Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:L, 6-8 at Indianapolis Indians
LF Duke Ellis 1-4, BB, K, SB 2B-SS-2B Marco Luciano 0-4, BB, K, throwing error — some weird defensive notes afoot, though not as funny as Travis d’Arnaud and Asdrubal Cabrera with the Mets a few years ago DH Yanquiel Fernández 1-4, RBI, SF CF Garrett Martin 2-5, 2B, HR, 5 RBI — the dingers and ribbies will continue until morale improves, regardless of level (his third in four games at Triple-A and 24th in 66 games combined between Double-A, 435 feet); also a great catch! SS-3B-SS Tyler Hardman 1-4, K, HBP, throwing error 1B Ernesto Martinez Jr. 1-4, BB, K C Payton Henry 2-5, K 3B-2B-2B Cole Gabrielson 0-3, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 fielding errors and a throwing error — made errors at both positions, and then a third (this was his first carer pro game in the infield); anyway, Scranton made five errors, whoops RF Kenedy Corona 2-3, BB, RBI, K
Adam Kloffenstein 4 IP, 3 H, 5 R (2 ER), 4 BB, 2 K, HR, HBP Dylan Coleman 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K Rafael Montero 0.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 0 K (loss) Jake Bird 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K Eric Reyzelman 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Double-A Somerset Patriots:W, 10-2 at New Hampshire Fisher Cats
LF Jackson Castillo 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI — his and Cobb’s two-run doubles helped Patriots build 4-0 lead early DH Jace Avina 1-5, RBI, 2 K CF DJ Gladney 0-5, 4 K RF Nicholas Torres 1-4, 2 K, SB, HBP 3B Coby Morales 2-4, HR, BB, 2 RBI, 2 K, CS C Miguel Palma 1-4, BB, RBI, K 1B Josh Moylan 2-4, 2B, HR, BB, 2 RBI, K — first Double-A homer SS Owen Cobb 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K 2B Connor McGinnis 2-4, 2B, K
Xavier Rivas 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 6 K (win) Harrison Cohen 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K Matt Keating 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K Michael Arias 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K Hayden Merda 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 0 K Chase Chaney 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
High-A Hudson Valley Renegades:L, 6-7 (10) at Bowling Green Hot Rods
3B Kaeden Kent 3-5, K, CS SS Core Jackson 2-5 C Eric Genther 1-4, BB, K, catcher interference error 1B Kyle West 3-5, BB, RBI, K LF Wilson Rodriguez 2-5, HR, 3 RBI, picked off — two-run homer tied it in the second and two-run single gave HV a 6-4 lead, but it did not hold DH Roderick Arias 2-5, 2B, 3 K 2B Enmanuel Tejeda 0-5, GIDP CF Camden Troyer 0-3, BB, K RF Robbie Burnett 0-4, K
Luis Serna 6 IP, 6 H, 5 R (4 ER), 1 BB, 9 K, balk Tanner Bauman 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K Bryce Warrecker 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, HBP, WP — uncorked wild pitch to let Hot Rods tie it in eighth Andrew Landry 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 2 K (loss) — allowed walk-off knock to Nathan Flewelling
DH Brando Mayea 3-6, K, SB — single to begin game was the first of 15 knocks for Tampa SS Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 0-4, BB, 2 K, HBP 3B Hans Montero 1-4, HR, BB, 2 RBI, SF — 410-foot blast in the eighth CF Willy Montero 3-5, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 2 K, SB — two-run shot in the first went 108 mph off the bat (distance not captured, but it went deep to left-center) LF JoJo Jackson 3-5, 2B, 3B, RBI, CS — has hit .442 in his last 13 games 1B David McCann 0-4, BB, 3 K 2B Luis Escudero 3-4, 2B, HR, BB, 2 RBI, K, 2 SB — went yard in the second, along with Lara C Ediel Rivera 1-4, BB, RBI, K — RBI hit made it 7-0 in the fifth RF Gabriel Lara 1-4, HR, BB, RBI, 2 K
Thatcher Hurd 4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 10 K — 15 swings and misses as well, easily his best pro start yet (out of eight this year post-Tommy John surgery) Jose M. Rodriguez 2.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, HR (win) Pedro Rodriguez 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K Josh Tiedemann 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, WP
Dominican Summer League Bombers:L, 1-12 (7) vs. DSL Mets Orange — Bombers held to two hits, they probably wish they had just been off too
SS Mani Cedeno 0-2, BB, 2 K, SB 3B Adam Feliz 0-0 DH Alessandro Rodriguez 0-2, RBI, K, SF 2B Carlos Bello 0-3, 2 K RF David Carrera 0-2 RF Sebastian Pinto 0-0, HBP 3B Germayhoni Beltre 0-3, GIDP C Poly Ojeda 0-1, 2 BB, K, throwing error, passed ball, picked off 1B Stalen Ramirez 0-1, BB, K, CS LF Eddison Charles 0-2, K, GIDP CF Alfiery Matos 2-2, SB — hey, someone had to get the hits! (two singles)
The Detroit Tigers failed to secure a series win against the New York Yankees on Wednesday night, falling short in a 4-2 defeat that saw Tarik Skubal earn his fourth loss of the season. The offense did him no favors, going just 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and leaving nine on base, but Skubal’s three home runs surrendered did nothing to further the cause either.
Next up for the Motor City Kitties are the Houston Astros, who arrive in town on Thursday for a four-game weekend series to wrap up the current homestand at Comerica Park. The ‘Stros have collected four straight series wins after recently beating the Toronto Blue Jays on the road — including one against Detroit at Daikin Park last week, two games to one.
Opening things up for the Tigers is right-hander Troy Melton, who has been a steady presence in the rotation but has yet to crack the zero fWAR mark in just under 32 innings of work. While statistically he is dead even with the average replacement player, he still has a perfect 4-0 record and a sub-3 ERA — much more than any of the other starters can claim.
The 25-year-old recorded his third quality start in five tries last time out against the Chicago White Sox, who he shut down with six one-run innings, allowing just a solo home run along with three walks while striking out five and hitting a batter. He earned the win in a 4-1 victory for the good guys.
Going up against him is fellow righty Tatsuya Imai, who has struggled a bit in his first season on this side of the Pacific. The 28-year-old from Japan did manage to notch a quality start in his last outing against the Cleveland Guardians, tossing six frames of three-run ball on six hits (one home run) and zero walks while striking out a season high 11 batters for his fourth victory of 2026 in a 9-3 triumph.
Both starters are facing each other for the first time this season. Here is a look at how they match up on Thursday night.
Detroit Tigers (34-46) vs. Houston Astros (39-43)
Time (ET): 6:40 p.m. Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan SB Nation Site:The Crawfish Boxes Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 81: RHP Troy Melton (4-0, 2.56 ERA) vs. RHP Tatsuya Imai (4-3, 6.15 ERA)
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JULY 16: Elly De La Cruz #44 of the Cincinnati Reds speaks with William Contreras #24 of the Milwaukee Brewers during a baseball game at Great American Ball Park on July 16, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jeff Dean/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Note: All stats/records as of the morning of June 24
Though it sort of feels like their first game was not that long ago, the Milwaukee Brewers have played 78 games and are nearing the mathematical halfway point in the season. I thought it would be a good time to reassess the division, to see how things are going elsewhere, and to check on the Brewers’ outlook the rest of the way.
The National League Central got off to quite a start in 2026; as recently as June 4, all five teams were over .500. Compare that to the entire American League, which has just five teams above .500 total. But as the season has gone on, the back of the NL Central has slowed a bit, while the Brewers — who were not, I will remind you, generally regarded as preseason favorites — have opened up a cautiously comfortable lead at the top.
Let’s take a look at the other four teams to see how things are going and how we might expect the rest of the season to play out. We’ll go in reverse standings order.
Cincinnati Reds
Record: 37-41 (5th) Paul’s preseason record prediction: 85-77 (3rd) Best position player so far: Elly De La Cruz Best pitcher so far: Chase Burns
The Reds got off to a hot start. On May 1, they were 20-12 and led the division. But the next day, they started a seven-game losing streak which dropped them all the way to last place in the division, and they’ve hovered around .500 ever since. They’re just 7-13 in June, which coincided with the loss of De La Cruz, who didn’t play between May 31 and June 23 because of a hamstring strain.
De La Cruz has ascended to star status after tantalizing but inconsistent play during his first three seasons. He has career highs in all three slash-line categories, and he’s seen an uptick in power that could get him to his first 30/30 season despite missing most of June. His defense, which was excellent in 2024 but took a step back in 2025, has also seemingly rebounded.
Rookie Sal Stewart carried the offense over the first month. Through April 25, he was hitting .303/.398/.626 with nine home runs, 29 RBIs, and seven stolen bases in just 27 games. But he has cooled considerably since then: in his last 51 games, Stewart is hitting just .216/.305/.351 with five homers.
