Category: Sports News

The 2026 Home Run Derby looks to be a thrilling competition with a revamped set of rules, but the Yankees won’t have much to root for outside of rooting against their division rival representatives after a disappointing first round. Their candidate to go the distance, Ben Rice, was eliminated in the first round after a showing that saw him collect the fewest home runs of the bunch with just seven bombs.

Boston’s Willson Contreras set the tone for the night, blasting several home runs over 450 feet and setting the benchmark for both the total that everyone would chase and the longest bomb at 13 home runs and 490 feet, respectively. St. Louis’ Jordan Walker managed to match his pace, getting hot out the gate for another 13 home runs while maxing out around 470 feet. Kansas City’s Jac Caglianone and Chicago’s Munetaka Murakami stepped up and proved that the first two were highwater marks to chase: both had stretches to start where they couldn’t get the ball to lift before cranking some moonshots to start a run, but neither came close to the heaters that Contreras and Walker had. Murakami ended with nine home runs and briefly held one of the spots to advance, while Caglianone was just below him with eight.

Ben Rice was the first up of the second batch of hitters and had perhaps the roughest opening of the group by the time he went, getting eaten up on several swings out of the gate. Two home runs in his first seven swings put him on a poor pace, but he hit a couple back-to-back to give the hope that he could find his groove. It still didn’t come though, and by the time he had five swings left he had just five homers tallied. One more managed to sneak its way out, but his final hack ended up being a popup straight back as he chased a pitch up near his hands. All in all, the opening round unfortunately ended with a Yankee in last place for the second straight year as Rice’s seven fell one short of tying Caglianone. Still, Rice’s performance was a lot closer to the pack than Jazz Chisholm Jr.‘s last year and it looked like the Yankee All-Star had a blast participating with his father on the mound, so it wasn’t all bad for the Bombers’ latest star.

The rest of the contestants behind Rice gave it their best shot at advancing, and a couple of them succeeded. Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero had a strong start to his night, collecting several homers in his first five swings before ending with the third-most of the round with 12. Then came the home crowd’s favorites, Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, who both stumbled out of the gate before coming on strong. Schwarber secured the final spot with his 10th homer coming on his last swing to push him past Murakami (who held the tiebreaking distance-shot had he not), and Harper fell just short with nine.

Schwarber eventually made it through to the finals, topping Contreras in the semis while the hometown fans furiously booed the latter as he came up short. They tried to do the same in the finals, but Walker—who had dispatched Caminero—was impressively unflappable. Down to his last swing, the Cards’ post-hype breakout star belted six consecutive homers to snatch the trophy out of Schwarber’s hands. Walker is the first St. Louis player to ever win the Derby. Congrats to him!

PHILADELPHIA — Hours beforehand, Ben Rice declared his Home Run Derby experience “already a success” because he and his father, Dan, had made it.

The derbies that took place in their backyard in Cohasset, Mass., were teleported into a different decade and venue, still a father pitching to his son.

The Rices won.

Just not the Derby.

Ben was eliminated in Monday’s first round at Citizens Bank Park, finishing with seven home runs — better than Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s three last year, but still last in this field — when he needed at least 10 for a shot at the second round.

Most participants leave shortly after falling short. Rice — in his first experience at the Midsummer Classic and breathing in every moment — stuck around for a long while, taking a seat in the infield and chatting at length with his father and Juan Soto while watching what turned out to be a thrilling finish.

In a finals matchup between hometown hero Kyle Schwarber and new Philly villain Jordan Walker, the breakout Cardinals star stole the competition and homered with his final five swings, upsetting Schwarber 12-11 and upsetting a stunned crowd for his first Derby crown.

Each home run from Walker — just like from Willson Contreras a round earlier, the Red Sox big bat suddenly hated by Phillies fans — was met with near silence by a sold-out crowd that wanted Schwarber to win his first Derby.

It was not to be, Walker outslugging the Phillies slugger on enemy territory in a star turn for the first-year All-Star.

Rice watched most of it after a competition in which the Yankees revelation, taking swings against the former Brown University pitcher, came in eighth of eight.

Which does not mean the pair lost.

“I think it’s a can’t-lose mentality for us,” Ben said earlier in the day. “Going to go out there and enjoy ourselves, hopefully hit a bunch of homers, hopefully we win it.

“But if not, it was a success because my dad and I got to do it.”

By that measure, it was successful. An entertaining, if brief, night for Rice began with his introduction, during which he was showered with boos by a crowd that jeered every non-Phillie but reserved its loudest jeers for the Yankee.

