Shohei Ohtani is a global superstar.

The 2026 ESPY Awards provided the latest evidence of that, with the Dodgers two-way player winning two trophies, as determined by fan votes, at Wednesday night’s ceremony in New York.

But as surprising at it may be — especially to those of us in the Los Angeles area who have witnessed the Japanese baseball phenomenon during his nine years with our local MLB teams — not everyone on the planet is familiar with the four-time MVP and two-time World Series champion.

The ESPYs provided evidence of that as well. Boxers Mike Tyson and Jake Paul joined musician DJ Khaled to present the award for best single-game performance. Ohtani — nominated for his historic Game 4 of the 2025 National League championship series against the Milwaukee Brewers — was the winner, as announced by Tyson.

Read more:Most pressing question for Dodgers in the second half: Can Shohei Ohtani stay healthy?

Paul told the crowd that Ohtani was unable to attend the event, but “he sends his gratitude and appreciation to ESPN and everyone who voted for him.”

Afterward, a hot mic picked up Tyson seeming to ask Paul a rather unexpected question:

“Shohei’s a guy?”

The question seemed to be genuine, and Paul gave a casual response to his friend and former boxing opponent. “Yeah, he’s a guy,” Paul appeared to say as the trio started leaving the stage.

The Times reached out to a Tyson representative for comment but did not receive an immediate response.

Read more:Shaikin: Inside the Shohei Ohtani Economy driving a wild auction for his worn cleats

No shade toward Iron Mike for apparently not knowing much about Ohtani. Tyson is a legend in his sport and has a number of other ventures and interests that occupy his time. While he did throw out a ceremonial first pitch before a Brewers-Pittsburgh Pirates game in 2014, Tyson just might not be all that into baseball.

Also, the name Shohei isn’t at all common in the U.S., even amid Ohtani’s massive popularity. According to Parenting Patch, only nine American babies were given that name in each of the last two years. All of them were boys, but the odds are good that Tyson doesn’t know any of them.

If Tyson hasn’t been following Ohtani’s career, though, he’s missing out. Take the aforementioned Game 4 of last year’s NLCS as an example. Ohtani hit three home runs and pitched six-plus scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts in a 5-1 victory over the Brewers that completed an NLCS sweep and sent the Dodgers to the World Series for the second straight year.

“That was probably the greatest postseason performance of all time,” manager Dave Roberts said after the game.

Read more:Shohei Ohtani scratched from pitching start, won't play in MLB All-Star Game

Ohtani was much more low-key in his postgame assessment.

“This time around, it was my turn to be able to perform,” he said through interpreter Will Ireton. “I think just looking back over the course of the entire postseason, I haven’t performed to the expectation.”

With his performance that night, Ohtani beat out fellow nominees Tyce Armstrong of Baylor baseball (three grand slams in a game), Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat (83 points in a game) and Hannah Hidalgo of Notre Dame basketball (16 steals in a game) for the award.

That epic game certainly contributed to Ohtani’s other ESPY of the night. He was named best MLB player over fellow nominees Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees, Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners and Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Turns out mid-market teams do have money to spend ahead of upcoming Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations.

Emerging ace Chase Burns and the Reds agreed to a seven-year, $105 million extension that is tied for the largest in team history, The Post’s Jon Heyman confirmed.

It’s the largest guarantee to a pitcher with less than four years of service time, per The Athletic, and does not contain any options or deferrals.

Burns, 23, has blossomed into the front-end starter the Reds envisioned he would be when Cincinnati drafted him with the No. 2 pick in 2024 MLB Draft.

The righty is 11-1 with a 2.54 ERA across 18 starts, striking out 118 batters in 102 ⅔ innings to earn his first All-Star berth this season.

He is tied for the fifth-lowest ERA in the sport and is on track to receive Cy Young votes.

For Cincinnati, this deal now ensures they have an ace under contract through 2033 and buys out his initial years when he would be a free agent in exchange for paying him more now.

These types of deals have become more popular in recent years, with the players taking the higher pay earlier in their career and banking on the ability to cash in again as a free agent even with the delay.

The Red Sox recently extended budding superstar Roman Anthony, while the Tigers awarded stud shortstop Kevin McGonigle $150 million.