One nice surprise has been outfielder JJ Bleday. A former No. 4 overall pick, Bleday had a nice season with the A’s in 2024 but took a major step back in 2025 and was non-tendered after the season. Bleday signed with Cincinnati, and he’s put together an excellent year: in 50 games, he’s slugging .530 with 13 homers, 11 doubles, and 35 RBIs. His 138 OPS+ leads the team.
On the pitching side, the headlines belong to the 23-year-old Burns. The flamethrowing right-hander was the No. 2 overall pick in 2024 and quickly climbed prospect lists. He has some of the nastiest stuff in the league, and through 15 starts and 85 innings this season, he’s pitched to a 2.00 ERA with 102 strikeouts. If not for his fellow second-year pitcher Jacob Misiorowski, Burns would perhaps be the biggest pitching story in the league this year; with Burns, Misiorowski, and Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes all under 25, this division boasts one of the best young pitching trios we’ve seen in the league for some time.
There are disappointments elsewhere on the roster. Closer Emilio Pagán got off to a rough start before going on the injured list with a hamstring problem, and the team has had trouble replacing him. He’s expected back soon, but his ERA (6.43) and FIP (5.82) were both unsightly before his IL stint. Eugenio Suárez was the team’s big free-agent acquisition, signed to a one-year, $15 million contract before the season after he hit 49 homers for the Diamondbacks and Mariners last year. This year has been awful: he’s hitting just .201/.260/.253 and has only seven home runs in 51 games. The rotation, considered a strength coming into the season, has just two players with an ERA below 4.80.
That rotation has also been missing one of the league’s most dynamic starters, Hunter Greene. Greene was an All-Star and finished eighth in Cy Young voting in 2024 before getting off to an even better start in 2025, but he missed the entire second half of last season with a groin injury before needing to undergo surgery to remove bone chips in his elbow during spring training this year. He may be nearing a return, which would be a major boost.
Threat level: Low. There’s some potential for this pitching staff; if Greene and Pagán look good upon their returns and Nick Lodolo (who pitched well against Milwaukee on Tuesday) improves, they could be a challenge to score on. But the problem lately has been offense, and unless Suárez goes on a major heater and Stewart finds his early season form, there’s not enough here.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Record: 39-40 (4th) Paul’s preseason record prediction: 78-84 (4th) Best position player so far: Bryan Reynolds Best pitcher so far: Paul Skenes
A trendy pick to do well in the division at the beginning of the season, I never bought in with the Pirates; I didn’t think they did enough to improve upon what was one of the worst offenses in the league last year, and while I thought the pitching staff had some potential, I thought they were still a ways away.
The offense has improved quite a bit more than I expected it to. Some of that is from external forces: their new second baseman, Brandon Lowe, has been excellent, and he’s been holding it down defensively at second base, which was a question. Their other acquisitions have had mixed results; Ryan O’Hearn has been okay, but Marcell Ozuna has been a disaster — he has a 65 OPS+ and -0.8 WAR in 54 games.
The biggest reasons the offense has improved came from within. One is Oneil Cruz, who was flaming hot for a stretch during the season’s first month. He’s cooled a bit, though, and strikeouts will always be a problem: Cruz is ninth in the majors with 98 strikeouts, but he’s played 10 fewer games than any of the eight players in front of him.
The biggest factor for the Bucs this season has been an old Brewer nemesis: Bryan Reynolds. I’ll admit that after the then-30-year-old Reynolds had a thoroughly unspectacular season in 2025 I wrote him off. I was wrong. Reynolds is having his best season since he finished 11th in MVP voting in 2021: through 79 games, he’s hitting .287/.401/.482 with 18 doubles, 11 homers, and 51 RBIs, and he’s on pace for his best season by WAR in years.
On the other side of the ball, Skenes has been really good… but he hasn’t quite been the “this is one of the two best pitchers in the league” guy he’d been in his first two seasons. Skenes already has four games in 2026 in which he’s given up four runs or more; he only had five such games in his first two seasons combined. Skenes’ peripheral numbers are mostly in line with previous years: his strikeout rate (30.6%) is slightly higher than it was in his unanimous Cy Young campaign last season, and his walk rate (5.1%) is the lowest of his career. The big difference has been the long ball; it’s not a huge jump, but Skenes is giving up home runs at a rate that’s a couple ticks higher than in either of his previous fantastic seasons.
Some concerns still remain. It is a question as to whether Reynolds and Lowe, who’ve been carrying the offense of late, can keep their pace, and similar questions apply to surprising role players like Spencer Horwitz. Konnor Griffin is off to a solid start as a pro, but Pittsburgh will need more from his bat if they want to make noise this season. The pitching staff is a mixed bag: Braxton Ashcraft has been good, and Carmen Mlodzinski has been a nice surprise, but Mitch Keller and Bubba Chandler, who were both being counted on to be major contributors, have been disappointing. Evan Sisk has been incredible in 34 innings in the bullpen, but Dennis Santana couldn’t hold the closer job at the beginning of the season and Gregory Soto, who has been plagued by inconsistency over his career, is now closing games. It’s gone well so far, but I would not want to rely too heavily on Soto.
Threat level: Low. I’ve been down on Pittsburgh as a short-term threat all year. The offense has been significantly better than I expected, but that’s with several guys outperforming their expectations, and I wouldn’t expect that to keep up. They’ve also sacrificed defense in order to improve the offense: at -14.4 fielding runs, they’ve got the fourth-worst defense in the league via FanGraphs.
Chicago Cubs
Record: 41-37 (3rd) Paul’s preseason record prediction: 91-71 (2nd) Best position player so far: Pete Crow-Armstrong Best pitcher so far: Ben Brown
The bad news, if you’re a Brewers fan: Pete Crow-Armstrong is, I think, better than we all gave him credit for. As of Wednesday, PCA is the MLB leader in bWAR among position players with 4.7. Despite the occasional boneheaded move, he is the best defensive outfielder in baseball by far. After a slow start that extended a months-long slump from the second half of last year, someone poured gasoline on PCA and flicked a match at him: in June, he is batting .432/.488/.946 in 18 games. That scorching stretch has bumped his season numbers up to .287/.366/.529 (a 152 OPS+) with 17 homers, four triples, and 18 stolen bases. He’s also improved his batting eye; PCA may never walk a lot, but with 30 free passes in 2026, he’s already surpassed last season’s total in fewer than half the games.
The good news, if you’re a Brewers fan: little else has gone right for the Cubs, particularly on the pitching staff. They have had horrible injury luck: as of this writing, Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Justin Steele, and Jameson Taillon — four fifths of what they hoped would be their rotation this season — are on the injured list, as are relievers Daniel Palencia, Riley Martin, Porter Hodge, and Hunter Harvey. Their remaining starters have struggled: Shota Imanaga, Colin Rea, and Edward Cabrera — who they traded their top prospect, Owen Caissie, for in the offseason — have a combined -1.3 bWAR. The bullpen has been similarly erratic; aside from one bright spot in Ryan Rolison, consistency has been difficult to come by.
One exception is Ben Brown, the 26-year-old righty. He started the season out of the bullpen, but the team needed starts, so he moved to the rotation in early May. In eight starts since then, Brown has a 1.70 ERA and 2.40 FIP in 42 1/3 innings.
Note: both Brown and Cabrera were also added to the injured list after this piece was written on Wednesday. Things just keep getting wore for the Cubs’ pitching staff.
The lineup has been okay, but the two highly paid guys on the left side of the infield are struggling. Dansby Swanson can’t get over the Mendoza line but is maintaining some amount of offensive utility only because he’s got 11 homers. Alex Bregman, in the first year of a five-year, $140 million contract, is having the worst offensive season of his 11-year career.
Threat level: Medium-low. The offense is still potent, the defense is still good, and PCA looks like an MVP candidate, but the pitching just isn’t coming together. Boyd might be back soon, but Steele may miss the whole season, and Horton won’t pitch until 2027. Taillon could be back in the second half, but he was leading the league in home runs allowed when he went out. Palencia’s status is iffy. There are just too many injuries.
St. Louis Cardinals
Record: 42-35 (2nd) Paul’s preseason record prediction: 74-88 (5th) Best position player so far: J.J. Wetherholt Best pitcher so far: Michael McGreevy
This team is the biggest surprise here, maybe in the whole league. The Cardinals were expected to be bad — they traded away Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, Nolan Arenado, and Brendan Donovan, their most accomplished players, before the season. But in a very Brewers-y twist, they’ve improved over last season’s 78-84 team, at least thus far.
A lot of that has to do with rookie JJ Wetherholt, who came into the season as a consensus top-five prospect. Wetherholt has played some of the best infield defense in the National League, and he’s more than carried his weight offensively, too. Through 73 games, he was hitting .267/.366/.421 (125 OPS+) with 12 homers and eight stolen bases in eight tries; as of Wednesday, he ranked only behind Crow-Armstrong and the Dodgers’ Andy Pages in bWAR among NL position players.
