Caluori, Fisilau, Janse van Rensburg, Sela, Kloska selected
Fin Smith says he had to ‘fake’ confidence after Lions tour
At some stage there will be better times ahead for English rugby. They have an encouraging amount of young talent, a decent age profile and another 15 months to develop prior to the 2027 Rugby World Cup. Get it right – and they have a more than promising draw – and the sunlit uplands could yet be glimpsed in Australia next year.
That, at least, is the cosy scenario. First, though, there is the equivalent of a precarious-looking rope bridge to be crossed by those named in Steve Borthwick’s squad for this summer’s inaugural leg of the new Nations Championship. Three Tests in three different continents in successive weeks with a squad lacking its regular captain and on a four-match losing streak is not the idyllic travel brochure it might have been.
Michigan Wolverines head coach Dusty May celebrates the team’s NCAA men's basketball tournament national championship victory Monday, April 6, 2026, after defeating the UConn Huskies 69-63 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Dallas Mavericks hired Dusty May! It’s a busy week around these parts but I asked the staff to react!
Matt: Yes. The move feels ahead of the curve, not painfully behind it. It will be great to have an X’s and O’s man on the Mavericks’ sideline. May is certainly not “watching, just like you guys.” He develops young talent, and the Mavs are likely to get younger in the immediate future. I’m all the way in and stand ready to be laughed out of the room if it goes wrong.
Bryan: If Dusty could handle Yaxel’s annoying ass and still make a team of transfers look like one of the best title teams in the last decade, I’ll gladly take him here. Spreadsheets Fan Club won the war, and the Dallas Mavericks should reap the benefits with May at the helm for Cooper’s early career.
Michael: I love this. It had become apparent we were targeting an NBA assistant or the top two college coaches. The latter (Jon Scheyer and Dusty May) were ironically, the “bigger” names of the bunch despite not being in the NBA. May demonstrated a keen ability to pull a team together to win a National Championship, and while time will tell how successful he will be at the NBA level, there are positive signs he’s going to be just fine. Worst case, we should have every confidence he can capably manage young guys, which the Mavs will hopefully be overflowing with before long. Even if he only sticks around a few years for something of a rebuild, there could still be huge benefits. Simply put, there isn’t much I’m questioning or doubting. This feels like a great hire for what we need, with the potential for big upside and a real chance May could be at the helm for years to come.
Chris: I’m normally a little skeptical about college to NBA hires, but I love this for the Mavs. May is fresh off a National Championship with Michigan so he’s proven he can win and do it a lot. He completely turned around the FAU program and then delivered Michigan its second championship. He’s a genius basketball mind with a knack for X’s and O’s. He’ll be great for helping recognize young talent, developing talent, and (hopefully) leading the Mavs back to eventual contention.
Jeremy: The Mavs needed to hit a home run with this hire, so why not go out and get one of the brightest minds in the sport? May’s evolution from Florida Atlantic to winning the National Championship at Michigan proves that his system travels and he knows how to win in multiple places. Granted, the NBA is a completely different animal, but the Mavs are going younger, so adding a college coach to grow alongside them isn’t a bad decision. If they select any of his players in the draft (Aday Mara, Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson), I’ll like this hire for the Mavs even more.
Gracie: I couldn’t be more thrilled. I’m even happier that the search is over heading into the draft and free agency. Hearing his name in the mix, I was skeptical on hiring a college guy, but his record speaks for itself. The fact that he has three of his guys in the mix for the draft combined with their championship run shows that he can coach and get his guys to where they need to be. I am excited to see what he can do with Flagg and whoever they draft on Tuesday.
Ben: I’m more skeptical than most about hiring a coach with no experience in the NBA. May might be worth the risk considering his résumé, but the college and NBA basketball ecosystems are just so different.
That being said, the college basketball world is changing, and maybe the two experiences overlap more than they have in the past. If the Mavs front office is thinking this, May is a great choice to take a chance on.
Kirk: Since I had essentially ruled this hire out due to various reports around the hiring process, I am thrilled that they were wrong. I don’t know enough about May. Michigan fans are upset, so that must mean something. Here’s hoping he’s awesome.
DETROIT, MI - DECEMBER 1: Ronald Holland II #5 and Isaiah Stewart #28 of the Detroit Pistons celebrate during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on December 1, 2025 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The most important player on the Detroit Pistons is undeniably Cade Cunningham. He is now a multitime All-Star, All-NBA player, and a true superstar. It is also clear that Trajan Langdon considers the core players alongside Cade to be Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren. Ausar for his all-world defense and Duren for his rim pressure, inside-scoring, and growing offensive repertoire.
But if you asked me which two players most defined the Detroit Pistons these last two seasons, I’m not sure I’d say any of the above. When I think about how this team went from the league’s cellar to a 6o-win team, I think about the energy, passion, grit, and voracious defense it took to get there. That is what the Detroit Pistons are to me.
And that is most exemplified by two bench players — Isaiah Stewart and Ron Holland. Those are also two players almost certainly being sent out in a deal for Tyler Herro, based on people I have spoken with within league circles and close to the franchise.
It’s clear to Trajan Langdon and everyone else what this team was missing in the playoffs — secondary playmaking, ball handling, and shot making. Those are not things you will find on the resume of either Stewart or Holland. You’d also find that in abundance with Herro, who has his flaws but is undeniably an extremely dangerous scorer at multiple levels and in multiple ways.
The Pistons, however, risk losing the very identity that got them to this point. Holland hasn’t broken out, and he still has a long way to go as a reliable offensive threat, especially from the perimeter. But he’s also the player I most associate with Making Things Happen™ when the Pistons needed a spark.
I wish Stewart would bomb away more from deep, but he’s one of the most impactful interior defenders in the NBA. He was one of only three players who held opponents to sub-50% shooting within 3 feet of the rim on three or more attempts per game.
It might seem like you’re sacrificing your fifth- and ninth-leading scorers to obtain a true No. 2 option on team desperate for it. Swapping out 18 points and low-usage minutes for a 20-25 point-per-game scorer. That’s all true. But you’re losing so much more than that.