Pitching deals can be trickier due to the injury risk that comes with the position, but the Reds are in a position where they have to take such relative gambles.

Great American Ball Park is hitter friendly and the Reds rarely win bidding wars for free agents, making it hard to secure top-level pitchers.

It’s interesting that this notable deal comes from a team that is not a heavy spender ahead of what is expected to be a contentious CBA negotiation that could result in a lockout.

Those calling for a salary cap can point to deals like this to show that the owners do indeed have the money to spend, they just often chose not to allocate it to the players.

Despite Burns’ brilliance, the Reds (43-52) enter the second half in last place in the NL Central and eight games out of a playoff spot.

As the second half of the 2026 MLB season begins, the Mets are in sell mode as they look to retool before attempting to bolster their roster this offseason in an attempt to quickly return to contention in 2027.

Who are the players most likely to move between now and the Aug. 3 deadline? And who should the Mets be careful about parting with?

We already went through the keepers.

Here are the players likely to be available, broken down one-by-one...

Freddy Peralta

Should Mets trade him? Yes
Will Mets trade him? Yes

A pending free agent, Peralta could be the most established and highest-upside starting pitcher available at the deadline if the Tigers don't deal Tarik Skubal. Peralta's poor season to this point shouldn't be a hindrance when it comes to the Mets getting something of serious value back. 

Brooks Raley

Should Mets trade him? Yes
Will Mets trade him? Yes

A free agent at the end of the season, Raley has a 2.04 ERA and 1.13 WHIP this year and has been one of the most reliable relievers in baseball since 2022 -- with a 2.45 ERA (2.99 FIP) and 1.05 WHIP in 176.1 innings. He should net the Mets a nice package, especially in what is expected to be a sellers market. 

A.J. Minter

Should Mets trade him? Yes
Will Mets trade him? Yes

Like Peralta and Raley, Minter is set for free agency after the season. Unlike Raley, though, there is a big question about Minter due to the reduced velocity on his four-seam fastball since he returned from last season's lat surgery. But Minter has been excellent in limited action this season, posting a 1.42 ERA and 0.84 WHIP while walking just one batter in 19.0 innings.

Luke Weaver

Should Mets trade him? Only for a haul
Will Mets trade him? 50/50

Weaver is under contract for the 2027 season, when he'll count for $11 million toward the luxury tax payroll. So the Mets should set a high price and only budge if it's met. Though Weaver has been phenomenal this season, relievers are volatile. It would be tough to part with Weaver, but if the price is right, the Mets should sell high.

Clay Holmes

Should Mets trade him? No
Will Mets trade him? It's complicated

There is mutual interest in an extension that would keep Holmes with the Mets beyond this season. And when you consider Holmes' leadership, his ability to thrive in New York, and the Mets' need in the rotation, it makes all the sense in the world for them to get an extension with Holmes done. If they can't for some reason, it will be a no-brainer to trade him, with Holmes all but certain to decline the $12 million player option he holds for 2027.

Luis Robert Jr.

Should Mets trade him? Yes
Will Mets trade him? It's complicated

Robert is on a rehab assignment as he works toward a return from a back injury that has kept him out since April 26. And he's owed roughly $10 million for the remainder of the year. But with the Mets set to decline his player option for next season and nowhere to play him upon his return, they should make every effort to deal him.

Francisco Alvarez

Should Mets trade him? No
Will Mets trade him? Unlikely

Alvarez is under contract through 2029, makes relatively little, is just 24 years old, possesses huge power, and has been an above average hitting catcher during his five-year career. If a team blows the Mets away with an offer, they should accept it. If not, there's no reason to seriously consider trading Alvarez.

Luis Torrens

Should Mets trade him? No
Will Mets trade him? Unlikely

The Mets just extended Torrens through 2028, and he's one of the best defensive catchers in baseball. So dangling him right now makes little sense.

Francisco Lindor

Should Mets trade him? No
Will Mets trade him? No

A relatively rough first 40 games for Lindor, whose season was interrupted for two months because of a calf injury, has apparently led to people forgetting that he was an MVP-level player for the Mets from 2022 to 2025. Beyond that, the Mets would be selling incredibly low if they dealt Lindor now. Depending on the return, they could also be creating a massive hole in their lineup ahead of an offseason where the free agent crop isn't very enticing. It is not impossible to see the Mets eventually dealing Lindor, but now is not the time to do it.

