1-0 after five innings, the Indians pieced together an impressive comeback to win on Thursday night. It started in the sixth inning when Kelvin Hidalgo hit his ninth homer of the season to tie the game. Spokane then took the lead with a three-run eighth inning that started when Tevin Tucker singled. Two outs later, Tucker stole second and then stole third, only to come around to score on a throwing error. Spokane took advantage of the mistake as Roynier Hernandez walked, Ethan Hedges singled, Tanner Thach walked and Robert Calez hit a two-run single. The insurance runs proved to be more than enough with Hunter Mann throwing three scoreless innings with three strikeouts and three hits to close out the game and earn the win. Bryson Hammer put up a quality start for the Indians with six strikeouts and only one run on four hits and two walks.
The Grizzlies were out-hit 13-12 by the Ports, but since four of those 12 hits were homers, Fresno came out on top on Thursday. Cameron Nelson hit a two-run home run in the second to put the Grizzlies up 3-0 and Roldy Brito added a solo shot in the next inning to make it 4-0. Cruzmel Arias increased Fresno’s lead to 5-3 with a solo homer of his own in the sixth and Cam Hassert added another two-run bomb in the sixth to make it 7-3. Nelson also added an RBI single in the eighth and ended the game with four hits. Austin Newton earned the win for Fresno with five solid innings where he gave up three runs on eight hits with two walks and three strikeouts in five innings. Bryson Van Sickle earned a four-inning save after only surrendering one run on five hits with five strikeouts.
Parker Gabriel speculates on who the Rockies might select in the MLB Draft, which begins Saturday. The Rockies have the No. 10 pick and five picks in the first four rounds. He believes the Rockies will select hitters who have a good eye at the plate — those who chase less and walk more. Gabriel also recaps several mock drafts.
On Thursday, the fifth and sixth bats joined Monday’s Home Run Derby in Jordan Walker and Philly’s own Bryce Harper. That means there are two spots open and a few days left for MLB to extend an invite to Hunter Goodman. Goodman is tied for the fourth-most homers in MLB — that’s six more than Walker’s 21 and seven more than Harper’s 20 entering Thursday’s games.
Dave Nichols chronicles Gabriel Hughes’ rise to being called up to the Majors, culminating in his first start with the Rockies on Monday. The Rockies first-round draft pick from 2022 put up a quality start in his starting debut, against the Dodgers nonetheless.
The Mets defeated the hapless Royals in their series finale yesterday afternoon in Queens, taking the series and winning their fourth game in their last five. It’s too little, too late for these 2026 Mets, but it’s always preferable to see them win.
The Marlins remain scorching hot, as they defeated the Mariners to complete a sweep of Seattle. Miami is now even with the Phillies for second place in the division, and both teams are three games back of the first-place Braves.
The Nationals had the day off, but Federal Baseball looks at Foster Griffin’s intriguing situation with the trade deadline looming. Washington is 48-46 on the season and four games back of the third Wild Card spot at the moment.
Catch up on all of the scores from yesterday’s slate of MLB games here.
This Date in Mets History
July 10 has been a busy day in Mets history, as Matt Franco had a big hit against the Yankees on this date in 1999, the team sent David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Carlos Beltrán to the All-Star Game in 2007, and they traded for Jeff Francoeur in 2009.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 15: Eduardo Nunez and Miguel Sano of the Minnesota Twins collide in right field going after a ball hit by Yunel Escobar of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim during the fourth inning of the game on April 15, 2016 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. All players are wearing number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After the Total System Failure (TM) of May 2016, the Minnesota Twins stabilized a bit in the W/L columns. From June through July, the team went 25-28. Disappointing for most squads–a miracle for this ’16 unit.
Alas, this did not stop further embarrassments from transpiring as the campaign slogged on.
Sano is Right–but also wrong
Desperate for any offense in ’16, the Twins wanted to keep the lumber of both Trevor Plouffe & Miguel Sano in the lineup at all times. The problem? Both were entrenched at 3B. Well, until the fateful (see header image) decision to play Sano in right field for 38 games.
I’ve always found this clip to be an accurate representation of the Miguel Sano RF Experience (TM)…
Byung-Ho goes bye bye
In 62 contests, the much-ballyhooed Korean Baseball Organization prospect put up this line: -0.2 WAR, 244 PA, 12 HR, .191 BA, .684 OPS. His last game occurred June 28, after which he was demoted due to a wrist injury (very possibly a “wrist injury”) and never heard from in Twins Territory–or anywhere else stateside–again.
After posting a .723 OPS in 111 AAA Rochester games in 2017, Park returned to the KBO in ’18–where he immediately punished 43 Park Bangs to the tune of a 1.174 OPS. Like Tsuyoshi Nishioka before him, Park just could not make the jump from Far East to Midwest.
Terry Ryan re-gone
From 1994-2007, Terry Ryan was the Twins’ General Manager before stepping away from the role. After 4 tumultuous years of Bill Smith’s GM reign, Ryan was re-hired in 2012. What looked–in 2015–to be a promising rebuild, however, came crashing down in 2016.
On July 18, Ryan was–perhaps mercifully–let go, with Rob Antony stepping in under an interim GM tag. Though a better “baseball person” than Ryan likely does not exist, it was clear by mid-’16 that he had “lost his fastball” in terms of adapting to the modern game of roster churn, analytics, and pitching usage.
Happy Friday, everyone! Can you believe it? We’re already at the last weekend of play before the All-Star break. The season has already passed the halfway mark officially, but the All-Star Break feels like the marker where we really see which teams are going to make a push for the postseason.
The All-Star Game will also see a pitching icon who is currently on the IL get acknowledged with the “Legend” selection, and that’s Tigers’ pitcher Justin Verlander, who has spent most of the 2026 season injured. He has now come out and announced that he has heard his body’s message loud and clear, and the 2026 season will officially be his last. Right after finding out he’d be headed to Philly for the ASG, he took to his social media to announce his decision.
It remains to be seen if Verlander will return to the mound in the latter half of the season, but for him and for Tigers’ fans, it would be nice to see him go out on a high note.
Sep 18, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Luis Vazquez (52) fields the ball for an out during the second inning against the New York Yankees at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
Triple-A: Norfolk Tides 5, Syracuse Mets 4 — F/10
Norfolk let a two-run lead slip away but walked it off in the bottom of the tenth. Josh Walker kept the Mets off the board in the top of the frame, and Luis Vázquez drove in the automatic runner with a single to right field.
José Barrero got the Tides on the board with a solo homer in the second inning, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand launched a three-run shot in the bottom of the third. Norfolk only tallied five hits across the ten innings. Heston Kjerstad went 1-for-4, and Sam Huff singled in four trips.
Christian Herberholz limited Syracuse to two runs (one earned) over five innings. He allowed two hits, walked three, and struck out one. Dietrich Enns allowed a run over two innings, and Yosver Zulueta allowed a run in the eighth.
Chesapeake starter Evan Yates came within one out of a quality start, but he took the loss after allowing three runs over 5.2 innings. Yates allowed five hits, walked two, and struck out four. Micah Ashman allowed a pair of runs and failed to complete an inning of work.
Douglas Hodo III gave the Baysox an early lead with a solo home run in the top of the first. Aron Estrada doubled, walked and scored a run. Frederick Bencosme walked twice, and Thomas Sosa recorded a pinch-hit single in his only at bat.
High-A: Jersey Shore BlueClaws (Phillies) Frederick Keys — PPD
The game was postponed for inclement weather and will be made up on July 11.
