Known ballhawk Zack Hample was at it again during the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday.
Hample was caught on video catching a ball in the top of the fifth inning and turning to his left to talk to someone.
At first glance, it appears Hample is taunting a fan for not getting to the ball before him, but as the camera zooms out you see Hample is actually engaged with his cameraman for a video.
As Hample does so, though, fans in the area boo the baseball collector and one fan interrupts his video, forcing him to shoot another take.
Baseball collector Zack Hample talks into camera after catching a ball during the All-Star Game. @mattrappasports/X
People reacted on X to the video as expected.
“MLB when does this madness stop?” One fan said. “Please ban this clown. He laughs in the face of kids after stealing foul balls. While wrapped in MLB logos.
“You are enabling a psychopath not grounded in reality. People pay good money to have this lunatic climb over them for a foul ball.”
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, however, seems to have an unpopular opinion on Hample, claiming he is “one of the great misunderstood geniuses of our generation.”
The dislike for Hample spawns from the idea that he takes away opportunities for kids to get balls from their favorite players.
Philadephia fan boos baseball collector Zack Hample as he films a video during the All-Star Game. @mattrappasports/X
Hample has mastered the craft of getting foul balls and homeruns, collecting over 13,000 balls at 68 different MLB stadiums, per his YouTube bio.
During the MLB draft Phillies fans booed Rob Manfred and any division rival throughout the night, but it continued through to the Futures Game on Sunday and the entire all-star weekend.
Zack Hample, the most controversial fan in baseball and collector sits in the stands at Yankee Stadium. JASON SZENES/NY POST
Even the teenagers in charge of catching fly balls during the 2026 Home Run Derby were subject to jeers if they made a mistake.
PHILADELPHIA — Junior Caminero feared the worst when a 98 mph sinker that didn’t sink struck him in the left hand during the All-Star Game.
For the Tampa Bay Rays slugging third baseman, Caminero considered himself fortunate the hit-by-pitch was more a scare than a season-ender.
“You are thinking the worst and honestly thought something may have been broken,” Caminero said through a translator. “But thank you to God, it’s fine and just a little bit sore. But we’re all good.”
Caminero was struck on the outside of his left hand by St. Louis Cardinals closer Riley O’Brien with the high hard one in the top of the third inning with the American League up 3-0.
The 23-year-old Caminero, fourth in the major leagues with 28 home runs, stayed down for a few moments before he popped up and ran straight into the clubhouse.
X-rays were negative.
“Sinker on hands that didn’t hit my bat at all,” Caminero said. “So look, it was a scary moment. But you know right now, we feel really good.”
The Rays resume their season with a doubleheader in Boston.
O’Brien, who has 24 saves this season for the Cardinals, checked in with Caminero in the AL clubhouse.
“I told Ryan I really appreciate the gesture,” Caminero said. “He came into the clubhouse, and he took a few seconds to apologize, but I told him it was part of the game. He was really worried, but I told him look, these things happen. We are here to have fun, and we are here to enjoy the night.”
Caminero was replaced by Miguel Vargas of the Chicago White Sox. Vargas hit a solo homer for the American League in the eighth inning for game’s first extra-base hit.
Caminero hit 17 total home runs a night earlier at Citizens Bank Park in the Home Run Derby. He hit 45 home runs with 110 RBIs last season, and this season has led the Rays to the top of the AL East.
He batted fourth and became the first Ray to start an All-Star game in two straight seasons. Caminero grounded out in his first at bat against Phillies’ ace and NL starter Cristopher Sánchez.
Caminero — who advanced to the final round of last season’s Home Run Derby before losing a close contest to Seattle slugger Cal Raleigh — this season become the youngest player since at least 1900 to homer in six straight games.
Uno X-Mobility shocked the sprinters in Nevers on the fastest road stage in Tour history, an average of 50.9km/h
Christoph Roodhooft, Jasper Philipsen’s boss at Alpecin-Premier Tech, tells Hannah Walker on TNT Sports that his sprinter is “feeling better … but that doesn’t mean he will win today.”
Is there any thought of letting Mathieu van der Poel sprint, instead of Philipsen, given the latter’s apparent lack of form?
PHILADELPHIA — Cody Bellinger had a night for the ages.
His young daughters sat next to him and his father watched from the back of the room as he spoke about winning the All-Star Game’s Most Valuable Player award.
“Just being able to hang out and watching him win an award, it’s pretty cool,” former Yankee Clay Bellinger said after his son’s two-run single in the first inning off Cristopher Sánchez started the American League to a 4-0 win.
Cody re-signed with the Yankees last winter on a five-year, $162.5 million deal and he has been a key part of the offense. He was hitting .280 through mid-June before a slump dropped his average to .254 heading into the All-Star break. Bellinger hasn’t homered in a month.
“Baseball is the craziest game in the world. It really is. Sometimes it’s unexplainable,” he said. “Going into the break, I actually was feeling pretty good. I felt like I was on the right track.”
Clay Bellinger was an outfielder and infielder for the Yankees from 1999 to 2001, winning a pair of World Series titles, then finished his big league career with the Anaheim Angels in 2002.
Cody was 5 when his dad won his second World Series title. Clay never imagined the player Cody would turn into.
“I knew he was good, but not this good,” Clay said.
Cody became the fourth Yankees player to win the All-Star Game MVP after Derek Jeter (2000), Mariano Rivera (2013) and Giancarlo Stanton (2022).
“Wearing this jersey — I feel proud wearing it,” he said. “It comes with a lot.”
Bellinger, who just turned 31, was a fourth-round draft pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2013 and made the All-Star team in 2017, when he was voted NL Rookie of the Year. He hit 47 homers in 2019 and was voted the NL MVP after making his second All-Star team.