Paul Blackburn had posted a 5.28 ERA in 15.1 innings with the Yankees in 2025. The team, however, saw something in him, something that persuaded them to keep him around despite that ugly number. Then, 2026 came around. The right-hander alternated good and bad outings, but even at his worst, the Yankees were patient. And their patience is paying off big time now.

Blackburn is sporting an amazing 2.22 ERA in 48.2 frames with the Yanks this year, one of the most improved Yankees of the season. If we zoom in closer, we see that his run since the start of June has been unbelievable, with a 1.11 ERA and a 60.3 percent groundball rate. Basically, Blackburn went from being on the roster bubble at one point to one of the most indispensable relievers in the organization. He is now an excellent multi-inning weapon for manager Aaron Boone, and even though the bullpen remains an area of focus ahead of the deadline, having Blackburn pitching like this allows the club to focus on other, more pressing needs.

Blackburn can throw seven pitches, but four of them are key to his success: the sinker, the cutter, the changeup, and the curveball. It just seems that every one of those four serves a specific purpose: the sinker helps him get that GB% up (it is, after all, 56.4 percent for the year as a whole, up from 43.8 percent in 2025), the cutter throws hitters off balance and forces them into weak contact (87th percentile 32.1 hard-hit rate), and the curveball and the changeup help him miss bats.

The curveball has a beautiful 45 percent whiff rate, an increase on the 38.5 percent he had last year with the offering. The changeup misses bats at a 28.6 percent rate, up from 26.2 percent in 2025.

Of course, the increase in velocity from year to year is of immense help. Blackburn’s sinker is averaging 94.2 mph this season, better than the 92.6 mph of 2025. Throw harder, and everything else will play up. Becoming a full-time reliever helps, that’s for sure. The Yankees have helped Blackburn reinvent himself and resurrect his career, and the pitcher is giving them a nice multi-inning option in their bullpen.

Sure, Blackburn’s 37/15 K/BB ratio isn’t really anything to write home about, but he limits the long ball (0.74 HR/9 in 2026) and doesn’t hurt himself with walks too often. He goes out there, throws strikes, and gets the job done almost every time he takes the mound. As you can see in the chart, Blackburn has actually improved his xwOBA against every year since 2024, until reaching a very solid .291 in 2026.

I can’t say I’m not surprised to watch him enjoy this kind of success. We all knew there was some talent in his right arm, but probably not to this extent. Sit back and enjoy the ride while it lasts, but even though he probably won’t finish the season with an ERA in the low 2.00s, the foundation is there to make this the new norm: Blackburn is probably here to stay as a reliable MLB reliever.

Shortstop was supposed to be one of the Rockies’ few settled positions. Ezequiel Tovar’s offensive limitations were obvious, but elite defense and extra-base power gave the profile a workable floor.

His 2025 season offered reasons for patience. Hip and oblique injuries limited Tovar to 95 games and made it difficult to separate regression from compromised health. Even amid those interruptions, his strikeout and walk rates moved modestly in the right direction.

A rebound in 2026 was a reasonable expectation.

It has not happened.

Through July 12, Tovar was hitting .200/.243/.330 with eight home runs and a 41 wRC+. His defense, once among the best at the position, has graded almost exactly average by several metrics.

Colorado should continue trying to recover the player Tovar was in 2024. His contract, age and past success, however, can no longer exempt him from competition. Ryan Ritter is the clearest upper-level alternative to evaluate, Willi Castro is more valuable in the multi-position role that makes him useful, and moving Cole Carrigg out of center field could create a second premium-position problem.

The Rockies do not need a permanent answer today. They do need to admit that shortstop is no longer settled.

The production has been the worst at the position

Tovar has appeared at shortstop in 92 games, starting 86 and logging 752.1 innings. He has received the overwhelming majority of Colorado’s playing time at the position.

Among the 32 players on FanGraphs’ shortstop leaderboard with at least 150 plate appearances, Tovar ranks:

• 32nd in fWAR at minus-0.9
• 32nd with a 41 wRC+
• ninth-highest with a 25.1% strikeout rate
• fifth-lowest with a 5.0% walk rate

He has received the 12th-most plate appearances in the group, so this is not a lightly used reserve dragging down the leaderboard. Colorado has received the least value from one of baseball’s larger shortstop workloads.

