ST. PETERSBURG, FL - MAY 31: Shane McClanahan #18 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field on May 31, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was a day of crooked numbers for much of the American League East. The Yankees rode their 13-run (!) third inning to victory over the Athletics. Meanwhile, Boston and Toronto were on opposite ends of high-scoring games with the BoSox emerging victorious as the Jays got routed by Baltimore.
Unfortunately for New York, Tampa Bay also won on Sunday. The Rays’ victory means the Yanks gain no ground on the division leaders. The two clubs are tied in the win column but the Rays have three games in hand. One of those games will be made up Monday with the Yanks off while Tamps hosts the cellar-dwelling Detroit Tigers. Go Detroit… words I don’t often say.
Tampa Bay Rays (36-20) 5, Los Angeles Angels (23-37) 2
It is probably asking too much for the stumbling, bumbling Angels to take a series from the AL East-leading Rays. They gave it the old college try, however, blowing out Tampa Saturday after choking away a late lead Friday. Sunday, the Rays didn’t quite lead wire-to-wire to take the series, but it was close. After the two clubs swapped runs in the opening two innings, Tampa plated two in the third, giving them a lead they never surrendered. First, Victor Mesa, Jr. drove in a run with a single. Then, Cedric Mullins drew a bases-loaded walk to make the score 3-1.
The Angels managed to close within one but in the seventh Tampa kept tacking on. After Ben Williamson singled in a fourth Rays run, Yandy Díaz walked with the sacks juiced to make it 5-2. I’d say the Angels should stop walking guys with the bases loaded, but on a day when Angels pitching walked nine Rays in total, it was probably inevitable a couple of them happened at the worst possible time.
Shane McClanahan was nails outside of the run he allowed in the second inning. The southpaw threw five innings of one-run ball, lowering his season ERA to 2.45. For his career, he’s now pitching to a 2.96 ERA with a 1.09 WHIP. He also now has a 1.29 career ERA against the Angels in five starts, spanning 28 innings. I suspect they’re getting mighty sick of McClanahan, who looks like he’s back in peak form after missing all of 2024 and 2025.
Other Games
Toronto Blue Jays (29-31) 5, Baltimore Orioles (28-32) 9: This was the very definition of “not as close as the box score suggests.” Thanks in large part to a Colton Cowser three-run home run, Baltimore bullied Toronto early, staking themselves to a 6-0 lead through three innings. For Cowser, who’s had a miserable last year-plus at the dish, that had to feel good. Not content, the O’s scored three more in the sixth to go up 9-0. The Jays broke the goose egg in the run column in the seventh and then salvaged some dignity with a four-run eighth. The loss leaves the Jays nine games back of the division-leading Rays as the calendar turns to June.
Cleveland Guardians (34-27) 4, Boston Red Sox (25-33) 9: The BoSox are another team looking at a big deficit early, though they picked up a win Sunday. The seventh was the key inning: trailing 4-3 when the stanza began, by the time Boston finished hitting they scored six to take a commanding late lead. Masataka Yoshida’s two-run single gave Boston a 6-4 lead then a pair of former Yankee legends took over. First, Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled in a run, continuing his strong start at the plate (in admitttedly limited playing time). Then, Caleb Durbin, off to a horrific start at the dish, plated two more with a triple.
Seattle Mariners (31-29) 3, Arizona Diamondbacks (31-27) 2 (10 innings): Piggybacking two established starting pitchers off each other seems like a good way to annoy the crap out of both of them. But it seems to be working for the Mariners with Bryce Miller and Luis Castillo. The former got the start and hurled five shutout innings, lowering his ERA to 1.71, before handing the ball over to the struggling Castillo. Castillo surrendered a narrow 2-1 Seattle lead in the eighth, allowing a Ketel Marte sacrifice fly to plate the game-tying run that eventually sent this to extras. With Castillo entering the game in the sixth, he still had plenty left in his arm and kept the D-Backs from plating their Manfred Man in the top of the tenth. In the bottom, a Victor Robles single off old friend Jonathan Loáisiga brought home the winning run for the AL West-leading M’s.
An engraving depicting a young girl who has suffered from syncope, a temporary loss of consciousness usually relating to insufficient blood flow to the brain. The other girl uses smelling salts to revive her friend. Dated 19th century. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Recaps
[Arizona Sports] Diamondbacks swept by Mariners as offense disappears – The Arizona Diamondbacks couldn’t get any offense going for the second straight day in their 3-2 10th-inning loss to the Mariners, getting swept for the third time this season.Arizona managed just three hits in the game, leaving starter Merrill Kelly without any support. Kelly pitched 5.1 innings and gave up two runs on eight hits with two strikeouts. On the other side, Bryce Miller and Luis Castillo each pitched five innings to get the Mariners through 10 innings of work. Miller threw five shutout innings, allowing just one hit and a walk, and Castillo gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits and two walks.
[AZ Central] Diamondbacks swept by Mariners, Dodgers series up next – “I thought we did a lot right,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “But there were some very critical moments today, and in the other two games that we lost, where we didn’t execute at the high level that we’ve gotten used to. That’s the difference between wins and losses.” Several such moments occurred in the 10th inning on Sunday. First, the Diamondbacks were unable to cash in their automatic runner in the top of the inning. Then, shortstop Geraldo Perdomo couldn’t make a difficult play in the bottom of the inning, allowing the winning run to score. Carroll and Ketel Marte, the Diamondbacks’ explosive 1-2 punch, were largely held in check over the three games. Marte went 0 for 12 with three walks; Carroll was 3 for 14 with a double.
[roundtable.io] Diamondbacks Lose in Extra Innings to Mariners, Leave Seattle Getting Swept – The Arizona Diamondbacks had plenty of reasons to be sleepless in Seattle this weekend. But, Sunday’s 3-2, 10-inning loss to the Seattle Mariners might make them even more sleepless. With the victory, the Mariners finished off a series sweep over the Diamondbacks. If that wasn’t bad enough, Seattle has now won six straight games. Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly went 5.1 innings for manager Torey Lovullo. He gave up two earned runs, eight hits, walked two, struck out two, and surrendered two home runs. Kelly now has a 5.06 ERA this season.
Team news
[Dbacks.com] These guys will rebound’: D-backs can’t wallow with Dodgers up next – It will be Arizona’s second look at the Dodgers, but its first since the opening series of the season when the Diamondbacks were swept in three games in Los Angeles. “I don’t think anybody has any doubt that we’re still playing good ball, and we’re still a good team,” Kelly said. “It’ll be nice to be back home. For some reason, for me, I don’t know if everybody else, this road trip — even though it was only a week — felt long. But I think it’ll be good to get home and sleep in our own beds, and we’ve got to pick up right where we left off, and keep trying to keep grinding at-bats and keep going.”