“I was, like, 'Oh, I’ll be here every year,’” he said. “It took a long time to get back. It’s such a competitive league.”
He followed with three straight subpar seasons, missing time in 2021 because of calf, hamstring and rib injuries. He was cut after the 2022 season and signed a one-year, $17.5 million deal with the Cubs.
Bellinger hit a career-high .307 with 29 homers and 97 RBIs, became a free agent again and signed a three-year, $80 million contract with the Cubs. After a subpar, injury-slowed season, he was dealt to the Yankees.
He tested the free-agent market, then decided to stay in pinstripes.
“He loves it there,” Clay said. “He loves the teammates, loves the city, loves playing in Yankee Stadium. So, it was kind of a no-brainer.”
Daughters Caiden and Cy accompanied Cody onto the field along with his wife, Chase, for photos after he received his award from Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt.
“You always hope for your kids to do well, whether or not it’s playing baseball or doing whatever they like to do,” Clay said. “He’s been pretty good at it for quite a long time.”
Cholowsky, 21, hit .320 with 21 homers and a 1.088 OPS for top-ranked UCLA this past season. He was the overwhelming favorite to go first overall, and the White Sox made things official at the July 11 draft in Philadelphia.
"At the end of the day, we were most comfortable with Roch Cholowsky with our first pick, regardless of what the signing bonus was going to be," White Sox GM Chris Getz said Saturday.
Cholowsky's bonus tops the previous record of $9.25 million shared by Reds pitcher Chase Burns and Rockies slugger Charlie Condon in 2024.
“We had interest in him in high school," Getz said. "And then to be able to watch his college career unfold and see what he accomplished and the impact that he had on his teammates and that program and now to envision that type of influence within this organization is something that attracted us to select him at No. 1."
BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 23: Morez Johnson Jr, Aday Mara, and Yaxel Lendeborg pose for a photo during the 2026 NBA Draft - Round One on June 23 , 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 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 Mike Lawrence/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Michigan men’s basketball program currently has 12 representatives on NBA Summer League rosters. These players range from 2026 lottery picks to players a few years older who are fighting for an opportunity. With each team a few games into the Summer League, here’s how each Wolverine is currently performing.
F Morez Johnson Jr, Dallas Mavericks
Johnson has proven to be worth a lottery pick and then some for the Mavericks. He’s scoring 18.5 points (admittedly through just two games), grabbing 6.5 rebounds and blocking three shots per game. His Summer League debut in particular was incredibly impressive.
What an NBA Summer League debut by the No. 9 overall pick, Morez Johnson Jr. 🔥
Mara has struggled in the early goings of the Summer League. Fortunately, there is plenty of time to improve. Through two games, he’s scoring just six points per game, but the playmaking is still there as he’s dishing out 2.5 assists in 24 minutes per game. The scoring touch will come in time.
Lendeborg has also flashed potential to be a breakout star. The boisterous forward has made quite a few headlines with his interview of Johnson and shenanigans with Mara. However, his play on the court can’t be overlooked, as he is averaging 17.5 points, six rebounds and five assists per game.
Gayle has not missed a single shot yet in the Summer League. Yes, you read that correctly. He is shooting 100 percent from the field through two games. After going undrafted, Gayle is just looking to secure a contract from either the Detroit Pistons or another franchise. Ten points per game and a flawless shooting percentage is a great start for him.
Roddy Gayle HAS NOT MISSED through his first two games in the NBA summer league
Burnett signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Toronto in hopes of getting a full or two-way contract down the line. He has struggled to find his shooting stoke just yet, as he’s just 11 percent from beyond the arc through three Summer League games. However, he is still scoring 9.3 points per game and had this nice dunk we’ve seen a time or two in Ann Arbor.
Wolf had a decent first year in the NBA with the Nets, despite the team itself being horrible. Brooklyn opted to have Wolf go back to the Summer League for a second year. Early results are promising, as he is averaging 14.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Wolf will look to establish himself as part of the Nets’ core moving forward.
Goldin was on a two-way contract with Miami during his rookie year and is primed to do so yet again. He isn’t setting the world on fire in the Summer League, but his game also doesn’t always stuff the stat sheet. He is averaging eight points, 6.3 rebounds and two blocks per game. Goldin is still a bit unpolished at the NBA level, so it will be fascinating to see how he fits in with the Heat.
Vladislav Goldin backs down Bogoljub Marković and dunks it over him and another Bucks player (with a replay).
After transferring from Michigan to Miami last offseason, Donaldson went undrafted before being scooped up by the Heat. He’s off to a fast start, as he is averaging 17 points and 4.5 assists per game. More importantly, he’s showing an improved effort on the defensive end. Donaldson is still a ways away from a full roster spot, but he’s turned some heads in the Summer League.
After being drafted in the first round last month, Reed was immediately traded to the Spurs. Through two games, he’s scoring just 9.5 points but is also collecting 9.5 rebounds per game. Averaging nearly a double-double will turn some heads at the Summer League.
Bufkin is one of the oldest players participating this summer, as he’s still working to make a name for himself at the NBA level. He has played incredible, as Bufkin is averaging 21.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, three assists and two steals per game. He’s in the top-15 of all Summer League participants in scoring.
🏀 SATURDAY'S FINAL SCORES 🏀
Kobe Bufkin's 10 4Q PTS helps lead the @PelicansNBA to an 18-PT comeback win in NBA Summer League play!
Somehow only going into Year 2 in the NBA, Dickinson returned to the Pelicans’ Summer League squad this offseason. The big man is scoring 13.3 points while hauling in 5.7 rebounds per game. He recently signed a two-way contract with New Orleans, so he will hope to play more than the five games he did last year.