“The boos were crazy,” said Rice, who broke into a smile as they rained down. “It was so cool. I always like the saying, ‘They don’t boo nobodies.’ ”

After strong early performances from Contreras and Walker especially, Rice stepped up needing eight home runs on 20 swings to at least have a shot.

He never got going, was jumpy and ahead of many of his father’s pitches.

One would-be home run down the right field line hooked foul.

He did not account for the adrenaline rush.

“I didn’t realize how out front my first swings were going to be,” Rice said with a smile. “I was in the cage, and I was like, ‘I’m going to hit 20 home runs. I’m on fire now.’

“And then I took my first one. I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m going so fast right now.’ ”

After a final swing that did not clear the fence, Ben walked to his father and gave him a hug.

A slugger became a son again.

The duo had a great time. Would they do it again?

“We’ll see,” Rice said. “We’ll think about it. If I ever got the chance, I definitely would consider it.”

Yankees slugger Ben Rice was eliminated in the first round of the 2026 Home Run Derby on Monday night. 

Rice was the fifth competitor to take his hacks at Citizens Bank Park, and he never quite found his groove. 

The lefty went homerless over his first four swings before leaving the yard 386 feet to right for his first long ball. 

He homered again two pitches later, but still couldn't find his power swing. 

Rice's total sat at just four with seven swings remaining, and he only added three more to his total before popping up the gold ball on his final swing to bring his round to an end. 

The slugger finished with the lowest home run total in the first round (7).

Jac Caglianone (8), Bryce Harper (8), and Munetaka Murakami (9) also received the boot.

Willson Contreras (13), Jordan Walker (13), Junior Caminero (12), and Kyle Schwarber (10) advanced.

Walker (6) knocked out Caminero (5) in the first semi-final meeting then Schwarber (9) hung on against Contreras (8).

The hometown guy appeared to have done enough with an 11 homer final round, however, Walker went deep on his final six swings to become the first Cardinal ever to win the Home Run Derby. 

This past weekend, the Athletics added 21 players to the organization through the 20-round MLB Draft, which kicked off this week’s All-Star festivities in Philadelphia. Of the A’s 21 selections, 11 were pitchers, and all but two played college baseball.

The majority of MLB teams drafted high school players in the first few rounds and will now attempt to lure these touted prospects away from their college commitments with overslot signing bonuses. In years past, the A’s draft classes often included at least one high-risk prep selection in the first few rounds.

This year, however, the A’s largely avoided that demographic. Instead, the team invested nearly its entire signing bonus pool of $13,840,300 in a class of collegiate prospects who will likely require less time to reach the majors than their high school counterparts. That figure represents the maximum amount MLB gives teams to spend on signing bonuses for players selected in the first 10 rounds of the draft.

Day 1 Rundown

The A’s kicked their draft off by selecting Georgia Tech’s 5-foot-9 outfielder Drew Burress with the No. 8 pick. Burress, arguably the best collegiate outfielder in this draft class, used his all-around skillset to break multiple program records. He finished his collegiate career with a .357 batting average, 60 home runs and a 1.204 OPS in three seasons.

The small but stout hitter is no slouch defensively. He plays a quality center field and would be comfortable moving to an outfield corner if needed. Burress looks to be another fast mover who could find himself in the A’s outfield as the franchise begins a new chapter in Las Vegas.

He could be joined by the Athletics’ second-round selection, USC left-handed pitcher Mason Edwards. Baseball America’s collegiate pitcher of the year and the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year led the NCAA with 169 strikeouts, climbing up draft boards after each dominant outing this spring. Between Edwards, Gage Jump, Jamie Arnold and Wei-En Lin, the A’s have an abundance of talented young left-handed pitching prospects, a good sign for a club that needs a talent infusion on the mound.

Edwards led a run of three straight college pitchers, although the next two bring more question marks. Right-hander Gabe Gaeckle has electric stuff but command questions. If the A’s can harness his ability, Gaeckle could pitch in the front half of the team’s rotation. If not, he may be better suited for a late-game relief role.

In the third round, the “Green and Gold” selected Jacob Dudan, whose dynamic fastball/slider combination led to a breakout as NC State’s ace before he blew out his elbow. The A’s will have to wait until Dudan returns from Tommy John surgery to get a sense of what he brings to the table.

The Athletics ended the first day of the draft by selecting UCLA infielder Roman Martin, who performed well with the Bruins, although he was overshadowed by No. 1 pick Roch Cholowsky.

Day Two Names to Watch

The A’s did not draft a high school player until the 14th round, when they broke the seal, drafting right-handed pitcher Caden Sivrich out of Norwin HS (PA). Five rounds later, the team chose left-handed pitcher Jake Escalante out of Soquel HS (CA). The team will have to contend with their respective commitments to Pitt and Cal State Fullerton. If they are able to get at least one to sign, that would ensure this draft class comprises not just college players.