[SI] Mariners Hit Diamondbacks with Worst Possible Reality Check – It’s no fault of Arizona for winning the game they had scheduled. Teams play who they play, and the Diamondbacks’ job was to win as many of those easy games as possible to stack wins for a tougher incoming scheduleBut when the harsh reality of a higher-quality opponent hit, the Diamondbacks could not find a way to even squeak out one game. That is a major concern, especially with four games against the Dodgers looming. The Mariners are a good team. The Diamondbacks losing a series after four straight series wins and a 31-24 record could be overlooked. To be completely held at bay and swept by a team that has had its own fair share of struggles this season is a bad omen for Arizona’s abilities in front of the more brutal opponents lying ahead.
[Sporting News] Diamondbacks have a huge Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly problem – For as good as things are going overall, there are still some concerning issues with the team, as is the case for every team in Major League Baseball. But, for the Diamondbacks, the big issue with the team is a lot more concerning. Both of these pitchers returned to the Diamondbacks this offseason on free agent contracts, with Kelly signing for two years at $40 million total with a 2028 vesting option, and Gallen for one year at $16.2 million with deferrals to $22.025M total. Kelly has been better recently, posting a 3.51 ERA in his five starts this May, with two against the struggling San Francisco Giants, and one each against the Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, and Colorado Rockies. Through 12 starts this season, Gallen has a 5.16 ERA with -0.5 bWAR. Contrary to how Kelly has been great in May, Gallen has collapsed this month. In six outings, Gallen has a terrible 7.04 ERA with 24 runs allowed in 30.2 innings pitched.
And, elsewhere…
[ESPN] Meet the man behind the Savannah Bananas’ moves – Harrison deftly designs routines that emphasize charisma over technical precision and spotlight the teams’ natural showmen while camouflaging the players with two left feet. He also has the rare skill set — and patience — to teach dances to athletes who, not long ago, didn’t know an 8-count from a full count. Sometimes he has mere hours to choreograph and just as little time to teach his routines to the players. “The greatest thing about Maceo is that he waits for everybody to get on the same page,” says Chris Clarke, the Tailgaters’ 6-foot-7 right-hander who played five years in the Chicago Cubs’ minor league system. “If there’s a right kick, he’s waiting for everybody to make that move before he goes on to the next instruction. Just like any good kindergarten teacher, he leaves nobody behind.”
[MLB.com] ‘Misunderstanding’ from young fan leads to Sánchez’s early exit with wrist injury – Sánchez isn’t so eccentric that he actually intended to play catch with spectators during a mound visit amid Toronto’s 9-5 loss to the Orioles on Sunday afternoon at Camden Yards. Yet that’s how a pre-teen fan among the announced crowd of 34,476 on the Orioles’ Youth Sports Day interpreted the right fielder’s sixth-inning banter, launching a ball in his direction after he had turned back toward the infield. That set off one of the more unusual injury sequences in recent memory, ending with Sánchez leaving the field with a bruised right wrist.
[New York Post] Yankees rout A’s after erupting for wild 13-run third inning that lasts 43 minutes – Looking back, the most remarkable feat accomplished here Sunday afternoon may have been that across eight combined innings, the Athletics faced the minimum against the Yankees. That’s because for one inning in between — a 43-minute top of the third — they faced a Yankees parade. The Yankees began the third by having their first 12 batters reach base safely and scoring 10 runs before they made the first out. And their stupefying rally did not stop there.By the time the marathon inning was over, the Yankees had sent 18 men to the plate, with 15 of them reaching and 13 of them scoring — one shy of a franchise record that has stood since 1920. They racked up 11 hits — incredibly, none of them leaving the park — four walks and four steals, seeing 75 pitches from three pitchers.
BINGHAMTON, NY - APRIL 08: Jonathan Santucci #21 of the Binghamton Rumble Ponies pitches during the game between the Somerset Patriots and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies at Mirabito Stadium on Wednesday, April 8, 2026 in Binghamton, New York. (Photo by Kylie Richelle/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
With the second month of the minor league season in the books, we‘re checking in on the top 25 Mets prospects who made our list ahead of the 2026 season.
In April, McLean looked like a true top-of-the-rotation ace pitcher. That outlook began looking bleaker in May, as the right-hander turned in a couple of solid outings and a couple of true stinkers. Overall, while McLean may have been punching above his weight a bit prior to really settling in and the league having time to adjust to him between his 66.1 innings this year and his 48.0 last year, I am not worried overall. As I said during the off-season, I don’t think McLean is going to settle in as literally one of the top pitchers in baseball, but I think he will be a better-than-average contributor overall.
The Mets stuck with Benge despite his early season struggles, and opting to let him play out of his doldrums has since paid dividends, as the outfielder has arguably become the Mets’ best player outside of Juan Soto. There are still some things that Benge needs to do, such as hitting for some more power, but it’s hard to not be pleased with his progress as a player so far in his brief professional career.
Tong looked solid at the beginning of the month before having a terrible start in mid-May, allowing 6 runs in 1.2 innings against the RailRiders. Due to circumstances, the Mets called him up to Queens and he made a pair of appearances out of the bullpen, the first of which he looked sharp and the second less so. The right-hander is clearly not where he was last season, with the organization altering almost everything that brought him success, from his arm slot to his repertoire to his pitch usage percentages; here’s hoping he adapts sooner rather than later (or never). Also: his ERA with Syracuse for the month of March/April and well as May was 5.68, resulting in a MiLB season ERA of 5.68. I’m freaking out, man.
I had some reservations about the organization promoting Ewing from Double-A to Triple-A so quickly, but they then raised the ante by promoting him to the big leagues about a week-and-a-half or so. Outside of an exciting first week, where he made Mets history by being the first batter to hit a triple in his MLB debut and hit his first big league homer, Ewing hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire. He hasn’t truly struggled at any point yet, but the outfielder needs to start hitting for some more power to show that he truly belongs.
Reimer is starting to get his legs under him following a sluggish start, but the infielder still isn’t quite where you’d want him to be. We are getting very close to the sample size between his excellent 2025 and his 2026 season being the same, and Reimer has regressed in every way possible. There’s nothing obvious in his batted ball data that would suggest why his Double-A BABIP plummeted from a healthy .340 last season to a weaker .278 this season, but here we are. Hopefully, more hits begin landing in the coming weeks and that number rises above .300.
After a slow start in virtually every stat, Clifford has gotten off the schneid, cutting back on his strikeout rate a tad and hitting for the kind of power that we know he can hit for. Despite adding 5 doubles, 1 triple, and 8 more home runs to his season tally in May, the slugger is still just a scratch neutral offensive contributor for the season. His walk rate is roughly 5% below the norms he set over the last few years, and Clifford needs to bump that back up a bit.
Watson had a disastrous April, posting a 6.89 ERA in 19.1 innings over five games, and lo and behold: after another disastrous start at the beginning of May, he was placed on the injured list due to an oblique injury.