C Colin Castleton, Orlando Magic
I debated whether to include Castleton on this list or not. I leaned in favor, as he did in fact spend a full season in Ann Arbor. He is on a two-way contract with Orlando and was a bit of a surprise to be sent to the Summer League given his age (26). He had a great performance against Portland followed by a few underwhelming appearances.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 12: Roldy Brito #1 of the Colorado Rockies is introduced prior to the 2026 All-Star Futures Game Presented by Nike at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, July 12, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
With the Futures Game kicking off All-Star Week and the first halves in the books across the minors, it’s a natural moment to take stock of the Rockies’ farm system — level by level, from the thin air of Albuquerque down to the backfields in Scottsdale. The big-league club’s improvement has gotten the headlines, but the story underneath it is just as compelling: at every rung of the ladder, somebody is forcing the organization to pay attention.
Here’s where each affiliate stands at the break, and the one performer at each stop you need to know.
Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes
If this ‘Topes team does one thing, it’s hit — relentlessly.
Albuquerque finished the first half of the Pacific League season in second place, two and a half games shy of a playoff berth. They lead the league in slugging percentage (.460), OPS (.833), and stolen bases (139). The second half has proved to be a different story, as the Isotopes are 7-11 and six games out of the division lead.
First Half MVP: Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP), 1B/OF
There’s no real suspense here. Condon is hitting .289/.414/.584 with 20 home runs and 60 RBI through 79 games, earned his second straight Futures Games appearance, and was Baseball America’s pick as the organization’s midseason Minor League Player of the Year.
The 2024 third overall pick has leaned into what he does best — controlling the zone and doing damage — and the walk total is the loudest sign that the approach has matured. The only question left is how much longer Albuquerque gets to keep him.
Charlie Condon got all of that one for his 19th homer of the year and his fourth in his last three games! 😤
If Albuquerque’s identity is offense, Hartford’s first half belonged to the arms.
Jake Brooks led the Eastern League in innings pitched prior to his promotion, Konner Eaton (PuRP No.28) is 4-0 with a 3.78 ERA over 14 stars, and Jackson Cox (PuRP No.16) arrived from Spokane in June and struck out eight over 5.1 innings in his Double-A debut. Hartford clinched a playoff spot by possessing the Eastern League’s best record in the first half.
First Half MVP: Jack Mahoney, RHP
Mahoney has been close to untouchable — a 1.90 ERA across his ten Hartford starts with 49 strikeouts, including an Eastern League Pitcher of the Week nod in mid-June. In a system that has spent years searching for pitching it can trust, the South Carolina product is making the most persuasive case on the farm.
Spokane’s team results lagged — a fifth place finish in the six-team Northwest League first half. However, the Indians ran off ten straight wins from June 26th-July 7th, and currently lead the Northwest League with a 14-7 record in the second half.
In a subpar first half, the individual storylines more than carried the weight. Jackson Cox led all of minor league baseball with 78 strikeouts at the time of his promotion, and Jack O’Dowd — the 25-year-old January signee out of indy ball (and son of former Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd) — slashed .359.451/.664 with nine homers in 34 games before mashing his way to Hartford.
The 2025 competitive-balance pick out of Texas leads the Indians with 12 home runs and ranks among the Northwest League’s elite in OPS and total bases. In a pitcher friendly environment where Rockies affiliates have historically struggled to produce power, Belyeu’s first full pro season is exactly the kind of proof-of-concept development that the new regime is looking for.
𝙏𝙊 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙈𝘼𝙓! Second multi-home run performance of the week for Max Belyeu, who has doubled his season longball total to 10 with five home runs over the last five nights against the Eugene Emeralds. #GoSpopic.twitter.com/9cvYn55w73
Fresno’s season has been a story of resilience. The Grizzlies lost Ethan Holliday (No. 2 PuRP) — the No. 4 overall pick in 2025 — to a season ending foot surgery after 33-game stretch in which he hit .262/.395/.557 with nine homers, and they’ve weathered additional absences (Derek Bernard, Clayton Gray) while staying in the California League race: 47-40 overall and tied for second in the second-half standings at 11-10.
The 19-year-old switch-hitter is slashing .327/.390/.506 with eight home runs, 20 doubles, 66 RBI, and 18 stolen bases through 79 games, ranking amount California League leaders in hits, triples, runs, RBI, and total bases — and Sunday he took the field in Philadelphia as a first-time Futures Game selection. A year ago he was an unranked name in the complex league. Now he’s arguably the most electric position player in the systems lower half.
— Fresno Grizzlies (@FresnoGrizzlies) May 16, 2026
Rookie: ACL Rockies
The complex league club hasn’t been quiet about anything: at 37-15, the ACL Rockies own the best record in the Arizona Complex League. And the headliner is the same player evaluators have been buzzing about since spring.
First Half MVP:Christian Arguelles
The reigning DSL MVP hasn’t slowed down stateside — he’s arguably sped up. Through 51 games, the 19-year-old Venezuelan is hitting .392/.474/.655 with eight home runs, eight triples, 61 RBI, and a 168 wRC+, with a walk rate (12.3%) nearly matching his strikeout rate (13.2%). He took home ACL Player of the Month honors for May after slashing .380/.494/.718 over 21 games, and has continued to produce in the following months.
The Big Picture
Zoom out and the picture is hard to miss: at every level, the standout is a hitter or pitcher acquired or developed within the last three years — Condon (2024 draft), Mahoney (2023 draft), Belyeu (2025 draft), Brito (2024 international class), and Arguelles (2024 international class). For a franchise that has staked its rebuild on the farm finally producing, the first half of 2026 offered something it hasn’t had in a while: evidence.