You’re losing the heart and soul of the Pistons, and other players will need to step up to provide that juice, or the Pistons could find themselves stumbling backward instead of hurtling forward toward title contention.
Jalen Duren will need to learn how to not just defend the paint but also make people a little scared of bringing the ball inside. Ausar Thompson will need to be at least as willing a shooter as Holland was, while also taking every opportunity to dive on the ball, create chaos, and score in transition.
It’s unclear whether this deal is even possible if the Pistons send out the No. 21 pick instead of Holland. It depends on what Miami and/or Milwaukee values. But trend lines are pointing to Detroit keeping the pick and losing Holland.
For Trajan Langdon to send out the first draft pick he ever made for this franchise is significant. He needs to ensure that the player they select at No. 21 hits.
This is one of the few all-in adjacent moves Detroit is going to be able to make with this core. He can’t afford to make mistakes.
St. Louis native Brady Tkachuk was dealt to the Florida Panthers in a blockbuster deal on Sunday, joining his brother Matthew on the 2024 and 2025 Stanley Cup champions.
The trade came as a shock, as most rumors surrounding the former Ottawa Senators captain had gone quiet.
What might come as an even bigger shock to St. Louis Blues fans is that Tkachuk was unwilling to be traded to St. Louis.
According to a post by The Athletic’s Jim Rutherford, GM Doug Armstrong said the Blues inquired about Tkachuk’s availability, but were told that they were not one of the teams the 26-year-old was willing to be traded to.
That’s a punch in the gut for the Blues, as Keith Tkachuk, the father of Brady, played nine seasons with the Blues, scoring 208 goals and 427 points in 543 games. The Tkachuk brothers have spoken highly about their time growing up in St. Louis, but clearly not enough to play for the franchise.
While it must hurt for Blues fans to hear this, it’s not hard to understand why. Tkachuk is looking to play meaningful hockey and play in the post-season. While nothing is guaranteed, the Panthers are far closer to being a playoff team next year than the Blues are.
Their roster is built to win Stanley Cups, while the Blues are in the middle ground, not knowing whether to rebuild or go all in.
Tkachuk was in a situation with Ottawa where they were stagnant, unable to get over the hump. They made the playoffs just twice in his eight-year NHL career and were unable to go beyond the first round. They were swept in the 2025-26 playoffs, and although they won two games in the 2024-25 playoffs, they found themselves down 3-0 in the series.
Coming to St. Louis would have been a linear move, or even possibly a backwards move for Tkachuk. Going to Florida opens a Stanley Cup window for the Olympic gold medalist.
The Blues have once again struck out when chasing a big-name trade option, which only adds to the fuel of uncertainty about which direction this team is heading.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free.
See more of The Hockey News on Google and save us as a preferred source.Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
After Dusty May's stunning exit from the Michigan men's basketball program, the Wolverines will be looking within for the immediate replacement.
Michigan is expected to promote assistant coach Mike Boynton Jr. as the interim head coach, according to multiple reports. The decision comes less than a few hours after May's departure to take the job with the NBA's Dallas Mavericks on Monday, June 22.
Boynton joined May's staff when he arrived in Ann Arbor in 2024, after spending seven seasons in charge of Oklahoma State. His time with the Cowboys was up-and-down, with one NCAA Tournament appearance in 2021 with a team that featured eventually NBA draft No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham. In addition to the one March Madness trip, Oklahoma State had two NIT bids under Boynton.
At Michigan, Boynton has been in charge of the team's defense, which was among the best in the country in the past season, giving up just 69.5 points per game with a nation's best 38.2% defensive field goal percentage.
It's a move that makes sense given Boynton was the only staff member with head coaching experience. The Wolverines previously had an assistant in Justin Joyner, who left to take the Oregon State job.
May's departure this late in the summer also makes it rough for Michigan to find a permanent replacement option when nearly all coaching positions are filled. Boynton will likely be in charge of Michigan for the entirety of the 2026-27 season as the Wolverines searched for a permanent replacement, which Boynton could end up filling.
Can Michigan basketball players transfer with Dusty May leaving?
Yes, NCAA rules allow for the creation of a special transfer portal window following a head coaching change. At that time, players can enter the portal and potentially sign with another team.
When can Michigan players enter the portal?
According to the NCAA on Jan. 14, 2026, the Division I Cabinet enacted immediate rules changes for the transfer portal, including those for a team going through a coaching change.
Per the NCAA:
When a head coaching change occurs, a 15-day period will open five days after the new head coach is hired or publicly announced. If a new head coach is not announced within 30 days of the previous head coach's departure — and the 31st day after the head coach's departure is after the championship game — a 15-day window will open. The additional head coach departure window is available only after the basketball transfer window opens through Jan. 2.
Five days after Michigan hires or publicly announces its hire, the 15-day transfer portal will open, allowing players to enter and potentially sign with a team. The 15-day window will open if the Wolverines are unable to make a hire within 30 days of May's departure for the NBA.
That is separate from a 15-day transfer window that opens the day following the championship game, which in 2026 was on April 4.
Mike Boynton coaching record
Boynton joined May's staff in 2024 after serving seven years as Oklahoma State's head coach. Boynton was on Brad Underwood's staff for a year at OSU before Underwood left for Illinois. Boynton was elevated to head coach and posted a 119-109 (.522) record, which included two NIT quarterfinals appearances and a trip to the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA - JANUARY 3: Jayden Quaintance #21 of the Kentucky Wildcats comes away with a loose ball during the second half at Coleman Coliseum on January 3, 2026 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s the desire of every NBA team to find athleticism on the wings and at the center position. The surest way teams can find that, then, is in the NBA Draft.
With just over a day left before the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft, the projected Lakers’ picks are mostly either lob threats or wings with athleticism, which shouldn’t be a surprise. There is also one name that is coming up with increasing regularity as well.
On paper, Evans looks like he fits the mold of an athletic wing at 6’5” with a wingspan of nearly 6’9”. However, he instead fits the mold of a sharpshooter, which certainly could fill a need as well.