Tovar has not been the worst defensive shortstop in baseball. He has been almost exactly average.

The problem is that average defense leaves nothing to counterbalance the least productive bat at the position.

The familiar flaw stopped producing familiar damage

The Rockies did not discover this year that Tovar swings too often.

During his 2024 breakout, he posted one of baseball’s highest chase rates and walked in only 3.3% of his plate appearances. He also led the National League with 45 doubles, hit 26 home runs and won a Gold Glove.

The aggression was inefficient, but it was dangerous.

As Cory Cohen explained in April, that balance began breaking down early this season. At the time, Tovar was chasing 48.7% of pitches outside the zone and swinging at the first pitch nearly 60% of the time. He began more than three-quarters of his plate appearances with a strike.

His increased chase contact initially looked like progress, but much of it produced only additional foul balls and weak contact.

The hoped-for adjustment was never that Tovar would stop being aggressive. It was that he would become more selective around the edges, find better pitches to damage and preserve the power that made the approach tolerable.

That has not happened.

Through July 12, Tovar carried a minus-22 Batting Run Value. His .275 expected wOBA, .221 expected batting average and .367 expected slugging percentage offered little evidence that poor luck was hiding a strong offensive process. His average exit velocity ranked in the 18th percentile, his hard-hit rate in the 17th and his squared-up rate in the sixth. His 45.6% chase rate ranked in the first percentile.

His barrel rate has fallen from 9% in 2024 and 9.3% in 2025 to 6.8% this season.

The most damaging change has come against four-seam fastballs. Tovar is hitting .146 with a .272 slugging percentage against the pitch, producing a minus-12 Run Value and a 35.5% strikeout rate.

That is a devastating weakness for a hitter whose offensive value depends on punishing early-count velocity. If pitchers can challenge him with four-seamers without fearing damage, they control the plate appearance before his chase tendencies even become relevant.

Tovar’s .247/.305/.388 line in May was much more survivable than his .471 OPS in April, but it did not hold. He hit .173/.198/.309 in June and .143/.179/.343 through July 12.

The rebound was a temporary reprieve, not a recovery.

His range is no longer producing extra outs

I love watching shortstop played well.

Shortstop can be a beautiful position: the quick first step at contact, the glove working through a difficult hop, the body control to gather, twist and fire a strike across the diamond for the out.

A good shortstop completes the routine play. A great one reaches a ball that looked like a hit.

Tovar has shown that kind of defense before.

His arm has never been the defining feature. Tovar became an elite defender at shortstop through his range, instincts, hands and body control.

Statcast credited him with 15 Outs Above Average and 11 Range Runs in both 2023 and 2024. Those totals fell to three OAA and two Range Runs in 2025, when injuries limited him to 95 games.

That context matters. One injury-shortened season did not prove that Tovar’s defensive ability had permanently changed.

The concern is that the neutral results have carried into a healthy 2026 season. Through July 12, Tovar had zero OAA and zero Range Runs across 752.1 innings. Defensive Runs Saved also graded him at zero.

Tovar can still make a beautiful play. The problem is that a highlight is not the same as a season’s worth of defensive value. His range regularly created extra outs in 2023 and 2024. That surplus diminished during an injury-marred 2025 and has not returned this season.

Even a return to Gold Glove-level defense would struggle to make a 41 wRC+ acceptable over a full season. In 2026, the Rockies have received neither the offense nor the defensive surplus that once made the arrangement workable.

Willi Castro can cover shortstop, but that is not his job

Castro has appeared at shortstop in 19 games, starting 12 and logging 102 innings. That is enough usage to show that Tovar’s hold on every available inning has loosened — if only slightly.

Castro does offer a clear offensive upgrade. Through 320 plate appearances, the switch-hitter has hit .260/.331/.378 with seven home runs. His 8.4% walk rate is more than three percentage points higher than Tovar’s, and his .331 on-base percentage is nearly 90 points better.