(Original Caption) This new clear-vision baseball catcher's mask worn by Bubbles Hargrave, of the Cincinnati Reds, has just made its appearance. Points of vantage claimed for this mask is unobstructed vision and a steel construction which will ward off the hardest of foul tips and even blows from the bat. (Photo by George Rinhart/Corbis via Getty Images) | Corbis via Getty Images
While there still are some good ones around, they don’t make nicknames quite like they used to. Some of the greatest players in history had great ones, like “The Sultan of Swat,” “The Georgia Peach,” or “The Say Hey Kid.” However, even lesser known players had pretty good ones. For instance, one solid big leaguer from the early 20th century just straight up went by “Bubbles,” even though he reportedly hated it.
Eugene Franklin “Bubbles” Hargrave Born: July 15, 1892 (New Haven, IN) Died: February 23, 1969 (Cincinnati, OH) Yankees Tenure: 1930
Eugene Hargrave was born into a military family in Indiana, the son of a soldier who served in the Civil War. He had several brothers who would also serve, while another brother, William, would also play in the big leagues, where he went by the also good “Pinky” Hargrave.
His family initially did not want Hargrave going into pro baseball, and he briefly attempted a career in upholstering. However, he did not enjoy that field, reportedly saying that there was “too much dust,” and joined the minor league Terre Haute Miners when he was 18.
After a couple successful seasons in Terra Haute, the Chicago Cubs took notice of Hargrave and signed him. He played from 1913-15 with the Cubs, but only appeared in 41 total games as essentially their third-string catcher. As you probably could guess, it was a bit difficult to make much of an impression with that little playing time, and the Cubs eventually sold him back to the minors.
The road back to the majors ended up being a bit of a long one for Hargrave, who spent all of 1916-20 with various minor league teams. However in the final of those minor league years, he hit .335 and helped the St. Paul Saints win the American Association pennant. That got him back on the major league radar, and the Reds bought him from St. Paul, beating out several other MLB teams.
Upon joining Cincinnati, Hargrave initially split time at catcher, but soon proved to be a good major leaguer at the plate. That being said he would never actually appear in more than 118 games in a single season, as his abilities behind the plate weren’t always the best.
#OTD in #Reds history, 1925: The National League Baseball Writers’ Association announces their first all-star selections. Four Reds are included in the 13 selections: RHP Dolf Luque, RHP Pete Donohue, C Bubbles Hargrave and CF Edd Roush. 🌟🌟🌟🌟 pic.twitter.com/Lr8aMqEQSm
Hargrave’s best career MLB season came in 1926. After four consecutive seasons of hitting at least .300, his .353 batting average won him that season’s NL batting title, albeit under weird circumstances.
For one, the .353 mark was well below AL leader Heinie Manush at .378, and well off the pace of what Rogers Hornsby won the crown at the year before: .403. Beyond that, there was also a question of who should be the rightful winner based on their playing time. Hargrave’s Reds’ teammate Walter Christensen outhit him with a .357 mark, but only appeared in 86 games. Hargrave himself played in 105 and got only 326 at-bats, which wouldn’t be remotely enough to get on the leaderboard today. However, as Hargrave got over the 100-game mark, he was declared the winner. He is still only one four catchers to have ever won the batting title — and within a couple years, he’ll be the only non Hall of Famer (Ernie Lombardi and Joe Mauer are already in, with Buster Posey soon to follow).
Hargrave fell off over the next couple seasons and was deemed expendable after a below average 1928. He returned to the St. Paul Saints in the minors, becoming player-manager for them in 1929. After one good year there, the Yankees — who held an interest in Hargrave prior to him joining the Reds — purchased him from St. Paul. Hargrave’s acquisition was supposedly Miller Huggins’ last ever one before he passed away near the end of the 1929 season.
While this is a Yankees’ blog and this one season is really the only reason to write about Hargrave here, there’s not a ton to say about his 1930 with the Yankees. The team was led by excellent season from Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, but ended up in third in the AL standings. Manager Bob Shawkey found it difficult to replace Huggins, while the pitching staff was pretty average, as the rotation aces of the first dynasty were aging out, and the future aces hasn’t broken out yet. Hargrave himself didn’t have a particularly good season and was again considered expendable.
Following his release, Hargrave returned to the minors and played a couple more years. His final year in baseball came in 1934, when he served as a player-manager for the Cedar Rapids Raiders.
After his playing career, Hargrave returned to the Cincinnati area. He opened a tavern and worked some blue collar jobs. He even had a stint as a manager in something called the National Professional Indoor Baseball League, an ill-fated softball league that had Tris Speaker as president. Hargrave remained in the Cincinnati area until his death in 1969.
As for his nickname, Hargrave reportedly got it because he had a bit of a speech impediment when pronouncing words that contained the letter B. Just because the olden nicknames were interesting doesn’t mean they weren’t also cruel.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 09: Grant Holmes #66 of the Atlanta Braves looks on in the dugout prior to the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on May 09, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Braves went 6-6 in July before the All-Star Break. 6-6 is… okay. The Braves went 6-5 in the first half of June, well before any alarm bells sounded. Lots of teams go .500ish in a short stretch. The Dodgers were 5-6! The Brewers were 7-6! The Marlins and Phillies both went 6-5, gaining just a half-game on the Braves. Meanwhile, a bunch of previously-moribund squads did really well. It’s 12ish games, anything can happen.
Is going 6-6 a springboard for recovering from June’s plunge into the abyssal depths of teamwide non-production? Well, ehhhhhh.