Wenninger cruised through April and seemed well on his way cruising through the month of May as well, but about halfway through the month, he completely cratered. After shutting out his opponents in his first two starts, he then allowed a pair of runs in 2.1 against the RailRiders, four in 5.1 innings against the Buffalo Bisons, and four in 4.0 innings against the Red Wings.
It’s hard to gauge Mitch Voit, who was supposed to be a somewhat advanced college hitter. His performance in 22 games with St. Lucie last season after being drafted? Easy to write his struggles off because of the circumstances. His performance in 38 games with Brooklyn this year so far? A bit less easy to write off due to the circumstances, but we can’t completely ignore the fact that being a right-handed hitter in Brooklyn. I am not particularly enthusiastic about Voit’s upside and his ability to reach it, but it is still way too early to give up hope.
Jonathan Santucci wasn’t bad in April, but there were things he could improve. The southpaw had a much better May, cutting down on walks and boosting his strikeout rate. He is still a little more hittable than you’d want, but outside of that, his surface level stats look strong as well as the advanced public metrics that we have access to.
Peña had himself an excellent April, especially relative to his age, but he cooled down a bit in May. He’s still drawing a lot of walks and is not striking out excessively, so I don’t think there’s any reason to panic. Going forward, I would like to start seeing some more extra base power from him, as he already has extremely positive LD/GB/FB percentages and could use them more in his favor with some more baseball aggression.
Thornton was promoted to Triple-A Syracuse at the beginning of the month and looked solid in the two games he made there- so much so that the Mets opted to call him up to Queens over other potential starters to make a spot start. His MLB debut did not go that well, nor did his last start against the Rochester Red Wings at the end of the month after he was sent back down to Syracuse.
Nick Morabito had a strong start to the season but started tailing off by the end of April. In May, his offensive slide continued. Be that as it may, the Mets called the outfielder up in the middle of the month. He looked completely overmatched at the plate but flashed some leather in the fielding opportunities that came his way. He was optioned back down to Triple-A a few days later, with the Mets citing that they wanted him to play everyday rather than spend a considerable time on the bench waiting for favorable match-ups to pencil his name into the line-up for.
After missing all of April, Gordon returned to the mound in mid-May after making a few rehab starts with St. Lucie. The right-hander has unfortunately looked terrible in the four games that he’s started, making it past the third inning in just one of those four starts. He was hit hardest in his first two games upon returning, and has been unscored upon in the following two, so hopefully the right-hander just needed a little more time to get his feet under him.
If Chris Suero could elevate the ball a little more, he would be in the midst of a really strong season. The catcher currently has a 10% line drive rate, 46.3% groundball rate, and a 43.8% flyball rate. If he could turn 5-10% of those ground balls he is hitting into line drives, his BABIP would increase, increasing his batting average, and his slugging percentage would likely get a nice little boost. Suero is never going to be a .300 hitter, but with his ability to talk a walk, a little more average and a little more slugging would make a very nice offensive player.
Ross missed most of April and has not looked good in May at all. He appeared in 4 rehab games prior to being activated with Syracuse, but the right-hander does not look like the same pitcher he was last season. He is walking just as many batters as he is striking out, and not only is he allowing a lot of contact, but he is allowing a lot of loud contact, with 3 home runs allowed in just 11.1 innings.
Lambert was his normal, wild self in April, but he was much improved in that regard in May, cutting down on his BB% from a 17.1% to a 12.9% while increasing his K% from a 31.4% to a 41.9. If the right-hander can maintain those kinds of numbers for another few weeks, you might as well punch his ticket to Queens- Lambert is who he is and is always going to walk batters, but if he can walk closer to 4.9 per nine instead of 6.5 per nine while maintaining a strikeout rate between 10-15 K/9, that’s a usable relief pitcher with major league value.
After struggling in April and the beginning of May, where he was one of the worst offensive players in the entire organization, Jimenez was placed on the Developmental List in mid-May. He returned at the end of the month, assigned to St. Lucie, and has since had slightly better results over the course of a few games, albeit in a less difficult setting.
Lantigua was held back in extended spring training to help nurse a core injury, finally getting on the field at the end of April with St. Lucie. He appeared in a few games in May but was placed on the 7-day injured list on May 10 after hurting himself while sliding. A week later, he was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
Serrano had a cool April but cooled off even more in May, logging fewer hits, hitting for less power, drawing fewer walks, and striking out more. Serrano was projected as a late-blooming roll of the dice when he was initially drafted, but over roughly a full season’s worth of games at Single-A, High-A, and Double-A, we have yet to really see the outfielder grow into himself yet.
Guzman more or less mirrored his solid start to the year in May, his batting average and on-base percentage rising a bit thanks to a more favorable BABIP. If the young outfielder continues what he is doing right now and continues accumulating some counting stats, it would be hard not to imagine a promotion up to High-A Brooklyn sooner rather than later.
Gutierrez had a bad April, but has really cratered in May. He is making so much poor contact, either by hitting groundballs or flyballs at noncompetitive launch angles that his BABIP not only dropped from .216 in April, but it dropped considerably, to .136 in May. Despite solid walk and strikeout rates, Gutierrez isn’t making enough contact to begin with, and more often than not, when he does, it is extremely poor contact.
Baro sustained a right shoulder injury prior to the start of the 2026 season and was expected to return to the field around the All-Star Break, but the infielder returned to action much earlier than expected, getting assigned to the FCL Mets for a rehab assignment on the 21st and going 2-5 with a strikeout in 2 games.
Vargas started the month on the injured list due to a shoulder injury, but he was reactivated on May 19 and got into 9 games at the end of the month. His numbers were more or less the same pre-injury, so it would seem there are no lingering issues. That said, Vargas has a very limited upside to begin with, so his version of “normal” isn’t really all that great.
MESA, ARIZONA - MARCH 22, 2026: Kade Morris #12 of the Athletics throws a pitch during the fourth inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Hohokam Stadium on March 22, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Welcome to another new week A’s fans!
The homestand was not kind to the Athletics. First they got swept in the middle of the week by the Seattle Mariners before dropping two of three to the Yankees this weekend. They now sit at 28-31, which is tied for second in the AL West and two and a half games behind those M’s. The team’s hot start has definitely cooled, similar to last year when a tough May all but doomed any playoff ambitions. Hopefully things don’t get that bad in June.
Looking for a spark, the team has decided to promote one of their top pitching prospects in Kade Morris, a right-handed pitcher that ranks among the better pitching prospects in the Athletics’ farm system:
The #Athletics will be calling up RHP Kade Morris, per sources.
Morris, 23, is the organization's No. 12 prospect. He is 5-3 with a 4.45 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 11 starts this year for Triple-A Las Vegas.