The other big reason is the resurgence of Jordan Walker. His story is well-known: he, like Wetherholt, was a mega-prospect. But he was called up when he was really young — he played 117 big-league games in his age-21 season in 2023 — and while he hit pretty well, the Cardinals couldn’t find a defensive home for him. Over the next two years, his offense disappeared, and he had to go back to the minors on various occasions. But he was still only 23 years old at the start of the 2026 season, so maybe we shouldn’t have been surprised when he finally started to deliver on his prodigious offensive talent. As of Wednesday, Walker was leading the NL in RBIs, with a .290/.343/.523 (143 OPS+) batting line and 18 homers.
I still have concerns. The pitching staff has only two above-average starters, one of whom — Andre Pallante — had -1.2 bWAR in 2025. The other, McGreevy, had barely thrown 100 big leagues innings prior to this season, and he’s got a FIP that’s more than a run higher than his ERA. The bullpen isn’t good; of the seven Cardinal pitchers with double-digit relief appearances, only two have an ERA+ better than 102.
The most notable crack in the St. Louis façade is in their run differential, which sat at just plus-four coming into play Wednesday. That’s worse than the Cubs and Pirates and gives them an “expected” win-loss record of 39-38, three games worse than their actual record.
Threat level: Low. The Cardinals should be praised for what they’ve done this season, and they’ve already exceeded my expectations, but they’ve done that with basically perfect scenarios from Wetherholt and Walker. The pitching staff, an expected weakness, has been middle of the pack and I see no reason to think it will improve, if it doesn’t regress. If the Cardinals hang around .500 for the rest of the season, it’d be a positive outcome for them; to ask for more than that is probably asking too much of this young, inexperienced group.
Milwaukee’s Outlook
The Brewers have put themselves in a great position not because they’re lucky but because they are good. Even with a healthy pitching staff, I never thought the Cubs were quite on Milwaukee’s level and given how the Brewers have surprised everyone by seemingly improving again, they’ve built a cushion in this division that I don’t see any of the other teams being able to overcome.
There is still a lot of season left, but the Brewers are the class of this division, and the numbers bear it out: Milwaukee’s +122 run differential, the second-best mark in baseball behind the Dodgers, is almost 100 runs better than second place in the division (the Cubs at +31). Chicago is still the biggest threat, but I still expect Milwaukee to cruise to another division title.
Now that the smoke has cleared from the NBA Draft, it seems like Kentucky’s two draftees found themselves in really good situations.
Starting off with Jayden Quaintance, who found himself in a really good spot being selected 20th overall by the San Antonio Spurs. Quaintance lands on a Spurs team coming off an appearance in the NBA Finals where he will join a frontcourt with one of the best players in the league in Victor Wembanyama.
That frontcourt pairing of Wembanyama and Quaintance should strike fear into opposing teams with the length and shot-blocking ability those two possess.
Of course, that all hinges on Quaintance’s health, which has been (and continues to be) a significant question mark. The good thing for Quaintance is that he isn’t going to a team whose success will hinge on his ability to be an impact player right away. The Spurs have the luxury of being able to let Quaintance come along at a slower pace and make sure he’s healthy before rushing onto the court.
If everything is good for Quaintance health-wise, this could be the best pick of the draft.
Otega Oweh heard his name called in the second round at 41st overall, as he will head to the Oklahoma City Thunder to join a pair of former Cats in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Cason Wallace.
I also really like the Oweh-OKC pairing. The Thunder needed to add depth on the wing, and Oweh will have an opportunity to fill that role. Oweh will look to be a strong perimeter defender for the Thunder, and if he can continue to develop his jump shot, he could prove to be a reliable rotation player for a Thunder team that should be a championship contender.
This year’s draft turned out well for the pair of former Cats.
The Hockey News recently inquired about the Colorado Avalanche targeting Mason Marchment in free agency this summer. General manager Joe Sakic, however, went a step further by acquiring a younger, more physical version of him.
Zachary L’Heureux was acquired from the Nashville Predators as part of the Jack Drury trade on Wednesday. Colorado also sent prospect Chase Bradley and a third-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft to Nashville in a deal that also brought Fedor Svechkov to the Avalanche organization. On paper, it’s a multi-layered swap that addresses both immediate depth and long-term upside.
Jack Drury's all-out, team-first style will be missed. Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie - Imagn Images
Over the past two seasons, the Avalanche have been eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs in part because more physical, gritty teams have been able to wear them down in key moments. It’s not just about talent matching anymore — it’s about the ability to handle contact over a long series and still execute at pace. That gap has shown up when games tighten and space disappears.
The Dallas Stars eliminated Colorado in seven games in the 2025 postseason, a series in which the Avalanche were repeatedly on the receiving end of heavy contact and retaliation sequences. Roope Hintz high-sticked Nathan MacKinnon in the face and back of the head, while Jamie Benn cross-checked Valeri Nichushkin in front of the net and along the boards. The response from Colorado’s side was inconsistent, and the power play was largely ineffective, which ultimately became a deciding factor in the series.
This season, the frustration only deepened as expectations rose even higher. The Avalanche finished with 121 points, a franchise record and one of the highest totals in NHL history, while also leading the league in both goals scored and fewest goals allowed. That combination usually translates into a deep playoff run, especially for a team that also secured the most points before the Christmas break since the stat began being tracked in 1972, opening the year 27-2-7.
After sweeping the Los Angeles Kings in the first round and defeating the Minnesota Wild in five games, it looked as though Colorado was finally set for a true Stanley Cup push. The roster was rolling, the structure was intact, and the depth scoring was showing up at the right time. Instead, the Vegas Golden Knights swept the Presidents’ Trophy winners out of the playoffs in a series that turned quickly and decisively.
And one of the reasons Vegas won that series was their clear edge in physical play from the opening puck drop. The Golden Knights didn’t just match Colorado’s pace — they forced them into a different kind of game entirely, where every entry became contested and every loose puck came with contact. Over time, that pressure built into something Colorado couldn’t solve.
The turning point came in Game 3, when Colorado built a 3-0 lead before giving up five unanswered goals in a collapse that shifted the entire series. From that point forward, Vegas leaned into a tighter, heavier structure that eliminated clean looks in the offensive zone. The Avalanche were pushed to the perimeter and forced into low-percentage chances far more often than they were used to.
The physical gap showed up every night in the numbers and in the eye test. Ivan Barbashev finished the playoffs with 110 hits, setting the tone for a Vegas group that included Colton Sissons, Keegan Kolesar, Brett Howden, and Cole Smith. Each shift carried weight, and Colorado’s puck carriers rarely had time to settle.
In fact, six of the top 10 hitters in the playoffs were Golden Knights. And if you guessed how many Avalanche players finished in the top 10 — zero, you’re right. Zero. No Avs in the top 25 either, which only reinforced how one-sided the physical category became over the course of the series.
That trend has become part of a larger conversation around Colorado’s postseason identity. It’s not that the Avalanche lack skill — they clearly don’t — but the way games are called and played in late May often strips away space, and that’s where physical teams gain control. Vegas understood that better than anyone in the series.
Now the Avalanche are finally acknowledging—perhaps reluctantly—that the years-long strategy of chasing immediate help and spending future assets under Chris MacFarland didn't fully solve the roster's underlying issue. The organization spent years prioritizing skill and short-term upgrades, but the lack of physical edge eventually caught up to Colorado when it mattered most. The roster was built to dominate the regular season, yet it lacked the pushback necessary to withstand the grind of the postseason.
The addition of L’Heureux is the latest attempt to change that equation. He brings an edge Colorado has been missing — not just in terms of physicality, but in the way he can disrupt rhythm and tilt a shift. He’s expected to slide into a flexible fourth-line role under Jared Bednar alongside Fedor Svechkov and Parker Kelly, giving the Avalanche a heavier, more disruptive look at the bottom of the lineup.
Svechkov partnered with Parker Kelly and L'Heureux sounds like a match made in heaven. Credit: David Kirouac - Imagn Images
He’s also shown he can produce when given opportunity. In 30 games with the Milwaukee Admirals, Nashville’s AHL affiliate, he posted 14 goals and 14 assists for 28 points, along with four points in limited NHL action. Svechkov brings a two-way foundation, while Kelly adds speed and a career-high 21-goal season, giving that line a more balanced identity than Colorado’s depth has had in recent years.
The Avalanche now sit with just under $5 million in cap space, which leaves room for flexibility but not major swings without corresponding moves. If they explore moving Valeri Nichushkin for draft capital and relief, it could open the door to additional changes that further reshape the bottom of the roster.
If nothing else, this feels like a shift in tone more than a finished product. Not a full identity change yet, but a clearer understanding that what works in the regular season doesn’t always survive the grind of May and June.