Speaking of college players, the following guys are sleepers to watch.

• Right-handed pitcher Nathan Aceves, the A’s 12th round draft pick, followed San Francisco Giants’ first round pick Jackson Flora in UCSB’s rotation this season. His mid-90’s fastball and plus changeup give him a good foundation to have success as a starter in the A’s farm system.
• In the seventh round, the club selected Campbell University’s David Rossow,. The CAA pitcher of the year will look to continue his success against tougher hitters in professional baseball.
• Alex Sosa, the A’s sixth round pick out of Miami (FL), gives the team another young catching prospect to develop. Sosa could be a name to watch as the team’s farm system lacks catching prospects and its starting catcher Shea Langeliers is only a couple of years away from free agency.
• Wake Forest outfielder Javar Williams and Liberty infielder Tanner Marsh are two additional athletic players the A’s nabbed in later rounds who could outplay their draft slot.

Given the team’s desire to contend and how quickly previous draft picks Jacob Wilson, Nick Kurtz and Gage Jump reached the majors, it made sense that the A’s focused primarily on college players this draft class. On the other hand, it would have been nice for them to land a highly ranked high school pitcher or position player to balance out this group.

It is too early to think ahead, but unless the Athletics can resurrect their season in the second half, the team may find itself in the draft lottery once again next year. If that is the case, they will have another opportunity to extend or break this recent streak of selecting college players in the first round.

How do you think the A’s fared during the draft? Is there a prospect who you hoped they would take, but ended up being selected by another team? Will Burress reach the majors first out of these new A’s players? If not, who will beat him and why?

PHILADELPHIA –– As Mike Trout sat down before reporters at MLB’s All-Star Game Media Day event on Monday afternoon, it only took two minutes for an inevitable query to be raised.

Would the South Jersey native and childhood Phillies fan, who is expected to receive a raucous ovation as the American League’s leadoff hitter for Tuesday’s All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park, ever want to one day leave the Angels to play for his hometown team?

“I didn’t think I was gonna hear this question today,” he quipped. “I hear this a lot.”

Alas, even against such a personally sentimental backdrop, the three-time MVP didn’t drop his guard.

As he has to virtually every trade-related question he has fielded in recent years, he quickly turned to his go-to, noncommittal answer.

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“I’m an Angel,” he said. “I got a no-trade clause.”

“It’s obviously my decision,” he added when the topic came up again later in his scrum. “But I’m with the Angels. That’s where it’s at.”

Of course, if Trout ever were to consider leaving the rudderless Angels –– with whom he remains under contract through 2030 –– the Phillies would figure to be near the top of his desired wishlist.

His love for the city was evident Monday, as he relished the opportunity to play an All-Star Game in the same stadium he grew up coming to as a kid from nearby Millville, N.J.

“It’s always special coming back here,” he said. “A lot of family, a lot of friends, being so close. It’s where I grew up. I was cheering these guys on when I was a kid. So it’s cool to be able to play in the stadium.”

He even made a pitch for LeBron James to join the 76ers, joking the NBA star would be free to play golf at Trout’s nearby course in New Jersey whenever he wants.

“It means a lot,” Trout said of his connection to the city. “I grew up a Phillies fan, Eagles fan, Sixers fan. I know how passionate they are about their sports teams. I go to Eagles games, I cheer for the Eagles. I know. So it means a lot. I appreciate them.”

That’s why simply getting here was a meaningful accomplishment for the soon-to-be 35-year-old three-time MVP, who missed the past two All-Star Games amid injury-plagued campaigns before bouncing back this year with 18 home runs and an .863 OPS.

“I circled that Philadelphia All-Star Game on my list, for sure,” he said. “The last couple years have been tough for me, battling injuries. But to be able to come back and feel good and be able to start in center and lead off, it’s gonna be a cool moment for me and my family.”

Still, when the idea of actually playing for the Phillies (who, this year, do have a need in the outfield) arose, Trout declined to engage in the speculation, instead citing another of his childhood icons.

“I was a big Jeter fan growing up,” he said. “He was with one team his whole career.”

For now, despite his love for Philadelphia and the Angels’ ongoing incompetence, Trout hasn’t given up on doing the same.

A UConn Husky heard his name called on the second day of the 2026 MLB Draft. Left-handed pitcher Charlie West was selected in the seventh round with the No. 223 overall pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers. The South Setauket, New York, native pitched the past three seasons in Storrs.

West had a great spring for the Huskies, receiving All-Big East First Team honors after he led the conference in strikeouts with 111. He made 16 starts and had a 4.12 ERA in 87.1 innings, accumulating a 6-6 record on the mound. His best performance of the season came on April 12 when he struck out a career-high 14 batters against Butler.