The Modesto native will finally be making his big league debut after just over three seasons in the minor leagues. The right-hander originally was a third-round draft pick by the New York Mets but spent just a season and a half in their system before being shipped over to the Athletics in 2024 in exchange for former All-Star starter Paul Blackburn. Blackburn’s time in New York was brief and bumpy but the A’s were able to extract a quality prospect in Morris for their former staff leader.
Since joining the A’s Morris has shown improvement year-over-year, making it to Triple-A last season where he spent the bulk of the year. The Las Vegas environment didn’t exactly lead to huge numbers but he held his own as a 23-year-old facing the toughest hitters in the minor leagues.
His yearly improvement continued this year as he looked more in control and comfortable now that he’s had some experience against Triple-A hitters. Over 11 starts so far for the Aviators this year Morris has a 4.45 ERA spanning 60 2/3 innings of work. That number was a lot lower for the majority of the season but he recently got roughed up in back-to-back starts where he allowed eight and then five runs, pushing his season ERA from 3.76 to 5.48. The strikeouts are on the lower end of things as he’s just collected 49 punchouts compared to 26 walks but he’s also kept the ball on the ground at a good clip, allowing just eight homers in that hitter-friendly enviornment.
Morris is also on a bit of a roll right now as he’s put together two very strong outings in his two most recent assignments. With the Athletics stumbling right now and having lost Luis Severino to the IL, now seems as good a time as any to let Morris get a chance to show what he can do at the big league level. And after Jacob Lopez’s continual struggles continued yesterday it seems there may be two open spots in the starting rotation. One of those spots will almost certainly be Gage Jump’s spot in the rotation (he’s slated for the start tomorrow evening). The team currently doesn’t have a starter scheduled for the series finale against the Cubs on Wednesday so that may be the day we see Morris take the mound for the first time in an Athletics uniform. Stay tuned.
This is about as blunt as Mark Kotsay will get in postgame comments. A roster shakeup is imminent with a season-defining June on the horizon. #Athleticspic.twitter.com/5APqaDoC4d
The Los Angeles Dodgers head to the desert for a four-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks beginning Monday night.
The Boys in Blue are the hottest team in baseball, so my Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks predictions and MLB picks for Monday, June 1, see the visitors snagging a victory.
Who will win Dodgers vs Diamondbacks today: Dodgers (-155)
Both starting pitchers tell a tale of regression, but the moral is quite different.
Eduardo Rodriguez’s 2.31 ERA is unsupported by his 4.44 xERA. His 89 Stuff+ is one of the worst you’ll see among Big League starters, so his hot start is bound to fizzle out as the season progresses.
Los Angeles Dodgers starter Emmet Sheehan’s 4.70 ERA will positively regress given his 3.88 xERA and 3.29 xFIP. He dazzles with a 20.7% K-BB% and should flummox an Arizona Diamondbacks lineup with a 91 wRC+ in the last 20 days despite facing poor competition.
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (+107)
The Dodgers have been profitable to the Under (25-34 O/U) this season despite having a potent lineup.
That’s in large part due to a revamped bullpen that suppresses opponent scoring regardless of who the starting pitcher is. They allowed just 24 earned runs in May while sporting a sterling 2.96 FIP.
The only team to let in fewer runs? Arizona, which allowed 18 earned runs en route to a 2.18 ERA.
LA has hit the Over just once in Sheehan’s last four starts, while Arizona has done so once in Rodriguez’s last six.
JD Yonke's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 20-18, -2.36 units
Over/Under bets: 28-11, +16.41 units
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks odds
Moneyline: Dodgers -128 | Diamondbacks +116
Run line: Dodgers -1.5 (+102) | Diamondbacks +1.5 (-122)
Over/Under: Over 9 (-110) | Under 9 (-110)
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks trend
The Dodgers have cashed the moneyline in 11 of their last 14 games. Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks.
How to watch Dodgers vs Diamondbacks and game info
Location
Stadium, City, State/Province
Date
Monday, June 1, 2026
First pitch
9:40 p.m. ET
TV
D-Backs.TV, Sportsnet Los Angeles
Dodgers starting pitcher
Emmett Sheehan (3-1, 4.70 ERA)
Diamondbacks starting pitcher
Eduardo Rodriguez (5-1, 2.31 ERA)
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks latest injuries
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
TULSA, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 19: Josue de Paula #55 of the Tulsa Drillers swings the bat during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Dodgers multi-position switch-hitter Tommy Edman hit a two-run home run on Sunday and played center field for the first time on his rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Four games into his rehab assignment, Edman has five hits in 13 at-bats plus a walk, with three runs scored.
Player of the day
Dodgers top prospect Josue De Paula tied career highs with four hits and two home runs in Double-A Tulsa’s win on Sunday. The Drillers right fielder hit a two-run shot in the third inning and a solo shot in the seventh.
After hitting .302/.439/.419 in April, De Paula turned up the power in May, hitting a robust .340/.410/.650 with 14 doubles, six home runs, and 29 RBI in 25 games. That’s the most home runs, RBI, and highest slugging percentage of any month in his career to date.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
James Tibbs continued his week to remember with yet another home run in the Comets road win over the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Astros). Tibbs hit a solo home run in the fourth inning, and also singled and walked. He hit six home runs with 16 RBI during the six-game series, a rare feat.
James Tibbs III is now the first OKC player in six years to homer in four straight games.
Cole Irvin allowed a run in five innings for the win, and was followed by four scoreless innings of relief. Nick Frasso pitched two perfect frames with two strikeouts, his third straight scoreless outing with seven strikeouts among his 14 batters faced during that span.
Double-A Tulsa
The Drillers led 9-0 after three innings but had to hold on to beat the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals) by a single run. De Paula had plenty of company in producing offense.
Mike Sirota homered, doubled, singled, and walked, scored twice, and drove in three runs. Zyhir Hope tripled, singled, and drove in three. Jake Gelof doubled twice.
After Northwest Arkansas scored five runs in the eighth inning to pull within one, Nick Robertson pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save. The 27-year-old right-hander, who debuted with the Dodgers in 2023 and also pitched in the majors for the Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, and Toronto Blue Jays in 2023-24, has pitched in 15 games this season, all of scoreless, totaling 21 1/3 innings with just four singles and five walks allowed, with 25 strikeouts.
High-A Great Lakes
The Loons lost 3-2 to the Dayton Dragons (Reds) for the second straight day. That spoiled a strong start by left-hander Sterling Patick, who struck out seven and allowed just one run in his five innings. The seven strikeouts matched his season high.
Eduardo Quintero and Jose Meza each had two hits for Great Lakes.
Class-A Ontario
Down 8-3 in the ninth inning, the Tower Buzzers rallied for six runs to stun the Visalia Oaks (D-backs).
First baseman Easton Shelton hit a solo shot in the ninth for Ontario, his third home run in four games. AJ Soldra hit a two-run shot that pulled Ontario within a run, part of a three-hit day for the left fielder.