It may not seem like it this year but one of baseball’s greatest rivalries is renewed tonight in Boston when the Yankees (48–31) and Red Sox (32-46) open a weekend series. New York sits atop the American League East while Boston is mired in the cellar.
You might think the Sox at Fenway helps level the playing field, but Boston has been a terrible home team this season with a record of just 12-25 while the Yankees have been dominant even on the road with 26 wins in 42 games. To date this season, it really has not mattered where they have played as these teams have played five times this season with New York winning four of the five and all three at Fenway.
Last night, the Yankees wrapped up their series in Detroit with a 4–2 win taking the final two games of the three-game series. Paul Goldschmidt homered twice to pace the Bronx Bombers against Tarik Skubal. The Sox dropped two of three to the Rockies earlier this week including 8-6 last night. Five of the eight runs that crossed the plate for Colorado were unearned. It's been that kind of season for the Red Sox. New York is a pedestrian 6–4 over their last 10 games but as mentioned do remain atop the division. The Red Sox, meanwhile, have dropped three of their last four and are 3–7 over their last ten games.
Tonight’s pitching matchup features two arms coming off strong outings in their most recent trips to the bump. The Yankees send the favorite to win the Cy Young, Cam Schlittler (8–3, 1.71 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 109 K) to face the Sox. Schlittler struck out 13 Reds over six shutout innings of four-hit ball last Friday. Boston counters with Connelly Early (6–5, 3.64 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 79 K). The lefty allowed one run on two hits while striking out seven over six innings Saturday in Seattle.
Ben Rice continues to pace the Yankees’ attack. He leads the team with a .286 average, 22 HR, and 53 RBI. Paul Goldschmidt has been white hot recently, going 14‑for‑41 with five home runs over his last 10 games. Boston’s most productive bat has been Willson Contreras, hitting .280 with 16 HR and 46 RBI this season. Ceddanne Rafaela is swinging a hot bat with at least one hit in seven of his last eight and 10 of his last 12 games.
Let's dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
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Game Details and How to Watch: Yankees vs. Red Sox
Date: Thursday, June 25, 2026
Time: 7:10PM EST
Site: Fenway Park
City: Boston, MA
Network/Streaming: MLB.TV, YES, NESN
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The Latest Odds: Yankees vs. Red Sox
The latest odds as of Thursday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: New York Yankees (-176), Boston Red Sox (+145)
Spread: Yankees -1.5 (-104), Red Sox +1.5 (-115)
Total: 7.5 runs
Starting Pitchers and their Stats: Yankees vs. Red Sox for June 25
Red Sox: Connelly Early Season Totals: 81.2 IP, 6-5, 3.64 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 79K, 31 BB
Who’s Hot? Who’s Not! Yankees vs. Red Sox
Jasson Dominguez homered yesterday and has hit safely in 5 of his last 6 games (7-23)
Jose Caballero was 1-10 in the series against Detroit
Ben Rice was 2-13 in the series against the Tigers
Ben Rice has struck out 4 times in 4 career ABs against Connelly Early
Speaking of strikeouts, Boston hitters have K’d 18 times in 63 career ABs against Cam Schlittler
Jarren Duran is hitless in his last 16 ABs and 1-26 over his last 7 games
Ceddanne Rafaela is hitting .313 in June (25-80)
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Top Betting Trends & Insights: Yankees vs. Red Sox
The Red Sox are 31-47 on the Run Line this season
The Yankees are 39-40 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed 34 times in games involving the Red Sox this season (34-41-3)
The OVER has cashed 35 times in games involving the Yankees this season (35-40-4)
Expert picks & predictions: Yankees vs. Red Sox
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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 tonight’s game between the Red Sox and the Yankees:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Yankees on the Moneyline.
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Yankees on the Run Line.
Total: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 7.5.
Yankees Team Total: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Yankees Team Total OVER 4.5 Total Runs.
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First time heat hazard has been declared this season
Formula One’s governing body has declared a heat hazard for the Austrian Grand Prix at Spielberg’s Red Bull Ring this weekend, the first time this season that the designation has been used.
The race director, Rui Marques, said the official weather service forecasts temperatures in excess of 31C during the race. Declaring a heat hazard requires teams to fit a driver cooling system, such as a liquid-cooled vest, though drivers are not obliged to use them and can take a ballast penalty instead.
Jan 27, 2026; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Jaxon Kohler (0) reacts with center Carson Cooper (15) after scoring a basket during overtime against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Jersey Mike's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
After going undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft, as expected, the starting frontcourt of the 2025-26 MSU Basketball Team each were signed by NBA teams.
Carson Cooper earned the more promising of the two offers. The former Spartan center continues the pipeline from East Lansing to Memphis as he signed a two-way contract with the Grizzlies. A two-way contract means a player can play for both an NBA team as well as its G-League affiliate, in this case the Memphis Hustle. Per NBA rules, players on two-way contracts can play up to 50 NBA games, but are not eligible for the playoffs unless they receive a standard contract.
During the Tom Izzo era, other big men to go straight from MSU to Memphis include Zach Randolph, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Xavier Tillman, though all three of them were drafted. The Grizzlies roster also includes former Purdue star Zach Edey as well as recent Detroit Pistons player Isaiah Stewart (traded during the draft) at the center position.
Jaxon Kohler signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Utah Jazz, his home state team. This type of contract allows a team to have a player on their training camp roster. Basically, this means that Kohler will get to play with Utah on their Las Vegas Summer League team, which runs in July. If Kohler can impress in Vegas, he can earn a two-way or even a regular contract, otherwise he can just be put on the Jazz’s G-League roster, the Salt Lake City Stars. There is also the possibility, ever so small, that Kohler does not do well with this opportunity and doesn’t even get on the G-League team, in which case he will have to find another team to sign with, domestically or abroad.
The Utah Jazz feature former Spartan (and former Memphis Grizzly) Jaren Jackson Jr. as their starting power forward. They also have depth with Kyle Filipowski and Blake Hinson who have two and one years of NBA experience, respectively.
We now are closer to the solutions to the poll questions we ran in the Feed earlier this week.
Most of the votes predicted Cooper would be on a G-League team, though a couple of you said he would be on an NBA roster, and that still has a chance of happening.
Similarly, most thought Kohler would play for a G-League team, though he did not receive any NBA votes.
Wishing both of these Spartan Dawgs loads of success in their next chapter.
Major League Baseball has reached the halfway point of its season – actual, not symbolic, with the All-Star Game not tipping off until July 14 in Philadelphia. But come Thursday, June 24, more teams than not will have played 81 games, and it’s all downhill until this baby wraps up Sept. 27.
Weird year, right? The league is filled with lots of bad teams who really aren’t out of it, leaving observers to ponder if any team is actually any good. Perhaps the hot summer months will bring clarity.
Or perhaps we’ll wonder why MLB will insist on a lockout for competitive balance when everyone is mid.
Either way, now’s a fine time to look at the many eye-opening paces that teams and players alike have set. Perhaps some of them will even hold up.
But for now, the math’s easy, so here’s seven numbers that catch our eye should they hold up come Game 162:
10: American League teams below .500
Yeah, that’s two-thirds of the league under water. #IfTheSeasonEndedToday (and it doesn’t), the Toronto Blue Jays would claim a wild card spot with a losing record.
What gives?
Well, it’s easy enough to look at the interleague records and realize 12 of 15 teams have losing records against the National League. The Angels (9-18) and Twins (9-17) are the worst of the bunch, while only the Mariners (12-11) and Rangers (16-14) are above .500.
Bo Bichette (Blue Jays to Mets) and Alex Bregman (Red Sox to Cubs) hopped leagues, and while they haven’t lit up the scoreboard with their new clubs, their losses are palpable for the teams they left. Tarik Skubal remains in the AL, for now, and while he missed five weeks and his team has floundered, the Tigers are still alive.
Which brings us to our next point: Everyone’s in it.
25: Teams within six games of a playoff berth
Put it this way: It’s a lot easier to list the clubs who aren’t a fortuitous week away from getting into playoff position. That would be the Angels and Red Sox in the AL and Mets, Giants and Rockies in the NL.
Don’t think that automatically means those teams will be sellers, though. The Angels are just 6½ games out of a playoff spot and the Mets 8. Still, though, you wonder how many teams will truly believe, come Aug. 3, that They Are Good.
Will the floating mass of contenders break up a bit by then? That’s typically how it goes, but don’t discount anything in this season of the meager.
0: Teams on pace to lose 100 games
OK, now for some good news: Nobody’s objectively terrible.
The Colorado Rockies lost 119 games a year ago and they’re once again at the bottom of the league, but the new regime has them at 32-49 and on pace to go 64-98. Progress!