Here’s Jeremy Woo’s breakdown on the pick:
Evans’ long-range shotmaking has kept first-round interest high, and he appears likely to come off the board in the 20s. He has nice size for a wing shooter, measuring 6-5½ barefoot at the combine, and has a pathway to becoming a valuable role player if he can continue to flesh out his game, particularly on defense. Though he is more of a play finisher and spacer than a creator, his ability to hit shots off movement is rare and perpetually coveted by NBA teams.
This should be a best-available pick for the Lakers, who should be focused on the bigger picture of building around Luka Doncic but are also dealing with new contracts for LeBron James and Austin Reaves. Evans’ shooting could be a useful addition and a strong fit for him playing off L.A.’s stars.
Over the last week, Quaintance has been linked more and more to the Lakers. There’s certainly logic to it. He’s a great defender who can rebound at a high level, two things the Lakers could use.
Here’s what The Ringer had to say about him and his fit in LA:
Life with Luka Doncic can be tricky for guys who have grand aspirations or ideas about who they are as players. But for some, life gets simpler in a glorious way around Doncic, and Quaintance fits that bill to a T. If you’re focusing on Quaintance’s choppy and ridiculously brief tenure at Kentucky due to his injury recovery, you’re not going to come away with a clear picture of who this guy could become. Watching his tape from Arizona State a season prior is the way to go. I think he’s an All-Defense-level prospect on one end and the type of powerhouse who can punctuate Luka pick-and-rolls 10 to 15 times a game on the other. It comes down to health for Quaintance, but at pick no. 25, he is more than worth the risk.
Drafting Quaintance would certainly be a bet on both his medicals being clear and that the Lakers could develop him into a more refined player. If both of those things check out, then the team could pull off a steal by taking a player with injury concerns with the focus on the long term.
Here’s Cameron Salerno’s thoughts on the Lakers taking him:
The Lakers biggest need heading into the offseason should be finding a center. If Quaintance is still on the board, that should be the pick. He is one of the most unique prospects in this class. After playing in just four games at Kentucky last season, his stock has taken a hit. Still, when healthy, he is one of the best defenders in the class.
Lastly, there’s someone who fits the more traditional role of athletic wing in Swain. He has an ability to get to the rim and finish and has a jumper that needs work, which sounds a lot like the last player drafted by the Lakers.
Here’s what Kevin O’Connor said about the selection:
What type of support does Luka Dončić need by his side? Versatile wing defenders who can serve as connectors on offense. Swain is relentless getting to the rim, creative as a finisher, and active enough defensively to project as a switchable wing. But the reason he lives at the rim is because his jump shot is genuinely terrible. He has stiff mechanics, bad percentages, and a reluctance to even attempt it that goes all the way back to high school. He made improvements at Texas, though, so there’s hope his soft touch at the line and from the paint will eventually translate.
Washington (40-38) and Philadelphia (42-35) meet for a four-game series. The Phillies have the season edge, 2-1, but were outscored by the Nationals, 20-11.
Philadelphia has won five out of six series in June as they are rolling. The Phillies are 12-6 in June and won four of the last six games. Philadelphia has scored 21 runs in the last two games as they throttled the Mets behind four Kyle Schwarber home runs, including three in one game. The Phillies are 4-5 in their last nine road games.
Washington has lost three of the last four games to follow up a four-game winning streak. The Nationals are 9-9 in June as they've rose above .500 for the season. Washington's offense has struggled lately, but luckily, the Nationals have Foster Griffin on the mound. Washington has won five of the last six starts by Griffin.
Let’s dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game details & how to watch Phillies at Nationals
Date: Monday, June 22, 2026
Time: 6:45 PM EST
Site: Nationals Park
City: Washington, DC
Network/Streaming: MLB TV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Phillies at the Nationals
The latest odds as of Monday:
Moneyline: Philadelphia Phillies (+102), Washington Nationals -123)
The Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber is hitting .255 with 72 hits, 29 home runs and 52 RBI over 282 at-bats
The Phillies’ Adolis Garcia is hitting .195 with 45 hits and 84 strikeouts over 231 at-bats
The Nationals’ James Wood is hitting .270 with 80 hits, 20 home runs, and 49 RBI over 296 at-bats
The Nationals’ Jacob Young is hitting .228 with 53 hits and 46 strikeouts over 232 at-bats
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Phillies at Nationals
Philadelphia is an MLB-worst 28-49 ATS
Washington is an MLB-best 48-30 ATS
Philadelphia is 39-33-5 to the Under, ranking third-best
Washington is 47-28-3 to the Over, ranking second-best
Philadelphia is 14-21 ATS on the road, ranking third-worst
Washington is 19-19 ATS at home
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Nationals and the Phillies
Rotoworld Bet Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Monday's game between the Nationals and the Phillies:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Nationals on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Nationals at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Under on the Game Total of 10.0
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 23: Aaron Wiggins #21 of the Oklahoma City Thunder dribbles during the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 23, 2026 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. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
At this year’s trade deadline, the Sixers made a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder that we don’t need to rehash for the sake of everyone’s mental health.
Their reported trade target from that deal is now on the move.
In mid-May, Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice reported that Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins was the “primary target” for the Sixers. He added “there was hope” that The Trade That Shall Not Be Named “could lead to a deal also involving Wiggins,” but that didn’t materialize at the time.
Four months later, Wiggins is heading to Atlanta for two distant second-round picks, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. From OKC’s standpoint, it was a purely financially motivated move.
The Sixers have changed front offices since the trade deadline, so perhaps new team president Mike Gansey and vice president of basketball operations Jameer Nelson didn’t value Wiggins the same way that former president Daryl Morey and general manager Elton Brand did. But even if they did, money was the big obstacle in their way, which made Atlanta a far more logical trade partner for OKC.
Why the Sixers couldn’t get Wiggins
The Hawks had an $11 million trade exception after sending Luke Kennard to the Los Angeles Lakers for Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-round pick at the trade deadline. They wound up sending the better of their own second-rounder and the Lakers’ second-rounder in 2032 along with their own in 2030 to acquire Wiggins.
More importantly, they were able to absorb Wiggins into that trade exception without sending salary back to OKC.