On the one hand, the Braves finished eighth in position player fWAR over the first part of July. Yay, the offense returned. If you recall, my one big fulcrum point is this: if the Braves hit like a top-ten team from July-on, they’ll make the playoffs. If they don’t, they won’t. They did in these 12 games, right? So, what’s the concern?
Well, the concern is that despite a better (12th in wOBA/wRC+) set of outputs in July, their inputs were still woeful: 21st in xwOBA, with a .299 mark. For a team that finished 29th in MLB in June in xwOBA (.283), this was not exactly heartening. Yeah, they faked it to a 6-6 record in July. The needed improvement on a team-wide wasn’t actually there if you peek even a tiny bit under the surface.
Did the pitching do anything to help? No, no it did not. Recall that in April, May, and June, the team’s pitching fWAR ranks went from 10th, to 13th, to 19th. In July so far? 21st. 18th in ERA-, 23rd in FIP-, and 21st in xFIP-. The bullpen continued to be a rock, finishing second in MLB in fWAR in this pre-All Star Break-part-of-July stretch. But the rotation was sub-replacement level.
Game-by-game odds-wise, going 6-6 is exactly what was expected. WAR-wins-wise, 6-6 is also exactly what was expected. There was nothing all that weird in these 12 games… except that the Braves massively outhit their xwOBA and yeah they probably need to hit better to have a shot of keeping a playoff spot.
How are the Braves doing for the season?
The season position for the Braves right now is really weird, and deserves some space of its own.
The residuals from early in the season are banked. The Braves have MLB’s fourth-best record, fifth-highest playoff odds, and seventh-highest championship odds. They have a two-game lead in the division, and are five games “up” on holding a playoff spot.
On the season, they are 16th in position player value, including 12th in offensive inputs, somewhere between 17th-19th in offensive outputs depending on what you count, and eighth in defensive value. They are 15th in pitching value, though fifth in ERA- to go with being 15th in FIP- and 12 in xFIP-. The rotation is 23rd in fWAR, but the bullpen ranks first overall.
In particular, the rotation ranks ninth, 24th, and 15th in ERA-/FIP-/xFIP-; while
The bullpen ranks first, first, and third, respectively.
The FanGraphs playoff odds have a lot of “modes.” The default mode, the one I and everyone else tends to reference, involves using Steamer/ZiPS and forecasting the rest of the season based on how players are projected to play. This is fairly slow to integrate how players have actually played in 2026, because half a season isn’t enough to really sway projections. There are lots of other methods, too, and here’s basically what it looks like in terms of the Braves’ projected end-of-season wins and current playoff odds:
Default: 90 wins, 91 percent
FG WAR (my understanding is this uses performance-to-date for this season in terms of production, not accumulation of wins in the standings): 89, 88 percent
ATC (a different, meta-projection system): 91, 93 percent
The BAT X (a different, fantasy-focused projection system): 89, 88 percent
OOPSY (again, another projection system): 90, 91 percent
Season-to-date (actual wins-in-standings to date mapped across future games): 93, 88 percent
Coin flip (all games are decided randomly for the future): 89, 83 percent
Given that there are only 67 games left, there is not a huge chunk of time left for the difference between how the Braves are projected to play (85-win pace, accounting for injuries), and how they have produced so far (82-win pace). They are fortunate that their current record is so far above their production, as I talked about in Monday’s daily question post. These things may not have substantial implications for the rest of the season unless the Braves completely fall apart as they did in June again… but, fundamentally, they’ve gotta do something to pull themselves to at least sustainably treading water. That could be offensive improvement to a decent xwOBA, that could be pitching that leans more heavily on the bullpen to remove the win-bleeding from weaker parts of the rotation, or a host of other things, like someone going on an insane heater. It could even be something not sustainable that bails the team out, like a freaky-low HR/FB from its pitchers or persistent xwOBA overperformance from the hitters, though those are harder to bank on. The bar for the rest of the season isn’t that high, but the Braves still need to figure out how to get from where they are to clearing it.
How are the hitters doing?
This sort of spread is kinda-sorta why I had the bubble charts in there originally, even if they weren’t always informative.
A bunch of guys were productive over these last 12 games: Michael Harris II, Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, Mauricio Dubon, Mike Yastrzemski, and even Jim Jarvis and Joey Bart. But, of those guys, only Baldwin, Yastrzemski, and Bart actually did the hitting thing well. As noted above, a bunch of guys (Albies, Dubon, Jarvis) just got really, really lucky. Austin Riley and Dominic Smith continue to drag down everything with their performance. The Braves may feel like they want to keep giving Riley rope, but it’s past time to do anything other than starting Smith.
For the season as a whole, the wOBAs and xwOBAs are closer (which, duh), though Albies’ high-wire act is what it is. Leaving aside the injured members of the position player corps for the time being, this is a team being driven by Harris, Olson, and Dubon, while the other guys are largely hoping to produce enough that the misery of having Riley and Smith eat PAs doesn’t fully careen the team into disaster.
Kinda funny: in July so far (left side) the Braves largely avoided anyone in the bottom-right quadrant, but also had way too many guys in the upper-left. And then Riley and Smith hanging out bottom-left, sigh. For the season as a whole (right side), you can basically get the narrative of the season: three guys are (were?) carrying the team, Albies is very fortunate, and a bunch of guys have been very blah, led by Riley’s issues.
Something silly: Matt Olson leads Braves position players in WPA in July. He’s also second on the team in PAs in that span, and has been a positive bat, so yeah, sure, whatever, okay. But then, second on the team? Eli White, who didn’t even have enough PAs to appear in the tables/charts above. Braves, man.
How are the pitchers doing?