218: Strikeouts for Cam Schlittler
That would be the most for a Yankee not named Gerrit Cole since 2018, when Luis Severino punched out 220. In his first full season, Schlittler has pitched like an ace practically every start, more than holding it down while Cole and lefty Carlos Rodón were on the comeback trail.
While Cole has had moments of dominance in his return from Tommy John surgery, it’s hard to imagine anyone unseating Schlittler as the club’s bona fide, Game 1 playoff starter. Presuming Max Fried returns without incident from his elbow malady, the Yankees have a potentially daunting quartet of playoff starters.
9: Hits per nine innings given up by Freddy Peralta
Pardon the esoterica, but it’s hard to pinpoint one number for all that’s befallen the Mets this season. So let’s go with this one, simply because it appeared baseball ops president David Stearns stole Peralta at the end of the winter from the Milwaukee Brewers, a bona fide ace ready to lend stability to a star-studded team that needed pitching.
Yeah, about that.
Peralta has been getting thoroughly peppered, giving up 41% more hits than last season, when he won 17 games, posted a 2.70 ERA and finished fifth in Cy Young voting.
That ERA has swelled to 4.83, his K rate has shriveled from 10.4 to 8.7 per nine innings and Stearns, it seems, is experiencing the business end of Brewers devil magic he was so good at brewing up in Milwaukee.
Now, it’s doubtful Peralta can help the Mets get back into contention, unclear how much trade value he’ll have come August and curious what his market will look like when he finally hits free agency this winter.
220: Home runs for the Chicago White Sox
Yep, guess who’s second to the Bronx Bombers in home runs? These White Sox of Colson Montgomery and Munetaka Murakami, who lead the team with 20 longballs each. Those two are tied fourth in the AL, a remarkable feat for Murakami, since the Japanese rookie hasn’t played since May 29 due to a hamstring injury.
They are, somewhat stunningly, in first place in the AL Central just two seasons after losing a record 121 games. It’s a startling display of resolve for both team and individuals, most notably Miguel Vargas, who has 17 homers and has doggedly continued his rise since getting traded to the sad-sack ’24 Sox.
If they actually reach that 220-homer mark, that’ll tie the 2003 White Sox for fourth-most bombs in franchise history.
Credit where it’s due. The Nationals’ entirely new regime signed virtually no free agents, traded former All-Star MacKenzie Gore to Texas and ran it back with a group that went 71-91 in consecutive seasons.
Yet it’s all working: The 33-year-old manager, a resurgent Aussie, and All-Star talents like James Wood and CJ Abrams stepping to the fore have made what seemed like a bottom-up rebuild look less laborious and much more fun. Should they go out and get a bullpen if they hover in playoff position?
Can't hurt. Consider that they were on pace for 84 wins until lightning struck in the ninth inning on consecutive nights.
WASHINGTON – Cristopher Sánchez and Jacob Misiorowski are on a collision course that leads directly to Philadelphia on July 14.
The Phillies left-hander and the Milwaukee Brewers’ velocity-crazed right-hander are far and away the two best pitchers in the National League this season and could create a quandary for their teams and Major League Baseball, while opening up a year-old wound.
Which one starts the All-Star Game?
In any other season, Sánchez would be an easy choice. After all, the game is returning to Philly for the first time since 1996, and Sánchez posted the lion’s share of his amazing 55 2/3-inning scoreless streak – longest in major league history for a left-hander – at Citizens Bank Park.
Ah, but then there’s Misiorowski, again posing a roadblock that could affect Sánchez.
The Brewers’ 6-foot-7 24-year-old leads major league qualified starters with a 1.45 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 138 strikeouts in 93 innings. He threw the fastest pitch ever recorded by a starting pitcher – 104.5 mph – and showed the Phillies how dominant he can be.
On June 12, Misiorowski threw a one-hit shutout with 15 strikeouts against the Phillies, just the third pitcher to punch out that many batters while allowing just one baserunner.
And while back in the day, the long ball was the in thing, nowadays it’s velocity that gets more clicks.
But can a case be made that Sánchez has both statistics and sentiment – all of Philly wrapping their arms around him – on his side?
“There’s so many deserving guys. But I think it’s cool if someone can start in their home season,” Phillies shortstop Trea Turner tells USA TODAY Sports, noting the atmosphere when Clayton Kershaw started the 2022 All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium.
“I thought that was really cool. Not that MIsiorowski isn’t more than deserving – he is, he’s had an unbelievable season. But I think the home start’s cool. The fans would love it and I think all of baseball would love it.”
Yet several factors will determine which ace gets the ball – or doesn’t pitch at all – in the Midsummer Classic.
A controversial choice, a pro response
The Phillies were aghast. They had a pair of left-handers – Sánchez and Ranger Suárez – having fantastic seasons. Yet when a rash of pitcher replacements were required to substitute pitchers who started games the Saturday or Sunday before the 2025 All-Star Game in Atlanta, neither were chosen.
Instead, MLB opted to showcase Misiorowski, then a rookie with just five starts and a mere 25 innings pitched in his career – 90 fewer than Sánchez’s first-half total, paired with a 2.50 ERA.
“What a joke,” Turner told The Athletic. “I mean, that’s terrible, dude.”
"That's just how MLB does it now," catcher J.T. Realmuto added. “Nothing against the Misiorowski kid. But (Suarez and Sanchez) are deserving of being on the team in the first place. There's no doubt.”
It was an admittedly calculated risk by the league. The Miz could have cracked under his first global pitching assignment. A poor second half or injury might have made the decision foolhardy in retrospect.
But Misiorowski aced the assignment, pitching a scoreless inning, hurling nine pitches harder than 100 mph, handling his media obligations with aplomb and, while his second-half ERA ballooned to 5.36, he helped pitch the Brewers to the National League Championship Series.
This year, both pitchers seem separated by a razor-thin margin, with bulk vs. sizzle possibly entering the picture again.
A little more work to do
Sánchez once again has an innings-pitched edge, 105-93, second in the majors only to Sandy Alcantara’s 110 innings pitched for Miami. That seems a negligible difference, though 12 innings provides nearly two starts worth of coverage to a pitching staff.
Otherwise, it’s hard to deny Misiorowski’s dominance.
What a combination: Misiorowski leads the majors in both strikeouts per nine innings (13.35) and opponents’ batting average (.146, 53 points better than No. 2 Paul Skenes).
The Phillies saw firsthand how deadly his combination of a 103-mph fastball and a 98-mph slider can be. Kyle Schwarber managed their lone hit, and he was erased on a double play, Misiorowski facing the minimum in just 95 pitches.
“I feel like he’ll give you a pitch in the middle of the zone maybe once an at-bat, but if you miss that one pitch, it’s nearly impossible,” says Turner, who struck out twice in three at-bats. “Just so much extension. A lot of guys throw hard. He’s not only throwing harder, but the extension is crazy.
“Last year, we got to him a little bit. This year, he pitched one of the best games I’ve ever seen.”
Sánchez counters with a fastball he runs up into the high 90s with the game’s greatest changeup and, increasingly, a slider that makes the whole package deadly when everything is clicking.
With a PitchCom device in his ear, Turner, at shortstop, can relish just what Sánchez is going to do next to a helpless hitter.
“Watching from this side’s a little more fun,” he says. “As a hitter, you know (the changeup) is coming. It’s just, is it a strike? Can you lay off it if it’s a ball? It tells you how good it is when you know that’s the pitch, you’re going to face him three or four times and he still gets awkward swings.
“I think that just speaks so highly of him when you know it’s coming and you can’t do much with it.”
While both pitchers’ 2026 bodies of work are accumulating, there’s still plenty of work to do before one of them is warming up in the Citizens Bank Park bullpen come July 14.
Both have four starts left, Sanchez June 25 at Washington, home to Pittsburgh and then road assignments at Kansas City and Detroit. Misiorowski faces the Cubs June 26 and will take on Cincinnati, St. Louis and Pittsburgh.
And there’s a chance the calendar won’t align for one or both of them.
Hands up for Hollywood
On paper, Sánchez is in good shape. If the Phillies skip the unsettled fifth spot in their rotation thanks to an off day July 3, Sánchez would start Sunday, July 5 at Kansas City and Friday, July 10 at Detroit.
That’s an ideal three days of rest before a likely one-inning All-Star assignment.
Misiorowski, though, is on turn to make his final first-half start Saturday, July 11 at Pittsburgh. In 2025, six pitchers were scratched from the roster because they started the Saturday before the All-Star Game – including the Cubs’ Matthew Boyd, whose absence opened up Misiorowski’s spot.
The Brewers can certainly fiddle with the rotation before then, and might welcome extra days of rest for Misiorowski, pushing him back a day or two and eliminating that last late-week start. And weather, of course, is a factor when the Brewers are on the road.
Yet logistics are only half the equation, now. Increasingly, narrative plays a role.
When Kershaw made that start in 2022, he was not the best pitcher in the NL’s first half. That distinction belonged to Alcantara, who posted a 1.76 ERA, threw three first-half complete games and six starts with zero earned runs given up.