Mairo Martinus homered and drove in three runs. He reached on an error in the ninth inning, then Brendan Tunink walked, putting the tying and winning runs on with only one out. Chase Harlan singled home Martinus, and Ching-Hsien Ko singled home Tunink for the game-winner.
Brady Smith struck out six and allowed a run in his four-inning start.
BALTIMORE, MD - MAY 31: Gunnar Henderson #2 and Colton Cowser #17 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrate after defeating the Toronto Blue Jays 9-5 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 31, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was only a week or so ago that Birdland was buzzing over Ben McDonald’s post-game rant on MASN, and the Orioles, not far off getting swept by the Rays, seemed like they might be headed for disaster. Instead, for the second time in May, they picked themselves up after getting swept by a division rival, faced that team a second time, and did a lot better. In this case, the Orioles actually swept the Rays in Baltimore. That was fun!
In this week’s episode of the podcast, I’m looking back on what was a rollercoaster May for the Orioles. There are a number of players, particularly hitters, who did a lot better over that month, and much of the rotation has shown signs of improvement over the last two or three starts as well. These are good things. There are, of course, things that still need to improve, as the month was particularly disappointing for the duo of Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson.
I’d say don’t even get me started on the bullpen, except in this episode I already did get started on them. I try to figure out where the solutions might be for some of the problem areas, though as ever, a lot of it really is just going to have to come down to, the Orioles players have to play better.
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This is my weekly podcast about whatever is going on lately with the Orioles. If you enjoyed this episode, please make sure to subscribe. You can get the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you prefer to access your podcasts.
How are you feeling about the way things are going with the Orioles right now? Answers could make it into the mailbag section of the next episode of the podcast.
May 31, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals second baseman Jorbit Vivas (84) tags San Diego Padres second baseman Sung-Mun Song (28) for an out during the seventh inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images
The San Diego Padres found themselves trailing the Washington Nationals, 3-2 in the top of the seventh inning, but they had runners on the corners with one out. Miguel Andujar was at the plate after being called upon to pinch hit for Freddy Fermin, who is currently mired in an 0-for-24 slump. It was not a sure thing, but it seemed likely that Andujar would put the ball in play and the Padres would have a chance to tie the game. San Diego had some speed at first base in Sung-Mun Song, who worked a walk with Ty France on third base. Andujar fouled off three pitches in which Song attempted to steal second base in an effort to take away Washington’s chance for a double play. Song took off for second a fourth consecutive time as Andujar watched strike three. Song was thrown out at second after sliding past the bag. He initially got his left hand to the base before he was tagged but could not maintain contact as he slid past and the tag was applied. The inning ended after an ABS challenge from Andujar, which was not close, with the tying run 90 feet from home plate.
The Padres trailed 4-2 entering the top of the ninth inning when Jackson Merrill reached on a one-out single through the left side of the infield. France followed and was at the plate as a legitimate threat to tie the game, but much like the seventh inning, France struck out as Merrill tried to steal second base. The Friar Faithful had to laugh to keep from crying when they saw Merrill slide past the bag in almost the same manner as Song, resulting in him disconnecting from the base and being tagged out to end the game. The Nationals got the 4-2 win and the 2-1 series win, while the Padres dropped to 1-5 in their last six games.
San Diego is off today and will take on the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday at 3:40 p.m.
Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Mariners play a three-game series in Seattle starting on Monday at 9:40 p.m. on SNY.
5 things to watch
The reverse engineered rotation
The first two games of this series will feature Sean Manaea and Jonah Tong, but it's possible neither of them starts.
Manaea, who is basically replacing David Peterson in the rotation, will enter after opener Austin Warren on Monday.
On Tuesday, Tong will be on the mound in a bulk role, but it hasn't yet been revealed whether he'll start or enter after an opener -- Tong has been utilized after an opener in his first two big league appearances this season, tossing 6.2 scoreless innings.
What the Mets are doing might be viewed as relatively unorthodox by some, but it is becoming a more prevalent strategy throughout the game.
It's also a different (and better) strategy than the one the Mets used at times last season, when they often had straight bullpen games where they didn't use a traditional starting pitcher to eat innings.
Soto had a monster weekend as the Mets swept a three-game series from the Marlins, with four hits (including a grand slam), two walks, and five RBI.
In 65 plate appearances over 15 games since May 14, Soto is hitting .382/.469/.873 (1.341 OPS) with nine homers and 18 RBI.
For the season, he is slashing .305/.397/.597 (.994 OPS) with 13 homers. Even after missing roughly three weeks due to a calf injury, Soto is on pace to finish the year with 36 home runs, which would be the third-highest total of his career.
Among players who have played 42 games or more this season, Soto's .994 OPS is tops in the National League and third-best in baseball, behind only Ben Rice of the Yankees (1.056) and Yordan Alvarez (1.050) of the Astros.
Ahead of the series against Miami, Semien had notched just three hits in his prior 28 at-bats dating back to May 20.
In 221 plate appearances over 56 games to that point, Semien was slashing .213/.264/.307 (.571 OPS, 64 OPS+).
New York Mets second baseman Marcus Semien (10) celebrates scoring a run in the fourth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
The struggles were deep enough to wonder whether the Mets could shift Semien to a bench role once Francisco Lindor returns from the IL, with Bo Bichette shiftingback to third base and Brett Baty taking over for Semien at second base.
Semien rose to the occasion against the Marlins, though, reaching base seven times in 12 plate appearances (five hits, two walks) while raising his OPS for the year to .615.
The Mariners are flying high
After falling to 23-27 on May 19, the M's have gone 8-2 over their last 10 games, including winning their last six in a row with three-game sweeps over the Athletics and Diamondbacks.
The surge has been enough to catapult Seattle into first place in the mediocre AL West -- the 31-29 Mariners are the only team at .500 or better in the division.
Julio Rodriguez has been hot amid Seattle's hot streak, with homers in three of his last four games.
J.P. Crawford, who is on a seven-game hitting streak, has also picked things up.
One player the Mets won't see against Seattle is 2025 AL MVP runner-up Cal Raleigh, who is on the IL with an oblique injury. Raleigh was struggling badly before his injury, hitting a paltry .161/.243/.317 with seven homers in 41 games.
Hancock, Gilbert, and Kirby
The Mariners' calling card remains their elite starting pitching.
Seattle has given up just 225 runs this season, which is second-best in the AL and sixth-best in MLB.
A lot of that has to do with Emerson Hancock, Logan Gilbert, and George Kirby -- the trio of starters who will toe the rubber against the Mets this week.
Hancock has been especially impressive this season, allowing two runs or fewer in eight of his 11 starts.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Juan Soto
Soto is as locked in as he's ever been as a Met.
Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?
Freddy Peralta
The Mets need more from Peralta, who couldn't make it through five innings this past Friday against the Marlins.