The table above doesn’t even include Bryce Elder’s disastrous start in July… and also kind of summarizes why everyone says the Braves need multiple pitches. Grant Holmes and JR Ritchie did okay in July in two outings… but their xFIPs are still very meh. Lopez had a nice few outings, but his season stats are also meh, and that includes a bunch of time as a reliever where you’d figure he would’ve had better peripherals. Hurston Waldrep has too few innings to really talk about, but even those few innings got him sent down. And, while Chris Sale is very awesome, he was not awesome in aggregate over the last couple of weeks, though a rain-shortened outing ate into his ability to bail his own poor start out.
From this table, it looks like that the minimum the Braves need is two guys who aren’t actually playing well, but their “poor pitching” is more akin to Holmes’ season-to-date performance. Of course, forcing a five-man rotation isn’t the only way to cover pitching innings, and the Braves gave us a brief glimpse of that when using Danny Young to open for Ritchie on the final day of the “first half,” but it remains to be seen whether they’ll get creative instead of, or in addition to, adding pitching from outside the organization over the next two-ish weeks.
Beyond that, what can you really say? Dylan Lee continues to be fantabulous. The other left-handed Dylan (Dodd) is also having a nice season so far, with a 56 ERA-, 86 FIP-, and 92 xFIP-. Dodd seems like a fine guy-to-use-like-Tyler-Kinley-if-you’ve-now-acknowledged-Kinley-isn’t-good. Grant Holmes is in the midst of a silly “heater” where he has a 23 ERA-, but a 100 FIP- and a 108 xFIP-, over his last four outings. He’s only actually pitched particularly well once, but he’s gotten incredibly fortunate twice, which is preferable to just getting smashed without mercy once batter number ten rolls around. Holmes won’t keep that up, but so long as he keeps faking it until the Braves make it, they’ll take it. Rhyming!
Anyway, not the most sanguine biweekly recap, but it is what it is. The Braves need to hit much better, and they’ll be hunky dory. If they don’t, though, you’ll be hearing the complaints about the pitching reach a fever… pitch.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 9: Zyon Pullin #15 of the Minnesota Timberwolves drives to the basket during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2026 NBA Las Vegas Summer League on July 9, 2026 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Indiana Pacers Date: July 15th, 2026 Time: 2:30 PM CDT Location: Cox Pavilion Television Coverage: Prime Video
It has been a cruel summer for the Minnesota Timberwolves in Las Vegas. The team arrived with a few intriguing prospects, a little developmental optimism, and the modest hope that somebody might seize the moment, only to spend consecutive nights getting run out of the gym by opponents who look faster, sharper, and far more prepared to play basketball after 10 p.m.
After opening their Summer League schedule with a promising victory over New Orleans, the Wolves have lost two straight games to the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers. The Denver defeat was uninspiring enough, but Monday night’s late encounter with Portland was the performance that really drained whatever remaining energy existed around this group. Minnesota fell by 27 points in a game that was not exactly the reward Wolves fans deserved for staying awake deep into a July night to evaluate second-round picks and developmental big men.
While I’m not sure he has the gravity to swing a game by 27 points, the Wolves were definitely feeling the absence of Joan Beringer. Beringer entered Summer League as the most important player on Minnesota’s roster, and his opening performance against New Orleans only strengthened that belief. The 18th overall selection in the 2025 NBA Draft finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds, looking stronger, more comfortable, and considerably closer to NBA readiness than he appeared during much of his rookie season. It was exactly the sort of performance Wolves fans hoped to see from a second-year player who now finds himself much closer to meaningful minutes than anyone could have anticipated a few months ago.
His back tightness has prevented him from participating in the last two games, and his availability for Minnesota’s finale against the Indiana Pacers the largest question hanging over the game. If Beringer can return, the Wolves will get one final opportunity to evaluate whether his impressive debut represented a genuine developmental leap rather than one strong July performance. More importantly, he could restore some basic structure to a team that has looked increasingly lost without him.
Beringer is not the only player worth monitoring. Roko Zikarsky continues to receive an opportunity to show whether his combination of size and shooting can eventually translate into a useful NBA role. Minnesota could desperately use a big who can stretch the floor, provide competent defensive minutes, and keep the entire frontcourt from collapsing whenever Gobert heads to the bench. Zikarsky has not yet produced the kind of performance that forces anyone to redesign the regular-season rotation, but that is why these games exist. He remains a developmental player trying to turn theoretical tools into repeatable production.
Isaiah Evans will also receive another chance to settle into professional basketball after an uneven beginning to his Summer League career. The 33rd overall pick was forced to wait for the completion of the LaMelo Ball transaction before becoming eligible to play, and struggled to find his rhythm since joining the team.
The finale against Indiana therefore offers less of a referendum and more of a final collection of clues. Can Beringer return and once again look like the most advanced prospect on the roster? Can Zikarsky provide some of the size and spacing Minnesota suddenly needs? Can Evans put together his most confident performance of the week and leave Las Vegas with something positive to build upon?
The Wolves also have a chance to finish Summer League with a 2-2 record, which would not mean very much in the grand NBA hierarchy but would at least prevent the week from ending with three consecutive defeats. There is something psychologically cleaner about leaving Las Vegas at .500, even when everyone involved knows these games are primarily glorified auditions. Nobody is planning a parade for a Summer League victory over Indiana, but nobody particularly enjoys getting embarrassed three nights in a row either.
The Canis Hoopus comments section will be open and ready for anyone interested in dissecting every Beringer rebound, Zikarsky jumper, or Evans possession. There may even be room for a little England-versus-Argentina banter as well.
The mid-July trap is in full effect. The cool air pumps through the Thomas & Mack Center, stakes are non-existent, and our brains begin their annual trick of convincing us that an undrafted point guard is John Stockton’s second coming.