It’s not like Kershaw was chopped liver: He had a 2.13 ERA and, in his last start before the break, nearly tossed a perfect game at Anaheim.
Yet this was L.A., home of the Dodgers and also Fox Sports. Kershaw was named the starter and the network spun up a goofy pregame bit where Kershaw and Shohei Ohtani, then an Angel, were mic’d up and talked trash to each other moments before the first pitch.
Ohtani complied by hitting a first-pitch single, and then Kershaw picked him off first base. Almost like it was scripted.
Not sure if they can contrive any such theatrics with The Miz or Sánchie. Yet if all things are equal, velocity just might be the tiebreaker.
That may leave the Phillies with a mild beef for a second year in a row. That’s OK – they still get to watch Sánchez pitch every five days.
“It’s pretty amazing to watch him on a start-in, start-out basis,” says manager Don Mattingly. “Ninety-seven, 98 is pretty good, with movement. He’s a guy whose mix all tunnels. He’s tough to pick up.
The Kentucky Basketball team started practicing earlier this month, and one of the biggest surprise performers thus far has been James Madison transfer Justin McBride. One reason for that is the offseason work he has put in before arriving in Lexington.
McBride, who previously played for Oklahoma State, Nevada, and most recently, James Madison, is listed at 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds on Kentucky’s roster list. Those listed numbers are bigger than any of his previous stops, but he is currently in the best shape of his career.
According to one source, McBride has lost 10-12 pounds of fat from his top playing weight at James Madison. That has allowed him to be more mobile in practice, a pleasant surprise to what the staff was expecting of him coming in.
Randle was the SEC Rookie of the Year and an All-American in his one season at Kentucky, so high praise for McBride. However, Pope is not comparing McBride to Randle in terms of talent, but in terms of style.
McBride grades excellent as a catch-and-shoot guy in analytics, shooting 40% from deep last season, an ability that Randle has shown in the NBA. Also similar to Randle, he can use his size to get to his spots in the paint and muscle his way for a rebound.
Having a bully-ball kind of player, who is also efficient from 3-point range, is a welcome addition for a Kentucky program that has struggled with physicality in recent seasons.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 18: Mitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks celebrates with his daughter during the New York Knicks Championship ticker tape parade and victory rally celebrating winning the 2026 NBA Finals on June 18, 2026 in New York City. The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games to win their first NBA Championship in 53 years. (Photo by Angelina Katsanis/Getty Images) | Getty Images
From 2002 to 2020, the Knicks were an abysmal franchise. I know that, you know that, the less said about it, the better.
There are a lot of reasons why one of the league’s biggest teams in the biggest market stayed so irrelevant for so long. Terrible free agent signings, trades, and overall incompetence were big parts, but so was the inability to draft.
They burned top-10 picks on the likes of Mike Sweetney, Channing Frye, Danilo Gallinari, and Jordan Hill in the first decade, passing on guys like Andrew Bynum, Danny Granger, Brook Lopez, and DeMar DeRozan.
In the latter era of darkness, they burned top-1o picks on Frank Ntilikina, Kevin Knox, and Obi Toppin, passing up on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Donovan Mitchell, Bam Adebayo, and Tyrese Haliburton.
All throughout these 20 years, they also failed to effectively hit on mid-first-round picks, didn’t get any production out of second-round prospects, and watched as the picks they traded became guys like Joakim Noah and LaMarcus Aldridge. All that young talent could’ve been wearing orange and blue, but incompetent management bungled it all up.
Sure, there were good picks. Kristaps Porzingis was a bold pick that panned out and RJ Barrett was the predictable, but wise pick after the lottery gods spat on Steve Mills and Phil Jackson’s franchise. But through all the busts and guys who weren’t good enough, there was one pick in the early second round in 2018 that shined through all the dysfunction.
After tiptoeing his way through the graveyard of busts and forgettable has-beens, he’s emerged on the other side as an NBA champion.
Our NBA champion.
SAN ANTONIO, TX – JUNE 13: Mitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks poses for a portrait after winning Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs on June 13, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Mitchell Robinson was born on April 1, 1998, in Pensacola, Florida. He lived there for much of his pre-NBA life, attending Pine Forest High School through his sophomore year, but a major growth spurt turned him into a seven-foot behemoth, prompting him to transfer to Chalmette High School in in Louisiana, where his stock exploded as a junior.
He became one of the best high school basketball players in the nation. As a senior, he averaged 25.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, and six blocks a game, leading Chalmette to a district title and their deepest state title run in 32 years. His tremendous season saw him named a McDonald’s All-American, where he scored 14 points and blocked two shots in a game headlined by Michael Porter Jr., DeAndre Ayton, and Mo Bamba.
As a five-star recruit and one of the top players in the entire Class of 2017, he had a wild recruitment. He committed to Texas A&M in April 2015 before his stock exploded, but decommitted after his junior year ended. He then became the best recruit (by a country mile) in Western Kentucky history, enrolling in June 2017.
But after two weeks of practicing with the team, he vanished. He cleaned out his dorm and left campus, deserting and being indefinitely suspended. The big man had second thoughts about his decision, and his godfather, Shammond Williams, was fired as an assistant. He just didn’t want to be there.
He was granted his release and entered the transfer portal, but rules at the time dictated that he was now ineligible for the 2017-18 season. Still seeking a waiver, he visited LSU, Kansas, and New Orleans to see if he could salvage things before deciding in September, on his own, to sit out from organized basketball in his pre-draft season.
It was an unprecedented decision, one that had never been replicated by a serious NBA prospect. He didn’t go overseas, he wasn’t eligible to play in the G-League, and he would just train and wait. It definitely damaged his stock ahead of the 2018 NBA Draft, but his drop ended when the Knicks selected him at No. 36 to pair him with fellow 2017 All-American Kevin Knox in their draft class.
Right out the gate, you could tell this guy was a freak athlete. In his first Summer League, Robinson averaged 13 points and 10.2 rebounds a game, breaking all-time Summer League records for blocks per game (4.0) and offensive rebounds per game (6.2). Even before he officially wore the orange and blue, excitement was palpable.
Mitchell Robinson in a 2018 Summer League game against the Pelicans:
As a rookie, he was an extremely raw product. For a dreadful 65-loss team, he played 66 games (starting 19). After starting the season behind Enes Kanter and Noah Vonleh in the rotation, he was put in the starting lineup in November, but couldn’t stay on the court because of dreadful foul woes. His per-36 average for fouls? 5.7. He would foul out in every single game if he played starters minutes.
As a result, he played just 20 minutes a night. He’d show flashes with a double-double in early November, a nine-block game against Orlando nine days later, another 17/14/6 game against the Magic in February, and a tremendous 19-point, 21-rebound game in a blowout loss to Toronto in March. He was named to Second-Team All-Rookie for his troubles and finished eighth in Rookie of the Year voting.
Rookie Mitch was a fever dream. A center with god-given athletic traits that made the sky the limit, even if his offensive game was limited. That playstyle was never sustainable for a long career because of the foul troubles, but it was exhilarating while we saw it. We’ll always have his #26 to remember it by, as he switched his number to 23 to honor two late high school teammates.
He spent much of the 2019-20 season backing up Taj Gibson, as even though he was emerging as the team’s most promising player, his foul trouble necessitated restraint. He slightly improved in that regard and upped his averages to 9.7 points and 7.3 rebounds. By the time the NBA season was suspended in March due to COVID-19, Robinson had stumbled upon an NBA record.
He had broken Wilt Chamberlain’s record for FG% in a single season, shooting a baffling 74.2% from the field. As crazy as it sounds, he’s exceeded that number since then, shooting 76.1% from the field two years later, but fell just short of qualifying with enough shots to re-break the record.
The first chapter of Robinson’s career closed with the pandemic. The second chapter had begun, one where he was the undisputed starter at center for a rejuvenated team under Tom Thibodeau. His minutes jumped to 27.5/night. His fouls dropped, sacrificing a bit of his bonkers block totals to do so. About 25 games into the season, the first major domino of the next phase of his career fell.
Robinson broke the fourth metacarpal in his right hand on February 12, 2021. He missed about five weeks, returning on March 21. His production was up and down in the ensuing four games, but he went down once again just six days after returning against the Bucks.
A fractured fifth metatarsal in his right foot ended his season. The Knicks’ dream run to their first playoff berth in eight years would happen without their starting center, which would have dire consequences as Trae Young and Clint Capela made mincemeat out of Gibson and Nerlens Noel. The injury gave him a long offseason, where the thin, lanky big man bulked up considerably to get stronger in the post (on both ends).