The Thunder appear to be in full payroll-trimming mode before having to decide whether to exercise their team options on Isaiah Hartenstein ($28.5 million), Lu Dort ($17.7 million) and Kenrich Williams ($7.2 million). It wouldn’t be a surprise if former Sixer Isaiah Joe and his $11.3 million salary is the next one out the door.
The Sixers have two small trade exceptions, but neither Wiggins ($9.0 million) nor Joe could fit into either of them. They could technically take either one into the $15.0 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception since it can now be used as a trade exception, but doing so would hard-cap them at the first apron. That should be a non-starter at this stage of the offseason.
The first apron is projected to land around $209 million. The Sixers already have more than $172.7 million on their books for next season, and that’s for only seven players. If they used $9 million of their non-taxpayer MLE to absorb Wiggins, they’d be up to $181.7 million in salary with seven open roster spots. That would leave them less than $27.5 million below their first-apron hard cap.
If the Sixers filled five of their remaining spots with players on minimum contracts, that would add $12.25 million to their books. That’d leave them about $15 million to spend on either Oubre or Grimes, or they could bring back one for around $10 million and spend the remainder of their non-taxpayer MLE on another free agent.
Either way, they presumably wouldn’t want to head into free agency hard-capped at the first apron, particularly not for a player like Wiggins. He’d be a solid addition off the bench, but he’d have minimal chance of cracking the Sixers’ starting lineup thanks to Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.
If the Sixers are going to hard-cap themselves at the first apron before the new league year even begins, it needs to be a home run move. Otherwise, they have incentive to see how the Oubre and/or Grimes situations play out in free agency before imposing those kinds of handcuffs on themselves.
The Wiggins deal isn’t likely to be the only trade that goes down this week. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the headliner, while Ja Morant could follow in short succession. Unless the Sixers are trading one of Maxey, Joel Embiid or Paul George, they don’t have the salary-matching contracts to get involved for either one.
In fact, they don’t have the contracts to get involved for hardly anyone on the trade market.
The Sixers’ top-heavy salary structure
Embiid ($58.0 million), George ($54.1 million) and Maxey ($40.7 million) are the only Sixers players who are currently set to earn more than $12 million next year. Edgecombe is next at $11.7 million. Whomever they select with the No. 22 overall pick will temporarily be their fifth-highest-paid player at a whopping $3.6 million.
Despite having so few players under contract, the Sixers are already projected to be over the 2026-27 salary cap. They can’t swing a trade that’s unbalanced salary-wise unless they’re willing to hard-cap themselves at the first apron. (Which, again, should be a non-starter this early in the offseason.)
That top-heavy salary structure is going to limit the Sixers’ options on the trade market this offseason. Salary dumps of productive players should only become more common as teams look to trim their payroll, but the Sixers likely won’t be able to capitalize this offseason.
That shouldn’t be held against Gansey and Co. They’re just playing the hand they were dealt.
They didn’t choose to not outbid Atlanta for Wiggins. They didn’t have a choice in the matter since they couldn’t absorb Wiggins’ contract without sending salary back.
That would have defeated the purpose for OKC, and the same will go for any other team looking to cut costs.
According to multiple reports, May wasn't the only prominent college basketball coach to have interest in the Mavericks' job, which comes with coaching 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg. Per the Field of 68's Jeff Goodman, Flagg's college coach, Jon Scheyer, had "major interest" in the position but elected to stay with the Blue Devils.
Shortly after news broke May was leaving the Wolverines after two seasons, Duke’s social media team posted a photo of a young Scheyer in a Duke T‑Shirt — perhaps a Bat‑signal–style nod meant to signal his commitment to his alma mater.
Scheyer and Flagg were awfully successful in their lone season together in Durham, which included a 35-4 overall record and the program's first Final Four appearance in the post-Mike Krzyzewski era.
Named the Naismith and Associated Press Player of the Year, Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in the 2024-25 season under Scheyer. In the Blue Devils' Final Four loss to Houston, Flagg scored 27 points to go along with seven rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals, making him the first player since defensive stats became official in 1986 to lead a team in all five categories in a Final Four game.
He was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Mavericks.
Duke is expected to be one of the top teams in the country once again under Scheyer this season. The Blue Devils return guard Caleb Foster and center Patrick Ngongba II, while they added Wisconsin guard John Blackwell and Belmont forward Drew Scharnowski to the roster through the transfer portal.
BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 26: The Milwaukee Bucks round 1 pick 23 during the 2024 NBA Draft - Round One on June 26, 2024 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Kostas Lymperopoulos/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
In last week’s Reacts survey, we asked you one more—final?—time about the ongoing Giannis trade saga, which may or may not be headed for a resolution by tomorrow evening’s NBA Draft. Pretty simple questions here, but we wanted to see how opinions have or have not changed since the season ended. First off: do you want to trade Giannis or not?
In our final Tuesday Tracker of the season, a similar 53% of fans polled wanted the trade to happen regardless of what Giannis wants. But if you go back to our Tuesday Tracker before the trade deadline, 57% didn’t want the Bucks to trade him. That was before his knee injury, and Milwaukee’s late-season slide took them out of the play-in picture completely, of course.
Next up, if a trade does indeed occur, will fans feel betrayed by the Bucks, especially given all that’s happened over the last year?
Taken together, these two results paint a picture of an increasingly over-it fanbase. The publicly self-imposed deadline of tomorrow’s draft for an answer on Giannis’ future, one way or another, might elicit something by tomorrow. Or it might not. Either way, people are tired of the media cycle and wish either party—the Bucks or Giannis—would do something about it.
Check out FanDuel, the official sportsbook of SB Nation.
As recently as last week, league sources talking to NBC Sports were playing down the idea of Boston as a serious suitor for Giannis Antetokounmpo, saying they weren't really all-in on their pursuit.
"One league source, after this story was published, told The Stein Line that the Celtics managed to emerge from the weekend 'with a real shot' to win this race with a Jaylen Brown-centric offer, adding that Milwaukee has considered going ahead with a Boston swap even without a third-team facilitator."
Monday morning, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on Get Up, "I was really skeptical that the Boston Celtics were going to go all-in on this, but from what I understand, they have."