Truthfully, 90% of what takes place in Summer League is a hoax. Massive point-getters barely crack the NBA roster if they get their name on it at all. However, while box scores are about as real as The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, there are translatable NBA skills that provide reasons for excitement. Yes, New York’s summer league squad looks a bit disjointed and unimpressive. Still, one massive bright spot shines through in the form of our latest second-round draft haul.
Tyler Nickel possesses translatable skills, and they’re exactly what the Knicks’ roster needs most.
Plopping his current summer league performance on top of an impressive college resume, Nickel is getting Knicks fans all sorts of giddy. The most exciting part is that he brings very real value to the court.
To fully understand Nickel’s value, we first have to understand that he is not just a guy standing in the corner looking to capitalize on a drive-and-kick. Instead, he is a pure movement shooter. Massive mechanical differences exist between a static spot-up shooter and someone who can sprint off a screen, catch the ball on the move, position himself correctly, and fire away. Nickel’s release demonstrates both quickness and confidence. Observing his off-ball sprinting brings back memories of a young Kyle Korver.
Nickel proved his shooting value at Vanderbilt. Connecting on 40% of his three-pointers while averaging over 7 attempts per game is staggering. If you need further proof of his elite shooting, remember that he shot 66.9% across all shooting drills at the NBA Draft Combine. That ranked him eighth among all prospects.
This matters a great deal for the Knicks right now. Ever since they traded away Donte DiVincenzo, the offense has lacked Nickel’s brand of defense-bending floor spacing. New York’s offense operates at a whole different level when a movement shooter is present and constantly exhausting his defender. Players of this ilk are of the high-gravity class. If Nickel sprints full speed around a screen, the defense panics. If two defenders address the perimeter to deny him the ball, massive driving lanes open up, and undoubled post-ups become available. Mike Brown’s system demands this kind of gravity to prevent the paint from clogging. Nickel fits the geometry of that system perfectly.
Nickel’s quiet outing Monday against the Pistons cannot go completely ignored. Unable to create much of anything, the physical Detroit defenders successfully bumped him off his spots. In reality, this kind of experience is far from a bad thing.
The Pistons played a defense anchored in physicality, aggressively top-locking Nickel to deny him the ball. He needs to learn to counter that level of physical play and set better back screens when defenders overplay him. Of course, it is ideal that he learns how to survive an NBA-level physical assault in July rather than during the regular season.
Away from his offensive strengths, Nickel is not a tiny, unplayable defensive liability. Measuring at 6’6″ with a 6’8.5″ wingspan and a 217-pound frame, he has legitimate NBA wing size. Digging into his college games, there is a fantastic defensive outing from the 2026 SEC Tournament. Guarding Tennessee’s Nate Ament, Nickel put him in a blender, locking him down to an awful 1-for-13 shooting night. Combine that with his off-court intangibles, like studying the playbook in the airport and already earning a stamp of approval from veterans like Josh Hart. You have a prospect who already possesses the make-up of a player ready to call Madison Square Garden his home.
The financial constraints of this roster are no secret. Leon Rose operates with the mandate of staying below that frightful second apron. Finding and developing cheap, ready-to-play talent is now mandatory. Nickel currently fights for one of the remaining two-way contracts, but his highly specialized skill set makes him a dark horse to crack the roster and potentially find a role in the rotation.
Bryce Harper’s Cameo video that FanDuel sent to a gambling addict didn’t breach Major League Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement, Rob Manfred said on Tuesday.
Key Takeaways
Rob Manfred said MLB is still learning about the video message.
Harper didn’t encourage betting, which avoided a policy violation.
The gambling addict is suing FanDuel and other operators.
The MLB commissioner told reporters at the All-Star Game in Philadelphia that the league is still reviewing the November 2024 message from the Phillies star.
“I’m not really certain that I know all of the underlying facts well enough to evaluate the behavior,” Manfred said, according to The Athletic. “The important thing is Bryce’s activity was not a violation of the basic agreement. We made sure about that. We’ll continue to try to figure out exactly how we ended up where we ended up on that.”
Harper released a statement on Monday, saying that he had no knowledge that his message on the video-sharing platform Cameo was going to be used for a gambling promotion by FanDuel.
“I did not know FanDuel would do this, I did not consent to it, and FanDuel had no right to do it,” Harper said in his Instagram post.
Not a policy breaker
Players are allowed to endorse and promote legal sports betting operators and casinos, according to the MLB gambling policy, but they are prohibited from advocating or encouraging betting on a game. Violating that policy can lead to MLB penalties, including fines, suspension, and permanent ineligibility.
Harper recorded the video for Terry Thompson, a FanDuel VIP who filed a lawsuit against several sports betting companies. Thompson claims that the operators "knowingly and intentionally coerce users into betting large amounts of money by using data to target them with microbets” that turned him into a gambling addict.
Harper said to Thompson that the message was an ask from a FanDuel host, but Harper made no mention of or encouragement to gamble.
Not for commercial use
Thompson says he lost more than $1.5 million to FanDuel, which encouraged him to keep betting and made him a VIP. He received lavish gifts like Super Bowl tickets and the Harper video message wishing Thompson a Happy Thanksgiving.
Harper said he received a Cameo request from a “Bryttanni” that November from a regular account, not a business one. He said he read a script but wouldn’t have if he had known “Terry” was a problem gambler.
“I did not know the Cameo video would be used for a FanDuel VIP promotion, and I have no affiliation with FanDuel whatsoever,” Harper said. “Counsel has directed me not to comment any further at this time.”