The decision to do that made him look slow and ineffective to start 2021-22. It’s possible for a center to put on too much weight and muscle, especially in the situation of Robinson being a player who relied on athleticism to that point. He played considerably better as the season went on, getting in better shape and ultimately producing a quality year when the rest of the team collapsed around him. He was rewarded with a $60 million extension in the offseason, marking an extreme rarity as a Knicks’ draft pick to earn a second contract.
The following season was more of the same, except team success followed. Robinson was down to 7.4 points a game, but had gotten considerably better on the board, leading the NBA in offensive rebounding for the first time. By the time the season ended, he would finally be unleashed in the first-round series against Cleveland, where he had one of the most dominant series by a low-usage big man in recent history.
Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen were both All-Stars. Mobley would go on to be a Defensive Player of the Year. Both of them would be picked seven days a week and twice on Sundays over Robinson entering that series. But in that five-game shellacking, he brutalized them so much that he put a dent in both of their reputations that hasn’t been fully buffed out to this day.
He was really starting to come into his own to start 2023-24. He was respected as a premier rim protector and rebounder. The Ringer added him to their Top 100 rankings. His rebounding was on another level. In a 16-game span from late October to late November, he averaged 11.5 rebounds a game. This was it. This was where he would take the next step.
We now begin the third stage in Robinson’s career. In a loss to the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics in early December, his ankle gave out. A stress fracture in his left ankle seemed to have ended his season, with the Knicks applying for a disabled player exception for deadline flexibility. For months, they assumed he was done for the year.
But he did return. After missing 50 games, he popped back in off the bench on March 27, 2024, backing up his good friend and breakout player Isaiah Hartenstein. His role from there would be limited due to the injury’s proximity, but he still made a major impact when he did play.
He had 8 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks in a Game 1 win against the Sixers. He was a +20, taking on the assignment of Joel Embiid and staring the former MVP straight in the eye. It was a heavyweight battle for the ages.
Until it wasn’t. Embiid yanked down Robinson by his ankles in Game 3, re-aggravating his ankle injury and taking him out for the next game and a half. He’d return to play Games 5 and 6, along with Game 1 against Indiana, but would soon be shut down once again with the injury. Initially, it was believed not to be that bad, but his injury held him out a lot longer than anyone expected.
First, Ian Begley reported the team was targeting a Christmas return. Then January passed. He was still in street clothes. By the time he returned on February 28, 2025, that bum left ankle had cost him a baffling 108 games of his career. The injury had a big domino effect, as it resulted in Hartenstein pricing himself out and the Knicks getting desperate to trade for Karl-Anthony Towns.
At this point, the injury woes were piling up. He was close to something truly special, but the Knicks were now forced to effectively keep him on a leash with his playing time. The team’s defense fell off big time with him injured in both 2023-24 and 2024-25. They needed him.
When he returned, he played 15 minutes a game behind Towns. He had a few strong games, notably a 14/14 game in 20 minutes against a depleted Sixers team, but the real test was playoff intensity.
He certainly had his moments. He grabbed eight offensive rebounds in Game 5 against Detroit. Despite not doing much scoring, his mere presence was a major part of the Knicks’ two comeback wins against Boston. With the starting lineups’ ineffectiveness mounting, Robinson was inserted into the starting lineup in Game 3 against Indiana for his first playoff start since 2023, but was ineffective against their fast-paced playstyle.
Heading into 2025-26, a critical contract year for the longest tenured Knick, the training staff had enough. After his first healthy offseason in a good bit, they enacted strict rules. His minutes would be capped, he would not play back-to-backs, and he would occasionally be held out for multiple games to manage soreness when it arises.
To their credit, despite him missing Opening Night and having some odd absences, he made it through completely healthy. His 60 games played were the most since 2021-22. He still managed to make 16 starts, but he was only playing 19.6 minutes a game.
His impact was present as ever. Whatever role the Knicks needed from him, he provided. He still grabbed back-breaking rebounds, his touch around the rim tremendously improved, and he got lift back in his leaps. His FG% was back up to 72.3 percent. He had re-emerged as a big lob threat. His per-36 averages of 7.7 OREB and 16.1 rebounds a game were jaw-dropping.
In a season more defined by his consistency, he still managed to put up a big 21/16 game off the bench and grab a career-high 22 rebounds against Indiana in mid-March. By playoff time, the secret weapon was intact, and even got a first-place vote for Sixth Man of the Year for his troubles.
How did he do come playoff time? He had some good games, namely Game 2 against Atlanta, but struggled in others. He was somehow a +29 in 8:35 in that Game 6 bludgeoning before getting ejected for a fight with Dyson Daniels.
He sat out of Game 2 against Philly (likely matching Embiid’s injury flare-up), but was otherwise extremely durable (except for the broken pinky, I guess). Oh yeah, he also postered him.
NEW YORK, NY – MAY 31: A general view of street art of New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson dunking on Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid on May 31, 2026, in Midtown Manhattan in New York, NY. This art is based on a photo taken during Game 3 of the 2026 Eastern Conference Semifinals. The New York Knicks are the 2026 Eastern Conference Champions and are playing in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. The Knicks were NBA champions in 1970 and 1973. (Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
He was effective throughout the postseason, even if the stats didn’t jump out at you.
…except for the Hack-a-Mitch. We haven’t mentioned this whole time that Robinson is one of the worst free-throw shooters in NBA history. No matter how hard he works on it, he just can’t crack it. He would get repeatedly played off the floor in this postseason due to it, and it impacted his play. Mike Brown was handcuffed at times. I guess the silver lining was that teams who utilized it immediately got the worst karma ever (cough cough, Cavs and Spurs).
Robinson’s postseason was missing the big moment. Then Game 5 of the NBA Finals rolled around.
In a series defined by Towns’ foul trouble and Robinson’s inability to cover all the minutes for a variety of factors, he was the one thrown onto the court in the final minutes as the Knicks looked to finish off the comeback and close out a championship.
With 26.1 seconds left, the Knicks led by three with Josh Hart at the line. A made free throw would give them firm control of this game, but a miss would allow the Spurs to have a glimmer of hope.
The ball was released from Hart’s hands and rolled off the rim. In the moment, Robinson is jostling with 7’5″ Victor Wembanyama.
Time slows down.
Robinson is the only player on this roster who experienced the dark ages. His first career game was coached by David Fizdale. The executive who picked him was Steve Mills. They went 17-65 when he was a rookie.
He came into a franchise that was looking not just for a star, but for foundational pieces. Frank Ntilikina was a bust. Kevin Knox was a bust. RJ Barrett was just okay. Kristaps Porzingis, with whom he was briefly teammates, was traded.
He lived through Fizdale’s dysfunction. He lived through the nightmare of the 2019 draft lottery. He lived through Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving spurning them for Nic Claxton’s Brooklyn Nets.
He was on the court when Vince Carter ended the 2019-20 season with a memorable final basket. He was in the starting lineup when the Knicks returned from COVID-19 in late December 2020.
Throughout every era this team has gone through since, from dysfunction to revival to disappointment to steady ascension. It had brought him here. To this moment.
All of his compatriots are gone. Barrett is a Raptor. Julius Randle is now in Brooklyn. Immanuel Quickley is also in Toronto. Obi Toppin is in Indiana. Knox is… somewhere. Tom Thibodeau is maybe enjoying retirement. Fizdale and Mills are hopefully rueing their tenures here.
Everyone who was around him when he was a young pup is gone. The only player in the organization who was here before Brunson changed everything in July 2022 is Deuce McBride, who’s the only other one to experience a losing season in New York (37-45 isn’t even that bad).
Regardless of how this series goes, regardless of if this is his final game in New York because of his impending free agency and lucrative market, he’ll go down as the bridge between eras. The one bright spot in a depressing post-Melo world that lived to see the Knicks be relevant.
But relevant isn’t good enough. It never was good enough.
He outmuscled the still-maturing Wembanyama and gobbled up the offensive rebound, kicking it out before he could be intentionally fouled. OG Anunoby would make one of his free throws, providing the distance that the Knicks needed. Of course, there’d be more free throws and dramatics to follow, but making it a two-possession game fundamentally changed everything.
The man who’s spent the last four years as the greatest offensive rebounder on the planet did it in the biggest spot of his entire career, broken pinky and all. Maybe he didn’t need to do it to become a champion, but he did nonetheless. And then he got to ride one of his massive monster trucks at the parade.
If this is it, thanks for everything, Big Mitch. You’re an NBA champion.
–
(P&T will be doing player-by-player article tributes over the next few weeks to commemorate the special team that ended our long, half-century nightmare)
BRONX, NY - JUNE 17: Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees chats with fans before a game between the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on June 17, 2026 in the Bronx, New York. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Good morning, all. The Yankees finished off what turned out to be a nice three-game set in Detroit last night, as Paul Goldschmidt turned back the clock with a multi-homer game off no less a foe than defending two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. Jasson Domínguez had his own key bomb off Skubal as well, just the second time the switch-hitter has gone deep in the bigs against a southpaw.