Which Mariners player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?
Randy Arozarena
Arozarena is having a strong season, with an .825 OPS through 60 games.
Three hard-hitting sluggers headline our MLB player props home run analysis for tonight's quiet nine-game slate. I'll include James Wood, Mike Trout, and Jordan Walker.
Mike Trout continues to produce elite power metrics, carrying a 48.6% hard-hit rate and a 21% barrel rate that ranks in the 98th percentile. He'll face Kyle Freeland on Monday, and the Rockies left-hander owned a 9.41 xERA in May while allowing opponents to post a 44.6% hard-hit rate.
The matchup is favorable for Trout, who has consistently punished southpaws this season with a .231 ISO and 144 wRC+. He also owns a 62.9% fly-ball rate against left-handed pitching, while more than 60% of the contact against Freeland has been in the air.
Freeland's recent form only adds to the appeal, as he's surrendered five home runs across his last two starts.
Opponents are also making plenty of loud contact against Alcantara, producing a 40.4% hard-hit rate this past month, while he's allowing 1.61 HR/9 over his last five starts.
This bodes well for Wood. He's in the 100th percentile in xSLG, hard-hit rate, and barrel rate. The left-handed slugger owns a 23.5% HR/FB rate and a .225 ISO against right-handed pitching this season.
Alcantara's recent form only strengthens the case. He's surrendered five home runs across his last two appearances, while Wood has gone deep three times over the last seven days.
I'd confidently play this pick up to +250.
Time: 6:45 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Marlins.TV, Nationals.TV
Home run pick: Jordan Walker (+378)
Jordan Walker is having a breakout campaign with 15 home runs, and he comes up against Jacob deGrom tonight. While the veteran's 3.77 ERA is respectable, the underlying numbers are more concerning.
He's allowing a 46.2% hard-hit rate this season, and that number jumped to 51.2% in May, when he also posted a 5.62 FIP. Walker owns a 21.2% HR/FB rate against right-handed pitching this season and has produced a 57.9% hard-hit rate over the last week.
Eleven of his 15 home runs have also come against righties, while deGrom has been tagged for seven long balls across his previous three starts.
I'd play this pick up to +350.
Time: 7:45 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Rangers Sports Network, Cardinals.TV
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 7-45, -10.52 units
Today’s HR parlay
Mike Trout
Bet Now +7944
James Wood
Jordan Walker
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
If at any point between, let’s say, March 6 and April 26, you had asked us to forecast what the summer of 2026 might look like for the Boston Celtics, we might have suggested a rather quiet offseason could be looming.
From the moment Jayson Tatum returned to parquet in early March until the night Boston took a 3-1 series lead over the Philadelphia 76ers, even the immediate future felt limitless. Drunk on Green Kool-Aid from an expectation-shattering regular season, we wondered out loud about Boston’s title chances this year, especially given Tatum’s absurd recovery, Jaylen Brown’s MVP-caliber season and the internal development of young talent thrust into bigger roles.
Then the Sixers won three straight games. Boston got bounced in Round 1. If that alone didn’t kill our buzz, watching the Knicks rip off 11 straight wins while Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs arrived at the Finals waaaaaaay ahead of schedule sure did.
The playoffs have a way of thrusting teams into a harsher spotlight. And in the span of just 10 bad quarters, it became fair to wonder if more drastic measures are needed to get Boston back on the level of the league’s elite.
While we believe all options should be on the table for the Celtics this offseason, is there still a case for a quieter summer? For Part 1 of our annual “The Path” series, we’re examining an offseason where the Celtics don’t overreact to an early playoff demise and how that might give the team the best long-term chance to get back to the title stage.
That doesn’t mean punting on the 2026-27 campaign. What it means is banking heavily on the idea that the experience the Celtics gained this past season — combined with some upgrades at key spots — might be enough to position Boston as an East favorite without having to shake up the core. A chance to be a bit more aggressive with roster upgrades would loom next summer.
So what might a small-tweak summer look like? Let’s break it down:
Mission statement
Commit to bringing back the entire core of the 2025-26 team while hunting upgrades at key spots.
The Celtics could utilize exceptions to add talent, potentially scaling above the luxury tax line to start the season, but with an expectation that they would evaluate the roster in advance of February’s NBA trade deadline and dip back below the tax at that point in order to reset repeater penalties.
The path
The small-tweak summer leaves the Celtics banking that …
A healthier Tatum, further removed from the Achilles injury that sidelined him for the first 62 games of the 2025-26 season, will reemerge as an MVP candidate, particularly given the strong numbers he posted throughout his return.
Brown, fresh off a Top-six finish in MVP voting, will rebuild his chemistry with Tatum, combining to provide maybe the best 1-2 punch in the NBA if both are willing to sacrifice in small ways for the betterment of the team as a whole.
Soon-to-be 32-year-old Derrick White shakes off this season’s shooting woes and finds the offensive consistency to match his sustained defensive dominance.
Neemias Queta, hindered by foul trouble throughout Boston’s first-round fumble, finds motivation to make yet another leap and continues to be an analytical darling as one of the top bigs on this team.
Payton Pritchard, before he puts pen to paper on a lucrative three-year contract extension, pledges again to embrace whatever role the Celtics need to be the best version of themselves.
Boston identifies the young players it plans to lean heaviest into from the group of Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, and Ron Harper Jr., and ensures consistent playing time to further accelerate their development.
From there, the Celtics would make a series of moves. Our wish list would include:
1. Sign center Robert Williams III utilizing the $15.1 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception.
Williams III played in 59 games last season, even as Portland delicately managed his minutes. He showed well in the postseason, even while jousting with Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs in the first round.
The combo of Queta and Williams III gives you a legitimate 1-2 punch at the center spot with Luka Garza there to eat up leftover minutes.
2. Trade up in the 2026 NBA Draft to select Santa Clara forward Allen Graves.
Utilize available assets to navigate the draft board with the goal of adding Allen Graves with a first-round pick and home-growing the next power forward on your roster.
We were already intrigued by the Draymond Green comps, then Graves said he’s been crushing tape of Naz Reid and Al Horford. Wow we’re sold this is the guy for Boston.
3. Consider high-upside trades utilizing a portion of the Anfernee Simons traded player exception.
The Celtics likely would be hard-capped at the first apron if they use the non-taxpayer MLE and can’t spend too richly if that is utilized. But they should be ambitious hunting a big guard or an established power forward to beef up the roster.
We’re calling Orlando to check on Wendell Carter Jr. given the Magic’s bloated cap sheet (though that would likely mean sitting out a full midlevel splurge). Can you tempt Detroit with some shooting in a quest to trade for Isaiah Stewart?
Instead of introducing elevated risk by moving on from championship-proven pieces, the Celtics give this core a chance to see what’s possible with a healthier Tatum and kick bolder decisions further down the road.