The selection marks 21-straight MLB Drafts in which UConn has had at least one player drafted or signed by an MLB club. West is the 80th player selected under head coach Jim Penders, who has had a player drafted or signed in all but one of his 23 years leading the dugout in Storrs.

West will try and join the group of 10 other players who have made the big leagues in Penders’ tenure, most recently Kyler Fedko with the Minnesota Twins earlier this year. West is the 18th Husky to be picked in the first 10 rounds since 2009.

So far this summer, West has a 2.16 ERA in four starts for the Brewster Whitecaps in the Cape Cod League, striking out 26 batters in 16.2 innings entering Monday.

Former Husky pitcher Ben Casparius is currently in the Dodgers organization as well and is currently on the 60-day injured list with a shoulder injury.

The New York Rangers have agreed to a one-year, $5.5 million contract extension with Braden Schneider. 

This comes shortly after Schneider filed for salary arbitration and had a hearing set for July 29. 

Schneider is coming off a two-year, $4.4 million contract with the New York Rangers, which expired after the 2025-26 season.

The 24-year-old defenseman was the subject of trade rumors throughout the 2025-26 season and went through a prolonged restricted free agency process, but the two sides ultimately agreed to go the bridge-deal route after reportedly gauging the trade market for Schneider. 

“We think Braden is a really good young talented defenseman,” Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury said. “So we drafted him, developed him, we like the skill set and what he does for us. I know he, along with me and us, are just trying to do everything we can to be better and help him be better, but he's an exciting player and a terrific all-around high character person in our organization.”

The Rangers added defensemen Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson this offseason, which will likely decrease Schneider’s role for the 2026-27 campaign. 

Despite re-signing with the Rangers, Schneider is set to become a restricted free agent next summer, as Schneider’s long-term future in New York remains uncertain. 

The San Francisco Giants reached the All-Star break with a win, but nobody inside the clubhouse seemed interested in pretending the first 96 games were anything other than a hot mess.

At 41-55, the Giants are now barreling toward an Aug. 3 trade deadline that could push the front office into a fire sale. For a team that entered the season expecting to contend under first-year manager Tony Vitello, the opening stretch looks like a complete implosion.

Vitello did not try to dress it up.

Asked what he learned from the first 96 games, Vitello’s answer hinted at his big-league learning curve and the challenge of adjusting to the relentless pace of an MLB season.

“This is a grind like no other,” Vitello said. “I’m not playing, so it’s physical for the players. For us, it’s a little bit more mental. You got to find a way to separate every day.”

That has been easier said than done.

The Giants have been hurt by an inconsistent offense, a shaky pitching staff and a bullpen that has too often turned winnable games into soul-crushing losses.

Vitello admitted the Giants may have expected too much too early after a promising start.

“I think spring training was really good to us, and we expected to kind of take the world by storm to start the season, and it didn’t happen right away,” Vitello said. “There was early frustration right away and a multitude of other things, but those days are gone. All we got is the second half in front of us.”

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Logan Webb, one of the few Giants who (almost) survived the first half with his credibility intact, was even more blunt.

“We haven’t put ourselves in a good position,” Webb said. “I think that’s pretty truthful, right? It’s not like we’ve played very well.”

The ace said the break should force some honest self-scouting.

“I think we all just have to take a step back, look in the mirror and see what we want to be as a team,” Webb said. “How do we want teams to view us when we come to town or they come to town?”

Webb said Vitello’s message has been clear from the beginning: the Giants were supposed to be the aggressor.

“Tony’s message, I think it’s been the message from the get-go, is like, kick some people in the teeth, right, or punch them in the mouth,” Webb said. “I don’t think we did a good job of that.”

That failure is why the next few weeks could get uncomfortable.

The Giants are sending the message that nearly everyone is available except Webb and Jung Hoo Lee. More realistic trade candidates include veterans and expiring contracts, with Luis Arraez and Robbie Ray among the names who could draw interest from contenders.

San Francisco would probably like to move Rafael Devers or Willy Adames, but both deals now look close to untradable. With bloated contracts stretching into the 2030s, neither player profiles as a clean deadline trade chip unless San Francisco is willing to eat significant money.

Webb is not ready to call the season over, pointing to the 2021 Braves team that erased a 10.5-game deficit at the All-Star break and won the World Series.

“I’m not saying that it’s gonna happen. I’m not promising that,” Webb said. “But it’s baseball, and it can happen.”

The first 96 games taught the Giants they are not nearly as close as they believed.

The second half will reveal whether that lesson came too late.