The performance is not without limitations. Castro has struck out in 27.8% of his plate appearances. He currently carries a minus-4 Batting Run Value and has posted a modest .294 expected wOBA. Still, he has provided functional major-league plate appearances.

Castro’s greater value comes from his flexibility. He has appeared at six positions and changed positions during games 37 times, allowing Warren Schaeffer to make matchup moves and cover injuries without exhausting the bench. As Cohen recently described it, Castro may not be the first choice at any one position, but he is often the second choice everywhere.

Making him the everyday shortstop would work against that value. The defensive results have not supported a permanent move, either. In 102 innings at shortstop, Castro has recorded minus-3 OAA, minus-3 Fielding Run Value, minus-2 Defensive Runs Saved and four errors. The sample is limited, but the direction is consistent.

Castro has not stabilized shortstop; he has changed the compromise. His bat is more functional than Tovar’s, but his weaker defense and greater value as a multi-position player make him a substitute at shortstop, not the answer.

Ryan Ritter remains the unanswered question

Ritter received his first extended major-league opportunity in 2025 while Tovar was injured. Across 207 plate appearances, he hit .241/.296/.337 with a 29.5% strikeout rate and weak contact quality. The bat did not establish him as an everyday player, but the glove provided some reason to keep evaluating him.

Ritter played 265 innings at shortstop, where Statcast credited him with one OAA. His overall range ranked in the 75th percentile.

He has shown more offensive viability in Triple-A this season. Across 121 plate appearances with Albuquerque, Ritter is hitting .283/.403/.414 with two home runs, 15 walks and 25 strikeouts. His 20.7% strikeout rate is manageable, even allowing for an expected increase against major-league pitching. He had also begun to show some slugging before an ankle injury sent him to the injured list on April 15 and kept him out of regular Triple-A action until June 16.

Ritter is not knocking down the door, but he has shown enough on both sides of the ball to make another evaluation reasonable. He has also continued to receive the majority of his minor-league defensive work at shortstop, starting 20 games and logging 163.2 innings there this season.

None of that establishes Ritter as an everyday shortstop. It does suggest his glove may be serviceable enough for the Rockies to evaluate whether his offensive profile can survive in the majors.

Continuing to let Tovar search for his previous form against major-league pitching is defensible. But with two minor-league options remaining, a reset in Albuquerque is no longer an extreme response to a temporary slump. His bat has been the least productive at the position, the Rockies remain firmly in an evaluation phase, and Tovar is only 24.

In that context, this may be exactly the right time to give him everyday work away from the pressure of carrying the major-league position while opening a real evaluation window for Ritter.

What makes less sense is a loose platoon that leaves both players short of regular work. Tovar needs everyday repetitions if he is going to rebuild his offensive process and regain his defensive sharpness. Ritter needs them if the Rockies want an actual evaluation rather than another small, inconclusive sample.

Ritter may not be the solution, but another meaningful evaluation is justified. Tovar’s performance has made the competition necessary.

Cole Carrigg creates a different choice

Carrigg has logged three major-league innings at shortstop. His arm strength and athleticism make the position plausible, but that sample tells us nothing about whether he could handle it every day.

Center field may still be the best use of those tools. Moving Carrigg to shortstop could solve one premium-position problem while creating another in Coors Field’s enormous outfield.

That makes Ritter the cleaner alternative to evaluate first. Tovar’s value is concentrated almost entirely at shortstop; Carrigg can provide defensive value in places Tovar cannot.

More talent is applying pressure, but from a distance

Tyler Bell and Ethan Holliday (No. 2 PuRP) provide legitimate long-term pressure, but neither changes the immediate calculation.

Bell, the 10th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, has shown the footwork, anticipation, body control and arm strength to remain at shortstop at the professional level.

His offensive profile also gives Colorado something intriguing.

Bell hit .343/.510/.608 at Kentucky with a 13.5% chase rate, drawing 30 walks against 36 strikeouts while playing through a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder.

He described his goal as remaining aggressive to the pitch he wanted without chasing outside the zone. The distinction is important: aggression does not have to mean surrendering control of the plate appearance.

Holliday brings a different kind of ceiling. The fourth overall pick in the 2025 draft entered professional baseball with considerable power, a patient approach and real uncertainty about how consistently he would make contact against better pitching.