The expectation remains that this trade will be completed before Tuesday night's NBA Draft. Miami is still near the front of the line and may yet win this sweepstakes with an offer reportedly involving Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jamie Jaquez Jr. and draft picks. However, it's clear Milwaukee doesn't love that offer, or this trade would already be done.
ESPN's Shams Charania added this on the network’s Get Up show: "It's going to consist of Milwaukee and likely one of these two teams. There's no third team, fourth team in any construct right now."
Boston's offer would be based around All-NBA wing Jaylen Brown, coming off the best season of his career, averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists, leading the Celtics to 56 wins and the No. 2 seed in the East despite Jayson Tatum being out for most of the season. The talk in league circles had been that Boston didn't firmly put Brown in an offer, that Milwaukee had been using the situation more as leverage to get more out of Miami, but that appears not to have changed.
What other players (if any) and draft compensation would be in a Boston trade are the real questions. There have been rumors about Payton Pritchard being in the offer, but he would be a player the Celtics would want to keep because of how well he would fit playing off Antetokounmpo. Stein suggests it would be a young player, such as Hugo Gonzalez, plus draft picks. Boston has the No. 27 pick in Tuesday's NBA Draft, which likely would be part of the package.
Would Milwaukee keep Brown and try to build around him, or flip him to another team in a second trade? The argument for a second trade is that the Bucks are rebuilding and a 27-year-old player in his prime does not fit that timeline. Does Milwaukee believe that what it could get in return from Boston, plus a second Brown trade, outweighs what Miami has on the table?
Or, does the new lottery system, which punishes the teams with the three worst records in the league, change the calculus for Milwaukee, which now does not want to go into rebuild mode? Windhorst reported Brown is open to the idea of having "his own team," suggesting he is open to the idea.
Is it worth it for Boston?
Trading for Antetokounmpo would be a huge gamble for the Celtics.
We know that Brown and Tatum work together — they have won a title as a lead duo. If Boston spends this offseason filling out the roster around them — specifically upgrading along the front line — it enters next season as one of the true contenders to come out of the East, along with New York, Detroit and a healthy Indiana.
Antetokounmpo, at his best, is a two-time MVP and a better player than Brown, giving the team an elite dowhill attacker. Celtics president Brad Stevens talked in his postseason press conference about the need for the team to put more pressure on the rim, and nobody does that better than Antetokounmpo. He also is a two-way force. The risks are that he is also older (31) and has a growing injury history that has sidelined him or slowed him in each of the last three playoffs. On top of that, he will demand a new max contract after the trade, and it's likely that as he ages, that will be an anchor in the last season or two.
That risk is countered by the vision of just how good Boston could be with Antetokounmpo and Tatum. (Plus, Antetokounmpo becomes valuable looking ahead to a potential matchup with Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, not many people have the size, strength and athleticism to bother Wemby.)
If this trade falls apart and Antetokounmpo heads to South Beach, it leads to another issue: Has Boston crossed the Rubicon with Brown and now has to trade him? Has it gone so far down that road that the relationship has soured and the two sides need to part ways? There will be a lot of speculation about that, but it's a question only Brown and Stevens can really answer, and both are intelligent men who can at least talk it out. If they choose to.
Dusty May was the hottest name on the NBA radar for months, yet every time his name came up, he had a policy.
May wasn't going to talk about other jobs — at least, not specifically.
I sat down with the now-former Michigan basketball coach on June 17 for an overarching conversation about U-M's program. We discussed his frontcourt trio that's expected to be lottery selections, his returning guards that could be as good as any backcourt in the country, a pair of McDonald's All American incoming freshmen, the five-in-five rule and other players who could step up this season.
The sit-down concluded with probes about his current job and any potential for a new one. While he acknowledged he had yet to sign his extension with Michigan, he implied it was moving forward without a hitch. Also, given when he signed an extension last year it came in July, this didn't seem exceedingly out of the ordinary.
"Two days ago, I had a discussion about a couple details, and a week before that had a couple discussions about details," said May, to which I asked if the plan is still to go forward. "Yeah. I mean ... I don't even understand the issues with contracts because it's like the contracts are only as good as the buyout.
"But there's active negotiations, minor details. ... I don't spend much time thinking about it and talking about it."
May's name was floated for just about every position that came open this past cycle — the Magic, Pelicans, Bulls, Bucks, Trail Blazers and most recently Mavericks. I asked him about what it's like hearing his name for all these openings.
"What's the saying, peacock today, feather duster tomorrow?" he responded. "Yeah, you feel appreciated, but I think every job that's been open this year, I've heard my name. ... I think that's more media-driven than anything else."
When asked if some teams had actually reached out to him, he said "very few." I probed back and specifically mentioned the Mavericks.
"I'm not talking about other jobs, right?," he said. "I've said it before. If I spend time talking about every job, that becomes the Brad Stevens joke where, a Division II, JUCO comes open and they say they 'gotta make Brad Stevens say no.'
"There's no reason to talk about jobs because there's going to be 10 jobs next year — 10 in the NBA and 10 in college. I'm just not talking about it. I think I've been pretty clear. I'm not talking about jobs."
In hindsight, this reads differently than it felt in the moment. At the time, it felt similar to some of the conversations he and I had in Indianapolis last spring, where the rumors were swirling North Carolina was going to pounce as a true blueblood of the sport and steal him away from Ann Arbor.
He doubled down and told me he was happy in Ann Arbor and didn't plan on leaving.
That same weekend, athletic director Warde Manuel shot down the reports and told the Free Press the two had agreed in principle to a new deal. Just more than a week later, after U-M won the national title, Manuel said it in Crisler Center in front of thousands of people — with May's approval — that "[May] will be the leader of this basketball team for many years to come," eliciting a roar and standing ovation from the crowd.
May's previous deal featured a $4.6 million base salary for this year. He earned another $500,000 in bonuses for winning the Big Ten ($50,000), being named Big Ten Coach of the Year ($50,000), winning a Final Four game ($200,000) and the national championship ($200,000) for a total of $5.1 million.
One could only figure it will be much larger than that in Dallas, with a future star player already on the roster, a top-10 pick in this week's NBA Draft, plus a major media market with an organization that's not afraid to spend money.