That’s not too shabby for a series that began with the Yanks’ third loss in a row. They’re back on the ol’ winning series path as they head up to Beantown to see if they can avoid playing down to the mostly-hapless Red Sox. It’s hard to win three of four at Fenway in any circumstance because that ballpark can just make weird games, but that should still, of course, be the goal.
For today’s question, we’re checking out the SB Nation Reacts survey results from the poll that ran earlier in the week. We asked how you would grade Yankees manager Aaron Boone’s 2026 season to date. They have the best record in the American League, but the plurality gave him a C:
Now as they say, C’s get degrees, but this is still a little surprising, even with Boone’s shaky reputation among Yankees fans. (And that’s to say nothing of the 12 percent who failed him.)
I don’t see Boone as any great skipper or anything like that, but they do seem to have played well under him despite some tough circumstances, namely lengthy injuries to the likes of Aaron Judge and Max Fried, their two best players on opposite sides of the ball in 2025. Although no manager is immune to the odd bullpen decision here and there — and boy, Boone does have his moments — the odd calls have been kept to a relative minimum in my opinion. I do also think that we’ve still seen too much of Anthony Volpe at shortstop, so it’s fair to ding for that, even with José Caballero cooling down a bit since coming back off the IL.
Maybe I’m a tough grader, but to me, you have to really stand out as a manager to get an A grade. Still, I’d be happy to give Boone a B for how he’s fared early on. I’m with the 24 percent. If this poll has enough options to allow it, I’d probably grant closer to B+ or A- if we’re being honest.
So if you were a little more cautious about giving Boone a better grade, what would be your rationale? My best guess is that the C is a stand-in for “Fine, but the first half has rarely been an issue under Boone, so it’s hard to get too jazzed just yet.”
Today on the site, Matt will preview this upcoming four-game set at Fenway and he’ll return for the Rivalry Roundup. Nick will then celebrate the 63rd (!) birthday of a hard-hitting catcher who played on both sides of the rivalry, Mike Stanley. Jonathan will take the opportunity of Cam Schlittler vs. Connelly Early to remember some of the more notable and consstent pitching matchups in the rivalry’s history, and Kento will delve into why the Yankees’ bullpen has been fine on the whole, if not a bit underwhelming.
Today’s Matchup
New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox
Time: 7:10 p.m. EST
TV: YES, NESN, MLB Network
Venue: Fenway Park, Boston, MA
The Reacts survey results are sponsored by FanDuel.
A big game from John Peck and a strong effort from the bullpen carried the Mud Hens over Worcester on Wednesday.
Dylan File got the start for Toledo and he didn’t last long. The Red Sox got to him for three runs in the first and knocked him out of the game. Scott Effross did a nice job on short notice taking over and getting them through the third with only an unearned run allowed. From there, Tyler Mattison fired a pair of scoreless innings, and Cole Waites returned from the IL for a scoreless sixth, while Beau Brieske blanked them in the seventh.
In his second Triple-A game, John Peck got his first homer with a 104 mph solo shot to right center field in the top of the second.
In the fourth, Eduardo Valencia and Gage Workman walked with one out. Peck smoked an RBI double to center, and then a grounder from Brett Callahan was thrown away, scoring both Workman and Peck to tie the game 4-4.
Congrats to John Peck on his first Triple-A home run, 104mph opposite field shot. pic.twitter.com/LinjLRxjYT
In the fifth, Corey Julks cracked a solo shot for the go-ahead run, and the bullpen kept locking it down, with Nick Sandlin handling the final two innings for a six-out save. Unfortunately, Peck tweaked something trying to beat out a hit in the sixth, and had to leave the game with what I will guess is a right hamstring strain. He did walk off under his own power so hopefully it’s fairly minor.
Peck: 2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, HR
Julks: 1-4, R, RBI, HR, 2 K
Mattison (W, 4-0): 2.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: The Hens will look to make it four in a row at 6:45 p.m. ET.
LHP Konnor Pilkington has been released.
RHP Cole Waites has been reinstated from the Toledo 7-Day injured list and OF Cal Stevenson has been placed on the Toledo development list.
Hayden Minton’s first Double-A start didn’t go great as he struggled with his control, but the offense flashed some power and drew nine walks in this one, easily outpacing the Rumble Ponies in this one.
Minton allowed a run in the first and another in the third. A couple of walks in the fourth ended his night, with Yosber Sanchez coming on to immediately induce an inning ending double play.
Meanwhile, the offense kept pace in the first when Seth Stephenson led off by reaching on an error. Thayron Liranzo walked with one out, and Chris Meyers singled in Stephenson.
So it was 1-1, and then Minton gave up a run in the third. The SeaWolves answered right back and took control with a three-run bottom of the third.
Stephenson led off with a walk and Peyton Graham doubled him to third. A Liranzo sac fly scored Stephenson, and Meyers drew a walk to put runners at the corners. Garrett Pennington singled in Graham, and an Izaac Pacheco sacrifice fly scored Meyers for a 4-2 lead.
Carlos Peña allowed the Ponies to tie it up in the sixth, but in the bottom of the seventh the SeaWolves took over for good. Graham led off with a solo shot, and Pacheco later doubled off the wall in left center field to drive in Meyers for a 6-4 lead.
Izaac Pacheco with an RBI double off the wall in left center to give the SeaWolves a 6-4 lead. pic.twitter.com/YdazhJ64Kc
In the bottom of the eighth, a leadoff single from Andrew Jenkins was followed by three straight walks, leading to two more runs.
Graham: 2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, HR, 2 BB
Meyers: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, K
Pacheco: 1-2, 2 RBI, 2B, BB, K
Minton: 3.1 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 2 K
Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves will try to run their winning streak to six on Thursday at 6:05 p.m. ET.
Dayton Dragons 12, West Michigan Whitecaps 6 (box)
Ben Jacobs was really wild for the first time in this one, and he got absolutely mauled for nine runs by the Dragons on Wednesday.
Jacobs just couldn’t find the handle on anything. He walked five and surrendered a pair of home runs, exiting with two outs in the third with nine runs total allowed. Woof.
It was even worse as he was gifted a three run lead in the top of the first when Ricardo Hurtado and Jackson Strong each homered. Hurtado’s came with Bryce Rainer aboard after one of three walks drawn by him on the night.
Back to back home runs for West Michigan from Ricardo Hurtado and Jackson Strong. pic.twitter.com/uj84ZvlY9w
Strong led off the sixth with his second homer on the day, and the center fielder now has eight on the year and six in the month of June. Juan Hernandez followed later in the inning with a two-run shot of his own.
Jackson Strong with another solo homer. It’s his 2nd home run of the night, his 8th of the season, and his 6th in June. pic.twitter.com/84iIgDyaVq
Despite 11 hits and three walks, the Flying Tigers managed to score just three runs, while starter Cash Kuiper took a beating at the Tortugas hands.
Kuiper gave up six runs in 4.1 innings of work. He gave up a home run, but it was really a clinic in stringing hits together in start contrast to his teammates in this one.
It was already 3-0 Tortugas when the Flying Tigers got on board in the top of the fifth. Nick Dumesnil led off the fifth with a double. Jack Goodman later singled him in. Javier Osorio singled Goodman to third, but was thrown out trying to steal second. Jordan Yost followed with a walk, but Beau Ankeney struck out.
In the sixth, Edian Espinal led off with a double and Carson Rucker singled him to third and then stole second base with one out. Espinal scored on a Dumesnil ground out, and Jesus Pinto doubled in Rucker to make it a 6-3 game.
Days after the Miami Heat acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo, there’s been another blockbuster trade. The Charlotte Hornets reportedly will send LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Naz Reid and a haul of draft picks and swaps.
The draft picks going back to Charlotte include Minnesota’s 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps (2028, 2029, 2030) and three second-round picks (2029, 2032, 2033), Charania said.
Ball, who turns 25 in August, spent his first six seasons with the Hornets after being drafted third overall in 2020. He averaged 20.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists over 303 regular-season games, winning Rookie of the Year in 2021 and being named an All-Star in 2022.
Now, Ball will join the No. 1 overall pick from the 2020 draft — Anthony Edwards — to form an explosive backcourt. The Timberwolves are coming off their fifth straight postseason appearance, which ended with a second-round loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Ball has never played in a playoff game in his career.
For the Hornets, this deal comes after their best season in a decade. They went 44-38 but lost in the Play-In as they still seek their first playoff appearance since 2016.
Reid, who turns 27 in August, will add some much-needed size and experience to Charlotte’s young roster. The seven-year veteran was the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2024, with 48 games of playoff experience.
The real haul for the Hornets, though, could be the treasure chest of draft picks they just acquired. While the Timberwolves are projected to be a strong team next season, the picks are spaced out over the next seven years. Charlotte could eventually add some high-end talent, or use these assets in other future trades.