His 2026 performance was beginning to look like a step forward. After striking out in 39.3% of his plate appearances during his brief debut, Holliday lowered that rate to 28.3% while hitting .262/.395/.557 with nine home runs, five doubles, two triples, and 23 walks in 152 plate appearances for Low-A Fresno.

The contact concerns have not disappeared, but the combination of damage and on-base ability represented meaningful progress before a stress fracture in his left foot required season-ending surgery.

His eventual defensive home remains uncertain. Holliday has the hands and arm strength to continue receiving work at shortstop, but his lateral range, footwork and quickness will ultimately determine whether he can remain there. A move to third base remains plausible. His bat could still make him an impact player there, though it would make him less of a direct answer to Colorado’s shortstop question.

Bell and Holliday carry far more upside than the other lower-level alternatives, but both remain distant from the major-league decision. Bell is expected to require surgery on his injured shoulder, with the timing still to be determined. The recovery will likely sideline him for several months and delay the start of his professional career. Holliday must also complete his recovery from foot surgery and return healthy before continuing his development against more advanced pitching.

Neither solves the present problem. Their presence does give the Rockies another reason to keep evaluating shortstop rather than treating it as permanently assigned.

Two related problems

The Rockies were not wrong to invest in the 2023-24 version of Tovar. None of their alternatives has matched his defensive ceiling, led the National League in doubles or produced 3.7 fWAR at age 22.

That player was worth believing in.

Past success, however, cannot permanently insulate him from present performance.

Tovar has no obvious everyday fallback. Center field at Coors Field is not a realistic alternative; second base would reduce the positional value of his glove; and his bat is nowhere near the standard required at third base, first base or an outfield corner. If he is going to be a valuable everyday player, it will almost certainly be at shortstop.

That leaves Colorado with two connected but distinct tasks: recover Tovar and get more production from shortstop. His contract, age and past success make him worth trying to fix. They do not make the current arrangement acceptable.

The Rockies do not have to give up on Tovar.

They do have to stop waiting passively for the position to fix itself.

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Out last off-day of the All-Star break. There is an MLB game today, the Mets and Phillies are playing tonight.

The Jays play tomorrow night, it is an Apple TV game, only of those things I hate.

The Jays have Spencer Miles starting tomorrow. I don’t understand why we have a bullpen type day after several days off, but then there are many things I don’t understand about this season. I guess Miles has gone 4.1 innings in three outings, so maybe he could do five tomorrow? He’s had six days off. And, you know, the pen is rested.

But still, would you not go with one of your ‘real’ starters, who have also had time off?

Saturday Shane Bieber starts and Sunday it is Trey Yesavage. Kevin Gausman gets the Monday start against the Rays and then we have Dylan Cease.

A seven game home stand and, you know, seven wins would get us back over .500. Just saying. The Jays are 2.5 games out of a Wild Card spot, but personally, I don’t think any team under .500 will make the playoffs, even if the last wild card spot is a game under .500 at the moment.

Hey, look I got a poll to embed!

MLB.com has a list of best draft picks by round and they picked the Jays Will Brick for the best pick of the fourth round saying:

Mayo: “He’s the best high school catcher in the class. There’s power there, he’s a really good defender behind the plate. I think what makes it stand out additionally is that the Blue Jays did not have a second-round pick, so to get a talent like Will Brick in the fourth helps offset the fact they didn’t have a second-rounder, cause he’s at least a second-round talent.”

Nice to hear, since we didn’t have a pick until #39 and then not again until #103. Brick was our third pick.

Rotowire has a list of the 25 unluckiest batters of the first half. Number 25 on the list is Vladimir Guerrero. To come up with the list they compared expected batting average, expected slugging average and expected wOBA to what the players actually posted. Vlad’s batting average is .025 below expected, slugging .049 and wOBA is .031 below expected.

Also on the list is Bo Bichette at 20th. Top of the list is Austin Wells from the Yankees (.052 below expect BA, .097 below expected slugging and .056 below expected wOBA.

I guess the hope is that hope is that luck has to even out at some point. But then I don’t know that it likely to even out this season.

This is interesting, teams are using AL on iPads to, let’s say, consult on managerial decisions, like pinch hitting, pitch calling, etc.

I’m ready for baseball to start up again.