If it’s clear the Celtics remain a tier below the league’s elite, there are pathways to start a transition before February’s trade deadline. Regardless of how it plays out, the Celtics are well positioned in the aftermath to make some far bolder swings in the summer of 2027.
As we go through some of these statistical series it becomes important to occasionally go back and explain the whys and what fors for these numbers. Simply put, the more numbers we can use to demonstrate the difference between players the better. Essentially, we are looking the mathematics of situational baseball. The good news is that the Astros are playing good enough baseball where it matters again. The bad news is they have dug themselves another hole where they cannot afford missteps.
Friday night was a misstep of epic proportions. For some it was even a fireable offense. In the 8th inning, Joe Espada subbed Brice Matthews in for Taylor Trammel ostensibly to get better defense in left field. Bryan Abreu immediately gives up the tying run and we are left needing that at bat later in the game. So, Matthews had to hit with the bases loaded and one out. Given his speed, a strikeout was the only real negative probability. Since he strikes out 32 percent of the time, he obviously struck out. That single decision was baseball malpractice.
Baseball is a game of probabilities. Every pitch and every situation sees the odds of success and failure change in the blink of an eye. A 1-0 count shifts to a 1-1 count. However, if ABS can shift that to a 2-0 count then the odds clearly change. Coaches and players must make split second decisions based on these odds. Even when the odds are in your favor you will often fail. Even if failure is predicted you sometimes succeed through happy happenstance.
A manager’s job is to put his team in a position where the odds of success are as high as possible. As much as we might love a manager like “Major League’s” Lou Brown, I would just as soon not have my manager rolling out phrases like, “I gotta hunch he’s due.” Coaches, gamblers, and even players don’t succeed without a healthy understanding of situations and what the highest percentage play is.
That brings us to bases per out. Obviously, this is just yet another number, but I believe it to be a pretty accurate one and descriptive one. No number explains everything. Nothing is ever that easy. However, it can explain a lot on both the pitching and hitting side of things. It is calculated by taking total bases, walks, stolen bases, and hit by pitches and divide it by the total number of outs. The league average is .663 and as we have seen in the outfield, very few Astros have met the average. Again, we will list the players from most outs to least outs.
TB
BB/HBP
SB
Outs
BPO
Christian Walker
113
25
0
174
.793
Isaac Paredes
75
27
0
158
.646
Jose Altuve
62
20
1
133
.624
Jeremy Pena
38
6
3
68
.691
Braden Shewmake
30
2
0
60
.533
Nick Allen
17
4
1
42
.524
Let’s put these numbers in perspective. Yordan Alvarez might very well lead the league in BPO. His BPO is well over 1.000. There is a pretty significant drop off from there. You can clearly see there are only three really above average hitters on this team according to BPO. Taylor Trammel counts as one for the moment, but he is likely to see a regression really soon. The resurgence of Jeremy Pena has helped considerably over the last week, but this is still a pretty shallow lineup.
Mind you, Paredes is not far below average and one mini hot streak gets him above average. He has an OPS+ of 99 so he looks more or less average. Altuve obviously got off to the hot start, but faded in early May. Does he recalibrate himself and get back to what he was doing in the first couple of weeks of the season when he does come back? Anything is possible.
What this effectively means is that the Astros have several players that are interchangeable in terms of overall production. Shewmake and Allen are similar offensively if not in style, but results that matter. Mathews can also play on the infield and he is similar to them in results. These numbers are not predictive in nature, but they do help explain why managers sometimes make the decisions that they do. Unfortunately, it also highlights when they make the wrong ones.
When Altuve comes back, the decision of who to start will be simple. It is the decision of who to keep and who to drop that will become harder. As important as fielding is, this team does not have enough good bats to squander a spot to a fielding only player. However, looking at Matthews, Allen, and Shewmake right now is like looking at a group of siblings. They are not identical triplets. Each of them reach their BPO a little differently, but the results are all fairly similar.
So, it comes down to a decision. Do you want upside? Clearly, Matthews has more of that. Do you want positional flexibiity? Shewmake and Allen can play every infield position well. Matthews can play second well in addition to the outfield. He struggled in limited time at third and has not played short in the big leagues. Mathews also has options left and that is a pretty big deal. He has the look of a guy that needs everyday reps. Like Zach Cole before him, he just simply does not make enough contact yet to stick. Will he someday? Baseball history is littered with guys that take awhile to figure it out.
The simple fact is that the Astros have played well enough (and other teams in the AL West have sputtered) to where their games in June matter. Development can and should happen, but it cannot happen at the big league level under those circumstances. Joe Espada and Dana Brown have to maximize every single ounce of good baseball they can out of this 40 man roster. They will need to pick their bench and bullpen carefully. One or two missteps will cause losses like Friday night. Those are the kinds of losses this team can ill afford right now.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 23: Marjon Beauchamp #16 of the Philadelphia 76ers arrives to the arena before the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 23, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
MarJon Beauchamp was the last player the Sixers acquired before the 2025-26 season began. After the final preseason game, the team waived Emoni Bates and signed Beauchamp to an Exhibit 10 contract.
He spent the majority of the season in the G League playing for the Delaware Blue Coats. In 19 games for the Coats he averaged 25.2 points shooting 47% from the field and 35% from three-point range.
The Sixers rewarded his strong play there, cutting undrafted free agent Hunter Sallis to give Beauchamp their final two-way roster spot. Beauchamp wouldn’t appear in a game for the Sixers until Feb. 9, helping fill in on a night the team was decimated by injuries, illnesses, suspensions and the trade deadline.
His appearances continued to be sporadic, but he shot it well in the time he was given. In the first nine games Beauchamp appeared for the Sixers, he shot 49% from the field and 38% from three.
That was good enough to earn a start, albeit in a game the Sixers were so injured they were basically punting it to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Beauchamp went 5-of-18 from the floor in his 31 minutes against the defending champs. He would only appear in garbage time the rest of the season as the Sixers’ wings got healthy to end the campaign.
It’s a shame Beauchamp’s production came when the team was so depleted. Not that it would have led to any huge impact, but the random 3-of-4 three-point nights he had can swing a regular season game. It’s just the type of fun, random end-of-bench production the Sixers haven’t had since… Corey Brewer?
Of course, there’s a reason those were the only times Beauchamp got the opportunity. His struggles to translate his success in the G League to meaningful minutes is catapulting him towards “4A player” territory.
That type of 4A player, one that does have the ability to hit some shots on any given night, is a pretty good use of a two-way contract. Unfortunately for Beauchamp, he is running out of two-way eligibility; only players with four years of experience or less can be signed to them. If he’s able to find a team next season, it would be his fifth year in the league.
Beauchamp’s fate looks destined to be lighting up the G-League or somewhere in Europe. As a wing-sized player who possesses at the very least, the idea of a jump shot, that could be enough for someone to take another flyer on him.