It fits a lot of the criteria May needed in order to be pulled away from the Wolverines.
There's no sugarcoating this: It's a detrimental blow for Michigan. In two years, May took a last-place Big Ten team and turned it into the best team in the country and appeared to have the program poised to become a powerhouse for years to come.
He was a master in the transfer portal. After the NBA Draft on June 23, it's likely his five transfer portal big men he landed in two years in Danny Wolf, Vlad Goldin, Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara and Morez Johnson Jr. will all be on NBA rosters, and four of them will have gone as first-round selections.
U-M appeared to have real staff continuity going into the 2026-27 season, with only Justin Joyner (who took over as Oregon State head coach) seemingly on the way out. Now, the leader of the entire operation is off to lead the Mavericks along with Cooper Flagg.
Oh, don't forget, the Mavericks have the No. 9 pick in the draft. Flagg is a big, versatile forward who can handle the ball and create for others. May likes that. What else does he like? Pairing another big man with him.
Keep an eye out for a Mara-May reunion on Tuesday night.
Tony Garcia is the Michigan beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
TEMPE, ARIZONA - MARCH 19, 2026: Cooper Ingle #12 of the Cleveland Guardians bats during the third inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Los Angeles Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium on March 19, 2026 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
It’s getting late early for the Cleveland Guardians.
June 13th was a terrible day for the Cleveland baseball team. You have to expect some major injuries in a baseball season, but you hope (1) they don’t take out three of your top five hitters when your offense is not especially good in the first place, (2) they are spread out over the whole season and not all at once, and (3) it doesn’t effect your future Hall of Famer. Instead, the Guardians lost Jose Ramirez, Angel Martinez and Chase DeLauter all to broken bones in one game. Bummer. That stinks.
But, the Guardians ten days later are still in first place in a weak AL Central in a weak AL West. This grip on the division is, obviously, very tenuous. The Guardians just lost their most interesting starting pitching prospect in the “Near the Big Leagues” category when Khal Stephen underwent Tommy John surgery. If they sustain one starting pitcher injury… this train will absolutely plummet off the tracks. Should they lose – God forbid – one of Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis or Collin Holderman – I don’t think the train can avoid derailment either. But, if we can assume unsually good pitching health to hold – and assume the Guardians are going to give Franco Aleman a chance to provide more than what Matt Festa can provide AT SOME POINT – it’s the Guardians’ offense that is the panic point when we are evaluating their chances at hanging around until some of the Ramirez/Martinez/DeLauter group can make their return.
Since June 13th, the Guardians offense has a 70 wRC+ in six games. Clearly, this is a small sample size. No argument. However, the six starting pitchers the Guardians faced in that time period had a combined 4.83 ERA. Not managing to get at least 3 of those 6 games should raise some alarm bells, especially when they scored only 1 run twice and 2 runs once during that stretch.
In the Guardians’ defense, they did the right thing in calling up Kahlil Watson and giving him a shot. It isn’t terribly surprising that Watson has struggled. He had clear contact red flags in Columbus that have been exposed. He deserves a chance to see if he can work through some of those issues and reduce his whiff and chase enough to get to his power. So, buckle down and brace yourself for a rough stretch while this young player works on making adjustments. That make sense.
I am here to tell you that the Guardians need to make the same move they made with Watson with some other players. Take a look at some of these eye-watering hitting stats for players that are infesting Cleveland’s lineup, currently:
Petey Halpin – 15 wRC+, .265 xwOBA, 27.9/2.3 K/BB%. Steven Kwan – 67 wRC+, .300 xwOBA, 10.4/12.8 K/BB% Patrick Bailey – 71 wRC+, .293 xwOBA, 26.9/6 K/BB% Gabriel Arias – 71 wRC+, .266 xwOBA, 40.8/4.1 K/BB% Daniel Schneemann – 79 wRC+, .290 xwOBA, 30.4/9.2 K/BB% Rhys Hoskins – 91 wRC+, .288 xwOBA, 30.6/16 K/BB% (61 wRC+, .243 xwOBA over the past months’ worth of games).
Wow, ok, where to begin. Halpin, Arias and Hoskins appear to just be bad. Not really surprising in any of these cases. Hoskins may just be going through a prolonged slump and need a chance to get back to his career norms. But, Halpin and Arias are here to provide defense. That’s it. And, that’s simply not enough. Daniel Schneemann has not been good… but he has been better than Arias has been. I think the team should install Schneemann as their everyday third baseman against RHP’s and mix Arias in against LHP’s (if they MUST).
Kwan is an interesting problem because his .300 xwOBA is not good, but would be enough to help this lineup if he was able to get close to it (around an 85 wRC+). However, it feels like defenses have simply adjusted to playing exactly where Kwan will ALWAYS hit the ball and so his insanely low .220 batting average on balls in play feels entirely justified instead of unlucky. If Cooper Ingle is capable of playing left field (certainly a legitimate question), it would make complete sense to bring him up, move Kwan to Halpin’s bench role and demote Halpin. CJ Kayfus has struggled to find his footing in Columbus, but he might also make sense as a temporary promotion in the future Ingle spot while Ingle continues to get reps in the outfield.
Kody Huff has a 141 wRC+ with a 17.1/15 K/BB% in what looks like a legitimate breakout as a catcher. His OPS is .979 at Columbus which is clearly inflated, but it’s still .875 in road games. He’s going to force the team into a very uncomfortable decision at some point should this breakout continue. As a right-handed hitter with a 1.012 OPS against LHP this yeaar, he makes a perfect pairing with Patrick Bailey, who appears to be the team’s choice for someone they want as part of their catching tandem in the future. But, they simply are not going to cut Hedges (who, as seen below, is having a decent hitting season!). Will they be willing to run with Huff getting some DH at-bats and either cut Hoskins or demote Fry? I am here to tell you that it is probably the right decision, given where they are currently with the disastrous injury runs, they should probably DFA Hoskins and see if he’ll accept a Columbus assignment for a bit if not claimed and run a Bailey/Huff platoon with Hedges providing third catcher help and his clubhouse magic. Will they do that? Probably not. But, I don’t see how they can continue to deny what Huff is doing and how he could potentially help.