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 14: Jordan Staal #11 of the Carolina Hurricanes reacts as he prepares to hoist the Stanley Cup after defeating the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Six of the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Final between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on June 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)
NHLI via Getty Images
NEW YORK — The Carolina Hurricanes will raise their second Stanley Cup championship banner on Sept. 29 before hosting the Florida Panthers to kick off the NHL season.
The opener pits the most recent champions against the winners the previous two years. The Panthers look primed to contend for another title until injuries derailed them and caused them to miss the playoffs. Carolina lost only one game to get through the Eastern Conference, then defeated Vegas in the final to win it all for the first time since 2006.
The league announced home openers for all 32 clubs Wednesday. The full schedule is set to be released on Thursday.
The Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs, the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins will also face off as part of a five-game curtain raiser. The Chicago Blackhawks visit the Vegas Golden Knights in the nightcap.
Play begins before October as the league moves to an 84-game schedule for the first time since 1993-94. The 1,344 games will be the most in NHL history.
PHILADELPHIA — Justin Verlander used his fingers in this trip to Philadelphia simply to tip his cap toward applauding All-Star Game fans.
He once playfully flipped off Phillies fans when his Houston Astros were in Philadelphia for the 2022 World Series.
There only was mutual respect in this game.
The 43-year-old Verlander was one of the few All-Stars to receive a warm ovation in Philadelphia from a crowd that reveled in jeering just about any player who was not in a Phillies uniform.
Verlander is set to retire at the end of the season to cap a career that includes three Cy Young Awards.
Up first, one more Midsummer Classic.
“In his 10th and final All-Star Game, please welcome to Philadelphia, Justin Verlander,” the public address announcer noted.
Verlander didn’t totally sit out the American League’s 4-0 win over the National League.
Toronto manager John Schneider asked Verlander to address the team and share thoughts on the importance of the All-Star honor out of respect for the pitcher’s career.
“You never know when you’re going to be in this position,” Schneider said as he relayed Verlander’s message. “You have to appreciate the people along the way. He’s made lifelong friends from being in this game for so long.”
Verlander had more gas left in the pregame speech tank. He talked AL starter Dylan Cease out of throwing a changeup as the first pitch of the game and go with a heater against Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber.
Cease threw a 96.9-mph four-seam strike to Schwarber and struck out the side in the first inning,
“He could be a politician,” Cease said of Verlander.
Kevin McGonigle, Verlander’s’ 21-year-old Tigers teammate and suburban Philadelphia native, soaked in the moment when Verlander took the floor.
“He kept telling the guys that you don’t take anything for granted and if you keep working hard, you will find yourself back in this room multiple time,” McGonigle said. “Be a good teammate and building relationships and getting to learn as much as you can from other guys.”
Verlander, who did not discuss the speech, enjoyed the chance to participate in some final festivities and walked the All-Star red carpet in the afternoon with his wife, model Kate Upton, and their two young children.
The lone bummer for Verlander is that the Detroit Tigers All-Star was unable to pitch in the game as he recovers from a hamstring injury. Verlander, the oldest player in Major League Baseball, signed a one-year, $13 million contract to rejoin the Tigers in February.
He only has made one start in an injury-ravaged season and was named to the All-Star team as a Legend Pick by Commissioner Rob Manfred. Phillies slugger Bryce Harper earned the honor in the National League.
“I’m happy with the body of work,” Verlander said ahead of the game. “I hope I can add to it somehow, someway in the second half. When I look back, I know I gave it everything.”
Verlander went 183-115 from 2005 to 2017 with the Tigers. He won the American League Rookie of the Year award in 2006 and both the AL MVP and Cy Young Award in 2011. He helped Detroit reach the World Series in 2006 and 2012, along with four straight division titles from 2011 to 2014.
Verlander was the 2017 ALCS MVP in Houston and helped the Astros win the World Series that year, and was a key player for them when they won another title in 2022. He won his second and third Cy Young Awards in 2019 and 2022.
Verlander, who also had brief stints with the New York Mets and San Francisco, played coy when asked about which team cap he would choose for his sure-thing induction into the Hall of Fame.
“At least, I was able to narrow it down to two,” Verlander said with a laugh. “I’m not there yet.”
Verlander relaxed against a clubhouse wall next to his locker as he reflected over a career that stamped him as perhaps the best of his era.
Verlander has a career record of 266-159 with a 3.33 ERA in 556 starts across 21 major league seasons with the Tigers, Astros, Mets and San Francisco Giants. He has 3,554 strikeouts while tossing 26 complete games, including nine shutouts.
Not bad for a kid from Virginia who was sent to a baseball academy by his family to help him gain arm strength. His parents knew so little about how to guide a kid that flashed big league potential that his father, Richard, bought a most unique kind of instructional guide.
“My dad bought a ‘How to Pitch for Dummies’ book,” Verlander said to laughter. “I’m not joking. He’s like, OK, step one, you step back with your left foot. Step two, you turn this way. We were doing that in my front yard because he learned I could throw a rock pretty far.”
Turned out, with a little help along the way, Verlander learned to throw a baseball pretty hard.
Verlander just hopes in his last season, he hasn’t thrown his last one.
The first two games of the New York Rangers’ 2026-27 campaign have been revealed.
The Rangers will open the season on Sept. 29 at T.D. Garden to face off against the Boston Bruins, will be broadcast on ESPN at 8 p.m.
On Oct. 1, the Rangers will host the Tampa Bay Lightning at Madison Square Garden for their home opener.
The rest of the NHL schedule is set to be released on Thursday.
The Blueshirts will participate in four preseason games from Sept. 21 to Sept. 25 against the New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils.
This upcoming season will feature 84 regular season games for the first time after the NHL and NHL Players Association agreed to these terms in the four-year CBA extension.