The NBA Couldn’t Have Asked for Better Finals Than Knicks-Spurs
Wemby's coming-out party. New York's lightning-in-a-bottle opportunity. Spurs-Knicks is the NBA Finals the league needed, and why the Knicks have to win it.
The NBA couldn't have drawn this up better if it tried.
On one side, you have the New York Knicks, a franchise that hasn't won a championship since 1973, that spent the better part of two decades being the punchline of the league, and that is somehow, improbably, four wins away from ending one of the longest droughts in North American professional sports. On the other, you have the San Antonio Spurs, a team that won just 34 games last season and hasn't exceeded that mark since 2018, that wasn't supposed to be here for another two or three years, and that is being carried to the NBA Finals on the back of a 22-year-old alien from France who just won the Western Conference Finals MVP.
Spurs vs. Knicks. The NBA Finals tip off Wednesday night. And full stop: This is the best possible outcome for the league. And it's not even close.
Let's start with Victor Wembanyama, because, well, you have to. In seven games against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, he averaged 27.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and 2.7 blocks. He helped keep two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander mostly in check throughout the series, and then went on the road for Game 7 and delivered 22 points and seven rebounds to close it out. When it was over, he was in tears. This is his coming-out party, not just for the casual fan, but for the world. The numbers have always been there. The moments are arriving right on schedule.
Here's the thing about Wembanyama that gets lost in the highlight reel. This isn't a flash in the pan. He's 22 years old, in just his third season, and he just led a franchise that missed the playoffs for six straight years all the way to the NBA Finals. The Spurs are going to be here again. And again after that. The dynasty machinery in San Antonio — the culture, the coaching, the front office discipline — doesn't go away just because Tim Duncan retired. It went dormant; Wembanyama just woke it back up. The rest of the league has a decade-long problem on its hands, and most of them are just starting to realize it.
Which is exactly why, if you're thinking about what's best for the NBA, the Knicks need to win this series.
That's not a popular opinion in many markets. But it's the right one. The Spurs will be back. Wembanyama will have his moment, probably multiple moments, a dynasty's worth of them. He doesn't need this particular trophy to cement what he already is. The window for what's happening in New York right now is a different conversation entirely.
The Knicks are seeking their first championship in 53 years. Madison Square Garden hasn't hosted a Finals game since 1999. Jalen Brunson took a $113 million pay cut to build this team. Karl-Anthony Towns was traded here and immediately bought in after coming home. OG Anunoby had every reason to test the market and chose to stay. Mikal Bridges absorbed every criticism thrown at him and is now playing some of the best basketball of his life when it matters most. This roster was assembled with intention, with sacrifice, and with a belief that this window was worth betting everything on.
The #Knicks starting-5 earned $81M more than the #Spurs starting-5 this past season.
Average Starter Age NYK: 29.5 SAS: 24.0
How They Got Here NYK: 1 Free Agent, 4 Trades SAS: 3 Draft, 1 Waiver, 1 Trade pic.twitter.com/GnJYSe2fvs
And while the window is real, windows close. Brunson turns 30 next year and is due for an extension in 2028 after giving the Knicks a massive discount in 2024. KAT's contract also gets complicated with a $61 million-plus player option set for 2027-28. The picks are spent. The margins get tighter. This specific version of this specific team, riding this specific momentum, in this specific city that has been starving for this moment for half a century; this doesn't come back around on demand.
That's what makes this matchup so perfect and so urgent at the same time. The Spurs losing this series costs them nothing in the long run. They just knocked out the defending champions in seven games with a roster full of guys who are 22 years old. They have Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper (who has looked like an absolute future star in this league in his first playoffs as a rookie), and Devin Vassell all locked in together for the foreseeable future. San Antonio is going to be a problem for a long time. One Finals loss doesn't change that math at all.
But for New York? This is lightning in a bottle. The kind of run that a city talks about forever -- win or lose -- but that means something entirely different if it ends with a parade down the Canyon of Heroes. You can feel it in the way the city has leaned into this. The Knicks haven't just won games in this playoff run; they've won back a fanbase that had genuinely given up. Brunson hit a game-winner against Detroit. They swept Cleveland. Brunson won the Eastern Conference Finals MVP. The narrative is writing itself. The only question is whether it gets the ending it deserves.
And just to illustrate the point further, imagine if the Thunder had won Game 7 instead. Oklahoma City is a great basketball city. Gilgeous-Alexander is a legitimate superstar. But the rest of the world has already made up its mind about the Thunder. They were the favorites all year. They won the championship last season. A repeat run was the expected outcome, not the compelling one. Nobody outside of Oklahoma wants to watch the predetermined winner collect another trophy, and that fatigue was real heading into Game 7. The Spurs saved the league from that storyline. Now it's on the Knicks to finish the job.
That's what New York brings to this that nobody else can. The MSG effect is real, and it is measurable. When the Knicks are relevant, the entire sports conversation shifts. Every national broadcast becomes an event. Every highlight gets three times the engagement. Every casual fan who grew up watching the league in the '90s -- when the Knicks were appointment television -- suddenly has a reason to tune back in.
And then there's the room itself. Spike Lee in his courtside seat. Timothée Chalamet losing his mind on every big shot. Ben Stiller on his feet in the fourth quarter. The Garden celebrity row during a playoff run is its own cultural moment, the kind of organic star power that no other arena in the country can replicate. The Knicks are seeking their first championship in over half a century, and that storyline alone is worth more to the NBA's bottom line than almost anything else the league could put on the floor.
The sport needs New York the way Broadway needs an audience. When the Garden is loud, everybody's watching.
The NBA has spent years searching for its next great story. It found two of them at the same time. A generational talent arriving on the biggest stage for the first time, and a city that has waited longer than most fanbases can even comprehend. One of them is going to win, and one of them is going to go home. The Spurs will get their moment. They have all the time in the world.
Former Columbus Blue Jackets forward Thomas Vanek was officially inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame on Sunday.
Vanek was traded to Columbus by Vancouver for Tyler Motte and Jussi Jokinen, February 26, 2018, to help Columbus with their playoff run that season.
Vanek played in 19 games for the CBJ, scoring 7 goals and totaling 15 points, and having a plus-9 rating. He played 6 games in the first round of the playoffs and had two points.
In the summer of 2018, he signed with the Detroit Red Wings, where he would play in 64 games, and then end his career in the NHL.
Vanek also played for the Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, Minnesota Wild, Florida Panthers, Detroit Red Wings, and the Vancouver Canucks.
The Austrian native played in various international tournaments for his home country. He played in the World Juniors, World Championships, Olympics, and other various tournaments for the Austrians.
Congrats to Thomas Vanek on his induction into the IIHF Hall of Fame.
Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft is on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo, where the CBJ will own pick #14.
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COVERS INTEL:
Mike Trout
James Wood
Jordan Walker