Before looking at Ingle a bit more, let’s briefly discuss Austin Hedges and David Fry. Hedges is actually a remarkable story this year. He has a 91 wRC+ and a 16.7/8.9 K/BB% with a .303 xwOBA that makes something like that seem kind of sustainable??!! But, we cannot forget that Hedges has a career 52 wRC+. Chances are, given too many more plate appearances, that’s more the kind of hitter he will averae out to be. Meanwhile, Fry has a 104 wRC+. Above average, nice. But, that comes with outperforming his xwOBA of .268 by .060. He’s striking out a third of the time, has displayed very little power, and is propping this up with an elevated walk rate that seems remarkably unsustainable given that good pitchers are going to realize they simply don’t need to worry about throwing him pitches in the zone at some point (perhaps that point has begun since Fry has a 45 wRC+ in June). So, Hedges and Fry are fine for now and I’d be cool with both getting more opportunities (especially if they aren’t going to promote Huff); I would also not be at all surprised if both see their current solid numbers absolutely collapse if given those additional chances.
All right, now, for Cooper Ingle has a 155 wRC+ with a 22.7/18.5 K/BB%, a .333 BABIP, a .380 xwOBA, and a .274 ISO. He has a 1.112 OPS in Columbus, but still a great .892 OPS on the road. He has a little more whiff in him than you might want, but I see no reason to doubt that Ingle is, right now, a top five hitter in the Guardians organization. I would postulate that he is only not currently in Cleveland because the organization has yet to solidify his defensive footing in the outfield. Understandably, they are not ready to pause his potential development as a catcher and so he is still going between catcher and left field.
I am here to say that it is time to bite the bullet and pause the Ingle Catcher Project and make him the left fielder every night until he has enough reps under his belt to not embarrass himself. Once that happens, he needs to be in Cleveland to replace Petey Halpin and move Kwan to the bench. Ingle has some pretty pronounced splits so he isn’t going to help much vs LHP – who cares? This lineup just needs someone who can actually hit the ball. As many someones as they can find, in fact.
George Valera is back, having got through waivers. See if he can get himself on track and pop him in for Watson in a week or so if Kahlil continues to struggle. Ralphy Velazquez seems to be finding his footing in Columbus with a 125 wRC+ in his past seven games. If he can maintain some sort of breakout, it will be officially time to move on from either Hoskins or Fry and give the team’s one potential middle of the order bat a chance to take his lumps.
As a brief aside, I know many fans are hopeful help will come via the August 3rd trade deadline. The issue is that the vast majority of trades are simply not going to happen until the last week of July as teams wait for all buyers and sellers to line up. Finally, the team might be able to land a coveted right-handed hitter (every team in MLB needs one), but their bigger needs are still likely a starting pitcher (because an injury is very likely to arise there) and a left-handed reliever because they don’t have any potential help for those positions immediately available in their system. With hitters like Ingle, Huff and Velazquez nearing the bigs and Ramirez, Martinez and DeLauter due to return, don’t be surprised to see the team focus on pitching. I’m just warning you. I support adding a right-handed bopper! Absolutely. Just want to make sure we are aware of the likely moves ahead.
I don’t know if the Guardians will survive June 13’s massacre. They could even end up some sort of sellers by the trade deadline. However, I hope the front office will continue to be aggressive in trying to give them all the chances in the world to survive by promoting Cooper Ingle and Kody Huff as soon as possible, and Ralphy Velazquez should the opportunity become clear.
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 28: Rome Emperors mascot Julius takes the field before the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Cleveland Guardians at Truist Park on April 28, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves minor league system is rapidly improving and this year the fastest-rising position player in all of baseball may be Atlanta’s 20th round pick from 2025, recently-turned 20-year-old Canadian outfield prospect Eric Hartman, who is currently dominating the competition at High-A Rome.
He’s not the only highly-ranked position player in the Braves system to be plying his trade in northwest Georgia. Infielder John Gil, the 20-year-old international signee who made his pro debut in the Braves system in 2023, is also showcasing his skill there.
Not to be outdone, 2025 first round pick Tate Southisene, the 19-year-old shortstop prospect recently joined Rome from Low-A Augusta and outfielder Isaiah Drake – the organization’s fifth round pick in 2023 – is beginning to put his tools together, offensively.
With so much talent on one team, I decided to take a trip to Rome to put eyes on this collection of talent. A caveat here, I am not a prospect evaluator, so below are my observations from one game – Saturday, June 20 – against Hudson Valley. Our prospect team does an excellent job covering the system (the link to the Battery Power prospects section is above) if you want their take on the talent.
Rome lost 3-2 and the team’s offense was largely held in check, mustering only six hits. Rome pitching staff was leaky, but kept the Emperors in the game with the only real damage coming on two Hudson Valley home runs.
Despite Rome’s tepid offensive output, two players stood out for the Emperors, with three others flashing during the game. Again, for the record, let me reiterate that this is based on one game in the season – so just because Owen Carey or others aren’t in this write-up, it is only because of one Saturday night in June.
Eric Hartman
I think any fan going to see a minor league game is hoping to leave with at least one memorable moment. And when there is one player who you hope to say, “I saw him hit a home run when he was still a minor leaguer!” one feels privileged when that works out.
Why Eric Hartman is still in Rome is beyond me. With his home run last night, embedded above, he now has 18 home runs and 26 stolen bases on the season … and that was only through June 20. He added two more stolen bases, yesterday. Beyond his Saturday home run, two other things about his play jumped out last night.
In his next at bat after his home run, he connected with a ball that he drove to the left field side of center field that only made it to the warning track, but was easily 385 feet. The sound off his bat was better than his home run that he pulled over the right field fence. Was it a barrelled ball? Yes, yes it was.
His most impressive at bat, to me, was actually is final one in the bottom of the eighth inning. Rome was trailing by a run and had two outs with no runners on base. Hartman hit a hard grounder to the right side of second base. Hudson Valley was playing the shortstop almost on second base so the fielder only had to take a couple of steps to his left to field-and-throw and Hartman almost beat the throw for an infielder hit. Sitting behind home plate, it was tough to see exactly how close it was, but it was a half-step at most.
That sprint-speed and hustle out of the box was impressive.
It isn’t hyperbole to think he will be a big leaguer by no later than the end of 2027, either in Atlanta or as the key piece for a high-caliber MLB-player return this season. A high-ranking, notable front office member just happened to have a front-row seat to the action last night.
John Gil
Last night, John Gil played second base and was easily the second-most impressive position player performer on the night. He singled and scored ahead of Hartman’s home run, but his two most electric at-bats were both outs.
Without knowing what the actually EV was off the bat, the hardest ball hit by either team last night was likely Gil’s line-out to third. Two feet in either direction and it would have been a double, as he barrelled it. He also drilled a ball for a fly-out, but it was hit on a line to the left fielder and was likely another registered barrel.
The sound off his bat – and I know this is more of an old school way of positioning it – but the sound off his bat was THAT sound. The one you know is squared-up and hard and was the best sound of leather-to-wood in the ballpark by either team.
Gil has added muscle to his frame, and he’s stout. Through the 20th, he’d hit 10 home runs and stole 32 bases, and then added another home run on the 21st. There weren’t any stand-out chances defensively for him, but he might be an option for Atlanta by 2028, somewhere on the infield.
Tate Southisene
Recently promoted shortstop Tate Southisene batted lead-off and collected two walks in four plate appearance. What was obvious in all of his at bat is his patience at the plate. He didn’t chase and other than one out-of-control swing at a high fast ball in his third at bat, he was posed and unwilling to offer at anything outside of the zone.
Unfortunately, that was all there was to glean from him in this game.
Isaiah Drake
Isaiah Drake showed off his speed on the bases and in the field, stealing a base after and awful dropped fly ball by Hudson Valley’s right fielder – it was overcast, there was no wind, and this was a can of corn that he flat-out dropped – and making several nice running catches in right field.
Drake’s most impressive defensive play was running down a ball in the right-center field gap that looked like a double off-the-bat but ended up being an easy catch. He also made a solid running catch coming in on a dying liner his toward the foul line behind first base.
Will Drake make it to the big leagues? Maybe, the speed and defense plays, but he might end up being like former Braves minor leaguer Justin Dean, who finally got his first MLB hit on Friday night after more than a decade of pro ball. If Drake can add to the power he is showing this season, he could carve out a role as a fourth outfielder-type.
Colby Jones
Admittedly, I didn’t know anything about outfielder Colby Jones coming into this game – but like Drake, Gil, Hartman and Southisene – he can fly with more than 20 stolen bases. He got a hit a stole second easily and his movements were quick and fast. He struck out twice – although one was on what appeared to be an awful call by the home plate umpire (although not as bad as the ump ringing up Dixon Williams on a check-swing the at bat prior) who was ready to go home in the bottom of the ninth.
The speed Jones has can’t be ignored, and like Drake, he could be a fringe big league player but at the least, he’s excellent minor league depth with a real tool.
Pitchers
Zach Royce, the team’s seventh round pick last year, was the starter after getting promoted from Augusta. He struggled and looked over matched early on in the game. Also making his Rome debut was Jerrett Whorff, the 27-year-old just signed from the Rangers organization who tossed a clean inning a pick-up a strikeout. He’s an organizational depth piece.
Rome’s most impressive pitcher was David Rodriguez, who pitched two scoreless innings, striking out three batters. He’s 24 and was a 2023 draftee and another organizational arm.
Hudson Valley
Hudson Valley is a Yankees affiliate, and honestly, I didn’t pay as close of attention to the Renegades as the Emperors as this was not a “work” trip.
First baseman Kyle West annihilated a Royce pitcher for a home run in the fourth. Third baseman Core Jackson also homered. Catcher Eric Genter went 5-for-5 at the plate with two doubles about also made two weak throws – both well to the shortstop side of second – while trying to throw out Drake and Jones steal. Starting pitcher Rory Fox pitched well and closer Wilmy Sanchez struck out three in the ninth, allowing only a two-out single to Emperors first baseman Mason Guerra, who did have two hits in the game.
It has been a while since I had been to a minor league game, and it was a reminder as to how enjoyable those games can be. And, lucky me, I got to see Hartman do what he’s done this season. I think it is about time he starts trying to do that in Columbus with the Clingstones and maybe Gil should go with him.
Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong is on a tremendous batting run. Since May 14, when facing left-hander Chris Sale in Atlanta, PCA made an adjustment in his batting stance and since then, in 34 games he’s batting .346/.426/.699 (46-for-133) with seven doubles, two triples, 12 home runs, 23 RBI, 23 runs scored, 15 walks and eight stolen bases.
I noticed this about PCA when I was in San Francisco last week — check out the photo at the top of this post to see just how close he’s standing to the plate. It does, apparently, make a difference. Incidentally, I took that Sunday, June 14 in the first inning, when PCA was facing Logan Webb, who is definitely not a left-hander. So he’s standing there not necessarily exclusively against LHP. Here, though, is a screenshot from the game against the Dodgers April 26 in Los Angeles, showing PCA standing in against left-hander Jack Dreyer. You can see how much farther he’s standing from the plate:
“It was just to give them less room to go,” Crow-Armstrong said. “The visual of seeing somebody standing right on top of the plate may change things. In turn, it’s helped me know where I need [pitches] to start. It’s helped me lay off stuff inside and cover the outer half of the plate.”
As the article notes, PCA’s walk rate is also up, and this new stance might be helping that. He’s just one walk short of matching his total for all of 2025, and in 22 games batting in the leadoff spot he’s posted a .462 OBP, which is just outstanding.
We are watching Pete Crow-Armstrong become a superstar right in front of us. As I noted earlier this morning, he very well might win a second consecutive NL Player of the Week award, he’s a strong candidate for NL Player of the Month, and he’ll almost certainly make a second straight NL All-Star team.
And if he continues to produce like this, the trade that brought PCA to the Cubs from the Mets for Javier Báez and Trevor Williams might go down as one of the best in franchise history.
